《Rise Of The Hoarder》


 Chapter 1 Prologue

    Hell


    The world appeared to be a living purgatory of blood and mes.


    The distorted view of destroyed towers and devastated construction clouded the air with  dust and smoke, a bloody pungent smell corrupting the senses as thousands of mangled corpses copsed into a stream of blood that painted the dystopian city red!


    Clouds of orange smoke ascended into the sky, the mes and destruction was reminiscent of the underworld, only the echo of death and terror apanied me through the city


    As I slowly walked, I took in these rabid sensations, while ignoring the distracting pangs of despair that surrounded me, and instead pressed forward.


    Cars that have long been forgotten lie around, pounded, and severely battered by rain, debris, and the prowlers in this modern era.


    From my distance, I could sense a battle nearby. Perhaps I should venture to watch them¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s none of my business anyway¡­¡± I thought, dissuading myself from making the wrong call.


    I ventured further in the opposite direction from the unnecessary trouble which was escting at a rapid rate.


    ¡°There might be loot, though¡±


    I paused, stopping dead in my tracks as soon as I considered this. My weary legs, covered by my blue sneakers and ck socks, slowly began to turn around, moving back to the ce I had just avoided. I picked up the pace in order to reach a vantage point quickly before the battle ends.


    My red jacket flowed behind me, covering the ck shirt I wore to match my dark trousers. With hastened steps, I dashed from my location and jumped on the cars I had passed by, leaping even higher by using them as footholds.


    My sneakers glowed as my body boosted, propelling me high into the air. Immediately, wings appeared behind me, causing me to glide through the air and soar higher than my current reach. The mechanical construct which took me up whirred as its turbines spun, allowing me to control my momentum and direction. I kept ascending, reaching the top of a high-rise building in no time. I safelynded on top of the roof and the wings behind me vanished.


    I took a few steps forward, raising my hands slightly, expecting something to fall on it.


    Immediately, a pair of goggles dropped on my palm, appearing out of thin air. I ced the device on my face, drawing my eyes closer to the two holes, and gazed within the circr structure they had.


    Using this, I could clearly see what was happening below me, as I observed the source of the conflict I had felt earlier.


    I saw an amusing sight, one I have experienced on many asions. A group of Gifteds, against their enemies, the Demons.<sub>.</sub>


    I watched as the desperate group of five fought against one fairlyrge Demon, and despite being pushed back by the monstrous creature, they nheless refused to give up.


    ¡°Foolish¡­ They just don¡¯t know when it¡¯s time to surrender¡­¡± I muttered and observed how they coordinated themselves while using their respective Gifts to fight.


    The Demon appeared to be a Grade 3. How disappointing, I expected something better. This was practically useless for me. It seems I wasted my time.


    I sighed and turned away, looking at my target location from the height of the building I stood on. It doesn¡¯t seem too far for me to fly there with my wings, but it¡¯s better not to use them so often.


    ¡°I¡¯m out of here,¡± I said.


    The members of that group are most likely going to die. However, only a fool would feel pity for them.


    In this world, it¡¯s dog-eat-dog. I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t how it was intended to be from the start, but humans always find a way to ruin beautiful things.


    Once again, my mechanical wings appeared and I took to the ground, returning to the abandoned road I was walking through previously.


    Within several minutes, I arrived at my destination.


    Before me was a dark tunnel, with luminous stones glowing around the entrance, dimly lighting the ce with its translucent glow.


    Broken down buildings and destroyed vehicles all surrounded the tunnel, however, this very structure appeared to be intact.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be finding Treasures here for sure!¡±


    After all, this is the rumored ce, said to contain an item I need toplete mytest construct.


    ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯m the first one here¡­ It¡¯s mine¡­¡± I smiled slightly.


    Suddenly, the watch on my wrist beeped, causing me to check it quickly.


    The wristwatch disyed a blue window in front of me, informing me of hostile individuals within my vicinity who were approaching my current location.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Tch, just what I was avoiding¡­¡± I let out in dissatisfaction.


    I closed the window upon realizing they were close and turned around to greet my unwee guests.


    A group of riff-raffs dressed up like dregs approached me with a menacing look in their eyes. Unlike me, their attires were dirty, worn out, and unkempt.


    Upon seeing the way I was dressed, they eyed me suspiciously and greedily.


    ¡°Oi, Oi. What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing here?!¡± The one who seemed to be their leader said to me in his delinquent tone.


    In the past, this might¡¯ve fazed me, but now it was no better than the desperate bark of a powerless cur.


    I nkly looked at the group, only 7 men, and 2 women. An entire caravan of 9 members¡­ Not too bad, considering the nature of the world. Their joint interest in crime and negative values seem to be holding them together, but sooner orter they will turn against each other¡­ Just as ¡®they¡¯ turned against me.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked them pointlessly.


    They must be here for the special item stored here. But now that they¡¯ve seen me, they most likely also want all my valuables.


    Howughable. If only they knew that what I have isn¡¯t only restricted to what I currently have on.


    ¡°This is our turf! We¡¯ve already imed ess to thisnd before you came here. You¡¯re encroaching on our territory!¡±. The leader smiled smugly, generating a follow-up chuckle from his followers.


    ¡°For your actions of trespass¡­ You must pay a fine. However, I am a merciful person, so instead of asking for the original cost, I¡¯ll let you off with you relinquishing everything you have on you¡± He smirked.


    I nearly burst outughing but I managed to keep my emotions to myself while maintaining a poker face.


    ¡°What¡¯s the original cost then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°DEATH! Now choose!¡± The leader said with a slight re.


    He brought out a sharp sword that he had kept sheathed by his hip. His followers also brought out their respective weapons. They had whips, daggers, spears, and swords<sub></sub>


    One also had a club and an extra dagger as his secondary weapon.


    Upon analyzing the weapons they possessed, I groaned to myself in disappointment. They were all low-grade weapons. Except for the leader¡¯s item, they were all Grade 1. The item of the leader was also merely a Grade 2.


    ¡°I have to stop raising my hopes. What did I expect from riff raffs like these?¡± I said to myself.


    Though there have been cases where I have found rare items amongst poor and unskilled yers who did not know how to utilize the items to their full potential, those situations have now be rare.


    These fools are certainly not worth anything, and because of that, they do not deserve any more of my time.


    ¡°You¡¯re in my way¡­ Begone.¡± I said to them in a calm and low tone, waving them off.


    ¡°Uh?! What the hell is this bitch telling us?¡± The leader asked in anger, upset by my disrespect.


    He stepped forward to challenge me with his sword, however, as he did so, a de was sent flying to his head, piercing his skull and ripping it into two pieces.


    His cleanly sliced head fell on the floor, and his body followed, making a heavy thud as itnded lifelessly on the ground.


    The remaining group looked at me fearfully as they watched their leader meet instant death.


    Their eyes bulged as they discovered that I was not the ordinary person they pictured me to be.


    Quickly turning away, they took to their heels, running for their lives. A normal person would have spared them, but not me.


    If I leave them, they¡¯ll end up bing a pain in the ass in the future. I personally do not like having any loose ends untied in my quest. Besides, if they call the attention of others to this item and it gets traced to me, it¡¯ll get bothersome.


    Besides, they attacked me first. This was only self-defense. They should have been prepared to die the moment they pointed their weapons at me.


    Unlike others, I¡¯m not stupid!


    Several des of varying sizes and proportions suddenly appeared by my sides and wereunched toward them, impaling the fleeing members as they instantly killed them off one after the other.


    Due to the homing function on them, my des will instantly strike the vital part of the targets, ensuring they are dead by the first blow. My swords pierced their hearts, head, necks, spine, and even went through the mouth of one of them, who was screaming, as it came out of the end of her skull.


    Blood sttered all around, not reaching me due to their distance. As the red liquid oozed, I could not help butugh. The same idiots who were so full of themselves just earlier have now died in a bloodbath.


    ¡°Life can be pretty twisted sometimes¡± I mused.


    Turning away from the pile of impaled corpses, I returned to my business, observing the tunnel I was about to venture into. I took a deep breath to suppress my excitement. Obtaining new Treasure is always so exhrating.


    As I took a step forward, nearly entering the tunnel, I heard a massive crash behind me.


    ¡°Urgh, what now?¡±


    Everything keeps interrupting me.


    Immediately, my watch also began to beep rapidly, indicating a red alert this time.


    I didn¡¯t need the red window to open up this time for me to realize who had just entered the vicinity.


    ¡°Demons¡­ Looks like it¡¯s only one¡­¡±


    I turned back and looked at the creature from a small distance. It growled as it disyed its massive teeth, flexing its huge physique. Its slightly enormous body had spikes protruding from it and the skin of the beast was dark brown, with red stripes on the body.


    However, the most distinguishing feature I discovered about it, allowing me tough even more, was that I have met this Demon before.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one from earlier¡­ You must have killed those ones already, that was quick¡­¡±


    It seems those Gifted¡¯s were even more useless than I thought.


    The Grade 3 Demon advanced and stared at me, focusing its eyes on my frame, as a predator does with its prey.


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t have time to y with you,¡± I whispered.


    I slightly raised my hand and snapped my fingers swiftly. Immediately, a giant lump of mineral appeared above the head of the Demon. The Demon looked up in surprise to find such a mass of solid matter above it.


    It shrieked and tried to back away, but before it could remove itself from the inevitable crash of the massive object, the lump of precious stone crushed the head of the Beast, causing it to die an instant death.


    Its purple blood sttered everywhere, due to my boulder¡¯s force.


    ¡°You should not havee here to begin with¡± I muttered, turning away and staring at my goal.


    Without any further dy, I was ready to get my next upgrade. How thrilling!


    ¡°Return¡± I mumbled.


    Immediately, the boulder and swords vanished and became light particles.


    A blue window appeared in front of me and the particles of what I summoned ventured Into my Status Window¡¯s inventory portion, taking their ce within their assigned icons.


    I entered the tunnel and grinned.


    A few years ago, who¡¯d have thought that this would be how I¡¯d turn out to be?


    I was so miserable when I was younger, but all of that has changed.


    The event which started my evolution and ultimate quest for power was one I hated the most at the time.


    However, it was thanks to it that I have be a Hoarder, one who plunders and keeps everything in this world.


    They are all mine, obtained exclusively for my use and disposal.


    ¡°How funny¡­ The world truly is twisted¡±

 Chapter 2 How It Began

    ¡°This world sucks¡­ Everything sucks!¡±


    Jeremy muttered to himself as he grunted on his bed. He turned slightly, cing his head on hisfy pillow as he wrapped his entire body with the thick duvet which seemed to be twice his size.


    Covered in a blue overall, with stars designed all around the pajamas he wore, he yawned and smacked his lips.


    Suddenly a loud ringing noise, followed by stereos of music and the jingles of a melody Invaded the silent, dark room. Jeremy could hear the cheers and squeals of people, making him cringe in difort.


    ¡°Urgh! Shit, not again!¡± Jeremy groaned as he tightened his face in disgust and frustration.


    He had shut everywhere, covered all the blinds, and even covered himself in his favorite duvet, yet the noise of celebration still managed to reach him.


    ncing over the wall, he saw arge calendar hung there, slightly bent and looking unkempt. It had several strikes on it, showing the days that had passed. And the dates that were left without any marks, were the days he was yet to live through.


    His eyes caught the number beside the marked one¡­ The present day¡¯s date.


    ¡°December 25th¡­ Christmas¡­¡± He muttered.


    When one mentions such an asion, it is usually with joy, vigor, and anticipation, but not for Jeremy. His eyes were tired and groggy looking, evidence of being up for nearly three days straight watching his favorite anime and reading light novels and manga.


    He used to enjoy ying his favorite games, but due to the electricity bill, he had to cut costs.


    ¡°Tch, fvcking cheapskates¡±


    He shut his eyes and tightened the thick material around him in order to escape the sound that seemed to pervade the entire space.


    His room. His street. His state. His country¡­ The whole world!


    ¡°Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells¡­¡±


    ¡°Noel, Noel, Noel¡­¡±<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Long Time Ago, In Bethlehem¡­¡±


    The carols were irritating to his ears and all he wanted was peace and quiet.


    ¡°Just shut up already! Just what is there to celebrate?!¡± He shouted in a muffled tone, underneath his highly insted duvet.


    He decided to let everything fade away, and let himself solely focus on one thing¡­ The sweet smell of his room, the ambiance of safety, and how he was protected from the pestilence of the world outside the four walls of his haven. Other than the noise, nothing else could reach him here.


    This was his world, cut off from the rest of reality.


    ¡°Too bad it can¡¯t remain this way forever¡­¡± He thought to himself painfully.


    Soon he would need to resume school, attend the mind grueling sses, and once again be subjected to the endless bullying and mockery he received from his peers, his seniors, and even his juniors.


    He was the dreg of dregs, the worst person alive¡­ And he hated himself for it.


    ¡°Why am I even alive?¡± He often asked himself.


    However, being alone in this ce protected him, albeit temporarily, from the harsh world that awaited him once his brief moment of solitude was over.


    ¡°Christmas Time Is Here, Time For Joy And Time For Cheers¡­¡±


    Jeremy heard the melody of the song as it slowly danced through his ears, as the tender beat of the songs seeped through his skin.


    He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle sarcastically.


    ¡°Cheers indeed¡­ Bah Humbug!¡±


    And with that final statement, and a resolve to say goodbye to the world for the entire day and celebration, he fell into a deep sleep.<sub></sub>


    <Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells>


    Jeremy heard sounds of bells, coupled with carols sounds. They slowly and steadily entered his consciousness, as though waking him from his slumber, but he ignored them all.


    <We Wish You A Merry Christmas>


    He ignored that too, turning on his bed as he kept enjoying his solitary engulfment into the realm of unconsciousness.


    Bell sounds kept ringing, songs kept ying, over and over and over again. However, Jeremy refused to open his eyes, stubbornly deciding to enjoy his sleep.


    After all, when he ends up waking up again, he would have another marathon to go through.


    ¡°I wonder If I can manage 5 days this time¡­¡± He slurred.


    Slowly, the music faded, disappearing into the background. What was left was a dead silence, with not even a peep to be heard. Jeremy smiled in satisfaction and continued his beauty sleep.


    Meanwhile unbeknownst to him¡­ He slept throughout Christmas day!


    [Moments Later]


    Jeremy slowly opened his eyes, closing them back slightly as a result of the light his eyes took in. He covered his face with his hands, still trying to adapt to the bright environment.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird¡­ Didn¡¯t I shut the blinds? Everywhere should be dark, right now¡­¡± He muttered.


    As he rubbed his eyes and tried to adapt to the surrounding, his blurred vision was slowly restored. His mouth dropped open as he witnessed everything his eyes took in.


    ¡°What the fvck!¡± He mumbled.


    The entire ce was filled with white colors, decorated with golden designs, sparkling like nothing Jeremy had ever seen before. Tears flowed from his eyes due to him just being roused from sleep, however, such beautiful scenery was enough for him to be dumbstruck.<sub></sub>


    ¡°W-Where am I¡­?!¡± Jeremy muttered.


    This definitely wasn¡¯t his room.


    He stared about him and continued to appreciate the breathtaking view he enjoyed greatly. With his pajamas still on him and the pillow he always had with him being hugged by his hands, he slowly walked around, wearing nothing on his legs except his socks.


    It was almost as though he was in a manga world or that of a Light Novel.


    ¡°Have I been¡­¡± Jeremy asked himself, considering the possibility of being summoned to another world.


    If that was true, then his happiness would be beyond measure. However, Jeremy had gotten countless dreams simr to this in the past, so he wasn¡¯t going to let this sight make him jump into conclusions.


    ¡°Or maybe I¡¯m just dreaming, just as usual¡­Shit!¡±


    As he was still observing the area, a white light, appearing to be in the shape of a man, approached him. Jeremy was so preupied with the area that he failed to notice the sentient light beside him.


    ¡°HOW SURPRISING¡­¡± The White figure spoke gently, however, its tone was deep and authoritative.


    This sudden sound shocked Jeremy, causing his skin to jump as he retreated from his position in reflex.


    ¡°Gahhh!¡± He yelped.


    ¡°CALM YOURSELF, HUMAN¡± The light responded.


    Having no mouth, or any other organs, with only the humanoid shape in its possession, it stood opposite Jeremy, who had kept a distance between them. Jeremy looked at it suspiciously, his heart beating faster in slight fear and apprehension.


    ¡°W-Who are you¡­?!¡± He asked in a shaky voice.


    The light being kept quiet for a moment and looked at Jeremy closely. It shook its head and seemed to sigh.


    ¡°I AM AN ENTITY YOU ALL REFER TO AS GOD¡­ AND, YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PRIZE ZONE.¡± The being referring to itself as God said.


    ¡°Prize¡­?¡±Jeremy mumbled, repeating the words of the God, but with a look of hesitation and confusion.


    ¡°YES, FOR THE PRIZES EVERY HUMAN RECEIVED FROM ME YESTERDAY, ON CHRISTMAS DAY.¡± It added.


    This made Jeremy even more confused. This was getting tooplicated to be a dream, and he also had a feeling that something was strange.


    ¡°HOWEVER, WHO WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THIS? ESPECIALLY AFTER I PICKED THE PERFECT TIME FOR EVERY HUMAN TO BE ACTIVE WITHIN THE SPACE OF 1 HOUR¡­ IT WOULD SEEM, YOU WEREN¡¯T AMONG EVERYONE ELSE¡­¡± The being known as God continued.


    ¡°FOR YOU TO HAVE SLEPT THROUGH A WHOLE DAY, ESPECIALLY ONE SUCH AS CHRISTMAS¡­ YOU ARE DEFINITELY AN ANOMALY¡±


    Jeremy kept hearing the rambling of the sentient light. However, there was only so much he could take since he felt so mystified and confused.


    ¡°Hey, what the fvck is going on here?!¡± Jeremy finally responded in a raised tone.


    This made the God he saw cease its own deliberations and look at Jeremy¡¯s distraught face.


    ¡°MIND YOUR LANGUAGE¡­ YOU STAND ON HOLY GROUND!¡± God stated with a condescending undertone.


    This made Jeremy whimper, timidly withdrawing to himself. He rubbed his hands together slightly, feeling ufortable and nervous in the strange space.


    ¡°HOURS AGO, DURING THE CONVERGENCE, I SUMMONED ALL HUMANS INTO THIS PLANE. FOR ONE HOUR, DURING THE 25TH OF DECEMBER, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE TIME ZONES AND THEIR DIFFERENCES, EVERYONE WAS AWAKE. I USED THIS EVENT TO BRING THOSE PEOPLE INTO THIS WORLD AND GRANTED THEM ALL ¡®GIFTS¡¯.¡±


    ¡°W-What? I don¡¯t understand¡­ Gifts, as in powers?¡± Jeremy muttered, having a shocked look on his face.


    ¡°POWERS? I SUPPOSE YOU COULD CALL IT THAT. I GAVE THEM THE DIVINE SYSTEM, AS WELL AS SPECIAL PACKAGES, UNIQUE TO EACH PERSON.¡±


    With everything he was seeing, it was difficult not to believe what he was hearing. Even if it could very well be a dream, he wanted it to be real.


    ¡°T-Then¡­ Now that I¡¯m here¡­Does that mean¡­?¡± Jeremy muttered.


    ¡°YES, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU WERE NOT SUMMONED AMONG THE OTHERS. YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE THE DIVINE SYSTEM, NOR A GIFT. THAT IS WHY THE WORLD REJECTED YOU AND FORCEFULLY TRANSPORTED YOU JUST AS YOU BEGAN TO REGAIN CONSCIOUSNESS.¡± God answered.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t have any Gifts?¡± Jeremy muttered.


    ¡°YES, AND AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY GIFT, YOU ARE UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE WORLD. IT WILL SIMPLY REJECT YOUR EXISTENCE.¡± God answered.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to return to the world again¡­ I¡¯ll be stuck outside Earth¡­¡± Jeremy mumbled, ruminating on the new reality dawning on him.


    ¡°INDEED, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MAY BE DISSATISFIED WITH THAT, AND¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? Why would I be?¡± Jeremy¡¯s face suddenly beamed with a wide smile?


    He had a relieved expression as he jumped for joy.


    The only reason he remained in his world was because he was a coward, too scared to even take his own worthless life. With the world filled with everyone possessing powers, it would definitely be the worst and most dangerous ce for him.


    Compared to going through such hardship, he would rather take his chances with this God.


    ¡°WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?¡­¡± God asked, appearing confused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back¡­ I¡¯m staying here¡­ With you! After all, I don¡¯t have a gift¡­ Right?¡± Jeremy smiled.


    ¡°Everything is trash in the world anyway¡­ But now I no longer have to live in it!¡±


    Had he finally reached paradise?


    Unfortunately for Jeremy, he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.

 Chapter 3 The Last Gift

    ¡°Ah, let¡¯s check what¡¯s going on on Earth now¡­¡±


    Jeremy said, as he casually walked towards arge screen a short distance from him.


    He turned to his side and saw the shiny being who imed to be ¡®God¡¯, and whom he now realized was technically his roommate. The luminous person folded his hands and just kept looking at Jeremy, who kept walking nonchntly toward therge screen which resembled a television.


    ¡°Good morning, or¡­ Whatever time it is now¡­¡± Jeremy waved, noticing the gaze of God on him.


    Time doesn¡¯t pass in the ¡®Sacred Hall¡¯, as God called it, so Jeremy had no idea what time or date it really was.


    It had been a while since Jeremy had gotten mysteriously teleported into this mysterious space, and he was now feeling at home in the massive white hall.


    Wearing a new set of pajamas and socks, different from thest one, he cracked his neck and smacked his lips as he slowly moved forward while yawning.


    Finally getting to the front of the golden screen, he raised his hands and tapped it gently, still using his other hand to cover his mouth.


    <Bzzzt>


    The screen buzzed and slowly turned on, disying several options and panels on it.


    ¡°View Earth¡± He muttered.<sub>.</sub>


    Immediately, the golden panel buzzed once again and disyed a video footage of the entire globe. The spherical shape of Jeremy¡¯s was before him in the Golden screen.


    He used both hands to touch the screen, tapping it twice and magnifying the view so that he could slowly zoom in, to better see the spherical shape. Before long, he was able to seends and mountains, seas¡­ And fields.


    Jeremy navigated through the several parts of the world he witnessed and swiped his hands to find the part he was looking for.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t there anything like a remote control, or something?¡­¡± He grumbled.


    Finally getting the hang of it, he smiled and swiped his hand one more time. The screen finally disyed the part of the world he wanted. He withdrew from the front of the screen and took some steps back.


    ¡°Chair¡± He yelled.


    A chair appeared behind him immediately, allowing him to sitfortably as he watched the events that transpired on the screen.


    In the Sacred Hall, imagination was enough to summon anything within it, as long as they were basicmands.


    His gaze focused on the screen and saw an iplete building. Within it seemed to be two opposing sides, gangs who dressed menacingly and red at each other with rivalry.


    These individuals seemed to be in conflict, and the meeting of the two sides quickly escted into a deadly brawl between both sides. However, instead of using the regr fists or weapons that were conventional, they resorted to their special powers.<sub></sub>


    ¡°You asked for it, punk!¡± One said to the other, suddenly steeling himself as his denoted body became grey due to his metal coating.


    ¡°Heh, is that all you have?¡± Another responded, summoning an element from the ground. The medium cluster of rocks looked intimidating, as it defensively stood beside its master.


    ¡°Heh, looks like I¡¯ll be the winner, after all!¡± A member of the opposing gang said, summoning butterfly wings from behind him as he soared above the rest.


    Jeremy watched as they engaged in pointlessbat and sighed to himself. How stupid could people be? It hadn¡¯t even been long since they received their Gifts, yet they had no sense of responsibility about it.


    However, he was not surprised. He always knew the world was trash, to begin with.


    ¡°Trash¡­ All of them¡­¡± He mumbled.


    He kept watching them, waiting for the oue of the fight, expectant to see who would win, however, at this moment, the light being had reached the limit of patience.


    ¡°THAT IS ENOUGH!¡± God dered.


    Immediately, the golden screen shut down, and the entire room quaked.


    Jeremy trembled slightly due to the pressure the great being emitted.<sub></sub>


    ¡°W-What¡¯s the problem? Was the volume too loud for you?¡± He asked turning nervously to look at his host.


    ¡°I HAVE TOLERATED YOUR ANTICS FOR LONG ENOUGH. AFTER BEING THE ONLY ONE OF YOUR KIND TO NOT RECEIVE A ¡®GIFT¡¯, I EXPECTED YOU TO BE A PECULIAR HUMAN, BUT IT SEEMS YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A LAZY PERSON, AFTER ALL!¡± God said with slight disappointment.


    ¡°W-Well¡­¡± Heughed ufortably.


    He couldn¡¯t deny it. He waszy, after all.


    But what else could he do in such a world? Since he couldn¡¯t quantify the time he spent, he just drifted through the days watching the world on the Golden screen, or asking God a myriad of questions.


    ¡°NOT ONLY HAVE YOU INVADED MY PRIVATE SPACE, BUT YOU ALSO HOARD THE MONITOR TO YOURSELF, WATCHING ONLY WHAT YOU WANT TO!¡± God added, with folded hands.


    ¡°B-But you never protested¡­ I didn¡¯t know you ever wanted to see anything on it-¡± Jeremy defended himself.


    ¡°HOW ELSE DO YOU THINK I MONITOR YOUR WORLD?¡± He asked.


    Jeremy kept quiet when he heard this.


    ¡± LOOK AROUND US, JUST TAKE A LOOK.¡±


    Jeremy obeyed the instruction, and gulped when he indeed took a look. The floor was littered with useless junk and his bed and duvet were not properly arranged. His possessions were all out of whack.


    ¡°NOT ONLY ARE YOU LAZY, BUT YOU ARE ALSO A DISORDERLY AND CARELESS MAN. YOU ARE SLUGGISH, SLOTHFUL, UNMOTIVATED, RUDE¡­ HAVING YOU HERE IS TOO UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ME¡­ YOU MUST LEAVE MY SACRED HALL!¡±


    Jeremy understood things from God¡¯s perspective. He also viewed his room as his haven, and he never allowed anyone to intrude on his private space. Seeing as he had messed up the ce, Jeremy could not say a single word in protest.


    However, no matter how angry or upset God was with him, they were stuck together.


    ¡°I do not have the Divine System, do I? I won¡¯t be able to live on Earth anymore. He can say whatever he wants, I¡¯ll be staying here, there¡¯s no other option.¡± He thought to himself.


    ¡°YOU LEAVE ME NO OTHER CHOICE. I CAN NOT TOLERATE YOUR PRESENCE ANYMORE¡­ THEREFORE I WILL SEND YOU BACK TO YOUR WORLD!¡± God said.


    ¡°W-What?! But you said-¡± Jeremy instantly raised his voice to protest.


    ¡°I KNOW WHAT I SAID. YOU DID NOT RECEIVE ANY GIFT, AS WELL AS MY DIVINE SYSTEM, THAT IS WHY YOU WILL NEVER BE ALLOWED ON EARTH¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly! So-¡°


    ¡°HOWEVER, I NEVER SAID ALL THE GIFTS HAD RUN OUT¡­ THERE IS STILL ONE LEFT¡± God replied, narrowing his bright eyes on Jeremy.


    Quickly remembering the moment God told him of the concept of ¡®Gifts¡¯, he realized that God indeed never mentioned it.


    ¡°W-Wha-¡± Jeremy muttered.


    He wasn¡¯t expecting this.


    ¡°One final Gift¡­?¡± Jeremy asked in confusion.


    God stretched forth his luminous hand and suddenly, a small cube appeared above it, slowly hovering over it.


    The cube glowed blue, red, and purple, shining and dimming in a sequence that Jeremy could not understand.


    ¡°Is that it¡­?¡± Jeremy asked apprehensively.


    ¡°IT IS¡­ YOUNG MAN, THIS IS YOURS¡­ THE LAST OF THE PRESENTS OF HUMANITY.¡±


    Jeremy refused to collect the cube from God¡¯s outstretched hand and eyes it suspiciously.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­ Why didn¡¯t you mention this thest time? With something like this, I would have already gotten back to Earth.¡±


    Something had to be wrong.


    ¡°Why are you just giving me now?¡± Jeremy asked, taking a few steps back from the approaching deity.


    God sighed and decided to exin to Jeremy, the cause of his action.

 Chapter 4 Return To The World

    ¡°I HAD DECIDED TO MONITOR YOU CLOSELY, DUE TO YOUR ANOMALY. PLUS, WITH THE ATTITUDE AND TERRIBLE LUCK YOU HAVE, HAVING THIS ¡®GIFT¡¯ CHANGES NOTHING FOR YOU, AND YOU¡¯D BE DEAD AS SOON AS YOU ENTER INTO YOUR WORLD AGAIN.¡±


    Jeremy silently listened to God¡¯s words, and while they were informative, they were very harsh.


    ¡°YOU SEE, EVERYONE ELSE HAD SELECTED THE BEST GIFTS. I PLANNED ON MAKING YOU WAIT HERE FOR A WHILE LONGER, SO YOU CAN BECOME ENTIRELY SATURATED WITH THIS PLACE, BUT I CAN¡¯T STAND YOU ANYMORE!¡±


    Jeremy bit his lips as they quivered and released his tensed up body. What was he thinking? That he could just hang out and chill with God for the rest of eternity? Of course not. Even if he had any chance, he ruined it by being his usual trashy self..


    ¡°I really am a useless piece of shit, aren¡¯t I?¡± He chuckled to himself sadly, drowning in self pity.


    ¡°WILL YOU STOP THAT! YOU DARE TO CALL YOURSELF THAT IN MY PRESENCE?!¡± God asked in an annoyed tone.


    Realizing he was in the presence of His Majesty, he quickly changed his facial expression and shook his head vehemently with an apologetic smile on his face.


    ¡°YOUNG MAN, I WILL BE FRANK WITH YOU. I HAVE SEEN YOUR LIFETIME, AND I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR EXISTENCE. HOWEVER, THAT WAS THE JEREMY OF THE PAST. UPON RECEIVING THIS GIFT, YOU WILL NO LONGER BE THAT POWERLESS, PITIFUL, AND WEAK PERSON¡­ YOU WILL POSSESS REAL POWER.¡±


    ¡°THE QUESTION IS¡­ WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THIS NEWFOUND POWER?¡±


    After God stated this, his hands still stretched out to offer Jeremy his Gift.<sub>.</sub>


    The cube resembled a dice, having a crystalline structure and it glowed as it suspended above God¡¯s hand.


    Jeremy slowly stretched his hands and reached the Gift nervously.


    Immediately his hands touched it, he felt a strong surge of electricity envelop his body. The cube dissipated and entirely merged with Jeremy¡¯s body, causing his body to glow brightly to match the colors of the cube.


    While he was still recoiling from the shock caused by the sudden surge he felt, he heard a loud <ding> in his head. In front of him was a blue window disying a system notification he had never seen, except in games.


    [System Notification]


    <<Congragtions, You Are Now A Gifted>>


    ¡°Gifted, eh? So that¡¯s what we are now¡­¡± He mumbled.


    Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to have a Gift of his own. Maybe, for the first time in his life, he would be special. He looked at the system information updating and expected to see his Special Ability in the window.


    <<Gift Obtained: Subspace: Lvl 1(Rank F)>><sub></sub>


    After this message popped, there was a short moment of silence. Even God didn¡¯t make a sound as the both if them looked at the content of the notification.


    ¡°S-Subspace??!¡± He eximed.


    He decided not to lose hope too soon. He had read several instances where one¡¯s subspace ended up making the character overpowered. With arge storage space, he could very well be crazy powerful.


    <Subspace: Lvl 1 (Rank F)>


    <<Current Capabilities: Hold 10 Objects>>


    Jeremy¡¯s jaws dropped. He now understood why everyone left the Gift he was given for better ones


    ¡°T-This is fvcking useless!¡± He yelled with disbelief.


    Jeremy nced over to God, expecting an exnation concerning the useless state of his Gift.


    God shook his head slightly and shrugged.<sub></sub>


    ¡°THE OTHERS HAD A LONG LIST OF AVAILABLE GIFTS, AND IT WAS DISTRIBUTED ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS¡­ AS FOR YOU, THIS IS ALL YOU GET¡­¡± He said casually.


    ¡°W-What of my Divine System?¡± Jeremy asked, expecting to see some overpowered aid that would bnce his massive disadvantage.


    ¡°WHAT DO YOU MEAN? YOU HAVE IT ALREADY. THE MOMENT YOU MADE CONTACT WITH YOUR GIFT, YOU CONNECTED TO THE DIVINE SYSTEM. WHAT DO YOU THINK SENT YOU THOSE NOTIFICATIONS?¡± God answered.


    ¡°O-Oh¡­¡± Jeremy muttered, looking heartbroken and distraught.


    After watching everything that was happening on Earth, he didn¡¯t want to return, at least not with such a useless power.


    ¡°I CAN NO LONGER AID YOU ANY FURTHER. DOING SO WOULD BE LIKE GIVING YOU PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT OVER THE OTHERS, EVEN MORE THAN I ALREADY HAVE.¡± God added.


    ¡°Preferential treatment? Since when?¡± Jeremy asked, angry at God for the lousy Gift he received.


    He didn¡¯t want to return.


    ¡°Alright, please let¡¯s make a deal. I promise not to disturb you any longer. I¡¯ll be neat, and you won¡¯t even know I¡¯m here, so please just let me stay.¡± He pleaded desperately.


    His eyes showed unease and anxiety.


    He walked toward the figure d in light and stood in front of it begging.


    God looked at Jeremy¡¯s face, he didn¡¯t want to return to such a world. After looking so rxed all the time, having to see Jeremy make such a fearful face gave him a new perspective.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    The words God said hit Jeremy like a sledgehammer, causing him to stumble backward as he fell on his behind.


    ¡°EVEN IF I WANTED TO, WHICH I DON¡¯T, THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN SPUN INTO MOTION. JUST AS NO HUMAN WITHOUT A GIFT AND SYSTEM CAN REMAIN ON EARTH NOW, SO ALSO, NO ONE WITH A GIFT CAN STAY HERE.¡± God exined.


    Suddenly, Jeremy¡¯s body began to fade, turning transparent all over. He looked creeped out as he saw himself undergoing such a strange phenomenon.


    ¡°LOOKS LIKE IT HAS STARTED REJECTING YOU. IT¡¯S TOO LATE¡­¡±


    ¡°N-Noo¡­ Please¡­¡± Jeremy pleaded even more, tears now flowing in his eyes.


    God paid him no heed and remained expressionless, transfixed in the location He has been in since the beginning of the conversation.


    ¡°ONE LAST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR YOU¡­ NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, MAKE SURE YOU THINK OF NOTHING ELSE BUT SURVIVAL¡­ AND HOW TO GO ABOUT IT!¡±


    Jeremy attempted to respond to God¡¯s words, but at this point everything became fuzzy and he immediately lost consciousness.


    In his unconscious state, system dings and sounds reverberated throughout the empty darkness around him.


    [System Information]


    <<This is the 30th day since thendmark event dubbed by many as ¡®The Christmas Miracle¡¯>>


    <<Now Integrating Gifted into Earth Sector A-67>>


    <Begin>

 Chapter 5 New World

    I opened my eyes and found myself in a familiar space. It was dark, warm, and quiet¡­ It was a ce that always calmed me down no matter what happened.


    A small ray of sunlight pierced the room, passing through the small space caused by the demarcations in the curtains which covered my window.


    ¡°It¡¯s morning already,¡± I said tiredly.


    I gave a short sigh and nced around me. It took a while before my eyes adjusted to the darkness, but once they did I was able to see things a little more clearly.


    My wall clock hung on the wall, along with my calendars and other essories I had, which were mostly based on my favorite anime characters.


    My mind wondered for a moment, disoriented about many things, most especially the short, yet seeminglysting dream I had.


    ¡°If felt so vivid though¡­¡± I muttered.


    Deciding that I have gotten enough sleep, I stretched my body and yawned heavily.


    ¡°Should be the 26th now. Would you look at that, I slept throughout Christmas, after all.¡±


    With no noise around me, I felt a sense of peace and satisfaction. No one would be disturbing me for the day, so I should take my time to enjoy myself even more.


    I went to the switch which was ced on the wall adjacent to my bed and turned on the lights to properly navigate my room.


    >Click<<sub>.</sub>


    No light appeared.


    Strange¡­ What¡¯s going on?


    I clicked the switch again, and nothing happened. Curious about this, I looked around my room and discovered the warmer wasn¡¯t even working. I quickly went to the circuit switch and found out it was already on, though no light was disyed.


    ¡°Hmmn, there¡¯s no electricity, I wonder why¡­ Is there a ckout? That never happens¡­¡± I mumbled


    Upon discovering the absence of electricity, the room suddenly began to feel stuffy. I can¡¯t stand this¡­ I need fresh air.


    I nced at the only window in my room and moved towards it. Curtains covered it in order to ensure darkness prevailed here, however, Right now, I needed that very light.


    Grabbing both drapes with my hands, I moved them apart, making them reveal the ss windows. The sudden sh of light made me close my eyes and squeeze my face. Without opening my eyes, I stretched my hands and used my sweaty palm to slide the windows open in order to let a fresh breeze fill-up the stale atmosphere I was in.


    However, what I felt was nothing of that kind. Instead a strange smell of mes and smoke filled my nose and heat swept through the already stuffy space.


    ¡°What the¡­¡±  I groaned and opened my eyes to see what could cause such difort and taint the breeze which was meant to be cold.


    It was winter, after all


    I slowly opened my eyes, and the sight I saw made everything I thought of as a dream rush back into my memory.<sub></sub>


    ¡°I-It was real¡­?!¡± I muttered, taking in the sight of chaos and destruction before me.


    Through my window, I witnessed what could most urately be described as armageddon, only seen in movies andics.


    The world was literally engulfed in mes and destruction. I saw monsters of fantasy roaming through buildings, flying beasts soaring through the sky¡­ Creatures of nightmares prowled about the devastated buildings with their grotesque appearances.


    ¡°It¡¯s all real¡­ The dream¡­ Everything!¡±


    My heart suddenly started beating at a rapid rate. Panic spread throughu my entire body, making it go numb in fear. If everything was real, then that meant¡­ This world had be¡­


    >Screech!!<


    A loud, piercing sound suddenly filled the air, making me cover my ears in reflex. I nced all over to see where the screech hade from. Looking around in panic, my eyes finally met it, a flying monster who raised its wings in exaltation, disying its brilliance. Its eyes suddenly darted toward my direction, meeting my gaze.


    My body froze immediately, paralyzed by the fear and terrible foreboding I had.


    The bird grinned devilishly, taking flight immediately, and ascended higher into the sky. Quickly aiming its body midair, it glided through the winds while focusing its gaze on me. Lunging toward my house, it swept through everything else, and I knew for sure I was going to die.


    ¡°H-Help¡­¡± I mumbled in fear, stuttering as I spoke.


    My body shook and I felt like I would pass out at any moment.<sub></sub>


    Even when I had watched countless scenes like this back in the Sacred Hall, experiencing such horror in real life was something my fragile mind couldn¡¯t handle. I remembered enjoying the monsters kill several humans when I tuned in to watch feeds on the events on Earth after the ¡®Christmas Miracle¡¯. Was it finally my turn? Right here, right now¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Going to die¡­?¡±


    Suddenly, as the monstrous bird of prey lunged toward me, a muchrger and terrible creature intercepted the bird, and in the blink of an eye, devoured the beast of terror I feared.


    >CRUNCH<


    I could hear the sounds of grinding bones and tearing flesh from my distance, watching the blood of the beast fly everywhere. As I shivered, seeing the purple liquid ooze from the jaws of the massive beast which had just killed the monstrous bird, it turned and stared at me.


    Its gaze terrified me far more than the dead bird, something that seemed impossible. My heart raced at an inconceivable pace and I felt I would have a heart attack at that moment.


    From the frying pan into the fire!


    The colossal creature, resembling a grizzly, with four arms and a pair of dragon wings, grinned as its eyes locked on me. Its smile was condescending, as though it mocked me.


    >Kuahahahaha<


    I heard it snicker in a monstrous tone, making me feel even more pathetic as the beast ridiculed my shivering state.


    Suddenly, the beast turned away, shrugging nonchntly, and flew out of sight in an instant.


    ¡°Eh?¡± I muttered, confused by what just happened.


    My legs gave out and I crumbled on the ground, still shaking.


    The monster, whether not it felt like eating me, spared me. Was I not worth considering in the eyes of such a terrible creature?


    I was saved due to the whims of that monster, if not¡­ my death would have been guaranteed. A feeling of frustration enveloped me as I clenched my fists in self-anger.


    Despite everything¡­ I¡¯m still so useless¡­


    ¡°You pathetic kid!¡­¡± I said to myself.


    ¡°¡­ NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, ONLY THINK OF SURVIVAL¡­ AND HOW TO GO ABOUT IT!¡±


    God¡¯s voice and the words he said suddenly rang through my head as I remembered my final moments in the Sacred Hall.


    ¡°That stupid geezer¡­ What has he done?!¡± I muttered.


    I don¡¯t know why, but after  recollecting his words, I stopped shaking immediately. I ruminated on his advice. Was he trying to tell me something? He did say I wouldn¡¯tst very long in the world, which was why he didn¡¯t give me thest Gift he had.


    ¡°Survival¡­¡±


    I had to only think of that one thing¡­ In such a hellish world, was that even possible for me?


    ¡°But¡­ This world has been hell before now¡­ What difference does this make?¡± My mind suddenly answered.


    My eyes immediately widened as the realization of my position began to dawn on me.


    I had knowledge of urrences all over the world, thanks to the time I observed everyone. I understood the state of affairs of the world, and how horrible the situation had gotten.


    With scarcities guing the whole world, and everyone in a state of panic and unrest, there was very little anyone could do. The few who actually ventured to fight the ¡®Demons¡¯ as God called them, were the powerful Gifteds¡­ I can definitely count myself out of that.


    Even though I had nearly shit myself after watching the gory sight just now, with the threat passed, my mind has be clearer. Slowly and calmly, I was beginning to remember the time I spent with my roommate, watching my from a safe ce.


    I remember thinking up various strategies and counters for the problems people encountered. Panic and fear will always cloud  the minds of humans, so in a state of emergency such as this, no one was thinking clearly and rationally. But, while in my room, I was safe¡­ Calm and secure.


    There was amon theme that was in every thought I had concerning this devastation back in the Sacred Hall.


    ¡°In such an apocalypse, there¡¯s one thing that is most needed¡­ It¡¯s neither power nor people¡­ But rather Food, water, and resources¡­ If I have those¡­¡±


    This world¡­ I can survive, no, I will survive in it!

 Chapter 6 Discovery

    Okay, first things first. I need to know exactly what my aids are.r


    It¡¯s been 30 days since the ¡®Miracle happened. Today was the 24th of January¡­ Looks like I missed the New Year celebration as well¡­ Yayy¡­r


    I was in the Sacred Hall for quite some time, and even though we didn¡¯t spend much time talking to each other, I knew quite a few things about the God guy.r


    Knowing the geezer, there was no way he would say something if he didn¡¯t mean it.r


    ¡°Since he brought me to this world, and gave me advice, it must mean that I have a chance at surviving¡­ and I¡¯m definitely taking it!¡±r


    Currently, I possess the Divine System, a window which contains information about myself.r


    The world is now like a game, and I¡¯m a yer. Just like in RPGs and fantasy events, I have ess to a special panel that disys my current status and abilities.r


    Every Gifted in this world possesses this System, and along with ites the power to ¡®Level Up¡¯ and increase one¡¯s overall abilities.r


    Other than that, there were also memories of the time I spent in the Sacred Hall. While this would do me no good in a direct fight, it still gave me advanced knowledge of the state of the world, as well as strategies made from an objective standpoint.r


    Upon realizing these things, I decided it would be best not to waste any more time and begin preparations.r


    To do that, I needed to unwrap my present. The Gift bestowed by God himself, [Subspace].r


    ¡°Subspace¡± I called out to the empty room.r


    Immediately, a blue window appeared in front of me. This blue window, different from the Golden Disy of the general Divine System that showed my stats, glowed and disyed 10 empty boxes in the panel.r


    ¡°Ah, those must be my empty slots¡± I mumbled.r


    Currently, my [Subspace] Gift was in Level 1, and it was also an F Rank skill.r


    It was quite clear why everyone left such a Gift behind and went for more morous and powerful ones which would aid their survival and grant them amazing abilities.r


    ¡°I can store 10 objects within Subspace, for now, most likely the amount it can contain will increase when I advance at each level. But, how does that work exactly?¡± I asked myself, rubbing my fingers on my chin in puzzlement.r


    There¡¯s no better way to answer my question than to experiment.r


    Within my room, I have stockpiles of food that canst me days without needing to leave at all. I also have a bathroompartment connected to it. While I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no running water avable, I should still be able to get some leftover from the house¡¯s tank.r


    ¡°It¡¯ll be limited though, so I¡¯ll have to manage it¡­¡±r<sub>.</sub>


    Upon mumbling those words to myself, I decided not to leave my room until I figured out the basic nature of my Gift and its stats, as well as how to apply them in the chaotic world I would be living in from this moment on.r


    I couldn¡¯t exactly stay in my room forever.r


    [Day 1]r


    The first thing I did was to strictly observe my status.r


    ¡°Status Window¡± I called out.r


    Immediately, a Golden panel buzzed and appeared before me. It was vertically long and disyed all the features I had, that were relevant to my ability.r


    [STATUS INFORMATION]r


    -tName: Jeremy Lewisr


    -tLevel: 1 ¨C Exp: 00.00r


    -tRace: Human ¨C Job: Noner


    -tAge: 16 Yearsr


    -tSex: Maler


    -tHeight: 5¡å 3. ¨C Weight: 115 poundsr


    -tAlignment: Chaotic Neutralr


    -tKarma Points: 100 ¨C (G) Karma Points: 10r


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 100/100r


    -tMP: ¨C -r


    -tStrength: 50r<sub></sub>


    -tAgility: 300r


    -tVitality: 100r


    -tIntelligence: 500r


    -t(G) Factor: 90r


    -tGift: [Subspace]r


    -tItems Equipped: Noner


    -tAllies: Noner


    [Additional Information]r


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.r


    [End Of Information]r


    I observed the information disyed there keenly, taking note of several elements which were foreign to me.r


    ¡°Just like a video game¡± I chuckled.r


    However, unlike games, death here meant the end!r


    There were no do-overs, no re-spawning, no retries. Game over meant being permanently cut off from the world of the living.r


    I don¡¯t want that!r


    ¡°Karma Points? As in luck?¡± I questioned.r


    And what about the other one, (G) Karma Point¡­ This was definitely strange. Looking further down, I wondered if it had something to do with me gaining the interest of God? In any case, I couldn¡¯t be too sure.r


    The only route to certainty was if I could get to see the Status Information of another. I doubt that will happen though. I¡¯ve read enough novels and seen enough anime to know how private such things are.r


    I don¡¯t also know whether my stats are abnormally high or low, or whether they are normal. My intelligence seems to be the highest, while my strength is the least¡­ As expected.r<sub></sub>


    The (G) Factor was also bothering me, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it now.r


    ¡°I¡¯ll just chalk it up to one of the things I want to discover as I progress¡­¡±r


    Most Gifteds who are surviving in this world would have leveled up quite a bit. After all, some time has passed since the ¡®Miracle¡¯ happened. I may actually be the oddball out of everyone out there.r


    To ensure that I¡¯m not left behind by others, I need to level up, and fast. The problem is how to go about that. I¡¯m at a major disadvantage since my Gift is in no way battle-rted, and I¡¯m too weak to fight.r


    ¡°There has to be a way¡­ Let¡¯s keep looking¡­¡± I encouraged myself.r


    [Day 4]r


    It¡¯s been 4 days since I have returned to this world. For thest three days since I checked my Status Window, I have been experimenting with my Divine System and [Subspace] Gift.r


    I have discovered a lot of interesting things about my little Gift. Contrary to my earlier notion¡­ This Gift could actually be the best kind I could possess.r


    First of all, I learned that my [Subspace] does not merely contain 10 objects. No, instead it can contain  more than 10 items if two or more are simr. r


    I was surprised at first, but I slowly understood.r


    After shouting out [Subspace], the blue window appeared, as usual. I had already brought out many materials I wanted to experiment with.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with books¡± I muttered.r


    I picked one of my many light novels stacked on the floor where I sat, and ced it on the Blue Window. Immediately it touched the Subspace Panel, it vanished, turning into light particles. The particles ventured into one of the 10 <Empty> icons in the [Subspace] panel.r


    ¡°Whoah!¡± I beamed as I witnessed such an unbelievable sight unfold before my eyes.r


    Excitement began to rush through me, I could feel my heart beat faster with thrill. I had to know more.r


    The previously <Empty> slot now disyed the <Overword Vol 3 Light Novel> Icon.r


    With nine unassigned slots left, I decided to ce another book inside.r


    I picked the second volume of the same book, repeating the action I¡¯d performed before.r


    The next slot beside the already assigned one changed to <Overword Vol 2 Light Novel>.r


    I smiled as I watched the two stacked beside each other. As I turned to pick up another book to try the process again, a beep suddenly sounded. I sharply turned and looked at my screen.r


    [Subspace Alert]r


    <Simr Contents Found In Two Slots>r


    <Stack Function Avable>r


    <Stack Contents In A Single Slot?>r


    [Yes] [No]r


    This surprised me. However, curiosity took over at that moment, prompting me to tap on the [Yes] icon.r


    Immediately, the window brightly disyed its blue light, and by the time it returned to its original brightness, only one assigned slot existed.r


    The single assigned slot had a different name now. <Overword Light Novels (Vol 2&3)>.r


    ¡°A-Amazing!¡± I beamed.r


    This meant I could store simr materials in a single slot, leaving room for other things.r


    ¡°I have to try even more things!¡±r


    Deciding to experiment even further, I learned newer things.r


    To extract already ced items in the Subspace, all I had to do was to tap on it. In the case where I already stacked more than one item within it, once I tap on the Panel, it would bring out sub-panels.r


    I decided to try something else.r


    <Jar Of Water ¡Á5>r


    I looked at one of my panels which disyed this and smiled nervously.r


    ¡°Here goes nothing¡±r


    I rapidly tapped on it three times. Immediately, three Jars of water appeared before me.r


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to start selecting Sub-Panels. If I rapidly tap on the panel, it just brings them out instantly!¡±r


    Through experimentation, I also realized that I needed physical contact with whatever I wanted to go into the [Subspace Window].r


    Also, despite my intentions, the items I summon from [Subspace] can not appear from a distance of more than 5 meters from myself. If I choose to exceed that limit, it will just appear exactly five meters in the direction I focus on.r


    ¡°Looks like this is the current limit¡± I muttered.r


    There was also something that kept bugging me.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s see the amount of size it can take¡± I grinned excitedly.r


    My eyes darted in the direction of my bed.r


    ¡°Can it take something of that size? Only one way to find out¡­¡±r


    <Jeremy¡¯s Bed>r


    It fit into the [Subspace], surprising me. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as I performed other experiments.r


    I stored food, water, books, my bed, my television, my shelf, my chair¡­ I stored whatever I could, satisfying my unending curiosity.r


    [Day 6]r


    I have performed all the experiments I can, for now. Any further research required me to venture outside.r


    My body trembled at the thought of that. I¡¯d be endangering myself and encountering creatures like the ones I saw earlier.r


    However, I had something greater than fear to spur me on. Despite the inevitable despair and destruction going on all over the world, I had already made a resolve within myself.r


    The reason I painstakingly researched and learned all I can about my Gift and its Abilities, the reason I can take the steps I¡¯m taking¡­ they are all because of a single reason.r


    ¡°I will survive in this world¡­ no matter what it takes!¡±r


    It was finally time to leave this ce, and begin my journey for survival!r

 Chapter 7 Armageddon

    ¡°WHEW, IT¡¯S ABOUT TIME HE LEFT¡­¡± God groaned to himself.r


    He sat on his massive throne, right before therge Golden screen which disyed various events.r


    ¡°WOULD YOU JUST LOOK AT THIS¡­ WHAT A MESS!¡±r


    He was terribly irked by the happenings all over the world. The way humans died so carelessly, how the Demonsid siege to great cities and wasted the civilization humans had painstakingly built over the years.r


    He shook his head with dissatisfaction and groaned.r


    ¡°ARMAGEDDON WASN¡¯T SUPPOSED TO TURN OUT THIS WAY¡­¡± God muttered.r


    It was merely 30 days since it began, yet the chaos was already so great.r


    Was it perhaps a mistake? Did he make it too early? He considered these thoughts within himself, but he was sure that there was nothing wrong with his n.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°THEY¡¯RE THE PROBLEM!¡±r


    He looked at how the humans plundered the properties of one another, how they selfishly stabbed one another in the back in order to survive.r


    Without regard for the other person, these humans only cared about themselves in the midst of this crisis. Due to the incoherence caused by their actions, they all suffered even more.r


    ¡°IF ONLY THEY COULD THINK A LITTLE ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE BUT THEMSELVES¡­ HUMANS ARE SO CONCEITED AND SELF-CENTERED¡­¡±r


    The threat of Demons, as well as the 7 waves of the Apocalypse that was about to happen¡­ If the humans didn¡¯t pull themselves together, they would soon be obliterated!r


    ¡°JEREMY¡­ HE SEEMS LIKE AN INTERESTING INDIVIDUAL. LET¡¯S SEE WHAT HE¡¯S UP TO¡­¡± God muttered.r


    Increasing the Time Ratio of the Earth he was currently viewing on the screen a little, he fast forwarded to the day after Jeremy¡¯s return to Earth.r<sub></sub>


    Immediately, the golden screen glitched and changed its footage from the general happenings and focused on a particr building.r


    God zoomed in the view until it showed a dark room, Jeremy¡¯s to be exact. A human could be seen in the room, fiddling with his Gift and cing objects within his Subspace.r


    God¡¯s glistening body appeared to glow even brighter, and his face depicted a pleased smile.r


    ¡°SUCH A STRANGE BOY INDEED¡­ LOOK HOW QUICKLY HE ADAPTS TO THE SITUATION. I SUPPOSE IT¡¯S BECAUSE OF HIS EXPERIENCE WITHIN THIS SACRED HALL. WHAT AN INTERESTING SPECIMEN. JEREMY, I HOPE YOU CHANGE THE STATE OF THIS WORLD¡­¡±r


    A boy who hates the state of everything, now finding himself in a world filled with chaos and destruction¡­ What a peculiar case indeed.r


    ¡°THAT KID WILL MOST LIKELY PLUNGE THIS WORLD INTO EVEN MORE CHAOS¡­ BUT THAT¡¯S A GOOD THING! A WORLD LIKE THIS IS NO GOOD¡­ IF HIS ACTIONS END UP TILTING THE BALANCE¡­ THEN THEIR RACE MIGHT JUST BE SAVED¡­¡±r


    However, to do that¡­ First of all, the boy had to survive.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°HE¡¯D BETTER MAKE GOOD USE OF MY POINTS. IT SEEMS HE IS UNAWARE OF THIS, BUT DUE TO BEING IN THIS SPACE FOR TOO LONG, HE HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY THE SACRED HALL¡¯S ENERGY¡­ JEREMY LEWIS, YOU BETTER LIVE AND CHANGE YOUR WORLD!¡±r


    <BEEP>r


    <BEEP>r


    <BEEP>r


    The sudden alerting sounds caught the attention of the luminous being, causing him to tilt his head, ncing to the direction of the sound.r


    Having the appearance of a notification panel, the Window kept glowing and beeping consistently. Having several colors, the notification warbled as it changed colors each time it beeped.r


    ¡°TCH, IS IT TIME ALREADY?¡± God groaned.r


    He reluctantly stood up from hisrge seat, causing it to immediately vanish as soon as he rose. Walking gantly toward the notification, he red at the little panel which incessantly continued to make it¡¯s thin, yet loud noise.r


    [Notification Alert]r


    <Convergence In Progress>r


    <The Order Is Imminent>r


    <Requesting Participation From Supreme Being (Sector A-67)>r


    r


    [Will You Participate?]r


    [ept] [Refuse]r


    ¡°I CAN¡¯T KEEP THEM WAITING NOW, CAN I? WHAT A BOTHER¡­ HOW AM I TO EXPLAIN THE STATE OF THIS WORLD TO THEM?¡±r


    God shrugged off his thoughts. Realizing it was pointless to start ruminating on such a silly venture, he decided to just delve into the meeting.r


    ¡°I¡¯M JUST AN ADMINISTRATOR ANYWAY. IT¡¯S NOT LIKE I CAN ACTUALLY CONTROL HUMAN NATURE¡±r


    He stood before the notification and slightly raised his hand to tap on the [ept] icon.r


    Even though there were two options, he knew that in actuality there was only one viable option.r


    As he tapped on this, a portal appeared in front of him. The portal had a rainbow appearance, showing clusters of colors all around it . The glow caused by the Gate made God¡¯s glittering state look less impressive.r


    Slowly, yet assuredly, he stepped within the colorful distortion in space.r


    ¡°JEREMY¡­ I¡¯M COUNTING ON YOU¡­¡± God smiled.r


    He had bent the rules slightly, showing preferential treatment to a Gifted¡­ But he didn¡¯t regret it. His interference in Jeremy¡¯s stats would not guarantee him survival. With so many disadvantages, God¡¯s special token to him would barely even make things even.r


    ¡°¡­ IT¡¯S ALL IN YOUR HANDS NOW!¡±r

 Chapter 8 Survival

    It¡¯s been six days since I returned to this world¡­ and 36 days since this madness began.r


    My body still trembles at the thought of leaving this haven I made for myself, but I refuse to allow the fear within to shake my resolve.r


    ¡°Urgh¡­ I stink¡­¡± I gagged, after taking a whiff of my odor.r


    Being so preupied with learning as much as I could, I spent time doing nothing else. Other than eating and sleeping, everything else went to learning the System and formting strategies while preparing for the inevitable time I would leave.r


    After six days of such an unhygienic lifestyle, I needed an intense bath.r


    I brushed my teeth as hard as I could, making sure I got everything right since I would not be doing anything like it in a while.r


    Also, using the water that was left in my bath, after putting enough in my [Subspace] I had a thorough shower.r


    Now feeling refreshed and full of vigor, I picked the cloth I had decided to wear, after saving the others forter.r


    My ck hoodie, coupled with faded blue jeans and ck sneakers.r


    ¡°It¡¯s best not to stand out¡­ I don¡¯t need any attention drawn to myself¡± I reasoned.r<sub>.</sub>


    After gearing myself up for my expedition to the outside world, I smiled nervously, looking at my door with dread.r


    ¡°I wonder how much has changed¡± I muttered.r


    Opening the door slowly, the creaking sounds it made caused my heartbeat to rise. Excitement and fear mixed within me as I leaped out of the room and for the first time in seemingly forever, I arrived at my parlor.r


    ¡°ssic¡±r


    Bottles of beer littered the sitting room, and dirtyundry covered the chairs and floor, making the entire room stink.r


    The damp atmosphere caused the air around to be still, thereby making it stuffy. I began to feel hot and ufortable, struggling to breathe due to the stale air and terrible smell I had just inhaled. r


    ¡°Good to see it¡¯s just as I left it¡±r


    My father wasn¡¯t home during Christmas. But the night before, he had made sure to cause a mess in the house after giving me my fair share of spankings and punishment. I suppose one could say I received my Christmas present early.r


    I carefully navigated my way through the room, making sure I didn¡¯t trip on any of the bottles around or touch my father¡¯s smelly wear.r<sub></sub>


    It was a difficult task, but I managed toplete it.r


    The door leading outside my home seemed ominous as I looked at it.r


    >Beep< >Beep< >Beep<r


    I unlocked the door and proceeded to open it, finally leaving my nest of safety.r


    My hands trembled as I slowly raised it in the direction of the doorknob.r


    ¡°Get a grip, Jeremy!¡± I grunted.r


    Despite how it appeared, I had no choice but to leave this ce. My supply of food and other necessary resources was limited. Even if I decided to continue staying here, they would eventually run out. Should that happen, I¡¯d be too desperate to find another source, and that would  only lead to recklessness¡­ In a world like this, that could cost me my life!r


    Besides, there¡¯s no guarantee for my safety here anyway. I could be preyed upon at any moment and this building may very well copse at any time. There are too many dangers associated with being stagnant. I have to take risks if I want to survive in this world.r


    I tightly gripped the doorknob and opened up my path of exit.r<sub></sub>


    I live in an apartment, so leaving my home didn¡¯t mean that I have gotten to the outside world just yet. I still have to pass through several stairs to get to the final exit. I live on the third floor, after all.r


    ¡°Second Floor. First Floor¡­ Ground Floor¡­ I have to pass through these to get out of here?¡± I reasoned.r


    Walking slowly, I tiptoed through the hallway, heading for the stairs. Since I wasn¡¯t sure whether there were monsters in the building or not, I had to y it safe.r


    After walking for some time, I neared the stairs and gave a relieved smile.r


    ¡°Ah, Thank God!¡± I muttered in gratituder


    I didn¡¯t encounter a single monster on my way to the stairs. Perhaps I was too worried-r


    ¡°Skriiiiiikkk!¡± A strange sound suddenly emanated from the end of the stairs.r


    My eyes bulged as I heard this.r


    ¡°Skriiik Skariiik!¡± It continued.r


    ¡°This sound¡­ It¡¯s ¨C¡±r


    Oh no¡­ I celebrated too soon!r


    There was only one thing that could make such a sound¡­ It was a Demon!r


    I was just a short distance from the stairs, so I quickly rested my back against the wall and crouched.r


    ¡°Skrrrriiiiikaaa¡± The sound drew nearerr


    ¡°Shit! It sensed me!¡± I thought to myself.r


    Demons have an insane level of perception. I thought I was well prepared and adequately cautious, but I was wrong.r


    ¡°There¡¯s no avoiding it now!¡± I muttered, preparing to fight it out.r


    I really wanted to avoid any direct confrontation this early, but I¡¯m left with no option now. I¡¯ve been spotted.r


    ¡°[Subspace]¡± I whispered.r


    My blue window appeared in front of me, disying its contents to me.r


    I smiled as I saw the one I wanted, proceeding to tap on it hurriedly.r


    <Sharpened Metal Rod x5>r


    Since I tapped it only once, only one of the 5 pieces came out. The metal rod appeared out of the panel before me, and I trapped it swiftly, drawing it close to my chest.r


    ¡°Close¡± I muttered in a shaky tone.r


    The Subspace Window vanished instantly.r


    ¡°Skoriiiik!¡± The sound, only a short distance from me came again.r


    A bead of sweat dripped from my forehead and I braced myself.r


    ¡°I can do this¡­¡±r

 Chapter 9 First Kill

    My trembling body felt numb all over.r


    This was the moment of truth, one which would decide whether or not it was possible for me to survive in this new era.r


    ¡°If I can¡¯t kill a Demon on my first encounter¡­ It¡¯ll be foolish of me to think I can still venture into the crazy world beyond this ce!¡± I thought to myself.r


    I clutched the sharpened metal rod close to my chest, and slowly tilted it, pointing it toward the direction of the stairs.r


    ¡°Skraakiiiikk!¡±r


    The light tapping sounds the monster made as it trotted up the stairs became louder and finally, it was so close that I could feel its strong bloodlust.r


    >Gulp<r


    ¡°I can do this, I can do this!¡±r


    Suddenly, the first leg of the creature appeared, stepping on the tform of the third floor¡¯s hallway. The bent hind limb resembled that of a wild beast, with extremelyrge toenails and a slimy brown color.r


    Before I could fully take in its ugly leg, the next leg also came into view as its body slowly appeared before me. I remained frozen as I saw this, watching as the Demon identified itself.r


    It was norger than a child, having a height of no more than 2 feet.r


    Having a slightly bent gait, The Demon¡¯s long arms nearly reached the ground, and the monstrous eyes it had nearly bulged out of their sockets. It had sharp, long ears and its bald,rge head kept tilting as it moved.r


    ¡°Griiiik¡­¡± The Demon let out as it looked to my side, tilting its face slightly.r


    The monster grinned widely, disying its sharp teeth as grimy saliva dripped from itsrge mouth.r


    [System Alert]r


    <Danger>r


    A red status bar appeared immediately, identifying the level of threat I faced.r<sub>.</sub>


    [System Information]r


    -tName: Hell Kobold Spawnr


    -tLevel: 2r


    -tRace: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 1r


    -tAge: 29 daysr


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 12/30r


    -tMP: ¨C -r


    -tStrenght: 9r


    -tAgility: 30r


    -tVitality: 10r


    -tIntelligence: 1r


    [Status Condition]r


    <Hunger>r


    -tHP continues to decrease until the Demon feeds. Currently active.r


    [End Of Information]r<sub></sub>


    As I read through the red status window of the monster, I felt a tinge of relief.r


    ¡°It¡¯s weak¡­ That means I should be able to wi-¡°r


    Before I couldplete my sentence, the monster lunged its ws at me, using the sharp nails of its long hands.r


    >Squish<r


    The sharp nails of the Demon pierced my arm, immediately sending unimaginable pain through out my body.r


    ¡°Uarghhhhhhhh!¡± I screamed.r


    I tried to control my voice, but the intense pain made me lose control of my vocal cords.r


    ¡°It hurts! It hurts!!!¡± My head rang out as it pounded.r


    My body throbbed as I grabbed the arm which was wounded from the monster¡¯s attack. The steel rod I held earlier dropped, rolling away from my wounded self. I groaned, defenseless and in pain due to the Demon I had underestimated.r


    The Demon retracted its ws and grinned at me with satisfaction. It began to advance towards me, ready to devour me in order to satisfy its hunger.r


    I continued to groan in pain, clutching my bloodied arm with my healthy hand as tears flowed.r


    The monster drew closer until it was within striking range. It opened itsrge mouth, lunging itself at me to cut off my head. However¡­r


    ¡°I was expecting this¡­¡± I muttered, still wincing in pain.r


    ¡°[Subspace]¡±r


    Immediately, another steel rod proceeded from my invisible parcel. I red at the beast¡¯s open mouth, directing the rod to appear at the specific location.r


    The sharpened rod pierced the Demon¡¯s mouth, drilling a hole inside it as its sharp end appeared on the other side of its skull.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Kiriiii?!!¡± The Hell Kobold Spawn screamed in shock and pain.r


    ¡°Now you know how it feels, you monster!¡± I smiled slightly.r


    I struggled to rise on my feet, still feeling the pangs of the painful sensations that wereing from my injury. But, this was no time to hesitate. The Demon wasn¡¯t dead yet¡­ And I won¡¯t be making the same mistake asst time.r


    I rushed to pick up the sharpened rod I had dropped earlier due to the surprise attack of the Hell Spawn. Grasping it tightly, I walked to the struggling Demon, watching how it writhed in pain as blood gushed out of its head.r


    The purple stuff splurged all around it, staining the floors, as well as my shoes.r


    ¡°Disgusting!¡± I muttered.r


    Wasting no more time, I raised the rod over my head, targeting the chest of the monster. In an instant, the sharp weapon I held pierced the beast, causing it to give one final cry of agony.r


    ¡°Kiiiiriiikkkk¡±r


    Suddenly, it burst in mes, turning to ashes in an instant. The Demon¡¯s body faded away, leaving nothing but a tiny purple crystal behind.r


    ¡°Ah, that must be the monster drop¡­¡± I muttered.r


    Demons are akin to monsters in RPGs. Once defeated, they drop items, most likely their cores. In rare instances, the Demons drop other things, but those are higher-ranking ones.r


    ¡°This one was a Grade 1¡­ And was even affected by the <Hunger> status condition. If it wasn¡¯t¡­ I would already be dead!¡± I told myself.r


    In any case, there was no way I could remain here. I¡¯d made too much noise. Other Demons are sure to gather here eventually. Plus, I was injured¡­ I would not stand a chance in direct confrontation.r


    ¡°B-But, hold on¡­ What if..?!¡±r


    An idea suddenly popped up in my head, making me smile. If it worked, then I would be in a more favorable situation than I earlier thought.r


    ¡°Status Window,¡± I said.r


    [STATUS INFORMATION]r


    -tName: Jeremy Lewisr


    -tLevel: 1 ¨C Exp: 70.00r


    -tRace: Human ¨C Job: Noner


    -tAge: 16 Yearsr


    -tSex: Maler


    -tHeight: 5¡å 3.  ¨C Weight: 115 poundsr


    -tAlignment: Chaotic Neutralr


    -tKarma Points: 100  ¨C (G) Karma Points: 10r


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 89/100r


    -tMP: ¨C -r


    -tStrenght: 50r


    -tAgility: 300r


    -tVitality: 100r


    -tIntelligence: 500r


    -t(G) Factor: 90r


    -tGift: [Subspace]r


    -tItems Equipped: Demon Core (Lesser) x 1r


    -tAllies: Noner


    [Status Condition]r


    <Bleeding>r


    -tHP drops as time progresses until wound is healed or closed. Currently active.r


    [Additional Information]r


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.r


    [End Of Information]r


    Looks like some things have changed in my Status Information. My HP dropped, and I now have a ¡®Bleeding¡¯ Status Condition. How bothersome.r


    But, the most important change is the fact that I gained experience from killing this Demon. I¡¯m just a little bit away from leveling up! Once I do, I should be able to get stronger!r


    Thinking about it logically, there¡¯s only so far that I can go in my wounded state. Plus, the Demons can sense me, especially now that I have the smell of blood. Running wasn¡¯t really an option.r


    ¡°It¡¯ll be more efficient if I could pick them off myself and use that opportunity to Level up!¡± I reasoned.r


    I could hear screeching sounds and monster grunts around me. Some ascended the stairs, some came from various apartments, all drawn to the sound of screams and the smell of blood.r


    ¡°They¡¯reing!¡±r


    With a nervous smile, I formted my next n. After my first kill, there can only be more toe!r

 Chapter 10 Trap

    ¡°Skrreaeeek!¡±


    Voices of the creatures from hell and beyond echoed through the hallway, surrounding practically every path of escape.


    It was now obvious that the only path to victory was not by escaping, but rather by subjugating everyst Demon in this building. I have to do so in a way that tilts the advantage in my direction since I still can¡¯t handle surprise attacks.


    Also, I was going to have to get to a higher level if I intend on living outside.


    ¡°It¡¯s all or nothing now!¡±


    [Moments Later]


    Two Demons trotted by the hallway, walking sluggishly as they growled. Sniffing the air, they raised their monstrous heads high as they attempted to catch a whiff of their prey.


    ¡°Skurrroook!¡±


    They appeared to be the same breed of Demons as the one I had killed earlier. Perhaps this apartment is their turf. From what I know about Demons after watching them in the Sacred Hall, they are highly territorial. If this was an exclusive area for their kind, then I should expect to see only these type of monsters here.


    ¡°No! Idiot, you shouldn¡¯t assume just like that!¡± I snapped at myself.


    Underestimating my enemy would be fatal to me, especially if I ended up having the short end of the stick. I can¡¯t afford to make careless deductions without proof!


    Since there¡¯s no ¡®Danger Alert¡¯, I must be fairly safe¡­ For now, and I¡¯d like to keep it that way. Focusing my attention on the two Demons, I squinted my eyes, and immediately, their Status Windows opened before me.


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Hell Kobold Spawn


    ¨C Level: 3


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 1


    ¨C Age: 31 days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 20/40<sub>.</sub>


    ¨C MP: ¨C ¨C


    ¨C Strength: 11


    ¨C Agility: 40


    ¨C Vitality: 14


    ¨C Intelligence: 1


    [Status Condition]


    <Hunger>


    ¨C HP continues to decrease until the Demon feeds. Currently active.


    [End Of Information]


    I looked at the information on the other one. It looked bulkier and far more grotesque than the first.


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Hell Kobold Spawn


    ¨C Level: 5


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 1


    ¨C Age: 34 days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 40/60


    ¨C MP: ¨C ¨C<sub></sub>


    ¨C Strength: 20


    ¨C Agility: 50


    ¨C Vitality: 20


    ¨C Intelligence: 1


    [Status Condition]


    <Hunger>


    ¨C HP continues to decrease until the Demon feeds. Currently active.


    [End Of Information]


    Cold sweat appeared on my face as I observed the stats of the Demons which were prowling and searching for me.


    ¡°They¡¯re much stronger than thest one¡­¡± I muttered to myself.


    It¡¯s a good thing I decided not to run. If more of these creatures are swarming around this building, I won¡¯t make it out alive until I get stronger.


    The Demons moved closer to the stairs where they smelled the highest concentration of blood. Upon reaching the pool of blood, they instinctively realized that the slowly evaporating puddle belonged to one of their own.


    ¡°Skraaaaaaakkkkkk!!!!¡± They screeched out in a high pitch.


    I couldn¡¯t tell whether they were bellowing out in sorrow or rage, but one thing was for sure¡­ These Demons have emotions. One of their own was dead, and they would make sure to show me the same amount of mercy I gave to their fallenrade, none.


    ¡°[Subspace]¡±


    Fortunately, I¡¯m within five meters from them¡­ Too bad they can¡¯t see me!


    I tapped on one of the bulkiest things I could find within my arsenal.


    ¡°Deep Freezer!¡±<sub></sub>


    Immediately, my huge and heavy freezer appeared above their heads as they mourned their dead brethren.


    ¡°Skriiii?!!¡±


    Showing surprise in their eyes, they tried to escape the falling object, pushing their legs to dash away from danger.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± I immediately said, propelling myself from my hiding spot to ensure their demise.


    I removed the duvet I wrapped around myself and threw the two sharpened rods I had on both hands at the Demons.


    ¡°Skraaa?!¡± They bellowed in surprise.


    My arm still aches from the attack wrought on me by the first Demon I encountered, but I ignored the pain and focused on the Demons.


    I don¡¯t know why, but thanks to the system, my uracy, strength, endurance, and general perception have improved drastically. The metal rods pierced the monsters in their chest and stomach respectively, causing them to stumble backward and recoil.


    ¡°Got you!¡± My thoughts rang.


    My blow wasn¡¯t fatal, it wouldn¡¯t kill the Demons, but I wasn¡¯t counting on it to finish the job for me anyway.


    >SPLAT!<


    The massive freezernded on the two injured demons, crushing them instantly. Their blood sttered on me, causing me to cover my eyes as the disgusting liquid touched my sensitive skin.


    ¡°Urgh, gross!¡± I gagged.


    It was surprising how the death of these Demons didn¡¯t faze me at all. It would be easy to attribute it to the system, but that¡¯s not what was happening. I was getting used to this. Unlikest time, I suddenly felt excited¡­ Like I wanted to try this again.


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    ¡°Whoah!¡± I eximed, watching the two icons which appeared in front of me.


    Sweet, I went through two level-ups in an instant. However, this wasn¡¯t the most surprising thing that happened.


    >Shiiiiing<


    A bright light, followed by a low warbling sound radiated around me. The slight pain in my hand disappeared instantly. The blood on my clothes also vanished.


    ¡°A-Amazing!!!¡± I beamed, looking at my body, closely observing the changes on it.


    I expected to feel stronger after I leveled up, and counted on it to progress through this apartment. However, I never expected instant regeneration.


    ¡°Instant recovery¡­ Then this changes things entirely. I just might live through this!¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Status Window¡± I stated.


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 3 ¨C Exp: 80.00


    ¨C Race: Human ¨C Job: None


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡å 3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    ¨C Karma Points: 100 ¨C (G) Karma Points: 10


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 200/200


    ¨C MP: ¨C ¨C


    ¨C Strength: 70


    ¨C Agility: 400


    ¨C Vitality: 200


    ¨C Intelligence: 800


    ¨C (G) Factor: 90


    ¨C Gift: [Subspace]


    ¨C Items Equipped: Demon Core (Lesser) x 1


    ¨C Allies: None


    [Status Condition]


    <None>


    [Additional Information]


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    [End Of Information]


    I was in awe as I looked at my Status Information. To think that I had grown this strong already. And I was just 20 Exp away from leveling up again!


    I was feeling even more motivated now.


    My risky n worked, and now I was even stronger than I was a few hours ago. Other crazy ideas started popping into my head, but I calmed myself.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush¡±


    I smiled, opening my pocket storage unit, and removed a piece of cloth to clean the blood that trickled on me. After a thorough cleaning, I threw it into the pool of blood that oozed on the floor.


    I touched the Deep Freezer, cing it back into [Subspace] with a thought.


    Quickly, I went back to my duvet and wrapped myself in its warmth, hiding as I awaited the arrival of my next prey.

 Chapter 11 Skills

    >SQUISH<r


    The squashing sound of monster flesh sounded in the hallway as I once again seeded in killing a couple of demons.r


    ¡°Skriiiiikkk¡± They weakly let out before breathing theirst.r


    ¡°This makes it the third wave!¡± I smiled, looking down at the pathetic beasts.r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    Leveling up twice in a row, uh? I expected more.r


    The Demons I just killed were three, and they were all at considerably high levels.r


    One was at Level 6, while the remaining two were Level 5. I was at Level 4 when I killed them, so I expected more Exp.r


    ¡°The higher my level, the more difficult it is for me to level up, uh?¡± I muttered.r


    Very well.r


    I bent to pick up the cores of the three Demons who had turned to dust already, shoving them among the rest within my [Subspace].r


    Suddenly, a ping sounded.r


    [Congrattions]r


    [You Have Exceeded Level 5]r


    [You Are Now Able To Use Skills]r<sub>.</sub>


    [Skill Slots Have Been Opened]r


    What the hell is this?r


    My eyes suddenly bulged as I closely read the contents of the window that appeared in front of me.r


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­!¡± I eximed.r


    Skills, I¡¯ve finally obtained them!r


    Watching the world from the Heavenly ne, I saw people use these special abilities, but I didn¡¯t know the Level required before it could be unlocked.r


    Skills are powers used by Gifteds which have no connection to their Gifts. Unlike Gifts, which are fixed, Skills can be obtained as an individual progresses.r


    It¡¯s a good thing that I have gotten it early. They¡¯ll be very useful to me and crucial to my survival since my Gift has no real offensive capability.r


    ¡°Skill Slot¡± I muttered.r


    Immediately, another Golden window appeared in front of me, different from my Status Window. It glowed, disying its contents.r


    [Skills]r


    -tYou Currently Possess 3 Skill Slotsr


    ?tSlot 1 ¨C Emptyr


    ?tSlot 2 ¨C Emptyr


    ?tSlot 3 ¨C Emptyr<sub></sub>


    [Skill Slots Will Be Added As Your Level Increases]r


    I smiled as I read through the information disyed.r


    ¡°Three is plenty¡­ For now¡­¡± I muttered.r


    The anxiety and nervousness I felt earlier have nearly dissipated. With each victory I secured, I could feel my confidence rising.r


    As long as I can Level-Up and be stronger, I¡¯ll be able to survive!r


    ¡°Skriiiiiikkkkk¡±r


    I suddenly heard voices of Demons emanating from every side of the hallway.r


    The stairs, The rooms, the corners¡­ The sounds kepting.r


    ¡°Shit! I wasted too much time-¡°r


    Panic spread through me and I cursed myself for once again sumbing to carelessness.r


    I contemted leaving the freezer where it was and returning to hide, but I immediately banished the thought.r


    ¡°I need it to smash the Demons! ¡± I grumbled.r


    Even if I ended up hiding myself on time, the Demons will eventually catch on to my scent. And once they do, they will have the advantage.r


    The only reason I¡¯ve survived until now is that the Demons are always distracted by their deadrades whenever they advance, and for a moment they be confused at the scene of carnage I intentionally left behind. It is usually at this moment that I strike. However, right now¡­ I don¡¯t have enough time to set the stage. Not only that, judging by the sounds I¡¯m hearing, these aren¡¯t just a few Demons.r


    I can¡¯t run. I can¡¯t hide. I¡¯m trapped!r<sub></sub>


    ¡°There¡¯s no other way¡­¡± I mumbled, quickly rushing to touch the Freezer.r


    As my contraption returned to [Subspace], I hurriedly tapped on the icon of my Gift to ess a particr slot.r


    <Demon Core (Lesser) x8>r


    ¡°Select all!¡± I said impatiently.r


    Immediately, the glowing purple cores poured out,nding on my hands.r


    As I felt the sensation on my skin, the low energy they emitted made my body tingle.r


    An icon appeared in front of me, just as I expected.r


    [Hell Kobold Spawn¡¯s Demon Core Equipped]r


    [Hell Kobold Spawn¡¯s Skill ¡®w Attack¡¯ Avable]r


    [Save Skill In Skill Slot?]r


    [Yes] [No]r


    With a nervous look and darting eyes, I nced around me and epted immediately.r


    Immediately, one of the eight cores glowed. It dissipated, turning into little glowing particles as it merged with my body. I felt a tingle as the specks of energy entered me and slowly transformed into a surge. At that moment, I obtained a Skill, as well as the know-how of how to use it.r


    The system is really useful!r


    ¡°Skraaaaa!!!!¡± Demons suddenly appeared around me. They numbered at least a Dozen, though I didn¡¯t have enough time to get their urate number.r


    ¡°Fvck!¡±r


    I quickly ced the remaining cores unto [Subspace], saving them forter.r


    Their eyes depicted rage as they saw their deadrades, lunging toward me in unadulterated animosity.r


    ¡°Activate Skill: w Attack¡± I instinctively said.r


    As my blood rushed due to the enemies which surrounded me, my fingernails suddenly started expanding, reaching unbelievable lengths in an instant. They grew darker and sharper, and I could feel they were sturdier.r


    With no time to further observe my newly changed body, I stretched my hands toward one of the beasts which charged before me.r


    My ded nails immediately impaled it, piercing its skull as it died in an instant.r


    ¡°Whoo! Amazing.¡± I beamed.r


    Two more jumped at me from behind and I quickly turned andunched both hands at them, cutting through their bodies in an instant. Five ws each pierced through portions of their body, causing them instant death.r


    ¡°Oh yeahhh!!!¡± I smiled, feeling a rush of excitement welling up within me.r


    The Demons felt threatened by the sudden elimination of three of theirrades in an instant and stepped back, wary of me.r


    ¡°Scared now, are we?¡± I taunted, enjoying myself and the feel of superiority I emitted.r


    Suddenly, an rming beep sounded, followed by a system window in front of me.r


    [ALERT!!!]r


    <Skill Duration Has psed>r


    <Skil Deactivated>r


    Before I could read through the notification, my nails shortened in an instant, returning to their normal length.r


    ¡°Shit!¡± I eximed, realizing what had just happenedr


    How could I forget? Every skill has a Duration Period!r


    ¡°Activate Skill: w Attack¡± I yelled.r


    Immediately, a system icon appeared in front of me, showing me the information I dreaded.r


    [System Notification]r


    <Skill is in Cooldown>r


    -tTime Left Until Next Use (09:56)r


    Of course, there¡¯s a Skill Cooldown too!r


    ¡°What the fvck! I have to wait for ten whole minutes?!¡± I yelled in desperation.r


    Panic spread through me and I saw the Demons around me sneer at me as they opened their salivating mouths. Their growls filled everywhere, and I could tell they were ready to lunge at me and devour me whole.r


    I made a big mistake, and now once again¡­ I¡¯m cornered!r


    ¡°Oh shit! I¡¯m screwed!r


    ¡± Skrrrrrrriiiiiaaaakkk!¡±r

 Chapter 12 Struggle

    ¡°Skriiiiekkk!¡± The Demons let out as they jumped, ready to pounce on me.r


    ¡°[Subspace]!¡± I quickly called out.r


    The blue window appeared in front of me as I proceeded to tap on the item of my choice.r


    >CRUNCH<r


    Before I could move my hand to the screen, one of the beasts used its piercing fangs to bite me, digging deep into my skin as it sank its teeth in.r


    ¡°Gahhhhh!¡± I yelped in pain.r


    Even though I have leveled up, and my resistance to pain has somewhat risen, the intense sensation as blood gushed from my skin made me groan in agony.r


    ¡°Grriiiiikkk¡± Another demon came from behind me and bit my leg.r


    ¡°Hyaaaa!¡± I let out, falling on my knee instantly.r


    The other monsters didn¡¯t waste any time, taking my moment of weakness to pounce on me.r


    ¡°Skraaaaaakkk!¡±r


    They bit through my legs, my hands, my stomach.r


    ¡°Uarhhhhhh¡± I screamed, feeling the primal fear I had forgotten due to my initial luck.r


    Blood leaked from me as I felt their sharp teeth enter my body, tearing my skin as they satisfied themselves with my flesh.r


    I could feel them scrape through the bones of my legs, slurping the blood that was released from my ruptured vessels.r


    ¡°H-Help¡­ S-Someone¡­ H-Help m-me¡­¡± I screamed.r


    I kept screaming and begging pointlessly, even though I knew no help woulde.r


    Hope was an illusion in this cruel world¡­ Yet I begged for a miracle to descend and rescue me from the intense suffering I was experiencing.r<sub>.</sub>


    The pain was unbearable, I could feel myself losing and regaining consciousness at the same time. I wanted to die quickly at that moment, but my demise didn¡¯te.r


    A red window popped open, disying information I didn¡¯t bother reading.r


    [ALERT!!!]r


    <HP Has Dropped Below 20 Percent>r


    <You Are Experiencing Severe Status Conditions>r


    <You Will Soon Die!>r


    My eyes caught thest paragraph, causing it to bulge widely.r


    ¡°N-No¡­ N-No!¡±r


    I don¡¯t want to die!r


    Not yet¡­ I haven¡¯t done anything yet. I don¡¯t want to die!r


    As my brain rambled on solutions to my current predicament, I felt my entire body grow numb. My partly eaten hand shook slightly, moving toward the [Subspace Window] which glowed in front of me.r


    The Demons, numbering nearly 15 were majorly above me, enjoying the fleshy portions of my legs and stomach region.r


    My skinny, partly devoured hands were finally free.r


    Using thest strength left within me, I used my shivering hand, possessing only two fingers out of the original five, to tap on the object of my choice.r


    It¡¯s a risky gamble. Any mistake and I could die¡­ But at this point, the risks don¡¯t matter.r


    ¡°I¡¯ll be dead soon anyway!¡± My thoughts rang.r


    It¡¯s all or nothing! However¡­ One thing remained in my heart, a conviction that refused to dissipate despite the despairing situation¡­ My will to live!r<sub></sub>


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to die here!!!¡± My heart rang.r


    ¡°aarrghhhh!!!!¡± I let out one final growl, tapping on the screen I faced.r


    <Deep Freezer>r


    >Tap<r


    Immediately, my colossal home appliance appeared high up in the hallway, as high as I could send it.r


    I need the force!r


    The bulk of mass above my body slowly started descending by the will of gravity immediately it materialized.r


    The Demons who were too focused on their meal couldn¡¯t notice on time, the impending danger which neared them at a rapid rate.r


    As they continued to devour my innards, feeding on the intestines and bloodied flesh left in me, the Deep Freezer neared them.r


    ¡°Skri-!!!¡±r


    Before they could protest, the Deep Freezer made a massive impact on them, crushing their skulls as their bodies mped into a bloodied mash.r


    I was no exception.r


    In that instant, I immediately lost connection with the major parts of my body, leaving only my head to the chest region still intact.r


    The rest were all crushed by the huge impact of my object of destruction.r


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 2/ 400r


    [¡­.]r<sub></sub>


    That was close¡­ I¡¯m nearly dead. But¡­r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    ¡­ Just in time¡­r


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 600/600r


    [¡­]r


    My gamble paid off after all.r


    My bloodied body glowed, immediately reconstructing and regaining its original form.r


    My eaten-up stomach reformed and my legs returned. The disy of partly crunched bones disappeared, with flesh recing them.r


    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡± I groaned.r


    My body appeared above the Deep Freezer, so my lying position was awkward, with my legs and stomach resting on the freezer.r


    Since my body was still in contact with it, I returned the Freezer to [Subspace]. It was a lifesaver indeed.r


    My lower half dropped immediately the Freezer turned into particles and entered the [Subspace], falling on the Demon Cores that littered the floor where the Freezer Landed.r


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they were in a single ce¡­ If they weren¡¯t¡­ I would be dead by now¡­¡± I muttered.r


    Also, it seems the ones I had killed were not very high in level. Their durability wasn¡¯t impressive, to have been one-shotted by the Freezer, even after taking in food.r


    ¡°That¡¯s probably why I was able tost very long even when they kept damaging me.r


    This is a world of Levels.r


    Since their Levels were not as high as mine, the damage inflicted on me only shaved off a small portion of my HP at a time, even though those attacks would have killed a normal person instantly.r


    ¡± I have to get out of here¡­ It¡¯s no longer safe!¡± I muttered, quickly looking around me.r


    My eyes darted to the door of a house not too far from me.r


    ¡°Perfect!¡± I beamed.r


    Quickly picking up the Demon Cores on the ground and cing them in [Subspace], I took to my heels and advanced to the door.r


    I turned the doorknob upon arriving in front of it, but as I should have expected, it was locked.r


    ¡°Tch¡± I grunted.r


    Suddenly, an idea shed in my head.r


    ¡°[Subspace]¡± I called out, cing my hand on the door handle.r


    Immediately, the doorknob vanished, along with the locks that came with it as a whole.r


    ¡°Yes!¡±r


    I pushed the door, causing it to open slightly, creaking as it did so.r


    I entered the strange home quickly, closing the door immediately I did so.r


    ¡°<Deep Freezer>¡±r


    Focusing my attention on the door in front of me, the object of great mass appeared directly before it, blocking it from ever opening.r


    ¡°Just to be safe¡­¡± I muttered.r


    I tapped on my subspace and brought out my wardrobe, cing it horizontally on the freezer, serving as another blockade in front of the door.r


    ¡°None of those Demons should be able to get in now¡­ Hopefully¡­¡± I reasoned.r


    Finally, alone, I made a deep sigh of relief, copsing on the hard floor.r


    ¡°I-I almost died just now¡­ Shit!¡­ I almost died!¡­¡± I said to myself.r


    That was the closest I¡¯ve ever been to death in my whole life. The trauma made my body tremble as I imagined the experience all over again.r


    I feel sick!r


    The gore and pain reflected in my head, showing me the scene I wanted to forget so desperately.r


    As I drowned in the hellish experience I just had, I couldn¡¯t help butugh at myself.r


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for being cocky, idiot!¡±r


    I deserved what I got.r


    Being scared won¡¯t change anything. In the end, there is only one solution to the fear I feel right now.r


    ¡°I just need to make sure that never happens again!¡±r


    I need strength.r


    I need strategy.r


    I need everything!r

 Chapter 13 A Safe Place

    ¡°Status Window¡±r


    The shimmering golden panel appeared, immediately revealing the new information disyed on its screen.r


    I was in Level 6 before I got assaulted by those pesky group of Demons.r


    Since I leveled up four times in the earlier mishap, the anticipation to see higher numbers rushed through me.r


    [STATUS INFORMATION]r


    -tName: Jeremy Lewisr


    -tLevel: 10 ¨C Exp: 10.30r


    -tRace: Humanr


    -tJob: Noner


    -tAge: 16 Yearsr


    -tSex: Maler


    -tHeight: 5¡å 3. ¨C Weight: 115 poundsr


    -tAlignment: Chaotic Neutralr


    -tKarma Points: 100 ¨C (G) Karma Points: 10r


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 600/600r


    -tMP: ¨C -r


    -tStrenght: 140r


    -tAgility: 750r


    -tVitality: 600r


    -tIntelligence: 1,600r


    -t(G) Factor: 90r<sub>.</sub>


    [Gift: [Subspace]]r


    -tItems Equipped: Noner


    -tAllies: Noner


    Skills Possessed: <1>r


    [Status Condition]r


    <None>r


    [Additional Information]r


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.r


    [End Of Information]r


    I strictly observed the panel, and though the numbers had increased, I didn¡¯t feel satisfied with my growth.r


    ¡°More¡­ I need more¡­¡± I muttered.r


    In order to not experience what had just happened ever again, I have to be overwhelmingly strong.r


    Looking at the growth of my Status Information, I can only conclude this¡­ Each [Stats] have their specific growth rate upon every level up.r


    I created a mental image in my head to picture the rate at which they developed.r


    For every [You Have Leveled Up]r


    <HP> increases by 50r


    <MP> is invalidated. For some reason, it doesn¡¯t rise at all¡­ Is it because I don¡¯t have any magic-rted Gift or Skill.r


    <Strength> increases by 10r


    <Agility> increases by 50r


    <Vitality> increases by 50r


    <Intelligence> increases by 150r<sub></sub>


    I still don¡¯t know what (G) Factor means, but it remains constant.r


    There were still many things I didn¡¯t understand, but there¡¯s no use dwelling on them now.r


    I should focus my attention on the ones I can use currently, if the others are useful, they will be revealed eventually.r


    ¡°Skill Slot¡± I uttered.r


    Immediately, another Golden panel appeared by the side of my Status Window. It¡¯s a good thing no panel closes unless I will it to.r


    [SKILLS]r


    -tYou Currently Possess 3 Skill Slotsr


    ?tSlot 1 ¨C <w Attack>r


    ?tSlot 2 ¨C Emptyr


    ?tSlot 3 ¨C Emptyr


    [Skill Slots Will Be Added As Your Level Increases]r


    I tapped on the only skill I currently have, wondering if more information would be disyed if I did so.r


    [Skill Information]r


    <w Attack>r


    Grade: 1 (Fixed)r


    Level:1 (Upgradable)r


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ¡®Hell Kobold¡¯s Spawn¡¯. It is a low leveled skill that hardens, sharpens, and elongates the fingernails of the host, making it a deadly weapon forbat.r


    [Currently Unavable For Use Due To Cooldown]r


    Time Left Until Next Use: 3 Mins 51Secsr


    [End Of Information]r


    ¡°Tch, what a useless Skill!¡± I spat.r<sub></sub>


    I suppose you can only expect this much from a Grade 1 skill. I can¡¯t change its Grade, but it looks like I can upgrade its level.r


    Fortunately, I have more Demon Cores to do that.r


    ¡°[Subspace]¡±r


    Immediately, the blue window appeared by my left side, making the three windows disyed consecutively.r


    <Hell Kobold Spawn¡¯s Demon Core (Lesser) x25>r


    Looks like I still have quite a few.r


    The first 7 cores were from my initial attack on the Spawns. They were initially 8, but I used one to obtain my current Skill.r


    I killed 3 Hell Kobold Spawns with my w Attack, increasing the number of Cores to 10.r


    Using my ¡®Deep Freezer Crush¡¯, I managed to kill off the remaining Hell Kobold Spawns that gathered atop me to feast.r


    This gave me an extra set of 15 Demon Cores.r


    ¡°They should be enough¡± I muttered.r


    Bringing out the remaining Demon Cores, I made sure to have contact with every one of them.r


    As I did this, pings reverberated within me, and a system notification appeared.r


    [Hell Kobold Spawn¡¯s Demon Core x25 Equiped]r


    Perfect.r


    Since I¡¯m in the confines of this house, no one will be interrupting me.r


    I went back to the Skill page and tapped on the Level of my current skill.r


    <w Attack>r


    Grade: 1 (Fixed)r


    Level:1 (Upgradable)r


    Upon tapping on the Level, it disyed another tab, indicating the option of increasing my Skill¡¯s overall power.r


    <w Attack>r


    -tCurrent Level: 1r


    [Demon Core Required For Level Up]r


    [Current Demon Core Equipped: 25]r


    [Select Level]r


    I smiled. Quickly tapping on the [Select Level] icon, I saw a few numbers avable to me. However, the highest was 10. Looks like that¡¯s the max level.r


    This was no time to be frugal with my use of the Cores. I could always get more, plus, this was necessary for my survival.r


    I tapped on the Highest Level (10), and the golden window in front of me glowed.r


    [You Have Upgraded This Skill To Max Level]r


    [Total Number Of Demon Cores Extinguished: 9]r


    -tDemon Core Left: 16r


    It¡¯s time to check the Skill Description again.r


    [Skill Information]r


    <w Attack>r


    Grade: 1 (Fixed)r


    Level: 10(Max)r


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ¡®Hell Kobold¡¯s Spawn¡¯. It is a low leveled skill that hardens, sharpens, and elongated the fingernails of the host, making it a deadly weapon forbat.r


    [Currently Maxed Out]r


    -tAll restrictions on this skill have been removed.r


    -tSkill Duration Has Been Extendedr


    ¡®Cooldown Time¡¯ Has Been Shortenedr


    [Current Skill Duration Period: 1 Hour]r


    [Current Skill Cooldown Time: 1 Minute]r


    This is bearable. At least I won¡¯t need to hold out for very long to use the Skill again, plus it¡¯s useful since I can utilize this for a long period.r


    I still have 16 cores left. While I can¡¯t directly absorb them to Level Up, they were still going toe in handy¡­ I¡¯ll return them to my [Subspace] now.r


    After returning them, I gave a huge sigh and closed my eyes for a bit. I was exhausted.r


    It has been a really long day, too many things happened in such a short span. But, it hasn¡¯t all been bad.r


    ¡°There¡¯s still something I have to do¡­¡± I muttered, pushing away the drowsiness that enveloped me.r


    While I was certain I won¡¯t be interrupted even if I sleep right now, it was not advisable for me to be rxed.r


    ¡°I¡¯ll rest after I¡¯m done for today!¡±r


    I was too exhausted and spent to return outside and resume killing Demons, but there was still something I could do within this apartment.r


    ¡°It¡¯s time to experiment even more!¡± I grinned.r


    I needed to test my level of strength, andpare my present stats to my previous one, contrasting the two where necessary.r


    My intelligence has also be quite high, it has be necessary to know how it works.r


    Who knows, I may even discover the hidden truth behind the (G) Factor and Karma point system.r


    These were all important, however¡­ Something else would have toe first.r


    I looked around the parlor I currently resided in. Even though the lights were off and the drapes shut, I could still see through the dimly lit room. Maybe it was due to my increased stats, but my vision was better than it was before.r


    It¡¯s because of that I realized.r


    ¡°This is a nice house¡­ Clean¡­ Cozy¡­¡±r


    The owner probably went out to celebrate for Christmas and never returned. Decorations of the season hung around the house and festive ornaments filled the room. Clearly, this person has been in a festive mood.r


    What an idiot.r


    But, this is just my luck!r


    ¡°With such a wasteful person living here¡­ I wonder how much useful stuff I can find in this lovely home¡± I grinned.r

 Chapter 14 Plundering

    ¡°Jackpot!¡±


    I beamed, as I watched the sight before me unfold.


    After deciding to scavenge whatever I could find in this apartment, I explored the stranger¡¯s home.


    This ce was neater than I expected, with everything arranged in an orderly fashion.


    With two rooms, simr to my own, the home didn¡¯t bear any resemnce to the one I grew up in.


    It was almost unbelievable, but I suppose it¡¯s just my stroke of luck.


    The fridge was stocked full of various delicacies; Meat, Fish, Eggs, Veggies¡­ The whole thing!


    ¡°Looks like this guy was quite the nutritionist.¡±


    My eyes darted to dozen bottles of milk all stacked together. Quickly reaching for one, I uncovered it and downed the bottle, taking in the whole contents in mere gulps.


    ¡°Ahhhhh¡± I let out relieved.


    How long has it been since I¡¯ve had milk, or any decent meal at that?


    Since I appeared in this hellish world, I¡¯ve been conserving food like crazy, most of which are junks.


    But, this ce is different. Many ingredients and spices, coupled with a whole assortment of cooking utensils and home appliances.


    ¡°Look at these knives¡­ What an impressive collection.¡± I remarked.


    There¡¯s even a butcher¡¯s knife among them¡­ These will be quite useful.


    To think this person¡¯s house was going to be left like this until everything here rotted or became destroyed in fiery explosions.


    ¡°Ah, what a waste that would have been!¡± I said to myself.<sub>.</sub>


    It¡¯s a good thing that this person also had a backup power supply. His fridge still has fairly cool air within it. This can only mean that it had been functional until recently.


    ¡°Too bad the backup power source must be out of juice already¡­ That could have been useful¡± I grinned.


    But this is perfect. If these foods hadn¡¯t been preserved, they would have rotted by now and that would have been disappointing.


    But they won¡¯t remain in their fresh state for long. Now that the power was gone, the food will slowly begin to spoil.


    ¡°We can¡¯t have that, now can we?¡± I grinned.


    ¡°[Subspace]¡±


    The blue window glimmered as it disyed its contents before me.


    There¡¯s my sharpened metal rods, stacks of different food, clothes, water, toolbox, and Demon Cores.


    I intentionally left two empty slots in my [Subspace] because of situations like this.


    They were initially three, but Demon Cores have currently upied one.


    ¡°Two more slots left¡­ That¡¯s plenty!¡±


    I stacked up the fridge with the foodstuff I found in the home, but as expected it couldn¡¯t take everything in.


    If I ce them individually in [Subspace], my slots will run out quickly. Since foods differ from each other, they won¡¯t stack up like other simr items.


    But, if I put them all in a single contraption and ce that into [Subspace], it makes storing items more efficient.


    Even then, there were so many things leftover, and the contraptions avable to me were in no wayrge enough to contain everything I needed to collect.


    ¡°It looks like I won¡¯t be able to collect everything here¡­ Shit!¡± I grumbled in frustration.<sub></sub>


    There¡¯s no use inining about something beyond my control. I should just take what I can.


    Prioritizing highly essential foods and bottled water, I emptied the supplies of the house and filled up my [Subspace] until no more room was left.


    [Subspace Alert]


    <Subspace is filled up. No additional material can be ced within this space>


    ¡°Ah, looks like this is the limit.¡±


    If only this shitty Gift had more room!


    As though my [Subspace] read my mind, a surprising icon appeared in front of me. My eyes bulged as I read its content.


    [Do You Want To Increase SubSpace Capacity?]


    [Yes] [No]


    Duh, obviously I do!


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± I asked myself, staring at the screen.


    Unlike my stats and skills, [Subspace] showed no way to increase its level.


    I had initially thought its level would rise as my Level did, but even after reaching Level 10, my [Subspace] remained in its shitty F rank.


    But, with this window showing me this question, that meant there was another way to improve my Gift. I should see what it¡¯s about.


    I tapped on the [Yes] icon, hoping to see good news concerning the window¡¯s inquiry.


    A <Loading> icon was disyed on the screen as I patiently waited for the results.<sub></sub>


    <(G) Karma Points avable are sufficient for increasing Subspace Capacity>


    <Do you wish to Proceed?>


    ¡°(G) Karma Points?!¡± I eximed, suddenly raising my voice.


    I quickly cautioned myself, and looked around cautiously to see if I had roused any attention.


    Fortunately, my voice did not attract any Demon or person.


    Upon calming myself I stared at the window again in surprise.


    Why didn¡¯t I think of this? Perhaps it¡¯s because I never saw anyone use it when I watched the world¡¯s early days of destruction.


    ¡°Status Window¡± I quickly called out to confirm my suspicion.


    STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 10 ¨C Exp: 10.30


    ¨C Race: Human


    ¨C Job: None


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡å 3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    ¨C Karma Points: 100 ¨C (G) Karma Points: 10


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 600/600


    ¨C MP: ¨C ¨C


    ¨C Strenght: 140


    ¨C Agility: 750


    ¨C Vitality: 600


    ¨C Intelligence: 1,600


    ¨C (G) Factor: 90


    [Gift: [Subspace]]


    ¨C Items Equipped: None


    ¨C Allies: None


    Skills Possessed: <1>


    [Status Condition]


    <None>


    [Additional Information]


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    [End Of Information]


    Two Status information currently possess the (G) letter. If I¡¯m right, they¡¯re connected to my Gift.


    (G) Karma Points and (G) Factor


    I still didn¡¯t know what they truly meant, but now I just realized that I can use (G) Karma points to raise my Gift¡¯s ability.


    A grin formed on my face as my hands moved to ept the procedure.


    The Blue window instantly disyed a new set of information in front of me. The unbelievable possibilities I never knew existed were nowid bare before me.


    [SubSpace Edit]


    ¨C Current Rank: F <Change Rank>


    ¨C Current Level: 1 <Change Level>


    ¨C Total Amount Of Slots: 10


    <Cost For Edit are (G) Karma Points>


    [Current (G) Karma Points In Possession: 10]


    ¡°A-Amazing!¡±


    Many questions were currently running through my mind, I now had endless prospects due to this new discovery.


    Why wasn¡¯t there a tutorial to exin these things?! I wish I had known earlier that things would turn out this way.


    But, there¡¯s no use thinking about that now. At this point, I can¡¯t help but feel excited!

 Chapter 15 New Prospects

    [SubSpace Edit]r


    -tCurrent Rank: F <Change Rank>r


    -tCurrent Level: 1 <Change Level>r


    -tTotal Amount Of Slots: 10r


    <Cost For Edit are (G) Karma Points>r


    [Current (G) Karma Points In Possession: 10]r


    ¡­..r


    From the looks of things here, I can choose to edit some features of my Gift. Strangely, I never saw anything like this during my time in the Sacred Hall.r


    Should I change the Rank or the level?r


    The Rank would alter the overall nature of the skill, but even if I raised my Gift to higher levels, if it remained in the same Rank, then it¡¯ll most likely just increase the number of slots.r


    This was a very critical decision. The cost of editing is (G) Karma points, but it doesn¡¯t state exactly how much would be removed upon each edit. Even though I have leveled up 9 times, these points have not increased even once. With only 10 (G) Karma points¡­ I¡¯d better spend them wisely.r


    Before I had the chance to change my mind, I quickly tapped on <Change Rank>. A beeping sound urred, and the blue window glimmered in response to my choice.r


    [System Update]r


    <Subspace Has Ranked Up>r


    [Rank Has Increased From F ¨C E]r


    [Previous abilities have been upgraded]r


    [Additional Slots have been added]r<sub>.</sub>


    [Additional Ability has been added]r


    <You Have Used Up 5 (G) Karma Points>r


    <5 (G) Karma Points Remain>r


    ¡°W-Whoah¡­ It really ranked up!¡± I eximed.r


    From looking at these updates, it¡¯s evident that a lot of Subspace capabilities have been raised. If that¡¯s the case¡­r


    ¡°This is exciting¡± I squealed.r


    I wonder what new ability has been added to my Gift.r


    I returned to the previous window so that it would disy my Subspace information, and excitedly nced through the contents.r


    [SUBSPACE]r


    Rank: Er


    Level: 1r


    Ability: Stores Physical matter within a personal pocket dimension (Rank F ¨C E)r


    Total Amount Of Slots: 50r


    Additional Ability: Items Stored Within Subspace remain in suspended states (Rank E)r


    <Edit>r


    [Additional Information]r<sub></sub>


    A Gift that stores any physical matter inpact slots located in a distinct pocket universe. The matter stored within this space can be retracted by choice. The size and additional capabilities increase upon growth.r


    ¡­..r


    Amazing! My storage capacity has increased drastically.r


    Not only that, but this new Ability¡­ Suspension? Does that mean anything I ce within [Subspace] will remain in its state before entering it?r


    Usually, time passes within [Subspace] very slowly. I experimented on the logic of no time existing within it because I had read it somewhere in a novel before.r


    I was disappointed upon discovering that didn¡¯t apply to my Gift.r


    I boiled water with the remaining Gas left in the house and ced its contents in two cups. I left one with me while cing the other hot cup of water inside [Subspace].r


    After a few minutes of waiting, I noticed the one with me had be warm. Quickly, I brought out the other.r


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Still hot..?¡± I noticed.r


    While it wasn¡¯t as hot as it was when I ced it in, the water within was still hotter than the one outside.r


    I returned the cup to [Subspace] and waited for intervals of five minutes to see how long it would take before the water became as warm as the first.r


    It took 30 minutes!r


    The first cup of watersted 3 minutes before turning warm.r


    With this result, I concluded that time within [Subspace] flowed ten times slower than the normal world.r


    Of course, I tested this theory with other objects, like the clocks I possessed.r


    The results ended up being the same.r<sub></sub>


    It was good news at the time since I needed ways to make my foodst. While the result wasn¡¯t the perfect conclusion, it was still useful.r


    But now¡­r


    If I can maintain objects within Subspace as their usual form forever¡­ That would eliminate one worry from my thoughts.r


    ¡°I have to test this out immediately!¡± My thoughts rang.r


    I took some vegetables which were stillid out on the ground, beside me.r


    I split a stalk into two, putting one in one of the new empty slots I have now while leaving one beside me.r


    ¡°Vegetables begin to wilt if not properly preserved after a while. It would take a few hours for the signs to start showing.¡±r


    Since previously, [Subspace] had a time ratio of 1:10, it¡¯ll take at least a day for the vegetable within to show signs.r


    However, If I¡¯m right, even after a couple of days¡­ The vegetable will remain in its current state.r


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± I said to myself.r


    Despite thinking that, I¡¯ll still have to put that at the back of my mind since I can always check the resultster.r


    ¡°Right now, I still need to see if it¡¯s possible to edit a few more things¡± I muttered.r


    Returning my attention to the blue window in front of me, I once again selected <Edit>.r


    [SubSpace Edit]r


    -tCurrent Rank: E <Change Rank>r


    -tCurrent Level: 1 <Change Level>r


    -tTotal Amount Of Slots: 50r


    <Cost For Edit are (G) Karma Points>r


    [Current (G) Karma Points In Possession: 5]r


    ¡­..r


    Somehow, when I look through this, I can¡¯t help but think¡­ If (G) Karma Points are used for Gifts¡­ What do I use the normal Karma Points for?r


    My lips widened upon the thought.r


    ¡°They¡¯re most likely for [Stats]!¡±r


    Once I¡¯m done with my Gifts¡­ Editing my [Stats] wille next.r


    Unfortunately¡­r


    [System Error]r


    <You do not have enough (G) Karma Points To Edit Rank>r


    [(G) Karma Points Required For Rank Up Are 100]r


    ¡°What the Fvck!¡± I yelled in frustration.r


    Then I quickly went to increase the Level of my Rank E Gift.r


    However¡­r


    [System Error]r


    <You do not have enough (G) Karma Points To Edit Level>r


    [(G) Karma Points Required For Level Up Are 10]r


    ¡°N-No way¡­ This is too¡­¡± I mumbled in despair.r


    This is too ridiculous¡­ The amount of (G) Karma Points I need are way too high!r


    In the first ce, my (G) Karma points don¡¯t increase when I level up, and there¡¯s hardly any information on it, even with my memories in the Sacred Hall!r


    ¡°How the hell am I supposed to get more!¡±r


    This was frustrating¡­ I wasn¡¯t feeling good anymore!r


    Just when I thought I would seriously power up during my time here¡­ this was what I got instead?r


    ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit! I hate this! Why isn¡¯t this thing working?!¡± I grumbled, angry at the system and my terrible luck.r


    Deep down, I knew that I shouldn¡¯t be upset or me anything. But¡­ Old habits die hard.r


    The me game has always been my go-to ce.r


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± I finally mumbled before keeping quiet.r


    Alone in the cozy apartment, I couldn¡¯t help butugh at myself.r


    ¡°It looks like leveling up nine times can¡¯t change me at all¡­ I¡¯m still the same pathetic bastard, uh?¡± I chuckled sadly, muttering to myself.r


    I haven¡¯t changed at all!r

 Chapter 16 The Hunt Commences

    ¡°Okay, Jeremy¡­ Breathe¡­¡± I said to myself.


    I inhaled deeply, calmly taking air into my lungs and releasing the invisible vapor out of my nostrils.


    Instead of focusing on the negative, the matters that were out of my control, it would be more productive to use the time I have to figure out a more effective approach.


    ¡°Let¡¯s look on the bright side¡­ A few minutes ago, I would have still been stuck at Rank F. This is still progress¡± I mumbled.


    Besides, there was one more thing I wanted to try. My Karma Points, it¡¯s time to see their use.


    Closing subspace instantly, my focus turned to the Status Window disyed in front of me.


    Upon reading through the [Stats], I found out that there was a wide gap in the numbers. For one, my Strength was too low, and my Intelligence was way too high.


    I¡¯ve never been known for being smart, so I didn¡¯t understand the reason.


    ¡°In RPGs, intelligence usually trantes to one¡¯s capacity to control mana and the likes¡­ But I don¡¯t even have any MP. What the heck is wrong with this system¡± I mumbled.


    If I can somehow find a way to bnce my [Stats] and increase my strength, I should be able to engage in more physicalbat and my survival rate will increase by a considerable margin.


    I tapped on the screen disying my [Stats] and tapped on the Strength icon.


    >Tzzzzt<


    A slight buzz hummed as my fingers connected to the screen, and after that¡­


    ¡°Nothing? No reaction?!¡± I muttered in disbelief.


    Why can¡¯t I alter my [Stats] with Karma points? Is there a method to it that I am unaware of? Or could it be that I do not have enough Karma Points?


    Questions kept running through my head as I tried to understand the reason behind the disappointment I was feeling.


    I didn¡¯t want to admit it but maybe¡­


    ¡°Did I get my hopes up after miraculously upgrading my Gifts?¡± I asked myself.


    Now that I think about it, I never saw people upgrading [Stats] or Gifts, yet I just assumed it was natural¡­ I slowly felt entitled to it.


    ¡°There¡¯s probably another use for Karma Points. If it¡¯s for [Stats], then I suppose it wasn¡¯t the appointed time for that.¡±


    It could also be because I haven¡¯t gotten to a Level high enough.


    With so many variables it was best not to think too much about it.<sub>.</sub>


    >Yawn!!<


    I opened my mouth widely, letting out soft moans of exhaustion.


    For someone who was a shut-in, I had never exerted myself like this. The fatigue I was feeling currently was unlike any other.


    ¡°It seems leveling up doesn¡¯t erase that uh¡­?¡± I muttered.


    I slowly closed my eyes as my body rxed where I sat, slumping to rest my back as I fell asleep.


    ¡°No!¡± My thoughts rang out.


    I instantly opened my eyes, pushing away my drowsiness for a little longer.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done¡­¡± I realized.


    ¡°[Subspace]¡±


    There¡¯s one more thing left to do¡­ I now have 50 Storage Slots. That¡¯s 40 extra slots to store my resources in.


    I cracked my neck and stretched my hands, slightly feeling more alive.


    ¡°Time to resume work¡±


    [The Next Day]


    It was finally time to leave this home. I can¡¯t say I won¡¯t miss it.


    I received quite a great deal of resources from the house¡¯s stock. It made me wonder.


    ¡°If I can obtain as many resources as I can from the other houses Ie across¡­ That would be nice¡±


    This grand idea seemed too much for my current state. I shouldn¡¯t get too greedy. It would be best to focus on my goal of survival.


    However¡­


    ¡°I partially know the state of the current world. Food, water, and other important resources were scarce. Even what I currently possess can be considered a treasure to some people, leading to serious conflict¡­ That¡¯s just how valuable they are.¡± I reasoned.


    It would be in my best interest to gather as much as I can¡­ Enough to sustain me for a long period.


    I don¡¯t want to be caught between the conflict of the others concerning resources.<sub></sub>


    My goals require me to focus on grander things¡­ But to do that I need to have abundant materials at my disposal.


    ¡°It¡¯s decided then! If Ie across any apartment here¡­ I¡¯ll loot it!¡±


    That was the best alternative.


    It was currently afternoon, and this was my 7th day after the time I got returned to this world.


    I have tested my present capabilities, my [Stats] have been thoroughly examined.


    I currently possess one F Rank Skill, [CLAW ATTACK] and it¡¯s maxed out.


    My [Subspace] contains 50 Slots, and I have used up 40¡­ For special reasons.


    ¡°Now then¡­ I should get going¡± I smiled.


    Touching the Freezer that blocked the door, I stepped forward. The massive structure returned to my [Subspace], allowing me passage to the already unlocked door.


    I swung the door open and was embraced by the stale air that filled the passageway.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t any better than the house though, I wish I had some air conditioner¡­¡± I muttered.


    Brushing off the difort I was feeling, my eyes darted around the quiet hallway, paying closer attention to my surrounding.


    I can¡¯t afford to get careless anymore.


    Everywhere was quiet, empty too¡­ It felt off.


    I sniffed the air and concentrated on hearing. It didn¡¯t take me very long to hear it.


    ¡°Skrrrrikkiiiii¡±


    ¡°Skrakaaakiii¡±


    ¡°Skrukkkuuu¡±


    Again with their gibberish¡­ But that didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you¡± I grinned evilly.


    With all my senses heightened I could hear sounds from far away and smell the musk of the Demons that ran through thisrge apartment.<sub></sub>


    But, unlike before¡­ I was even more prepared.


    ¡°[Subspace]¡±


    Without looking at the blue window that appeared, I tapped on an icon twice.


    Immediately, two sharpened metal rods appeared on both of my hands.


    I grabbed them tightly, looking behind where I stood.


    The smell wasing from downstairs. Very well¡­ That¡¯s exactly where I was headed anyway!


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hunted for a while now¡­ It¡¯s time to return the favor!¡± A dark gleam appeared in my eyes.


    I can¡¯t wait to kill some Demons and level up more!


    ¡­.


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 10 ¨C Exp: 10.30


    ¨C Race: Human


    ¨C Job: None


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡å 3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    ¨C Karma Points: 100 ¨C (G) Karma Points: 5


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 600/600


    ¨C MP: ¨C ¨C


    ¨C Strenght: 140


    ¨C Agility: 750


    ¨C Vitality: 600


    ¨C Intelligence: 1,600


    ¨C (G) Factor: 90


    [Gift: [Subspace]]


    ¨C Items Equipped: Sharpened Metal Rods x2


    ¨C Allies: None


    Skills Possessed: <1>


    [Status Condition]


    <None>


    [Additional Information]


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    [End Of Information]


    ¡­.


    [SUBSPACE]


    Rank: E


    Level: 1


    Ability: Stores Physical matter within a personal pocket dimension (Rank F ¨C E)


    Total Amount Of Slots: 50


    Additional Ability: Items Stored Within Subspace remain in suspended states (Rank E)


    <Edit>


    [Additional Information]


    A Gift that stores any physical matter inpact slots located in a distinct pocket universe. The matter stored within this space can be retracted by choice. The size and additional capabilities increase upon growth.


    ¡­.


    [SKILLS]


    ¨C You Currently Possess 3 Skill Slots


    ? Slot 1 ¨C <w Attack>


    ? Slot 2 ¨C Empty


    ? Slot 3 ¨C Empty


    [Skill Slots Will Be Added As Your Level Increases]


    ¡­.


    [Skill Information]


    <w Attack>


    Grade: 1 (Fixed)


    Level: 10(Max)


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ¡®Hell Kobold¡¯s Spawn¡¯. It is a low leveled skill that hardens, sharpens, and elongates the fingernails of the host, making it a deadly weapon forbat.


    [Currently Maxed Out]


    ¨C All restrictions on this skill have been removed.


    ¨C Skill Duration Has Been Extended


    ¡®Cooldown Time¡¯ Has Been Shortened


    [Current Skill Duration Period: 1 Hour]


    [Current Skill Cooldown Time: 1 Minute]

 Chapter 17 Prey

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡±r


    Using my already boosted-up stats, I lightly sped through the hallway, reaching the stairs in no time.r


    The bloodied corpses of the monsters had already vanished. It must be due to the system, after all, they dissipate and be demon cores as well as other items. It only made sense that the blood would dry up too.r


    There were no monsters on the stairs, so I hurriedly sped down the third floor and reached the second.r


    ¡°Now this is the tricky part,¡± I said to myself.r


    This floor was crawling with Demons!r


    As I stepped into the hallway of the second floor, I saw multitudes of the creatures. They all red at me instantly, baring their fangs at me.r


    From their numbers alone, they should be over fifty. There was no way my earlier strategy would work here. Even though it worked outst time, I was sure that sooner orter I would have been overwhelmed.r


    ¡°Direct confrontation is unavoidable! I¡¯ll have to fight eventually!¡±r


    Might as well start now.r


    ¡°Skriiiiiakkkk!!!¡± One demon yelled, gathering the attention of the others.r


    ¡°SKKKKKRIIIIAKKIAKK!!!¡± They all let out their disgusting screeches.r


    It would only end up being a waste of time to look at all of their Status Information. Ultimately, they would all end up dead anyway.r


    I slightly turned the two rods I held on both hands, twisting them in anticipation of the fight.r<sub>.</sub>


    Since the stairs were located in the middle of the building,ing down from them meant being surrounded by Demons on both sides.r


    Encircled by these bloodthirsty monsters, I stood with resolve, taking a battle stance, and waited for them toe to me.r


    Without wasting time, they lunged in my direction, initiating theing bloodshed.r


    I instantly threw the two rods I held toward two Demons who charged at the forefront, using the full force of my muscles tond a fatal hit on them.r


    Instantly, I activated my [Skill] ¡®w Attack¡¯ and stretched my hands toward both sides of the hallway.r


    My five fingers brought forth ws, piercing ten monsters in an instant, as their blood sttered all around the space where the battle was uring.r


    My coordination has improved, so I ensured that my attacks would hit them in vital spots.r


    Retracting the spikes, I bent my body to avoid the several ws that lunged toward me from both sides.r


    The remaining Demons, upon realizing the threat I posed, maintained their distance and kept attacking with their innate skill.r


    Fortunately, my agility was quite high now, so I evaded the sharp nails that were being endlessly lunged at me.r


    ¡°[Subspace]¡± I called.r


    The blue window buzzed in front of me instantly.r


    My eyes were not focused on the [Subspace] window, though. Any loss in concentration on my part will lead to instant death, since about 40 Demons remained, And they were constantly hurling their attacks from a distance.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Heh, not a problem!¡± I mumbled, still dodging their assaults.r


    During my time in the house, I didn¡¯t just pay attention to all my [Stats]. There was something very essential that I needed to master. It nearly cost me my life during thest round I had with the Demons.r


    ¡°I need to fully memorize the contents of each slot within [Subspace] and the exact location they are in,¡± I muttered to myself in the solitary space.r


    Since I need to select the contents I require before [Subspace] can respond, it would be highly inefficient to use my Gift in a fight. In fact, it was impossible, especially when concentration was going to be needed in the battle.r


    However, if I could memorize each of their location within [Subspace] and coordinate my hands ordingly¡­ Even without looking at [Subspace], I would be able to bring out whatever I need without affecting my focus.r


    It took grueling time and practice¡­ I was frustrated at a point, but I kept at it.r


    ¡°I have 1,600 intelligence points, after all! Might as well put those numbers to good use!¡±r


    Even now, I haven¡¯tpletely mastered the whole thing. But, as for the items I needed right now¡­ That won¡¯t be a problem.r


    ¡°Sharpened Metal Rods!¡±r


    I tapped on that particr icon five times, and instantly, the weapons appeared above the monsters I concentrated on.r


    ¡°Skriiki?!¡± The Demons eximed as five of them instantly died, impaled by the weapons of my creation.r


    ¡°Skriiiiikaaaa!!!¡± The Demons growled in anger.r


    ¡°Perfect, I was waiting for that!¡± I grinned.r<sub></sub>


    Something important I noticed about the Hell Kobold Spawns was the strong attachment they have towards members of their kind.r


    That was why, even when  they were afflicted by the Status Condition of <Hunger>, they refused to resort to cannibalism.r


    How ironic of savage beasts.r


    But, that worked to my advantage. The rage and anger they felt toward me, who mercilessly annihted their brethrens, I want it.r


    The Demons, abandoning all care, dashed towards me in fury.r


    They brought out their sharpened ws and allunched them at the same time.r


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot¡­ But¡­¡± I grinned.r


    I brought out my ws and parried the several ones they used.r


    >Skraaaaaa<r


    The metallic sounds of grating objects sounded as tiny sparks flew in the air.r


    My sudden defensive move made them hesitate, allowing me to select more weapons from my inventory.r


    This time, I summoned several knives from my stockpile.r


    These knives pierced the heads of my targets, damaging them to an extent.r


    ¡°Tch, looks like it¡¯s not fatal,¡± I noticed.r


    But, that was fine too. After all, it wasn¡¯t the finishing act.r


    ¡°Skriyaaaakkkk!¡± They screeched, all lunging toward me from all directions.r


    In an instant, I¡¯ll be trapped in an enclosed space, totally overrun by these monsters.r


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡±r


    I pointed my hands toward the ground and extended my nails once again. Using my w attack on the ground, my nails pierced the concrete floor, pushing me higher into the air as the ws lengthened.r


    Within moments, I was above the savage Demons who already filled my location and red at my figure above them.r


    I tapped twice on an icon in Subspace, retracting my ws from the ground.r


    <Deep Freezer ¡Á2>r


    My two Deep Freezers fell from a higher height than I could achieve previously, building an even greater force as they descended.r


    I used this chance to jerk my body in the air and summersault away from the crowd beneath me.r


    This would have been impossible without my newly acquired [Stats].r


    ¡°Skriiikiii!¡± The Demons yelled in shock, anger, and fear, allbined in one harmonic cry.r


    As they watched me safelynd away from them, the bloodthirsty demons could not do anything to stop me.r


    Because¡­ >SPLAT!<r


    >BAM!!!<r


    The crashing sound of the two massive structuresnding made a loud reverb as the ground vibrated due to their impact.r


    Blood sttered all around, spilling all over the walls, the floor, even my newly changed clothes.r


    ¡°Yuck!¡±r


    But, despite the disgusting feeling I was having right now, and the weariness permeating my body¡­ I felt a strong sense of satisfaction.r


    I have never felt this excited in my life, and now¡­ Herees the reward.r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    ¡°Now that¡¯s more like it.¡±r

 Chapter 18 A New Encounter

    Standing among the pile of bloodied corpses, I grinned satisfactorily. The dead Demons faded away, turning into EXP for me, as well as leaving behind their cores.r


    I leveled up 6 times, that was less than I wanted. It seemed the higher my level, the more difficult it was to advance. It was a given fact, even in RPGs and the Novels I read.r


    I looked around me and saw the glowing purple stones littering the ground.r


    ¡°Over 50 Cores¡­ To think I¡¯ll have to pick them manually¡­ What a bother¡± I muttered.r


    Paying attention to my surrounding, I hurriedly picked up my spoils of war.r


    ¡°56. 57. 58¡­ 58 Demon Cores¡­ That¡¯s a lot!¡± I mumbled.r


    When added to the ones I have already, that¡¯ll make them over 70. It¡¯s not too bad.r


    I ced the newly acquired collection of cores within [Subspace] among the others. I also took in my metal rods and heavy artillery, when suddenly my senses picked something.r


    ¡°¡­skeeerrrr¡­¡± A low sound emanated from the top floor.r


    ¡°Looks like they¡¯re close by already¡­¡±r


    The sound of the just-concluded fight must have attracted the Demons. I¡¯ll have to find somewhere to stay, for now.r


    Fortunately, there are quite a few houses to pick from.r


    I looked down the hallway and saw one, some distance from the stairs, and just within my range.r


    Racing through, I closed the gap between myself and the door in no time. Since my Level increased, I was even faster now.r


    I hurriedly used [Subspace] to remove the handle and enter the home, cing the Freezer as a barricade in no time.r


    The drapes of the house had already been shut, so the hallway had been entirely removed from my line of sight.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°It¡¯s dark¡­¡± I said, noticing the room was without any form of illumination.r


    Surprisingly, it hardly affected me, since my eyes immediately adjusted to the darkness. While it wasn¡¯t as clear as daytime, my vision had certainly improvedpared to my previous self.r


    ¡°I just can¡¯t get enough of this¡± I smiled.r


    Looking at the current state of this house, dark, rough, dirty, smelly¡­ Quiet. It seemed the owner of the house was not currently at home.r


    That doesn¡¯t matter to me, anyway. I¡¯ll be taking any useful thing I find here for myself. However, something had toe first.r


    Now that I¡¯m in a safe ce, it¡¯s a perfect ce to once again strategize and take a good look at my [Stats].r


    ¡°Status Window¡± I muttered.r


    The Golden screen flickered and appeared in front of me to disy its new information which made me anticipate my new growth.r


    [STATUS INFORMATION]r


    -tName: Jeremy Lewisr


    -tLevel: 16                  r


    ¨C Exp: 67.78r


    -tRace: Human            r


    ¨C Job: Noner


    -tAge: 16 Yearsr<sub></sub>


    -tSex: Maler


    -tHeight: 5¡å 3.                r


    ¨C Weight: 115 poundsr


    -tAlignment: Chaotic Neutralr


    -tKarma Points: 100r


    -t(G) Karma Points: 5r


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 850/850r


    -tMP: ¨C -r


    -tStrength: 200r


    -tAgility: 1,050r


    -tVitality: 900r


    -tIntelligence: 2,500r


    -t(G) Factor: 90r


    [Gift: [Subspace]]r<sub></sub>


    -tItems Equipped: Noner


    -tAllies: Noner


    Skills Possessed: <1>r


    [Status Condition]r


    <None>r


    [Additional Information]r


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.r


    [End Of Information]r


    ¡­..r


    I smiled when I looked at the information. My [Subspace] and [Skills] information would practically still be the same, so I won¡¯t bother with them.r


    ¡°Now then¡­ Since I¡¯m done with this¡­ Why don¡¯t you show yourself?¡±r


    My voice echoed throughout the empty room, filling the eerie silence around.r


    It seems they¡¯re quite shy, aren¡¯t they? No way. If I was to use a word¡­ They¡¯re scared¡­?r


    I rose from the sofa where I previously sat at the time I entered this house. Taking light steps, I carefully walked, passing through the other chairs, and headed toward the bedroom.r


    I pulled the doorknob, but it refused to budge.r


    ¡°It¡¯s locked? Like that¡¯s going to stop me¡­¡± I smiled.r


    Using Subspace, I swallowed the entire door, leaving a gaping hole open before me.r


    The bedroom became visible, a small and cozy spot, with many objects littering the ground.r


    Knives, sharpened sticks, grated edges, and makeshift weapons all gathered at a single spot.r


    ¡°These are well made¡­ Interesting¡­¡± I mumbled, venturing within the room.r


    Suddenly, as soon as I entered the room, a silhouette appeared beside me. The shadow person¡¯s arms were both raised as the stranger tried to hit me with something.r


    ¡°Hayaaaaa!!!¡± A masculine voice let out, with a wavering pitch.r


    Using my quick reflexes and high-end stats, I easily avoided the hit, taking a step back.r


    As the attack fell, the body of the assaulter leaned forward.r


    He must have put his whole weight into that strike.r


    I immediatelyunched my leg and gave him a forward kick.r


    ¡°Ah!¡± The man yelped as he was pushed forward, falling t on his face.r


    His body trembled as he struggled to stand, and I observed him from where I stayed.r


    Quickly, he grabbed one of the weapons crafted on the ground and threw the sharp de toward me.r


    Despite his surprise attack, I easily evaded the aerial assault since my speed was quite high.r


    ¡°N-No!¡± The man¡¯s voice came out in a shaky, and scared manner.r


    Before he could gather enough strength tounch any other attack or initiate a futile attempt to take my life, I rushed to where hey and grabbed his neck instantly.r


    ¡°Gurghhh¡­¡± He let out choking sounds.r


    ¡°You¡¯re too loud!¡± I whispered to him.r


    He still struggled to break free from my grip, a futile attempt. Tears flowed from his eyes, and the look of terror he gave me had the connotation that he was immensely afraid of my presence.r


    ¡°I can¡¯t reason with this guy¡­ At least not in this state¡±r


    I tightened my hold on him and drove my fist into his stomach, causing him to lose consciousness.r


    Since I practiced well with my [Stats], I properly learned how to control my strength.r


    ¡°He¡¯ll wake up soon¡­ Ah, such a lousy fellow¡± I groaned to myself.r


    The fuss he¡¯d made could have resulted in the Demons noticing our presence within this house.r


    Of course, if they were just a few, they won¡¯t be able to break in¡­ But as long as those numbers continue to increase, that could end up being terrible.r


    I¡¯m not certain I would even be able to win against them in such an enclosed space.r


    If not for my quick thinking and rapid actions, this idiot could have exposed both of us. Fortunately, I silenced him.r


    Still though¡­ To think the owner of this house was still present here, it¡¯s a good thing I noticed on time.r


    Well, he gave himself away too easily as well.r


    ¡°What a noob¡± I smiled.r


    Even from his desperate struggle against me and his attempts at my life, it was clear that this guy was a total amateur, almost like he was still at Level 1!r


    My eyes bulged as I considered the possibility of my theory. Arge grin formed on my face and Iughed quietly.r


    ¡°How cute¡­ To think that even this kind of person existed in this new world¡±r

 Chapter 19 Coward

    I first noticed something was strange after I entered the house and looked through the surroundings.r


    It was all messed up, with a lot of litter everywhere.r


    ¡°It¡¯s either the owner is very dirty, or¡­¡± I mumbled to myself.r


    I sniffed the air and smelled a lingering scent of a person. Slowly, it made sense to me.r


    There was no sign of hostility yet, so I ignored the person and mainly focused on my business. However, when I finished, it was only natural to confront the one within the house.r


    ¡°For all I know¡­ This might not be his home¡±r


    Even if it was, in a world like this¡­ Such rules do not apply anymore.r


    Still, who could have expected this?r


    After incapacitating the strange man, I tied him up using a strong set of ropes from my [Subspace], and made sure he couldn¡¯t escape from the bedside I attached him to.r


    I picked a chair within the dark and musty room, I sat on it as I observed the man closely.r


    Having disheveled hair which covered his sleeping face, his unkempt beard spread across his chin, disying the wide jaw he had.r


    Judging by his height and appearance, he must be in histe twenties.r


    As I contemted the appearance of the stranger, a golden window suddenly popped above his head.r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r<sub>.</sub>


    Name: Paul Lockermanr


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Maler


    Level: 1r


    Alignment: Neutralr


    [End Of Information]r


    ¡°W-Wha-?!¡± I mumbled as I read the information.r


    I never knew since I didn¡¯t possess the Divine System during my time in the Sacred Hall, and since I¡¯ve been brought back, I have not encountered any human¡­ I can see the Status Information of another Gifted!r


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t see everything. It¡¯s just the basic information I have ess to. Oh, and the alignment¡­¡± I mumbled upon closer observation.r


    I suppose it¡¯s somewhat useful, since a party can determine what kind of person the other is through this method.r


    ¡°Thank goodness I found out about this early.¡± I heaved a sigh of relief.r


    The two major sensitive factors that have been exposed are the Level of the Gifted and their Alignment.r


    Levels are general indications of the strength of a person.r<sub></sub>


    Alignment dictates the kind of personality a person has on a moral level.r


    ¡°I¡¯m Chaotic Neutral, so it¡¯s a hard pass¡­ But this guy, he¡¯s just Neutral.¡±r


    A Neutral character is undecided, neither tilting to any side in the spectrum.r


    If I can see his information, he¡¯ll be able to see mine too. Since that¡¯s the case¡­r


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to be careful with my future interactions with people¡­ It could prove dangerous!¡±r


    It won¡¯t bode well for people to know my Level and Alignment. If they realize that they can take advantage of me, that is the end.r


    ¡°Still though¡­ This guy, it¡¯s just as I thought. He¡¯s still a Level 1!¡± I smiled, taking a closer look at him.r


    Since the apocalypse began, this man must have been holed up in his home, not once stepping outside.r


    What a coward.r


    ¡°How long does he think he can survive in here?¡± I asked myself.r


    Slowly, a wide grin formed on my face. This ¡®Paul¡¯ fellow never even bothered going out. He must be pretty confident of his stash.r


    Perfect. I can use this!r


    [Moments Later]r<sub></sub>


    ¡°U-Urghhh¡­¡± Paul slurred, slowly opening his eyes as he regained consciousness.r


    His vision blurred and a slight ringing echoed in his ears, causing him to groan as the details around him became clearer.r


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re finally up,¡± I said to Paul.r


    His skin jumped at the sound of my voice as his eyes widened, taking notice of my shadowy figure in the darkness.r


    ¡°Mmphhhhh!!!¡± He made muffled screams.r


    It was a good thing I predicted this would happen, so I tied his mouth with some cloth.r


    His body throbbed as he shook his head vehemently in fear.r


    He pointlessly struggled to free himself from the restraints I¡¯d made, all to no avail. This caused greater panic as he incessantly continued to make annoying sounds and movements.r


    ¡°Rx, calm yourself. I¡¯m not here to hurt you!¡± I said with a soothing voice, maintaining a low tone in order to not attract the Demons, unlike this idiot.r


    Sweat still remained on his skin as his body was drenched with perspiration. Slowly, he calmed himself upon discovering he had no means of escape.r


    ¡°Good, cease your pointless struggling,¡± I thought to myself.r


    ¡°Listen to me carefully, I mean you no harm. If you¡¯re not certain, you can focus on my feature, I¡¯m sure a Status Window will appear before you. You can read my information¡­¡±r


    Hearing this, he hesitantly obeyed me. A golden window appeared above my head, disying my basic data.r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r


    Name: Jeremy Lewisr


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Maler


    Level: 16r


    Alignment: Chaotic Neutralr


    [End Of Information]r


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m a human like you. I live in one of the quarters in thisrge building. I guess you could call us neighbors¡± I smiled.r


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t see me very well. The entire room is dark, so only a silhouette of my appearance was visible to him.r


    ¡°I managed to defeat some of the Demons on the way here and made it into this ce to rest a little. There are still countless other monsters around, so I wouldn¡¯t advise making any loud sound.¡±r


    Upon hearing this, Paul trembled and nodded his head slightly, though his eyes still showed a great deal of fear.r


    Goodness, just how much of a wimp was this guy?r


    ¡°I¡¯ll be removing the cloth now, so I can hear your voice. But, I¡¯ll leave the restraint on for now, as a precaution. You did try to kill me. Is that fair?¡± I asked.r


    Having a hesitant look, he appeared to be weighing his options. After a short while, he nodded.r


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll do so now. But, I need you to be calm, okay?¡±r


    His eyes disy at least some level of cooperation. This Paul fellow should know that I can kill him if I want to. He¡¯s utterly defenseless, and by seeing my level (16 times his own) he must have realized his ce.r


    I slowly removed the gag on the man¡¯s mouth, skillfully untying the cloth in seconds.r


    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡± His voice sounded.r


    I returned to my seat and watched him for a moment, expecting his first words.r


    ¡°T-Thank you¡­ I-I am so sorry for suddenly attacking you. I thought you were one of them. Ever since that day, I haven¡¯t been able to leave this ce. The thought of those monsters and their constant sounds as they pass here petrify me. I-I can¡¯t face them. If I do, I¡¯ll die! I know it!¡± He spoke in a rushed manner, whispering in a desperate tone.r


    I knew it! But isn¡¯t this perfect? It¡¯s just the kind of behavior I want.r


    ¡°From your information, I see you¡¯re not a bad person. And you¡¯re strong too. P-Please, I beg you¡­ Help me out! I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I¡¯ll do anything!¡± He begged.r


    There you have it! Being alone for so long, unsure of whether you¡¯ll be alive this moment or the next, it was more than enough to drive a weak-minded man to desperation.r


    Since I¡¯ve been alone all this time, there have been some things I couldn¡¯t learn about the System.r


    That was all going to change today! Since I can nowpare myself to a fellow gifted and this man¡¯s desperation proved to be the perfect opportunity for me.r


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to use this one well!¡±r

 Chapter 20 Useless!

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll help you out¡± I agreed to his request, smiling at the tied-up man before me.r


    The frightened expression Paul had slowly dissipated into relief.r


    ¡°R-Really?¡± He stuttered, still unsure of whether to believe my words or not.r


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve gotten stuck in my attempt to leave this ce. I can¡¯t do it alone¡­ I need you as much as you need me¡± I said with a sigh.r


    ¡°W-Wha-?! Even as strong as you are?¡± He questioned.r


    ¡°Well¡­ The thing is¡­¡± I mumbled, appearing uncertain.r


    Judging by how this has yed out so far, Paul was na?ve when it came to this world and its system. I had thought I missed out on a lot since I wasn¡¯t summoned along with the first batch, but it seemed even the ones who were, didn¡¯t have much information as well.r


    If I can gain this guy¡¯s support, I¡¯ll be able to pull it off.r


    ¡°¡­ My ¡®Gift¡¯ is entirely useless inbat¡± I revealed to him.r


    ¡°W-What¡­ Y-You mean¡­ You can¡¯t fight¡­?!¡± He asked, slowly returning to his panicky state.r


    ¡°No. it¡¯s not that. Due to my high level, I¡¯ve managed to survive so far, but since I have no offensive ability it¡¯s hard to survive when I¡¯m surrounded. That¡¯s why I try to avoid many fights.¡±r


    His expression fell upon hearing this. It looked like his trust in me was waning a bit. I have to fix that.r


    ¡°B-But, that all changes since you¡¯re here. With ourbined effort, I¡¯m sure we can defeat those Demons!¡± I quickly added.r<sub>.</sub>


    I¡¯m sure everyone had their pick of the best, leaving me with the worst Gift. So, there has to be some sort of useful nature to exploit in this guy¡¯s Gift that¡¯ll make survival easier for me.r


    ¡°T-The thing is¡­ I-I¡­¡± Paul mumbled, looking at me with slight hesitation.r


    Come on¡­ Don¡¯t hesitate. Spit it out!r


    ¡°My Gift also has no use in Combat¡­ I-I¡¯m no use in a fight!¡± He yelped.r


    As I heard those words, my mind paused to process them.r


    ¡°What the fvck is this retard saying?!¡± My mind red.r


    Even after I was so nice to him, tch. What a wasted venture!r


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in an alliance then. I¡¯ll have to find a way to-¡± I contemted within myself.r


    Suddenly my eyes widened as they darted toward the fine tools I saw earlier. The knives and other makeshift weapons, which looked very well-made, stillid on the ground a few meters from our location.r


    A grin formed on my face upon realizing that things may not be as hopeless as I thought.r


    ¡°He might still end up being useful, after all.¡±r


    A brief moment of ufortable silence persisted between us before Paul finally decided to interrupt.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°E-Erm¡­ So¡­¡± He stuttered, eyes darting all over the room.r


    He must be wondering what I intend to do now. Fortunately, he¡¯s not useless.r


    ¡°A-Ah. I¡¯m so sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment there.¡± I quickly said, maintaining my ¡®nice guy¡¯ routine.r


    ¡°Say, Mr. Paul¡­ Could your Gift be rted to smithing?¡±r


    His face expressed surprise when he heard this. It looked like I was on the mark on this one.r


    ¡°W-What makes you say that?¡± He asked in a low tone, seemingly suspicious of my question.r


    ¡°Oh, It¡¯s nothing really. I just saw some finely made weapons here, and I thought they were very well-made. It¡¯s not something anyone can just make in a ce like this, and they seem to be in too good a condition to have been bought long ago.¡± I exined.r


    Besides, a lot of those weapons were tools for killing. There was no way someone like Paul got their hands on it prior to the Apocalypse.r


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ You¡¯re right. Those are products of my Gift¡­ [SMITHING]¡± He finally confessed, stunned by my urate analysis.r


    He appeared impressed, and at the same time more fearful of me.r


    That was good. I can¡¯t have him underestimating me too much.r


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s amazing! Why didn¡¯t you mention you had such an amazing Gift?¡± I beamed instantly, shining my healthy teeth toward him.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°R-Really¡­?! I thought it was useless¡­¡± He mumbled, now even more confused.r


    Of course, [Smithing] isn¡¯t too impressive a skill. In a fight, it¡¯s utterly useless. However, I don¡¯t need this chump to fight my battles for me.r


    ¡°I can¡¯t have him stealing all that Exp.¡±r


    If he could smith those tools with the materials he had here. I wonder¡­r


    ¡°My weapons are bing pretty bent out of shape, losing their durability, and I¡¯m not an expert at repairs,¡± I mumbled to myself.r


    Besides, they¡¯re bing less and less effective against the Demons I encounter.r


    I need more powerful weapons!r


    ¡°No way! It¡¯s not useless. In fact, that¡¯s what I need the most right now. Mr. Paul, I believe I have found a way we can work together without you having to risk your life in the slightest bit. Will you hear me out?¡± I asked.r


    Feeling nervous, but slightly ted by the news, he nodded his head.r


    Great! He took the bait!r


    ¡°My Gift is called [SUBSPACE]. It allows me to store things inside. It¡¯s useless in fights, but I can keep very useful things like weapons inside it.¡± I exined.r


    ¡°W-Wow!¡± He beamed.r


    Urgh!, what an absolute noob. For him to think [Subspace] is amazing, he must be unaware of the other Overpowered Gifts that exist out there.r


    ¡°The thing is, my weapons are all makeshift objects I carved myself or kitchen utensils. They¡¯re hardly efficient when fighting against monsters.¡±r


    He nodded slowly, taking in my words.r


    ¡°But, after seeing the weapons you made, and the Gift you have, I finally realized that this is simply perfect! If you can make great weapons for me, I¡¯ll definitely be able to handle those Demons by myself and protect both of us. My level is pretty high, you know?¡± I smiled.r


    Everything I have stated is the truth¡­ Well except for thest part. That was a lie.r


    ¡°Really? T-That¡¯s amazing then! You¡¯re right.¡± Paul instantly agreed upon realizing he wouldn¡¯t need to face any danger.r


    ¡°How pathetic¡± My mind rang in disgust.r


    But, his personality doesn¡¯t mean much. The only thing that mattered was what he could do for me.r


    I don¡¯t want just any ordinary equipment made by fusing a few metals together. No¡­ I have a better idea.r


    ¡°[SUBSPACE]¡± I called out.r


    Instantly, the blue window disying my arsenal appeared.r


    ¡°Can you see this in front of me?¡± I asked Paul.r


    ¡°See what?¡± He asked in confusion.r


    Even when the Blue Window was right in front of me, glowing in the dark room, Paul couldn¡¯t see a thing.r


    ¡°I knew it, so others can¡¯t see your Gift window, uh?¡± I said to myself.r


    This works in my favor though. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone snooping around my stuff or spying on what goods I possessed.r


    ¡°I tapped on one panel, and instantly, glowing rocks began to spill out of my [Subspace].r


    ¡°W-What is that?!¡± Paul yelled, looking at the strange sight unfolding before him.r


    Ah, I see. To him, it¡¯s just as if strange glowing stones appeared out of thin air.r


    ¡°Rx, Paul. It¡¯s just a manifestation of my Gift. I just brought these stuff out of my [Subspace].¡± I hushed him.r


    He quickly pulled himself together upon realizing the racket he was making.r


    ¡°What are those?¡± He asked as he viewed the luminous stones on the ground.r


    ¡°Oh, these? They¡¯re Demon Cores. I have quite a few of them left to spare¡­¡± I smiled.r


    ¡°W-Wha-?! No way. You killed this many?!¡± He said in shock.r


    How funny. I¡¯ve killed way more than these though.r


    ¡°¡­ Paul. I¡¯ll need you to ¡®Smith¡¯ me some weapons¡­ And you¡¯ll be using these cores to do it!¡± I offered with a grin.r


    If this went well, then I would have achieved something remarkable which will better ensure my survival.r

 Chapter 21 Game Changer

    [Smithing]! It¡¯s a feature that allows you to forge weapons and other equipment from various materials.r


    I have yed my fair share of games and have seen how they work. Since this world functions simrly to those games, the concept should be simr.r


    ¡°It looks like I struck gold this time!¡±r


    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡± Paul moaned slightly as I untied the ropes tightly binding him.r


    What is this guy? A baby?r


    Within a few moments, he was finally free, moving his body in a relieved manner.r


    ¡°Thank you. This feels much better.¡± He smiled.r


    I wouldn¡¯t have done this if it wasn¡¯t necessary for him to use his [Smithing] Gift.r


    Fortunately, he trusts and fears me enough not to try anything funny.r


    ¡°Now then, shall we begin? First, tell me how your Gift works. I have basically told you mine.¡± I said to Paul, who excitedly toyed with the cores on the floor.r


    ¡°O-Oh, that. I just put the materials together and create an image in my head. The materialsbine and form the item in my head. B-But there are restrictions¡­¡± He mumbled.r


    Of course. His Gift, like mine, must have a low rank. To unlock more features he would have to ¡®Rank up¡¯.r


    ¡°I can¡¯t create objects more than a particr size, and it takes some time for the objects to fully transform. Also, some objects are ipatible with each other so the process is canceled.¡± Paul exined.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± I mumbled.r


    The first two are a given, but thest one concerns me a little. Ipatibility could be a problem. The demon cores are essential elements required to forge the kind of tools I want.r


    ¡°It would be unfortunate if he can¡¯t merge them due to that reason.¡± I thought to myself.r


    ¡°Paul, what¡¯s the ¡®Rank¡¯ of your Gift?¡±r


    He was a little surprised by my question, so it took a while before he could answer.r


    ¡°R-Rank D¡­¡±r


    My eyes bulged when he uttered those words.r


    ¡°What the fvck!¡±r


    How has this retard advanced so much while doing nothing but hiding in his home?r


    ¡°W-Wow. That¡¯s quite the Rank!¡± I said with an ufortableugh.r


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to say it. I know my Rank will be pretty lowpared to yours¡­¡± He mumbled.r


    If only he knew¡­ That my Gift is only at the E Rank. And that is only because I ranked up.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± My mind suddenly sparked with a thought.r


    ¡°Did you perhaps use (G) Karma Points?¡± I asked.r


    Paul appeared confused at my mention of (G) Karma Points.r


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He asked.r


    What? He doesn¡¯t know about that? How did he Rank up so easily then? Perhaps he¡¯s just unsure of what they¡¯re called.r


    ¡°Check your Status Window. You should find it among your disyed information.¡± I said.r


    ¡°O-Okay¡­ B-But there¡¯s nothing here.¡± He said, looking at the invisible panel In front of him.r


    Paul ces me in too high a regard to lie to me. He must really not have that element among his Status Information.r


    ¡°What of (G) Factor?¡± I asked.r


    Even I don¡¯t know what that means.r


    He shook his head after checking for a while.r


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I asked within myself in confusion.r<sub></sub>


    But, I can¡¯t afford to show my ignorance to him.r


    ¡°I see. It must be due to your low level.¡± I falsely exined.r


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ I¡¯m still a Level 1, after all.¡± He chuckled in embarrassment.r


    Whew, bullet dodged.r


    Still, I¡¯m impressed. To have Ranked-Up his Gift to that extent without leaving the confines of his room, he must have used it like crazy.r


    ¡°The thing is, I have been constantly making weapons and tools as soon as I was aware of those ¡®things¡¯,¡± Paul revealed.r


    ¡°I made countless daily and experimented with various features to test my limits. I thought by doing this frequently, I would eventually have the courage to leave this ce. B-But¡­¡±r


    His face fell, implying what he tried tomunicate.r


    I can understand his perspective. Even I nearly lost hope after seeing the horrific Demons that awaited me should I step out. But, one way or the other, danger was imminent. At least, this way I can choose what path to take.r


    ¡°I won¡¯t powerlessly cower in fear like this idiot.¡±r


    Since he was a Rank D, it should be enough for him to transmute Demon cores with other items. The Demon Cores were all lesser grades anyway, so it should be fine.r


    There were quite a lot of weapons in this room. They should suffice for the tests we¡¯ll be undertaking.r


    ¡°Let us begin¡± I smiled.r


    [Moments Later]r


    My eyes glowed in excitement as I stared at the knife before me. It had a faint crimson glow, and I could feel a slight buzz anytime I touched it.r


    ¡°It was a sess!¡± I beamed.r


    Paul made a relieved expression, also marveling at the creation he¡¯d forged.r


    ¡°wow!¡­ This is amazing!¡± He whispered.r


    Like little children attracted to thetest toy, we both observed the knife with awe and satisfaction.r


    Having a slightly bent shape and an entirely ck color, this special weapon had energy flowing within it, making it more durable and powerful than the others.r


    ¡°This is perfect! Can we do more? There are so many things I want to try.¡± Paul beamed at me.r


    ¡°O-Okay¡­ Just rx. Keep your voice down.¡± I said in a hushed tone.r


    He quickly covered his lips in recoil, making meugh slightly to myself.r


    Well, I was in a good mood. The firstbination was a sess. Since I still had over 70 cores to spare, we might as well continue experimenting and making many things.r


    There were also many things I wanted to try.r


    >nganganagangg<r


    Sounds of metal scraping each other filled the room as I spilled all the viable weapons within my [Subspace]. Still, these weren¡¯t actually enough for what I have nned.r


    ¡°Paul!¡± I called out, drawing his attention from the knife he was still admiring.r


    ¡°Y-Yes?!¡± He responded, flustered by his action.r


    ¡°You said you¡¯ve been making many weapons, right? Where are they?¡±r


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re ced all around, just in case I needed to fight from anywhere in the house¡­ W-Why?¡± He askedr


    As expected from a cautious person. It was not a bad idea, though. This way, no matter the direction the Demon decided toe from, he would have weapons in store.r


    ¡°That¡¯s only assuming he¡¯s able to use them, which he can¡¯t.¡± I mused.r


    ¡°Gather them all up!¡± I instructed.r


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be making some crazy tools now¡­ This will take a while¡±r


    With weapons like these, those Kobold Spawns will be nothing. I must say, I¡¯m grateful to Paul¡­ This changed everything!r

 Chapter 22 Smithing

    ¡°W-wow, that¡¯s quite a lot¡­¡±r


    This was the first thing I said when I saw the multitude of weapons Paul had smithed with his Gift.r


    They must be hundreds, at the very least.r


    ¡°Hahaha¡± Heughed awkwardly.r


    ording to him, he thought he¡¯d be able to challenge the Demons and prepare for anything once he¡¯d made enough.r


    However, even after making this many through a process of trial and error, he remained fearful of the outside world.r


    ¡°Let us begin, then,¡± I said.r


    Obviously, my seventy-plus Demon Cores won¡¯t be enough to smith the hundreds of weaponsid before us.r


    But, that wasn¡¯t the goal, to begin with.r


    ¡°If we can experiment with a few, there are some things I would like to try¡± Paul beckoned to me.r


    Since he was more of an expert in this field, I¡¯ll leave it up to him.r


    I was also very curious as to the possibilities awaiting us.r


    [Hours Later]r


    >Bzzzzzzt<r


    Another negative buzzing sound echoed in a low tone.r


    [System Alert]r


    <Smithing Has Failed>r<sub>.</sub>


    <Integrity Of Materials Are Too Poor>r


    [.]r


    Paul and I exchanged knowing nces. We expected this oue, after all.r


    ¡°That¡¯s the 9th Demon Core wasted.¡±r


    After several hours of smithing and integrating Demon Cores, we discovered a few things.r


    Firstly, it was possible to merge a single Demon Core with a weapon or tool, and once merging ispleted, the basic functions of the tool increases. Its sharpness, strength, durability, etc.r


    Another major discovery, one which cost us quite a few Demon Cores, was the realization that adding more than a single Demon Core on a regr kind of object would prove defective.r


    The object would break after giving out a buzzing sound, and a system alert would pop up, indicating failure.r


    Tobat this, we began to merge various materials, increasing the density and properties in order to amodate more power from the Demon Cores.r


    First of all, we analyzed the quality of the object which could handle a Demon Core. After this, we decided to use this as a basis to discover the method for achieving double the dosage.r


    It took a while to discover the appropriate amount of weapon density needed to amodate two Demon Cores. At which point, 6 Demon Cores had been wasted.r


    If an object can handle a Demon Core¡¯s energy, It takes approximately three objects of simr mass to be able to handle two Demon Cores.r


    Once we realized this, we experimented on three cores. Of course, it would take nine objects of simr mass and quality.r


    ¡°So it¡¯s always multiplied by three¡­ At this rate, we won¡¯t have enough weapons to go around¡± I smiled.r


    We have sessfully made ten weapons with one Demon Core each, and three with two Demon cores. That makes a total of 16 sessfully expended. Adding it with the 9 which have been wasted, that makes a total of 25 Demon Cores used.r


    I have about 50 more, but I¡¯m not willing to part with more than 40.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°I need to have some left¡­ Just in case¡± I said to myself.r


    Paul looked at me expectantly, waiting for myment on the next course of action.r


    ¡°One final time¡­ let¡¯s give it a try. Increase the dosage by one gram.¡± I instructed.r


    He did exactly as I said, and the smithing process began once again.r


    >Zzzztzzzzz<r


    A low buzz, coupled with hums reverberated across the small room. The glow of red lights coupled with little sparks also radiated from the objects beneath us as Paul worked his magic.r


    [System Alert]r


    <Smithing Sessful>r


    <You Have Added 3 Demon Cores (Lesser) To An Adequate Object>r


    [.]r


    ¡°Yesss!¡± Paul and I hissed in excitement.r


    We finally did it! Our very first Level 3 ¡®Enhanced¡¯ item.r


    One of the things we discovered whenbining the cores with the weapons Paul forged, was the ¡®Enhanced¡¯ effect.r


    Every weapon enhanced had stats, simr to Gifteds and Demons.r


    ¡°It¡¯s most likely a result of adding Demon quality to it¡± I had exined to Paul, who was also confused when he discovered it.r


    Focusing my eyes on the glowing sword which had formed on the ground, a green window appeared in front of it, disying its information.r<sub></sub>


    Golden Windows disy a Gifted¡¯s information. A.K.A Stats, Skills, and other Personal Information.r


    Red Windows belong to Demons.r


    Blue windows were most likely exclusive to Gifts, since my [Subspace] had this color, and the same went for Paul¡¯s.r


    ¡°Yeah¡±, I answered him.r


    And now, the recently discovered ¡®Green¡¯ Window was used to indicate the information of ¡®Enhanced¡¯ tools.r


    [System Information]r


    Name: Enhanced Swordr


    Rank: Fr


    Level: 5r


    Strength: 100r


    Durability: 1,000r


    Core Power: 300r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [.]r


    These all looked like ridiculous numbers to Paul, but I knew otherwise.r


    ¡°As expected of an F Rank weapon¡± I stated silently.r


    It¡¯ll suffice for now, but I was sure this sword would be obsolete after leaving this house.r


    But then again, this was as much as I could get from weak demon cores.r


    ¡°You did great Paul! This is excellent!¡± I feigned excitement.r


    But, I was spot on, in a sense. Sincepared to the stats of the other ¡®Enhanced¡¯ weapons, this was actually pretty high-end.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s try wielding it,¡± I said, picking the weapon on the floor.r


    ¡°It¡¯s heavy!¡± My thoughts rang.r


    I suppose it was only reasonable since we added a lot of materials to create this single tool.r


    It was indeed heavy, but not unbearably so. With my current strength stats, I could handle this much.r


    Since the weapon¡¯s strength stats were half mine, it woulde in very handy.r


    But, I still wasn¡¯t satisfied.r


    ¡°I want more!¡± I mumbled.r


    ¡°What was that?¡± Paul asked, turning to me as he noticed me mention something.r


    This might sound crazy and downright risky¡­ But I felt like taking the chance. If it works then maybe¡­r


    ¡°Paul, I want to try making a weapon with 5 Demon Cores!¡± I dered to him.r


    His face expressed shock upon hearing this, making me ufortable.r


    He was the one going through most of the stress, and I¡¯m quite sure he was exhausted from all the work we¡¯ve been doing. Plus, the chances of sess are very slim, so I was sure he won¡¯t ept it, but-r


    ¡°Y-Yeah! Let¡¯s do it!¡± Paul responded, interrupting my thoughts.r


    ¡°Eh-?¡±r


    What is he saying? Does he mean he actually wants to go on?r


    Looking at his face, I could tell that he was very serious about this.r


    Even with two additional ¡®Lesser Grade¡¯ Demon Cores, I knew the power of the weapon won¡¯t explosively increase. But, at least the change would be very noticeable.r


    ¡°It has to seed¡­ It has to!¡± I said, my eyes fixated on the sword.r


    Quickly calcting how much it would take to achieve this, my mind went into overdrive.r


    A single item can be merged with one Demon core.r


    Adding three makes it qualified for two Cores.r


    Nine more allows it to advance to three Cores.r


    That means¡­r


    We need 27 more for it to advance to four Cores, and 81 more to advance to five.r


    That made a total of 108 more weapons to be expended on this sword.r


    ¡°Nothing ventured¡­ nothing gained!¡±r


    Total Weapons Left: 504r


    Total Demon Cores Left: 50 (-3) = 47r

 Chapter 23 Partnership

    [System Alert]r


    <Smithing Sessful>r


    <You Have Added 2 Additional Demon Cores (Lesser) To An Adequate Object>r


    <Total Number Of Demon Cores Fused With Object = 5>r


    ¡°I-It worked!¡± Paul said, gleaming as he watched the sword glow.r


    I also smiled in relief, grateful that the venture didn¡¯t fail.r


    Five cores would have been wasted otherwise.r


    Reaching for the de which glowed on the ground, I grabbed it and lifted the sword.r


    ¡°Heavy¡­¡±r


    It took a significant amount of strength to carry the weapon, I drew it closer to my face to better assess it.r


    The thinyered de was long, with a dark color, it also had a subtle crimson aura enveloping it.r


    I focused my eyes on it, and the usual green-colored window appeared.r


    [System Information]r


    Name: Enhanced Swordr


    Rank: F+r


    Level: 10 (Max)r


    Strength: 500r


    Durability: 5,000r<sub>.</sub>


    Core Power: 700r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [.]r


    A smile formed on my face. Sacrificing two more stones and over a hundred more weapons was worth it.r


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect!¡± I eximed.r


    ¡­ For now.r


    ¡°T-This is amazing. If we can make more weapons like this-¡± Paul suddenly said with enthusiasm.r


    ¡°No. This will be the only one we are making¡± I interjected.r


    He disyed shock at my decision.r


    Why would I want to give up on making more powerful items like this? After all the effects disyed far outstripped the others.r


    The answer was simple.r


    ¡°My style ofbat is usually focused on quantity, rather than quality. Having many high-powered swords will do me no good since I try to avoid fighting Demons one on one.¡± I said to him.r


    Having more Enhanced Weapons with one or two Cores would be preferable to having a few with five cores. Even though thetter is far stronger, I require a multitude of weapons in my fight.r


    ¡°A 2 Core Enhanced Weapon is enough to deal with the Demons we¡¯ll be facing¡­ There¡¯s no need to waste the limited cores on a single one.¡± I said.r


    Paul still had trouble epting my reasoning, most likely because he wanted to make more weapons like the sword I was holding, but I didn¡¯t care.r


    ¡°C-can I hold it for a sec?¡± Paul asked me hesitantly.r


    My eyes lit up by his words. He made the weapon, after all. It¡¯s understandable that he wants to wield the product of his concentration and hardbor.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Fine by me¡­¡± I smiled, stretching my hand which held the de, to him.r


    ¡°Ah, thanks a lo-¡°r


    As I let go of the de that he had already grabbed onto, his sentence was cut short due to the heaviness of the weapon.r


    ¡°Gahh!¡± He groaned as he fell to his knees in an instant, shocked by the insane level of power required to lift the weapon.r


    ¡°Ooomph¡± He struggled in vain, trying to do the impossible.r


    Paul¡¯s strength stat still wasn¡¯t enough to move that thing. He might as well be carrying concrete.r


    ¡°Haa, I can¡¯t do it¡± He finally let up, releasing his grip on the sword.r


    I smiled knowingly since I already predicted the oue of his futile attempt.r


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Your strength is currently low. You¡¯ll need to Level Up for you to get stronger¡±r


    Paul nodded slightly upon hearing my encouragement, copsing on the bed in exhaustion.r


    I can¡¯t me him. We¡¯ve been at this for quite some time. Besides, he doesn¡¯t have nearly as much vitality as I do. There was no way he was not pushing himself past his limits right now.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day¡± I suggested.r


    ¡°U-Uh. No. I can still go on¡­¡± He tried to protest.r


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it. Rest is also very important in survival¡± I smiled.r


    To produce the most efficient result, I need the manufacturer to be in peak condition.r


    I had 45 Demon Cores left. If I removed the ones I wanted to keep for myself, the number will be reduced to 35.r


    Using that, I would be able to make two Core 2 Enhanced Weapons, and twenty-five Core 1 weapons.r<sub></sub>


    Adding that to the already existing ones, it¡¯ll make my arsenal a total of;r


    Thirty-Five Core 1 weapons,r


    Eight Core 2 weapons,r


    One Core 5 weapon.r


    A total of forty-nine Enhanced Weapons.r


    ¡°Not bad¡­¡± I mumbled.r


    Paul agreed to take his rest, and in no moment, he was already dozing off, showing how tired he really was.r


    As for me, I contemted various things. Now that I had new tools, it was only natural I test them out, right?r


    Things were going to get more difficult with Paul alongside me, but his use far outweighed the disadvantage he rendered.r


    ¡°Oh well¡­ Let¡¯s see how this goes¡± I smiled.r


    [The Next Day]r


    We continued working on the weapons the next morning, and before we knew it, the Demon Cores had been diminshed.r


    ¡°How many weapons are left?¡± I asked.r


    Paul paused for a moment, calcting how many we had expended.r


    In an instant, my mind processed the information.r


    We made five more 2-Core weapons. One of those cost 3 additional weapons, making 4 weapons per use. 4 ¡Á 5 = 20.r


    We made twenty-five more 1-Core weapons. That made 25 weapons expended.r


    A total of 45 weapons were used up.r


    We had a turnover of 396 weapons from the previous day. Subtracting those left us with a total of¡­r


    ¡°Three hundred and fifty-one!¡± Paul finally said.r


    I smiled and nodded. Correct.r


    My intelligence reallyes in handy during times like this. There¡¯s a reason it¡¯s my highest stat.r


    ¡°Can you reshape them in form of daggers?¡± I asked Paul.r


    ¡°W-what-?!¡± He made a surprised look.r


    ¡°It¡¯ll make it easier to summon many at once, plus they¡¯ll be faster as a result of their small size. Besides, the smaller the weapon, the denser it is, correct? Since these have no Core Energy, they need to be as strong as possible¡± I exined.r


    ¡°All three hundred and fifty of them?¡± He asked, his face turning pale.r


    ¡°All three hundred and fifty-one¡± I corrected with a gentle, understanding smile.r


    He nodded with a scared look.r


    I gave him enough rest yesterday, so he hias no reason toin. We would soon be leaving this ce, and if he knew what was best for him, he¡¯ll do whatever he can to be useful.r


    After all, out there¡­ I¡¯ll be the one taking charge!r


    [Several Hours Later]r


    ¡°Ahhh, I¡¯m finally done!¡± Paul gave an exhausted sigh, copsing on the floor.r


    Sweat covered his whole body, and I was certain that his muscles ached as he gave tired breaths.r


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Thank you¡± I smiled.r


    He gave a satisfied grin, proud of his aplishment.r


    He should be.r


    With these, those Demons would pose no problems.r


    ¡°Now then, we should start wrapping things up here¡­¡± I muttered.r


    ¡°What? Why?!¡± Paul asked.r


    ¡°Why? Because we¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡± I revealed to the tired man.r


    Paul¡¯s eyes widened when I said this, disying horror.r


    ¡°B-but, w-w-w-¡± He stuttered, struggling to protest.r


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m right here. Those Demons won¡¯t be able to evene close¡­ As long as you¡¯re by my side¡± I said confidently.r


    His distressed expression slowly rxed.r


    ¡°O-okay¡±r


    Good.r


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fun, partner¡± I smiled.r


    His nervous look slowly faded, returning my expression with his.r


    ¡°Rest up. We leave in a few¡± I instructed.r


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me twice!¡± He said, before closing his eyes and drifting off to unconsciousness.r


    Even though this man was several years older than me, it appeared that both of us have long abandoned that subject. He¡¯ll do anything I tell him to, no questions asked.r


    Such is the nature of this current world. Only one thing mattered now¡­ Power!r


    To survive, even the devil would eat flies.r

 Chapter 24 Massacre

    After several hours of rest, I roused Paul up as we prepared to leave the house.r


    I stored everything useful within my [Subspace] and made sure to arrange them in an orderly fashion.r


    I also took great care in memorizing the pattern and location of each significant object, ensuring my undivided attention inbat.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I smiled at Paul, who nodded nervously.r


    This will be his first time leaving his home since the whole apocalypse began. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s frightened, anxious¡­ among other things.r


    But, he¡¯ll soon realize that he has nothing to worry about.r


    >Vwoop<r


    The deep freezer and refrigerator I used as barricades instantly returned to their spot among my items and the door slowly creaked open.r


    I took steady steps while using my heightened senses to observe the surrounding area.r


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re clear, for now,¡± I whispered.r


    Since we were on the second floor, we needed to proceed to the first floor, and then the ground floor in order to fully escape this building.r


    I silently made my way through the hallway with Paul behind me, as the both of us advanced slowly.r


    Within a short period, we reached the stairs leading below and above us.r


    I could sense a couple of monsters on the floors above us, but going there would be a waste of time.r


    The ones below us were the true targets.r


    ¡°How frightening¡­ Even from this distance, I could feel the strong presence they exuded¡­¡± I mumbled.r


    Paul heard this and his face grew pale. I ignored his idiotic disy of timidity and decided to venture downstairs.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Remember what I told you back in the house, Paul¡± I whispered while giving him a stern expression.r


    There were two major rules to our partnership.r


    One. Paul will continue to be useful and will do as he¡¯s told. This included forging weapons and picking up drops for me.r


    Secondly, I was to handle the fights. All he had to do was maintain a safe distance from me, while I worked my magic. This way, all the Exp would be mine, and as long as he didn¡¯t get in my way it would all be smooth sailing.r


    Paul nodded, gulping a little.r


    ¡°Kriiiiiikaaaaa!¡± I heard the monsters making their annoying sounds.r


    These soundspletely varied from ones I had grown ustomed to hearing. Even their presence seemed a little different from the Demons I faced earlier.r


    ¡°Maybe these are a different breed¡­¡± I asked myself.r


    There¡¯s only one way to find out.r


    I descended the stairs in a hurried, yet careful manner. Excited about testing out how far I havee, there was only one thing I wanted to do right now.r


    Kill some Demons!r


    Drawing closer to the first floor, I could sense the monsters even more clearly now. They were definitely different.r


    >Tzzzz<r


    A sharp sensation buzzed in my head, indicating that the Demons had be aware of my presence.r


    ¡°That was fast!¡± Imented.r


    Give me a break, I haven¡¯t evenpletely left the stairs yet! This was way too quick!r<sub></sub>


    Their detection ability seemed superior to the Hell Kobold Spawns that I had been fighting. Even though I took extra precautions to remain unnoticed. Perhaps it was due to Paul¡¯s presence.r


    No! It¡¯s still too soon.r


    ¡°Kurhhhhhhh!!!¡± The sounds of rushing demons interrupted my thoughts as I heard them advance towards my direction from both sides.r


    Currently, on the stairs, Paul and I were trapped in the narrow structure, leaving only the top floors as options for retreat.r


    ¡°Bring it on!¡± I grinned.r


    The demons reared their ugly heads, swiftly making their way to the stairs. Paul took a few steps backward as he watched the monstrosities draw nearer.r


    They appeared slightlyrger than the previous ones, possessing veiny skin with muchrger ws and teeth. They also had spikes protruding from their bodies.r


    ¡°Those look dangerous! I shouldn¡¯t give these Demons the chance to use them!¡±r


    ¡°Eeek¡± Paul squeaked in fright, covering his face in fear.r


    I instantly activated my skill ¡®w Attack¡¯, growing my sharp nails.r


    ¡°Kuruuuuu!¡± They growled, jumping at me from the tform below the stairs.r


    Since I was above them, I had a slight advantage.r


    Without hesitating, Iunched my arms forward, sending my ws flying at the Demons who rushed at me.r


    Coordinating my assault on them, the sharp nails drilled holes into their ugly heads, instantly killing them off as their blood sttered across the stairs.r


    I sensed more approaching, in a muchrger quantity than now.r


    Perfect, I should try out my new weapons.r<sub></sub>


    Deactivating my skill on one of my hands, I fought back the few who remained as they tried climbing the stairs in a hurry.r


    My unupied hand instantly reached for my [Subspace] which continued to disy itself beside me.r


    Rapidly beating my fingers on the icons while I faced forward, I timed the attack with pinpoint uracy.r


    The second wave of demons emerged from both ends, nearing fifty, as they all hungrily dashed toward me.r


    At that moment, I summoned my ¡®Enhanced Daggers¡¯, in a multitude of thirty Core-Ones.r


    ¡°Kuruukkk?!¡± They bellowed in shock, not even given the chance to get close to me.r


    >Fwooosh<r


    The daggers flew with increased speed, piercing through the flesh and skulls of the Demons like a hot knife through butter.r


    My glowing red knives dealt fatal blows to at least three demons each, causing a total massacre in the process.r


    Many [You Have Leveled Up] icons appeared, but I ignored them all.r


    My eyes widened as I realized that the noise of the Demons had called the attention of the other monsters on the second floor.r


    I had dismissed them since they weren¡¯t worth my time, but if I end up bing surrounded on both ends by monsters, it could prove disastrous.r


    ¡°In that case¡­¡± I mumbled.r


    I just had to resort to my ¡®special tools¡¯. I grinned, referring to my smaller stock of Core-Twos.r


    Using my ¡®w Attack¡¯ to sweep through the Demons in front of me, while also sending my regr weapons flying toward them, I killed even more Demons.r


    The ones above, on the second floor, started pouring down as well, hungrily ring at me.r


    ¡°Arrhhh, please save me! They¡¯reing!!!¡± Paul screamed, whimpering like a baby.r


    He crouched on his knees and trembled, closing his eyes in fear.r


    Ah, I feel like drilling a dagger into his skull. If not for the fact that he was useful to me, I wouldn¡¯t even hesitate to ditch this idiot.r


    I swiftly materialized my Core-2 weapons,unching them above me to deal damage to the group of about thirty.r


    I only had eight of them. Let¡¯s hope they count.r


    >Zwooooomm<r


    The weapons hummed as they flew, disying little crackles of red lightning in their flight.r


    ¡°Skriiilkk?!¡± The Demons screeched in fear.r


    Before they could even respond, the speeding weapons reached them.r


    >Kpap!<r


    The Demons instantly exploded as soon as the daggers touched them, sending blood all around them. Within a few moments, my very few daggers burst through the group of over thirty Demons, turning them into mincemeat.r


    ¡°W-Wow!¡± I beamed in shock and amazement.r


    Compared to the Core-1, the eight I justunched were on an entirely different level.r


    ¡°Uuurhhh- Uh¡­¡± Paul made silent cries of fear as he raised his head to see what had be of the scary beasts which approached him.r


    ¡°E-eehhhh?!¡± He let out in shock, seeing their bodily fluids all around him as they turned into dust.r


    ¡°Paul¡­¡± I muttered, slightly drenched in the blood of monsters which gave me a scary appearance.r


    ¡°Y-Yessss!¡± He stiffly responded, frightened by my look.r


    ¡°The cores, pick them up¡± Imanded.r


    I didn¡¯t care if my tone was rude or imposing. After doing this much work, surely he was aware of it already.r


    My cold eyes locked onto his, sending his body jumping instantly.r


    ¡°Yes! Right away!¡± He said, quickly rushing to retrieve the cores from the Demons I had hunted.r


    ¡°They should be over a hundred¡­ I think¡­¡± I mumbled, feeling exhausted from the work I¡¯d had to do.r


    If only [Subspace] could have an automatic firing option, or could return objects to it whenever I wished¡­ just like a particr character I loved so much.r


    Unlike him, I had to do everything manually, and that sucked!r


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll unlock that as I increase my rank¡­¡± I contemted.r


    Suddenly, I felt a particr pressure that caused me to remove my mind from the thoughts I was having as my eyes widened in surprise.r


    ¡°Hey, Paul¡­ Stop what you¡¯re doing¡­ Something ising!¡± I instantlymanded.r


    Paul looked at me with slight confusion, not entirely sure of what I meant.r


    >DUM< >DUM< >DUM<r


    I heard quakesing from a distance away. Whatever was approaching us was certainly massive. Even my freezer might not be fully capable of dealing much damage. And what¡¯s with this insane amount of bloodlust it was emitting? I¡¯ve never felt anything like it.r


    ¡°Hehe, hehehehe¡± I slowly let out a chuckle, feeling excited and at the same time nervous about what was nearing me.r


    This will be the most challenging foe I¡¯ve had to fight yet! It certainly won¡¯t be easy, even with the multiple Level-Ups I have received.r


    But, I can¡¯t deny this sensation of anticipation welling up within me.r


    ¡°Come then¡­ I¡¯ve also been wondering when I would get the chance to use it, my trump card!¡±r

 Chapter 25 Disappointment

    ¡°Bring it on!¡± I grinned despite my nervousness, ready to take on whatever monstrosity that was heading my way.r


    I looked at Paul, who froze as a result of my earlier instruction.r


    He¡¯ll only be in the way, so it was not a good idea to have him close by. However, I couldn¡¯t allow him to disappear from sight since a stray Demon might get to him while I was upied with the monster.r


    Also, it might prove advantageous if he witnesses the horror of this Demon, and how I fare against it. It would make him value our partnership more.r


    There was no other choice! ¡°Paul, stay here¡­ I¡¯m heading down!¡± I said.r


    ¡°W-wha?! B-but-¡°r


    Before he could protest, I dashed downstairs, instantly leaping to the passage, where I would have equal grounds against the massive creature approaching.r


    My eyes bulged as I finally got a glimpse of the bulky Demon.r


    ¡°Shuuuurrrkkkk¡± It growled in a low, intimidating tone.r


    Steam escaped from its mouth as the monster approached.r


    Over two times my height and having a massive build, the Demon red at me with its red eyes, advancing undauntedly.r


    Sweat dripped from my face, as I was a little intimidated by the level of dominance the monster seemed to have around itr


    It was also apanied by smaller Demons, the new types I had encountered not long ago.r


    They all numbered at least sixty-five.r


    This will be a tough one¡­ where the hell did these guyse from?r


    Even though I¡¯ve grown stronger due to the ¡®Level Ups¡¯ gotten from the just concluded subjugation, it was hard to tell whether I was up for this challenge.r


    My eyes focused on the Demon and its Status information was instantly disyed before me.r


    [System Alert]r


    <Danger!>r


    [System Information]r<sub>.</sub>


    -tName: Hell Kobold Spawn (Adult)r


    -tLevel: 13r


    -tRace: Demon (Lesser)              ¨C Grade: 1r


    -tAge: 35 daysr


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 140/350r


    -tMP: ¨C -r


    -tStrenght: 500r


    -tAgility: 200r


    -tVitality: 450r


    -tIntelligence: 15r


    [Status Condition]r


    <Hunger>r


    -tHP continues to decrease until the Demon feeds. Currently active.r


    [End Of Information]r


    What the fvck! This is a beast!r


    I gulped in response to my updated understanding of the Demon before me. Compared to the ones I had faced in the past, this monster was in a ss of its own.r


    Fortunately, it was also affected by the ¡®Hunger¡¯ Status Ailment, making its HP lesser than usual.r


    Curious about the little ones, I checked their Status Information as well.r<sub></sub>


    [System Information]r


    -tName: Hell Kobold Spawn (Soldiers)r


    -tLevel: 10r


    -tRace: Demon (Lesser)              ¨C Grade: 1r


    -tAge: 31 daysr


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 99/150r


    -tMP: ¨C -r


    -tStrenght: 190r


    -tAgility: 180r


    -tVitality: 150r


    -tIntelligence: 10r


    [Status Condition]r


    <Hunger>r


    -tHP continues to decrease until the Demon feeds. Currently active.r


    [End Of Information]r


    The average level for these Demons ranges from 10 to 12. All their stats were in the hundreds. How scary. I didn¡¯t really notice the difficulty when fighting the ones from earlier since I had Enhanced Weapons on my side. But now¡­r


    ¡°I used them up in thest wave, and I haven¡¯t restocked!¡± I muttered to myself.r


    Shit! All I have left are the regr weapons. Against such stats, they might not have an effect.r<sub></sub>


    What should I do¡­?!r


    The most efficient method I knew of would be to take care of the big one first. Judging by how the others trailed behind it, they¡¯ll most likely not interfere directly with our fight.r


    Still, they possessed long-range attacks due to those spikes around them. If they should release them while I was fighting with the Spawn Adult, then it could prove a little troublesome.r


    I¡¯ll manage somehow!r


    The problem remained the same¡­ That massive Demon approaching me, he was the major threat.r


    The confident stride it had, advancing slowly, as though it was mocking my strength.r


    This Demon must consider me trapped, like weak prey which will inevitably end up satiating its hunger.r


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret taking your time!¡± I grinned within myself.r


    Even though I was unaware of my current level since I didn¡¯t have the luxury of checking my stats, I won¡¯t fall behind in this fight.r


    It doesn¡¯t matter how weak I am, or how powerful the monster is. Ultimately, what I had to do hasn¡¯t changed.r


    Kill the Demon!r


    I tapped on an item in my [Subspace] and instantly my Core-5 sword appeared.r


    Gripping it tightly, I held it upright, taking my stance to face the monster.r


    ¡°It¡¯s lighter¡­¡± I noticed, looking at the sword for a moment.r


    It must be due to my Level Ups. How strong am I now¡­ I wonder.r


    There was only one way to find out, right?r


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± I grinned.r


    Instantlyunching myself at the monster, I quickened my pace, closing the distance between us in an instant.r


    ¡°Shurrrukk?!¡± The giant Demon bellowed, flustered by my speed.r


    My ¡®Agility¡¯ was definitely higher than its own, so making the first move was the most advantageous move for me.r


    Raising my sword for a horizontal sh, I turned my wrist and twisted my body to generate the right amount of force, putting my weight into the strike.r


    Suddenly, crimson lightning shed around my de as an aura covered it.r


    As I swung my de, putting all my strength into it, I saw the flesh of the giant monster get sliced cleanly, I also felt no resistance as I cut through it.r


    Within a moment, the Demon¡¯s blood splurged from the lower end of its body which remained, spilling out purple blood across the hallway.r


    Not having the opportunity to think about the giant monster I killed in a single blow, my eyes instantly darted to the remaining monsters who looked frightened as they watched me approach them.r


    >SWOOOOOSHH<r


    In an instant, I rushed through them, killing every one of them swiftly.r


    My de crushed their bones and sent every part of their body flying around as blood sshed in the air. The aura around made it seem like I cut through nothing.r


    Even though it seemed like they attempted to attack me with their spikes, I responded by quickly ending their lives.r


    ¡°Slow¡­ Too slow!¡± I grinned in satisfaction, watching monster parts fly around.r


    It ended nearly as soon as it began. Perhaps it was because I was too engrossed in the moment that I didn¡¯t know when I was done.r


    ¡°Is¡­ is that all¡­?¡± I asked.r


    Clenching the sword I had wielded, I felt a strange emotion within me¡­ For the first time since I arrived here, I felt disappointed.r


    ¡°¡­ More¡­¡±r


    I want to kill some more!r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    .r


    .r


    .r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    .r


    .r


    .r


    .r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    .r


    .r


    .r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    .r


    .r


    .r


    .r


    .r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    .r


    .r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r

 Chapter 26 Growth

    ¡°Huu¡­¡± I heaved a deep sigh of relief as I summoned my freezer to serve as a barricade while Paul and I entered yet another unknown apartment.


    As expected, the room was dark, but it posed no problem for me.


    ¡°Settle down¡­¡± I said, not paying much heed to the shivering underling behind me.


    I sat on one of the sofas avable in the parlor and rested my back on its soft surface.


    ¡°Haaa¡­¡±


    I was feeling a little strained, but it¡¯s no issue for me. Despite how many Demons I had killed just a few moments ago, I barely felt exhausted.


    After killing the horde of monsters, including the Hell Kobold Spawn (Adult), I leveled up like crazy. Still, with my guard up, I used my heightened senses to scan across the area for the presence of any Demon, no matter how minuscule.


    These kinds of Demons usually move inrge groups, but there are always exceptions to the rules, like the first one that attacked me. Using that logic, I refused to rule out the possibility of any extra Exp generator remaining on the first floor.


    I found only a few roaming about, and most of them were on the verge of dying due to their <Hunger> status.


    Seeing how they writhed in pain as they growled at me, I had no choice but to put them out of their misery.


    At least I could boldly say that I performed a noble deed.


    Seeing the [You Have Leveled Up] sign made the effort all worth it.


    Clearing the first floor didn¡¯t take as much time as I¡¯d thought, and I was certain I could proceed to the ground floor, but I didn¡¯t want to be overconfident of the tide of the battles which were now in my favor.


    Thest time I grew a little cocky¡­ Things ended badly¡­


    Using this rationale, I decided to withdraw for the moment. Paul, without being told what to do, had already started picking up the Demon cores. Of course, they were too much for him to handle on his own, so I helped out.


    Fetching the equipment I¡¯d used in the onught we just experienced, I ced all valuables in my [Subspace].<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Hmmn¡­ Strange¡­¡± I mumbled, noticing something different about the reaction of my Gift to the new Demon Cores.


    [Alert!]


    <Error! Can Not ce This Object In This Compartment Due To Ipatibility>


    No matter how hard I tried, it kept showing the same thing.


    It took me some time, but I eventually realized that the Demon Cores I got from the (Soldiers) and (Adult), even though they were still of a ¡®Lesser¡¯ grade, they were not in the same category as the ones from the regr ¡®Spawns¡¯.


    Even the glow and size appeared different. The (Soldier) Cores have arger size and glow brighter, while the (Adult) core was even more massive, nearly the size of my fist.


    ¡°Interesting¡­ Does this mean what I think?¡± I smiled in anticipation.


    Since I always keep spare slots, I stored the (Warrior) Cores in onepartment, and the (Adult) one in another.


    After recovering everything, I scanned the hallway for any suitable ce to stay.


    My senses have reached a point where I can vaguely sense the condition of the houses. From the smell, to the sound, it bes easier to pick the more preferable ce to rest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s use this ce!¡± I said to Paul, who obediently nodded as he trailed behind me.


    Now that we were here, and I finally had a chance to breathe easy, it was time to check my growth.


    I¡¯ve been anticipating this.


    ¡°Status Window¡± I stated.


    Like clockwork, the golden panel appeared before me, showing me much higher numbers than I expected.<sub></sub>


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 39 ¨C Exp: 79.91


    ¨C Race: Human ¨C Job: None


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡å 3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    ¨C Karma Points: 100


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 5


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 2,000/2,000


    ¨C MP: ¨C ¨C


    ¨C Strength: 430


    ¨C Agility: 2,200<sub></sub>


    ¨C Vitality: 2,050


    ¨C Intelligence: 5,950


    ¨C (G) Factor: 90


    [Gift: [Subspace]]


    ¨C Items Equipped: None


    ¨C Allies: <1>


    ~ Paul (Level 1)~


    Skills Possessed: <1>


    [Status Condition]


    <None>


    [Additional Information]


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    [End Of Information]


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± I nearly eximed as I viewed the monstrous stats I had umted.


    In this single hunt, I leveled up more than my previous effortsbined.


    This was insane, unbelievable!


    No wonder the hunt felt much easierpared to the other times I had fought. Even when using the sword, every move I made, every swing of the de¡­ they all felt natural.


    I smiled gleefully. Just as I wanted, I have reached another milestone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten stronger!¡±


    Of course, I know this isn¡¯t the time to rx. Many things still bother me. For example, I killed nearly 200 Demons, including two much stronger speciespared to the usual, yet I only leveled up this much.


    ¡°My growth is slowing down, uh¡­¡±


    Since that was the case, it won¡¯t do me any good to waste any more time here than I have to.


    From my peripheral vision, I could see Paul across the room. It looked like he wanted to say something, but was hesitant to.


    I ignored him and focused on the more important matter at hand.


    ¡°[Subspace]¡± I muttered, seeing the blue window materialize before me.


    I tapped on the two slots which contained my newly acquired Demon Cores from the new Demon subspecies.


    If my guess was right, then¡­


    The two kinds of Cores poured out, and I ced my hand on the two sides, the left containing several cores from the Hell Kobold Spawn(Soldiers), while the right had the single Demon Core from the Hell Kobold Spawn (Adult).


    >ZZZZTTTZZZ<


    I felt a sensation on my skin, simr to the first time I tried learning a skill from the Demon Cores. My body tingled indicating my sync with the items.


    An icon appeared in front of me, just as I expected.


    [Hell Kobold Spawn (Soldier) Demon Core Equipped]


    [Hell Kobold Spawn (Adult) Demon Core Equiped]


    [.]


    Yes, now then¡­ Show me what you can do!


    [System Notice]


    [Hell Kobold Spawn (Soldier) Skill ¡®Spike Attack¡¯ Avable]


    [Save Skill In Skill Slot?]


    [Yes] [No]


    [Hell Kobold Spawn (Adult) Skills ¡®Venomous Spike¡¯ and ¡®Venomous ws¡¯ Avable]


    [Save Skill (Venomous Spike) In Skill Slot?]


    [Yes] [No]


    [Save Skill (Venomous ws) In Skill Slot?]


    [Yes] [No]


    [End Of Information]


    My eyes widened in anticipation as I witnessed three new Skills appear before me. Only one question appeared in my mind¡­ Which do I choose?!

 Chapter 27 Decision

    Here I was, confronted with three ¡®Skills¡¯, of which I could only choose two.r


    ¡®Spike Attack¡¯r


    ¡®Venomous Spikes¡¯r


    ¡®Venomous ws¡¯r


    However, with ¡®w Attack¡¯ already in my Skill Slot, I only had two spots remaining.r


    ¡°I see¡­¡±r


    Mumbling to myself, I contemted which decision to make.r


    Most people would rece my ¡®w Attack¡¯ with an obviously more powerful Skill, like ¡®Venomous ws¡¯, but that would be a fatal mistake.r


    ¡°I have already maxed out my ¡®w Attack¡¯, making it highly efficient andsting inbat.¡±r


    Even if the ¡®Venomous ws¡¯ boasted of a higher power, it wouldn¡¯t be able topare to the duration and cool down of my already existing skill.r


    I had only one (Adult) Demon Core, after all. There was no way to upgrade the ¡®Venomous¡¯ skills anytime soon.r


    There was also the option of taking both Venomous skills and leaving the ¡®Spike Attack¡¯ skill, but that would also be terrible.r


    Unlike the (Adult) Demon Core, I have a lot of the (Soldier) Demon Cores. This means that I can upgrade the level of the ¡®Spike Attack¡¯ skill.r


    I tried merging the skills, but no icon emerged indicating thatbining two skills was possible. I could only assume that I can¡¯t join two skills, for now.r<sub>.</sub>


    It should be possibleter on, though. After all, I have seen instances where it was achieved.r


    ¡°That¡¯s it! I¡¯ve made up my mind!¡±r


    Grinning slightly, I tapped on two of the icons before me.r


    I ended up picking ¡®Spike Attack¡¯ and ¡®Venomous Spikes¡¯ as my Skills.r


    Adding my ¡®w Attack¡¯ skill to the mix, this was the most efficient option.r


    The cores glimmered as I selected the options, and a surge of energy washed through me. Information concerning the Skills entered my head, making me grin in excitement.r


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s see what we have here¡­¡± I mumbled.r


    [SKILLS]r


    -tYou Currently Possess 3 Skill Slotsr


    ?tSlot 1 ¨C <w Attack>r


    ?tSlot 2 ¨C <Spike Attack>r


    ?tSlot 3 ¨C <Venomous Spikes>r


    [Skill Slots Will Be Added As Your Level Increases]r<sub></sub>


    Good, the Skills are all present. I wish I knew what Level I need to reach before more Skill Slots will be added.r


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s know more about these Skills¡± I beamed, tapping on the skills ordingly.r


    [Skill Information]r


    <Spike Attack>r


    Grade: 1 (Fixed)r


    Level:1 (Upgradable)r


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ¡®Hell Kobold¡¯s Spawn (Soldier)¡¯. It is a low leveled skill that generates hardened spikes. These spikes can beunched as projectiles, making them useful in long-rangebat.r


    [Currently Unactivated]r


    Skill Duration: 2 Minutesr


    Skill Cooldown: 30 Minutesr


    [.]r


    Skill Information]r


    <Venomous Spikes>r<sub></sub>


    Grade: 1 (Fixed)r


    Level:1 (Upgradable)r


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ¡®Hell Kobold¡¯s Spawn (Adult)¡¯. It is a low leveled skill that generates hardened spikes which are poisonous. These spikes can beunched as projectiles. They deal extra damage by poisoning the target, making them useful in long-rangebat and drawn-out fights.r


    [Currently Unactivated]r


    Skill Duration: 3 Minutesr


    Skill Cooldown: 1 Hourr


    [End Of Information]r


    While the duration of these skills are longer than ¡®w Attack¡¯ before I upgraded it, their Cool down time was also considerablyrger.r


    Looking at the build I currently possess, having extra long-range abilities is a great bonus. The poison attribute I obtained from the ¡®Venomous Spikes¡¯ was indeed useful, but I can¡¯t lessen the cool down without upgrading it.r


    Unfortunately, I have only one Demon Core. To my surprise, however, the (Adult) Core didn¡¯t vanish after I added the skill. It was most likely because of the extra skill within.r


    ¡°I can choose to be patient and learn the skillter, or¡­¡± I mumbled, considering the next alternative.r


    I could choose to upgrade the current ¡®Venomous Spikes¡¯ skill I possess. I¡¯ll go with thetter.r


    I¡¯m obviously going obtain more Demon Cores in the future and learn better skills. I can¡¯t get fixated on the remaining skill within the core.r


    Instead, I should try strengthening the ones I currently possess. That¡¯s what is most important for my survival.r


    [Moments Later]r


    I was able to upgrade my <Spike Attack> skill to Max Level, and increase the Level of my <Venomous Spikes> skill by one.r


    Currently, the Cool down of the former is one minute, while thetter¡¯s cool down is thirty minutes.r


    Whew. It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t select both of the (Adult) Demon Cores skills. That would have been a big mistake, considering I would only be able to use them once inbat.r


    ¡°Now then, I suppose I¡¯ve gotten considerably stronger. I also have many Demon Cores left.r


    ¡°Paul!¡± I called out.r


    Instantly jumping to his feet, myckey rushed to me at the sound of my voice.r


    ¡°It¡¯s time to put your Skill to use. We¡¯ll be making more ¡®Core-2¡¯ weapons!¡± I said.r


    He nodded instantly. However, it seemed like he had something to add.r


    ¡°I should hear him out¡­¡± I whispered underneath my breath.r


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±r


    Paul appeared startled to hear me ask this. His eyes lit up, and he spoke excitedly.r


    ¡°I-I was thinking¡­ why don¡¯t we make cooler weapons, like guns or canons!¡±r


    Sigh, not this¡­r


    There was a time when I also thought like this, but I eventually came to see how inefficient the venture was. As much as I would have loved to imitate one of my favorite Light Novel characters with his prosthetic arm, demon eye, and dual guns¡­ I couldn¡¯t!r


    ¡°Guns have triggers, canons have fuses¡­ In an all-out battle, who will be the one pulling them?¡± I asked Paul point-nk.r


    Fazed by my question, the idiot made a nk look. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t thought of that.r


    ¡°des are more efficient since I can just fire them at my targets. My hands are too busy tapping on [Subspace] or using my [Skills] to pull the trigger of guns!¡± I exined.r


    Slowly, he realized the message I was trying to pass across.r


    ¡°Now then, do you have any other questions?¡± I smiled impatiently.r


    Taking the hint, Paul shook his head vehemently.r


    ¡°Good. Nowmence the ¡®Smithing¡¯. We¡¯ll camp here for today. By tomorrow, we¡¯ll proceed to the ground floor. It¡¯s better to be well prepared since we might be leaving this ce by then!¡± I spoke.r


    ¡°R-really¡­?!¡± He asked nervously.r


    He appeared nervous, with a bit of excitement in his eyes.r


    I¡¯m certain that he¡¯s still frightened of the Demons, but after witnessing my proficiency in battle, Paul had grown even more confident of venturing outside.r


    A small smile formed on my face. The more motivated he is, the better it is for me.r


    ¡°Yes. Now begin your work¡­ There¡¯s much to do!¡±r

 Chapter 28 The Ground Floor

    ¡°It looks like we¡¯re all set!¡± I smiled, turning to Paul who nodded nervously.r


    My eyes gazed upon the door, and I felt a tingle around my skin. It was simr to fear, but also excitement.r


    Finally, I¡¯ll be leaving this godforsaken ce, however, that in itself was going to be a challenge.r


    Slightly tapping the blockade, I returned the freezer to [Subspace], and proceeded to the door.r


    ¡°Stay behind me!¡± Imanded and was instantly obeyed.r


    Passing through the first floor¡¯s hallway to reach the stairs, we located a few roaming Demons that were most likely trickling from above.r


    I effortlesslyunched a few des to kill them, and Paul rushed to get their Cores.r


    Afterpletely eliminating them, we reached the stairs.r


    >GULP<r


    I could hear the sound of saliva forcing down Paul¡¯s throat as he stared at the flight of stairs in dread.r


    ¡°This guy¡­¡± I muttered, ring at him irritably.r


    He knows nothing, yet why is he acting so nervous?r


    Unlike him, I possessed heightened senses, so I already knew¡­ The monsters down there are very dangerous. Their size, their numbers¡­ I could roughly estimate them.r<sub>.</sub>


    As the stench of Demons made my nose crinkle in disgust, and the amount of bloodlust made me break into a cold sweat, I grinned in determination.r


    Countless growls and howls of monsters filled the underneath area, and I was certain the exit is blocked so there was no way to leave without killing them off first.r


    Not that I wanted to escape this building without exterminating everyst Demon here.r


    ¡°That would be a waste of Exp!¡± I reasoned.r


    Fortunately, they¡¯re all afflicted by the <Hunger> Status Condition. These Demons also share a certain form of familial bond so they don¡¯t engage in cannibalism. I can¡¯t begin to imagine how difficult my life here would have turned out if it weren¡¯t for these saving graces.r


    The Exp count also doesn¡¯t matter if the HP of the Demon is low. As long as I kill them, they¡¯re automatically transferred to me for my growth.r


    ¡°Hehehe, I¡¯m practically meeting them half-dead. Their hunger has done half of the work for me!¡±r


    With these words of encouragement I muttered to myself, I walked down the stairs, preparing for an all-out battle against the Demons.r


    If I was correct, they will sense me before I reach their location. If that was the case then I need to hurry down before they can react.r


    The advantage¡­ must be mine!r


    [A Few Moments Later]r


    It was a bloodbath!r<sub></sub>


    Hell Kobold Spawnr


    Hell Kobold Spawn (Soldier)r


    Hell Kobold Spawn (Adult)r


    Encountering arge multitude of the three varieties, I instantly knew I was in for a terrible time.r


    Launching their deadly assaults on me, both in short and long range, the Demons growled in fury and apprehension upon seeing a stranger encroach on their territory.r


    Fortunately, I had told Paul to hide by the stairs, giving me no reason to hold back.r


    Even without having to worry about Paul, there was no choice but to go all out¡­ If I didn¡¯t, I was sure to die!r


    I had no time to rest as I constantly used all parts of my body to fight the seemingly endless hordes of Demons who surrounded me.r


    First using my Venomous Spikes, Iunched the stinging projectiles from my body as they appeared likerge needles colored red.r


    I spread the attack as much as I could, ensuring I hit as many Demons as I could, even if it was once.r


    ¡°This way, I¡¯ll be able to shave off their HP as time passes!¡±r


    After the duration ran out, I instantly switched to my Spike Attack and w Attack Skills.r<sub></sub>


    I was so upied with staying alive, I used both my hand and leg nails to generate ws while bringing out spikes from my skin.r


    Doing this shredded my outfit, but I didn¡¯t care!r


    ¡°I have many where they came from anyway!¡±r


    I somersaulted several times, back flipped and used my nimble reflexes to dodge their attacks whileunching mine, killing them as swiftly as I could.r


    Even with my relentless efforts to dwindle their numbers, the Demons appeared in hundreds, probably close to a thousand. I couldn¡¯t count their total numbers since I was barely trying to stay alive.r


    ¡°Gargkkk!¡± I groaned as I felt spikes pierce my skin, drawing blood from me for the first time in a while.r


    So this was true danger!r


    I seemed to have forgotten since I had been having my waytely.r


    Quickly pulling out the prickly substance, I did not dare cease my movements. Doing so would mean being caught in the endless barrage of spike bullets that the Demon Soldiers were shooting, as well as the Poisonous spikes of the Adults.r


    Sure, I was faster than them. However, being so outnumbered, I couldn¡¯t do much except il about as I avoided the lethal blows of my adversaries.r


    As the Demons turned to Ashes, leaving behind their cores, more seemed to approach.r


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± I breathed tiredly, still enduring as I attacked.r


    >Squish<r


    >Squelch<r


    >Krik<r


    >Splurge<r


    More hitsnded as time went on, piercing my flesh, crushing my bones, and draining blood out of me.r


    ¡°Arghhhhh!!!¡± I screamed in pain as I continued dancing to the tune of battle.r


    I couldn¡¯t stop, the endless assaults would turn me to mincemeat if I skipped a beat.r


    Fortunately, the countless Level Ups I obtained while killing off the Demons healed my wounds, so I focused on my task even with the pain and damage I kept on receiving.r


    ¡°To think I was so proud of myself earlier¡­ For killing some half-dead bunch!¡± I gritted my teeth in frustration.r


    The half-dead bunch now had an overwhelming advantage against me.r


    I had no idea how long I had been fighting for. Everything seemed like a blur now, as though the only things that mattered were the Demons and me. All else faded into the background, including my concept of time.r


    I followed the same pattern of killing the Demons which were, the monsters severely injuring me, me obtaining a Level Up, healing my injuries, kill more Demons, Rinse and Repeat!r


    Before I knew it, I limated to their system of attack, able to predict the next strike and the one after that.r


    While I felt weary after fighting for so long, my body became lighter and everything else became slower. No, it wasn¡¯t that!r


    I was just bing faster.r


    Now getting the chance to ess [Subspace], I leaped above the massive crowd,unching myself high up in the air, to my surprise.r


    Since the Ground Floor was extremely roomy, with a wide structure and arge reception, I was able to jump several meters in the air, surprising myself.r


    My wide eyes scanned the room, counting a few hundred of the Demons left.r


    Now outside their range of attack, the Demons looked above them to see my temporarily suspended gait. They all pointed their arms and readied the several spikes they had in my direction.r


    Unfortunately for them, I was faster.r


    Rapidly using the selective feature of [Subspace], I chose to bring out nearly all the des I had within my storage space.r


    ¡°Eat this, you sons of bitches!!!¡± I yelled, releasing all the pent-up anger and frustration within.r


    >Vwoooom!<r


    Many [Subspace] openings materialized around me, summoning the full brunt of my assault.r


    Hundreds of weapons floated in the air with me, all pointing at the Demons who were stuck in slow motionpared to my speed.r


    A wide, desperate grin formed on my face and I opened my mouth wide in a loud cry.r


    ¡°DIEEEE!!!¡±r

 Chapter 29 The Kobold Guardians

    Using all three of my Skills too, Iunched my Spikes and ws alongside all the des that were summoned.


    >SWOOOOOSHHHHH<


    Everything descended in a sh, countering all the spikes and attacks the monsters threw at me, and even overpowering them.


    Within a few moments, the endless rain of hundreds of ded and sharp objects of devastation decimated the targets.


    ¡°GYARGKHHHH!!!¡± They screeched in their final moments.


    My objects of contempt turned into mincemeat as a very nice puddle of blood flowed on the ground after they fell one after the other.


    In no time, the monsters which gave me difficulty became vanquished.


    ¡°I¡­ win!¡± A tired smile appeared on my face as I rapidly descended from the air.


    >FTWIP<


    My legs reached the ground filled with the blood of Demons. The Demon cores glistened in the pool, making it appear beautiful to the sight.


    ¡°A wonderful sight of carnage!¡± I muttered, without realizing.


    As I tiredly returned to the ground, a lot of level-up panels appeared in my line of sight, but I ignored them.


    Now isn¡¯t the time for such things¡­


    ¡°Haa, looks like I really did it, uh? I beat a thousand Demons myself!¡± Iughed indiscriminately.


    ¡°Hehehehahahahahakuahahahaha¡± I raised my voice,ughing amid the evaporating sea of blood.


    I threw away my sense of caution and merely enjoyed the current state that everything was in.


    My body throbbed, savoring the pleasures of victory. I felt like copsing. I was so tired that I felt like I could sleep for a week.


    ¡°I can rest now, right? After all¡­ I¡¯m done with the Demons, right?¡± I convinced myself since a portion of my inner consciousness still felt cautious.<sub>.</sub>


    Still mumbling and barely standing, I staggered, nearly falling on my back.


    ¡°We won¡­ right?¡±


    My eyes slowly closed, and I felt a wave of relief wash through me. Was it finally over? After the entire ordeal experienced in the building. The Demons, the constant fear of being killed, and the growth I always expected at the end of each battle.


    There was only one answer to that question.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit me¡­ how can this be over just yet?¡± A grin formed on my face.


    >BOOOOOOOMMMMM!<


    A loud explosion erupted, causing me to brace myself in response.


    The ground began to cave in, nearly reaching where I stood. As the cracks expanded, I jumped back, distancing myself from the strange phenomena.


    ¡°Tch! I knew it!¡± My thoughts rang.


    There was no way it could be over with just that.


    >SHUUUUUUUUUU<


    A low, yet ominous sound permeated the environment as dust filled everywhere due to the sudden quake that urred.


    ¡°What the hell ha-!¡±


    I stopped mid-sentence as I saw a massive hole drilled into the ground.


    ¡°T-this is¡­¡± I gasped, focusing my senses on the wide tunnel underneath the ground,


    Cold sweat appeared on my face upon sensing a strange presence beyond the boundary of the ground.


    There was a devastating aura proceeding from beyond the tunnel, making me shiver in response. I felt cold and numb all over.<sub></sub>


    Most likely, the boss resided within that ce. However, the overwhelming pressure of the Boss Monster was not the only thing I felt from the hole.


    My heightened senses picked up several presences at the other end of the tunnel, no, some were already making their way to me.


    GBAM! GBAM! GBAM!


    Heavy thuds of footsteps made the ground shake further.


    Judging by the smell and sound they emited, these Demons approaching were different from the ones I just executed.


    ¡°They¡¯rerger than the (Adults), making them more dangerous too¡­¡±


    Here theye!


    In an instant, several of them jumped out of the massive tunnel, revealing themselves to me.


    I nearly shook in fear upon seeing them.


    Having grey bodies, these Demons possessedrge spikes all around them, with extremelyrge ones on their shoulder and head.


    They hadrge des located on each of their elbows, knees, and hand.


    With devilish grins and a bloodthirsty appearance, they red at me.


    Without realizing it, I unconsciously called forth their Status Information.


    [System Alert]


    <Danger!>


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Hell Kobold Spawn (Guardian)<sub></sub>


    ¨C Level: 1


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 1


    ¨C Age: 1 day


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 1,000/1,000


    ¨C MP: ¨C ¨C


    ¨C Strenght: 3,000


    ¨C Agility: 2,000


    ¨C Vitality: 2,500


    ¨C Intelligence: 50


    [Status Condition]


    <None>


    [End Of Information]


    ¡°N-no¡­ no way!¡± My eyes bulged and the entirety of my body trembled in despair.


    A new breed of the Hell Kobold Spawn Demon¡­ a Guardian?!


    Looking at the stats alone, a single one far outstripped anything I have faced so far. The gap was just too much!


    But, that was not the worst part.


    ¡°No¡­ Status condition¡­?!¡±


    With such a high HP, having no debuff holding them back¡­ I would have to do the entire work and kill these monsters.


    ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!¡±


    Once again, I got too conceited. Let¡¯s just hope I survive this too.


    The Demons appearing before me were considerably fewer than thest wave, being only twelve.


    I pushed aside the thoughts of fear and hopelessness, ignoring the trembling sensation my body gave. Focusing my mind on only one thing, I charged forward with my de in hand.


    Crimson energy glowed through the sword, generating an aura around myself and the weapon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this, you overgrown dogs!¡± I grinned nervously.


    ¡°Gurrruuuuu!!!¡± The Guardians red, rushing toward me with their quick bodies.


    Despite their size, they were much faster than the soldiers.


    In an instant, they closed the gap between us. Half of themunched their fists toward me simultaneously.


    ¡°I might die if I receive all of that!¡±


    Pressing my feet to the ground, I pumped more power to them and sped across the room, instantly evading their blow.


    With no time to rx, I rushed back, taking my fighting pose and slicing through one of the Guardian¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Guarhhh!!!¡± It screamed in pain as it wobbled, upon losing bnce.


    Using the window of opportunity, I leaped forward and spun in the air, cleanly tearing off its head.


    >WHOOSH!<


    Inded on the ground and used the momentum to charge toward the rest.


    They did not appear fazed, and instead, took deep breaths for some reason. I ignored whatever they did and continued lunging forth. I only had to be faster!


    Cleanly cutting my way through a few, I managed to kill off five of them before their assault finally came.


    ¡°ROARGHHHHHHH!!!¡± They roared at me.


    Sonic booms caused the entire floor to tremble as I was bombarded with sound waves from multiple directions.


    ¡°Gik-Gahhhhhh!!!¡± I felt like screaming to the top of my lungs as the pressure grated my bones and my whole felt like it was being tightly crushed by the echoes generated by the Guardians.


    Blood gushed out of my ears, nose, and eyes as I suffered in anguish.


    I wondered when the pain would end as I stood in the midst of the invisible wall, taking severe damage from their assault on me.


    ¡°A-ahhhhhhh!!!¡±


    Finally, their skill duration ended, and the Demons closed their mouth.


    Of course, I felt like shit and was on the verge of copsing. But, I knew that doing this would only guarantee my death as the Guardians would seize that moment of weakness and pounce on me.


    Therefore, there was only one thing left to do!


    Gripping my sword tightly, I activated the crimson aura within it, and whole my entire body ached and screamed at me to stop, I ignored them.


    ¡°Rarghhhhh!!!¡± I screamed, pushing my legs beyond as I swung my de to the neck of a Guardian and sliced its head off.


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    My wounds instantly healed, making me immensely grateful for that single notification.


    Feeling much better, even though I was mentally strained by the countless hours of fighting, I decided to end things quickly.


    ¡°Let us continue¡­ you imbeciles! I¡¯ll make sure to pay you back well!¡±

 Chapter 30 The Boss Room

    It hurts¡­ It hurts like hell!


    My severely bleeding body screamed in pain as I breathed heavily.r


    Blood dripped from my tattered cloth as I staggered due to the wave of drowsiness I felt. Still, I tightly gripped my sword and red at the group of Demons before me.r


    ¡°Fifteen¡­ >huff<¡­ when will it end¡­?!¡±r


    I had no luxury of getting an answer to my question or even resting from the pent-up fatigue which weighed heavily on my body.r


    The Kobold Guardians took in deep breaths, signaling the activation of their pesky skill.r


    ¡°Shit! I have to-¡°r


    Rushing out of their range, I barely managed to escape the barrage of painful vibrations which sent the hair on my skin flying by just sensing the pressure.r


    Taking the opportunity to strike, I dashed toward the motionless monsters who were frozen as a result of their [Skill].r


    >Swish<r


    I swung my des, putting all my strength into my tired arm. Blood splurged out of the decapitated body of the Kobold Spawn (Guardian), giving me the Exp I needed to heal.r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    ¡°Haa, much better!¡± I moaned, feeling the overbearing weight and pain gotten from the injuries I had sustained leave me.r


    However, this much wasn¡¯t enough!r<sub>.</sub>


    Proceeding to attack more of the guardians before they became mobile again, I rushed forth.r


    There seemed to be no end to them!r


    At the time that I was still killing the first twelve that came out of the massive hole in the ground, more suddenly appeared.r


    Even when I killed them, they kept appearing.r


    Before I knew it, I had be backed into a corner once again, unable to escape the endless onught of the Demons.r


    The Hell Kobold Spawn (Guardians), unaffected by any Status Condition, yet freakishly strong, made me exhaust myself over and over again just to kill them. Yet, they never stopped.r


    ¡°Arghhhhhh!!!!¡± I screamed in frustration.r


    My cry attracted the remaining seven Demons who had deactivated their [Skill].r


    They rushed at me with intense bloodlust, making me shiver slightly in their presence.r


    However, tightly holding onto my de, I persevered.r


    ¡°Die! Die!! Diiieeee!!!¡± I madly shed.r


    It took a while, but¡­ finally, I killed every single Hell Kobold Spawn (Guardian) in the room.r


    ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡± I breathed heavily.r<sub></sub>


    My body had definitely healed but my mind was a mess. The constant battles of survival had left me mentally exhausted.r


    I was at my limit, any more and I could lose my mind or even pass out from fatigue.r


    But¡­ the job wasn¡¯t done yet!r


    ¡°There¡¯s still¡­ more down there¡­¡± I groaned, slowly walking toward the gaping hole.r


    ¡°I can sense it¡­ multiple presences are down there, they feel like the (Guardians) I just fought. Ah, I see¡­¡±r


    It appears the Hell Kobold Demons have some sense, after all.r


    Realizing that they would end up being killed no matter how many times theye to the surface, they decided to remain underground.r


    I don¡¯t know how, but their numbers keep increasing. My senses have reached a point where I can urately distinguish the scent of the Demons, and nearly every monster down there is a (Guardian).r


    As for their numbers¡­r


    ¡°45. 46. 48¡­ It keeps increasing! What¡¯s going on here?!¡±r


    Suddenly, the realization dawned on me.r


    I don¡¯t know why I never thought of it, but I finally realized just what kind of sick joke this was, and the type predicament I was in.r


    No matter how many of these Kobold Demons I fight, I¡¯ll neverpletely exterminate them! Why?r<sub></sub>


    ¡°There¡¯s a spawn gate down there¡­ and it endlessly brings out more of them!¡±r


    I saw quite a number of this when I was still in the Sacred Hall. Rifts in space which spat out Demons endlessly. I often wondered where the Rift led to, but God refused to tell me.r


    But, that doesn¡¯t matter now! The truth remains¡­ the more I stall and kill the Demons, the more their recements wille out of the ¡®Gate¡¯.r


    It seems only stronger ones have beening out recently. It must be because of the threat I pose to their kind.r


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± I chuckled weakly.r


    It¡¯s not like the situation was impossible though. There was only one way to close a Gate, and that is to kill the Boss guarding it!r


    ¡°If I dawdle any further, more will juste out. While they are valuable sources of Exp, I can¡¯t waste too much time here when there are even more offers outside!¡±r


    I¡¯m tired, sleepy, exhausted, severely hungry¡­ but, I can go on!r


    Taking a deep breath, while staring hard at the dark hole before me, there was only one choice to make.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with!¡±r


    I plunged deep within the abyss, using my heightened vision to navigate my way through the stony path.r


    ¡°The ground!¡±r


    Using my sword and legs to scrape the wall, I broke my fall and managed tond safely. However, that was the only concept of safety I would be experiencing in the hellhole I ventured into.r


    ¡°Gurrrrruuuukkkkk¡­.¡± A deep growl echoed across the room.r


    Drawn by the voice, I lifted my eyes and saw the horrific sight before me.r


    A massive dog-like monster sat on the ground. Having spikey fur and crimson eyes, it red at me. Nothing came to mind for describing the Demon, it¡¯s appearance frightened me.r


    A truly horrific creature, the Boss Monster was!r


    Its subordinates, the Hell Kobold Spawn (Guardians), surrounded their leader in defence as they all readied themselves to fight me.r


    Comparing the size of a regr Hell Kobold Spawn to the Guardians, such was the difference in mass between the Guardianckeys and the Boss monster before me.r


    ¡°N-no way¡­ that is¡­ the boss?!¡± I croaked, nearly out of breath.r


    [System Alert]r


    <Danger!>r


    <Danger!>r


    <Danger!>r


    [System Information]r


    -tName: Hell Kobold Kingr


    -tLevel: 100r


    -tRace: Demon (Lesser)              ¨C Grade: 2r


    -tAge: 300 Daysr


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 7,100/10,000r


    -tMP: 1,000r


    -tStrenght: 9,000r


    -tAgility: 5,000r


    -tVitality: 7,500r


    -tIntelligence: 300r


    [Status Condition]r


    <Hunger>r


    -tHP continues to decrease until the Demon feeds. Currently active.r


    [End Of Information]r


    ¡°Oh, shit¡­¡±r


    Even with the <Hunger> Status Condition, it was still an insane monster!r


    I was in big trouble!r

 Chapter 31 Defeat

    ¡°Guraaaaaaooooo!!!¡± The beast roared, sending waves of air all around it.r


    I stood my ground, bracing for the impact made by the Hell Kobold King.r


    ¡°Keukk!¡±r


    ring at me, it pointed its fingers toward me and spoke in an unintelligiblenguage. Its subordinates, the guardians, took the hint and lunged at me instantly.r


    Now I knew why his intelligence stat was that high¡­ to an extent, this Demon was self-aware. Enough that he could evenmand lower beings.r


    I tightly gripped my sword, ready for the iing wave, or so I thought¡­r


    >Kkkkrrrtttt<r


    My brain sizzled and rushes of pain suddenly coursed through my body.r


    ¡°A-ah!¡±r


    My body refused to listen to me as I watched the monsters lunge toward me hungrily.r


    ¡°N-no¡­ not now!¡±r


    It appeared that I have reached the limit of my body. This whole time, even though I had been healed continuously through the effects of leveling up, my mind was not exactly being fixed..r


    Slowly, my mental strength had been wearing out. With every battle and movement, I exerted my brain and constantly burned through my thought processing.r<sub>.</sub>


    And now, it appeared to have finally broken down.r


    Before I realized it, the Demons were directly before me, ready to dig into my immobile body.r


    ¡°Damnit! Move body! Moveee!!!¡±r


    My fingers tingled, flexing a little.r


    That was enough for me!r


    I tapped on my [Subspace], which appeared where my fingers were located, and quickly tapped on the reserve des I had kept in store for the Boss monster.r


    >Splurge<r


    Blood sttered on my face as countless daggers tore through the Hell Kobold Spawns (Guardian) as they advanced.r


    As I used up my valuable resources, my mind pondered on what I would actually resort to when the time came for me to finish the Boss.r


    My efforts were in mere futility since the Gate spawned more Demons, and all my daggers couldn¡¯t automatically return to [Subspace].r


    ¡°What do I do? What do I do?!¡± I asked in a panic.r


    I couldn¡¯t swing my de if I wanted to, and every part of my body was dysfunctional. It needed rest, and I doubt I would be getting up anytime soon.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Guruuuuu¡± The King growled, finally moving from where he sat.r


    After watching me kill many of its subordinates, it must have decided to finally take action.r


    ¡°It¡¯s about time¡­¡± I grinned nervously.r


    After pondering critically, there was only one thing that came to mind. It was a risky venture, and I only had one shot, but it was the only way I could win.r


    The Hell Kobold (King) red at me and approached, shaking the ground with each step it took.r


    ¡°Guruuuuuuukkk¡±r


    ¡°Come on¡­ Juste closer¡­¡± My mind pleaded as I desperately watched it.r


    The other Demons stopped their assaults and made way for their leader to deal with my motionless self.r


    The monster finally moved within range, a few meters from my location. A smile formed on my face.r


    ¡°This had better work!¡±r


    If it doesn¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m screwed!r


    >WHOOOOOOSHHH<r<sub></sub>


    The most powerful weapon in my arsenal, the Core-5 sword, lunged straight for the Demon¡¯s head in a sh.r


    Prior to the Demon¡¯s approach, I released all the stored-up Core Energy within it, making the aura multiple-fold the usual.r


    Of course, this meant the weapon would onlyst for a few moments before it used up thest bit of power it had, but at the moment I had no luxury of being stingy.r


    ¡°The most powerful burst of power I can give¡­ let¡¯s see how you handle that!¡± I grinned.r


    >BOOOOOMMM<r


    The red aura erupted, covering the entire area in smoke. I heard the nging of shattering metal, indicating that the sword was done for. It¡¯s sacrifice couldn¡¯t have been in vain, since it would have-r


    ¡°Guruuuuu¡­.¡±r


    My eyes bulged upon hearing the sound of the Kobold King.r


    ¡°Shit! Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±r


    It emerged from the smoke, partially burned by the explosion, but nowhere near fatally wounded.r


    My eyes focused on the monster, once again generating its stats to see how much of its HP I shaved off.r


    [.]r


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 6,200/10,000r


    -tMP: 800/1,000r


    [.]r


    ¡°Fvck!¡± I spat out in disbelief.r


    Just 900 HP got taken away?! What a monster!r


    ¡°W-what¡¯s this¡­?!¡± I muttered, looking at a part of its stat that had also reduced.r


    ¡°MP¡­ So it used part of it to protect itself from the st¡­ Shit. Why didn¡¯t I think of that¡­?!¡±r


    My head was dizzy, and I could feel my body losing all sense of self.r


    In a few moments, I would pass out.r


    The monster¡¯s re pierced mine, making me slightly tremble in fear.r


    ¡°N-no¡­ not like this!¡±r


    I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to die!r


    I can¡¯t die here¡­ not here!r


    I was too impatient, I should have waited a little more. I was conceited in thinking I could go beyond my limits. Once again, I was on the verge of death thanks to my carelessness.r


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t wanna¡­ Please¡­ Shit! Fvck!!!¡±r


    The Demon ignored my internal plea as it nearly reached me, ready to devour me to satiate its hunger.r


    From the corner of my eye, I saw some of the few Guardians who were left sneer at me. They looked pleased by my disheveled and powerless state.r


    After killing several of their brethren, I was finally getting what I deserved.r


    Clenching my teeth in anger and frustration, I knew I would be dead in a few moments. Using thest bit of my strength, I used my fingers to select a few more of the projectiles I had andunched them at the Hell Kobold Spawn (Guardian)s before everything went dark.r


    Whether my des hit them or not, I wouldn¡¯t know¡­ since my consciousness faded away that very instant.r


    Yes, I knew there was no saving me this time¡­ it was my loss.r


    I¡¯m really going to die!r


    Finally engulfed in the darkness of unconsciousness, my thoughts trailed to my past.r


    Just like in the final moments where one¡¯s life shes before their eyes, mine did as well¡­ and it was not a pretty one.r

 Chapter 32 Trauma Of The Past

    From a very small age, I had found out already¡­


    ¡°Teacher, Jeremy is being weird again!¡±


    ¡°W-What did I do? I just¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Jeremy! How many times have I told you¡­¡±


    As a child, I discovered, or rather¡­ The truth became ring to me, forced down my throat until it was one thing that remained constant throughout my life¡­ The world is unfair!


    Some are born with good looks, charms, ir, and natural interactive skills.


    Some have money, born into rich families, they be highly influential in their environment.


    In such a world, all you need is luck, something outside your control. If you¡¯re born ugly, short, poor, and introverted¡­ There¡¯s nothing you can do about it.


    ¡°Jeremy¡¯s weird¡­¡±


    ¡°He keeps talking to himself in such a weird way¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any friends¡­¡±


    ¡°Just look at how miserable he looks, what could he have done in his past life to earn such a face?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, and he¡¯s so short too!¡±


    ¡°He looks like a twig.¡±


    ¡°More like a little shit. Haha!¡±<sub>.</sub>


    I grew up hearing those words from everyone around me. I always wondered to myself whether I was cursed, whether my being born was an aberration, a stain in reality.


    My mother died giving birth to me. As for my father, he never did care much for kids. I even heard rumors that he beat my mother a lot while she was still alive. After she died, he needed a ce to vent his rage and frustration, so he turned to me.


    Domestic violence and child abuse does not even begin to describe what he put me through. I thought about retaliation many times, but after looking at his huge future and my tiny, feeble frame, I realized that I would never stand a chance.


    ¡°Should I just end it¡­?¡±


    I asked myself this many times, but¡­ I just couldn¡¯t do it. Killing myself would bring me relief, freeing me from the agony I endured on a daily basis, yet I could never find it within me to take my life.


    Was I scared of dying? Yes!


    But there was one other reason I refused to end my existence.


    ¡°One day¡­ Someday, they¡¯ll have what¡¯sing to them¡­ And I want to see it when that happens!¡±


    The idea of revenge kept me going. I thought if I endured hard enough then someday, karma would finally turn in my favor.


    It never did.


    And so 16 years of my miserable life passed. Fortunately, my father was not entirely useless. He still left money for my upkeep, though he always lorded over me for this.


    ¡°Useless punk! You still trouble your old man for money at this age?! When I was your age, I had already started earning my bucks. Tch, spoilt and entitled kid!¡± He would always say.


    Still, he would leave me funds. Perhaps he considered it as hush money, for me to keep quiet about his constant abuse of me.


    I used the money I got to take care of myself, treating the several wounds and burn marks I had. I never considered reporting him anyway. In this world, I learned that there¡¯s no one you can trust, no one but yourself.<sub></sub>


    ¡°I¡¯m just pathetic, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Yes, I hate the world¡­ But I also despise myself for being so weak and powerless against the rushing tides of unfairness in this harsh reality.


    The House was hell!


    The School was hell!


    Everywhere¡­ Was Hell!


    My room remained the only ce of safety for me, surrounded by theforting silence and dark embrace of security. Before I knew it, I had be entirely withdrawn and reclusive. I had no ties or interaction with the world, nor anyone in it.


    ¡°Novels. Manga. Anime. Games. Sleep. Food.¡± Those were the only things I needed¡­ Those were the only things that mattered to me.


    The world of fiction and fantasy, where I could dream of my father and several others who wronged me as dead. I could freely fantasize about mutting them several times, using various methods. I could constantly rape the girls who humiliated me publicly, viting them as they screamed for mercy while I drown in the pleasure of their scream and the squishing sounds of my flesh pounding against theirs.


    The vivid picture melted in my brain as I held on to my dark fantasies to soothe the gnawing pangs of loneliness and hate that swirled within me constantly.


    ¡°Hey, Jeremy is looking at Melissa weirdly again! What a pervert, lol¡±


    ¡°Who knows what¡¯s going on in his twisted head anyways¡±


    ¡°Only the devil, lol. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re best friends!¡±


    The consistent insults of my peers always rang in my head. And when I reported to the teachers, na?ve about the way of the world¡­ They proved to me once again that it was meaningless to fight against the cruel fate I was born into.


    ¡°Uh? Were you really looking at her in that way?¡± The Teacher said.<sub></sub>


    Is that what¡¯s actually important, right now?


    ¡°They must just be teasing you. Stop taking things too seriously, Jeremy¡­ That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have any friends¡± Another one interjected


    No, that¡¯s not the reason why¡­


    ¡°You should really try talking to them some more¡­ They can¡¯t be as bad as you say they are!¡±


    But, they are¡­


    ¡°I understand you, Jeremy¡­ You must be really lonely, right? You want a friend, don¡¯t you? We all need someone to share our time with, but I don¡¯t see you with anyone¡±


    That¡¯s not what I need¡­ You don¡¯t understand¡­


    Condescending words from everyone flood my brain, talking like they can rte to an oddity like myself. However, it¡¯s all the same, even with them too.


    ¡°That Jeremy kid is such a handful¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why did I have to be the homeroom teacher of such a problem child¡­ Sigh, I hope he doesn¡¯t cause me too much trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°You need to make him behave!¡±


    Passing through the Teacher¡¯s lounge and hearing them say these words took away what little respect I had for them, the ones who are meant to be the guides of children¡­ had clearly given up on me.


    But that wasn¡¯t all¡­


    ¡°Oi, I heard you were staring at my girl this afternoon, Lewis!¡±


    The School top dog, and my nemesis, Daniel, looked at me with a menacing re.


    ¡°N-N-No¡­ I-I¡­ I wasn¡¯t¡­¡± I stuttered to say my piece to the overwhelming presence before me.


    ¡°Shut it, pipsqueak!¡± Daniel said, using the back of his hand to p me, sending my frail body crashing to the ground.


    He cracked his knuckles and approached me.


    ¡°It seems you don¡¯t know your ce¡­ Even going to report her friends to the teachers¡­ You¡¯re dead meat, Lewis. Your life ends here!¡±


    As he battered me with blows from his tough fists, coupled with kicks from his friends, I groaned and grunted in pain, screaming for help desperately. However, my cries were in vain.


    No one cared to help¡­ Especially when it was poor, ugly, and weird Jeremy Lewis.


    My voice slowly turned hoarse and fell silent altogether. As the bangs and pounds kept sending my body through pain, I suddenly wondered how they got to know about my report¡­ And what the teachers said to me concerning friends.


    These people couldn¡¯t be my friends¡­ No one could¡­ I was nothing more than garbage to everyone!


    ¡°It hurts¡­ It hurts so much¡­¡± My brain rang out.


    The pain became too overbearing for me that I quickly withdrew into my room. In my mind, I created my haven, hiding under my nket in the dark expanse of warmth and safety.


    I closed my eyes and fantasized about how it would feel if I could return just a tiny fraction of the pain inflicted on me to the ones who stood over me and battered me with bruises.


    If I could return this pain I received, if I could watch them writhe in agony and scream their lungs out in desperation and pain¡­ Ah, how good that would feel¡­


    Taking pleasure in this, I fell unconscious.


    Daniel did as he promised. He ended my school life after that moment. Making a public spectacle of me, he made sure everyone treated me like trash, even worse than filth.


    I was subjected to bullying from everyone, irrespective of age, or grade.


    No one was beneath me, I was the least in the school, as a student, and as a human.


    Bread shuttle, Toilet cleaner, punching bag, errand boy, Homework writer, human stool¡­ You name it!


    Finally, something within me broke.


    And I finally epted things the way they were¡­ For that was my fate.


    ¡°It won¡¯t hurt as much if I just stop fighting against it¡­ This is me¡­¡±


    Or is it?!


    I refuse to ept it¡­ I refuse everything! I waited for a chance to be strong, and finally, the opportunity was here! The Apocalypse is here, and with it, everyone has had a head start from me already!


    But, I¡¯m not giving up!


    I won¡¯t die here!


    I¡¯ll survive no matter what it takes¡­ that¡¯s what I¡¯ve always done. That won¡¯t change now!


    ¡°So get up, Jeremy! Get up and fight!¡±


    [System Alert]


    <You Have Exceeded The Level Requirement>


    <Job Slot Has Been Opened>

 Chapter 33 Birth Of A Monster

    ¡°U-uh¡­?!¡± My thoughts echoed in the darkness.r


    I¡¯m not dead? What is going on right now?r


    I was all alone in the dark room, seeing an endless void around me.r


    Nothing was in sight, except one which faced my surprised face.r


    A window that glowed golden before me.r


    ¡°T-this is¡­?!¡±r


    [System Alert]r


    <You Have Exceeded The Level Requirement>r


    <Job Slot Has Been Opened>r


    r


    -tWill You Proceed?r


    [Yes] [No]r


    [.]r


    A job? Oh yeah¡­ now that I think of it, there was that option in my Status Window.r


    It has been empty so far, though.r


    This most likely meant that I could finally choose one, right?r


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what this is all about¡­¡± I said, still in a daze.r


    Tapping on [Yes], a fresh set of words appeared before me, disying a list.r


    [Primary Job List]r


    [Please Select Your Job]r


    r<sub>.</sub>


    -tUses bare hands to fight, dealing powerful damage to foes. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved into a higher ss.r


    <Knight>r


    -tUses several weapons to fight, several weapon-based skills are involved. Depending on proficiency, can be evolved to a higher ss.r


    <Archer>r


    -tShoots projectiles from a long distance. Uses long-range weapons and firing skills. Senses and other rted abilities increase. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved into a higher ss.r


    <Forger>r


    -tCreates various materials and items by using base objects and drops. Monsters drop more items and raw materials for forgery, and smithing-rted skills are given. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved to a higher ss.r


    <Mage>r


    -tUses spells to deal damage, having various elemental-rted skills. Using basic elements, they can cause various effects. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved to a higher ss.r


    <Thief>r


    -tUses sneaky tactics and abilities to gain the edge against others. Steals items and objects from opponents and marks every item in possession. Able to store and retract any items currently owned and obtain rted skills. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved to a higher ss.r


    <Berserker>r


    -tUses rage and raw destructive power to pummel opponents. Has high vitality and indomitability. The longer a battle is prolonged, the greater the power output. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved to a higher ss.r


    r


    -tUses holy power, divine powers of the gods. Can use healing, buffs, and protection to defend oneself and allies. Based on proficiency it can be evolved into a higher ss.r


    <Schr>r


    -tPossesses knowledge and information. Has the privilege of seeing more information on monsters, objects, and other things in the world. Can also see more information about fellow Gifteds. High intelligence and retention. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved into a higher ss.r


    <Tamer>r


    -tAble to enlist the aid of Demons through contracts. These Demons are bound by the specific contract, and so is the Gifted. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved into a higher ss.r


    ~More Information Will Be Avable For The Job Selected~r<sub></sub>


    [Please Select Your Job]r


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±r


    Mumbling to myself, I critically examined the list, taking countless factors into consideration.r


    Many of the Jobs were attractive and suited me perfectly, but each of them had downsides that I couldn¡¯t ignore.r


    Plus, it didn¡¯t state whether the Jobs can be changed at ater time. From my experience in games and fantasy novels, that is hardly the case.r


    I can¡¯t mess up here¡­ any choice I make will be extremely vital to my survival and my life from now on out¡­ if I will have one.r


    Going through the list once again, my eyes caught something.r


    ¡°This is¡­ could it mean?!¡± I gasped.r


    Possibilities ran through my head until I finally made up my mind.r


    My hands decisively reached for the icon as I tapped on it.r


    [You Have Selected Your Job]r


    ~ Current Job(Primary): <Thief>r


    [Congrattions]r


    ~ You Have Unlocked Your MP Bar.~r


    ~You Have A Starting Amount Of 200 MP~r


    ~Job Title <Thief> and MP Will Be Recorded In Your Status Window~r


    I watched the new notifications with eagerness.r


    This was honestly the best choice for me. And the reasons for that¡­ will soon be revealed.r


    [You Have Gotten 3 New Skills]r


    ~ Skill 1: <Steal>r<sub></sub>


    -tAbility to randomly obtain anything equipped from an opponent. It could be a ¡®Skill¡¯, ¡®Weapon¡¯, ¡®Attire¡¯, etc. Things obtained are subject to the Levels of the user and target.r


    ~ Skill 2: <Store>r


    -tAbility to keep possessed items in a special storage unit. The items in the user¡¯s possession are all marked with the user¡¯s signature. The user can also bring forth any of its stored items whenever he wishes.r


    ~ Skill 3: <Recall>r


    Ability to call back possessed item to the storage upon the user¡¯s discretion or after an psed period of time. (Current Time-Lapse Allocated: 1 hour)r


    Yes! These are all useful skills! Just as I wanted. But¡­r


    [System Update]r


    -tUser¡¯s ¡®Gift¡¯ and Skill <Store> have simr properties and functions. For efficiency, these two will be merged.r


    ~Do You Want To Proceed?~r


    [Yes] [No]r


    ¡°Yes, of course!¡± I said excitedly, widening my eyes in expectation for what woulde next.r


    [Merging Sessful!]r


    ~[Subspace] Has Increased Its Storage Capacity to 100 Slots.~r


    ~Special Qualities Have Been Given To All Possessions Of The User Through Subspace.~r


    ~ Slots Have Been Memorized.~r


    ~ The Skill, <Store> Has Been Changed Into The Skill <Summon>~r


    <Summon>r


    -tCan call upon any item of possession stored within [Subspace].r


    [System Update]r


    -tSkill <Recall> Has Synced With [Subspace].r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Will Now Regain Consciousness]r


    [.]r


    A bright light suddenly shone, causing my head to buzz in response. As I felt myself get pulled up into reality, a smile formed on my face. No, rather it was arge grin.r


    My vision returned, and I resumed the scene I was in. The Hell Kobold (King) was already in front of me. Its sharp ws were raised above its head as it prepared to descend it on me, ripping it to shreds.r


    But I was not going to allow that.r


    A grin of amusement appeared on my face, and even though my body still felt sluggish, I wasn¡¯t worried. Because¡­r


    ¡°<Recall>¡­¡±r


    All my weapons scattered on the ground within the underground area shone and instantly vanished.r


    However, those were not the only ones who experienced this. All the ones I expended above me, everything returned. I couldn¡¯t exin it, but I could vividly feel every one of my weapons returning to my [Subspace].r


    In an instant, my arsenal was chock full.r


    And at that moment, I brought them all out using my second Job-rted skill which had merged with [Subspace].r


    Finally, I could do the thing I always wanted to do.r


    ¡°¡­ <Summon>!¡±r


    Several of my weapons instantlyunched toward the massive Demon. In their hundreds, they poured out, damaging it, no matter how little.r


    With a seemingly endless barrage of weapons, the King was forced to take steps backward. Using <Recall> and <Summon>, I made an unstoppable force of des, bringing out and returning my items as Iunched them.r


    ¡°Even if they are like pebbles to you¡­ they must still sting!¡± I grinned.r


    After retreating a few steps, the King became agitated and growled in impatience.r


    ¡°ROARRRRR!!¡± It sounded in rage.r


    A red aura surrounded it, provided by the ¡®MP¡¯ it had. All the des I summoned which had been dealing little damage to it bounced off its enhanced skin, having no effect on the monster now.r


    ¡°It¡¯s protecting itself, uh?¡±r


    Noticing this, I recalled my weapons back to [Subspace]. However, this was already within my expectations.r


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this¡­¡± I grinned.r


    While the monster roared.r


    Now that I have finally gotten a job, I possess one of the most vital elements for survival.r


    MP!r


    ¡°<Summon>¡±r


    Instantly, all my Demon Cores appeared at the mouth of the roaring Demon, rushing down its throat while it still opened it.r


    When using <Roar>, which is a ¡®Buff¡¯ Skill, the Demon is motionless for a while. A perfect opportunity for me to achieve this.r


    ¡°It was a close call, but¡­ it¡¯s my win!¡±r


    As the Demon Cores all entered its stomach, the duration of the monster¡¯s skill ended and it shut its jaws tight, ring at me.r


    Proceeding tounch its assault on my powerless form, it attempted to dash toward me.r


    However¡­r


    ¡°Gurrruuuukkkk?!!!!¡±r


    A puzzled expression appeared on its face, morphing into shock and then pain.r


    ¡°Guarrrruuulkkk!!!!¡±r


    Its body started expanding, and a glowing light radiated from within its belly.r


    ¡°Guruuuuu-!!!¡±r


    Before it couldplete its final bellow of pain, the expanding demon finally popped in a loud explosion.r


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<r


    The loud detonation shook the room as pieces of burned meat sttered everywhere, along with boiling blood.r


    As I watched the eruption and the monster¡¯s head roll toward me, I couldn¡¯t help but give a sadistic smile.r


    ¡°It looks like I win!¡±r

 Chapter 34 Parting

    One of the things I learned during my time in the Sacred Hall while watching the Gifteds struggle against Demons, was the Demon Core ¡®explosion method¡¯.r


    Demon Coresprise of the condensed energy of Demons. As a specific kind of energy belonging to Demonkind, they reject interaction with energy from humans.r


    Any attempt to merge the two usually results in an outburst of shing energy¡­ leading to an explosion.r


    Using this knowledge, I infused my newly acquired magic power stored as ¡®MP¡¯ to all the Demon Cores. Since all of my possessions bear my ¡®Signature¡¯, It¡¯s an easy task to give them some of my Magic Power.r


    The result of that was what led to my victory¡­ an explosion from within. To defeat such a monster in one fell swoop, what a surprising twist.r


    Just like that, I won the fight!r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    [You Have Leveled Up]r


    Five in one go, wow! It really was very strong, uh? Plus, with the added Bonus of killing a Boss Monster and closing the Gate, this amount of progress made it worthwhile. It almost made me happy for being so impatient in my judgment.r


    ¡°High risk, high return, huh?¡±r


    Chuckling under my breath, I stood weakly and walked toward the area of impact, staggering as I moved.r


    The charred surface remained and all around me were the Demon Cores of the Demons I killed in the underground space.r


    ¡°I won¡­ I finally beat this ce!¡±r


    The Gate which was shining brightly began to dim, flickering in reaction to the death of the Boss Monster.r<sub>.</sub>


    >Zzzztttzzzz<r


    Finally, the portal closed, stopping the flow of Demons from within it.r


    At this point, only a few Demons remained, and they all looked at me with fear in their eyes, stepping back now that I had defeated their king.r


    They weren¡¯t the focus of my attention, though. My eyes gleamed expectantly as I watched a shimmering glow emanate from the floor.r


    ¡°The Boss drops¡­ finally!¡±r


    The Hell Kobold (King) Demon Core first appeared, as well as many other things which I analyzed.r


    I saw a set of white daggers on the floor, counting over a dozen. They had the shape of extended sharpened teeth, made from the already dead Kobold King.r


    Longer des, numbered ten, also littered the ground. They were sharper and appeared more dangerous than the short daggers.r


    ¡°It seems I got good drops this time¡­ is it because it¡¯s a Boss?¡± I muttered, fixating my eyes on them.r


    A window immediately appeared before me, disying the characteristics of the objects.r


    [System Information]r


    Name: Hell Kobold King¡¯s Toothr


    Rank: F+r


    Level: 1(Upgradable)r


    Strength: 600r


    Durability: 5,900r<sub></sub>


    Core Power: 1,200r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [.]r


    [System Information]r


    Name: Hell Kobold King¡¯s wsr


    Rank: F+r


    Level: 1(Upgradable)r


    Strength: 1,000r


    Durability: 7,000r


    Core Power: 2,000r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [.]r


    ¡°A-amazing!¡±r


    To think the weakest daggers would be even more powerful than the most powerful weapon I previously had. Such was the power of the enemy I just defeated.r


    I was lucky¡­ If I hadn¡¯t gotten my ¡®Job¡¯ at that time and unlocked my magic power, I would have stood no chance.r


    Having the tooth and ws of the Hell Kobold King appear as drops for me was something I¡¯ve been looking forward to.r<sub></sub>


    I¡¯ll be getting even more items like these in the future, so this was only the start.r


    The stats of the weapons were quite sufficient, but this much wasn¡¯t going to be enough. I need more, and for that to happen I need to leave this ce.r


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the ¡®Skills¡¯ of the ¡®Guardians¡¯ and ¡®King¡¯ will also be useful in the future. Hopefully, I have more ¡®Skill Slots¡¯ now.r


    ¡°Huuu¡­ I should wrap things up.¡±r


    Looking around me, there were still quite a few Demons left, plus many of the Demon cores of the vanquished monsters littered the ground.r


    They aren¡¯t worth much Exp, since I¡¯ve leveled up a lot, but¡­r


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can leave you all roaming down here, hungry and all. I should put you out of your miseries!¡±r


    And so, out of the kindness of my heart, I killed even more.r


    [Moments Later]r


    Climbing back up was much harder than entering the underground area. It took a great amount of effort since I was still disoriented, but I reached the top.r


    ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­¡± I huffed, catching my breath as I finallyy on the cool surface of the ground floor.r


    It took some time because I had to pick up all the cores, while also taking care of my enemies. But,pared to the King, they were nothing!r


    ¡°Jeremy!¡± A flustered voice called out to me in relief.r


    Even in my exhausted state, I knew quite well who it was.r


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re back!¡± Paul cried, running toward me.r


    I gave a tired grin and nodded, causing tears to well up in his eyes.r


    ¡°I knew it! I knew you wouldn¡¯t die there and abandon me just like that! I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re back!¡± He sobbed.r


    Well, I¡¯m not so sure about that. But, it felt slightly good to have someone care about my wellbeing, even if it was this idiot.r


    My eyes darted to the ground, where my endless supply of Demon Stones should have been, but they weren¡¯t.r


    ¡°Paul, where are my-¡± I was about to say, before my eyes picked up a huge pile, some distance from the two of us.r


    ¡°Hehe, since you took so long returning, I picked all the Cores and ced them in a single ce.¡± He beamed.r


    I wasn¡¯t expecting this. For the first time, Paul took the initiative and picked my stuff instead of hiding like a coward.r


    ¡°Not bad¡­¡± I smiled, getting up from the ground.r


    ¡°You did well¡±r


    He smiled widely upon hearing my praise, chuckling even more.r


    Paul¡¯s eyes darted to therge hole leading to the underground hell I just came out from, staring at it curiously.r


    ¡°Just what kind of monster was down there¡­ From up here, I could hear the sounds and vibrations¡­¡± He mumbled, drawing closer to the gaping hole.r


    He seemed more confident now, being able to approach such a dangerous site so casually.r


    ¡°The monsters were strong, but I killed them all¡­ mostly¡± I responded in a whisper.r


    ¡°Mostly¡­?¡±r


    Before Paul couldplete his line of thought, I gently tapped him, causing his body to lose bnce instantly.r


    ¡°¡­ Eh-?!¡± His eyes widened in shock as he couldn¡¯t believe what was happening.r


    I watched as he fell into the hole, plunging into the abyss that led to where I crawled out from. His surprised expression was full of confusion and shock, puzzled by why I would do such a thing.r


    ¡°This is where we part ways, Paul.¡± I smiled, watching him disappear into the darkness he sank into.r


    ¡°J-Jeremyyyyy!!!¡± His voice echoed from within the hole, but I ignored it, turning to face my neatly stacked-up pile of resources.r


    No hard feelings, but it was inevitable.r


    Paul was a momentary ally due to his abilities, but from this point on, I no longer needed him.r


    The drops I obtained were much more effective than anything he was currently able to produce, and since he was still in Level 1, he would have been a very annoying liability on the battlefield.r


    Sure, I could level him up, but that would take a lot of time, and I would have to share my Exp with him.r


    ¡°That¡¯s uneptable! My first priority is growing stronger. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m investing my resources on a human whose nature is unpredictable.¡± I muttered, convincing myself of my actions.r


    I turned back once again and looked at the hole. Judging by the depth, there was a small chance he would survive the fall.r


    Even if he had been a Level 1, Paul was still a Gifted, and all his Stats were considerably better than a normal human¡¯s.r


    Also, I killed most of the Demons within the hole, leaving only about three to finish the job. They weren¡¯t going to give me much Exp anyway.r


    If he manages to kill them and survive, then I would have been doing him a favor. But, knowing Paul¡¯s personality, he¡¯ll die.r


    ¡°Ultimately, the choice is yours¡­ Paul¡±r


    My hands steadily touched the pile that he had meticulously prepared for me and all my Demon cores went to their respective slots.r


    I haven¡¯t had the time to check my stats and all, so I might as well do that now¡­ after all, I¡¯m so exhausted!r


    ¡°S-status Window!¡±r

 Chapter 35 Ecstacy

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s so much now.¡± I smiled, looking at therge amount of Demon Cores I possessed.r


    After passing out for a short while to regain my strength, I woke up to the same empty ground floor which had been devastated by the desperate battle I experienced not so long ago.r


    Observing the items in my [Subspace] once again, I couldn¡¯t control the smile that slowly formed on my face.r


    To think that I would progress this much in merely a couple of days.r


    It has been a few weeks since I returned to the world, and I have grown so much from the scared little brat I was.r


    ¡°But, there¡¯s still more¡­¡±r


    I looked at the entrance a small distance from where I sat, already feeling the nostalgic sensation of freedom course through me.r


    However¡­r


    ¡°No, not yet¡­ I¡¯m not done yet!¡±r


    I can¡¯t be in too much of a rush! The outside world was definitely more dangerous than I could predict with only my experience in the Sacred Hall to rely on. Besides, days have passed since I wasst there, so I don¡¯t know how much has changed.r


    There will be so much to do, and I won¡¯t have time to procure many materials and any necessity I might need.r


    Which is why I have to make sure everything is set before I leave.r


    After looking at my Status Window, I was now aware of new things that I didn¡¯t know in the past.r


    For example, my (G) Karma Points have increased. My Karma Points have also increased. However, my (G) Factor has reduced from its usual ¡¯90¡¯, to ¡¯70¡¯.r<sub>.</sub>


    There are still a lot of mysteries concerning the (G) parts of my Status, but I¡¯m slowly learning.r


    ¡°First things first!¡± I said, excitedly jumping on my feet.r


    I have sessfully cleared this building, but that doesn¡¯t mean I have exploited this ce to its limits!r


    ¡°I¡¯ll search every single room in here, look for anything that can be remotely useful to me, and take them all!. Raw materials, weapons, equipment, utilities¡­ Everything here is mine!¡±r


    It was only natural, after all, I defeated the Boss Monster myself.r


    There should still be a few Demons roaming the hallways, and since I started my journey from the third floor, I never got to see the monsters on the higher ones. I suppose this was an opportunity.r


    However, after experiencing the hell of fighting more dangerous monsters, I doubt the ones left would pose much of a threat to me.r


    ¡°Still, I won¡¯t let my guard down!¡±r


    Looking at the dreary stairs ahead of me, I walked toward them with anticipation, abandoning the exit for the time being. After all, I can leave whenever I want!r


    There¡¯s so much waiting for me above. I¡¯ll make the best of everything here! With that, I ascended the stairs in a sh.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s go grind some more!¡±r


    [Several Days Later]r


    Raising my trembling hands, I pushed the badly damaged doors slightly, causing them to creak and make way for me to pass through.r<sub></sub>


    The wide space was more than enough to amodate my frame as I advanced.r


    A rush of air swept in as I stepped my foot outside the walls of the building that entrapped me, weing my exhausted self into the outside world.r


    I could have chosen to rest after my unending days of searching, training, discovery, and so much more. But, the excitement of the world beyond intrigued me. So much so that I finally gave in to the temptation and exposed myself to the rest of the world for the first time in seemingly forever.r


    My eyes stung, but I opened them anyway, taking in the devastating state of everything around me.r


    ¡°So¡­ This is my new reality¡­¡± I muttered.r


    Most would tremble and falter in response to the sight I received, but not me!r


    Suddenly, I started to chuckle. I tried to stop myself in futility as it only grew more.r


    ¡°Kekekekekekeke¡± I cackled.r


    My body throbbed as I shook uncontrobly, unable to stop myself.r


    Amidst this chaos and destruction, the world going to hell, I couldn¡¯t help myself or cage in the boundless sensations of thrill that consumed me from the inside.r


    ¡°Kuahahahahahaha!!!¡± Iughed even more, my voice rising even higher, filling my immediate vicinity.r


    My blood-mired face had a satisfied look, and I could tell that my eyes gleamed in delight. My heart raced with excitement, pounding at a thrilling pace.r


    I have never felt so alive.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Ah, this sight is¡­ so beautiful!¡±r


    For a brief moment, though the fear and panic remained, I took in the pain and suffering experienced by the countless others who lived in this era and i couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased.r


    Knowing that everyone was miserable, living in such difort, made me happy. My fantasies finally were materialized¡­ The world finally experienced the same terror I felt every day.r


    Looking back now, I suppose I was right¡­ I was a pathetic loser who was worth nothing but to be trampled on.r


    But, that all changed when the ¡®Miracle¡¯ urred. The Hell only I saw became a reality to everyone else. And, in order to survive in such a harsh world, everyone desperately strived.r


    The only one who could actually feel at home in such a world filled with destruction, carnage, and malice¡­ was me.r


    After all¡­r


    ¡°This is just another day to me¡­ Hell!¡±r


    With my Gift, and my experience¡­ I have decided to survive in this new world¡­ Not just that, I will make my paradise in this purgatory, and stand at the very top.r


    It was now my turn to possess everything¡­ I don¡¯t care about anyone else, they¡¯re disposable anyway.r


    Such is my new fate¡­ The fate of the Hoarderr


    Calling this new, sublime feeling satisfactory would be an understatement.r


    I felt ecstatic!r


    ¡°Finally, judgment day hase!¡±r


    [Meanwhile]r


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± A voice croaked in the darkness.r


    Blood filled the ground, and a man stood by himself as he red at the final foe he would face.r


    The rest of his opponents were dead, killed by the contraption he had on his hand.r


    Raising the object, he tightly gripped it as if his life depended on it, which it did.r


    ¡°I won¡¯t die here! I won¡¯t die here! I won¡¯t die here!¡± He kept mumbling to himself, saying the mantra that had ensured his survival for so long.r


    He pointed the only weapon he had on him and red at thest Demon, who returned the same expression. The monster had already been wounded by a few shots already fired by him.r


    It would soon die!r


    ¡°Guruuukkk¡­.¡± It made a final attempt of struggle.r


    It didn¡¯t want to go down alone, at the very least.r


    >Fwooosh<r


    Leaping from the ground, itunched toward the trembling young man, aiming to tear his head off. However¡­r


    >KPA!<r


    >KPA!<r


    >KPA!<r


    Three shots were fired in session, riddling holes in the body of the beast, nearly killing it.r


    ¡°Die! Die! Die!¡± The man madly said with each shot fired, grinning maniacally at the monster who was already down.r


    Blood oozed from the dying beast as the end of its life neared.r


    The man slowly walked, limping as he approached the monster. He kept his hand on the trigger of his gun and had his eyes transfixed on the Demon.r


    Finally a few centimeters from it, he pointed his weapon at its head.r


    ¡°Die!¡±r


    With one final shot, he killed it. Blood sttered out, and in a few moments, the demon turned to dust.r


    ¡°Haaa¡­ This is thest one¡­¡± He said to himself in relief.r


    Looking above him, he saw therge hole in the ceiling which was his only escape from the ce he was currently in.r


    ¡°How long has it been? I have no idea¡­ But¡­¡±r


    He had not forgotten. There was only one thing that kept him alive and sane in a pit of hell such as this. The thought of revenge and rage that continued to consume him served as his sustenance.r


    ¡°Jeremy Lewis¡­ I¡¯ming for you!¡±r

 Chapter 36 The Outside World

    ¡°Urgh! I still can¡¯t get used to this¡­¡± A girl said.r


    She appeared to be in her early twenties, wearing a tight outfit that was coupled with several survival equipment.r


    Alongside her were four other individuals. Three more boys and a girl. They had different attires, but their pieces of equipment were simr to thedy¡¯s, who appeared to be the leader.r


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, also keep your voice down!¡± One of her members cautioned loudly, looking around him nervously.r


    Instantly, she shot him a dirty look, and he fell silent instead.r


    ¡°You¡¯re the one making noise, stupid. Take your own advice¡­¡± She stated, her voice trailing as she looked around her in observation.r


    Nothing appeared out of the ordinary that is, if one could ssify the sight before her as normal.r


    Several buildings had copsed, and mes burned on several others. The air had a choked up feeling to it, but everyone was used to it. The scorching heat of the sun, coupled with the harsh winds that blew asionally made the group slightly tired after journeying for some time.r


    ¡°Oi, Ana¡­ are you sure we¡¯ll find anything, at this rate?¡± The younger girl asked, also appearing nervous.r


    The leader, whose name was called looked behind her in reassurance.r


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lily, there has to be something we can find¡­¡± Ana smiled.r


    Even though she wasn¡¯t so certain of their sess, Ana had to have faith and encourage every member of her squad.r


    There was no choice in the matter. Whether they liked it or not, they had to gain something from their expedition. If they didn¡¯t¡­r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°The camp is running out of supplies, you know¡­ that¡¯s why they¡¯ve also enlisted you, Lily. This is your first expedition, so I can see why you¡¯re nervous.¡± Ana mumbled, still moving forward, taking cover among the rubble as they advanced to their destination.r


    ¡°But, there¡¯s really nothing to be frightened about. As long as we take caution, we won¡¯t have to face the Demons. And even if we do¡­ we can always use our Gifts and teamwork to fight!¡± Ana smiled.r


    Every member of her team nodded in response, and even Lily who was still nervous nodded.r


    She had faith in Ana, who was like a big sister to her. Ana always catered for her in the camp, and even when they decided to assign her to an expedition team, Ana ensured she was ced in her group.r


    ¡°All we need is more supplies. Better yet, if we find a residence still standing, or a store that hasn¡¯t been piged yet.¡± Ana mumbled.r


    Since this was near a red zone, she doubted many people would dare venture so far. This made it the perfect ce to search for untapped resources.r


    ¡°L-leader¡­ there!¡± Lily said, her eyes shining brightly.r


    Ana followed the finger of the young girl, looking in the direction of where she had pointed to.r


    Her face beamed instantly as she saw a vending machine erected a couple of meters from them. She didn¡¯t know the contents due to its distance, but from the design, it had to have been a snacks station.r


    ¡°Finally!¡±r


    Since their journey which they had began hours ago, they had not encountered a single trace of supplies that could be useful in any way. Frankly, Ana knew her group was close to giving up.r


    ¡°We can¡¯t just go back¡­ not without something with us!¡± She had thought in panic.r<sub></sub>


    That would mean they wasted the supplies of the camp without yielding the right results. The punishment that came with that was something she didn¡¯t want for herself or her team.r


    However, finally, it happened! They saw a miracle!r


    ¡°Members, assemble! Be careful while approaching. Target is in sight!¡± She said.r


    The group nodded affirmatively.r


    Instantly, they picked up their pace and approached the vending machine. Excited smiles formed on their faces as they saw the contraption standing among destroyed properties and rotting furniture.r


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM<r


    Arge explosion suddenly erupted a couple of distances behind them.r


    ¡°W-wha-?!¡± Ana let out in shock, confused by the random explosion.r


    Before she could answer the question in her head, the danger that everyone had feared and avoided for so long emerged.r


    ¡°ROAARRRRRRRRR!!!¡± Arge creature appeared, letting out a frightening bellow.r


    The sound reverberated in the ears of the group, sending vibrations coursing through their bodies.r


    ¡°Ahhh! Shit, no way! How did that-?!¡±r<sub></sub>


    As Ana saw the beast standing, some distance away from them, the monster¡¯s eyes went towards the group, sighting them instantly.r


    ¡°D-demon!!!¡± Lily yelled in horror, letting her fright take over her.r


    ¡°Grarrrrrr!!!¡± The monster growled, beginning its mad rush for the humans who stood stunned by its presence.r


    Even though the Vending machine was closer to them, judging by the monster¡¯s speed Ana knew they couldn¡¯t get to the contraption in time. Even if they managed to escape, it would mean abandoning the food source that they had sought for so long and returning to the camp with no results.r


    ¡°No! We need it¡­ we need that machine!¡± Ana stated, clenching her fist.r


    The group members looked at their leader in disbelief, expecting her to have made an order to retreat.r


    ¡°Ana, are you crazy?!¡±r


    ¡°L-lets run!¡±r


    ¡°We can find another one!¡±r


    ¡°D-demon¡­¡±r


    As their scared voices echoed in her head, she had a decision to make; Listen to her team and abandon the mission, or stand their ground and risk their lives to win.r


    However, even if they chose the former, there was a slim chance of escape. No matter how she looked at it, there was no way they could avoid a fight.r


    ¡°We stay¡­ and fight!¡± She ordered, her eyes glowing yellow to activate her Gift.r


    Before she was done, the system warning appeared on her face, indicating the close proximity of the Demon.r


    [System Alert]r


    <Danger>r


    -tName: Hell Ogrer


    -tLevel: 39r


    -tRace: Demon (Lesser)              ¨C Grade: 1r


    -tAge: 25 Daysr


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 3000/3,000r


    -tMP: 400r


    -tStrenght: 2,000r


    -tAgility: 600r


    -tVitality: 3,000r


    -tIntelligence: 20r


    [End Of Information]r


    ¡°N-no way¡­ this is¡­ this Demon is¡­¡± Ana¡¯s eyes bulged in shock.r


    Her body began to tremble in fright, but desperation could not allow her to back down at this point.r


    Besides, the moment it got so close to them, every chance of escape had vanished.r


    ¡°Everyone¡­ on my mark, we ATTACK!¡± Ana yelled.r


    [Meanwhile]r


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡±r


    As I sat atop one of the barely standing buildings, a safe distance from the fight, I used my binocrs to watch what was going on beneath me.r


    It was quite a fascinating sight, my first time watching Gifteds battle Demons since I returned from the Sacred Hall.r


    A wide grin formed on my face as Iid belly t on the ground in anticipation of the sh.r


    ¡°It was worth it setting all this up. Now then¡­ show me what you¡¯ve got!¡±r

 Chapter 37 Salvaging

    ¡°It was worth it setting all this up. Now then¡­ show me what you¡¯ve got!¡± I grinned amusedly.r


    [Some Moments Ago]r


    After conquering my entire building and stepping foot outside, I was greeted with silence. A dreary feeling of solitude seemed to permeate my body, making my skin tingle.r


    Looking around me, even with my heightened senses, I could sense no one for miles.r


    ¡°Am I the only one in the area?¡±r


    After walking a small distance from my apartment building, I nced around and saw simr structures, some of which were still erect while some had copsed.r


    Surprisingly, I saw or felt no monster nearby.r


    Why was my apartment different, then? I had a fair idea.r


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the Gate that spawned in that hole, and that boss monster.¡±r


    Having made my apartment their base, they were bound by their territory, and even when they suffered the Status Condition of <Hunger>, they were not permitted to leave.r


    ¡®I suppose there are no other Demons of that kind here¡­¡¯r<sub>.</sub>


    Still, the chilly memory of those overwhelmingly powerful monsters made me shudder a little.r


    ¡®I wonder¡­ If I saw those monsters now, how would I react?¡¯ I thought.r


    The question was somewhat pointless since I had no way to measure my strength. The only references I had were from the Sacred Hall, and to be honest neither of the Demons I saw that day matched any I had seen while with God.r


    ¡°The only way topare is bying in contact with more Demons, and even other Gifteds¡­ I need to know how much I¡¯ve improved and how far I need to go¡­¡± I mumbled.r


    ¡®Welp, why don¡¯t I check the other buildings for anything I can use!¡¯r


    Using my speed to navigate the apartments and my senses to detect any enemy, I checked every nook and cranny of the building. It didn¡¯t take me very long,pared to my own.r


    ¡®How surprising¡­ there really are no Demons here¡­¡¯ I noticed as I took different supplies.r


    One of my lucky finds was an excellent and functional pair of binocrs.r


    ¡°Sweet!¡± I beamed, ncing at the ck-colored treasure in my hands.r


    Not only was it cool, but it served a special purpose concerning my Gift, [Subspace].r<sub></sub>


    Since it wasn¡¯t heavy, and appeared somewhat stylish in my opinion, I hung it on my neck, being able to ess it anytime I wanted without relying on [Subspace].r


    After I conquered a building, I went on to the next, enjoying my excursion as much as I could. It was a little boring that I did not encounter a single monster as I swept through the outside world, but I didn¡¯t let that get to me.r


    ¡°I deserve a little break after all that marathon of hunting the Kobolds, don¡¯t I?¡±r


    Still, it bothered me that the world was not as chaotic as I imagined, or saw in the Sacred Hall. For one, too many buildings were still standing, and the fact that the whole ce wasn¡¯t crawling with monsters made me anxious.r


    Even though there was fire and chaos around, it wasn¡¯t to the point of the hell I¡¯d witnessed back then.r


    But, since I was making progress by gathering supplies and useful materials, I didn¡¯t let it distract me too much.r


    After searching three of the five other buildings nearby without rest, seeing some very interesting things, I entered the fourth.r


    Looking at the ce, it appeared to be a center for children, perhaps an educational institute. Having charts with different drawings, some of whichbeled animal parts, learning the alphabets, numerical figures, and the likes.r


    ¡®Like that will do any good now,¡¯ I mused.r


    Initially thinking I would hardly see anything useful in the building, I was a little hesitant to proceed with my search.r<sub></sub>


    ¡®I could check this onest¡­ or should I simply go for thest one now?¡¯r


    However, since I was already here, I decided to get it over with.r


    ¡°I¡¯ll eventually have to do it anyway, might as well get it over with now¡­¡± I grumbled, my voice echoing across the building.r


    After walking across the hallway of the ground floor for a little while, my eyes caught something by the side of a door, stuck to the wall.r


    In a sh, my body darted to its position.r


    ¡°Oh? This was here as well?¡± I mumbled, seeing a vending machine before me.r


    It looked somewhat old and dusty since it hadn¡¯t  been tended to in a while in such an empty, dark building, but the contents within it still appeared good.r


    ¡®The snacks put in vending machines are made tost long, after all¡­¡¯r


    They weren¡¯t highly nutritious goods, but being rich in salt and fat, coupled with high carbohydrates made them ideal for energy conservation.r


    ¡®Plus, they all taste so damn good!¡¯r


    Licking my lips in excitement, my hands slowly approached the machine, when I suddenly heard a sound.r


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, also keep your voice down!¡±r


    ¡®This is¡­!!!¡¯ My head rang.r


    Since I tried to use the most extreme amount of caution, I spread my senses to its limit to catch any sound or movement around, and this was the first I had gotten so far, well, except for that ¡®other guy¡¯.r


    Straining my ears to pick up more of what was happening with the humans that were conversing, I closed my eyes.r


    ¡°You¡¯re the one making noise, stupid. Take your own advice¡­¡±r


    With that, I was certain!r


    ¡°Other Gifteds, and they are close!¡± I beamed.r


    Well, close for me meant nearly a hundred meters.r


    Quickly tapping the Vending machine, putting it within my Subspace, I made for the roof of the building, abandoning my earlier mission of taking everything I could find.r


    ¡°This is more important!¡±r


    Finally, at the t roof of the building, I used my binocrs and spotted the group of five humans walking cautiously among the rubble around. They appeared to be searching for something, and I knew what it was quite well.r


    ¡°Supplies, uh? Interesting¡­ they just had to arrive while I was busy.¡± A grin formed on my face.r


    Since a lot had been bothering me concerning the little differences of my surroundingspared to what I saw in the Sacred Hall, and how the other Gifteds were, this was the right opportunity to test out my theories.r


    Unlike before, when I was still a desperate boy trying to learn the basics of my Gift, I had made considerable progress and even upgraded [Subspace] to a D Rank Gift.r


    One of the new perks that came with that upgrade, other than additional Slots, was the removal of distance limitations.r


    ¡°Meaning, as long as I can see my target, whether they are close by or far away, I can make any item in [Subspace] appear there!¡±r


    A sharp glint appeared in my eyes, indicating a somewhat naughty scheme formting in my head.r


    ¡®Yeah, let¡¯s try that one!¡¯r

 Chapter 38 Realization

    ¡®Why don¡¯t I try using that¡­?¡¯ My thoughts trailed, remembering a means I had devised in case of situations like this.r


    I had to be careful though. Since they were members of an expedition team, that meant they possessed one of the greatest assault capabilities in the camp they came from.r


    From my memories in the Sacred Hall, groups were ssified into Ranks.r


    Even if they belonged to a lower rank, their strength would at least be on par with mine. That meant I couldn¡¯t make any unnecessary moves, else they would sense me too. Still¡­r


    Observing the group of Gifteds approach my location at a steady pace, their gear and outfits didn¡¯t match what I was used to.r


    ¡°They barely have any enhancements¡­ and the strongest energy I can sense is from the woman who appears to be the leader. What¡¯s going on?¡± I whispered.r


    ¡®Well, no use thinking about that now. I¡¯ll soon find out, anyway!¡¯r


    I currently had 10 Skills overall, a few of which I obtained after obtaining my ¡®Job¡¯ as a thief. Having to no longer summon my Subspace and tap on the selected item of use, I only needed to say the magic word.r


    ¡°Summon¡±r


    Instantly, the Vending machine I saw a few moments back appeared at the designated location I desired.r


    ¡®Perfect! Now let¡¯s see how they react!¡¯r


    Using my binocrs, I made sure to ce the contraption in a ce they would easily notice, drawing their attention to the scarce resource they were after.r


    Immediately, I saw one of the girls notice the Vending machine, alerting the rest.r


    ¡®Oh? That was quick! Is that the effect of her Gift?¡¯ I reasoned.r


    ¡°L-leader¡­ there!¡± Her tiny voice rang in my ear.r


    ¡®Welp, it doesn¡¯t matter. They¡¯ve taken the bait. It¡¯s time for step two!¡¯r


    As the group happily advanced to the object I set before them, my mind went to the ¡®guy¡¯ I had sensed a while back. It was the only one in the area, but at that moment it was asleep, and I really didn¡¯t want to engage it at the moment since I was having my fun too.r


    Another thing I did, alongside exploring the grounds, was spread many of the Demon Cores in my possession around the vicinity. In a situation whereby I be surrounded or caught by an unprecedented assault, I could easily activate the Demon Core explosion, likendmines which would serve as a surprise attack to my opponents.r


    ¡®To think I would use them like this instead. Oh well¡­¡¯r


    ¡°Boom¡± I let out with a grin.r


    Instantly sending my mana to the nearest Demon Cores behind the group, I caused a chain reaction among my little bombs.r


    >BOOOOOOOMMMMM!<r


    The sound was amplified due to my heightened senses, and I could feel the vibration in the air as clouds of smoke rose from the site of the st.r


    The ¡®guy¡¯ who was asleep suddenly woke up, letting out an angry growl for the disturbance. Of course, I was referring to a Demon.r


    ¡°GROOOOOWWWWLLLL!¡±r


    The group became flustered and slightly frightened by the Demon¡¯s presence, making me smile more in anticipation.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s test out your strength¡­ dance for me, everyone!¡±r


    But, to my surprise, the group grew even more afraid and appeared not to have a desire to fight the monster who was rapidly charging toward them.r


    ¡®What¡¯s the holdup?! It¡¯s just a Grade 1 Demon, not a Boss or anything like that. You¡¯re the Expedition team, right? Deal with it!¡¯ I thought in slight annoyance.r<sub>.</sub>


    After what seemed like a deep moment of consideration, the leader decided to fight. However, her team was not so convinced.r


    Still, the Demon had closed in on them, leavingbat the only choice avable to them if they desired to live.r


    ¡°Everyone¡­ on my mark, we ATTACK!¡± The leader shouted.r


    ¡°At least she has some backbone. Despite their earlier hesitation, they¡¯re still an assault team. Maybe they¡¯re new at this, that¡¯s why they reacted that way. But now it seems they¡¯re ready to fight.¡± I thought.r


    ¡°This should be an interesting fight, nheless¡­¡±r


    Or so I thought.r


    [The Present]r


    ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡± I whispered,pletely shocked by the sight I witnessed.r


    All five members of the Expedition team were exhausted, heaving in desperation as they struggled to remain conscious.r


    Four of them were on the ground, holding their injuries as they huffed, while thest one standing, their leader, was battered with countless bruises.r


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t lost her fighting spirit, but¡­ at this rate¡­¡±r


    The entire scenario was different from how I expected it to y out. I clearly remembered that the barest minimum for being on an expedition team was being in Level 100.r


    They also needed to possess the Gifts and Skills necessary forbat and obtaining supplies.r


    However, what was this nonsense I was seeing?r


    Focusing on the monster, I could tell what kind of Demon it was.r


    [System Alert]r


    -tName: Hell Ogrer


    -tLevel: 39r


    -tRace: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 1r


    -tAge: 25 Daysr


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 3000/3,000r


    -tMP: 400r


    -tStrenght: 2,000r


    -tAgility: 600r


    -tVitality: 3,000r


    -tIntelligence: 20r


    [End Of Information]r<sub></sub>


    This was what they were finding so hard to handle? All five of them?r


    ncing at their Status Information for the first time, I could finally tell why.r


    ¡°This is¡­ don¡¯t tell me, they¡¯re actually this weak?!¡± I eximed.r


    I covered my mouth as an afterthought, thinking they would sense me if I raised my voice too much, I noticed that none of them did.r


    ¡°So, not only is their fighting power low, but their detection skills are also trash. This isn¡¯t what I expected.¡±r


    I fought so hard in my apartment, trying as much as possible to reach the barest minimum I needed to survive in the outside world, only to be greeted by this underwhelming sight?r


    ¡°Status Window¡±r


    ¡°Skill Window¡±r


    ¡°[Subspace] Summary¡±r


    Three different windows appeared before me as Ipared my current abilities with theirs.r


    [STATUS INFORMATION]r


    -tName: Jeremy Lewisr


    -tLevel: 102 ¨C Exp: 30.61r


    -tRace: Human ¨C Job: Thiefr


    -tAge: 16 Yearsr


    -tSex: Maler


    -tHeight: 5¡å 3. ¨C Weight: 115 poundsr


    -tAlignment: Chaotic Neutralr


    -tKarma Points: 500r


    -t(G) Karma Points: 100r


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 5,200/5,200r


    -tMP: 1,000/1,000r


    -tStrenght: 1,070r


    -tAgility: 5,400r


    -tVitality: 5,200r


    -tIntelligence: 15,800r


    -t(G) Factor: 70r<sub></sub>


    -tGift: [Subspace]r


    -tItems Equipped: Noner


    -tAllies: Noner


    [Additional Information]r


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.r


    [End Of Information]r


    [SKILLS]r


    -tYou Currently Possess 12 Skill Slotsr


    ?tSlot 1 ¨C <w Attack>r


    ?tSlot 2 ¨C <Spike Attack>r


    ?tSlot 3 ¨C <Venomous Spikes>r


    ?tSlot 4 ¨C <Steal>r


    ?tSlot 5 ¨C <Recall>r


    ?tSlot 6 ¨C <Summon>r


    ?tSlot 7 ¨C <Roar>r


    ?tSlot 8 ¨C <Rule>r


    ?tSlot 9 ¨C <Spike Skin>r


    ?tSlot 10 ¨C <Aura>r


    ?tSlot 11 ¨C <Empty>r


    ?tSlot 12 ¨C <Empty>r


    [Skill Slots Will Be Added As Your Level Increases]r


    [SUBSPACE]r


    <Special Items Possessed>r


    Name: Hell Kobold King¡¯s Toothr


    Rank: F+r


    Level: 1(Upgradable)r


    Strength: 600r


    Durability: 5,900r


    Core Power: 1,200r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [.]r


    Name: Hell Kobold King¡¯s wsr


    Rank: F+r


    Level: 1(Upgradable)r


    Strength: 1,000r


    Durability: 7,000r


    Core Power: 2,000r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [.]r


    Name: Enhanced Daggers (Core 1) ¡Á100r


    Rank: Fr


    Level: 1r


    Strength: 20r


    Durability: 200r


    Core Power: 60r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [.]r


    Name: Enhanced Daggers (Core 2) ¡Á 50r


    Rank: Fr


    Level: 3r


    Strength: 60r


    Durability: 600r


    Core Power: 180r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [.]r


    Name: Enhanced Sword (Core 5)r


    Rank: F+r


    Level: 10 (Max)r


    Strength: 500r


    Durability: 5,000r


    Core Power: 700r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [Other Items]r


    -tRegr Weapons (Knives, Clubs, Swords, etc.)r


    -tMakeshift Weapons (Metal Rods etc.)r


    -tFoodr


    -tWaterr


    -tClothingr


    -tessoriesr


    -tSurvival Suppliesr


    -tFirst Aidr


    -tMediciner


    -tFurniturer


    -tFridges/Freezersr


    -tInverterr


    -tSr Panelr


    -tGeneratorr


    -tChemicalsr


    -tGasoline/Fuelr


    -tGas Cylindersr


    -tJuice and Winer


    -tMisceneousr


    [See More]r


    Giving a deep sigh, I finally figured it out. The reason for the disparity between my Level and theirs, and how it appeared as though they were weak.r


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­ what a predicament¡±r

 Chapter 39 A New Resolution

    The Sacred Hall, a ce that exists in another dimension outside the bounds of space and time.r


    As the domain of God, where He watches the world, this magnificent ce has no concept orws that bind the world.r


    Imagination is transformed into reality, exhaustion and difort do not exist. Hunger is absent as well, and boredom has been removed due to the medium of entertainment avable in the holy ce.r


    The Golden Screen, also known as the World¡¯s Mirror. Using this means, one can observe any person, ce, or thing that exists in the world.r


    I suppose this was how God kept track of everything that goes on in everyone¡¯s lives. The famed omniscience that is attributed to his deity was all because of a screen that projects all events to him.r


    As I spent my days in the Sacred Hall, having my fill of the events of the world, I did not concern myself with time, since such a concept did not exist there.r


    I was only engrossed with my desire of watching the final struggle of humanity. Spraying blood and endless piles of corpses, despairing sights and the very personification of battles, such were the contents of therge screen I looked at without any restriction.r


    While I watched mankind suffer in the hands of the Demons, I did not feel remorse for my race, nor anger toward the Demons. Only two emotions were constant in my time there. Gratitude for not being among the humans in their war against the Demons¡­ and absolute pleasure in the sight of pain.r


    Ah, how I wished for that moment tost forever¡­r<sub>.</sub>


    But, it seemed God had a different idea. My time there was short-lived.r


    ¡°NOT ONLY ARE YOU LAZY, BUT YOU ARE ALSO  A DISORDERLY AND CARELESS MAN. YOU ARE SLUGGISH, SLOTHFUL, UNMOTIVATED, RUDE¡­ HAVING YOU HERE IS TOO UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ME¡­ YOU MUST LEAVE MY SACRED HALL!¡±r


    The unreasonable old fart evicted me from the Sacred Hall without any notice, forcing me to return to the miserable world I enjoyed watching.r


    Of course, I would be terrified. Judging my circumstances by the events I saw, there was no way I wouldn¡¯t be scared.r


    The Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the several trials, and the ugliness of human nature brought about by the desperate circumstances surrounding the denizens of Earth¡­ all of the horrors I enjoyed from a distance would now be my reality.r


    Or so I thought¡­r


    ¡°This world¡­ is different from what I expected¡­¡± I mumbled, taking a closer look around me.r


    For the first time, I finally understood, remembering one of the earliest memories I had in the Sacred Hall.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°This is the past¡­ everything I saw back then¡­ they haven¡¯t happened yet!¡±r


    With this realization, a new understanding permeated my troubled mind and in an instant, my questions were answered.r


    Since the Sacred Hall had no factor of time, I was able to return some days after I was summoned.r


    However, ording to how long I spent there and watched Earth, it must have been several years ahead.r


    ¡®It¡¯s almost unbelievable, but it¡¯s true¡­ I remember now¡­¡¯r


    It felt like my head was being cleared up, and what seemed to fog my mind dissipated.r


    I was too focused on survival and fear, always on the run and thinking of my goal and the next step that I didn¡¯t pause to take in everything I had learned.r


    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s due to my high intelligence stat, but a lot of my memories are more vivid than before. It¡¯s almost as clear as day.¡¯r<sub></sub>


    ¡°This entire area was razed to the ground by ¡®War¡¯ wasn¡¯t it? Why didn¡¯t I find it strange that I appeared here, with nearly everything being intact?¡±r


    While mumbling, my mind went to the Demons I first saw when I awoke. The reason I don¡¯t recognize them, even till this moment, is because their kind must have grown extinct when I became more observant of the Demons.r


    ¡®More powerful ones areing¡­¡¯ I suddenly shuddered.r


    The sufferings I faced in my apartment would be nothingpared to the Demons that I would have to survive in theing times.r


    ¡®Fortunately, my Level is quite high right now. If I use the memories I have well, and take even more supplies and necessary resources, I should be able to manage.¡¯r


    ¡°I may not have an Overpowered Gift like those lucky bastards, and I definitely can¡¯t warp reality or generate sr nexuses, but¡­ with this [Subspace] Gift of mine, I¡¯ll be the most OP person here!¡± I dered with a wide grin.r


    ¡°Kyaaaaaa!!!¡± The voice of the expedition team¡¯s leader cut into my resolution, snapping me out of my very long line of thought.r


    ¡°Ah, I forgot about those guys¡­¡±r


    The leader was sent flying, crashing into a pile of rubble as she spat out blood. Her body throbbed as she struggled to stand, but even I could tell that it was merely an act of bravado.r


    ¡°Several bones seem to be broken already, and her stamina should be depleted by now. Yet, she was still fighting. How¡­ how¡­¡±r


    ¡°¡­ How stupid can you be?¡± I grinned sadistically.r


    If she was smart, she would have ditched her team and allowed the Demon to feed on them while she escaped. Yet, she was standing like an idiot, waiting for the monster to kill her, and then proceed to finish off her teammates.r


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the height of stupidity? In the end, everyone dies!¡± I grumbled internally.r


    ¡®I can never understand idiots¡­¡¯r


    Even when I watched countless anime and read many novels, the actions of many Heroes and protagonists sickened me. If it weren¡¯t for the ¡®plot armor¡¯, they would be long dead.r


    Unlike those, this was the real world. No one in their logical mind would willingly sacrifice themselves to save another, especially when they didn¡¯t have enough strength to do so.r


    ¡°Ultimately, you won¡¯t protect anything and just die along with everyone else. Stupid!¡±r


    Looking at the team, they weren¡¯t going tost another minute. Some of them were losing blood, while the others would soon be eaten alive after the Demon was done with their leader.r


    While that would be interesting, in its own way, to watch¡­ I wasn¡¯t going to allow that this time.r


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t my concern whether the team lived or died, but¡­r


    ¡°Since I¡¯m in a good mood right now, I might as well offer some charity services!¡±r


    Of course, the profit I would gain was going to be immense, so it would be a win-win situation. Not a bad deal!r


    ¡°This reminds me of a bright idea¡­ it shoulde in handy¡­¡±r

 Chapter 40 Fierce Struggle

    ¡°Huff¡­ huff ..¡± Ana breathed heavily.r


    Her eyes were tired, and her whole body shuddered as she struggled to remain standing. Gripping her fists tightly, she resolved to keep fighting, hoping for a miracle to ur.r


    Her fierce expression softened as the monster approached her, exerting its dominant aura. The rest of her teammates were on the ground, groaning in pain as they powerlessly bled to death.r


    ¡°How did this happen¡­?!¡± She gritted her teeth.r


    Even though she thought they had a chance against the monster, Ana did not expect the beast to have an overpowering skill that allowed it to endure theirbined attacks.r


    ¡°Guarrrruuulkkk!¡± The ogre growled, licking its lips as the smell of Ana¡¯s sweat mixed with her blood pleasured the depraved Demon.r


    At this point, she only had enough energy to activate her Gift one final time.r


    Whether it would work or not, she had no idea, but she had to try!r


    ¡°[Armament]¡± Ana dered, mustering thest bit of her energy to summon the orange-colored cloak that covered her body.r


    Like bandages, her skin entire skin was enveloped in a brimming orange light, with her eyes giving off the same color.r


    ¡°Arrrghhh!!!¡± She let out, taking her stance as she prepared to attack.r


    The Demon paused, noticing the power she was amassing as a result of her desperation, and responded in kind.r


    ¡°Grrrrrrrruuuukkkk!!!¡±r


    Its body instantly became covered in energy, showing a low green aura.r


    ¡°Tch, it¡¯s that skill again¡­ but it¡¯s about time too. The Cooldown is off, I can finally use it again.¡± Ana mumbled.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°<Overdrive>¡±r


    Her orange armament instantly turned red, giving off a more powerful forcepared to the previous one.r


    Due to this, her stats vastly increased, and so did her confidence. No matter how powerful the Demon was, there was no way it could survive her greatest offensive move, especially after taking damage from everyone this far.r


    >VWOOOOSH<r


    Instantly dashing toward the Ogre, she prepared her fist for impact, gathering most of the energy she had on her feet to boost her speed, and both of her hands.r


    In a sh, she appeared behind the Ogre, taking advantage of its blind spot, andunched a volley of punches at it.r


    >POW<r


    >BAM<r


    >KAPOW<r


    Her fists flew, making an impact as they crashed into the hard skin of the Ogre.r


    ¡°GUWOOOOORHHHH!¡± The Demon screeched in pain, trying to attack the girl who assaulted it.r


    Noticing its movements, Anaunched her feet, pushing herself as she quickly maneuvered and dodged the monster¡¯s attack, appearing in front of it.r


    Now at the limit of her power, with a few seconds left before her Skill ended, she clenched her fist. Summoning her full energy, the entire crimson glow which permeated her body focused on her fist as sheunched it toward the Demon.r


    ¡°Graaaa!!!¡± She yelled.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Grukkkk?!!¡± The Demon screeched in panic, watching as the fiery fist neared it, having no speed to counterattack.r


    >BOOOOOOOMMM<r


    A wave of smoke swept up as a result of the impact, and the force exerted was enough to push Ana away from her location.r


    Losing her foothold, her body iled in the air beforending on a hard rock, a short distance from the st.r


    From her position, she could see herrades on the ground, hearing their groans, she felt guilty for not running away when they could.r


    ¡®We wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape though¡­ that¡¯s just how powerful this Demon is¡­¡¯ Her thoughts trailed.r


    She wasn¡¯t sure whether she had defeated the Hell Ogre finally, but every ounce of her being hoped so.r


    If not, everyone¡¯s demise was certain.r


    ¡°GURUUUUUUUKKK¡­¡± The Ogre¡¯s menacing sound echoed across the smoke, making her eyes widen in shock.r


    ¡°RAHHHHHH!!!¡± It yelled, clearing away the stirred dust in an instant.r


    Ana¡¯s eyes bulged, seeing the wounded Ogre before her, looking even more furious than ever.r


    ¡°It¡­ It survived¡­ b-but how?!¡± She eximed.r


    Suddenly, her eyes caught something that made everything clear to her.r


    The wounds on the Ogre slowly started healing, and all the dents she had made on its body as a result of her countless blows, even the hole on its chest caused by her final hit¡­ everything closed up.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°N-no way¡­ It healed¡­?!¡±r


    Instantly, red alerts popped into Ana¡¯s head as the Demon signal window appeared before her.r


    [System Alert]r


    <Danger>r


    <Danger>r


    <Danger>r


    -tName: Hell Ogrer


    -tLevel: 39r


    -tRace: Demon (Lesser)              ¨C Grade: 1r


    -tAge: 25 Daysr


    [Stats]r


    -tHP: 1,900/3,000 (¡Á2)r


    -tMP: 123/400 (¡Á2)r


    -tStrength: 1,124/2,000 (¡Á2)r


    -tAgility: 157/600 (¡Á2)r


    -tVitality: 1,780/3,000 (¡Á2)r


    -tIntelligence: 3/20 (¡Á2)r


    [Status Condition]r


    <Rage>r


    -tThe Demon ¡®Hell Ogre¡¯ possesses high animosity toward those who have harmed it. All current stats are multiplied by two for a limited period of 3 Minutes.r


    [Time Left: 2 Minutes 57 Seconds.]r


    [End Of Information]r


    Seeing this window made Ana¡¯s fighting spirit break down entirely.r


    Her body throbbed in pain, and she felt overwhelmed by despair. She had exhausted her two Skills and didn¡¯t have anything in her to activate her Gift.r


    As the leader, everyone depended on her, yet she had managed to fail them.r


    ¡°H¡­ h¡­ I¡¯m sorry everyone¡­ I¡¯m so¡­ sorry¡­¡± She sobbed, powerlessly waiting for the Ogre to approach and kill her.r


    The monster drew nearer, its shadow covering the light of the sun overhead.r


    However¡­r


    ¡°Interesting¡­ so this is an Ogre¡¯s regeneration. It¡¯s quite weak¡­¡± A voice suddenly echoed.r


    Ana¡¯s eyes widened as she did not recognize the voice.r


    No one was supposed to be anywhere near the area, and all her teammates were down. Besides, none of them sounded like what she was hearing.r


    ¡°GURRRRUUUUUKKKK!!!¡± The Ogre growled, looking beyond Ana¡¯s battered body.r


    Its eyes were focused on something above her, or rather¡­ someone!r


    Ana managed to raise her head, and the sight shocked her to the bone.r


    Standing atop the rock her back rested on, was a man. He possessed a mask covering his face, and with the hoodie coat he wore, most of his body was covered. ck gloves, alongside boots of the same color,plimented the rest of his attire.r


    ¡®W-who is that¡­?!¡¯ Was all her thoughts could produce.r


    Ana¡¯s blurry eyes couldn¡¯t make out much of the man¡¯s features, and the fact that he stood above her made his overwhelming presence nearly suffocate her tired body which refused to budge.r


    >SWISH<r


    The mysterious man brought out a sword that glowed crimson and was covered in a form of aura that made her shudder.r


    This was no ordinary de.r


    As she contemted more of what she was seeing in confusion, the masked man finally spoke up, having a deep voice of dominance in his tone.r


    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t take long¡­ let us begin, shall we?¡±r

 Chapter 41 Perfect Execution

    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 de 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<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®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<sub></sub>


    >WHOOOOSHH<r


    Instantly, my legs pushed against the rock and I dashed toward the monster, drawing my de 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 de 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<sub></sub>


    >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 red 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 wouldst 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 n, 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 sh, I left the ce, leaving behind no trace, except for what the group would owe me.r


    The Demon Core, and some first aid.r


    ¡°H¡­ h¡­ 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 pige 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 ipetent.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

 Chapter 42 Group Meeting

    Many hours passed since the monster¡¯s subjugation, and it was evening already.r


    Having nothing better to do at the moment, I observed the group from earlier. All the members were now awake and well-treated.r


    Still, they had a look of despair and shock written all over their faces. Having encountered death so closely for the first time, their nerves were wrecked and they still needed time to pull themselves together.r


    The leader, being the strongest of them all, physically and mentally, made for their prize while everyone rested.r


    What had caused them to stay instead of run? what was the reason for their expedition in the first ce, desire for resources?!r


    In this case, it was the Vending Machine that was bound to hold snacks for them to enjoy and take back to the camp.r


    Ana, the leader, approached the machine with excitement, drawing near it as she felt relieved.r


    Not only would they fulfill their quota, but she also got a new Skill thanks to the monster I defeated. Since she only absorbed the regeneration skill from the Demon Core, the purple stone remained.r


    ¡®She¡¯s going to take the Core to the camp, uh? How predictable.¡¯r


    As expected of a goody-two-shoes.r<sub>.</sub>


    Instead of using up all the power in the Demon Core for herself, she only took what was necessary.r


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she know the basics of survival? Well, seeing as she didn¡¯t run in the face of that monster, I guess not. Welp, it¡¯s none of my business!¡± I mumbled.r


    My concern was elsewhere.r


    ¡°W-what¡­. What is the meaning of this¡­?!¡± I suddenly heard her cracking voice.r


    A wide smile formed on my face. I had been looking forward to this moment, hoping to get a glimpse of the expression she would make when she reached this juncture.r


    ¡®So she¡¯s finally seen it¡­¡¯ I thought amusedly.r


    ¡°N-no way¡­ this Vending Machine¡­ is empty?!¡± She sobbed, nearly on the verge of tears.r


    ¡®Bingo!¡¯r


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to give them a box full of snacks for free. I had already emptied the stash before she arrived there, leaving an empty vending machine for her to im.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Hahahaha, this is hrious. Just look at her face!¡± Iughed, gaining pleasure from the disappointed and fearful look on the leader¡¯s face.r


    ¡®Consider this the price for your life and the Demon Core. Besides, in the first ce, the machine belongs to me. So¡­ I¡¯m definitely in the right!¡¯ I mused.r


    There was no need to feel guilty.r


    ¡°N-no¡­ everything we went through¡­ was for nothing?!¡± She broke down.r


    I brought out one of the snacks from my [Subspace] and enjoyed the salty vored crisps while watching her cry to herself.r


    The quality of entertainment wasn¡¯t as good as back in the Sacred Hall, but it was still pretty decent.r


    ¡®Ah, I¡¯ve missed seeing people so much. They¡¯re much more interesting than Demons!¡¯r


    ¡°Well then¡­ what will you do now?¡± I mumbled, crunching down the snack I shoved in my mouth.r


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± The group members all eximed as Ana broke the bad news to them.r<sub></sub>


    The leader had a sad, disappointed look on her face, and the reaction of her teammates didn¡¯t make her feel any better.r


    ¡°Y-you mean¡­ there¡¯s nothing there?!¡±r


    ¡°All of that was for nothing?¡±r


    ¡°I knew we should have run!¡±r


    ¡°We¡¯re so screwed. What will everyone at the camp think?¡±r


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go home¡­¡±r


    They mumbled and grumbled among themselves, causing Ana to contemte her next n.r


    There was still some time left before nightfall, but if they journeyed back to the Camp, they weren¡¯t going to make it until dark.r


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to camp here tonight¡­¡± Ana blurted out.r


    Her sudden speech caused a dead silence to ensue among everyone present.r


    ¡°W-WHAT?!¡± A deafening sound of disagreement was made by the group.r


    After barely surviving the onught of a single monster in the area, there was no way any of them would agree to spend the night in such a dangerous ce.r


    ¡°This is close to the red zone, Ana. Are you out of your mind?¡± One of the men, wearing sses, protested.r


    Ana remained silent, as though having conflicting thoughts on how to answer.r


    ¡°P-please let¡¯s hear her out. I¡¯m sure Ana has a good reason for this¡­¡± Lily blurted out nervously, trying to support the mentor she loved and trusted very much.r


    Of course, she was scared. Just like everyone present, Lily also experienced despair at the hands of the Demon that attacked them. However, Ana fought for them until the Demon was vanquished.r


    Even though she had mentioned a stranger saving them, Lily didn¡¯t know who he was, so all her gratitude went to her senior and big sister.r


    ¡°Thank you, Lily. It is as you¡¯ve said. There¡¯s a good reason for me to suggest this. Two, even.¡± Ana finally spoke.r


    Everyone looked at her attentively. Despite all that urred, she was still their leader, and the strongest of the group.r


    Not only was she more experienced in dealing with Demons, but her reasoning was also better than theirs. It was definitely in their best interest to hear her out.r


    ¡°Firstly, it¡¯s gettingte. We won¡¯t be able to get to the Camp before nightfall. As you know, these Demons are very unpredictable, especially at night. We¡¯ll be at a major disadvantage if we travel now. Plus, your wounds aren¡¯t fully healed, so you¡¯re in no shape to fight right now¡­¡± Ana said.r


    They all exchanged guilty nces at each other. She was right.r


    Not only were they weaker than she was, at the moment they were major liabilities. Yet, they wanted to take an even greater risk than the monster that attacked them.r


    ¡°¡­ As for the second reason. I have not lost hope that we can find resources. Hidden in one of these buildings must be food, clothing, and other useful materials we can obtain. So, while we take shelter in one of them, I will personally explore and look for anything we can take back to the Camp!¡±r


    Everyone stared at Ana in awe. Truly, there was no one else qualified to be their leader among them.r


    After all, she was absolutely right!r

 Chapter 43 Stalking

    ¡°¡­ As for the second reason. I have not lost hope that we can find resources. Hidden in one of these buildings must be food, clothing, and other useful materials we can obtain. So, while we take shelter in one of them, I will personally explore and look for anything we can take back to the Camp!¡±r


    Everyone stared at Ana in awe. Truly, there was no one else qualified to be their leader among them.r


    After all, she was absolutely right!r


    The group members could not argue with Ana¡¯s logic.r


    She was making a lot of sense. Not only was she considering the team, but also the Camp in the long run.r


    ¡°I-I see¡­ sorry for misunderstanding¡­¡± The ss wearer apologized.r


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Peter.¡± She shrugged.r


    ¡°I understand that we¡¯re all on edge after the incident, and even in a worse mood as a result of the absence of any supplies. But, please ce your trust in me one more time.¡± Ana said.r


    All the members of the group nodded in eptance, preparing to take shelter in one of the few buildings around.r<sub>.</sub>


    While there was the fear of monsters still lurking about, since they were very close to a dangerous spot, the group had no other rational choice.r


    ¡°Lily, use your Gift to check for any Demonic presence in the closest building.¡±r


    Lily was a novice atbat, and she only had one Skill that was slightly useful forbat. The only reason for her being chosen for the Expedition team was due to the usefulness of her Gift in searching for resources and detecting Demons.r


    Her Gift, [Great Sight], allowed her to view anything from a far distance and also observe the aura around them. Therefore, she could detect Demons within a particr ce by seeing the malevolent aura around it.r


    Of course, this took a toll on her since she hadn¡¯t been using her Gift often, and her level was low. So she only activates it when Ana tells her to, and can¡¯t maintain it for too long.r


    Following Ana¡¯s orders, Lily¡¯s eyes glowed as she concentrated her vision on the tall structure. It had the appearance of an educational institute, and upon further observation, she realized it was devoid of any form of life.r


    No aura was seen as well.r


    ¡°N-no. There¡¯s no one there¡­¡± Lily mumbled.r<sub></sub>


    Ana smiled, patting her shoulder with pride as she stepped forward.r


    ¡°Thank you, Lily. It looks like it¡¯s decided then. We¡¯ll be spending the night in that building.¡±r


    Once again, they all nodded, taking a readied stance as they stared at their destination.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±r


    ¡°Hehehe, just as I expected. It seems this group is not as stupid as they appear to be, at least their leader has some sense!¡±r


    As I mumbled to myself, satisfaction welled within me since everything was falling into ce.r


    ¡®Well, even if they had chosen to leave without spending the night here, it would make no difference to me¡­¡¯r


    I intended to ensure contact with them, one way or the other. Since they chose the more convenient option, I couldn¡¯t help but feel satisfied.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Thankfully I¡¯m not on the building closest to them¡­¡± I whispered in relief.r


    The temptation of being as close to them as possible was present, but after rethinking the option very well, I decided against it.r


    Being cautious by nature, I didn¡¯t want to allow any situation to reveal me to the group before I wanted. Though none of them had a level high enough to detect me from a long distance, I couldn¡¯t say the same about their Gifts.r


    If one of them had a detection Gift and spotted me, it would ruin everything.r


    ¡®And one of them actually does! Whew! Boy, am I d I chose to be a little further away!¡¯r


    I watched them enter the building and used my binocrs to trace their movements through the windows. Of course, I couldn¡¯t see them the whole way, but I could still somewhat feel their presence using my sensory perception.r


    They climbed the stairs of the educational center and seemed to be exploring the area.r


    ¡®Welp, no matter how hard they check, they won¡¯t see anything.¡¯r


    After all, I had already cleared off the area, leaving no valuables to be found. I couldn¡¯t be faulted, since I found the ce first.r


    After some time passed, and I had frankly grown bored of watching the group from the window they left open to allow fresh air to ventte therge room they decided to make their base.r


    The room resembled a yground, most likely for the younger kids who weren¡¯t able to read or write yet. A dusty television screen was affixed to the wall, but rendered useless due to the current absence of electricity.r


    Since they had climbed to the third floor, and I was located at the penthouse of the building next to them, it wasn¡¯t a difficult thing to eavesdrop on their conversation.r


    ¡°This should do it¡­¡±The leader¡¯s voice sounded with satisfaction.r


    ¡°A-ana! Are you seriously saying we should share a room with the men?¡± The only other female other than Ana protested.r


    She looked young and petite, having an innocent glow in her eyes as she couldn¡¯t imagine sharing her sleeping space with a bunch of guys.r


    ¡®Ah, just my type¡­¡¯ I drooled dreamily.r


    Her small nature reminded me of the fantasies I asionally had before the world became hell.r


    She wasn¡¯t spectacrly beautiful or outstandingly endowed, but¡­ Her innocence gave her just the right amount of charm required to be a potential waifu.r


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not gonna happen¡­ sigh, we just had to go through the Apocalypse!¡± I grumbled.r


    While I was somewhat grateful for the terrible state of the world, it was still somewhat unfair that I was so focused on survival that I hardly had any time to consider other things, like my carnal needs.r


    ¡®Every man has a breaking point, you know¡­ there¡¯s only so much I can endure¡­¡¯ I cried internally.r


    Wailing within, I knew I would have to endure for even longer, considering the events toe.r


    I shook my head furiously and rid myself of my distracting thoughts. Thanks to that, I was able to resume listening to the group.r

 Chapter 44 Search

    ¡°¡­ Do you understand now, Lily? We have to remain as a group. It¡¯s the best way safety will be guaranteed!¡± The leader, also known as Ana, spoke in a low tone, trying to convince the younger girl.r


    Lily, as she was called, appeared hesitant and somewhat distraught to hear this. She attempted to weakly protest against it, but seemed to realize that doing so would only insinuate her selfishness.r


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯ll soon be leaving to look for supplies¡­ you can¡¯t stay alone, Lily. There¡¯s no way I would be at ease if I left you by yourself.¡± Ana added.r


    Upon hearing those words, Lily said no more. Doing so would not only be insensitive to Ana¡¯s good intentions of protecting her, but would also mean that she was needlessly acting stubbornly by throwing the team in jeopardy, all because of her phobia of men or preference for privacy.r


    ¡°I¡­ I understand¡­¡± She muttered in defeat.r


    ¡°Heyy, don¡¯t look so down. You¡¯ll be fine, okay. If any of them tries anything funny, they¡¯ll have to answer to me. Got that, boys?¡± Ana said, ncing at the group of men who tried to ignore the conversation going on between the mentor and mentee.r


    Immediately she said this, they all jumped in response, out of fear perhaps¡­ or maybe respect.r


    Either way, they received the message loud and clear and would not even bother trying anything funny.r


    They were still injured, and the leader was the strongest out of all of them, with or without injuries. It wouldn¡¯t end well for the guys to try anything they liked.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®How sad. I feel your pain, fes!¡¯ I wept for the men.r


    Being in a closed space with such a girl, it was every man¡¯s fantasy to try some things at least once. Yet, they were bound by the cruel shackles of hierarchy.r


    ¡°Now then, I¡¯ll be taking my leave,¡± Ana said, carrying a small backpack that had manypartments to keep anything she would find.r


    The group was slightly flustered when she said this, expressing slight looks of guilt for not being capable enough to apany her. However, they couldn¡¯tin or try to aid her. They would only be a burden to her, so the best they could do to help their leader was to sit still and recuperate.r


    ¡°Alright, please be careful¡­¡±r


    ¡°Pleasee back soon.¡±r


    ¡°Remember to be quiet!¡±r


    ¡°T-thanks for doing this¡­¡±r<sub></sub>


    As they admonished their leader, she felt a surge of pride and excitement, as well as a sense of responsibility.r


    She appeared determined to find something, anything, to redeem her expedition team.r


    A wide grin formed on my face as Iughed internally.r


    ¡®Too bad! Hahaha, I¡¯ve taken everything!¡¯ My thoughts exploded in depravedughter.r


    After staring amusedly at her as she descended the stairs and searched the building, I realized the time was drawing near for the next phase of my n.r


    ¡®For that, we¡¯ll have to meet!¡¯ I thought, a little flustered.r


    Even though this wouldn¡¯t be our first encounter, it was most likely going to seem like it. Everything depended on this strategy.r


    Ana took her time to check out the rooms, slowly advancing to the lower floors until she was done with the whole building. She saw nothing valuable within it.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to check the other buildings, after all!¡± She said to herself in a deep sigh.r


    I smiled expectantly as I watched her approach the structure I was on. My body throbbed with excitement and my eyes gleamed in anticipation.r


    ¡°Now then¡­ it¡¯s showtime!¡±r


    Ana looked around her with caution as she approached the building beside where herpanions rested. It had gotten considerably dark, but dim glimmers of sunlight blessed the evening, allowing her more time to explore the house before her in the hopes of finding something useful.r


    ¡°I have less than an hour before it bes unsafe¡­ I¡¯d better hurry!¡± She mumbled to herself.r


    After some moments, she arrived at the entrance of the building. It had the appearance of an apartment, as did many others in the area, which were already run down, for some reason.r


    Paying no mind to the surrounding area, and only on her goal, she entered the structure. Ana braced herself for whatever she might find within and steeled her fists in case she needed to use her Gift or Skills.r


    ¡®Hopefully, it doesn¡¯te to that!¡¯r


    Minutes passed and she hurriedly explored everywhere she could, yet couldn¡¯t find anything of worth.r


    ¡°Why¡­?!¡±r


    Taking her time and risking the chances of her taking more time than she budgeted, she scoured the area with extreme diligence. Yet¡­r


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I find anything?!¡±r


    Ana¡¯s breathing was now heavy, and she felt weary to her bones. Despite her healing, she still experienced fatigue, and her body wasn¡¯t exactly in top form after her encounter with the monster that nearly made short work of her group.r


    ¡°I need¡­ I need to¡­ keep going!¡± She huffed, advancing slowly across the hallway as she just climbed the stairs to the third floor.r


    Over an hour had passed since Ana started, yet she had nothing to show for it.r


    She was tired, having had no rest or food for a long time while at the same time exerting herself so much, Ana¡¯s body couldn¡¯t take much more.r


    ¡°I have¡­ to find something! Something for my group! Or else¡­¡± She muttered, nearly sobbing in frustration.r


    Suddenly, Ana felt a presence behind her. It was so abrupt that she could have mistaken it for a passing sensation. However, she couldn¡¯t deny the feeling she was having.r


    ¡®Someone¡­ Something¡­ is definitely behind me!¡¯ Her mind rang.r


    Quickly facing her rear, she rested on the wall to hide herself while squatting. Since the presence seemed to being from the stairs, she waited close to the intersection between it and the hallway, hoping to catch whoever it was off guard.r


    ¡®Could it be¡­ a Demon?!¡¯r


    Her body shuddered at the thought. In her current state, fighting a Demon would prove difficult, especially if it was a powerful one. Since the area was close to a Red Zone, the Demons anyone was likely to encounter would be powerful, and not your average monsters.r


    Also, no human could possibly be living in such an area since it was such a dangerous ce. There was only one possibility, and that was something Ana was too weak to face.r


    Still, whatever it was, she had to engage it. There was no doubt the Demon had sensed her presence since it seemed to be heading in her direction. Her only choice at the moment would be to catch the creature off-guard.r


    To do that, she needed to be precise and fast. There was no room for error!r


    ¡°Brace yourself, Ana, here ites!¡±r

 Chapter 45 First Encounter

    ¡®Oh boy¡­ this is more amusing than I thought!¡¯r


    From where I stood, I could feel the fear of the young woman a few meters from me.r


    I had been observing her from a distance as she pointlessly scoured the building for any semnce of supplies, only to be met by disappointment.r


    Finally, she copsed to her knees and was breathing heavily. I quickly surmised that her exhaustion had finally caught up to her.r


    ¡®This is my chance!¡¯ My mind rang.r


    In a few moments, I closed our distance and approached her from the stairs she was close to. I knew that by moving any closer, I woulde within the range of her sensory perception, so I braced myself for what was toe.r


    I had already made the correct preparations. Changing my attire, and smearing all sorts of dirt on my face, while also roughening my hair to appear unkempt, I grinned excitedly.r


    As I took a step forward, I sensed her entering a state of alertness.r


    ¡®Ah, so she¡¯s finally sensed my presence!¡¯r


    But¡­ to think she would enter into such a state of panic and mistake me for a Demon¡­ it nearly made me burst intoughter. The sweet scent of her sweat, the slight trembling of her body, and her uneven breath made me stifle the ever-growing snicker within my being.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®Well, this is the natural reaction she should have¡­ after all, she must think I¡¯m a Demon.¡¯ I reasoned, a little disappointed by herck of proper sensory prowess.r


    The sounds Demons make, as well as their smell, are entirely different from what humans have. Yet, she couldn¡¯t tell the difference.r


    Was it a difference in level? No, I didn¡¯t think so.r


    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because I spent so much time hunting those guys down, I instinctively know how to sense their presence.¡¯r


    In any case, it was time to reveal myself to the frightened youngdy.r


    ¡®Here we go¡­ hehe¡¯r


    I picked up my pace, and in a few seconds, I was going to cross paths with the youngdy, Ana. Feeling a slight change in the surrounding atmosphere, I narrowed my senses to where she was crouched.r


    A grin formed on my face as I noticed her amassing a great deal of energy on her right hand.r


    ¡®Oi, oi, oi. She¡¯s readying an attack? That¡¯s a smart move, but I¡¯m not a Demon!¡¯r<sub></sub>


    Still, I pretended to ignore the condensed power gathering in that single spot and continued my advance.r


    Three. Two. One.r


    I finally turned at the intersection, making my appearance to her.r


    ¡°Haaaaaaaaaa!!!¡± Ana¡¯s voice filled the air as she rose to assault me.r


    Her hands became engulfed in a red armament, simr to when she fought the Demon during her struggle, hours ago. However, unlike that time, the energy that surged all over her body then was only restricted to her hand, making it many times more powerful.r


    Using such an attack against a Demon was sure to leave a mark. Still¡­r


    ¡®Ah, so annoying!¡¯ I grumbled internally, finding her loud shout irritating.r


    Due to my high stats,pared to hers, I could see her approach me in slow motion. As a result, I could see her face more clearly. The fiery look in her eyes disyed the unwavering drive to survive, but her face was so pale and tired that it was difficult to imagine that she had a follow-up attack after the hit she was bringing toward me.r


    ¡®I could let her hit me on purpose¡­ it won¡¯t really shave much out of my HP¡­¡¯ I contemted.r<sub></sub>


    No, that wasn¡¯t going to work.r


    ¡®If she sees that I¡¯m barely injured after putting her strength into that move, she¡¯ll most certainly be suspicious of me¡­¡¯r


    The only natural conclusion after witnessing such would be that I¡¯m stronger and have a higher level than her. That was something I wanted to avoid.r


    ¡®Still, if I avoid the attack, it¡¯ll have the same effect as receiving it¡­¡¯r


    Despite her slow movement in my eyes, Ana was most likely charging at me with her full speed.r


    If I proved capable of dodging that, then I would also need to be of a higher level.r


    Faced with such a dilemma, I hesitated for a moment to decide on what path to take. Either way, things looked bad for me.r


    ¡®Damnit, Ana¡­ you just had to bring out your strongest attack from the get-go!¡¯r


    Her fists drew nearer, and at this point, it seemed her vision had finally captured my entire being. Her eyes disyed shock, realizing I was a human, not a Demon. However, she couldn¡¯t stop herself at this point. Even if her head had registered that she was about to assault a human, it would take a great deal of effort to stop herself while in overdrive, to halt her full-powered attack.r


    There wasn¡¯t enough time for that, so if nothing was done on my end, her blow was going to hit me.r


    Quickly using my wits, I turned my eyes to the ground and summoned one of my many vials of slimy juice, enclosed in a nylon container.r


    The nylon containing slime appeared under one of Ana¡¯s feet, a short length from mine. In a moment, her slightly-raised foot was going tond on the ground to gain footing while her attack connected.r


    ¡®Hopefully, this works!¡¯r


    ¡°-Aaaaaahhhhhh¡± Her loud voice continued disturbing my ears, but all of a sudden, it changed into a slightly surprised tone.r


    Her footnded on the slime vial, bursting it in the process while releasing the slippery, yet sticky liquid all over the ground. The cause of that, was¡­ a sudden change in the trajectory of her attack, as well as an unstoppable propulsion to the ground.r


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± She screamed,nding her blow on the floor, a couple of centimeters from where I stood.r


    >BOOOOOMMM!<r


    The glowing hand broke apart concrete and generated a slight vibration that shook my body. Smoke and dust mixed as Ana fell to the ground appearing dazed.r


    ¡®Whew. d that worked!¡¯ I heaved in relief.r


    I became happier with my decision not to take on her attack. The move, which was enough to shatter concrete, would have definitely hurt me¡­ a concept I avoided like a gue.r


    ¡®No normal human would be able to survive that¡­ It¡¯s a good thing I had enough sense toe up with the n of avoiding it. How would I be able to exin tanking such brute force!¡¯r


    ¡°A-ah¡­ Ahh¡­ O¡­¡± The girl on the floor groaned in what seemed to be a slight pain.r


    ¡®Welp, I guess this is my queue¡­¡¯r


    Clearing my voice, and making a rather embarrassing look, I squeezed my fists together, raising them to my chest while widening my eyes to recreate an innocent expression I once saw in an anime.r


    ¡°A-are you alright¡­?¡± A thin, docile voice came out of my lips as I asked with concern.r


    ¡®Ahh, so humiliating!¡¯r

 Chapter 46 [Bonus chapter]Vagabond (Pt 1)

    ¡®Ahh, so humiliating!¡¯ My mind rang, hearing the cringey voice that I hadn¡¯t used in ages.r


    Before the Apocalypse, when I was still the loser I was, it was a voice I used very often.r


    To seem subservient and harmless, I adopted an identity that made everyone dismiss me as amb that was of no worth. I thought doing so would make sure that people would not notice me or bother with my existence.r


    Of course, it eventually backfired on me, as even those younger than me took me for a pushover and used me to their pleasure.r


    Eventually, the very misery I avoided came at me in its full brunt, and I suffered dearly for that error.r


    But¡­ unlike then, this was different.r


    Since the person I was currently dealing with was a goody goody who couldn¡¯t help but cater to weaklings. To appeal more to her kind nature, resorting to this was nothing short of a perfect strategy.r


    ¡®Still¡­ urgh, I feel like gagging!¡¯r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Ow¡­ Ah¡­¡± Ana moaned, feeling sore all over as she turned her body which was covered in the green slime I summoned.r


    The energy on her hand flickered, buzzing incessantly as she removed it from the hole she made in the concrete. Finally, the red light died out.r


    Her eyes slowly darted in my direction in surprise as she struggled to look up due to the pain her body was undergoing, and the exhaustion that was most likely coursing through her being.r


    ¡°A¡­ person¡­?¡± She mumbled.r


    Her eyes appeared to be trying to discern whether I was real. For a brief moment, our eyes locked on each other, waiting for the first person to say something.r


    ¡°U-um¡­ are you okay?¡± I decided to take the initiative and break the silence.r


    As soon as I did, she snapped out of whatever daze she was in and realized what she had just done.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°A-Ah! I¡¯m so sorry for mistaking you for a Demon and nearly killing you!¡± She burst out, then wincing in pain for exerting herself in apologizing.r


    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s fine¡­ I¡¯m alright¡­¡± I managed to let out, flustered by her sudden apology.r


    That was the first time I had heard someone tell me they were sorry for something as petty as an ident. r


    An emotion I wasn¡¯t ustomed to slightly flickered within me, but quickly died out before I paid it much mind.r


    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s feeling guilty toward me. That will make her easier to manipte!¡¯ A dark thought manifested within me.r


    Stretching my hands toward her, I offered to help the woman up on her feet. She smiled with relief and gratefully took my hand. While she weighed next to nothing, and I got no resistance from the pull, I still pretended to struggle in lifting her in order to maintain my weakling act.r


    ¡°Urhh¡­ Ah!¡± I made groaning sounds, stiffening my muscles and made a very good show until Ana finally found her footing.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°T-thank you¡­ um¡­¡± She muttered awkwardly.r


    The shock of another human being in the building must have still been ying on her mind. Her expression showed that she was contemting asking me something.r


    ¡°Who are yo-¡± r


    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t look so good. Come with me. Let me take you somewhere to rest first!¡± I snapped, taking the initiative from her.r


    She realized the truth hidden in my words instantly, but for some reason appeared hesitant to indulge in my suggestion.r


    ¡®If we¡¯re going to talk, it¡¯ll be on my terms!¡¯ I grinned internally.r


    I knew she had a lot going on for her. The fact that she still had her group members in the other building, her worry for supplies, and her curiosity concerning me. However, I needed Ana to make a snappy decision so as to influence her more in my favor.r


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. That sound you made just now could attract actual Demons. It¡¯s not safe here!¡± I added.r


    Immediately she heard this, the hair on her skin stood, and I could smell fear and anxiety emanating from her. If a Demon was to attack at this very moment, she was definitely not going to stand a chance. r


    She must have also sized me up, realizing I was no good inbat due to my demeanor. That meant that the only reasonable option was toe along with me.r


    ¡°Y-yes¡­ you¡¯re right.¡± She said, still stunned as she looked at me.r


    ¡°A-alright. Let¡¯s go. Follow me!¡± I whispered.r


    Ignoring the slime on her body, and bearing the pain she felt, Ana obeyed and walked behind me as we climbed the stairs to a higher floor.r


    Even while I walked in front of her, I could clearly feel her gaze upon me. Having higher sensory abilities could be scary at times. It wasn¡¯t that she exhibited bloodlust in any way, but her careful and analytical eyes made me feel ufortable.r


    Of course, I was more concerned with my n and how to exploit Ana and the rest of her group members in my favor. However¡­ something about her bothered me.r


    ¡®Why does she keep looking down when staring at me? I know I¡¯m short, but¡­¡¯ I wailed internally.r


    Due to the period I spent without human interaction, the immeasurable time within the Sacred Hall, and even a while on my own when I returned, I had forgotten the concept of heights to a degree.r


    ¡®Even Paul was only a little taller than me¡­¡¯ r


    Yet, here I was, forced to swallow the harsh reality of this world. Combining the peculiar, innocent way I spoke with my height, it wouldn¡¯t be a far cry to assume that I was in my early adolescence.r


    ¡°Tch¡± I silently clicked my tongue as we kept advancing, nearing what I had prepared to be my base prior to her arrival.r


    A few momentster, I showed her into an apartment I had retrofitted into a base.r


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t something extra special. Just a ce with a surprisinglyrge sitting room, where I kept a lot of things so they would appear as though I used the home often.r


    ¡®¡­ And so it begins!¡¯r

 Chapter 47 Vagabond (Pt 2)

    I went to the spot where I had set up a few torches and switched them on, dimly illuminating the room.


    Ana¡¯s eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. The area was neat andpact, rid of any unnecessary things that would make it too jampacked.


    ¡°W-whoah¡­ It¡¯s just like the Camp¡­¡± I heard her mutter.


    I instantly understood why she would think that way. Not only had I set up many nkets around me for warmth, since there was no electricity, I also had a few foodstuffs packed in a corner, a few home appliances that had been dismantled and could serve as makeshift weapons, rechargeable batterymps hanging around, only one of which was switched on due to conservation of energy.


    ¡°A-Amazing! This is amazing¡­¡±


    Her constant praise made me wonder whether I overdid it. If she was so impressed by this, it meant that I was painting myself to be more of a survivalist than I had nned.


    I had to somehow get rid of that notion!


    ¡°T-thank you¡­ I don¡¯t deserve the thanks for this, though¡­¡±


    Before Ana could ask what I meant by that, I ventured further inside, inviting her as well.


    ¡°You can take off your soggy clothes and use some in the other room¡­ I-if you like¡­¡± My voice trailed in hesitation, and I looked at her as though I truly cared about herfort.<sub>.</sub>


    A guilty expression took over her face as she quickly tried to refuse my kindness.


    ¡°N-no, you don¡¯t have to go so far for me¡­ I¡¯m good!¡±


    ¡®Ah, why do you have to make things more difficult than they should be?¡¯


    All she had to do was ept, yet her roundabout manner of approach made me resort to a more convincing method in order to make her ept.


    ¡°Well, they are female clothes¡­ and I don¡¯t think I would have use of them. Plus¡­ well, your clothes are somehow staining the floor.¡± I mumbled, staring at the dripping goo that was on the ground due to her soggy attire.


    ¡°A-ah!¡± She yelped, realizing the truth in my words.


    I only responded with a smile, not saying anything else.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to-¡± The flustereddy hurriedly apologized.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. After all, it was my slime that I dropped that identally spilled on you¡­¡± I mentioned, giving her a guilty look.<sub></sub>


    Her eyes widened in realization.


    ¡°A-ah, there¡¯s no need to feel bad. After all, I would have severely injured you, if not killed you, had that ident not urred. Truly, I¡¯m sorry for almost-¡± She made to apologize again.


    It really amazed me how a woman who appeared to be over 5 years older than me could freely ept her wrongs in front of a kid. If only I¡¯d had one of such in my life before the world became shit.


    Instead, I drew the short end of the stick and only knew sickos and jerks all my life.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. But please¡­ use the spare clothes!¡± I smiled warmly.


    Giving up on her modesty, Ana finally epted and went to the room I pointed to, which was at the far end of the parlor, to change into a more decent outfit.


    She carefully moved there, ensuring she made as little impact to the ground as possible to avoid much of the slimy goo staining the floor.


    ¡®Such attempts at futility¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be staying here for long!¡¯ I mused, watching her open the door to the dark room.


    ¡°Here!¡± I yelled, throwing a torch at her to aid in navigating the ce and selecting an appropriate dress for herself.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Thanks!¡± She smiled.


    Nodding positively, I watched her shut the door to the room, and as she did so¡­ a wide grin formed on my face.


    ¡®So far¡­ so good!¡¯


    A few moments had passed since we had both settled into the house. Ana now sat opposite me, wearing a morefortable attire. The nice, long sweater, and tight jeans she had on entuated the decent figure she had.


    We had just concluded having our meal, which I convinced her was more important than any other thing since she needed the energy.


    Well, our diet consisted of mostly junk food and soda.


    ¡®Since they¡¯re rich in energy, easy to eat, and don¡¯t spoil easily, junk foods are the ultimate forms of diet in this new world!¡¯ I gave in to my biased thoughts.


    After concluding her meal, if one could call it that, Ana fidgeted on her seat a little She appeared slightly ufortable, especially in her lower region, and I knew why.


    ¡®She¡¯s most likely feeling that way because she¡¯s wearing another person¡¯s attire¡­ even down to her underwear!¡¯


    A naughty grin formed on my face, but I quickly masked it before the poordy noticed. It wasn¡¯t like I sneaked behind the door and watched her change.


    ¡°S-so¡­ Erm, thanks for all this¡­¡± She finally broke the awkward silence between us, looking for ways to express her profound gratitude.


    ¡°It¡¯s Jeremy. Jeremy Lewis.¡± I smiled warmly at her.


    My reaction made her return the expression, looking at my small face and stature which made me take on the appearance of a kid.


    ¡°I¡¯m Anabelle, but you can call me Ana!¡± She gave out her name too.


    ¡®Well, I knew that already¡­¡¯


    Ana¡¯s face disyed gratitude and warmth toward me, something I barely had much experience of¡­ but I didn¡¯t let that distract me from my goal.


    It was only natural that she would react that way. After all, not only did I give her a safe ce for shelter, I also shared my resources, such as clothes, and food with her, a total stranger.


    Even then, I acted nicely and seemed easygoing. There was no way Ana wouldn¡¯t feel moved.


    ¡®Since it has reached this stage. It¡¯s time for the final phase¡­¡¯


    ¡°Jeremy. I was wondering¡­ what are you doing out here, alone? Are there others like you?¡± Anabelle suddenly blurted out.


    Her earnest eyes showedpassion and curiosity. It was unbelievable that someone like me would be able to survive on my own and gather so many resources. Yet, that was exactly what she saw.


    The natural approach would be to assume there were others around, but so far there were no signs of humans around, but me.


    A dark expression came over my face, and my body trembled slightly. It had been a while, so I wasn¡¯t sure how I would fare, but since the situation demanded for it, I was determined to give it my all!


    ¡°H¡­ h¡­¡± I began by sobbing.


    Ana¡¯s eyes widened at the sight as she saw the kind boy suddenly break down in tears. An expression of guilt and surprise filled her face as she made to apologize and console me once again, but I quickly took the initiative.


    ¡°Miss Ana¡­ w-will you listen to¡­ my story¡­?¡± My trembling voice finally let out, staring at her with watery eyes of sadness and pain.


    This was merely a ruse, of course. Deep within myself, I was trembling for another reason entirely.


    Amusement!


    ¡®Psych! I¡¯ve got you in my now!¡¯

 Chapter 48 Lies and Deception (Pt 1)

    It was hell!r


    On that very day, I knew the true meaning of despair. Seeing as endless blood gushed out of humans, as their screams filled the air and endless screeches echoed in my head, I could do nothing but watch in fear and hopelessness.r


    The Demons rushed into our abode and ughtered us in our hundreds. We thought we could protect ourselves¡­ what a joke that turned out to be.r


    Even with our Gifts, we were exterminated. Some of us made weapons, but they were no match for the seemingly endless horde of Demons that lunged crazily at us with bloodthirsty expressions on their faces.r


    I saw them tear myrades apart, limb from limb. I watched them rip out my friends¡¯ internal organs and feast on their blood. I witnessed how they crushed the bones of my loving family and toyed with their mangled corpses.r


    I saw everything!r


    Finally, it slowly neared my turn. Unlike everyone else, I didn¡¯t have a Gift made forbat, so I could not join in the fight. Even if I wanted to try, the gory sight before me made my body petrified as I shrunk back in terror.r


    >CRUNCH< Bones cracked and were crushed mercilesslyr


    >SPLURGE< Blood sttered and oozed all across the concrete floors and walls.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Uahhhh! Arghhhh! Arh-¡± Screams of fear, mixed with absolute pain filled the air, only to be finally stopped by the jaws of the wicked beasts.r


    Suddenly, no sounds were present anymore. The human bawlings were reced with the disgusting grunts of the Demons as they amusedly bathed in the remnants of everyone¡¯s flesh and blood.r


    ¡°GURRRUKKKK!¡±r


    And so¡­ before I knew it¡­ I was the only one left!r


    Of course, the sadistic monsters had no intention of sparing me, as they drew closer to finish what they had started and end my miserable life. My body refused to move, even though I knew what wasing. The several creatures all grinned as they advanced, stepping on the blood and gore of those they had already killed.r


    ¡°H¡­ h¡­ somebody¡­ please save me!¡± I sobbed, tears endlessly streaming from my eyes.r


    There was no hope for salvation, yet I prayed for one. Like a lost little child in the darkness, I prayed for even the faintest glimmer of light. However, there was no response.r


    Finally, the Demons had surrounded me where I sat in hopelessness, and as my body trembled, I saw the ugly hands of the monsters reach out to grab me.r<sub></sub>


    This was the end!r


    But¡­ just as I was about to meet my demise in the cruelest way possible, the glimmer of hope appeared.r


    >SWISH!< I heard a shing sound and closed my eyes as the sharp noise affected my ears.r


    As soon as I opened them, the monsters whose hands had reached out for me were all lying on the ground, stained in blood.r


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡± I mumbled in confusion, wondering why I wasn¡¯t dead.r


    Lifting my head to see the many monsters around me, I noticed that all of them had lost their limbs, without exception. r


    Their eyes were no longer on me. No¡­ they focused their attention on my far side, ring so hatefully at something, or rather, someone.r


    ¡°Hey kid¡­ are you okay?¡± I heard a voice call out to me.r<sub></sub>


    It was warm and soothing, filled with strength andfort that I couldn¡¯t describe with words. My trembling body slowly calmed down, and as my eyes went to the one who had spoken, they widened in relief and an indescribable feeling of safety.r


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ H¡­¡± My words were choked by the endless sobs that gushed out of me.r


    I couldn¡¯t speak as my entire being was overwhelmed with emotion. However, unlike before, when I was shrouded in despondency and fear, this time the feelings I had were so bright that I couldn¡¯t fathom them.r


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to speak. Just sit there¡­ and watch. I¡¯ll surely enact justice for those you have lost!¡± The stranger said.r


    My tear-filled eyes suddenly dried up as I watched him bring out his de. The Demons who were stunned for a moment suddenly began their loud grumblings and growled at the man who was obviously a threat to them.r


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be impatient¡­ you¡¯ll all have your turn!¡± He said, giving a very chilly vibe with every word he spoke.r


    In an instant, red shes of lightning burst forth from his weapon, and his entire dark-cloaked attire became shrouded in the massive aura that was generated as a result of the sparks of crimson energy.r


    ¡°Now then¡­ COME!¡± r


    The Demons spared no time in their march as they angrily lunged at the man in their great numbers. r


    Even though my savior appeared very dependable, I couldn¡¯t help but feel worry and fear for the man as I saw the Demons rush at him in their hundreds.r


    However¡­ my worries turned out to be unnecessary.r


    >SWOOOSH!!!<The wind made way for the man as he dashed toward the Demons with inconceivable speed.r


    My eyes couldn¡¯t keep up with his movements as the only thing I saw were bursts of red lightning, followed by demon blood suddenly sshing out of their bodies.r


    >SWISH<r


    His de tore through their flesh like a hot knife through butter, and in mere moments, I saw over half of them already annihted by the man.r


    The rest of the Demons had ceased their assault and were already trembling in fear as they saw the man undauntedly continue his advancer


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­ why aren¡¯t youing any longer?¡± His deep voice echoed.r


    For a brief moment, silence filled the air, and I could feel the tension build up between the man and the Demons.r


    Finally, the eyes of the monsters turned toward me, and I could feel all their malicious intents concentrate on my location. r


    I instantly became paralyzed, crushed by their killing intent. A sinister idea seemed to have popped into their head as they decided to approach me instead.r


    ¡°GURUKKKKK!!!¡± They growled, lunging in my direction.r


    Maybe they wanted to use me as a hostage against the man, or simply just wanted to finish me off as a final resistance against humanity. I had no idea.r


    All I knew was that¡­ I was going to die!r


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± I heard the man¡¯s voice echo, and in a sh, he was right beside me, watching the demons rush in our direction.r


    The advancing monsters froze in shock, but before they could halt or retreat, he drew his sword again.r


    ¡°You¡¯re all¡­ going to die here!¡±r

 Chapter 49 Lies and Deception (Pt 2)

    And just like that, he finished off the rest. In merely a single blow, he condensed the crimson energy surrounding his weapon and gave a powerful, horizontal sh toward the multitude of Demons.r


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM< An eruption of pure energy exploded, turning the enemies into burnt corpses.r


    I could smell their bodies cook, and their blood evaporate.r


    The Demons¡­ all of them, died instantly.r


    Seeing their bodies fade away, leaving only ruby-like stones on the ground, the poundings in my heart began to reduce.r


    It was then I finally took the first clear view of my savior. He wore a dark hooded cloak, and had ck trousers with a matching shirt. Everything he wore was ck, except for what he used to cover his face.r


    It was a fox mask, one I had only ever seen in movies.r


    He knelt and faced me, opposite from where I stood, and only inches from my face. Dropping his weapon, he used both hands to embrace me, tightly gripping my body and enveloping me in his warmth.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, young one¡­ I was toote. If only I had been a little earlier¡­¡± He spoke, his voice filled with emotion.r


    Even though it wasn¡¯t his fault, even though it was our powerlessness that brought this upon us, even though he wasn¡¯t obligated to save us, the stranger made such a statement.r


    His pure intentions made me tear up, pouring out all the tears I had stored away and letting out my pain and loss as I also embraced him.r


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ now that I am here¡­ you¡¯re safe now!¡±r


    As I concluded the first portion of my story, sobbing uncontrobly, I nced at my faithful listener with a corner of my eye.r


    ¡®Oh boy, I should get an Oscar for this. Am I good or what?¡¯ I mused, noticing the emotion I had spurred from my target.r


    Ana¡¯s face depicted horror and pity as her eyes disyed an emotion no one had ever shown me before. Tears flowed from them and dripped down her cheeks as she sobbed while hearing the sad tale.r<sub></sub>


    ¡®Did I go a little overboard?¡¯ I asked myself, feeling slightly guilty foring up with such a moving take.r


    ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry¡­ you went through all that and at such a young age? I¡¯m so sorry!¡± She said to me with sincerity, her voice trembling.r


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, It¡¯s fine. None of it was your fault!¡± I quickly protested, appearing flustered by her emotional outburst.r


    Using my two hands, I rubbed the fake tears away from my face and sniffed to create an additional effect to garner pity. Now stiffening my face to show Ana my resolve to move on, I continued speaking.r


    ¡°¡­Besides¡­ there¡¯s nothing I can do about it now. Feeling sorry for myself and staying fixated on the past won¡¯t change anything or bring my dead family and friends back¡­¡±r


    She was slightly stunned to hear me say that, but her expression disyed that she totally understood. Even though I had supposedly lost everyone I cared about, I couldn¡¯t keep mourning them in such a dangerous world. Doing so would only result in my death.r


    Also, her apologies and pity would only further reopen my wounds, so she had to stop, though her intentions were pure.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I understand.¡± Ana whispered.r


    I nodded, looking a little distracted, as I had to maintain my na?ve and innocent demeanor to her.r


    ¡°So, if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­ the man who saved you, what happened to him after that?¡± She finally asked the question I wanted her to.r


    I had to quickly control my facial expression, lest I would give away the wide grin that almost curled from my lips.r


    ¡®No¡­ not yet. Hold it in!¡¯ r


    Everything that had happened so far, from the moment I rescued her and her team, was for this moment. After all, the disguise I wore during my subjugation of the monster that nearly killed them was the same as the mysterious man in my sob story.r


    ¡®She must have realized the connection between the two, and her curiosity was currently piqued.¡¯r


    To answer Ana¡¯s question, I had to continue my story, which I was already enjoying myself.r


    After the mysterious man saved me, he took me with him as we scoured the apartment I stayed in. As time passed, we became close, and I depended on him for myfort and safety.r


    We piged the houses of my fallenrades and took all their useful properties. While my savior admitted to feeling guilty for plundering the resources of the dead, he had a very good reason for doing so.r


    ¡°Jeremy, you might not fully understand this now, but in this world, there are many who are suffering even more than you are. And no matter how powerful I am, there¡¯s nothing I can do for them!¡± He told me on one particr asion while gathering many goods with him.r


    Of course, I didn¡¯t believe what he said. To me, my savior seemed all-powerful, and there was no one he couldn¡¯t possibly save.r


    ¡°Power is one thing¡­ Resources are another. To survive in this world, you need both!¡± He corrected my wed logic.r


    It took some time to exin it to me, but after he did, I understood what he meant. Hunger, thirst, harsh weather conditions¡­ they were all problems that couldn¡¯t be solved by flinging weapons around. One needed resources to live, and what he kept doing was akin to that.r


    But, unlike what most people would do, his motivation was the opposite.r


    ¡°I intend to travel around the world and help those who arecking in either power or resources. That¡¯s why I¡¯m taking as many as I can. So that others won¡¯t have to suffer the same way you did, due tock of power, or evenck of resources.¡± His voice warmed my heart.r


    After spending a lot of time together, not just in my apartment, but in others around, we finally got to this ce, making it our base. Of course, I had noticed it for quite some time, but I didn¡¯t want to mention it¡­ the fact that I was slowing my savior down.r


    Unlike him, I had limits and was not very useful in killing Demons or gathering materials. r


    Yet, he never abandoned me for once. I knew it was selfish, but I didn¡¯t want to say anything since I feared he would leave me.r


    But, that all changed one day.r


    ¡°Jeremy. I have to go!¡± He finally dropped the bombshell.r

 Chapter 50 Oversight

    ¡°W-wha-?!¡± I nearly eximed in shock.r


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. Just like that, he was finally leaving me. I would be all alone again.r


    ¡°N-no¡­ please don¡¯t go. I¡¯ll be better, I promise. Just don¡¯t leave me. I-I don¡¯t want to be alone¡­¡± I pleaded, sobbing as I clung to his roughened dark garment.r


    However, he didn¡¯t budge.r


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t be alone¡­¡± His voice cut through my despairing thoughts, causing me to look up in shock, and meet his masked face.r


    ¡°I can sense some people approaching this ce. However, a monster is nearby, and they are in grave danger. I intend on helping them out. Afterward, I have to leave to help others who need my help.¡± He revealed.r


    My eyes bulged as I heard this. More people wereing?r


    ¡°I stayed with you for so long because I didn¡¯t want to leave you alone. If I did¡­ that wouldn¡¯t be saving you. But now, you have a chance to be with even more people and walk a better path, rather than staying with me.¡±r


    Upon hearing this, a wave of gratitude enveloped me, as well as guilt. I knew it! I was only pinning him down!r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°And I know you must have thought you were a burden to me. But that¡¯s not true¡­ during our small time together, in many ways you have shown me what it¡¯s like to have a little brother.¡± He spoke, as though reading my mind.r


    cing hisrge hand on my head, he rubbed it warmly, making me feel loved and secure.r


    ¡°But, I can¡¯t allow you to partake in this selfish path I have chosen. You deserve to live your own life. Jeremy¡­ I hope someday, we meet again!¡± r


    I smiled upon hearing his words, and for the first time since that day¡­ I cried profusely. Myriads of emotions rushed through me as I gave in to them.r


    ¡°Yeah. I hope so too!¡±r


    Finally, he dashed away, just as mysteriously as he had appeared when he rescued me, and now he was off again to rescue others. It was for a short while, but¡­ he was the kindest anyone had ever been to me.r


    And so, all alone in the base we made together, I awaited the moment my newrades woulde for me.r


    At this point, Ana was silently listening, while deliberating at the same time. While I couldn¡¯t hear her thoughts, I had a fair idea of what she was thinking.r<sub></sub>


    Everything I said added up!r


    The mysterious man that saved them, how I was able to survive for so long, how I was able to have such a base¡­ and why I wasn¡¯t too freaked out when I saw her.r


    ¡°I-I see¡­ wow Jeremy. You¡¯ve really been through a lot. And that mysterious man, whoever he is¡­ He¡¯s a hero beyond measure.¡± Ana finally said, looking at me with a warm smile.r


    ¡®Aww. Now you¡¯re making me blush, stop it!¡¯r


    While I painted myself to be a grand white knight in shining armor, it wasn¡¯t a lie that I saved her and her group. In a sense, I was chivalrous.r


    Besides, now she had an exnation for the absence of no profitable materials around the area. While it would be regrettable on her part, I was certain she had no ill will. After all¡­ the materials were taken by the great hero for a noble cause.r


    ¡®Pfft. It¡¯s definitely noble!¡¯r


    Just in case she didn¡¯t believe my story, I decided to fill in the minor gaps to make everything more believable.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°He had a special kind of ability that allowed him to store any item he wanted. I don¡¯t know how, but he could also remove them at will.¡±r


    This way, it wouldn¡¯t seem strange that he was able to make off with so many resources. It also exined how I was able to pull my sword out of nowhere and return it when I fought that monster in her presence.r


    Still, Ana appeared to have a troubled expression on her face. r


    ¡®Did I miss something? Did I leave something out?¡¯ I slowly panicked.r


    While I had ensured most of her doubts had been answered, I could never be too sure. After all, I was only human.r


    ¡®Yeah¡­ a human with 15,800 points in Intelligence.¡¯r


    My eyes suddenly bulged as I figured out the missing piece, but before I spoke, she finally let out her worries.r


    ¡°Jeremy¡­ why can¡¯t I see your Status Information?¡±r


    ¡®I knew it!¡¯ My mind rang while I gulped.r


    How could I have let such an important factor slip? Even though Gifteds couldn¡¯t view each other¡¯s Status Window, there were basic Status Information that could be disyed to everyone. Even now, I could see Ana¡¯s information.r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r


    Name: Anabeller


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Femaler


    Level: 21r


    Alignment: Lawful Goodr


    [End Of Information]r


    Upon seeing this, the first aspect I noticed was her Alignment, and I wasn¡¯t too surprised by it.r


    ¡®Ah, she¡¯s Lawful Good. Typical!¡¯ r


    As a Crusader-type individual, it exined her goody-two-shoes personality. r


    Still, looking at her Level, it was so miserably low that I almost let out a snicker. If she, a member of the Expedition team had such a level, it made me wonder what the average person¡¯s status would look like.r


    ¡®Focus, Jeremy!¡¯ I quickly snapped out of my petty thoughts and began thinking of how to exin what was going on.r


    Since my time in the Sacred Hall, I had realized truths that wouldn¡¯t be known in the current era. One of such is the issue of levels.r


    Though the Status Information menu came as a surprise to me initially, I made sense of it by referencing what I learned in the Sacred Hall, most of which weren¡¯t very clear to me since I had dismissed them as irrelevant and focused solely on survival.r


    ¡®However, with my intelligence currently so high, and my mind sharper, I was finally able to understand way more than before.¡¯r


    The reason my Status Information would be inessible to this woman, while hers was essible to me, I finally knew it!r

 Chapter 51 Difference

    I was able to see Paul¡¯s summarized Status and he was also able to see mine, due to one major factor¡­ Level difference.r


    It is trite, that no one who is 50 Levels lower than you can see your Status Information.r


    Even though Paul was a Level 1, I was only in Level 16 at that time, making it possible for him to still see my Status Information.r


    ¡®But, I¡¯ve grown much more since then, and I doubt many people will currently be able to see my current Status Information since I¡¯m now in Level 102.¡¯r


    When I first found out about the existence of seeing the Status Information of another, after my first meeting with Paul, I thought it was bothersome that another person would be privy to my Level. I quickly dismissed the thought however, when I realized that my Level was going to be average when I stepped out of my apartment, and I would be able to somehow make do.r


    But¡­r


    With the new realization of the current state of the world thrust in my face, I came to see that I was extraordinarily strongpared to others, and my Status Information wouldn¡¯t be essible to just anyone.r


    A tricky situation indeed¡­ but not entirely impossible.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°W-well. You see¡­¡± I slowly muttered.r


    ¡°My savior¡­ he told me something about that. He once gave me something to swallow, and said I would be protected from any other Gifted if they tried to learn anything about me without my consent.¡±r


    After saying this, I observed Ana¡¯s expression. It was possible she had a lie detection skill, and that would be really bad for me. r


    Fortunately, it didn¡¯t appear that she possessed anything of the sort since her face clearly told me she bought into my lie.r


    ¡®Jeremy, you idiot. If she could detect lies, wouldn¡¯t your story have been gged?¡¯ I reminded myself.r


    Welp, that was true.r


    ¡°I see. He must have been trying to protect you¡­ and also his identity. Since you were together for a long time, you must have seen his face. He probably didn¡¯t want anyone finding out through an intrusive or spying skill by gaining ess to your mind, which is why he gave you that item. It must have affected your Status Information too¡­¡± r<sub></sub>


    I smiled nervously and nodded to what she said, happy that she jumped to conclusions on her own.r


    ¡®Whew! That was close!¡¯r


    ¡°U-um, Miss Ana¡­ I know this is being bothersome, but¡­ Please take me with you!¡± I finally blurted out, shutting my eyes tight while trembling as I bowed my head in pleading.r


    Her face expressed a form of shock by my abrupt behavior, but it was all within expectation.r


    Anabelle would keep asking me questions to satiate her curiosity. In order to ensure I didn¡¯t make another slip, I had to take the initiative here.r


    With the stories I¡¯ve told her, and all the nning I¡¯ve put into this. There¡¯s only one answer I¡¯m expecting from her. And that is¡­r


    ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m sorry¡­ but, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple.¡±r<sub></sub>


    ¡®E-ehhh?!¡¯r


    What the hell was this bitch saying? r


    ¡°Of course, I would like you toe with me. But it¡¯s not my call to make. You see, I have a team, and as a leader, I need them all to agree with my decisions before doing something rather drastic.¡± She exined.r


    ¡®Bullshit! I didn¡¯t go through all this effort for you to tell me that!¡¯r


    I knew Ana was a democratic leader who sought the understanding of her allies, but this was just ridiculous. r


    ¡®Does that mean I¡¯ll have to convince every one of them? What the fvck?!¡¯ I grumbled internally.r


    Of course, I masked my emotions by giving her a devastated, scared look. I had to keep ying the part to increase my chances of being epted.r


    ¡°I promise to do my very best in convincing them. You¡¯re just a kid living out here. Even though you said this area has ceased to be a Red Zone, I still don¡¯t feelfortable with only you living out here on your own!¡± Ana spoke with resolve.r


    ¡°Plus, that masked man saved our lives. He left you behind because he trusted us enough to take good care of you. Jeremy, trust me. I¡¯ll do the best that I can!¡±r


    A warm smile radiated around her face while giving me her kind, pure look.r


    ¡®Disgusting!¡¯ I nearly cringed.r


    ¡®I don¡¯t want you to just do your best, you ungrateful bitch! I want certainty! Tch.¡¯r


    However, there was no use dragging out the matter and being needlessly stubborn. The current situation was something I had to leave in Ana¡¯s hands.r


    In the situation whereby her teammates were upliant, I had other methods. Besides, even if they were to return to their Camp, there¡¯s no way Ana wouldn¡¯t tell the people there about my existence.r


    ¡®They may initially be hesitant to risk a journey for one kid, but after she exins the masked man story to them, as well as this base filled with resources, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll bite.¡¯r


    Even then, the Camp¡¯s management could harbor malicious intent against me, especially in the matter of resources. It would be more efficient to kill me and im my resources for themselves.r


    ¡®I know Ana won¡¯t allow that though, but¡­ there are ways to cover up incidents like this. They could just lie that a Demon did me in or something. Even if she tries to forcefully join any rescue squad dispatched, if the Camp wants me dead, they¡¯ll find other means.¡¯ I reasoned.r


    Of course, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance, but I wasn¡¯t interested in having to dispose of many humans.r


    Which was why the best option was for Ana¡¯s team to take me with them. I had to ensure that seeded, no matter what!r


    ¡°I should get going now, my teammates will be worried.¡± Ana¡¯s voice suddenly cut into my thoughts.r


    I raised my head and looked at her. She gave me a reassuring smile, as though telling me to put her trust in her. That she would definitely be back.r


    ¡°Y-yeah. I-I understand¡­¡± I mumbled.r

 Chapter 52 Deliberation

    It wasn¡¯t like I could stop Ana.r


    The whole ¡®demons lurking about in the night¡¯ thing had been canceled already by my story, so she was certain that the environment was safe. Plus, she had gotten enough food and rest, so there was no longer any excuse to prevent her from leaving.r


    Besides, the team nned on leaving early the next day, so they had to conclude whatever decisions they had to make this night.r


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Jeremy. I promise.¡± Ana spoke, rising on her feet with a little grunt.r


    As I remained seated on the floor, I saw her from my position and appreciated her height once again. A small smile formed on my face, but I quickly killed it off.r


    ¡°Thanks for everything, Jeremy. See you soon!¡± She said, among other things, before finally leaving.r


    I didn¡¯t bother escorting her, so until she left, my butt remained glued to the floor.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°So she¡¯s gone already, eh? Judging by her personality she will definitely be back.¡± I mumbled, taking ount of her movements through my enhanced senses.r


    Well, for all of their sakes, they had better return for me and ept my deal. If they choose to make the wrong choice, then it would only be natural that I dispose of them.r


    ¡®They owe their lives to me, anyway. I¡¯ll justplete the task that monster failed to.¡¯ A wide grin formed on my face as I considered the thought.r


    ¡®Good. Now then¡­ let¡¯s see what choice they¡¯ll make!¡¯r


    ¡°¡­ And that¡¯s what happened.¡± Ana finally concluded her narration concerning the events she experienced, and the story that the strange boy, Jeremy told her.r


    For a moment, silence filled the atmosphere as her four teammates looked at her with peculiar expressions.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°So, what do you guys think?¡± She added, breaking the silence.r


    ¡°W-wow. That¡¯s a lot to take in¡­¡± Peter muttered, flicking his sses.r


    It was true that her story added up, about the strange man, the boy in the base, and his story. However, one thing was clear out of everything that was said.r


    ¡°There are no other resources in this area? Shit! It¡¯s all thanks to that masked man! Why did he have to take everything?!¡± One of the group members groaned in annoyance.r


    ¡°Daniel, why are you ming someone for that? In the first ce, we don¡¯t have any right to the resources. He simply did what we¡¯ve been doing as well. Besides, he did it for the benefit of others who don¡¯t have the opportunity to search for resources in this world.¡± Ana replied, looking a little stern.r


    In such an Apocalyptic era, it was firste first served. If they had beente to the party, they just had to ept their fate, rather than me anyone. Of course, Daniel understood that logic, but he still felt frustrated for not getting at least something for all the troubles they had been through.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Shit!¡± He could only let out powerlessly.r


    ¡°More importantly, let¡¯s discuss what to do about the boy. Lily, Daniel, Peter, Larry¡­ what¡¯s your take on it?¡± Ana asked, looking determined.r


    ¡°Leader, I¡¯m guessing you want us to take him with us¡­¡± Peter said.r


    Ana nodded her head. She had already told them all about the masked man¡¯s wish that they take care of Jeremy, as well as her personal conviction of the lonely boy.r


    ¡°I just imagined being in that situation instead of him¡­ And I knew what to do right away!¡± r


    Of course, the team members were human too, and understood their leader¡¯s perspective. However, it didn¡¯t erase the dangers that apanied them taking Jeremy back to their Camp.r


    The world was not paradise anymore, if it could ever have been considered that in the past. On their way to the Camp, they were bound to encounter Demons. It would be very inconvenient and inefficient for the team if Jeremy was with them while they subjugated the enemies.r


    Plus, they had failed to obtain any resources. Returning to the Camp with nothing to show for their expedition, but a new mouth to feed was nothing short of a disaster. The Camp wouldn¡¯t stand for that.r


    Everyone in the room understood all of this, yet¡­ Ana still insisted on taking the boy in.r


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ana¡­ I don¡¯t think we can afford to do that.¡± Peter spoke in his calcting tone.r


    ¡°Peter¡¯s right. We¡¯re already in big trouble as it is.¡± Daniel said, looking away in guiltr


    ¡°I¡­ you know I¡¯ll always support any decision you make Ana,¡± Lily said to the leader, though from her expression, she knew it wouldn¡¯t work out.r


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in deliberating this. It¡¯s not possible to take another with us with how things currently are. We could tell the Camp about his situation when we return¡­¡± Larry said, maintaining a somewhat neutral stance.r


    However, all he said were mere words. The group members all knew that once they arrived at the Camp, they would be more upied with other matters, including the consequences of their inability to procure resources.r


    With the odds of 2:3, against her favor, Ana already knew the oue of the vote. She could try arguing her case more, which she would, but all of that would be an act of selfishness.r


    Considering the situation of her team at the moment, there was very little she could do. Even if she took Jeremy to the Camp, it wouldn¡¯t be the kind of ce he would like or be safe in. One thing the Camp avoided the most¡­ was a liability.r


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry Jeremy. It looks like I won¡¯t be able to help you, after all¡­¡¯ Ana thought to herself.r


    ¡°Ah, for a bunch of idiots, they have good sense.¡± I smiled while watching and eavesdropping on the group.r


    After Ana left my building, I made it to my usual spot and watched the leader return to her group, which received her happily.r


    They were just like a happy family, how cute. However, even after she pleaded my case, the group ultimately voted against the decision to take me along with them.r


    While I understood their logic perfectly, and I would most likely make a simr decision in their shoes, it was still uneptable to me.r


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to go with my next n.¡±r

 Chapter 53 Convergence

    >Tap<r


    >Tap<r


    >Tap<r


    I could hear the footsteps of a group approaching my room.r


    It was morning already, and I knew it was only a matter of time before this happened.r


    From the sounds and clutters of their feet, they were five in number, all moving in a careful, yet hurried manner.r


    ¡®So they¡¯re here already, uh?¡¯ I smiled broadly.r


    Before long, the group reached my front door, and just as expected, I heard a knock.r


    ¡°Jeremy, it¡¯s me¡­ Anabelle.¡± r


    I slowly disced the grin I had and made sure everything was in order. Practicing my expression for thest time, I snickered within myself.r


    ¡®I might not even need it, though¡­¡¯r


    ¡°Pleasee in,¡± I responded calmly.r


    Ana gave a relieved sigh and proceeded to open the door, revealing herself alongside four of herrades.r


    Seeing them up close now, only one thought came to mind. r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®They¡­ They¡¯re tall!¡¯r


    Even Lily, whom I had thought to be a Loli, was at least my height. It was unfortunate, but it appeared I was indeed the smallest in the room, having the same height as the cute girl among their group.r


    ¡®So this is how things are¡­ tch!¡¯r


    In any case, more important matters upied my mind, and I proceeded to check out their information summary.r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r


    Name: Peterr


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Maler


    Level: 18r


    Alignment: Lawful Neutralr


    [End Of Information]r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r


    Name: Danielr<sub></sub>


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Maler


    Level: 16r


    Alignment: Neutralr


    [End Of Information]r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r


    Name: Larryr


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Maler


    Level: 16r


    Alignment: Neutral (Neutral Evil)r


    [End Of Information]r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r<sub></sub>


    Name: Lilyr


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Femaler


    Level: 12r


    Alignment: Neutral Goodr


    [End Of Information]r


    As expected, Lily¡¯s level was the lowest. She did seem like the least experienced member. Plus, none of the group member¡¯s Levels held a candle to Ana¡¯s. It was no wonder they respected and trusted her so much, despite her na?ve personality.r


    However, the most intriguing thing that caught my eye was the Alignment of one of the group members.r


    ¡®Larry has a Neutral Alignment. Yet¡­ what¡¯s this I¡¯m seeing?¡¯r


    In a bracket beside the ¡®Neutral¡¯ alignment, there was another Alignment entirely. Larry was¡­ ¡®Neutral Evil¡¯!r


    ¡®So that¡¯s how he is¡­ This guy is a faker.¡¯ My mind rang.r


    A faker, one who hides his true Alignment through a Gift or Skill, causing anyone around him to see something other than what he truly is.r


    Of course, whatever trick he used wouldn¡¯t work on me since I was 50 Levels higher than him, however, seeing this made me even more cautious. r


    ¡®Just as I thought¡­ I can¡¯t trust anyone!¡¯r


    Even though the guy, Larry, had such a dangerous Alignment, everyone around him was fooled. He had even been chosen to be among the expedition team, a sensitive role in a camp. Which meant that none of the Camp members had a level high enough to truly discern him.r


    Well, he didn¡¯t pose any threat to me anyway, so it wasn¡¯t in my ce to take care of their mess.r


    ¡°So this is him¡­ Jeremy?¡± Peter mumbled, stroking his chin as he observed me.r


    His actions creeped me out, as he appeared to be dissecting me with his eyes.r


    ¡°Oh, shut up. Go ahead, introduce yourselves.¡± Ana elbowed Peter, causing him to yelp slightly.r


    Rubbing his side a little, the four eyes told me his name with a pained smile.r


    ¡®It appears that despite his earlier behavior and how he speaks, he¡¯s actually sorta a good guy.¡¯ I mused.r


    As expected of someone with the Lawful Neutral Alignment. He also had the highest level, after Ana.r


    ¡®Quite the reliable guy, uh? I wonder what his Gift and Skills are.¡¯r


    The remaining group members took turns in introducing themselves, though their words were useless to me. I had already gotten whatever information I could by checking their Status Introduction. Plus, everything they were saying was ultimately a pretext to the bad news.r


    They weren¡¯t going to take me with them.r


    ¡°U-um¡­ I¡¯m Lily¡­ Nice to meet you¡­¡± Lily mumbled, smiling shyly at me.r


    ¡®A-ahhh¡­ Kawaii!¡¯ I slipped into my usual Japanese reaction at the sight of her disy of cuteness.r


    Ah, it would be a waste to kill such a girl, but such would be her fate if this group failed toply with my wishes.r


    Well, I had not lost hope entirely. After all¡­ there was n B. If they didn¡¯t bite after this, then they would be fools¡­ and would soon be dead.r


    ¡°My name is Jeremy. It¡¯s nice to meet you. I met Ana yesterday, and I¡¯m happy to be able to meet more of herpanions.¡± I spoke calmly, pretending as though I had been practicing the lines all night.r


    The group smiled at me, though I could see Daniel disy a guilty look on his face since he knew they were going to turn me down. However, before that happened I had to make my move.r


    ¡°So, Ana¡­ I did some thinkingst night, and I thought of something!¡± r


    Anabelle looked stunned a little, her eyes broadening in curiosity.r


    ¡°O-oh, really?¡± She blurted out. r


    I could tell from the fidgeting of everyone present, that they were in somewhat of a hurry. They wanted to get things over with and leave for the camp. Plus, staying with me any longer would only increase their feeling of guilt, something every human avoided.r


    However, I wasn¡¯t going to let them slip away from my grasp so easily.r


    ¡®It¡¯s showtime!¡¯r


    ¡°I know your group must not have gotten anything since my savior took all the useful things in this area. S-so¡­ As an apology for that, and also as a contribution from my end, please take anything you deem useful from this base!¡±r


    The entire group was astonished by my statement. I could see the eyes and heads of everyone turning in every direction that they could, and they could definitely see many things I had that could count as ¡®useful¡¯ to their camps. r


    ¡®Yes¡­ now what do you say, retards? Change your mind yet?¡¯ A mischievous gleam appeared in my eyes.r

 Chapter 54 Victory

    ¡°N-no, Jeremy. We couldn¡¯t possibly do that to you. After all¡­¡± Ana mumbled, trying to exin how they¡¯d decided to leave me behind.r


    ¡®Oh no, you don¡¯t!¡¯r


    ¡°Please just take them. At least, as thanks for taking me with you. After all, I don¡¯t want to be just dead weight and a liability to you guys. I¡¯m sure these will help you quite a bit. Plus, there¡¯s more stuff in the other rooms.¡± I smiled brightly.r


    The overwhelming pressure of my benevolence and innocence crushed the souls of the people who were in my presence. Iughed internally as I saw the ufortable faces of the expedition team. r


    Their eyes lit with opportunity, ready to bite at my deal. Well, except for the obviously stupid one.r


    ¡°Jeremy. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I tried convincing them, but the team decided to-¡± Ana blurted out.r


    ¡®Ah, what an idiot!¡¯ I groaned internally.r


    Here I was, being kind enough to give these guys a chance to correct their earlier judgment. By granting them these supplies, they would solve the problem of having nothing to show for their expedition. Also, not only would they escape the Camp penalties, but they would most likely be promoted for their good deeds.r<sub>.</sub>


    Even if they took me in, the Camp would consider my contribution and ensure that I be treated nicely for a while¡­ especially if my connection with the mysterious masked man was emphasized.r


    Yet, this woman can¡¯t even catch the hint.r


    ¡°-Ah, what Ana means to say is that this is definitely a lot, and we¡¯ll be happy to have them with us. After all, many people in the Camp are in dire need of these supplies.¡± Peter quickly cut in, stepping forward and raising his voice to overshadow Ana¡¯s.r


    ¡®Perfect! Now, this is what I¡¯m talking about. I knew I could count on you, Four-eyes.¡¯ I beamed.r


    Unlike the na?ve leader, who was blinded by her righteous mindset, I prefer someone like him who is able to see the bigger picture.r


    ¡± B-but, Peter, didn¡¯t we-?¡±r


    ¡®Oh, will you shut up, bitch!¡¯ Was what I wanted to say, but I controlled myself. r<sub></sub>


    From Peter¡¯s expression, I could also tell that he was thinking the same thing.r


    ¡°Oh? Is it too small? I¡¯m sorry about that. But, this is all I have¡­ you know?¡± I finally spoke, my voice breaking in the middle.r


    At this point, the remaining group members were won over. Larry greedily eyed the supplies packed in boxes, the equipment I had around, and even the doors leading to the other room, wondering just how much stuff I had in stock.r


    ¡®Typical for a greedy pig¡­ Lol¡¯ r


    I wasn¡¯t going to be letting go of my treasures for free though. Besides, most of the things in the Base were not really relevant to me. Compared to the profit I was going to obtain, I could live with parting away with a few things.r


    ¡°-So, Jeremy. You want to donate all these things to the Camp, so everyone can be happy when youe with us, right?¡± Peter asked me.r


    Quickly, I nodded vehemently, stering an excited smile on my face.r<sub></sub>


    He smiled softly and approached me calmly, bending to his knees and drawing closer to my face. He used his hands to slightly tap my shoulders and gave me a proud look.r


    ¡°Thank you. Truly¡­ Unlike we adults, you¡¯re a good kid.¡± Peter whispered.r


    His words went through to my insides, and I felt a surge of emotion well up within me. From the look on his face, he was being sincere. He most likely felt terrible for suggesting that the group leave me behind, though his actions were justified. r


    However, since things turned out this way, he could only fault himself for almost leaving me behind.r


    ¡®This guy¡­ Peter, you¡­ You fool! Why are you kneeling and patting me while also calling me a kid?! I¡¯m a teenager! Damnit!!!¡¯ I screamed internally.r


    Was I ever going to get used to this indignity? Sigh¡­r


    Still, I¡¯m d that things turned out this way. The rest of the team members also swarmed around me and gave me words of praise.r


    ¡°Ana was really worried about us, and we would have gotten into trouble without these supplies. But, you saved all of us.¡± Lily grinned warmly at me, drawing closer. r


    I looked at her innocent beauty, feigning surprise by her words. She used her little hands to grab mine, sping them in hers while giving me the most adorable look I had seen so far.r


    ¡°Thank you, Jeremy.¡±r


    My heart nearly burst out from my chest, and I could barely contain the flush of amusement welling up within me.r


    ¡®No, hold it in. Hold it in¡­ these dumbasses were way too easy!¡¯ I stifled my roars ofughter.r


    At this point, it appeared that Ana had finally caught on to the new decision made by everyone, and gave a smile, nodding at me when our eyes met.r


    ¡°Thank you, Jeremy¡­ and wee to your new family,¡± Ana said, and I returned her gesture with a smile of my own.r


    I had to say, this felt good. Surrounded by a new group of people that showed me love and respect, even though they would have ditched me a second ago. My new family¡­r


    ¡®Ahh, it¡¯s nice to be a part of you guys. Please take very good care of me. I¡¯ll make sure to have lots of wonderful times with you, during the time we¡¯ll be spending together.¡¯ I mused.r


    It took quite a bit of effort and humiliation, but things were finally going my way. Everything was going ording to n, and ultimately the path I had started would lead to my victory.r


    And these tools will be useful in achieving that.r


    [EXACTLY TWO WEEKS FROM NOW]r


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± I made heavy breaths, looking at the figure that floated in the sky while ring at me.r


    Multiple bodies of the dead littered the ground, leaving only me standing. Many of my des were already broken, rendered useless in the face of the overwhelming force I faced.r


    Shining brightly, the white shadow nearly dimmed my eyes, and if not for my resistance I would have been blinded by it.r


    ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t win!¡±r

 Chapter 55 Team

    ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t win!¡± I coughed, spurting blood from my mouth in the process.


    My body was weakened already, and I knew it was the end for me. I had no more strength to escape, and even if I did, this ¡®thing¡¯ was way faster.


    I couldn¡¯t even put up a fight, since none of my attacks would be effective. Victory was never even an option.


    The figure slowly descended, ready to execute me. Sweat poured all over my body while myriads of thoughts rang in my head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    For the first time in a long time, I witnessed the same amount of fear I had when I was still a powerless nobody. No¡­ This was even far worse than that. After all, with enough training and leveling up, there was no Demon I couldn¡¯t ultimately beat in that apartment.


    But now, in face of true terror and sheer power, enough to disintegrate even the most powerful of my weapons and nullify all of my skills, I knew true despair.


    It was my loss.


    Finally, the ringing stopped in my head, reced by one definite and absolute conclusion which was that I couldn¡¯t escape.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ going to die here¡­¡±<sub>.</sub>


    [THE PRESENT]


    It has been quite a while since the expedition team decided to take me under their wings. We already left the apartment and were making our way to the Camp.


    Of course, the members spared no time in assembling all the junk I stocked my ¡®base¡¯ with, taking everything they could.


    ¡®Who would have thought one of them had a shrinking Gift. How convenient¡­¡¯ I mused.


    Using his Gift¡¯s ability, the one called Daniel collected what he could into his bag as well as the luggage of the rest of the group.


    Still, there wasn¡¯t enough space to contain everything, so we had to leave some stuff behind.


    ¡°It looks like the Camp will have to send us or another expedition team to take the rest¡­¡± Ana inferred.


    In any case, we didn¡¯t waste any time and departed as soon as they were done taking the best stuff; Food, clothing, electronic appliances¡­ and the 12Volt 100AH battery that could provide enough electrical charge tost for weeks.


    Still, looking around me as we journeyed, I was now even more certain that the world had not entirely be hell.<sub></sub>


    While a lot of buildings had fallen, and many cars remained damaged, it hadn¡¯t gotten past the point of recovery.


    ¡°Stay close to me, Jeremy. We may encounter some Demons soon¡­¡± Ana said with a smile.


    Of course, I would be treated like this. I was considered the weakest among the group, as well as their golden egg.


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ thanks.¡± I resumed my pretense of fragility.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry kid. The monsters we¡¯ll encounter aren¡¯t very strong. The ones closer to the Red zone are more dangerous, but since we¡¯re in a Yellow area, we¡¯ll be fine.¡± Peter suddenly spoke.


    I¡¯m certain this was his way of trying to be friendly with me, so I didn¡¯t mind. Of course, I already knew the system of colors and danger levels in this new world.


    Green Zones are safe spots, and this is where Camps are erected. The probability of running into monsters is close to zero and safety is guaranteed.


    Yellow Zones are areas where Demons can be seen, but since they are not too many, they can easily be dealt with if a good team is around. Sometimes it¡¯s possible for a single Gifted to handle Demons in Yellow Zones, depending on skill.


    Orange Zones are more dangerous, and Demons can be seen in groups. It¡¯s always advisable for a team to subjugate them, rather than single individuals.<sub></sub>


    Finally, the Red Zones. Currently, it¡¯s the most dangerous of the colors, and the difficulty, size, and number of monsters are so overwhelmingly high that it¡¯s advisable to not attempt entering them.


    Of course, in the future, more colors such as Purple and ck would be invented as the world is plunged into more chaos.


    ¡®But, that¡¯s still a while away, so let¡¯s enjoy what we can for now.¡¯ I smiled.


    Colors and Danger levels are measured ording to the Demonic concentration of energy in the area, as well as System Warnings to the Gifteds.


    The <Danger> notification when entering a zone is multiplied the higher the difficulty. If the <Danger> warning exceeds 3, then such a Gifted was most likely not going to survive, and it would be a guaranteed Red Zone.


    ¡®Apparently, I survived in the Red Zone by myself. It¡¯s a good thing the first set of Demons I met were fodder, plus they were in a disadvantageous state.¡¯


    A most notable feature of a Red Zone is the existence of a Gate. Since monsters spawn nearly endlessly from a Gate, the numbers keep increasing, and the Demonic energy intensifies. It¡¯s impossible to quantify how many Demons will be in a Red Zone, but unless the Gate is destroyed more will keeping.


    ¡®Time is of the essence!¡¯


    If I wanted to grow stronger in preparation for the catastrophes toe, I would need to challenge more Red Zones and Level Up!


    ¡°Demon Iing!!!¡± Lily shouted.


    Using her observational Gift, [Great Sight], she was the first to spot the creature approaching. I had been too lost in thought that I didn¡¯t spread out my senses. Plus, since it was a Yellow Zone, I didn¡¯t think I had to exert myself so much.


    Focusing my attention on the direction Lily pointed at, I took a quick look at the imminent threat.


    There was no way I could mistake the slimy green appearance of the monster, its humping frame, and disgusting bodily features. There was no doubt about it¡­


    It was a HobGoblin.


    ¡®Figures¡­¡¯ I thought in disappointment, proceeding to check its Status.


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Hobgoblin


    ¨C Level: 30


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 1


    ¨C Age: 50 days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 50


    ¨C MP: 5


    ¨C Strength: 200


    ¨C Agility: 450


    ¨C Vitality: 190


    ¨C Intelligence: 5


    [.]


    ¡®Welp, it¡¯s stronger than the fodder I fought back in the Apartment. But still¡­ too weak.¡¯


    ¡°Get in formation, everyone!¡± Ana suddenly yelled.


    The battle was about to begin. This would give me a better chance to see them fight properly¡­ I suppose this Demon was going to be useful after all.

 Chapter 56 Subjugation

    ¡°Get in formation, everyone!¡± Ana dered, stepping forward as her body began to glow in order to activate her Gift [Armament].r


    As expected, the group covered me, blocking my short frame from the Demon that approached at a rapid rate.r


    Well, to me it wasn¡¯t.r


    Still, with my senses at their level, I could sense every detail of the battle from my position, it all depended on perspective.r


    ¡°Stay behind us, Jeremy. Don¡¯t worry, this will be over soon!¡± Ana spoke to me reassuringly.r


    Her expression was filled with consideration andpassion, making me wonder why she was so fixated on me.r


    ¡®Oh shit! I nearly forgot that I told her the whole story about my entirerades being killed by Demons. She must think I have a trauma or something.¡¯ My head suddenly rang.r


    I had to act the part!r


    ¡°Y-yes. Thank you¡­¡± I smiled nervously, stepping back.r


    Even if they somewhat blocked my view at the moment, once theymenced their fight, I would be able to see it clearly, instead of relying on my senses.r<sub>.</sub>


    Ana¡¯s fiery orange ability manifested, shrouding her entire body in her bright battle armor.r


    ording to my data from the previous fight, where I saw all of them being pummeled by the Ogre, Ana¡¯s Armament simply boosted all her stats and created an enhanced version of her.r


    This allowed her the ultimate offense and defense. A well-bnced ability. It¡¯s a shame that she was so weak. If she grew it to a higher level and even Leveled up further, she was bound to be nearly invincible in a fight.r


    ¡°Ah, that Gift¡­ I want it.¡± I whispered, nearly drooling.r


    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t obtain her Gift. Even with my <Steal> Skill, I can only obtain items and in very rare instances, Skills. Since the effects were random, and there were limitations, it wasn¡¯t an all-powerful ability.r


    ¡®My level is way higher than theirs, so I¡¯m sure the effects of <Steal> will be good on them, but¡­ I¡¯d better not try it now.¡¯r


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this, everyone!¡± Ana shouted.r


    I looked before me, and truly the team had taken formation. Ana was at the vanguard, being the strongest in battle. Daniel and Peter were located at her right and left nk respectively, while Larry stood beside Lily at the rear.r


    Since I had a good idea of what their Gifts were, I wasn¡¯t surprised. Rather, it was a somewhat impressive tactic.r<sub></sub>


    Daniel had a shrinking Gift, so he often carries miniaturized versions of weapons. Once he threw them at the opponent, who wouldn¡¯t view them as much of a threat, he would undo the effects of his Gift, causing them to return to their normal size and deal good damage.r


    Peter, on the other hand, had a freezing Gift. I had to admit, his cryogenesis was really good. However, the disadvantage of such an ability was that when faced with an opponent with higher stats and resistance, his Gift won¡¯t be of much use.r


    Finally, Larry had a body morphing Gift. He could transform his hand into a decent bow and generate arrows from his flesh. I would have considered the Gift gross in the past, but I¡¯ve seen worse.r


    The reason he stayed at the rear with Lily was to have a good vantage point, plus with Lily¡¯s Gift, he was better able to pinpoint the enemy¡¯s weak spots.r


    And so, their formation was nearly perfect. The only reason they lost against the Ogre was that it was overwhelmingly stronger than them. r


    But now, against an enemy they could beat¡­ They weren¡¯t half bad.r


    ¡°SKRIAAAAAHHHHH!!!¡± The Hobgoblin roared, coating itself with the little magic power it had, causing its body to glow. r


    It stared with bloodlust at the group and charged at them in a frenzy.r


    >WHOOOSH<r<sub></sub>


    Ana dashed from the forefront and rapidly moved in the monster¡¯s direction. In an instant, she closed the distance and steeled her fist, covering it with more energy.r


    The Demon proceeded to lunge its w at her, but it appeared she was a split-second faster, as she dodged its strike and gave it a direct hit on the jaw. r


    The monster was thrust above due to the strike, allowing Peter the chance to use his ice Gift on the stunned Demon.r


    The white ciers proceeded from Peter¡¯s feet, stretching in a straight line, and reached the Goblin. Ana moved out of the way, causing only the monster to be trapped in its prison of ice.r


    ¡°K-kiiii?!!!¡± The Goblin groaned, feeling the frost cover its skin.r


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t going to hold the Demon forever since the green radiation it emitted was already breaking down the ice.r


    ¡°Daniel!¡± Peter quickly shouted.r


    ¡°I know!¡± He answered, throwing several small rocks at the Hobgoblin.r


    ¡°Grriiikkkk!!!!¡± It struggled from the ice, and finally, several cracks appears on the light blue structure.r


    However, it was toote. Daniel¡¯s small projectiles had already reached its location, and in an instant, the shrinking effects were removed, andrge boulders appeared, damaging the frozen Hobgoblin.r


    The rocks chipped at its HP, and some frozen parts of its flesh broke off.r


    ¡°Gurrrrruaaaaaakkkk!!!¡± r


    >BOOOOOMMMM< It finally tore out of its ice prison, growling and ring at the defiant humans that dared to stand against it. r


    Still, once again it was toote.r


    ¡°There!¡± Lily pointed in the direction of the right area of the Hobgoblin¡¯s chest.r


    Larry grinned and released his already aimed arrow. Perhaps it was due to a skill, or a part of his Gift, but the arrow he shot suddenly ignited into blue mes, increasing the speed and most likely its power.r


    >WHOOOOSSSHHH<r


    The arrow whistled past in a sh and the blue-coated arrow pierced the Demon¡¯s chest, crushing its heart in an instant.r


    Instantly, the arrow exploded, and from the inside out, the Hobgoblin followed suit.r


    Its body was engulfed in blue me, and it was barely alive, but arge portion of it was still intact and it wasn¡¯t yet dead.r


    Refusing to underestimate the Demon, Ana rushed toward the Hobgoblin once again and poured power into her fist,unching it at the monster.r


    >BOOOOOMMM<r


    As her blow connected, the monster was blown into bits, sending its flesh flying everywhere. Blood spurted out of its body, but Ana quickly stepped out of the way, so only a small amount sshed on her.r


    Still, because of her armament, none of them reached the attire she wore.r


    And so, right before my eyes¡­ I witnessed my first group monster subjugation in person.r


    ¡®Not bad¡­¡¯ I smirked.r

 Chapter 57 Bonding

    ¡°Huu¡­ good job, everyone.¡± Ana smiled, wiping off the sweat that had formed on her face while undoing her Armament.r


    The group felt more at ease after the death of the Hobgoblin, and to my amazement¡­ they leveled up!r


    Larry and Daniel advanced to Level 17, Peter became Level 19, Ana became Level 22, while Lily became Level 13¡­ all from a single Hobgoblin Subjugation!r


    ¡®That¡¯s¡­ unbelievable¡­ how low are their Stats for them to have all leveled up?¡¯ I thought in amazement.r


    Perhaps their EXP was already close to 100, so the death of that Demon caused them to level up. That made sense.r


    When a Party hunts Demons, the EXP is shared ording to their contributions. The system calctes it and allocates to them their portion. It¡¯s an efficient, uplicated method to gain Levels, and since it is as a group, the risks aren¡¯t as great as solo leveling.r


    As a result of this, the earlier stages of the Apocalypse allowed many to remain together as a group, for safety.r


    However¡­ in the times toe, things will be a little different. While it¡¯s possible to share EXP¡¯s from Dead Demons, when special drops and items start to appear after subjugation, controversies will begin to rise. r


    Arguments concerning spoils that would be considered life-changing will sprout, leading to conflict and disunity. Demon Cores can always be obtained after killing Demons, but Treasures are different. They aren¡¯t guaranteed, so everyone wants to be the one to possess them.r<sub>.</sub>


    Humans are only concerned about themselves foremost, not wanting the next person to get ahead of them. This hasn¡¯t changed in the Apocalypse.r


    The future looked grim for groups such as these. r


    ¡®I wonder what will happen when that timees¡­¡¯r


    Ana proceeded to take the Hobgoblin¡¯s core from the already dissipated body and evaporating pool of blood.r


    Upon retrieving it, she returned to the group, cing the slightlyrge core in her pockets.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s find somewhere to stay for a while. It¡¯s almost time, right Daniel?¡± Ana said, looking at the nervous-looking man.r


    ¡°Y-yeah. Thanks.¡±r


    The group members all nodded their heads, knowing what their leader meant.r<sub></sub>


    Fortunately, a damaged building was nearby, so we took shelter there. As soon as we got there, Daniel removed all the spoils they had gotten from my base, spreading them all out.r


    ¡®What is he trying to do?¡¯ I asked myself.r


    Lily, the cutie among the group members seemed to have read my mind and decided to answer my question.r


    ¡°Mr. Daniel¡¯s Gift is to shrink objects, but he can¡¯t keep them that way forever. So, after a while, he has to reuse his Gift on them. For that to happen, the objects have to assume their natural state, then he turns them small once again.¡±r


    I listened attentively to her exnation, a little surprised that she bothered to answer my thoughts without me even bothering to ask.r


    Ana was on patrol, and the rest of the group members weren¡¯t really the chatty type. Even Lily was shy, yet she decided to make conversation with me.r


    ¡®I also noticed that she was looking at me a lot of times during our journey. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Lily actually¡­?!!¡¯ My mind rang.r


    I controlled myself from screaming out loud. Ah, what was going on in my head? She was just a normal girl who normally stares at a stranger and was kind enough to answer me when no one else would.r<sub></sub>


    I mean, Ana did the same¡­ and it wasn¡¯t like she harbored any feelings for me.r


    ¡®Ah, being around these nice people has made me to start overthinking things¡­¡¯r


    Since Lily had made the first step toward making a conversation, it would be rude for me to leave her hanging. I was a nice guy, after all¡­ and ording to my script, she wasn¡¯t so different from myself.r


    ¡°T-thanks. Wow, that¡¯s such an amazing ability¡­¡± I mumbled, turning to face her while smiling shyly.r


    My sudden reaction seemed to have startled the girl, as she took a step backward from where she sat and appeared flustered.r


    My dirty mind brought up a suggestion, but I quickly shook it off.r


    ¡°Y-yeah. It really is. We wouldn¡¯t have been able to movefortably without him. Even though my sight Gift is pretty overestimated in the group, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as useful as his.¡± She smiled softly.r


    Well, she wasn¡¯t entirely wrong, but she wasn¡¯t right either. Any Gift could be considered overpowered and extremely useful in such a world, depending on how one used it.r


    I also once looked down on my Subspace Gift, if it weren¡¯t for the benefit of hindsight, I doubt I would have been able to survive so long with the other Gifts I was seeing among the team members.r


    Plus, it was plenty convenient. Enough to make meugh at my past self.r


    ¡®To think it¡¯s still at D Rank. I can¡¯t wait to upgrade it even more!¡¯r


    ¡°Your Gift suits you, Lily. I don¡¯t know much about this Subjugation and Expedition stuff¡­ but you have your role, and they have theirs. Without your early recognition of that monster, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to get into formation on time, and you guys might have lost.¡± I said.r


    Upon hearing this, her eyes widened a little in surprise.r


    ¡°Plus, you give them enough confidence to journey. Since they know you¡¯re with them, they don¡¯t have to be tensed all the time.¡± r


    Lily looked at me in wonder and awe now. The gleam of curiosity in her eyes increased even further as she found me more interesting.r


    ¡°W-wow. Thanks a lot, Jeremy¡­¡± She smiled shyly.r


    ¡°You know, I was a little jealous of how Ana showed you a lot of attention and focused on you in the group, neglecting me. But, I can see why now¡­ you¡¯re a good guy.¡± r


    The innocent way she spoke, her young charm, plus the embarrassed tone, made my heart leap beyond bounds. To think she harbored such feelings, how amusing indeed.r


    ¡®I always knew I was a good guy. Hehe, I¡¯ve even charmed such a cute girl.¡¯ I mused.r


    Well, it wasn¡¯t that I was against rtionships, but I also had to take things slow, you know? Of course, Lily was a prospective partner, but¡­ what if there were more like her in the Camp?r


    ¡®Hehe, I can¡¯t rush in making my decision yet.¡¯r


    Still, I was going to enjoy my time with her. A conversation between two innocent, good people. What could possibly go wrong?r


    ¡°B-by the way, Jeremy¡­ what¡¯s your Gift?¡± Lily suddenly asked.r


    ¡°¡­¡±r

 Chapter 58 Sharing Gifts

    Her words of inquisition hit me like a sledgehammer! Of all the variables in a conversation, I wasn¡¯t expecting that. Even Ana and the other team members never asked me. To think Lily would be the one to finally raise the question.r


    Her voice had unintentionally attracted the attention of everyone else that was present. They looked in our direction curiously, and I knew at that moment that I had to deliver something at the very least. Millions of thoughts ran through my mind, as I tried to respond.r


    However, all of them ended at a single point¡­r


    ¡®Oh crap, what do I say?!¡¯r


    ¡°Oh, yeah. That¡¯s true¡­ I¡¯m curious as well.¡± Peter said, suddenly tilting his body in our direction.r


    While Daniel focused on shrinking the objects, I could see his eyes ncing in our direction from time to time. Clearly, he wanted to know as well.r


    Larry remained silent, but it wasn¡¯t like I was going to trust someone with an evil Alignment based on just that.r


    Needless to say, everyone wanted to know at this point.r


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have asked. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to say anything¡­¡± Lily suddenly burst out apologetically.r


    She must have sensed my hesitation. Even earlier, she also appeared to have read my mind. It seemed this Lily girl could somewhat sense the mood of others to a level. r


    Should that be the case, then I would have to consider her dangerous henceforth.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m just thinking of how to exin it to you guys¡­¡± I said, jumping on my feet.r


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to tell them about [Subspace]. Plus, it wasn¡¯t like I was dumb enough to not think of the possibility of them asking this question. r


    However, to think it would be this soon¡­r


    ¡°My Gift¡­ I think it would be better if I just showed you¡­¡± I smiled nervously.r


    At this point, even Daniel stopped what he was doing and looked at me.r


    ¡®So much for being in a hurry, uh?¡¯r


    The reason I was so flustered when Lily asked, and i was indecisive for a moment was due to one factor¡­r


    I couldn¡¯t decide what to choose for my Gift. I mean, I had so many options!r


    Looking at my Skill slots, I had ten to choose from. Since there was basically no outward difference between Skills and Gifts, if I made it convincing enough, any Skill could pass as my Gift.r


    All that was left now, was my choice!r<sub></sub>


    ?tSlot 1 ¨C <w Attack>r


    ?tSlot 2 ¨C <Spike Attack>r


    ?tSlot 3 ¨C <Venomous Spikes>r


    ?tSlot 4 ¨C <Steal>r


    ?tSlot 5 ¨C <Recall>r


    ?tSlot 6 ¨C <Summon>r


    ?tSlot 7 ¨C <Roar>r


    ?tSlot 8 ¨C <Rule>r


    ?tSlot 9 ¨C <Spike Skin>r


    ?tSlot 10 ¨C <Aura>r<sub></sub>


    Eenie, meanie, miny, moe!r


    ¡®Let¡¯s go with that one, then¡­¡¯ I grinned internally.r


    I closed my eyes, pretending to concentrate a great deal in order to activate my selected Skill. Instantly, a red surge of energy covered my body.r


    Of course, I reduced the output so as not to appear intimidating, shrouding myself in only the barest minimum to qualify as a Gift.r


    Opening my eyes, I saw the audience marveling at the crimson energy on my body.r


    ¡°My Gift is covering myself in this self-protective Aura. It reduces the damage done to me¡­ making me safe to some extent.¡± r


    Of course, that was a tant lie.r


    Aura was very useful for defense. After all, the Hell Kobold King used it to protect itself from my fully powered Core-5 weapon at the time.r


    But that wasn¡¯t its only use. It was an all-rounder, boosting my abilities to a dramatic level. At its current level, my Aura was already more powerful than Ana¡¯s Armament, making me wonder why a mere skill would exceed the level of a Gift.r


    ¡®Well, her Gift is most likely still at a lower rank. In terms of growth, she¡¯ll outdo ¡®Aura¡¯ sooner orter¡­¡¯r


    Still, by exhibiting a small amount of power, it would cause my position in the group to be the slightest bit more appreciated. Plus, the fact that I showed them my cards made them even more open to me.r


    ¡°That¡¯s one useful Gift. If you cultivate it well, you could protect yourself better from the Demons.¡± Peter said in his usual mature and encouraging tone.r


    I nodded in response, feigning happiness by his words. Closing my eyes once again, I decided to undo the skill since it was not worth wasting my Mana by using it needlessly.r


    That¡¯s right! Unlike Gifts that don¡¯t require mana to use, a lot of Skills require that element. Job-rted Skills and high-ss Skills all need mana to operate.r


    While the output was very low, I wasn¡¯t going to waste the tiniest bit of my MP to please this crowd with my Aura.r


    >SHUUUUU< The red energy dissipated, returning me to my normal form.r


    ¡°W-what about you guys?¡± I asked curiously. r


    At least, now I would be able to directly hear the details of their Gifts, not just guessing based on what I had seen.r


    Since I had shown my cards, it was only right they reciprocated¡­ and they did!r


    Peter, like I guessed, has [Cryogenesis]. He can freeze the moisture in the atmosphere, turning it into ice.r


    He isn¡¯t exactly able to control ice freely, but can determine the direction and position of the reaction. So, he can freeze anything in any location that is within range but is unable to control the ice itself.r


    Larry has a body transformation Gift called [Flesh Molding]. It isn¡¯t an overpowered ability like ¡®Body Magic¡¯ or something. It merely allows him to convert the fat in his body into hardened materials, and shape himself into some forms.r


    Of course, he isn¡¯t able to do this feely, so he focuses this ability on his arms and uses them forbat.r


    Daniel, as already seen, has a shrinking Gift, [Shrink]. He can miniaturize any inanimate object for a span of a few hours before they turn back and he has to repeat the process.r


    He has a size limit, as well as a time limit, so it isn¡¯t very useful for escape situations or highly dangerousbat.r


    Lily¡¯s [Great Sight], allows her to view anything from a far distance and also observe the aura around them. Therefore, she could detect Demons within a particr ce by seeing the malevolent aura around it.r


    ¡®Well, all useful information¡­ if only they were skills I could plunder!¡¯ I mused.r


    Still, there was no need to rush. We had a long way ahead of us, after all.r


    My chance woulde!r

 Chapter 59 Assembly

    We continued our journey, moving in our usual formation. Ana was usually behind, keeping a keen eye on me, while Lily was at the forefront, supported by Peter, as she watched out for monsters.


    The rest took care of our nks, making sure it was a well-bnced, airtight defense. I often felt Lily¡¯s gaze upon me, both of curiosity and slight jealousy.


    It would seem that she also wanted to be pampered by Ana, how cute.


    ¡®You can have her for all I care¡­ it¡¯s not like I like having this overbearing woman around me¡¯ I wailed within.


    We encountered a few more Hobgoblins, though not at the same time, and the group expertly handled them as they did the previous one.


    We also took pauses, due to the limitation of Daniel¡¯s Gift, as well as the physical limits of everyone who journeyed.


    Well, everyone but me.


    Still, I had to act the part, so after calcting how long it took for their stamina to wear out, I sometimes took the initiative to ask for a break before they werepletely tired, so I wouldn¡¯t appear suspicious.


    ¡®They¡¯re supposed to be higher than me in Levels, after all¡­¡¯


    It took the whole day, and at a point, I began to wonder how much further it would take. Ana kept encouraging me that we were nearly there, what a lying bitch she was.


    ¡°Huu¡­ finally we¡¯re almost there!¡± She muttered once again.<sub>.</sub>


    I felt like driving my fists into her guts for trying to deceive me, but a sudden thought sparked in my head.


    Spreading my senses, which I had retracted due to the uselessness of it amid the group, I went ahead of the team and checked what was present within my range.


    Surprisingly, I heard a few whispers, sounds made by humans. I opened my eyes with excitement, appearing slightly pleased by the development.


    It would seem Ana wasn¡¯t lying this time.


    ¡°Oh, you look relieved. You should be, Jeremy. This journey must have been hard on you, but you did well enduring it so far.¡± Ana smiled at me, patting me on my shoulder like a big sister.


    ¡®I¡¯m not into that sorta thing, so get your hands off of me!¡¯ I cringed.


    Peter nced in my direction, causing me to quickly change the expression I made.


    ¡°Well done, kid. You¡¯ll soon be able to take a breather.¡± He smiled as well.


    The remaining members of the group also smiled in relief, as though finally seeing a ce of rest, an abode of peace.


    The bright feeling that seemed to permeate everyone nearly sickened me.<sub></sub>


    ¡®Idiots. The existence of Camps is just another tragedy in the Apocalypse.¡¯


    Of course, it was a safe haven for the weak. Many people preferred the notion of collectivity in such dire situations.


    However, such concepts only shackled the strong, and those with potential for growth.


    Being encumbered with responsibilities of retrieving resources that you would share, and protecting the lives of weaklings¡­ wasn¡¯t that just madness?!


    Looking at the expedition group I was in, they were very capable by normal standards. If they decided to split off from the Camp, they would have better chances of survival and live a fairly morefortable life.


    ¡®Instead, they¡¯ll have to share all their spoils with the hundreds that will be awaiting them, receiving nothing but peanuts andmendations for risking their lives¡­ pathetic!¡¯


    Still, it wasn¡¯t in my ce to say. They had their thing going for them, and I had mine.


    And so, we pressed on, nearing the Camp and smiling gleefully in anticipation for what woulde.


    Though my source of joy was most definitely different from theirs.


    ***********************************<sub></sub>


    Bright lights illuminated everywhere.


    Vast colors, bright and beautiful, like rainbows and the glimmering stars that painted the night in multiple colors, the entire area was filled with them.


    If words were to be used to describe such a ce, it would be like the aurora borealis, except more radiant and beautiful, the very epitome of perfection.


    In this vast expanse of a realm beyond space and time, massive figures shrouded in white light levitated in the air, if it could be called that.


    It was an assembly, where beings who had the same appearance gathered. There were no seats, no podium, no lectern, just the seemingly infinite number of white beings that floated in an orderly circle.


    In their midst was a single entity, one of the white beings. Kneeling in the center, though still levitating, the bright being¡¯s head was bowed.


    The other beings who floated all looked in his direction, uttering nothing. It was unclear whether they were upset or overjoyed, since their entire bodies were shrouded in glimmering white.


    ¡°Supreme Being, Sector A-67¡­ this Convergence is focused on your irresponsible actions.¡± One of the white figures finally spoke.


    ¡°The Order has deemed it fit for you to give an exnation concerning the events urring within your sector.¡± Another stated.


    ¡°Are you aware of the queries we have?¡± Yet another retorted.


    The white being in the middle finally raised his head, looking around him and seeing multiple countless existences such as himself.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Upon stating this, he fell silent once again, awaiting the next statement to be made.


    ¡°Do you possess a reasonable exnation? If you do, you may state your case.¡±


    The white being said nothing, but continued in his kneeling posture.


    ¡°In case you need a reminder, we shall be willing to gloss over the facts.¡± A white being stated.


    Then suddenly, an intense pressure filled the air, causing tremors within the ne.


    Suddenly, a panel appeared before them, and in that panel, a person was seen.


    It wasn¡¯t one of the beings, no, it was¡­ a human!


    ¡°Do you recognize this human, Supreme Being, Sector A-67?¡± They all said in unison, causing a boom of sound to spread across the vast ne.


    The white being, though his expression couldn¡¯t be seen, gave a brief smile.


    Yes, he was definitely smiling.


    ¡°I beg your pardon, but that human is not restricted only to my sector. Our Sectors are parallel, and this person you show me must exist in others as well.¡±


    The white beings nodded their heads in agreement.


    ¡°Correct. However, this was taken from your sector. Therefore, answer the question, Supreme Being, A-67.¡±


    The kneeling one couldn¡¯t deny his knowledge of the human, since he was the God responsible for his world anyway.


    ¡°I do.¡± He answered.


    ¡°And could you tell the order of the identity of this human?¡± They questioned.


    They were omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient¡­ but only in their sector. Ultimately, the truth could only be spoken by and heard from the one who was in their center.


    ¡°His name is Jeremy Lewis¡­ and he¡¯s a Gifted.¡±

 Chapter 60 Arrival

    I did mention that our destination was a Camp, right?r


    However, when considering such a ce, one would think of bonfires in the outdoors, or a highly fortified fortress in military terms.r


    But, a Camp in the Apocalypse slightly differs from the usual logic.r


    It was simply a tall building, which had been retrofitted to resemble a fortress. Though since this was the earlier stages of the Apocalypse, what I was looking at was merely a poor imitation. r


    ¡®It gets better, I suppose.¡¯r


    The tall building stood alone, amongst several other decimated properties. I assumed those were to provide cover in case of a monster assault, which wasn¡¯t going to happen¡­ at least not anytime soon.r


    It was a green zone, after all.r


    There was a makeshift gate, made with very hard materials and painted with ck tar in order to prevent rust and prolong the durability of whatever metal they used in making it.r


    Ropes were attached to it, and levers were also put in ce, to allow only those they deemed allies to enter the camp.r


    Other extensions could be seen, like a lookout spot in the penthouse, where one would be able to spot a monster from afar off. r


    There was also a watch-out balcony, where two guards were ced to wee the expedition team who approached and to notify the people within.r


    ¡°Wee back.¡± One of the sentries ced on the balcony of the building said, looking down as he watched the group approach.r<sub>.</sub>


    He had a set of binocrs hung around his neck, as well as a shady attire, most likely not to attract attention.r


    I assumed his Gift had something to do with stealth since I couldn¡¯t fully sense him until we reached the entrance.r


    He looked at me in a confused way, though he tried hiding it. r


    ¡®He must be bothered about my presence¡­ as expected.¡¯ I smiled within.r


    He didn¡¯t say anything to the expedition team though. Since they were higher than him in rank and relevance, it wasn¡¯t in his ce to question their decision in bringing in a stray.r


    That would be handled by the higher-ups.r


    The second guy merely ignored me and appeared to bezily daydreaming. r


    ¡®I suppose people who ck off in their jobs exist no matter where you go¡­¡¯ I smiled.r


    ¡°Yeah. Thanks, Theo. Think you can open the gates?¡± Ana smiled,ing to the front of the group and taking charge, just like a leader should.r


    ¡°Aye aye!¡± He smiled, though his eyes kept moving in my direction.r


    Turning away from his position, he appeared to be whispering some words into a device he had in his hand.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Is that¡­?¡± I mumbled.r


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a walkie-talkie. We¡¯re fortunate to have found something like that.¡± Peter said to me.r


    While it was still weird that such an uptight man also seemed concerned for my wellbeing, I didn¡¯t mind so much since he was being useful.r


    After Theodore finished using his device, he nodded at our group and made his way toward the lever ced before him.r


    His partner, thezy snub also finally stood up from where he sat and went to his own lever. They both pulled, turning the contraption with all their strength. I could hear them groan from my distance.r


    ¡®A bunch of Level One noobs!¡¯ I scoffed, wondering why such a mob would dare look down on me.r


    As they pulled the lever, the metal gates began to lift, showing the insides of the Camp.r


    I focused on the two, viewing their Status Summary.r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r


    Name: Theodorer


    Race: Humanr<sub></sub>


    Sex: Maler


    Level: 1r


    Alignment: Lawful Neutralr


    [End Of Information]r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r


    Name: Johnr


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Maler


    Level: 1r


    Alignment: Neutralr


    [End Of Information]r


    ¡®As expected¡­ they¡¯re weak!¡¯r


    The gate finally lifted wholly, and the two guards panted slightly, holding onto the lever as they rested on it and awaited our entry.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ana smiled, walking into the den of humans.r


    We all followed obediently, and I made sure to stick beside our dear leader, as well as Peter. Being sandwiched between the two strongest of our expedition team, most likely one of the most powerful in the whole camp, was going to be helpful when venturing into the unknown.r


    Both of them were happy enough to have me by their side, so I suppose it was a win-win situation.r


    I noticed Lily pouting a little by the side, but I ignored her childish tantrum. She was already known to be associated with these big shots, now it was my turn.r


    ¡®First impressions matter, after all!¡¯ r


    We passed what appeared to be a dark hallway, though I could see a faint glow of light at the end of the metaphorical tunnel.r


    Of course, I could see beyond that. I knew what was waiting at the end of the hallway, which made me draw closer to my insurance policies. The two idiots thought I was scared of the strange terrain, with Ana patting my head affectionately, and Peter reassuring me warmly.r


    While their behavior toward me was a little upsetting, since I could kill them both in the blink of an eye, I appreciated their thoughtfulness. After all, this only made it clear that they had my back.r


    Finally, we reached the end of the hallway, meeting a light that made us wince a little.r


    ¡°WELCOME BACK!!!¡± r


    A deafening roar greeted us, making me express a face of shock and surprise.r


    It was stunning, enough to paralyze me and send tears into my eyes. I stood, trembling, sniffing as I saw so many people.r


    Their faces were lit with hope, and they all happily weed their helpers, who went through hell to ensure they all had more time to survive.r


    ¡°J-Jeremy, are you okay?¡± Daniel whispered in my ears, appearing concerned.r


    ¡°No¡­ he¡¯s most likely not. His whole family, everyone he knew was killed by the Demons¡­ seeing so many people here, it must be bringing back memories.¡± Peter whispered to Daniel.r


    Larry was busy basking in the cheers of everyone to notice the emotions I was expressing, and Lily could only look at me with a sense of pity and encouragement.r


    Ana, noticing my hups and sobs, stretched her hands toward me, grabbed me, and pulled me to herself.r


    Hugging me with one hand, and waving the other to everyone else who cheered for us, she looked me in the eye and smiled.r


    ¡°Wee, Jeremy¡­ wee to your new home.¡±r

 Chapter 61 New Home

    My vision was somewhat blurry, but I made out the expression she gave me. Her warm,rge hands held unto me tightly, and I could feel the warmth of her grasp. The firm, encouraging voice she had, embraced me and I couldn¡¯t help but tremble due to the emotion I was feeling.r


    I was trying my best to hold it in, before my shaking would give me away¡­ oh, the pure amusement I was having!r


    ¡®Psych! This was just too hrious!¡¯ r


    They had all made entirely wrong assumptions by giving me their pity and attention, just like I wanted.r


    Not only that, but the almighty Ana, pulled me to her side and openly dered my eptance into the new family, with a multitude of witnesses present to boot!r


    It was a great feeling, being able to manipte such simple-minded people into acting how I wished.r


    Looking at them now, waving at the people who weed them, and smiling genuinely and happily¡­ I already knew before, but this just emphasized it more.r


    ¡®They¡¯re idiots!¡¯r


    I wonder how they would have reacted if they had brought nothing back. Would they have been able to fully enjoy the weing cheer of the weak dogs who were only looking for how to survive?r<sub>.</sub>


    Even though they were cheering now, if these pathetic people had been told that the expedition was a bust, they would not have thought twice before returning to wherever they hade from and instead conserved their energy.r


    ¡®Sycophants, all of them!¡¯ I thought in disgust, watching the mob open their repulsive mouths and sing praises to the heroes.r


    The idea of being used by weak and selfish bastards like them simply made me infuriated, but I calmed myself quickly.r


    ¡®It¡¯s not my problem¡­¡¯r


    Even if some of my resources will be used to feed these useless lumps of meat, I will make sure to receive every single drop back, with returns.r


    ¡°Thank you for weing us, everyone. The mission was a sess!¡± Ana dered.r


    This caused even greater outcry and cheers from the masses.r


    ¡°Now then, if you¡¯ll excuse us. We have to go give our reports.¡± r<sub></sub>


    As soon as she said this, the group divided themselves into two, parting at the center. This paved a path for Ana, and the rest of us to pass.r


    As we did so, they pped for us, watching our triumphant entry. However, as they did so, I began noticing strange gazes on me, hearing them whisper amongst themselves.r


    ¡°¡­ Who¡¯s thatst one with them though?¡±r


    ¡°Was he always a member of the squad?¡±r


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize him, though¡­¡±r


    ¡°Who the hell is he?¡±r


    ¡°Miss. Ana seems to be close to him, so it¡¯s best not to cause any trouble.¡±r


    ¡°Tch, hope it isn¡¯t another mouth to feed¡­¡±r<sub></sub>


    Of course, they said it under their breath, but my heightened senses picked up their words easily. Just as I thought, humans will never be able to change their true nature.r


    I felt nothing while hearing theirments, they were inconsequential. Most of these people would be dead before long anyway.r


    We passed through the parted sea of people and climbed the stairs. Reaching the second floor, we walked through the hallway, allowing me to see various rooms.r


    Ana suddenly paused, turning back to face the rest of us.r


    ¡°Peter, take Jeremy to where he¡¯ll be staying for now. Our spot.¡± Ana ordered.r


    Larry was somehow flustered by this for some reason. He didn¡¯t want to seem antagonistic, so he tried ying his usual neutral card.r


    ¡°S-shouldn¡¯t we at least show him to the leader first?¡±r


    The remaining members looked at each other hesitantly, seeing the sense in Larry¡¯s words. It was understandable that they would report everything that had happened, including their encounter with me, to the higher-ups. However, I didn¡¯t need to be present for the extremely long report that would ur.r


    For some reason, Larry wanted me to follow them to the Camp leader¡¯s office. There was no way was I letting the bastard get what he wants.r


    ¡°A-ah¡­ is it far? Will it take very long? I¡¯m feeling¡­ a little¡­ tired¡­¡± I huffed.r


    While we had been walking, I intentionally disyed signs of exhaustion. Ana noticed this and suggested that Peter lead me to a ce of rest.r


    Such a consideratedy would never allow me to go through another strenuous exercise after putting me through so much.r


    ¡°Jeremy is exhausted. He has been through quite a great deal, and I¡¯m certain he has never had to journey so far. He needs rest.¡± Ana stated.r


    The group seemed more inclined to Ana¡¯s idea. Not only did they owe me, but we had also bonded during our breaks. I made sure of that!r


    ¡°B-but¡­¡± Larry tried protesting.r


    ¡°The Leader will understand.¡±r


    Ana¡¯s adamant stance, as well as the support of everyone else, forced Larry to back down. If he had pushed any harder, suspicion would have be ced on him.r


    ¡°I-in that case, I volunteer to take him there. You and Peter are our core members, plus the leader would prefer it if someone like me were to be missing from reports, rather than Peter.¡± Larry quickly added.r


    It was true that Peter was more valuable and relevant than Larry. Other than Lily, he was the one with the least level. Still, I didn¡¯t trust him enough to ept that.r


    ¡°I-If I may ask for a favour, could Lily take me instead? I feel I would be morefortable that way¡­¡± I suggested, sounding hesitant in my request.r


    Larry¡¯s jaw slightly dropped when he heard me, and the group considered my words carefully. If they were to judge the group members based on the ones who could be excluded from the reports, Lily was the perfect choice.r


    She was the newest member, had a low level, and wasn¡¯t experienced enough to handle meetings like that. Meanwhile, for me, she would also be the best to take me to my new home.r


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go with that. Lily, take Jeremy to our spot. The rest of you, let¡¯s go!¡± Ana spoke sternly.r


    Peter, Daniel, and Lily all nodded, while Larry clicked his tongue silently. r


    ¡®Pfft, looks like I¡¯m one step ahead. Idiot.¡¯r

 Chapter 62 The Camp Leader

    ¡°Take care till we return, okay?¡± Ana said to me, with her usual caring look.r


    I smiled back, nodding in response.r


    And so, Lily split from the group, taking me past the hallway while Ana¡¯s group climbed higher up the stairs.r


    ¡®I suppose the leader¡¯s office is on the topmost floor. He must be an egoist, taking the highest ce in the building.¡¯ I smiled internally.r


    Lily walked close to me, looking ahead as she avoided eye contact with me for some reason.r


    ¡®Is she shy now that we¡¯re together alone? Hehe, how cute.¡¯r


    Still, being alone like this had its advantages.r


    ¡°Lily, erm¡­ what kind of guy is the Camp Leader?¡±r


    She looked at me, slightly stunned by my question, then her face fell into deep thought. She appeared to be thinking of the best way to exin the man to me.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing I have Lily here. She¡¯s still a young girl, so she was sure to  give me pure, unfiltered information.¡¯r


    ¡°Well, how do I put this¡­ he¡¯s someone even I cannot read.¡± She mumbled.r


    ¡®Oh? Someone who could escape Lily¡¯s [Great Sight]?¡¯r


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve met that I couldn¡¯t read, apart from him. I know the reason for your case is because of the man who saved you, but I don¡¯t know much about the leader¡¯s own.¡± She further exined.r


    ¡°O-oh, wow. I see¡­ he¡¯s such a mysterious guy. And are you guys sure that you can trust him?¡± I asked.r


    Of course, it was only by constantly using my innocent and nervous expression that I could pull such a question off without appearing suspicious. In Lily¡¯s eyes, I was just being careful and wary since I was new to the environment.r


    ¡°Oh, yes. You can. Definitely. Our leader has managed to control the camp for so long. There¡¯s a reason for that. He and the vice-leader always found any sign of  trouble and took care of them quickly. And¡­ there¡¯s something else¡­¡± r


    I watched as she spoke the words, and my head rang as I heard them.r<sub></sub>


    ¡®What¡­?! This is¡­¡¯r


    If what she said was true, if indeed the leader and vice leader could actually carry out what she had just told me¡­ then my ns were definitely not going to work this time.r


    ¡®Damn¡­ I¡¯ve been had!¡¯


    ************************************


    ¡°Wee back, everyone.¡± r


    Ana¡¯s group walked in and saw the group leader seated on his chair, behind the obtuse desk. His assistant stood beside him.r


    The leader was a man appearing to be in histe thirties. He had a clean-shaven look, with formal attire, even donning a red tie. His sleeves were rolled up, hands sped together on the table as he looked at the group standing before him.r


    ¡°Yeah, thanks for the warm wee, as usual.¡± Ana smiled, shrugging a little.r<sub></sub>


    Her eyes darted to the silent assistant, who stood beside the leader in her usual pose.r


    Even though she could sit at any time, the youngdy preferred to stand beside her leader whenever anyone entered the office to make a report.r


    She had the appearance of a secretary, having sses and a skirt suit as her signature look. Her hair was well made, as it was neatly tied in a bun.r


    She gave a stoic look, staring at all the members of the group with narrowed eyes, or maybe it was just because her eyes were small, Ana still couldn¡¯t figure her outpletely, unlike the other way around.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business, Charles,¡± Ana said bluntly.r


    In the end, the reports were just a glorified way of showing the leader what they had brought back. There were usually sanctions, depending on the oue, .r


    The group emptied their bags on the floor, and Ana looked in Daniel¡¯s direction, signaling him to undo the effect of his Gift.r


    His eyes glowed green and slowly, the objects began to growrger in size, regaining their original form.r


    Charles, the leader of the camp was amazed by the sight before him. Not at Daniel¡¯s ability though since it was one which he had seen way too many times, but rather by the amount and quality of what the expedition team had brought.r


    Even the usually expressionless vice leader appeared stunned.r


    Charles had to get up from his chair and move his face closer to the items on the ground to get a closer look at them.r


    ¡°This is impressive¡­ the amount of foodstuff, tools, even that battery¡­ Amazing!¡± He beamed.r


    Ana and her group members smiled. They had done well.r


    ¡°Ohh, this should be able tost us for a great deal of time. I¡¯m sorry to have troubled you. As you know, things haven¡¯t been easy here these days.¡± He sighed.r


    Ana understood his perspective. Resources were scarce. Even they couldn¡¯t find any until they moved closer to the red zone. Such was the nature of the current world.r


    Sooner orter, since they were finite, the items they obtained would finish. Once that happened, everyone would be stranded.r


    To prevent this, the leader was already nning a project, but they needed enough resources to ensure it ran smoothly.r


    ¡°This is even more than what you usually find, and considering that resources have been even more scarce than before¡­ it¡¯s unbelievable.¡± Charles mumbled, stroking his bare chin.r


    There were mumblings among the members of the team, and Ana knew she had to say something about what they had experienced in the red zone and how they hade about such resources.r


    ¡°Well, about that-¡± Ana wanted to exin, but her words didn¡¯t continue for long.r


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it has something to do with the boy you just brought into the Camp.¡± r


    The group members fell silent, Ana included. They weren¡¯t surprised that Charles had heard about it. He was the leader, after all.r


    ¡°Figures someone already informed you before we got here.¡± Ana smiled.r


    Charles returned her gesture with a mere shrug. However, his sharp eyes told her that he was dead serious about the matter.r


    ¡®I suppose I¡¯ll tell them about Jeremy now¡­¡¯ Ana decided.r

 Chapter 63 Report

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m the leader here so I must be aware of anything that urs within this ce, including the changes that are brought.¡± Charles narrowed his eyes as he spoke.r


    Ana sighed. Charles was indeed a great leader, one with impable wits and talent in managing situations. However, he had a feature that greatly annoyed her, his controlling attitude.r


    ¡°You have some exining to do, Ana.¡± r


    Charles was one who just had to ce everything under his control. He called it hierarchy and maintaining the status quo, only by such methods could there be order in such chaotic times. While he wasn¡¯t generally wrong, to people like Ana it seemed that he just wasn¡¯t trusting.r


    Still, for the sake of her group¡­ and Jeremy, she decided to exin herself at length. She couldn¡¯t even lie if she wanted to.r


    ¡°I see¡­ so that¡¯s what happened¡­¡± He muttered.r


    In all honesty, the story he had just heard was unbelievable, to think that such a thing could be possible. He was curious about a lot of things, and there were so many unknown variables that seemed to drive him crazy.r<sub>.</sub>


    As someone who hated being ignorant, he couldn¡¯t stand the fact that he had no way of making sense of most of the things that Ana had just told him.r


    ¡°This strange masked man, whoever he is¡­ I suppose we have to thank him.¡± Charles let out a slight smile.r


    ¡°You even obtained a Demon Core¡­ a strong one at that.¡± r


    ¡°Well, due to the situation, I had to learn a skill from it. My skill slots are already full as a result.¡± Ana answered.r


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s fine. I understand. You did the right thing. By bringing this here, we have added another major arsenal to our force. Once the others return, we¡¯ll deliberate on what actions to take concerning the remaining power within the core.¡± Charles said.r


    Ana nodded in agreement.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°As for this kid, Jeremy, He is certainly very useful to have gifted us so many resources, and there¡¯s even more back in his base. Wow. He¡¯s either too generous, or ignorant of the current situation in the world!¡± r


    Ana couldn¡¯t stand the way Charles addressed such a sweet and innocent boy like Jeremy.r


    ¡°He¡¯s just a kid, Charles. He has been through so much already, and all he wants is a family. I won¡¯t stand for you talking down on him like that.¡± Ana burst out, frowning at her leader.r


    Charles was a little stunned by her outburst but decided to take note of her points. It was true that the boy indeed appeared to be immature, but since he had contributed this much, and didn¡¯t seem to be much trouble, the Camp had to shelter him. r


    ¡®But, as soon as he¡¯s ustomed to life here he¡¯ll have to do something to earn his keep.¡¯ r


    ¡°I understand, Ana. I apologize if I offended you. You¡¯re right, Jeremy has indeed been through a lot. I would like to see him as soon as possible.¡± Charles said.r<sub></sub>


    The apology was unexpected, but Ana decided to ept it nheless.r


    ¡°He¡¯s currently resting, I asked Lily to take him to our resting quarters. He held on quite well throughout the journey, so he¡¯s very exhausted.¡± Ana exined.r


    Charles nodded. It was only natural that such a kid would end up in a tired state, considering the harsh conditions of travel he must have gone through. r


    ¡°Ah, I see. That¡¯s fine then. Speaking of Lily, how was her performance?¡± r


    Ana smiled slightly. As a new member of their expedition group, ced there due to the convenience of her Gift, Lily was still under review.r


    ¡°She did well. I can say she¡¯ll be well adjusted after a couple more missions, though I still don¡¯t approve of putting her in so much danger.¡±r


    ¡°I already told you, it¡¯s necessary. We need more hands on deck as things are, and she¡¯s very essential to that. Plus, that¡¯s the reason she¡¯s on your team. As long as you¡¯re there, she won¡¯t be in much danger, right?¡± Charles stated, appearing tired of Ana¡¯s protest.r


    Ana clenched her fists. She couldn¡¯t argue with his logic, so she had to concede.r


    ¡°Fine¡­¡± r


    However, Ana knew Charles was wrong. After all, there were some bigger monsters out there that would make anything she threw at them ineffective¡­ like the Ogre they had encountered.r


    In such situations, even she, one of the Camp¡¯s top 5 Gifteds, was useless.r


    ¡°Alright then. It will take some time to sort these resources and ount for them. Ana, you¡¯re permitted to temporarily ce Jeremy in your private quarters, until we prepare a space for him among the regrs.¡± Charles stated.r


    Ana nodded, and the rest of the team stiffened up, seeing as their report was nearly done with.r


    ¡°Once he has gotten enough rest, guide him to this ce, I also want to have a discussion with him. Afterall, It¡¯s important that he meets the head of the family he wants to be a part of, don¡¯t you think?¡± r


    Ana nodded again, though she did not fully trust Charles. In her opinion, he probably wanted to get as much information as he could from Jeremy. Based on the advantage he had, doing so wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.r


    ¡°It¡¯s for the good of the Camp, Ana. Remember that ¡± He added.r


    Those were the words he used to justify all the actions he took. He wasn¡¯t wrong, but for someone as upright as Ana, the methods Charles use do not always seem right with her.r


    ¡°We should also make quick preparations to retrieve the remaining resources in the kid¡¯s base.¡±r


    Ana knew he was going to address that sooner orter.r


    ¡°That area should still be regarded as a red zone, so we still have the advantage of obtaining it before any other faction. You should all get some rest. The rest of the expedition teams will return before the end of tonight. Once they¡¯re settled, we¡¯ll have a more detailed discussion on what the way forward will be.¡±r


    A brief moment of silence ensued in the room, and finally, Charles gave the order.r


    ¡°You are all dismissed.¡± r

 Chapter 64 Return Of Heroes

    ¡°You are all dismissed¡± Charles dered.r


    The expedition team excused themselves, trickling out of the door one after the other, with Ana being thest to leave. Before doing so, however, she gave onest look at Charles.r


    ¡°You should remember who we have to thank for all of this.¡± She said before finally leaving, closing the door behind her.r


    Now all alone in the room, with only his vice president, Charles smiled a little.r


    ¡°Of course, I know who we have to thank¡­¡± He whispered to himself.r


    It certainly wasn¡¯t the expedition team, who would havee back empty-handed if it weren¡¯t for their encounter with Jeremy. It also wasn¡¯t Jeremy, who would have died or ended up stranded without the help of the masked man. Their true benefactor, the one whom the Camp truly owed¡­ r


    ¡°It¡¯s the masked man¡­ whoever he is.¡±


    *********************************


    ¡°So, how did it go?¡± I heard Lily ask the remaining group members as they trickled into the room.r


    I was pretending to be asleep, closing my eyes and breathing evenly, while extending my senses to overhear everything.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°It was fine. He would like to see Jeremy as soon as he has recovered though.¡± Ana said, sighing a little.r


    It was obvious that everyone else was exhausted too.r


    ¡°You should rest too, Lily. You did well.¡± r


    Lily blushed upon hearing Ana¡¯s words of praise.r


    The room we were in was simr to the parlor back in my former apartment. But, since the entire building was retrofitted into a Camp, many rooms were segmented to ensure efficiency in order to hold more people.r


    Many mattresses were ced on the floor, five to be precise.r


    Since I was currently upying one, it meant one of the group members would have to do without one. Of course, I knew who would volunteer.r


    ¡°I need to check on some things. You should all rest properly.¡± Ana offered.r


    The group didn¡¯t protest. Not only were they too tired to argue, but they already knew arguing with their leader would be pointless. She was a stubborn goody-goody.r<sub></sub>


    And so, they all took various positions andy on their mattresses.r


    ¡®Lily¡¯s mattress is directly beside mine¡­ that sure put a smile on my face.¡¯r


    With everyone falling asleep one after the other, I was tempted to do the same. However, I was definitely not going to let my guard down in a ce filled with too many unfamiliar people. After all, even in this room, there was a faker.r


    And so, I pretended to sleep while considering my next course of action.r


    Based on what Lily told me, there really wasn¡¯t any other choice. I had to¡­


    ************************************


    ¡°Wee back!¡±r


    ¡°Wee back!¡±r


    The remaining two expedition teams arrived together some hours after Anabelle¡¯s team did, entering the base they were weed by the people¡¯s cheers. It was already quitete, with battery-usedmps shining to illuminate everywhere.r<sub></sub>


    The leader of one of the expedition team was donned in a special outfit, even better than what Ana had. His group appeared to be nearly a dozen, all having bags which were sure to have resources.r


    The leader of the second, as well as his team members, all had nothing but shredded, blood-stained clothing. They also appeared to be wounded and bandaged in many ces. Their group consisted of no more than six members, not counting their leader.r


    ¡°Huu, we finally made it, uh?¡± The first group¡¯s leader smiled, looking at the girl beside him.r


    She returned the gesture and gave him a slight punch to his shoulder.r


    ¡°All thanks to you.¡±r


    Heughed, shrugging off the praise.r


    Having the appearance of a teenage boy, the first group leader walked in the middle of the parted crowd, leading his group from the forefront. The girl he spoke to walked directly beside him, while the rest of his team remained at the back.r


    The second leader and his own team trailed behind the first group.r


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± Their strained breaths could be heard even amongst the audience, indicating that they were nearly at their limit.r


    ¡°You there, call the medical unit to take care of their group.¡± The young leader said, pointing to one of the members of the crowd.r


    Thedy jumped instantly upon hearing this and nodded vehemently, before scurrying to obey hismand.r


    He looked back and saw the second group¡¯s grateful expression and nodded.r


    ¡°You should all rest. I¡¯ll exin to the leader what happened.¡±r


    ¡°Let mee with you, I can still-¡± The second leader protested, coughing in the process.r


    He didn¡¯t want to seem weak or ipetent, especially in front of everyone.r


    However¡­ that was exactly his current state.r


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Get some rest.¡± The first group leader insisted, before finally walking away with his members.r


    He nodded powerlessly and finally lost strength. Everyone in the second group copsed on the floor, and soon enough the medics arrived to treat them.r


    The first group made their way to the camp leader¡¯s office, and as soon as their leader knocked, they walked in.r


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back already?¡± Charles said, looking a little surprised to see them.r


    ¡°Cut the act, Charles. There¡¯s no need to act surprised. You were already aware that we wereing to your office before we even arrived here.¡± The first group leader stated.r


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m surprised.¡± r


    ¡°Not as much as I was. We ran into some trouble, so we decided that it would be inadvisable to continue, which is why we made our way back.¡± The first group leader said.r


    ¡°Trouble? Is that rted to why the second group is in such a terrible state?¡± Charles asked.r


    He had been shocked when he got news of their condition, and wondered what could put one of his best personnel in such a state.r


    ¡°Good guess. And by trouble, I mean Demons¡­ exceptionally strong ones.¡± The first group leader said, narrowing his eyes.r


    ¡°Demons? Those shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you. That¡¯s your specialty, isn¡¯t it? You didn¡¯t stray from the Orange Zone, did you?¡±r


    ¡°No. That¡¯s why it was so unexpected¡­ it took the joint effort of both our groups to defeat them.¡±r


    Charles was surprised to hear this. Not one expedition team, but two, had to fight Demons in an Orange Zone and barely won? That was absurd. r


    His trump card, the strongest in the whole camp, and the hope of everyone who knew him¡­ that was the first group leader. The young high schooler, Daniel!r


    ¡°Daniel¡­ I¡¯ll need you to tell me more about these Demons.¡±r

 Chapter 65 Grim News

    ¡°Daniel¡­ I¡¯ll need you to tell me more about these Demons you saw,¡± Charles said, frowning a little.r


    He didn¡¯t want to consider the worst, but since their ace was speaking with such dread, then it had to be very serious.r


    Daniel, leader of the first group, sighed and began his story.r


    ¡°Our group and that of Dave are different, as you know. We parted ways from the Camp, but before we split up, he told me where he intended to explore. So, after we were done on our end, and couldn¡¯t find any more resources, I decided to check on Dave¡¯s group instead of going further ahead.¡± r


    Charles paid rapt attention, his eyes unflinching.r


    ¡°It must have been due to my intuition, but a terrible feeling started eating at me, and so I convinced everyone that we should meet up with Dave¡¯s group. However, when we got there¡­ what we met was a one-sided ughter!¡± r


    ¡°W-wha-?!¡± The Camp leader¡¯s eyes bulged.r


    ¡°Yeah. Dave¡¯s group has the highest number of members. A total of 15 people, yet¡­ over half of them were dead when we caught up to them. The reason was due to the opponents that they were fighting.¡± Daniel continuedr<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°What kind of Demons were they?¡± Charles asked.r


    A moment of silence ensued in the room, and all focus was on Daniel who told the tale. Even the vice-leader was looking very stunned by what had been said so far.r


    ¡°They were Hobgoblins¡­ a whole horde!¡±r


    The Camp leader and his vice widened their eyes in shock. Such a thing was unheard of! ¡°For an orange zone to possess such an incredible number of Hobs¡­ Impossible!¡± Charles let out, banging his hands on his desk in reflex.r


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth, and you know it.¡± r


    As soon as Daniel said this, he calmed himself a little. It was true that so far, Daniel had beenpletely honest with him.r


    ¡°I see¡­ now I understand why the second group was reduced to that state,¡± Charles muttered.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°How did you guys manage to even win?¡± r


    Daniel smiled a little upon hearing this.r


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, that¡¯s for sure. I had to use up all my five skills, alongside my Gift, while coordinating with everyone else to-¡°r


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I also had to use my Force Field Gift to protect Dave and his wounded group members.¡± The girl beside Daniel blurted out impatiently.r


    She had been waiting for her chance to contribute to the conversation, and now seemed like the perfect time.r


    ¡°Y-yeah. Melissa protected the injured group from facing more of the Hobs, allowing them to recuperate. If she hadn¡¯t been there¡­ we might have lost all of them.¡± Daniel added.r


    ¡°Oh, wow. I see. Thank you, Melissa. It was a good choice to have you join the expedition team.¡± Charles said, faking a smile.r<sub></sub>


    Within his heart, he disliked her personality. The way she emphasized her importance and looked down on the efforts of others.r


    He was certain that everyone on Daniel¡¯s team yed a major role in the extermination of the fifty Hobgoblins, yet only she emphasized her efforts.r


    ¡®And worst of all is how she is always clinging to Daniel. I am aware that they have a history together, but by sticking to him, she makes her position seem more important than it actually is.¡¯ Charles thought to himself.r


    Still, he couldn¡¯t do anything about her attitude, since Daniel himself didn¡¯t seem to mind. He even indulges her personality, allowing her to seem untouchable in the Camp.r


    ¡°It was very difficult to fight them, especially due to their numbers. The battle dragged on for a while, and after everything, we were all very exhausted. I surmised that we couldn¡¯t continue our search for resources, so we decided to return to the camp.¡± Daniel continued his story.r


    ¡°As a result, we couldn¡¯t get much of anything. Most of what we have are Demon Cores. This mission¡­ was a bust.¡±r


    Charles saw the fallen face of his ace, and couldn¡¯t stand it. Raising morale was one of the duties of a leader.r


    ¡°Resources can always be gotten. What matters is that you all survived and came back alive.¡±r


    Daniel looked a little surprised to hear this. Usually, Charles would bark at them and give sanctions if they failed to fulfill quotas, but he didn¡¯t seem too worried about that now.r


    ¡°Your team performed an impressive feat, Daniel. To have defeated 50 Hobgoblins. It takes a group some effort to kill just one. Yet, you guys managed fifty, truly deserving of the best team in our Camp.¡± Charles grinned, showering them with praise.r


    As much as it irked him to do so, he needed them. Even though he was the leader, it was in to everyone that Daniel was their powerhouse. He had to remain in his good graces.r


    ¡°Thank you, Charles. That makes me feel a lot better.¡± Daniel smiled.r


    ¡®Fortunately, it appears that Daniel has a simple personality and means well. The problem is his girlfriend, Melissa.¡¯ r


    ¡°This is a serious matter, though. One we cannot overlook.¡± Charles said to Daniel¡¯s group.r


    ¡°I thank you all for your effort. You must have been through a lot and sustained a lot of damage. It¡¯s a good thing you were able to heal from your Level-ups and are safe.¡± r


    ¡°Hmmph! Yeah, I was the only one who couldn¡¯t level up! I was stuck protecting everyone. Can you imagine? I sacrificed getting stronger to save everyone.¡± Melissa pouted,ining about the unfairness of the situation.r


    Of course, it was only a farce to garner more attention. It wasn¡¯t even certain that Melissa would be capable of anything in an actual Demon battle. She always found a way to avoid fighting any of the monsters, staying at the safest spot under the guise of defending everyone with her Gift.r


    ¡®Saving everyone? What an overstatement.¡¯ Charles sighed.r


    Still, he had to act based on the situation.r


    ¡°That was indeed a sacrifice. I¡¯ll make sure to repay you as soon as possible. How would you like to learn a skill from a high-ranking Demon?¡± Charles smiled.r

 Chapter 66 Consensus

    ¡°You mean higher ranked than Hobgoblins? We killed fifty of them, so there are more than enough cores to go around. Unless it¡¯s something better, I don¡¯t see the use of wasting myst remaining skill slot on one.¡± Melissa replied arrogantly.r


    ¡®This little bitch¡­¡¯ Charles gritted his teeth.r


    ¡°It¡¯s from an Ogre¡­ and you should know how high-end such a Demon is. It¡¯s the strongest Grade 1 Demon around.¡±r


    The first group members all expressed shock at this. Even Daniel was stunned by the revtion.r


    ¡°A-an Ogre?! Where did you get the Core from?!¡± Melissa screeched in excitement.r


    Such a strong monster was bound to have an invincible skill she could use.r


    ¡°Anabelle¡¯s team brought it back with them,¡± Charles revealed.r


    Now, this was another shock to them. Everyone had stunned expressions, and murmurs began to spread among the rest of the members.r<sub>.</sub>


    Melissa¡¯s face turned into a frown as soon as she heard it was from Ana¡¯s squad. Daniel was shocked, He wasn¡¯t even confident that he could defeat an Ogre.r


    ¡°How did they manage that? There¡¯s no way their small group could do something like that?¡± Melissa stated, her re getting deeper.r


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a story for another time. Now then, Melissa. It seems you¡¯ve shown an interest in the Core. If you still want it, then I can give you the chance to learn a skill from it.¡± Charles smiled, finally happy he somewhat had the upper hand.r


    Melissa had a flustered expression. She didn¡¯t think she would have to demean herself to ask, but she also couldn¡¯t resist this chance.r


    ¡°O-of course I still want the skills in the-¡± r


    ¡°But¡­ you¡¯ll have to ask Ana¡¯s group for permission first. After all, it was their catch.¡± Charles interrupted her.r


    Melissa gritted her teeth in annoyance. That was thest thing she ever wanted to do. To swallow her pride to ask such a goody-two-shoes like Ana, she hated the very thought of it.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Ana is sure to agree to it since she is so nice and wants what is best for the Camp. If you exin your sacrifice to her, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll concede.¡± Charles continued.r


    ¡°So, what will it be¡­ Melissa?¡±r


    Unable to take the humiliation anymore, Melissa scoffed at Charles, giving him a re that told him he would regret what he had just done.r


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving!¡± She said, heading for the door.r


    ¡°But, we¡¯re not done with the reports. We¡¯ve not even-¡± Daniel tried protesting, however, Melissa simply ignored him.r


    ¡°Leave her. You guys can carry on with the report. She¡¯ll most likely go after Annabelle now. Let them sort things amongst themselves.¡± Charles spoke, stopping Daniel from chasing Melissa.r


    Not even looking back, she shut the door behind her as she exited Charles¡¯ office.r<sub></sub>


    ¡®She has no regard for the hierarchy, she¡¯s entitled, she does not even amount to much when ites to resourcefulness or fighting prowess. If it weren¡¯t for her defensive Gift, she¡¯d be a total liability. However¡­ everything negative about her is offset since she just happens to be dating our ace.¡¯ Charles sighed.r


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just discuss it with Ana yourself, or proposed a different reward to her? You know the kind of rtionship those two have.¡± Daniel said, turning back to Charles while frowning a little.r


    ¡°They should learn to solve their differences. Isn¡¯t that the point of us being a family here?¡± r


    With this statement, Daniel was forced to keep quiet, or rather, he couldn¡¯t deny Charles¡¯ logic.r


    ¡°Huu, fine. Let¡¯s just get this over with. We¡¯re all exhausted, so we¡¯d like to get things sorted out quickly.¡±r


    Charles nodded, beckoning them to show him what they had got.r


    One after the other, the team members emptied their bags, revealing the spoils of their expedition. Charles had to admit, after seeing what Ana¡¯s group brought, what he was seeing was a little too disappointing.r


    Many used batteries from cars by the roadside, gasoline, cables, and more scraps. The only food items they brought back were a pack of soda, and it was a good thing it hadn¡¯t reached its expiry date¡­ yet.r


    Charles was tempted to at least sanction them, but given the situation, the people needed the carrot more than the stick. r


    ¡°It¡¯s less than expected, but considering what you¡¯ve all gone through, it¡¯s eptable. Thank you for your hard work and effort.¡± He smiled at the team.r


    ¡®If Ana¡¯s group didn¡¯t bring so much, the Camp might have been in trouble¡­¡¯r


    ¡°Thanks for understanding.¡± Daniel smiled.r


    ¡°What of the resources of Dave¡¯s group? Your groups went separate ways, right? So¡­ where are theirs? Did they get lost during the Hobgoblin¡¯s assault?¡± Charles asked.r


    The team members gave awkward looks, not knowing how to exin things. They all looked in Daniel¡¯s direction, expecting him to speak up for them.r


    As the team leader, he was their representative, wasn¡¯t he?r


    ¡°W-well, the thing is¡­ what we¡¯ve shown you is everything¡­ like¡­ everything!¡± Daniel said awkwardly.r


    Charles was stunned for a second as he stared at Daniel. He was certainly telling the truth. The Camp leader¡¯s eyes went back to the resources on the floor, saw how scarce and little what they had brought amounted to, then looked back at the group.r


    The urge to rebuke them grew higher, coursing through his whole body, but he still managed to controlled himself.r


    ¡®Calm down, Charles¡­ Calm down!¡¯r


    ¡°You mean¡­ Dave¡¯s group and yours brought only these¡­?¡±r


    Danielughed awkwardly, nodding in response.r


    ¡°I did tell you our yield was little. It¡¯s a relief you said it was fine.¡± r


    Charles was losing it, but he had to get a grip. Even though things were scarce, he hadn¡¯t foreseen that the yield would be so little. If this was how things currently were, what was the future going to be like?r


    In any case, the Camp Leader knew he couldn¡¯t me the group very much. It wasn¡¯t their fault that the resources around were dwindling. It was only a matter of time.r


    ¡®At this rate, we might soon have to¡­¡¯r

 Chapter 67 Reunion (Pt 1)

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You should all get some rest. Later tomorrow, we¡¯ll be having a meeting involving all the team members.¡± Charles said.r


    He decided to cease his worries and focus on the issue at hand instead.r


    ¡°We¡¯ll be discussing many issues, so it might take a while, and I¡¯ll make sure the sudden appearance of those Hobs is investigated as well. You may all leave.¡±r


    ¡°Alright. That sounds neat. Thanks, Charles.¡± Daniel smiled, waving at the leader casually as he turned to leave.r


    The Group members knew not to linger around the office too long as they scurried out before Charles changed his mind and gave them a penalty.r


    On their way out, they whispered among themselves;r


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange that we didn¡¯t even hear a word ofint from him?¡±r


    ¡°Maybe Anabelle¡¯s group brought way more resources so the quota was met.¡±r


    ¡°Their group? They¡¯re only a team of five, who even has an inexperienced member. Do you really think they outdid us?¡± r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Well, they did manage to bring an Ogre¡¯s core. Maybe they hit the jackpot!¡±r


    ¡°Oh, shii! That¡¯s so true.¡±r


    ¡°Lucky them!¡±r


    ¡°Ah, I wish I could learn a Skill from that core. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be OP as fvck!¡±r


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Dream on!¡±r


    As their hushed voices became fainter, indicating they had traveled a distance out of his range of hearing, Charles sighed, shaking his head in the process.r


    Ana¡¯s team, though very small in number, were elite Gifteds. Their efficiency and coordination were top ss, yet the fools in Daniel¡¯s team underestimated them.r


    ¡®They are right though¡­ if not for Ana¡¯s team, no¡­ that mysterious man¡­ we would be talking about something else entirely¡¯r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Something on your mind, dear?¡± Charles¡¯ vice leader asked him as she sat in the chair beside him.r


    Everyone had gone, so she was free to.r


    ¡°I¡¯m just thinking, Tasha¡­ how everything so far has somehow yed out favorably. Though it¡¯s only a matter of time. We need to act quickly.¡± Charles sighed, looking in her direction.r


    Tasha¡¯s stoic face morphed into a soft and understanding smile.r


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, dear. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine. After all, this Camp has you.¡± r


    Charles smiled. It was just like his wife to support him even at times like this, telling him what he needed to hear. However, he was afraid of the current situation.r


    Even he might not be enough to resolve all the problems the Camp was facing.r


    ¡®And I¡¯m surrounded by nipoops who can¡¯t even use their heads, relying on me for nearly all mental tasks.¡¯ Charles screamed internally.r<sub></sub>


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Tasha¡¯s constant support and obedience to his orders, he would have copsed a long time ago. Still, there was a silver lining, one he had not seening.r


    ¡°That masked man¡­ he¡¯s quite interesting¡­¡±r


    Tasha looked at her husband with a supportive smile. The scheming look he had in his eyes indicated that he was cooking up something in his mind.r


    ¡°All of this connects to that one kid. Jeremy¡­ I wonder how much use he can be to us¡­¡±r


    He would soon find out after talking to the brat. If everything went well, then Jeremy might even possess the key to getting out of their situation.r


    ¡®And I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll dly do anything he can to save his new family¡­ Excellent! It looks like I have another useful pawn!¡¯r


    It will be until hours after he made this thought, that Charles would realize that he was merely making clouds in the sky.r


    Jeremy was never the pawn¡­ it was the other way around.


    ***********************************


    ¡°That fool Charles¡­ who does he think he is? Making a fool out of me like that! I¡¯ll show him!¡± Melissa gritted her teeth as she walked through the hallway.r


    Of course, she was headed nowhere else but Anabelle¡¯s team residence. Even though she had acted so high and mighty, the Ogre skill was too tempting to pass up.r


    ¡®Shit! I can¡¯t believe I have to do this. Even Daniel couldn¡¯t say anything. That idiot!¡¯r


    Descending the stairs, she reached the right floor and proceeded to walk through the hallway until she reached the room of her destination.r


    ¡°I just have to y nice for a little while. Once I get that skill, I¡¯ll show everyone who¡¯s boss!¡± r


    Finally arriving at the room entrance, Melissa knocked on the door, but even before she got a response, she opened it.r


    As a general rule of the Camp, no doors were to be locked, even during the night. In exchange, security was guaranteed and no one was allowed to trespass into another person¡¯s room, except of course those permitted to.r


    ¡®I have enough qualifications, plus permission from Charles!¡¯ Melissa grinned slyly as she opened the door, stepping into Ana¡¯s premises, or rather, the whole team¡¯s residence.r


    The girl¡¯s eyes bulged in surprise to meet no one currently in the room, except for a single boy. He sat at the close end of the room on the mattress, a book in hand as he appeared to be reading.r


    ¡®I don¡¯t recognize him¡­ who the hell is he? Where are Anabelle and the others? Did I get the wrong room?¡¯r


    No, there was no way to mistake it. This was the right ce. She could understand if Anabelle¡¯s team weren¡¯t present in their room, since there were other ces they could be in. However¡­ Melissa couldn¡¯t overlook the stranger she had just seen.r


    ¡°Oi, who are you?!¡± Her loud voice suddenly echoed throughout the room.r


    The boy, whose head was bent downward since he was fixated on his book, suddenly flinched upon hearing her voice.r


    Melissa couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of familiarity emanate from the boy, like she knew him from somewhere. She walked further into the room, moving in his direction.r


    ¡°U-Uh¡­ I¡­¡± The boy stuttered, still putting his head downward.r


    ¡®That voice! I¡¯ve definitely heard it before. This guy¡­ could he be¡­?!¡¯ Melissa¡¯s thoughts rang.r


    Millions of memories shed in her head, feeling a sense of nostalgia. She wasn¡¯t certain yet, but¡­ there was only one person she knew who gave off such a pathetic impression, had such a small frame, and had a voice like that.r


    It was none other than-r

 Chapter 68 Reunion (Pt 2)

    ¡°U-Uh¡­ I¡­¡± The boy stuttered, still putting his head downward.r


    ¡®That voice! I¡¯ve definitely heard it before. This guy¡­ could he be¡­?!¡¯ Melissa¡¯s thoughts rang.r


    Quickening her pace, she walked closer to him, while at the same time, the boy raised his head.r


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m new here, and-¡± r


    The stranger¡¯s voice was cut short as soon as he raised his head and stared at the girl. It was the same for Melissa. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw his face. It was definitely one that she remembered.r


    ¡°So it¡¯s you¡­¡± She clenched her teeth and tightened her fist.r


    Who would have thought they would have such a reunion? Suddenly, the thoughts of Anabelle and her Ogre¡¯s skill moved from the forefront of Melissa¡¯s mind. That would have toeter.r


    At this moment, something else surfaced, an itchy feeling she had been getting ever since the world turned upside down¡­ the need to unwind.r


    A sadistic grin formed on Melissa¡¯s face, and the happy sensation she used to feel slowly returned. It had been a while since she had gotten an opportunity to release the frustration she was feeling. The swirling negative emotions in her had even intensified when she was told that she would have to ask Anabelle for permission to get a skill.r


    ¡°Oi, if it isn¡¯t the loser, Jeremy. It looks like you didn¡¯t die, after all!¡±<sub>.</sub>


    *********************************


    Now isn¡¯t this quite the dilemma? I¡¯m currently facing someone I recognize quite well¡­r


    Yes, there¡¯s no doubt about it. The ache that I¡¯m currently feeling in my heart as I stare at her face tells it all.r


    This girl is Melissa, a bully from when I was in high school, one whom a month ago, was among the many who lorded over me. I used to be at her mercy.r


    To think I would get to meet her here, at such a time. What a conundrum. Because¡­ my urges are sizzling¡­ I want it so badly.r


    Revenge!r


    [A Few Moments Earlier]r


    ¡®Ah, I wonder when they¡¯ll be back.¡¯ I mumbled to myself.r


    Ana and her group had left the room some moments ago. While Ana seemed to have gotten her rest in another room, everyone else took a brief nap in the regr one which I upied.r<sub></sub>


    They only rested for a few hours, an impressive feat considering we had a pretty hectic journey.r


    ¡°Jeremy, you should still get some more rest,¡± Ana said to me in a worried tone once she found out I was also awake.r


    ¡®You all need more rest than I do, though¡¯ I mused.r


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t feel sleepy¡­¡± I smiled at her.r


    Apparently, she had a weakness for smiles, or maybe she was too tired to argue, since she backed off.r


    The rest of the group members knew what was up since Ana came into the room. They all stood, ready for what they would be undertaking.r


    ¡°We¡¯re going to secure some dinner. You just wait here, Jeremy.¡± Ana smiled, taking everyone else with her.r


    I understood perfectly since I was new to the system. It would be best for them to handle such matters, at least for the first few days I would be staying in the Camp. Plus, I had to meet their leader before everything was set in stone.r


    ¡®I just have to wait for them, uh?¡¯r<sub></sub>


    Since there were no prying eyes, I decided to while away time by bringing out a book from [Subspace]. It was one of my Light Novel series that I hadn¡¯t quite finished. r


    I didn¡¯t have the time to bother about these things at the apartment since I was more concerned with survival. However, if I am to be taking things a little easy here, I had to while away time in some way.r


    Plus, the series was quite interesting.r


    As I delved into my world of fantasy, I began to enjoy myself and smile in nostalgia. The progression of the story, avid details, and cruelty of the main character all blended to give the novel perfect harmony.r


    It made me remember many series I had read in the past. A small grin formed on my face as a thought appeared in my head.r


    ¡®I wonder if those authors are still alive now¡­¡¯r


    Many novels took fantasy as their genre, introducing monsters such as Orcs and Goblins. Though the general assumption was that such beings never existed and were merely fictional.r


    However¡­ now that everything has be like this, it would be quite amusing to get the opinions of those fantasy creators.r


    It made me curious at the same time though¡­ what the true identity of these Demons were, and why they were invading Earth.r


    ¡®What lies beyond the gates theye out from? What¡¯s the point of this Apocalypse? Will it end?¡¯ r


    Many questions formed in my head, distracting me from the novel I was reading. I didn¡¯t know the answer to these thoughts, however, one thing was for sure¡­ I was going to live long enough to find out!r


    Suddenly, my ears picked up hastened footsteps approaching me. Initially, they made me flustered since I thought the group was returning.r


    ¡®I have to hide the novel, or they¡¯ll ask me bothersome questions!¡¯ My head rang.r


    However, as I paid closer attention to the sound, I discovered it was only one person that was approaching. r


    Perhaps it was due to my high intelligence, but I was able to distinguish certain traits of people quite well. The approaching person¡¯s movements didn¡¯t resemble any of Ana¡¯s team members.r


    ¡®Who¡­? The person is clearlying to this room though.¡¯r


    I decided to concentrate on my hearing, picking up sounds behind the room clearer. That was when I heard her whisper.r


    ¡°I just have to y nice for a little while. Once I get that skill, I¡¯ll show everyone who¡¯s boss!¡± r


    My eyes bulged instantly as I recognized the voice. Pictures upon pictures, lots of memories from the past, shed through my mind.r


    ¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯m mistaking that overbearing sound¡­  right?!¡¯r


    My body suddenly quivered and my heart was pounding unbelievably fast. I couldn¡¯t control my emotions.r


    ¡®Is this fear?¡¯ I asked myself.r


    After living in her terror for so long, the mere thought of facing that girl again was driving me into a state of panic. Me? How strange!r


    ¡®No, this can¡¯t be fear. It shouldn¡¯t be¡­¡¯ r


    I clenched my fist, slightly crumpling the book I was reading.r


    ¡®I¡¯ve faced countless Demons, I¡¯m stronger than I was before. I shouldn¡¯t be scared of Melissa anymore. I¡¯ve changed!¡¯r

 Chapter 69 Fear

    ¡®I¡¯ve faced countless Demons, I¡¯m stronger than I was before. I shouldn¡¯t be scared of Melissa anymore. I¡¯ve changed!¡¯r


    Reciting this mantra to convince myself, I could feel her approach the door. In a few seconds, she would be here. In just a few seconds, I would once again see the person who had tortured me for so long.r


    ¡®Shit! This can¡¯t be¡­ I¡¯m so nervous!¡¯r


    Apparently, I had assumed that I had changed. Meanwhile, deep in my core, I was still the same feeble Jeremy. I only convinced myself to be in control of everything, since my opponents so far were evil monsters and na?ve individuals. However, against the shadows of the past¡­ was I still so helpless?r


    >CREAK< The door opened.r


    I buried my face into the book I was reading, pretending to be unaware of the girl that entered the room. r


    A whole second felt like an eternity to me. I struggled to hide my nervousness, but it appeared my acting skills were failing me.r


    ¡®Keep it together, Jeremy.¡¯r


    ¡°Oi, who are you?!¡± She suddenly asked.r


    Clearly, she had seen me, and it was only a matter of time before I had to give a response.r


    ¡®Come on, Jeremy! Show this bitch who¡¯s boss!¡¯ I screamed internallyr<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°U-Uh¡­ I¡­¡±r


    My nervous reaction shocked even me. What the hell was I doing? r


    Melissa approached me hastily all of a sudden, as though she was about to do something.r


    ¡®Oh, shit! She must have recognized me. What do I do? What do I do?!¡¯ My thoughts rang.r


    There was no other choice now. Since she entered, I hadn¡¯t even looked at her once. My usual posture of bowing my head any time she was around had stuck with me.r


    I wasn¡¯t worthy to look at her face in the past. If I was caught doing that, I would be further humiliated, and Daniel, her boyfriend would make me even more miserable than I already was.r


    ¡®Shit! Jeremy, you bastard! At least look up! Just look up for once!¡¯ r


    Mustering all of my strength, I raised my head hesitantly.r


    ¡°I-I¡¯m new here, and¡­¡± r


    I stopped speaking the instant I saw her. My brain went into overdrive due to the panic, and everything seemed to be slowed down.r<sub></sub>


    Melissa, as always, was beautiful. She must still be using her skincare products, even in this Apocalypse, since her body was so wlessly good and clear. Her auburn hair flowed down her shoulders, giving her a strangely satisfying appearance.r


    If I ignored the disgusted look she had on her face, and the terrible memories of who she was, Melissa appeared to be quite the perfect beauty.r


    Call me a simp, but I waspletely being honest with myself.r


    She was incredibly busty too. Just watching her two melons firmly gripped by her tight outfit sent an excited tingle down my body.r


    ¡®Ah, thinking dirty thoughts Jeremy? You bastard.¡¯ I sighed internally.r


    To my surprise, though, my libido seemed to have lessened my fear. My mind became clearer, and my heart rate lessened.r


    ¡®This is¡­!¡¯ I suddenly realized something.r


    Melissa was standing nearly motionless, as though frozen in time. Well, not entirely frozen.r


    That was when it dawned on me. Was I moving and thinking too fast for her?r


    Naughty thoughts danced in my head, making me regret watching so many questionable videos in the past. Thinking about just how much I could get away with made me snicker, but also eased the nervousness I was feeling.r<sub></sub>


    It wasn¡¯tpletely gone, though. How could it be? This girl standing before me was the cause of so many things that deeply scarred me in the past.r


    Still, it made me curious. If she was so slow, and I was so fast¡­ just what was our difference in Level?r


    A smile formed on my face, and as I made the thought, her Status Introduction popped up.r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r


    Name: Melissar


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Femaler


    Level: 3r


    Alignment: Chaotic Neutralr


    [End Of Information]r


    ¡®Oh¡­ Oh my¡­¡¯r


    Suddenly, the fear and unease were gone. Those emotions were reced by a sense of foolishness for even fretting over someone like the girl before me. The foolishness didn¡¯tst long though, as it faded away too.r


    The only thing that was left now¡­ was my usual self and a sense of amusement.r


    After all, the girl that had traumatized me, Melissa¡­ was so weak!r


    ¡®Is this even possible? The Camp sheltered someone like her?!¡¯ r


    Well, it was possible if they could amodate bums like those fools who could do nothing but sing the praises of the heroes. Still, for her to have entered Ana¡¯s room so casually¡­ I thought she had a high rank or something simr.r


    My eyes went to her Alignment, and it felt insulting that I had the same kind as her.r


    ¡®Is the system broken? Why is she the same as me? No way! Melissa should be evil, evil I say!¡¯r


    Welp, there was no means of sending myint to whoever made the system, so I had to keep my righteous opinions to myself.r


    In any case, my fear was gone. Just like that. It was only natural, though.r


    The strong shouldn¡¯t fear the weak! It¡¯s that simple.r


    As I eased up, so did the slow movement of time. Melissa began moving faster, and everywhere slowly returned to normal.r


    My eyes were still on her though, watching her face change as she spoke.r


    ¡®It¡¯s getting even more and more difficult to look at her, yet my eyes couldn¡¯t seem to get away from the face she¡¯s currently making.¡¯ I mused.r


    Her lips moved slowly, just as they used to in the past. She appeared to be saying something, but everything was still so slow that it was hard to hear her clearly.r


    I eased up even more to quicken everything else, it was as if I was nerfing my senses.r


    ¡®Ah, this was difficult indeed¡­ so very difficult.¡¯r


    Now that I had gotten over the fear I originally felt, other things slowly started appearing.r


    The urges I had kept buried for so long were beginning to surface. Murderous thoughts and purely malevolent intentions were ringing in my head, and the worst part was that I could now act on them.r


    If I so desired, I could kill her this very instant, torture her as she tortured me¡­ no, even more. r


    However, now was not the right time¡­r


    ¡®Hold it in, Jeremy¡­ let¡¯s be patient. When the right moment arrives¡­ we¡¯ll kill her in the most painful way imaginable!¡¯r

 Chapter 70 Defiance

    ¡°Where have you been all this while, you creep?¡± r


    Melissa kept looking at me condescendingly. I ced my book by the side, and while it pained me to do so, I withheld my desire to kill her.r


    HOWEVER, I absolutely refused to act inferior to the bitch.r


    ¡°This is quite the surprise¡­ Melissa, it¡¯s a shocker to meet you here.¡± I smiled.r


    My response fazed her a little. Clearly, she wasn¡¯t expecting such a smooth response. While it was possible for me to act the way she remembered me, I had no intention to stoop so low.r


    Why?r


    Because there was no merit in doing so!r


    Unlike in the case of Ana and her group, Melissa proved to be of no worth to me, at least at the moment. My innocent, kind, act had earned me the trust of my current supporters. They thought of me as harmless, and so didn¡¯t give in to suspicion or burrow deeply into my words.r


    As a result, my position among them was cemented. But, with this brat, there was no benefit whatsoever. Not only was she weak, but her attitude would make it difficult to try any nice y.r<sub>.</sub>


    For her to have barged into this room, it must mean she was also in a reputable position in the Camp. However, Melissa was too weak, plus, I know her. She most likely secured the position by leeching off someone else.r


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s preferable to find the direct source, instead of trying to curry her favor.¡¯r


    Finally, there was no way I would act subservient to Melissa because¡­ I absolutely hate her!r


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve gotten bolder since west met. I don¡¯t remember you ever talking back to me.¡± Melissa smiled, drawing closer to me in a threatening manner.r


    I humored her and stayed still. Partially because I was curious about how far she would go.r


    ¡°You should realize that the world is a lot different from how it was back then. Everything has changed, so it only makes sense that the people would too. Still, it¡¯s a surprise¡­ to think that you¡¯re still the same as before ¡± I smiled defiantly.r


    Her eyes bulged at what appeared to be an insult to her, though I was only speaking the truth.r


    ¡°This little bastard! You dare-¡°r<sub></sub>


    Melissa flung her hand to p me, apparently putting all her strength into it since she was annoyed.r


    ¡®I wonder who she¡¯s trying to hit with that slow-ass hand.¡¯ I mused.r


    Well, she must have thought I would be weak since my appearance didn¡¯t give away my strength. Still, to think she hadn¡¯t learnt anything from my words just now¡­ how pitiful.r


    ¡®She should have this one¡­¡¯r


    >SMACK<r


    Her palm was nted in my face, sending an echo across the room. I was the victim of her assault, yet the hit didn¡¯t even tingle.r


    ¡®As I thought¡­ it doesn¡¯t even hurt. Instead¡­¡¯ I grinned internally.r


    ¡°Ahhhh!!!¡± Melissa yelled, retracting her hand as she viewed it in pain.r<sub></sub>


    It must have felt like the sensation of a person hitting hard concrete with their full power. The recoil and sting they would feel would be considerable. Well, in this situation I was the concrete.r


    ¡°You little¡­ what did you do? You used your Gift didn¡¯t you?¡± Melissa gritted her teeth as she red at me, rubbing her palm in pain.r


    ¡®Pfft. I just stood still, retard. Aren¡¯t you being shameless right now?¡¯r


    Her eyes were narrowed, focusing on me. It meant she was going to look at my Status Introduction. However, there was no point in doing that. After all¡­ I was more powerful!.¡±r


    ¡°W-why¡­ why can¡¯t I see his?¡± She mumbled to herself in confusion.r


    Seeing her so flustered and in such a pathetic state nearly made me snicker inughter. However, this wasn¡¯t nearly entertaining enough. Once the time came, I would make sure to revel in her despair. r


    ¡°Are we done here?¡± I asked, giving her a cold gaze that was synonymous to ¡®Get out of my sight!¡¯r


    Melissa instantly became flushed with embarrassment and raised her hand instinctively, attempting to hit me again.r


    I instantly raised one eyebrow, daring her to try it if she was sure.r


    She must have remembered the pain she had just felt since she slowly dropped her hand after a second of deliberation.r


    ¡®At least you have a modicum ofmon sense¡­ good girl.¡¯ r


    I could guess what was going on in her mind at the moment. With her deep re and clenched fists, coupled with her gritting teeth, she was trying to measure my current state.r


    ¡®Is he stronger than me?¡¯r


    ¡®Why is he in Ana¡¯s room¡­ does he have some kind of connection to her?¡¯r


    ¡®What can I do to make him regret doing this to me?¡¯r


    ¡®How can I make him submit?!¡¯r


    Thoughts like that.r


    Suddenly, I saw a smile form on her face. No, it wasn¡¯t the kind smile I was already used to getting from my dependable ¡®big sis¡¯, Ana, or my cute potential ¡®loli babe¡¯, Lily. This was a wicked grin, full of malevolence and evil intentions.r


    ¡®So, she¡¯s finally hatched a n. Let¡¯s hear it!¡¯ I mused.r


    ¡°Interesting, Jeremy. To think you¡¯ve changed so much. I think Daniel should hear about this. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be pleased to meet you after so long¡­ don¡¯t you think?¡±r


    Her words sent a jolting sensation throughout my body. The moment I heard that name, I felt a little nauseous but quickly recovered. It must have been muscle memory from my past experiences since that name was not acquainted with anything good in my life.r


    Other than my father¡­ there was none I hated or feared as much as Daniel.r


    ¡°Huu, so he¡¯s here too. That¡¯s interesting¡­¡± I replied, returning her evil smile with one of mine.r


    Her expression depicted even more shock than before, seeing as I was able to keep myposure and even show her an excited grin. I could sense her twitch in slight annoyance and great fear.r


    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s perfect! I also want to see him. There¡¯s so much we need to catch up on, don¡¯t you think?¡±r

 Chapter 71 Intervention

    ¡°Tch. You¡­¡± r


    Melissa was nearly speechless after our brief exchange. Apparently, her trump card, Daniel¡¯s existence, did her no good.r


    ¡®As expected. She hasn¡¯t changed, still leeching off the authority of others¡­¡¯ I thought to myself.r


    I would be lying if I said that I wasn¡¯t a little frightened of Daniel, or his existence within the Camp. I certainly hadn¡¯t expected to meet the two worst people I knew in my life in the same ce.r


    ¡®Does this mean¡­ even more of my ssmates are here?¡¯ My mind rang.r


    If that was the case, then that would be bad. I don¡¯t think I would be able to control myself with so many targets for revenge in my line of sight.r


    Merely seeing this bitch was enough to send thoughts into my head. I didn¡¯t want more distracting flies buzzing around me.r


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked, ring at her.r


    The sooner she left, the better. If possible, I would prefer she left before Ana¡¯s group returned.r


    ¡®I don¡¯t want them to see another side of me.¡¯r


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business!¡± Melissa spat back, refusing to ept a non-aggressive conversation.r<sub>.</sub>


    Still, I needed her out of the room.r


    ¡°Are you looking for Ana? Is the Camp leader requesting to meet with them?¡± I asked calmly.r


    She appeared surprised by my questions. It would seem I hit the mark.r


    ¡°How do you know about all that In the first ce? Why haven¡¯t I seen you before? When did you get here?¡± Melissa asked me, not even bothering to give me an answer to my question first.r


    A smile formed on my face as I thought about the perfect response. Just in time too.r


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±r


    The instant she heard me say this, Melissa went into a fit of rage. I thought she would have developed somemon sense by now, but I was wrong.r


    She raised her two hands and began sending me a flurry of assaults with her fist. It looked like her broken pride couldn¡¯t endure any more of the insult and so she unconsciously resorted to violence in order to assert her dominance.r


    ¡®Perfect!¡¯ I grinned.r


    >CREAK<r<sub></sub>


    The door behind the both of us sounded, and Ana¡¯s team poured in. As nned, I fell into a victimized state, with Melissa atop me, sending waves of attacks.r


    She quickly stopped upon noticing that some people had entered the room. Her crazed expression morphed into a nervous look as soon as she turned her face and met the eyes of our abrupt spectators.r


    The group that had just entered was weed with this scene, causing them to react ordingly.r


    ¡°A-ah, this isn¡¯t what it-¡± Melissa tried to defend herself, but before she could say any more, Ana dashed from her location in a sh.r


    She separated Melissa from me and grabbed her by her shirt before flinging her to the side.r


    ¡°Gahh!¡± She yelped, feeling her back hit the wall, a couple of meters from me.r


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Melissa?!¡± Ana asked, ring at my assaulter.r


    The other team members also nced at Melissa with suspicion. The look on their faces even sent shivers down my spine. r


    ¡®It seems I have reliable backup!¡¯r


    When Melissa was still giving me her attitude, refusing to leave the room some moments ago, I had sensed their approach.r<sub></sub>


    Since I couldn¡¯t chase her out in time, I decided to provoke her instead. By doing this, it would defeat whatever purpose she came here for, and even destroy her credibility.r


    Plus, it was an excellent way to gain more sympathy.r


    ¡®Is this the new family you promised me, Anabelle? I don¡¯t feel wee at all!¡¯ Were what my thoughts would have been at this moment, making all the group members feel guilty.r


    ¡°A-ahh¡­ Urhhh¡­¡± I gave pained sounds, drawing their attention to me.r


    Ana turned behind her to see me, and her eyes bulged upon noticing some bruises on my body.r


    ¡°Jeremy!¡± She shouted, rushing to my side as she ignored Melissa¡¯s groans.r


    ¡®Welp, my bruises were self-inflicted, so my situation appeared real. Hehe, meanwhile the one in actual pain was Melissa.¡¯ r


    ¡°Ana¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know she was¡­ your friend. >COUGHS<¡°r


    Simply perfect!r


    ¡°No, Jeremy. I¡¯m so sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have left you like that!¡± Ana said, drawing me closer to her as she watched me writhe.r


    ¡®Idiots. Pfft.¡¯r


    ¡°Melissa, you¡¯ve gone too far this time. Why did you harm Jeremy? No, in the first ce what are you doing here?¡± Peter asked, ring at Melissa in a super-aggressive way.r


    I had no idea what it was, but from Peter¡¯s expression, something must have gone down between him and her. No surprise there, the bitch was a maniptive slut.r


    ¡°J-Jeremy!¡¯ Lily rushed toward me, nodding at Ana that she could take over for her.r


    Seeing that Lily was taking care of me already, our dependable leader turned to face the viin and malefactor of this entire incident. Melissa!r


    ¡°Do you realize what you¡¯ve just done?!¡± Anabelle asked, a certain intimidating pressure emanating from her.r


    It didn¡¯t feel like much to me, but Melissa looked absolutely terrified by the aura she was feeling. Even the remaining team members looked quite shaken.r


    ¡®It must suck to be weak¡­¡¯ r


    ¡°Anabelle, take it easy. Jeremy is still hurt.¡± Peter quickly cautioned, snapping Ana from her bloodlust state.r


    ¡°A-ah, that¡¯s true. I¡¯m sorry about that. Thanks, Peter.¡± She replied.r


    ¡°S-stay away from me, bitch!¡± Melissa hastily screamed and quickly took advantage of Ana¡¯s moment of distraction by erecting a barrier around herself.r


    The pink energy field glowed, and particles of light danced around it. It was certainly pretty.r


    ¡®Oh? So that¡¯s her Gift. A shield would be quite troublesome. I wonder how strong it is. Well, considering her level it can¡¯t be that high¡­¡¯r


    ¡°Melissa. Exin yourself. What reason do you have to break into our residence? Why were you assaulting Jeremy? Choose your words carefully and answer me quickly¡­ before I conclude you¡¯re a spy and end you now!¡±r


    Melissa was clearly intimidated by Ana¡¯s threats, but her ego was not about to let her give in so easily.r


    ¡°Are you threatening me, Ana? You seem to have forgotten who I am, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m the-¡°r


    Before she could even conclude her statement, Anaunched her red-torched fist toward the barrier, causing it to vibrate violently upon impact.r


    >BOOOOOMMMM!!!< r


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you once again, Melissa¡­ and you¡¯d do well to answer me. Exin yourself!¡±r

 Chapter 72 Humiliation

    >BOOOOOMMMM!!!< r


    The extreme collision between Ana¡¯s powerful fist and Melissa¡¯s sturdy barrier sent waves across the room, causing everything around to shake violently. Things turned out to be more serious than I expected.r


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you once again, Melissa¡­ and you¡¯d do well to answer me. Exin yourself!¡±r


    Melissa gulped this time, appearing extremely fazed by Ana¡¯s look.r


    The fact that she was all alone in a room full of people who were suspicious of her didn¡¯t help matters.r


    ¡°Calm down, Ana. Jeez¡­ I only came to talk about something when I saw that twerp. I didn¡¯t know he was-¡°r


    ¡°Twerp? Are you trying to dismiss what you just did right now? You know the sanction that awaits you for this, don¡¯t you?¡± Peter interrupted, ring at Melissa as he spoke.r


    His annoyed tone, coupled with the slight look of satisfaction at the situation clearly proved that Peter had something against her.r


    ¡°Rx, okay? I didn¡¯t break any rules!¡± Melissa quickly protested before Ana hit her barrier again.r


    ¡°Charles told me toe see you! It was urgent, so I came here after our group gave their report.¡± r


    Ana seemed to calm down after hearing this, retracting her energy.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°So, Charles told you to assault Jeremy too?¡± Ana asked, still ring at the nervous teen.r


    ¡®Hehehe. This is so fun to watch!¡¯ I mused.r


    I already knew Charles was the camp leader, thanks to Lily¡¯s exnation. While he had a very high influence within this structure, merely stating his name wasn¡¯t going to fully absolve Melissa of her serious crime of assault against me.r


    ¡®Let¡¯s see how she¡¯ll try to wriggle out of this situation!¡¯r


    ¡°O-of course not! That was by chance. I don¡¯t know what you know about Jeremy, but I have known him for far longer, especially when the world was still normal¡­¡± Melissa argued, trying to turn the whole tide against me.r


    Too bad she made the wrong move.r


    ¡°S-stop it, Melissa¡­ please don¡¯t tell them¡­¡± I weakly protested.r


    Everyone looked in my direction, once again feeling pity as they stared at my bruised state.r


    ¡°You know her from before, Jeremy?¡± Ana asked, beginning to wonder if she had misjudged Melissa.r


    ¡®Of course, retard¡­ I mean, big sis.¡¯r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡­ well, she was¡­ she used to bully me back then, and I¡­ I¡­¡± My voice failed me and my lips quivered.r


    I appeared too shaken to say anymore and once again fell silent, wincing in the agony of my wounds.r


    Melissa¡¯s eyes bulged, clearly appreciating my acting skills¡­ or not.r


    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not why I-¡± She tried protesting, however, one look from Ana forced her into submission.r


    ¡°So, you were Jeremy¡¯s bully back then. Melissa, you¡­¡±r


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what it looks like, okay?¡± She defended herself, ring at me hatefully.r


    ¡°It¡¯s true I used to bully him, but-¡°r


    ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you, Melissa. Leave this ce before I do something the both of us might regret.¡± Ana growled.r


    Melissa must have had multiple experiences with Ana since she didn¡¯t bother arguing. She stood from where her body had crashed and groaned.r


    Deactivating her pink barrier, Melissa walked past everyone in the room, stealing one final nce at me. Since everyone was staring at her, waiting for the bitch to leave, no one focused on me¡­ no one but her.r<sub></sub>


    In an instant, I gave her an evil, mocking smile as a send-off present, ensuring she saw it.r


    ¡®Y-you-!!!¡± Her face depicted the thoughts she was having.r


    Still, she restrained herself.r


    It would be suicide to try something in the presence of my able guards. So, the useless bitch had no other choice than to turn tail and run away.r


    The moment she left, everyone rushed to my side and greeted me with words of worry andfort.r


    ¡°Jeremy, are you okay?¡±r


    ¡°Hope you weren¡¯t too hurt?¡±r


    ¡°That bitch, to think she started picking on you already!¡±r


    Ana was especially upset and visibly felt guilty. After all her lofty words of confidence, I ended up suffering so much on my first day. Poor me.r


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Jeremy. I promise you¡­ she won¡¯t get away with this!¡±r


    ¡®Music to my ears.¡¯ I mused.r


    ¡°T-thank you, Ana. Thanks, everyone¡­ truly. If you hadn¡¯te at that time, I don¡¯t know what I would have done.¡± r


    My words appeared to move them, making me feel a little awkward. It was a strange feeling to have so many people worried about me, so concerned.r


    ¡®Weirdos¡­¡¯r


    ¡°You must be hungry, right? We brought food for all of us.¡± Daniel suddenly changed the topic.r


    I smiled and nodded like an innocent little boy, deciding to leave out the part where I asionally gave myself snacks from Subspace faster than they could perceive.r


    These na?ve people definitely needed it more than I do.r


    Still, who says no to free food? Definitely not me!


    *********************************


    ¡°Those bastards!¡± Melissa growled, driving her fist into a wall to relieve herself of the anger welling up within her.r


    Since she had been in the Camp, and even before then, she had never suffered such humiliation, such indignity.r


    ¡°Jeremy, that bastard¡­ he intentionally instigated them against me!¡±r


    Her anger wasn¡¯t only directed at Jeremy, though. She hated the lot in Ana¡¯s group, especially the leader.r


    Out of everyone in the Camp, they were the only ones she couldn¡¯t easily manipte. Her influence also meant very little to them since they held a pretty high position as well.r


    ¡°Just you wait, I¡¯ll show you¡­¡± Melissa gritted her teeth, walking impatiently.r


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? You look infuriated?¡± A voice suddenly came from behind her, startling Melissa for a moment.r


    Yelping, she turned to see who the person was and felt relieved to find her boyfriend, Daniel.r


    ¡®I thought those guys chased me all the way here and overheard me.¡¯ Melissa heaved in relief.r


    Still, it was a surprise to find Daniel all the way out here. Their room was on the opposite end of the building, on the next floor so what was he here for?r

 Chapter 73 Daniels Change

    ¡°After the meeting, I was a little worried that something might happen between you and Anabelle, so I came to look for you,¡± Daniel said with a concerned face.r


    ¡°A-ah, is that so¡­?¡± Melissaughed awkwardly.r


    Dani nodded affirmatively, moving closer to Melissa with his usual charming gait. His well-built body and youthful exuberance made him admired by most, even now during the Apocalypse.r


    ¡°It turns out I was right. Something definitely happened for you to look so annoyed.¡± He whispered.r


    Gripping Melissa by the waist and drawing her closer to himself so he could smell and hold her in his arms, Daniel smiled and closed his eyes charmingly.r


    ¡°Talk to me, babe. What happened this time?¡±r


    Melissa felt her annoyance slowly ease away, and her fear dissipated. Now that she was with her man, nothing would hold her back.r


    ¡°Those bastards nearly killed me! Shit, if I hadn¡¯t erected my shield on time, Ana would have bashed her fist into my face with her Gift.¡± Melissa bawled.r


    Daniel was surprised to hear this, It wasn¡¯t like Ana or any of her group members to act in such a way. They were known to be rash and impulsive, but their team was highly respectable and abided by the rules of the camp.r


    ¡®Was Melissa exaggerating things?¡¯ Daniel thought to himself.r


    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t do anything to tick them off?¡± Daniel muttered hesitantly.r<sub>.</sub>


    He instantly regretted doing that.r


    ¡°Uhhhh?! Are you seriously taking their side right now? Are you saying that I¡¯m lying?!¡± Melissa blurted out, removing herself from Daniel¡¯s embrace in a fit.r


    ¡®Shit, I shouldn¡¯t have said anything¡­¡¯ He grumbled internally.r


    ¡°They nearly killed your girl, and the first thing you do is me me? How dare you, Daniel! Even when Charles told me to beg Ana for the Ogre¡¯s Demon Core skill, you didn¡¯t stand up for me. Do you know the kind of humiliation I went through?!¡± Melissa began barking.r


    ¡°H-hold on, Melissa. That wasn¡¯t what happened. I even tried-¡°r


    Before Daniel could speak, she bombarded him with more usations.r


    ¡°Even though I always sacrifice leveling up for the sake of the team all the time, even though I overexert myself for your sake and the people of the camp despite my weak constitution, why am I treated this way?¡± r


    Daniel decided that it was best for Melissa to let it all out, besides¡­ even if he didn¡¯t want it, she was going to keep talking anyway.r


    ¡°A-and even when I try getting a skill that will benefit all of us in the group, and the Camp as a whole, no one is on my side. It¡¯s not fair¡­ It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s just not fair!¡± r


    Her whining kept ringing in Daniel¡¯s head as he patiently tolerated it. Melissa, who had moved away from his embrace, slowly returned, banging her hands on his chest as she rested on them.r<sub></sub>


    Her attempt at sobbing was poor, but Daniel epted it nheless.r


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have ignored your feelings like that.¡± He whispered kindly, rubbing her long hair as he tightly gripped her.r


    Hisfort was all she needed at this time¡­ as well as his sympathy.r


    ¡®As long as he feels bad for me and loves me, Daniel will alwayse to my help! Just you wait, Anabelle, Jeremy, all of you¡­ there¡¯s no one stronger than my boyfriend around!¡¯ Melissa grinned internally.r


    ¡°What came over them though? I wonder why they would just attack you so suddenly¡­ maybe they were mentally exhausted after their expedition¡­?¡± Daniel mumbled.r


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s that bastard, Jeremy that instigated them. I can¡¯t believe that someone as pathetic as him could suddenly appear and somehow convince Ana to take his side¡­¡± r


    Melissa¡¯s eyes bulged the moment those words escaped from her mouth.r


    ¡®Shit! What have I done?!¡¯ Her mind rang.r


    She had thoughtlessly said something she shouldn¡¯t have¡­ she had mentioned Jeremy!r


    ¡°J-Jeremy¡­? the same one we used to know? H-he¡¯s here¡­?¡± Daniel suddenly said.r<sub></sub>


    His voice sounded serious, andpletely different from the collected and caring tone he had used just moments ago.r


    ¡®I messed up!¡¯ Melissa thought in worry.r


    Daniel retracted himself from her as soon as she tried sping him deeper into their embrace. r


    ¡°W-wait Daniel, he¡¯s not exactly how we used to know him. Jeremy has somehow-¡°r


    Melissa stopped as soon as she looked at Daniel¡¯s facer


    His countenance had changed, turning into the expression she hated to see the most. At this point, she knew he wasn¡¯t going to listen to proper reasoning.r


    ¡°Where is he? Did you say he was with Ana?¡± Daniel asked anxiously.r


    His fists were clenched and his body slightly shook due to the emotion welling up within him.r


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ b-but, Daniel-¡°r


    ¡°Then I have to go see him now, don¡¯t you think?¡± Daniel said, turning away from Melissa.r


    ¡®Shit! If I don¡¯t do something now, then¡­¡¯ Her thoughts rang.r


    Quickly running past Daniel in the hallway, she appeared in front of him to intercept his advance.r


    ¡°What are you doing Melissa? I have to-¡± r


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t do that Daniel. Not tonight. He¡¯s pretty shaken up¡­ plus, he¡¯s very exhausted. Everyone in the team is also on edge¡­ now wouldn¡¯t be the best time¡­¡± She spoke softly.r


    ¡®Please agree, please agree!¡¯ She desperately pleaded internally, while gazing at him with an equally pleading look.r


    There was a bit of tension in the air as both of them engaged in an unofficial staring contest. After some moments considering her words, Daniel sighed.r


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right. I should probably wait until tomorrow. Now isn¡¯t the best time¡­¡± He answered in a deted tone.r


    ¡°Y-yeah. Not now¡­¡±r


    ¡®Please, not ever too!¡¯ She screamed internally.r


    ¡°You seem tired, Daniel. You need to rest.¡± Melissa said in a soft and caring voice, caressing Daniel¡¯s chest which seemed to make him calm down.r


    He was finally returning to his normal self, a state which she could manipte.r


    ¡°Yeah. I actually kind of am. We should return to the apartment and rest.¡± He smiled weakly.r


    ¡®Whew¡­ that was a close one.¡¯ She heaved in relief.r


    Looking at Daniel¡¯s face, she focused her eyes and his Status Introduction appeared, making her clench her fist in anger at what she saw.r


    The very thing that made Daniel change so much¡­ his Alignment!r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r


    Name: Danielr


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Maler


    Level: 30r


    Alignment: Lawful Good (Penitent)r


    [End Of Information]r

 Chapter 74 Penitent

    Daniel was scum!r


    No, he was much worse. Everyone around him knew how selfish he was. He had wealth, power, influence¡­ and strength. Because of this, he was able to get anything he wanted, no consequences attached.r


    His favorite hobby was picking on the weak, and while he had scores of toys to y with, he enjoyed ¡®teasing¡¯ Jeremy the most.r


    He was an absolutely repulsive and selfish person, the perfect match for an opportunist like Melissa.r


    Since she was also smart, beautiful, and influential, their union wasn¡¯t a surprise to anyone that knew them. And so, they started dating.r


    They both hated the weak, especially Jeremy, and trampled on them due to their high esteem. Those were the time of their lives, fun moments¡­ until the Apocalypse began!r


    The world turned into hell overnight, and everything was plunged into chaos.r


    Their prospective futures turned into dust, and the wealth and fame that their families built turned into dust.r<sub>.</sub>


    Daniel lost his parents in a tragic attack by Demons, but he somehow managed to survive, rushing to save Melissa from the same fate.r


    Fortunately, they didn¡¯t live too far apart and he managed to reach her.r


    Melissa had long abandoned her own family to die, since they had been cornered by Demons. Instead she decided to survive on her own.r


    Resources were limited, after all, and she could only look out for herself.r


    She was surprised to run into Daniel, and after careful consideration, she found it to be a stroke of luck. Once again, she would be with her soul mate and there was nothing that coulde against them.r


    With her protective Gift and his powerful brawn, they were the perfect team¡­ that is, until Melissa detected a defect in Daniel.r


    Unlike before¡­ he was no longer a selfish dick. He showed kindness to the victims he encountered and shared whatever he had with those in need.r<sub></sub>


    He threw himself into danger to protect the weak, and he always¡­ always¡­ always¡­ wanted to assist whoever he came across.r


    At first, Melissa did not understand this sudden change.r


    When she finally mustered the courage to ask Daniel after he had freaked her out for long enough, he gave the most bizarre answer.r


    ¡°I¡­ after seeing my parents die¡­ after losing everything and everyone, I was at the lowest point in my life. I looked around and saw people suffer and die, and I felt no different from them. I was weak and powerless, scared and alone. That was when I had an epiphany¡­ Melissa, I have been wrong all this time¡­¡±r


    Apparently, the trauma had broken Daniel¡¯s spirit, and a new one was formed. One which was empathetic to the pains of others and made him regret the actions he took in the past.r


    ¡°If I ever encounter Jeremy, or any of the people I bullied before¡­ I will beg for their forgiveness! I didn¡¯t understand then, but I do now¡­ we humans ought to stick together!¡±r


    And so¡­ just like that, the idealistic Daniel was born!<sub></sub>


    ***********************************


    ¡®Shit! This is so annoying!¡¯ Melissa thought to herself, ring at Daniel as they walked across the hallway In order to reach their residence.r


    Daniel was a penitent, and as such he was going to beg Jeremy for forgiveness.r


    ¡®Uneptable!¡¯ She gritted her teeth.r


    In the spur of the moment, she had brought up Daniel¡¯s name to Jeremy because she knew how much he feared him. She never intended for them to actually meet since she knew the oue of such an encounter.r


    Still, to think Jeremy had changed so much that he didn¡¯t appear fazed by her mention of Daniel, and Daniel was not in any shape to hurt Jeremy as he would have done in the past.r


    Nothing was going her way!r


    ¡®Anabelle is surely going to report me to Charles. I don¡¯t even want to imagine how that will end. Even though I went to her residence to get ess to the Ogre¡¯s skills, there¡¯s no way she¡¯s going to permit me to learn one.¡¯r


    Even though she and Ana had gotten into many disagreements, she had never seen Ana so upset before.r


    ¡®Shit, what a mess¡­ and it¡¯s all because of that twerp!  If I ever get my hands on him!¡¯ She bit her nails as she thought to herself.r


    ¡°Melissa, are you alright? You only do that when you¡¯re stressed out.¡± Daniel asked, pointing to her finger which was already locked between her teeth.r


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I think I just need to rest¡­¡± Melissa answered sweetly, masking the annoyance and frustration she felt toward Daniel.r


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± He said,ughing lightly.r


    ¡®Disgusting! Truly uneptable! This makes no sense!¡¯r


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Daniel ended up bing very OP in the Camp, she would have ditched him a long time ago. However, he still had his uses as the one everyone looked up to. That was the only reason she was still by his side.r


    Melissa had thought she could relieve her stress when she saw Jeremy. By basking in the pleasures of old times, she would feel better about everything. However, even he had dared to defy her.r


    ¡®That Jeremy, though¡­ he thinks he can ruin everything I¡¯ve built so far, uh? I don¡¯t know where you¡¯ve been and how you managed to sink your ws into this ce. But, you¡¯ll regret crossing me!¡¯r


    ¡®This¡­ is dinner?¡¯ I asked myself.r


    It was a barely edible blob called porridge. I looked at the poor quality of the meal, as well as the very rationed supply of water that was allocated to everyone.r


    Compared to fighting Demons, this was true hell!r


    Still, to maintain appearances, I had to put the disgusting stuff into my mouth. Perhaps it was because I had been used to eating better stuff, so my tastes were higher than normal.r


    I also remembered how feeding was hard for everyone while watching their survival from the Sacred Hall.r


    When looking at things from that point of view, this wasn¡¯t so bad.r


    ¡®I¡¯m so happy I don¡¯t have to go through this!¡¯ I heaved with relief.r


    I had stockpiles of good food with me, water too. There was no way I could live on just this.r

 Chapter 75 Disgusting

    After we concluded our meal, Lily took all our dishes and ced them outside. r


    Upon noticing my surprise, Ana decided to exin things to me.r


    ¡°Duties are split among the Camp members. Usually, they would even be the ones to bring our meals for us, but since we have one extra mouth to feed, I had to talk to the food distribution unit. Plus, the rest wanted toe along with me and ask for extra, since this was a special night.¡± Ana said with a warm smile.r


    Words could not express the kind of disgust I felt once I realized that this meal was actually dubbed as ¡®special¡¯.r


    ¡®It pains me to think of the usual food these suckers eat.¡¯r


    I understood that they were trying to conserve resources, but I would rather leave such a Camp and fend for myself than share my find with a bunch of losers who could only do domestic work and grovel for their daily bread.r


    ¡°A-ah, I see¡­¡± I muttered.r


    Before more conversation ensued, I decided that I had gotten enough of theirpany and would like some alone time. Being among people for so long wasn¡¯t my thing.r


    ¡®I still haven¡¯t concluded the Light Novel I was reading¡­¡¯r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°C-can I use the restroom?¡± I blurted out.r


    The group members looked at me, looked at each other, and then looked at me again.r


    ¡®Oh shit, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯r


    ¡°W-well, how do I put this. Sure, it¡¯s still quite early. There¡¯s enough time for that.¡± Ana mumbled, looking at an analog clock by the side of the room.r


    ¡®8:12 PM, uh?¡¯r


    ¡°You can¡¯t spend too long there, though. Okay?¡± Ana added.r


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked unconsciously.r


    ¡°Well, how do I put this¡­¡± Sheughed awkwardly, scratching her head.r<sub></sub>


    Peter saw how their leader was having issuesmunicating and decided to step in for her.r


    ¡°No one uses the restroom after curfew. Curfew is by 9:00 pm, and the cleaners also have to take care of the restroom after that time, so it¡¯s not advisable to spend a long time in it.¡± r


    Ah, I understood at that moment.r


    Another disgusting fact about the Camp was the fact that they had a shared restroom!r


    Also, since the water was usually very scarce, they would hold off on removing the waste and flushing it down the drainage until several hours have passed.r


    Judging by the severity of the situation, they probably only flushed the toilets twice a day. That meant that no matter how many people used it, the toilets would remain that way until it was time for a reset. Therefore, since it was almost time for curfew, it meant that the second time the toilet would be flushed, everywhere would be in its literal worst state right now.r


    ¡®So that¡¯s why she looked so nervous. She didn¡¯t know how to break it to me that I would have to suffer such indignity.¡¯r


    For someone who lived on his own for so long to be a member of such a family, I was pretty sure it was better off being alone.r<sub></sub>


    Long story short, Peter volunteered to take me to the restroom. It wasn¡¯t too far, just a little down the hallway. Since this was a former facility, toilets existed on every floor. So, the people living on our floor all used the very same ce.r


    Fortunately, these savages had not yet abandoned the tritew of keeping the girl¡¯s restroom separate from the boys. After reaching our destination, Peter told me he would wait for me outside while I concluded my business.r


    ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s not saying it out of the kindness of his heart.¡¯ I mused.r


    The toilet must have been very disgusting since he seemed to prefer waiting outside. And so, as I entered, I was greeted with a very powerful stench.r


    ¡®Looks like my hunch was right!¡¯r


    Do you think inhaling a bunch of waste from strangers was  disgusting?¡­ imagine having heightened senses! My sense of smell and perception were levels above everyone else, and so was my suffering.r


    It was so unbearable that I felt like throwing up several times over. There was no other choice, I needed a solution!r


    Since no one was around anyway, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.r


    ¡°[S-Subspace]¡­¡± I croaked.r


    Instantly, my blue panel appeared before me, and I quickly essed what I wanted.r


    Instantly, a gas mask appeared in my hands which I quickly wore.r


    ¡°A-ah¡­ Ahhh¡­¡± I breathed out freely, now feeling much better since the mask had filtered away most of the toxic air.r


    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing one of those facilities had this in case of emergencies. Whew.¡¯ I smiled in relief, still having a couple more within [Subspace].r


    Looking around me with my heightened vision, I could make out the terrible state of the urinals, the toilet stalls didn¡¯t appear to be in a better condition either.r


    ¡®Are these cleaners even doing their jobs well? They get to live in a safe ce and eat free food. The least they can do is clean well, right?¡¯r


    Well, if only it were that simple. Water was limited, so hygiene had been sacrificed for survival. If this kept going though, it was only a matter of time before infections would spread.r


    I had no intention of using the toilet like a pig, though. r


    ¡®Heh, time to work my Magic.¡¯ I grinned.r


    First of all, I summoned a very decent mat, a few meters wide, which was enough for me to step on properly without feeling disgusted by the slimy state of the ground.r


    Then, I summoned a disposable ck bag, that wasrge and sturdy enough to handle even the heaviest stuff. After that, I brought out a roll of toilet paper, as well as a bucket. I used Subspace to leak out a few gallons of water into it, until it was filled up.r


    Of course, I didn¡¯t forget sanitizers as well. I had to y it safe and clean.r


    ¡®Now then, time to poop.¡¯r


    [Moments Later]r


    After doing ¡®it¡¯, I returned the ck sack to the portion of [Subspace] I had designated to trash.r


    I could dispose of the waste at any time, though it would be more fun to dump it on an unsuspecting personter on.r


    That was the sole reason I kept multiple sacks filled with the same substance in that slot.r


    ¡®My chance might evene sooner than expected!¡¯r

 Chapter 76 The Call

    Using my Sanitizer and water well, I cleaned up nicely.r


    Feeling squeaky clean, I ced them back into [Subspace], also putting the mat in the trash area.r


    ¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯m ever using that again. It¡¯s as good as shit now.¡¯ r


    Finally, I returned the Gas mask as well, holding my breath as I quickly exited the horrific area.r


    ¡°Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­¡± I heaved heavily upon stepping out.r


    ¡°Wow, you did a good job. I was so sure you¡¯d run out screaming.¡± Peter smiled, giving me a surprised expression.r


    ¡®This bastard actually wanted to see me terrified?¡¯r


    >Sigh<, so much for my caring family.r


    At this moment, I knew I had toplete whatever I wanted to do and leave this filthy ce quickly. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I could survive living this way.r


    As we walked away from the men¡¯s toilet, my eyes caught the female¡¯s side of the restroom as well.r<sub>.</sub>


    Seeing that they were divided, I had a feeling that the girl¡¯s side would be better, so I spread my heightened senses to see for myself¡­ definitely not to spy on any girl or anything.r


    ¡°Urk! Oophh!!!¡± I held my mouth to prevent myself from throwing up.r


    There was no way I would ever open my mouth to narrate what I had just seen, but let¡¯s just say¡­ I regretted my actions and reflected on myself.


    *******************************


    [The Next Day]r


    Everyone in the room was roused by a knock on the door. r


    ¡®Is it Ana?¡¯ I thought to myself, seeing as she was the only one who wasn¡¯t sleeping in the room with us.r


    However, she didn¡¯t need to knock in order to gain ess to the room. Rubbing my eyes as I smacked my lips, I focused my attention on the person beyond the door. It certainly wasn¡¯t Ana.r


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Peter asked, rising from his mattress.r<sub></sub>


    Everyone else started waking up due to the noise that interrupted their sleep, so there was no problem with me being awake as well.r


    Peter went to the door, opening it.r


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Peter.¡± The person who knocked said with a smile.r


    I recognized him, well¡­ to an extent.r


    ¡®He was one of those guards who weed us when we arrived, uh? It must not be his shift¡­¡¯r


    ¡°What are you doing here, Theodore? You should be at your assigned post¡± Peter said, looking a little surprised.r


    ¡°Well, about that. It¡¯s not my shift. I¡¯m supposed to be on patrol right now, however¡­¡± The man¡¯s eyes suddenly went to me.r


    ¡®What¡¯s this guy looking at?¡¯ r


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Peter asked, noticing his gaze had shifted.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°The Camp Leader said I should call for the boy named Jeremy to his office.¡± r


    Peter, as well as the other members of the group, expressed surprise.r


    ¡°This early? Didn¡¯t we agree that he would meet with Jeremy once he has fully recovered?¡± Peter replied, not exactly talking to Theo, who was just the messenger.r


    ¡°I¡¯m just following orders. Here, take this for confirmation.¡±r


    Theo brought out his walkie-talkie and gave Peter. The moment he saw it, four eyes knew what it meant.r


    ¡°Peter, this is Charles. I asked for Jeremy¡¯s presence¡­ is there a problem?¡± The Camp Leader¡¯s voice buzzed from the device.r


    Peter appeared a little shaken upon hearing this, seeing that there was nothing he could do.r


    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s too sudden. Jeremy hasn¡¯t even gotten the chance to freshen up and-¡°r


    ¡°I gave you enough time yesterday. Believe me, I also don¡¯t want to take this route, but as the leader, I have to ensure the safety of all the members of this camp. You understand, don¡¯t you?¡±r


    Peter had run out of points, I could see it. I also understood the tactics their leader was using. It was pretty clever, I had to admit.r


    Catching Peter off-guard, so early in the morning, when he wasn¡¯t at his strongest suit would of course make him very hesitant in making his argument. Plus, the group sheltered me throughout yesterday since they mentioned that I needed rest.r


    Quite a while had passed, so I had to have recovered already. Using this logic, nothing was preventing me from seeing the Leader.r


    Finally, they chose so early in the morning, knowing that Ana wasn¡¯t staying with us. Ana would have been able to defend me more, so it was easier this way.r


    ¡®Let¡¯s just get this over with¡­¡¯r


    ¡°I understand, sir.¡± Peter sighed, looking at me apologetically.r


    ¡°Jeremy, it seems you¡¯re being called upon by our Camp Leader.¡±r


    I put on my clueless face as I stood up, groaning a little.r


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. I think I¡¯ve gotten enough rest.¡± I responded, nodding affirmatively.r


    I could understand that Peter was a little worried about me since Charles seemed to be an insensitive and overbearing person. Everyone else, well, except Larry, looked at me with concern.r


    However, that was thest thing on my mind.r


    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing Lily told me beforehand, I would have been in quite a pickle if I didn¡¯t know already¡­¡¯ r


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± I smiled.r


    Walking out the door, I stole one final nce at everyone, who gave me encouraging nods before I exited the room.r


    This would be my first time out of the room, alone. They were all concerned for poor, Lil Jeremy.r


    Theodore led the way, taking me past the hallway as we climbed the stairs to reach the final floor.r


    He didn¡¯t say anything, though the constant stares he gave me already sent the message. r


    ¡®It appears people in this Camp aren¡¯t too fond of neers.¡¯ I mused.r


    After reaching the final floor, we reached the first door to our right, where the Camp Leader¡¯s office was, apparently. Looking down the hallway, I saw other rooms. Deducing, based on the order of importance, they most likely contained the resources of the whole Camp.r


    ¡®The goods are close to the Leader, so he can watch them, while being far away from others, so that ess is limited. Not bad.¡¯r


    Theodore knocked on the door that stood before us, and a response came from within.r


    ¡°Come in.¡±r

 Chapter 77 Busted

    ¡°Come in.¡±r


    This would be my first time hearing the camp leader speak up close, and so far I wasn¡¯t all that impressed.r


    Theodore opened the door, leading me in while waiting behind as he shut the door. Of course, I quickly scanned the office, taking note of the neat order in which it was kept.r


    While it wasn¡¯t as impressive as a high-ss ce, the chairs and tables were arranged properly. The floor was neat, and I could tell from the ambiance that it was well-maintained.r


    My eyes went to the leader, a middle-aged person in histe thirties or so, having a dignified and refreshing look. Of course, his serious demeanor also did him justice as a boss.r


    Beside him was the woman Lily had told me was his assistant. She had a difficult face to read, so I didn¡¯t bother.r


    ¡°Wee, Jeremy. I¡¯ve been expecting you.¡± The man said, giving me a mature smile.r


    I nodded, staring nkly. There was no need to act so buddy-buddy with him.r


    Seeing as this was going to be my y, Charles, as he was called, decided to change his y.r


    ¡°You may leave.¡± He told Theodore, who patiently waited by the door.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°O-okay.¡±r


    He left the office, looking a little disappointed. Perhaps he thought he would bepensated for the little errand he ran by fetching me. r


    ¡°Now then¡­ I¡¯ll get down to it. Who¡­ are you?!¡± Charles asked, eyeing me suspiciously.r


    His eyes suddenly changed, same as his expression. They turned dark and untrusting.r


    ¡®Looks like this is it. I didn¡¯t expect it to happen this fast¡­¡¯r


    A smile formed on my face as I returned his re with my own depraved grin. The moment I did this, his assistant dashed from her location at a terrifying speed. r


    Even at my level, it was quite impressive to watch a human move so fast.r


    I quickly dodged her first attempt to catch me, leaping a few meters away.r


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting away!¡± She yelled, instantly rushing to me at a faster pace.r<sub></sub>


    My eyes bulged in excitement at my first scene of action in quite a while. I was already beginning to get bored.r


    The womanunched her fist at me, causing me to instinctively raise my hands to block it¡­ an error in retrospect.r


    >CRACK<r


    I felt my bones crack in an instant as her blow impacted me.r


    ¡°arrrghh!!!¡± I let out, quickly escaping her range.r


    ¡®What¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡¯ My mind rang.r


    I was surprised, to say the least.r


    ¡®There should be no one even close to my level here!¡¯r


    Fortunately, I only suffered an injury on one of my hands, but the situation was not as I had expected at all. I knew they were dangerous, but not to this level!r<sub></sub>


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one more time¡­ who are you?!¡± Charles said, still seated behind his desk as he red at me.r


    ¡®Ah, I see how it works now¡­ He¡¯s the brain, and she¡¯s the muscle.¡¯ I grinned.r


    ¡°Come on, you should know that already.¡± I smiled, shrugging off the pain I felt.r


    Compared to the others I had suffered, this was nothing. Plus, with my level already so high, such an amount of pain meant very little to me.r


    ¡°Oh? So you know already¡­ of my abilities?¡± Charles grinned.r


    I returned his gesture, refusing to say any more than I already had. Using the opportunity, I nced at both of them and saw what I needed to know. r


    ¡®Just as I thought. It has to be-¡®r


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. When we capture you, you¡¯ll talk eventually!¡± Charles said, snapping me out of my thoughts.r


    Taking this as her cue, the woman jumped in to assault me once again, but I wasn¡¯t going to ept being injured another time.r


    ¡°[Subspace]¡­ <Summon>¡±r


    In a sh, several of my Core 2 daggers appeared, all at locations I had designated, piercing the woman in various parts of her body.r


    ¡°Guarkkkk!!!¡± She yelled in pain,pletely immobilized due to me striking all her major areas of movement.r


    Blood splurged from her body, and in a second, she fell to the ground in a thud, making pained sounds. However, I wasn¡¯t done with her yet.r


    Summoning an extra dagger in my hand, I pierced her back with it, causing her to scream in greater pain.r


    ¡°Ah, too loud!¡± I groaned, feeling the unpleasant sound of the agonizing woman disturb my ears.r


    Using my palm, while also controlling my strength, I pped her on her face.r


    ¡°Urkkk!¡± She finally gave one final sound before passing out.r


    ¡®If I didn¡¯t control that, I would have snapped her neck.¡¯ I reasoned, turning my face to the mastermind behind this whole thing.r


    ¡°N-no way¡­.¡± Charles let out, trembling as he watched his assistant drown in her pool of blood.r


    He must have been very confident that she would win and capture me. That was why he made such arrogant statements while seating on his chair. r


    While I understood his actions, seeing that I was an enemy with suspicious intent, I still couldn¡¯t forgive his actions against me.r


    After all, he had dared to look down on me, someone who has suffered through real death situations, while he merely sat on his seat acting high and mighty.r


    ¡°You must have felt good about yourself, seeing as you have such a reliable partner and lucky-ass Gifts.¡± I grinned.r


    His lips quivered as I approached him, staying silent as though he was mute. Other than the shrieks he made at intervals, Charles couldn¡¯t let out a word.r


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯ve sure had your fun, ying captain in a sinking ship, being called leader and respected by everyone around you. It must have felt nice being at the top of the food chain here¡­ but, that all ends now.¡± I smiled, moving closer to him.r


    ¡°Y-you¡­ I-I¡­¡± His tiny voice squeaked.r


    I banged my hand on his desk, sending him once again into silence.r


    Beads of sweat formed on his face as I drew my face closer to his. My mouth finally reached his ear and I whispered the most frightening words for someone like him.r


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m here, your little act is over. I¡¯m taking over!¡±r

 Chapter 78 Takeover (Pt 1)

    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r


    Name: Charlesr


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Maler


    Level: 15r


    Alignment: Lawful Neutralr


    [End Of Information]r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r


    Name: Tashar


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Femaler


    Level: 21r


    Alignment: Neutralr


    [End Of Information]r


    Looking at these sets of information, it was easy to deduce that neither the Camp Leader nor his Assistant had the capability to damage me from the start.r<sub>.</sub>


    Their Stats was weaker, and their Skill slots, level of mastery, as well as everything else were on the lower end.r


    Yet, Charles had been able to see right through me and view my Status Window, and the woman, Tasha had damaged me.r


    The whole thing sounded ridiculous, however, there was a reasonable exnation.r


    ¡°Gifts, uh?¡± I mumbled.r


    ¡®The guy, Charles, must have a truth seeing Gift, while the assistant must have a physical augmenting Gift¡­ that¡¯s the only exnation.¡¯ Upon analyzing these assumptions of mine, it was only a matter of proving them to be facts.r


    With Tasha down, and Charles shrinking in fear before me, I had total control of the situation.r


    ¡®All I have to do is break them even further¡­¡¯


    ******************************


    [Moments Later]r


    My arm was already healed from its injury, so I didn¡¯t feel any sting there anymore.r


    While Gifteds are more tenacious than regr humans, they don¡¯t possess any healing abilities, unless they leveled up.r


    The reason I could heal was as a result of my activities yesterday.r


    It¡¯s a good thing I had already foreseen an outbreak of violence after Lily told me about Charles¡¯ ability to discern the truth from anyone, so I was able to make countermeasures. I wasn¡¯t aware of the powers of his assistant, but she had to be somewhat useful. r


    Knowing my cover would be blown, preparations had to be made. To speed up my research, just in case things went awry, I tested out my <Steal> Skill on many of the people I encountered.r<sub></sub>


    Even Theodore, who had escorted me to this ce was prey to it.r


    What I realized was that due to the high difference in Level between me and my target, I could actually choose what to plunder.r


    Of course, I tested this out several times before sleeping, and any time I chose a target, options appeared before me.r


    [System Notification]r


    <Steal>r


    ~Please Select Your Preferred Choice~r


    -tSkillsr


    -tItemsr


    -tStatsr


    -tMisceneousr


    -Randomr


    [.]r


    ¡°Stats too?!¡± I had eximed.r


    To be honest it was more than I bargained for.r<sub></sub>


    Realizing my options were more spread out than I initially thought, I felt overjoyed by the fact that I had taken great pains to level up beyond these chumps.r


    Of course, I didn¡¯t want to rouse any attention by stealing anything major or take any risks by being random, so I chose to start small.r


    While everyone slept, I started by stealing Stats.r


    Starting small, I took a little bit of stat from Lily. It wasn¡¯t like she was smart enough to notice the difference between one or two figures going missing from her Stats. Plus, Strength wasn¡¯t her strong point anyway.r


    I needed it more than she did.r


    [System Alert]r


    <Steal>r


    -tYou have gained +2 ¡®Strength¡¯ from the target.r


    [.]r


    ¡°Yesss!!!¡± I had hissed excitedly.r


    Realizing this would be very useful, I decided to further my experiment.r


    Unfortunately, nothing goodes without a price, and a Skill as good as <Steal> was bound to have limitationsr


    [System Alert]r


    <Steal Error>r


    ~You can only use the Skill <Steal> on the same person after 24 hours of your first usage~r


    [Skill Can Be Leveled Up]r


    [.]r


    That was when I realized the downside to the skill. It was fortunate I had already tested it out, if not, it would have gotten pretty dicey for me to find outter on.r


    After being done with Lily, I extracted additional Stats from everyone else, gaining extra Agility and Vitality. I left their intelligence intact though.r


    ¡®They shouldn¡¯t get any dumber than they already are.¡¯r


    After my experimentst night, I went to bed, and then this morning Theo visited. Since he was being a dick, I decided to take a huge chunk of his Stats, though considering his level, they had to be pretty weak.r


    [System Alert]r


    <Steal>r


    -tYou have gained +7 ¡®Strength¡¯ from the target.r


    [.]r


    My maximum stealing ratio was capped at my current level, which made it impossible for me to steal more than a quarter of my opponent¡¯s total Stats at a time.r


    Believe me, I tried to exceed it.r


    And so, not long after¡­ we entered Charles¡¯ office. The story from there onward is pretty straightforward.r


    Charles used his Truth seeing Gift, whatever it was, to see my Stats, probably more, and judged me to be suspicious. He ordered the woman to restrain me, despite our difference in level since he was confident about herbat prowess.r


    What he wasn¡¯t expecting, though¡­ was the effective use of my Subspace Gift, and the ease I used to turn the tides of the battle.r


    I used the chance to use <Steal> to take as much HP from the Camp Leader, thereby restoring my health and returning me to my normal state.r


    The effects on him, however, caused him to feel sick and frail. His body shook as he trembled in fear.r


    ¡®I bet he¡¯s not feeling too good¡­¡¯ I grinned, moving closer to him.r


    Now, with Tasha bleeding out, and him being powerless to stop me¡­. It would be very easy to crack the weak man.r


    ¡°Are you ready to talk now?¡± I smiled, giving him a devilish look.r


    Charles could do nothing but powerlessly tremble before me. His eyes kept darting to the bleeding woman behind me.r


    ¡®He must care about her a great deal.¡¯ I thought to myself.r


    She had to make for a good bargaining chip.r


    ¡°Rx. She¡¯s not dead. But, if she¡¯s not attended to soon enough¡­ she¡¯ll die.¡± I stated, pulling a chair I found in his office and sat on it, resting my back.r


    The moment I said this, the man¡¯s eyes lit up with emotion, and he red at me with gritted teeth.r


    ¡®Looks like I was right¡­ she means something to him.¡¯r

 Chapter 79 Takeover (Pt 2)

    Charles disyed surprise at my actions, horrified that I was making myself sofortable while a woman died in front of me.r


    This surprise turned into anger, and for a moment, he forgot his ce and barked.r


    ¡°W-why are you doing this? Would you really let her die?!¡± r


    The burning look in his eyes made me confirm my suspicion. He did care a great deal for her after all.r


    ¡®Girlfriend, maybe? No. He seems a little too old for that. Plus, he has a ring on his finger, and for a man his age, that probably means he¡¯s married. She¡¯s his wife¡­?!¡¯ My mind rang in amusement.r


    Things were about to get interesting.r


    I gave Charles a dirty look, and instantly he froze.r


    ¡°Don¡¯t me me, Camp Leader. I remember you attacking me first.¡± I shrugged.r


    It was only natural to be merciless to one¡¯s enemies.r


    ¡°T-that was only because you¡­ you¡­¡± r


    Charles appeared hesitant to speak. Of course, he would. No matter what he said, it didn¡¯t change anything, and it only wasted time as his wife died.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Even if you were suspicious of me, you could have held off before your assault. But, since you were so confident of your victory, you became impatient and made the wrong call.¡± I remarked.r


    ¡°As a result, you made the poor woman attack me, leading to those injuries. Do you understand now?¡± r


    My smile broadened as I witnessed the conflicting expression Charles had on his face.r


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ your wife is currently in this state because of your order¡­ Should she die now, it¡¯ll be on you. Not me.¡±r


    Charles¡¯ eyes bulged as he stared at me, wondering how I knew of the fact that she was married to him.r


    Of course, it had only been a hunch, but his expression confirmed it.r


    Now realizing the truth in what I said, coupled with his already unstable physical state and mental trauma, Charles gave in to my words.r


    ¡®Arrogant men like him who end up being leaders are strong-willed. To break their spirit, one has to first render them incapable of fighting, ce them in mentally straining conditions, and disy overwhelming dominance.¡¯ I mused.r


    It also helped that he truly shared the me, and was now suffering for it. r


    ¡°P-please save her¡­¡± He whispered.r<sub></sub>


    His barely audible voice reached me, but I wasn¡¯t going to ept some half-assed statement.r


    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked, leaning closer to him so he could speak louder.r


    He clenched his fist and trembled. Doing this must have been taking a huge strain on him and his pride.r


    Still, if he stalled, it was his loss. It wasn¡¯t like it was my wife who was bleeding out.r


    ¡°Please save her! I¡¯ll do anything!¡± He said in a much louder and firmer tone.r


    ¡®Now that¡¯s more like it.¡¯ I mused.r


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Then, let¡¯s get down to business. You¡¯ll answer all my questions and tell me everything I want to know.¡± I stated my terms.r


    ¡°P-please take care of her first. At this rate, she won¡¯t make it!¡±r


    I nonchntly nced at the woman. Truly, it didn¡¯t seem like she wouldst long at the current state of things.r


    The average human bleeds out in about five minutes. Considering how much time had passed, it could be any moment from now.r<sub></sub>


    ¡®Since the daggers are still blocking the wound from gushing out blood, she shouldst a little longer, but It¡¯s better not to take any chance.¡¯r


    In the first ce, it wasn¡¯t like I wanted the woman dead or anything. That would be troublesome.r


    ¡°<Recall>¡±r


    Instantly, all my Core 2 daggers vanished, returning to [Subspace]. Before Tasha¡¯s blood gushed out of the gaping holes all over her, I yed my next card.r


    ¡°<Summon>¡± r


    Instantly, Band-Aids appeared, all covering the spots that had been pierced. This provided a temporary solution to the problem, buying her more time to live.r


    ¡°That should do it¡­ for now,¡± I said, turning back to Charles, who was amazed by my powers and how I had easily solved everything without even leaving my seat.r


    ¡°W-who are you¡­?! H-how can you be so strong¡­?¡± He mumbled.r


    ¡°You can fully see my Status Window, can¡¯t you?¡± I asked.r


    He gulped, nodding slowly, but still turning to look at his wife in concern.r


    ¡°I already said she¡¯ll be fine, for now. So, you better focus on me and do everything I tell you to like a good boy. Or else¡­¡±r


    Charles trembled as he saw a scary looke over my face.r


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll just remove those Band-Aids as easily as I retracted those Daggers, and we¡¯ll both watch her bleed to death.¡±r


    A brief moment of silence filled the already tense atmosphere.r


    ¡°Do we have an understanding?¡± I asked.r


    Charles nodded obediently, just as I wanted.r


    ¡°Good. Now, let us begin.¡±r


    I was going to know everything I possibly could. And who else was better to tell me, than the most powerful person in the Camp, as well as somebody who could see the information of everyone with his Gift.r


    ¡®What a great find!¡¯r


    >Knock< >Knock< >Knock<r


    The sudden banging on the door roused me from my delirious thoughts, also startling Charles.r


    ¡®T-this presence!¡¯ My eyes bulged.r


    It was Ana, the person behind the door was Ana!r


    Shit, I should have expected this. I was too caught up with more important matters that I neglected the less important one. r


    ¡°Charles, this is important. I need to see you!¡± Ana¡¯s voice rang out.r


    The situation was implicating. Blood was on the floor, and Tasha¡¯s body remained on the ground. Plus, Charles was being held hostage while I took charge of the situation. In all fairness, things weren¡¯t looking too good.r


    Charles attempted to respond, but upon seeing my warning re, he decided against it.r


    ¡°Make a sound, and I¡¯ll kill her and your wife!¡± I mouthed without making a single sound.r


    ¡°I¡¯ming in!¡± Ana yelled impatiently, obviously upset that she was being ignored.r


    ¡®Damnit! Not now, Ana!¡¯ My mind rang.r


    I had to do something¡­ and fast!r

 Chapter 80 Interruption

    There wasn¡¯t much time. In a few seconds, Ana would see the carnage, and my whole n was going to be plunged into ruin.r


    I couldn¡¯t have that!r


    Entering into a state of excitement, my body went into overdrive. Everything around me slowed down and I used this window to rush toward where Tasha¡¯s body was, tapping her instantly.r


    She was marked and immediately taken into [Subspace].r


    I also did the same with her blood, transporting all traces of carnage into my convenient storage dimension.r


    The door creaked open, and Ana was already close to barging into the office.r


    Using the rest of the time at my disposal, I raced back to where I sat, slightly altering the position to the front of Charles¡¯ desk, and took a submissive position.r


    >Bam!< The door was flung wide open and Ana entered.r


    ¡®Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­ I barely made it!¡¯r


    ¡°Charles, we need to have words!¡± Ana loudly dered as she entered the office.r


    Charles looked in her direction after I gave him a threatening re to act natural. I also turned to give her a surprised look.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°A-Ana? What¡¯s wrong?¡±r


    Upon looking at how stunned I was at her entry, and how everything in the office appeared normal, the woman began to look doubtful herself.r


    ¡°Jeremy, are you okay? I heard he sent someone toe get you so early in the morning while I wasn¡¯t around!¡± She said with concern.r


    ¡®Tch.¡¯ I clicked my tongue silently.r


    As much as I appreciated the thought, this woman had nearly ruined everything. r


    ¡°A-ah, I¡¯m fine. N-nothing bad happened¡­ we have just been talking normally before you came in¡­¡± r


    My face turned to Charles and I gave him a threatening look. It would look bad if I was the only one talking.r


    He got the hint instantly, and the scared man geared back to life, rising to the asion.r


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right, Ana. I don¡¯t think I appreciate barging into my office like this.¡± Charles said, ring at her.r


    Ana appeared stunned for a moment. She must have been so sure that I needed her, and that Charles, being who he was, would be bullying me.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°W-well, I-¡± She stuttered, losing any reason to protest.r


    ¡°Ana, I¡¯m fine¡­ really. Mr. Charles is just exining things to me. I think I¡¯m going to be very happy here.¡± r


    My bright, innocent smile, seemed to do the trick. Ana¡¯s unsure expression brightened up as I gave her my best look. She then eased up and nodded, understanding the situation perfectly.r


    ¡°I-I see¡­¡± She mumbled.r


    ¡°Do you have anything to say to me?¡± Charles asked her, giving a serious re.r


    ¡®He¡¯s doing his best to act natural, good boy!¡¯r


    Ana sighed and apologized to him, bowing her head slightly. No matter her intentions, Charles was still her superior, both in age and hierarchy. He deserved respect. Well, at least to someone with a ¡®Lawful Good¡¯ Alignment like Ana.r


    ¡°Please take care of Jeremy,¡± Ana added, before making for the door.r


    As soon as she neared it, she suddenly stopped and looked back.r


    ¡®What does this bitch want again?!¡¯ My head pounded.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Oh, Charles¡­ where¡¯s Tasha? I didn¡¯t see her when I entered. Isn¡¯t she always here with you?¡± r


    My eyes darted to Charles instantly, sending his body into shock. He had better handle this situation smartly, or else-r


    ¡°I had her run an errand for me. It¡¯s something I can¡¯t reveal to you, for now.¡± He quickly replied, not wanting to face the consequences.r


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s a surprise. She always stays by your side¡­ and what¡¯s with this secret errand thing? You¡¯re keeping things again, Charles?¡± r


    Ana¡¯s eyes narrowed as she fixated a stare on Charles. Was she suspicious about his statement, or just in annoyed?r


    ¡°You¡¯ll be briefedter on, during our strategic meeting to be held soon,¡± Charles stated.r


    Ana sighed. She appeared like she wanted to say something, but quickly decided against it.r


    ¡°Fine. Whatever¡­¡± r


    Realizing I needed to bring her stay here to a close, I took action.r


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Ana!¡± I beamed, waving at her excitedly.r


    ¡®Now scram!¡¯r


    Ana nodded, giving me her signature ¡®big-sis¡¯ reassuring smile.r


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter too, Jeremy!¡±r


    She finally exited the office, causing me to ease up, same with Charles. I could tell that the tension he was feeling had to be high. If he had messed up, I would have killed Ana, his wife, and ultimately him.r


    Of course, there was the option of revealing who I truly was to Ana in hopes that Ana would stop me for the sake of the Camp. That wouldn¡¯t have worked, though.r


    Ana trusted me, so she would definitely hesitate if she was told such an absurd thing. My reaction time would be faster than hers, and I would instantly kill her before she could even think of me as a threat.r


    Also, I was sure Charles became aware of this fact after seeing me easily handle his wife, as well as seeing my Level.r


    ¡®In this camp, I am invincible!¡¯r


    ¡°You made a smart choice.¡± I smiled at Charles, who nodded nervously.r


    ¡°Could you let my wife go now?¡± He asked.r


    ¡®Pfft, this guy. Has he always been so soft?¡¯r


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll hold onto her for a while. She¡¯s much safer within my [Subspace] anyway.¡± I responded with a sly grin.r


    Noticing my refusal of his request, Charles nearly red up. He banged his hands on the desk, rising in a fit while ring at me.r


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t the deal! I already told you I would cooperate!¡± r


    His loud voice echoed throughout his office, but I doubted much of it leaked outside. I remained silent, giving him a cold gaze while he seethed.r


    His body trembled, realizing how imposing he had just sounded, but he couldn¡¯t hold back his emotions.r


    ¡°Damnit¡­¡± He whispered under his breath.r


    Watching a grown man feel so powerless in front of me had its charms, but I wasn¡¯t particrly in the mood to enjoy the situation.r


    ¡®As long as I hold this woman as a bargaining chip, Charles will remain my pawn¡­ that¡¯s good to know.¡¯r

 Chapter 81 The Minds Eye

    Tasha was my hostage. As long as I had her, Charles would never revolt against me.r


    Besides, it wasn¡¯t like I was lying to him about Tasha¡¯s safety. There was no safer space for her to be in than [Subspace]. Time waspletely stagnant there, so no matter how long Tasha remained within my Gift¡¯s storage space, she wouldn¡¯t be in any danger.r


    ¡®If anything, I¡¯m being generous here¡­¡¯ r


    ¡°Charles, you should understand by now that the only reason you¡¯re still breathing is that I see some value in keeping you alive. Since your source of motivation is that woman, I won¡¯t bring any harm to her¡­ I can promise you that.¡± I spoke honestly.r


    ¡°So, speak. You must answer my questions honestly. All of them!¡±r


    Charles gulped as he thought about my statement. If he refused me, he would die, same with his wife. In such a situation, there was really only one choice left for him.r


    Absolute Obedience!r


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨Cr


    ¡°Oh? So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± I remarked, amused by the conversation I was having with Charles so far.r<sub>.</sub>


    It has been over an hour since we had been conversing and I couldn¡¯t help but be intrigued by what I was hearing.r


    Charles possessed a Gift called [Mind¡¯s Eye]. It allowed him to see the Status Window of others, and know if they were lying to him at a nce. While this was entirely useless against Demons, it was one overpowered ability one could have when dealing with humans.r


    A walking lie detector.r


    As for his life partner, Tasha, she had an interesting Gift as well. This Gift known as [Sheer Might] gave her the ability to match her physical prowess to that of her opponent, making her even stronger than whoever her target was for as long as itsted.r


    It was no wonder she was able to damage me, as expected of such power. Fortunately, I was quicker in movementpared to her, allowing me to evade her strikes and also summon my weapons to finish things off.r


    ¡®It would have been bad if I didn¡¯t have [Subspace]¡¯r


    Charles had already seen my Gift, but he had assumed that it had to be for storage use, and had no direct relevance inbat. A noob¡¯s mistake.r


    ¡°Here is the list you asked for,¡± Charles said, giving me arge book.r<sub></sub>


    I smiled, giving a nod as I opened it. As he had said, it contained the Status Information of everyone in the Camp, down to the smallest details.r


    Since he could see all their Information, Charles made sure to write everything down, as well as highlight his findings.r


    He had already told me some of them during our conversation, but seeing them in writing made me smile.r


    ¡°So, even though two people are on the same level, their Stats and growth experienced are not necessarily proportional¡­¡± I mumbled.r


    For example, my Strength¡¯s growth rate was way slower than my other Stats, like intelligence. Even as a Level 1, my Intelligence was absurdly higher than my other Stats, followed by Agility.r


    Upon inspecting the Stats of others, I realized that all of them had their specialties, most likely due to their area of corepetence before the Apocalypse.r


    ¡®A bodybuilder is most likely bound to have more strength and dexterity, and those growth rates will be much faster than the other Stats, while a bookworm¡¯s intelligence will be way higher. A sprinter or gymnast should have more agility, and so on¡­ Interesting!¡¯r


    Looking at everyone¡¯s basic stats, including Charles¡¯, I found out a crucial factor¡­ even as a Level 1, my base stats were considerably on the high end!r<sub></sub>


    Of course, my Strength stat was pretty lousy, but my intelligence was ridiculously higher than others, even Charles¡¯. Also, the growth rate was something else entirely.r


    But why?!r


    ¡°Is it due to the (G) Factor thing again?¡± I mumbled.r


    There was so much I didn¡¯t know, but I felt much closer to the truth now. Having [Mind¡¯s Eye] as a Gift was truly useful. I desperately wished it was a Skill instead. No matter how long it took, I would make sure to get it no matter what.r


    ¡°Now that I think about it¡­ the <Schr> Job should have a Skill that is simr to [Mind¡¯s Eye].¡±r


    Well, even if that was the case, I had passed the point of no return. While it had its merits, being a schr was of hardly any use inbat, especially since I liked working alone, to begin with.r


    ¡®I¡¯ll just make use of this as much as I can!¡¯ I reasoned.r


    ¡°So, is there anything else you want to know?¡± Charles asked me, feeling a little ufortable and impatient.r


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s the rush?¡± I replied.r


    ¡°N-nothing. It¡¯s just that¡­ Ana will be expecting you by now. Plus, I have a meeting with all the Expedition Team leaders and Camp executives soon¡­¡± r


    My interest was piqued. Suddenly recollecting he had told Ana something simr concerning a meeting they would be having, I became interested in the subject. Since I had ess to the source, it would be beneficial to know what was up.r


    ¡°Tell me everything¡­ what will your meeting be about?¡±r


    As soon as Charles saw the curious gleam in my eyes, he gulped, nodding instantly.r


    ¡°Well, first is the remaining supplies we need to get from your former base. The Camp is in desperate need of resources, so we can¡¯t afford to ignore those.¡± Charles started.r


    Well, I expected that much.r


    ¡°We also need to discuss things like restructuring the workforce, quota management, new expedition ground, equipment making, and management¡­ then finally¡­¡±r


    At this point, Charles had a grave tone. A bead of sweat formed on his face and his eyes kept ncing away.r


    ¡°Finally, what?¡± I repeated, hoping he would spill the beans, whatever it was.r


    Charles sighed, looking me in the eye as he spoke.r


    ¡°The recent horde of Demons that took the lives of some of our Expedition group members.¡±r


    My eyes bulged instantly. What was this I was hearing? A horde of Demons?r


    The look on Charles¡¯ face showed he was telling the truth. Plus, if it had imed the lives of their expedition team members, who could be said to be ace of this team, that meant the Demon groups were at least dozens.r


    ¡°How interesting¡­¡± A wide grin began to form on my face as I considered the possibilities.r


    After all, wherever the Horde of Demons were, there was bound to be a cause¡­ A Gate!r

 Chapter 82 Silver Lining

    ¡°Tell me more about this, Charles,¡± I demanded, excitedly gazing into the flustered man¡¯s eyes.r


    He did as I instructed, not sparing the details of the whole narration given to him by the Camp¡¯s Ace.r


    ¡°So, it was Daniel¡¯s team that defeated them, eh? Hobgoblins¡­¡± I mumbled amusedly.r


    During my earlier conversation with Charles, he had told me about Daniel and his expedition team. Apparently, he was their ace, and the one with the highest level thanks to his Gift.r


    ¡®At least now I know who that bitch, Melissa, is leeching off of.¡¯r


    The most surprising aspect of the discovery was Daniel¡¯s sudden change. While I hadn¡¯t met him yet, I got all I could about him from Charles. I also saw his Status Information from the book he had given me, which confirmed it.r


    ¡°Daniel¡­ is now a good guy¡­?!¡±r


    My shock was very great since I never expected things to turn out this way. Usually, the protagonists meet their bullies after so long, and the bullies remain pieces of trash. The Mc teaches them a lesson and has his revenge.r


    However, in this case, Daniel has taken on a new Alignment, with the marker (Penitent) given to it.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®The ¡®Penitent¡¯ marker is given when those with a terrible Alignment turn into a Good one.¡¯r


    The opposite is the ¡®Depraved¡¯ marker, which signals the opposite. If a person¡¯s Alignment moves from good to the evil side, that is when they have it.r


    ¡°To think Daniel would turn good¡­ why does he always get in my way¡­¡± I gritted my teeth, surprising Charles.r


    Wouldn¡¯t a person usually be happy to hear that someone they knew to be bad had be good? Well, not me!r


    After all, I had always looked forward to the day the evil bastards who tortured me paid for their actions. Yet¡­ yet¡­ the fool had turned good?!r


    ¡®Unforgivable¡­ I refuse to ept that!¡¯r


    Suddenly, the solution hit me. As soon as I thought of it, my rage calmed down. The more the thought dwelled, the more eptable it seemed, until I made up my mind to carry it out.r


    It was simple.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°If he could be penitent and shift to good¡­ all I have to do is make him return to his evil ways!¡±r


    That was genius, wasn¡¯t it? After all, people never truly change!r


    ¡°Yes, the Hobgoblins are monsters who aren¡¯t known to form pairs, yet about thirty were seen banding together to fight us. That¡¯s a true horde!¡± Charles said to my statement concerning the strange experience the Expedition team had faced which led to their partial extermination.r


    Well, to be honest, Hobgoblins weren¡¯t really impressive monsters to me. However, considering that Ana¡¯s team had to work together to defeat one, they had to be a big deal in this current era. r


    ¡®Plus,pared to the Basic Kobolds, Hobgoblins have higher stats¡­ is it possible-?¡¯ My thoughts rang.r


    Instantly, I knew I had struck gold!r


    ¡°Yess¡­ Yess¡­!!!¡± My body throbbed in excitement as I relished the thought.r


    If the basic Hobgoblins were already superior to the average Hell Kobold Spawns, it could only mean that there were even more powerful variants of the Hobs, which could be tranted into one crucial thing for me.r<sub></sub>


    EXP!!!r


    ¡°It¡¯s time to begin farming!¡± I grinned.r


    Charles watched me silently, not daring to speak. I realized my thoughts were leaking out, so I quickly cautioned myself and regainedposure.r


    ¡°This is a good opportunity, Charles¡­ don¡¯t you think so?¡± I asked, giving the Camp leader a raised brow.r


    He didn¡¯t seem to understand what I was saying.r


    ¡°I¡¯m saying I can solve your problems for you. After all, you know how strong I am.¡± r


    My words got through to him, as he widened his eyes and deliberated on what I had just said. However¡­ he didn¡¯t bite.r


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for you?¡± He suddenly asked, ring at me a little.r


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±r


    He sighed, calming himself. No matter how scared he was of me, he wasn¡¯t about to risk everything he had built, or even lose his life in the process. I could tell he was being careful.r


    ¡°This whole thing has been suspicious from the start. From Ana¡¯s testimony, the whole story about the masked man and your past¡­ I assume they were all fabricated? Your identity is most likely the same as that masked man.¡± Charles began.r


    I nodded with a smile. This man was quite sharp.r


    ¡°Also, since you were generous enough to give us some of the supplies from your base, I assume you have way more to spare? After all, you must have plundered everything in those other buildings.¡± r


    ¡°Once again, you¡¯re correct. What¡¯s your point?¡± I asked.r


    ¡°My point is, there¡¯s nothing of value for you here! Even if you take over this Camp, save us from the horde, or whatever you have nned¡­ there¡¯s absolutely no point. I don¡¯t see any merit or gain for you if you stick around here.¡± Charles said, looking at me with confused eyes.r


    I could understand his logic. I had only spent a night here, but it was enough for me to understand the current state of things. Their total amount of resources didn¡¯t even equal a quarter of mine, and most of them were junk! The most essential supplies were despairingly little. Healthy food and water, those were the most basic necessities, yet they were in dire need of more.r


    During our conversation, I had made Charles show me the log of supplies, as well as everything they had in their storage facilities.r


    He was a little hesitant toply at first, but with a little ¡®convincing¡¯, even the stubborn Camp Leader could be reasoned with.r


    Their supplies could onlyst for two more weeks at this point.r


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about my ns, I¡¯m more concerned about you,¡± I replied, dodging his question.r


    ¡°M-me?!¡± He stuttered, wondering what crazy thing I was about to utter.r


    ¡°Yeah. You seem like a smart, resourceful and logical man. Plus, you have that useful Gift of yours¡­ why then? Why would you choose to remain bound to this Camp when you know the situation?¡± r


    That¡¯s right¡­ This Camp was a sinking ship! r

 Chapter 83 Brilliant Idea

    I paused, noticing that his facial expression appeared conflicted. Perhaps I needed to pry even further.r


    ¡°This Camp won¡¯tst much longer, and there¡¯s no telling what could happen in the future. Besides¡­ with your wife¡¯s ability and your brains, I don¡¯t think it will be impossible to survive out there. So, tell me Charles¡­ why do you remain bound here? Why are you intent on leading this failed venture and supporting those useless maggots that merely take up space in this ce?¡±r


    His fists tightened when he heard myst statement, but I didn¡¯t care. What else would one call a bunch of useless liabilities that only knew how to do domestic work.r


    ¡°This is a sinking ship, Charles¡­ and you know it. It¡¯s only a matter of time before it alles crashing down.¡± r


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?!¡± He finally burst out, unable to control himself anymore.r


    A smile formed on my face since I had finally gotten the reaction I wanted.r


    ¡°Why then?¡± r


    ¡°Huu¡­ It¡¯s none of your business¡­¡± He said in a low tone.r


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± r<sub>.</sub>


    I instantly used my skill, <Rule> and instantly demanded his subservience.r


    ¡°arrgghhh!!!¡± He let out in shock, bowing his head as he felt the intense pressure of my power sweep through the room.r


    I smiled as I observed its effectiveness. This would be the first time I was using the Skill, but I already knew how it worked. The Hell Kobold King used it tomand its minions however it wished. As I expected, it was useful formanding lower beings to do your bidding through the domination of your will.r


    ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s none of my business?¡± r


    He shook his head violently, clearly regretting his earlier statement. Charles couldn¡¯t speak, but I could tell that he was ready to confess.r


    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s hear what you have to say,¡± I whispered, undoing the skill.r


    The room became morefortable and the poor guy gasped for air, beating his hands on the table.r


    ¡°Urh-Urghhh!¡± He wheezed.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Speak quickly.¡±r


    Charles quickly gathered his thoughts and began.r


    ¡°I have¡­ I have a kid¡­¡± r


    My eyes bulged the moment he said this. Millions of thoughts ran through my mind as I tried to digest the ground-shattering news.r


    ¡°A¡­ Kid¡­?¡± r


    He nodded, giving a defeated sigh. He had given up trying to hide it, so he decided to spill instead.r


    ¡°She¡¯s only two years old. There¡¯s no way I can leave this Camp with her on the line. It would have been one thing if it was just me and Tasha, but I can¡¯t bring her into this too¡­ that¡¯s why this Camp is important to me.¡± r


    I was slowly understanding his point. As expected of someone logical. He wasn¡¯t doing this because he cared about the people around him, but for his own selfishness.r<sub></sub>


    He could protect his daughter, keep her safe, and ensure that she had the semnce of a normal life within the Camp.r


    Also, if things turned south, I was certain Charles had a secret stash hidden somewhere that wouldst his family for a while.r


    ¡®He¡¯ll most likely use everyone else as meat shields and run. Still, it appears he has been avoiding that option as much as possible.¡¯r


    ¡°But what¡¯s the point? You guys won¡¯tst at this rate.¡± I pointed out.r


    Charles shook his head stubbornly. He still clung unto hope for their survival. Why? r


    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­ he actually has a hidden card?!¡¯r


    ¡°There is a way we can survive. It¡¯s the project I¡¯m currently working on with some of our Camp Members. But, it¡¯s far from ready.¡± He revealed.r


    ¡°Oh? Pray tell¡­ what is it?¡± I asked, gleaming with curiosity.r


    For a moment, it seemed like Charles was pondering whether or not to speak, but, upon seeing that he had no choice, he chose to be reasonable.r


    ¡°We intend on growing our own food!¡±r


    ¡®W-wha-?!¡¯ My mind rang.r


    That sounded absurd. r


    ¡°I know how it sounds¡­ but hear me out.¡± r


    And so, Charles filled me in on the crucial and desperate attempt at survival that he came up with. To my surprise¡­ It actually made a lot of sense.r


    Firstly, they already had the necessary seeds to use in nting. As for soil, it wasn¡¯t an issue as well. That could easily be obtained. They also had readily avable fertilizers! While human feces wasn¡¯t as effective as that of other animals, it still served as organic manure, and so it would have to do.r


    As for water, Charles was already undertaking a borehole project, and in two weeks, it would be ready.r


    For the borehole water construction, they would dig into the underground water channels and obtain enough tost them for a very long time.r


    They also had someone with the Gift of [Farming]. As ridiculous as it sounded, it was of extreme importance in an Apocalyptic world such as this, and this individual was the centerpiece of their n.r


    Apparently, she could alter the growth speed of anything she personally grew at a frightening speed.r


    The Camp did a mini research on it and attempted to nt a maize seed, one of the few crops they had in stock for nting.r


    Apparently, she made it sprout within a week! It even brought forth corn! Of course, for them to make such arge-scale project that wouldst the Camp and keep it sustainable, they needed way more resources.r


    Still, the n was almost perfect. The only problem they had was time!r


    ¡°We have supplies that can onlyst us for two weeks at most, and the borehole project will take about two weeks as well. Even if we set things up and begin the nting two weeks from now, we¡¯ll need about a week for the whole thing to grow. Then there¡¯s the harvesting and other processes. There isn¡¯t enough supply tost us through the farming process¡­¡± Charles said, gritting his teeth.r


    Despite having such a marvelous n, it was still wed due to that major setback.r


    ¡°There¡¯s a solution to that, though,¡± I remarked.r


    Charles looked at me with surprise, hoping I would offer him some sort of assistance. Well, to be fair, my advice could be counted as that.r


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just kill some people off? That way your supplies willst you till then¡­ What do you think?¡±r

 Chapter 84 Morality

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just kill some people off? That way your supplies willst you till then¡­ What do you think?¡±r


    An eerie silence crept across the office as none of us spoke for a moment.r


    ¡°W-what are you-?!¡± Charles stuttered in shock as he looked at me.r


    He appeared incredibly astonished that I had mentioned murder like it was nothing.r


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s an option, and a very good one at that!¡± I responded, now feeling like the weird one in the room.r


    ¡°H-how can you even suggest that? What do you think human life is?¡± He responded, gritting his teeth as he spoke.r


    This made me sigh in disappointment. I thought Charles was a rational man, capable of doing the most expedient thing to ensure his survival, but it appears that I overestimated him.r


    ¡®As expected, the concept of morality still shackles him¡­ How unfortunate.¡¯r


    It was evident that the camp had reached an impasse, and they were in a very difficult situation. If they didn¡¯t solve the problem of food and water fast, everyone could die. With the emergence of the horde of Goblins, that was another disaster.r<sub>.</sub>


    But, with every disadvantage, a smart person had to think of a silver lining.r


    If Charles was like me, he would recruit more people from the useless mobs to fight against the Horde of monsters, while sending Ana¡¯s team to retrieve more Supplies, which wasn¡¯t food or water, since they had already brought the most essentials with them when we came to the Camp.r


    Daniel¡¯s team would lead them, and since the second team members were injured, there would be a massive hole to fill in the expedition force. Normal civilians would have been forced to fight in order to earn their keep.r


    The cowards who failed to do so would be chased out of the Camp. After all, they weren¡¯t selfless enough to defend the ce they lived in.r


    This would reduce the mouths that have to be fed, but just sending a few away wouldn¡¯t be enough. The ones who volunteered would be sent to subjugate the horde, and a lot of them would be bound to die since they were weak.r


    Doing so would further reduce the count of the Camp¡¯s residents. Of course, since I was interested in the horde, I would also participate in their subjugation. This wouldn¡¯t sit well with Ana, but if she was already deployed to my base for the remaining supplies, then she wasn¡¯t going to be around toin!r


    The expedition would seed. Resources and EXP would be gotten by the Camp members, and more fighters would be born.r


    Many would die, but their sacrifices would be worth it! After the threat has been neutralized, the final phase would be concluded, and the survivors wouldst until the harvest of the crops.r<sub></sub>


    ¡®This way, the problem is neatly solved!¡¯r


    Unfortunately, such a method is considered unthinkable by morally driven folks. They don¡¯t see the merit in the sacrifice of many useless parts to save the few expedient ones. How sad indeed.r


    ¡°Forget I mentioned that. It was just a joke.¡± Iughed, shrugging off the stare Charles gave me.r


    ¡®It¡¯s their loss, anyway¡­¡¯r


    After all, the Horde was still a problem, same with food and water scarcity. Whether or not they chose the most efficient way, these people would still die.r


    At least with my idea, the most useful ones would live. Yet, I am the one who looks like the bad guy.r


    ¡®In my opinion, though¡­ the true viin was the weak leader who knows what has to be done, but chooses to remain shackled by irrelevant thoughts.¡¯r


    This would lead to the death of everyone¡­ Including his family! r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Ironic, isn¡¯t it? Choosing to stick to ideals rather than doing the needful. In the end, they¡¯ll all die, and their blood will be on your hands. Including that of your child, Charles.¡± Iughed at the indecisive man.r


    It seemed as though I had struck a nerve because the next thing that happened was quite spectacr.r


    ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you!¡± Charles raised his hands to hit me as he screamed in rage.r


    ¡®Pfft, weak.¡¯r


    I grabbed his hand in a sh, twisting his wrist slightly.r


    ¡°A-arghhh!¡± He screamed in pain.r


    I reattached it, and he made another sound in response.r


    ¡°You¡¯ll do well to remember that I¡¯m not one of yourckeys, Charles,¡± I said, letting his hand go.r


    He grabbed it with his second hand and rubbed his sore hand painfully.r


    ¡°Last question¡­ for now¡­¡± I said, moving close to the door since I would be leaving shortly.r


    ¡°There¡¯s a member of Ana¡¯s team¡­ Larry¡­ you know his Alignment is Evil, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.r


    Charles was still panting while nursing his hand painfully.r


    ¡°Y-yeah, I know¡­¡± He huffed.r


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you done anything about it yet? He¡¯s dangerous.¡± I asked.r


    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s a funny thing for you to say¡­¡± Charles smiled at the little joke he made.r


    It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t see the humor in his words, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood. My expression darkened, showing him that I was serious.r


    ¡°It¡¯s moreplicated than you think. That guy, Larry¡­ he was sent to infiltrate us by another group, theyprise of Evil Alignments just like him.¡± Charles said.r


    ¡°Oh? You know quite a bit¡­¡± I smiled.r


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been observing their movements well, as well as themunication he keeps with them. He can fool the others, but he can¡¯t fool me.¡± r


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why aren¡¯t you doing anything about him?¡± I asked.r


    Charles smiled a little. Despite the humiliation he faced at my hands, he was still a sly man.r


    ¡°I only learned so much about them due to Larry being here. I intend to keep harboring him to know even more. Once his use has expired, I¡¯ll take action.¡± He replied.r


    A smile formed on my face the moment he said this. Charles was more twisted than he would like to think. If only he was truer to his inner nature¡­r


    ¡®He would have been a true masterpiece¡­¡¯r

 Chapter 85 Prelude to the Meeting

    I understood Charles¡¯s stance.r


    Larry was a wild card, but he was a card nheless, and one that didn¡¯t seem too smart at that. r


    ¡°Besides, he helps out in the Camp and his ability is quite useful. There¡¯s no merit in being too impatient and prematurely ejecting him from the Camp.¡± Charles added.r


    ¡°I see. The reason you also ced him in Ana¡¯s group is because of her contradicting Alignment, and her stiff desire for justice. If he acts out of line or behaves suspiciously, she¡¯ll take action instantly.¡± I stated.r


    Charles nodded. r


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s eptable. My curiosity has been satiated for now. I should probably leave now before those guys get worried. I¡¯ll be dropping byter though.¡± I replied, opening the door to take my leave.r


    ¡°W-wait¡­¡± Charles beckoned.r


    I paused, turning to look at him.r


    ¡°What is it?¡±r<sub>.</sub>


    My question made him look hesitant, but he clenched his fist and summoned the courage to ask me anyway.r


    ¡°M-my wife¡­ please can you let her go now?¡± He asked.r


    I remained silent for a while, watching his desperate eyes. Should I give in to his request? It was the right thing to do, after all, he had cooperated perfectly well.r


    However, it wasn¡¯t the smart thing to do.r


    ¡°Ohh, about that. I¡¯ll be holding onto her for a while longer.r


    ¡°What? No way, b-but I-¡± Charles protested.r


    I sighed, moving back to where Charles was, an action that caused the man to shrink back in fear.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I still have some use for you, and I don¡¯t trust you to be entirelypliant if I don¡¯t have a bargaining chip. Understand?¡± I said, drawing my face closer to his.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°As long as you cooperate, I won¡¯t harm you, her, or your child. Plus, since you¡¯re so useful, I also won¡¯t harm them since you would lose your motivation if that happened. Don¡¯t worry¡­¡± I said, pulling my face away from his, but still facing him directly.r


    A wide grin formed on my face as I squinted my eyes to give him my signature innocent look that Ana¡¯s team seemed to love so much.r


    ¡°¡­ You can trust me, okay?¡± r


    Charles appeared stunned by my performance, not saying anything in agreement or in protest. It wasn¡¯t like I was going to stand for any opposition anyway.r


    ¡°Well done, good luck with your strategy meeting, and whatever else you do. I¡¯m sure you cane up with an excuse for your wife¡¯s absence. We¡¯ll talkter, okay?¡± I waved, leaving the office.r


    ¡°Byeee¡­¡±r


    With that, the door mmed, ending my conversation with the Camp Leader. It didn¡¯t exactly go ording to n, and I had to improvise a lot. However¡­ in the end I still emerged victorious.r


    ¡®Now then, it¡¯s time to deliberate on what I¡¯ve learned so far¡­ The Horde of Demons¡­ they¡¯re all mine!¡¯r<sub></sub>


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨Cr


    The group weed me back warmly, relieved that Charles didn¡¯t cross any line in his discourse with me. It was heartwarming to see them naively treat me tenderly.r


    When I returned, I found out that they had all had their bath and had even changed into different attires.r


    ¡°You should get a bath too, Jeremy.¡± Peter smiled, beckoning me to follow him.r


    Since I had brought some spare clothes with me, I took them and followed.r


    The bathroom was arge room, having many stalls in which people would enter to take care of their business. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t as disgusting as the toilet. I, as well as the others there, were only given a bucket to wash our whole bodies.r


    Thankfully, the water was hot. Apparently, there was a Gifted with the ability to heat stuff, so instead of taking her to the front lines, they would rather have her prepare meals and warm water.r


    Typical of idiots.r


    Of course, while in the stall, I generated more water for myself using [Subspace]. Looking at therge body of water I had stored from the tank of my apartment, other apartments and even other buildings, I had more than enough to use for a proper bath. r


    ¡®When the timees, I know how to get more too¡­¡¯r


    I made the water descend from above, like a shower, and enjoyed my warm shower. Once I was done, I summoned a towel, cleaned my body, and wore my outfit. r


    ¡°Huu, that was refreshing¡­¡± I whispered, exiting the bathroom to meet up with everyone else in our room.r


    I had heard that bathing only happened once a week for normal people, and Expedition team members were an exception since they were responsible for bringing in more resources. However, even for them, it was twice in a week, three times if they brought a huge haul. r


    ¡°We use steaming nkets to clean out bodies whenever we don¡¯t bathe¡­¡± Ana had told me.r


    Now that sounded dreary. Well, I wasn¡¯t the most hygienic person, but that was because I spent my time alone.r


    Among a huge crowd, it would be madness if I didn¡¯t sanitize my body after so many interactions.r


    ¡®I just have to endure it. At least there are a few fun things in the works¡­¡¯r


    In two weeks, not only would I have gotten a massive load of Exp, but I would also have ess to the true reason I came here in the first ce.r


    Once I arrived at the room, my newly made ¡®friends¡¯ were no longer there. I looked around and noticed a sheet of paper left in a conspicuous location, my mattress. Rushing to the location, I read the contents and smiled.r


    It read;r


    ~We have been called on by the Camp Leader for a meeting. It¡¯s for all Expedition team members, and it¡¯s very important. Take care of yourself and wait for us¡­ it might take a while.~r


    [.]r


    It would appear that Charles was finally going to address the looming cmity that threatened the Camp as a whole. What a shame that I wasn¡¯t qualified to be present.r


    ¡®I trust that he¡¯s smart enough to not mention anything about me to them¡­¡¯r

 Chapter 86 Strategic Meeting (Pt 1)

    Still, curiosity ate at me. Perhaps it was due to my childish nature, but I wanted to know what was going on.r


    ¡®That won¡¯t be a problem though¡­¡¯ A wide grin formed on my face.r


    Bringing out a speaker from [Subspace], I ced it on my mattress and switched it on.r


    >BZZZTZZZZZ< A low buzzing sound first came out, and then it worked perfectly.r


    ~I suppose everyone is here, so we can begin¡­~ Charles¡¯s voice came through the speaker.r


    He was already addressing the Expedition team, and I was able to hear everything going on there in real-time. How?r


    ¡°His office is fvcking bugged!¡± I smiled wildly.r


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨Cr<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°I¡¯ve called you all here for a very important reason. Usually, we have our briefings before every Expedition mission, but this is different.¡± Charles said.r


    His face looked grim, even more than usual. He was still shaken by his experience with Jeremy, but the Camp Leader tried to keep hisposure.r


    Everything rested in his hands, and he could not afford to fail by any means.r


    Ana¡¯s group members were all present, same as Daniel¡¯s group. Dave¡¯s injured party was not physically present, but they were listening in through the inte that was ced for just this special meeting.r


    Group leaders from various departments in the Camp were also in the office. It was no exaggeration to say that the stakeholders and major pirs of the Camp were all present. After all, the issues to be addressed were of major importance to all of them.r


    ¡°Now then, there are three issues that need to be discussed.¡± Charles began.r


    First was the remaining resources left behind by Ana¡¯s group. She had already told him in detail what was left behind. And while none of them were food and water, they were still immensely useful to their little organization.r<sub></sub>


    The second, was the ongoing project in the camp for self-sustenance, and how far they hade. As well as, the progress that was to be expected in the ensuing weeks.r


    Finally, thest matter for discussion was the recent horde faced by Dave and Daniel¡¯s party. This was the major issue to be discussed, and Charles was sure that it would branch out to many others.r


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Vice Leader? I don¡¯t see her here¡­¡± Daniel mumbled.r


    Charles stiffened upon hearing this but kept his calm.r


    ¡°Apparently, she¡¯s on a mission given to her by the Leader. He said he would tell us all about it today.¡± Ana smiled ruefully, turning to Charles for an exnation.r


    By the corner, Melissa red at the Camp Leader, while biting her nails.r


    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing she hasn¡¯t mentioned that incident with Jeremy, but still¡­ I hate being left in suspense like this¡­¡¯r<sub></sub>


    Ana might have sensed the harsh gaze Melissa gave off since she turned in her direction and their eyes met instantly.r


    Melissa was stunned by the sudden look and nearly jumped out of her skin.r


    ¡°Heh, I haven¡¯t forgotten about you.¡± Ana mouthed, giving a clearly defiant smile at the girl.r


    This happened very quickly, and Ana turned back to Charles before anyone could notice what was actually happening between the two of them. Charles was also trying to think of an excuse, so he didn¡¯t even pay any mind to the girls.r


    ¡°A-Ahem¡­¡± He began.r


    ¡°Tasha, my assistant, is busy with the supervision of the Camp Grounds. It¡¯s to ensure the efficient running of this organization. I¡¯ve heard of dissatisfied grunts and outbreaks of violence within this ce. However, as a leader, I can¡¯t handle or even know about all of them.¡± r


    The people in the room were shocked about this. This would be the first time Charles was mentioning something like this.r


    ¡°You won¡¯t be seeing her for a while. It has something to do with her Gift.¡± He added.r


    The people in the room looked at each other and shrugged. They didn¡¯t have any other option but to believe Charles. After all, none of them really knew what the Vice¡¯s Gift was. It was one of the few things only Charles knew. r


    Plus, no one was more concerned about the Camp than he was, so there was no way Charles would do anything to its detriment.r


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s move past that. However, before we continue this meeting, I want to mention that I have something to report to you after this is all over.¡± Ana said, giving Melissa a re from the corner of her eye.r


    Melissa gulped. Her time of retribution had finallye.r


    ¡°Alright. Duly noted. Without further Ado, let¡¯s begin.¡± r


    And so, the long awaited discussions began. Concerning the resources to be retrieved from Jeremy¡¯s base, Charles first revealed the identity of their benefactor. Of course, he kept it brief, but Charles exined the masked man and Jeremy. He didn¡¯t reveal any of the recent truths Jeremy had revealed to him, only what he had heard from Ana.r


    Daniel was stunned to hear that Jeremy was the one who contributed mostly to Ana¡¯s expedition, which made him feel even more nervous about their confrontation. As for Melissa, she was conflicted.r


    Raging annoyance and rising fear, coupled with regret swirled within her. r


    ¡®Damnit! To think it was that little shit that did so much for the Camp and saved us from a pinch. I made a mistake!¡¯ Her mind rang.r


    Since Jeremy was like a golden egg, even Charles was going to protect him. It now made sense why Ana¡¯s team stuck up for him so much. Thinking about the consequences of her earlier actions drove Melissa into a panic.r


    ¡®If Ana reports me now¡­ shit, I don¡¯t know what will happen!¡¯r


    Ana was pleased that Charles was revealing Jermey¡¯s identity and contribution to the Camp executives. She had thought that he would try topartmentalize the information, as he usually did.r


    ¡®He must have changed his mind after meeting Jeremy¡­¡¯ Ana smiled.r


    ¡°Jeremy has brought good graces to this Camp, and I would like to keep it that way. Let¡¯s all treat him with courtesy as the new member of our family¡±r


    The people who heard this understood. Not only did they have to treat him well because of what he had given them, but also because of the mysterious masked man backing him.r


    However, they were all wrong. Charles only had one purpose in telling them all these. He was scared of what Jeremy could do to everyone and everything in the Camp.r


    ¡®If we¡¯re not careful while handling this situation¡­ that kid, Jeremy, could tear this whole ce apart!¡¯r

 Chapter 87 Strategic Meeting (Pt 2)

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s move to the second issue at hand¡­ our current project!¡±r


    At this point, the executives within the Camp were more concerned. Since they were the ones in charge of the internal activities, it was their forte.r


    ¡°From the reports I¡¯ve gotten, in addition to my calctions, all preparations will be made in two weeks. The bore-hole project, soil gathering, manure processing, and the nting activities should all be made by then.¡± Charles continued.r


    Once the borehole has been dug, the first couple of gallons of water were going to be dirty and unpurified. These would be taken, stored, and used for watering the grounds frequently.r


    While expecting harvest, with the speed-up effect of their key Gifted, the produce will only be ready after a week.r


    ¡°We¡¯re going with corn first since it takes only a few months to grow in normal conditions. With our Gifted¡¯s help, it will be the fastest to grow among others.¡± Charles added.r


    With her [Farming] Gift, even the temperature, climate, and other factors will all be regted andpensated for In order to ensure the growth of whatever crop is nted.r


    ¡°The only problem is getting enough resources tost during that period.¡± r


    This grim fact was evident to all of them. They didn¡¯t have enough tost, and even if they were to go on more powerful expeditions, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed that they would find any food.r<sub>.</sub>


    Even if they did, they would  either have expired or been destroyed beyond consumption by the Demons. Charles had yet to mention this to everyone, but the horde fast approaching them was also a problem. Except for the retrieval of already guaranteed supplies being kept in Jeremy¡¯s base, the Camp would have to cease any other way expedition activities in order to face whatever wasing.r


    While it wasn¡¯t confirmed yet, Charles had terrible vibes about the possible existence of even more monsters lurking around.r


    ¡®I have to prepare for the worst¡­¡¯ His thoughts trailed.r


    ¡°In any case, we need to n towards that. Any suggestions?¡± r


    Charles asked for the opinion of everyone present in the room. They looked at each other with conflicted gazes, not knowing what to say. He was usually the one who called the shots and did the thinking.r


    If Charles couldn¡¯t think of a solution, how could they do?r


    ¡°Maybe we can reduce the rations of everyone to conserve food?¡± A simple-minded fellow said among everyone present.r


    In an instant, everyone¡¯s eyes darted to the na?ve voice that spoke out. It was none other than Lily, a member of Ana¡¯s team. She was the youngest in the room, and her childish voice gave her away.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°That won¡¯t be possible. We¡¯ve already reduced consumption to the lowest possible rate. If it goes down any further, there¡¯ll beints and an outbreak of dissatisfaction.¡± ra, one of the executives within the Camp, and who is in charge of food management stated.r


    ¡°A-ah, I see¡­ my bad¡­¡± Lily mumbled, feeling extremely nervous since the hostile gazes of many were on her.r


    ¡°She merely spoke out of goodwill and concern for the Camp. There¡¯s no need to attack her passively.¡± Ana voiced out in dissatisfaction, looking at everyone who gave Lily intimidating res.r


    Respecting Ana¡¯s position, they backed off, giving Lily room to breathe.r


    ¡°T-thank you, Ana.¡± She whispered, staring gratefully at her savior.r


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it. You shouldn¡¯t say any more in these meetings though. Okay?¡± r


    Ana¡¯s response to Lily was made in a protective tone, meant to caution the young girl due to her inexperience. However, Lily ended up feeling bad as a result.r


    ¡®It seems¡­ I only cause trouble for Ana¡­¡¯ Her thoughts trailed sadly.r<sub></sub>


    Charles sighed, realizing that he needed to exin the situation a little more to the Expedition team, to rify certain misconceptions.r


    ¡°The Expedition team receives special treatment, so you aren¡¯t fully aware of how much we¡¯ve limited the resources given to the regrs. It¡¯s barely holding on as it is, so we can¡¯t possibly bring it lower. I hope this exins some things.¡±r


    There was now silence in the office, chasing away the unrest and air of discord that had pervaded everywhere.r


    ¡°Moving on, any other suggestions?¡± Charles asked.r


    No one dared to speak, with the fear of being shot down at the back of their minds, this was to be expected.r


    Charles sighed at the sight. He was disgusted by their brainlessness and uselessness in these pressing circumstances.r


    ¡°Never mind then. We still have some time before that, so I¡¯m sure a solution would havee up before then.¡± He said, dismissing the question.r


    Everyone looked relieved. They didn¡¯t appreciate having that kind of pressure on them.r


    ¡°Finally, the third issue¡­¡± r


    Charles¡¯ face appeared darker than usual, and he tightened his interlocked fingers while conveying his message to his audience.r


    After speaking to Daniel¡¯s team at their briefing, he had also visited Dave and his surviving group members after their condition had been stabilized, speaking to them regarding the incident.r


    It truly was absurd. Yet, he was about to inform everyone of the preposterously dangerous news.r


    To keep things short, Charles didn¡¯t call upon Daniel for his testimony, nor did he go too deep into details. He simply stated the facts.r


    ¡°Two of our expedition team¡¯s encountered a horde of Hobgoblins in an Orange Zone. About thirty of them.¡±r


    As the bombshellnded, everyone looked shocked by the news. Even Ana¡¯s team was shocked beyond words.r


    ¡°T-thirty Hobs¡­?!¡± She mumbled.r


    Their team usually used their formation to take care of a single one in order to have a safe subjugation. To have thirty of them pop up at once¡­ it was absurd!r


    ¡°That is what led to the near extermination of Dave¡¯s expedition group. Fortunately, Daniel¡¯s party intervened, or we¡¯d be telling a different story by now¡­¡± Charles added.r


    By adding a little more details to it, he filled everyone in on the current situation.r


    ¡°S-so you¡¯re saying¡­ there could be more Hobgoblins lurking around¡­ a-and they could be in evenrger groups?¡± Ana stuttered, asking Charles.r


    The Camp Leader nodded.r


    What she was hearing also made Ana remember that her group had encountered way too many Hobgoblins on their way back to the Camp. Usually, they wouldn¡¯t see so many, but due to the fact that they appeared one at a time, Ana didn¡¯t think it was important or significant enough to mention.r


    However, Charles¡¯ statement changed everything.r


    ¡°So, what do we do¡­?¡± She asked, clenching her fist.r


    Charles sighed, looking at everyone.r


    ¡°What other choice do we have?¡± r


    Rising from where he sat, the grim-faced leader stared resolutely at the expectant faces of his subordinates.r


    ¡°¡­ We fight!¡±r

 Chapter 88 Accusation

    ~What other choice do we have? We fight!~ Charles¡¯s voice came out of the speaker beside me as Iy on the mattress.r


    ¡°So that¡¯s your n. Interesting¡­¡±r


    The discussions after that were one-sided since Charles was exining his strategy to the Camp executives.r


    The summary of the matter was that a couple of scout teams would be sent to scour the area in order to confirm the possibility of a horde approaching. r


    The scout teams had two days toplete their mission and return to the Camp to warn them of any impending danger, or assure them of the absence of any.r


    The scouts were going to be a group of two each, and a total of four teams. They were sent to various areas to make the exploration faster.r


    ~In order to be safe, I¡¯d like us to be as thorough as possible.~ Charles added.r


    After they had agreed with this decision, Charles began making ns for Ana¡¯s team to retrieve my remaining supplies in the Base, as well as to try searching for other supplies¡­ If they can find any.r


    ~That concludes the decision for today¡¯s meeting. Any additions?~ Charles¡¯ voice once again sounded through the speakers.r


    No one responded.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®I guess that¡¯s a wrap then.¡¯ I smiled.r


    The meeting was dismissed, and I heard the sounds of the people present with Charles leaving the office, most likely hurrying so they can begin preparing for their tasks.r


    ¡°Hold on, Melissa. Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Ana suddenly said.r


    A wide grin formed on my face as I heard this.r


    ¡°This should provide some entertainment for me.¡±r


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨Cr


    Daniel¡¯s team had started trickling out of the office, and Melissa had decided to take this as her chance to escape Ana¡¯s usation.r


    However, the goody goody, Ana, wasn¡¯t going to let her slip away.r


    ¡°Hold on, Melissa. Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Ana asked with a scowl on her face.r<sub></sub>


    Melissa froze upon hearing Ana¡¯s voice, turning back to re at her.r


    ¡°What now, Ana? We¡¯ve been given special instructions by Charles. Is this any time for a personal squabble?¡± r


    Melissa tried using her silver-coated tongue to get away from liability, however, Ana¡¯s unflinching expression told her that the trick was going to be ineffective in the current situation.r


    Charles noticed that the two women had yet to leave his office, then suddenly remembered what Ana had spoken of at the start of their meeting.r


    ¡°Oh yes, Ana, You wanted to discuss something?¡± He asked.r


    Ana nodded, pointing towards Melissa who was already by the door.r


    ¡°Melissa assaulted Jeremy. Not only did my team and I catch her in the act of beating him up, but bruises were also found on Jeremy¡¯s body!¡± Ana dered.r


    Charles¡¯ eyes widened upon hearing the news. A bead of sweat dripped from his forehead as he couldn¡¯t contain his shock.r


    ¡°You mean¡­ she was caught¡­ assaulting Jeremy?¡± Charles repeated, as though mulling over the words he had heard.r<sub></sub>


    Melissa¡¯s re deepened as she quickly turned and looked at Charles¡¯ conflicted expression. She had to exin herself before the tables were entirely turned against her.r


    Fortunately, Charles didn¡¯t seem entirely convinced about the whole thing.r


    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t believe that, do you, Charles? I mean¡­ I was just-¡°r


    ¡°Melissa, do you still intend on lying?¡± Ana cut her short.r


    ¡®What is this bitch¡¯s problem? Why is she so particr about Jeremy?!¡¯ Melissa groaned internally.r


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust her words, do you? Why would I suddenly harm someone?¡± Melissa protested to Charles.r


    The Camp Leader was still silent, though. It wasn¡¯t because he was considering Melissa¡¯s words or anything, but rather he was trying to understand the reason why someone like Jeremy would be hit by Melissa¡­ and even have bruises.r


    ¡®Why¡­ what¡¯s his game?¡¯ Charles thought to himself.r


    ¡°Melissa used to bully Jeremy when they were in High School. She must have thought she could do the same here.¡± Ana revealed.r


    Upon hearing this, Charles¡¯ eyes bulged and he lifted his face, looking at both girls.r


    Upon seeing his stare, Melissa froze. She knew instantly that she was in trouble. r


    ¡®Shit, shit, shit! Charles is mad. He¡¯s mad at me!¡¯ Her mind rang.r


    However, Charles wasn¡¯t even thinking about that in the slightest. He was just astonished by the connection between Melissa and Jeremy.r


    ¡®So, that¡¯s why he let himself be hit. He wanted to cause this controversy? It must have been for revenge¡­¡¯ Charles smiled slightly.r


    He just realized that Jeremy had a petty and childish side to him.r


    ¡®That must mean he knows Daniel too since Melissa and our trump card go way back. This is quite the revtion¡­ what do I do?¡¯ r


    As Charles was still considering what to do concerning the issue brought before him, the door to his office opened, and everyone in the room looked at the intruder.r


    ¡°A-ah, am I interrupting something?¡± Daniel smiled awkwardly.r


    It took a few moments of silence before anyone spoke, and the first person to take advantage of this sudden interruption was Melissa.r


    She quickly clung to Daniel and began her teary act.r


    ¡°Babe, what are you doing here?¡± She asked, looking at him emotionally.r


    ¡°I was on my way back to our room when I noticed you weren¡¯t with the team. I thought you were being held up, so I can back for you¡± Daniel replied, looking at Ana¡¯s scowl, as well as Charles¡¯ serious expression.r


    Apparently, he came at a bad time.r


    ¡°Since you¡¯re upied here, I think I¡¯ll just wait for you in our-¡± Daniel mumbled, moving towards the exit.r


    Even he could sense that he wasn¡¯t wee here.r


    ¡°N-no, don¡¯t leave!¡± Melissa suddenly protested in a high-pitched tone.r


    Her face was aghast, disying shock that Daniel would just abandon her amid her user and judge.r


    ¡°Ana is using me of beating up Jeremy. Even though she was actually the one who assaulted me and even used her Gift first, yet she¡¯s trying to put all the me on me.¡± Melissa spoke, trying to appeal to Daniel.r


    If he could take her side, then she would be protected from any harsh repercussions of her actions.r


    ¡®If I¡¯m even lucky, I can turn this around and me Ana instead!¡¯ r

 Chapter 89 Punishment

    ¡°Erm, I don¡¯t really know since I wasn¡¯t present when it all happened¡­¡± Daniel stated tly.r


    His response wasn¡¯t the kind that Melissa wanted, making her freeze in disappointment.r


    As a penitent, Daniel made it his policy not to harm anyone and to be as good as he could to everyone.r


    ¡°I can¡¯t use Ana of something I didn¡¯t see her do.¡± He mumbled, looking at Ana¡¯s face.r


    She nodded at him with approval, showing him respect.r


    ¡°You did the right thing, Daniel.¡±r


    Ana¡¯s praise made Daniel¡¯s heart feel warm. He always liked beingplimented for doing the right thing, another reason why he always did it at any given opportunity.r


    Well, another reason was that he respected Ana a great deal.r


    ¡°So, you¡¯re picking her side over mine?! You¡¯re the worst, Daniel!¡± Melissa whined.r


    Daniel, upon seeing that his girlfriend was deeply hurt by his actions attempted to embrace her as he usually did, but she quickly stepped back, disying anger.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°You can¡¯t even support me, and you say you¡¯re my boyfriend? Unbelievable! So you¡¯d rather choose Ana¡¯s words over mine?!¡± Melissa shouted.r


    Daniel looked guilty. He had made his girlfriend sad, which wasn¡¯t his intention.r


    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m not taking sides here, and even if I was to pick, I¡¯d choose yours every single time¡­¡± He moved closer, trying to plead with Melissa.r


    ¡°T-then-!¡± Melissa replied, hoping Daniel would switch his stance now that she had appealed to his guilt.r


    She was wrong again!r


    ¡°¡­ But, I can¡¯t be a witness to something I never saw with my own eyes. I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Daniel remarked.r


    Melissa gritted her teeth. Her disappointment in Daniel¡¯s behavior knew no bounds. The boy was extremely useful in many situations, however, when it came to matters like this, he was entirely undependable.r


    ¡®All because of that Alignment! Damn it!¡¯ Her thought rang angrily.r


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, everyone!¡± Charles¡¯ voice suddenly rang out, drawing the attention of all three Gifteds to him.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard enough. As you know, I can discern the truth of those in my line of sight. That is my Gift. It¡¯s useless lying to me in the first ce.¡± He stated.r


    Melissa¡¯s mind drew a nk. She waspletely caught off-guard, and the moment Charles said this, she knew she had lost.r


    ¡®Due to the panic, I forgot about Charles¡¯ Gift. Damn!¡­ now I¡¯ll appear as a liar!¡¯r


    Ana was smiling, happy that she would be justified. Fortunately, Daniel had not taken any side, else he would have been in trouble himself since it would count as a lie.r


    ¡°Melissa, clearly you¡¯ve acted out in violence against Jeremy. That much is true. However, I¡¯m not unreasonable. Do you have a valid reason for doing so?¡± Charles asked, looking at the guilty party.r


    Melissa, seeing this as a chance to redeem herself, decided to exin how provocative Jeremy was, also telling him how Jeremy quickly changed his personality when Ana¡¯s team entered the room.r


    ¡°I swear, he wasn¡¯t even injured. I was the one who was hurt by everything!¡± Melissa added in her defense.r


    Just as Charles expected, Melissa told the truth. r


    ¡®I know for a fact that Jeremy is manipting Ana¡¯s opinion of him. No, not just her¡­ the whole team.¡¯ Charles thought, as he considered what route to take in ordance with Melissa¡¯s testimony.r<sub></sub>


    There was no doubt that Melissa had her issues, but even she wasn¡¯t crazy enough to assault a kind boy who acted innocently all the time. Charles understood all that. However¡­r


    ¡°Melissa, you¡¯re lying.¡± r


    This shocked the poor girl, making her widen her eyes in shock. r


    ¡°W-wha-?!¡± r


    ¡°I spoke to Jeremy not too long ago, you know? I also used my Gift on him. He was a kind and gentle boy. He has been through a lot, but I doubt he would ever do anything malicious.¡± Charles remarked.r


    He felt bad lying to Melissa, but he had no choice. From the very beginning, there was only one choice he ever had, and that was to deem Melissa guilty.r


    ¡®If I don¡¯t give him what he wants¡­ I don¡¯t even want to think about that now¡­¡¯ Charles sighed to himselfr


    Besides, it was still a fact that Melissa assaulted Jeremy. That much wasn¡¯t fabricated. She needed to be punished for her act of violence.r


    ¡°You¡¯ll be excluded from any of the spoils gotten from your recent expedition, and any subsequent expeditions for two weeks. You¡¯ll also have to give Jeremy a formal apology. That should do it.¡± Charles gave his verdict.r


    Melissa¡¯s jaw dropped upon hearing the decision.r


    ¡°C-Charles, that¡¯s too much, don¡¯t you think?¡± Melissa asked in a pleading manner.r


    She gave a nervousugh, knowing what this spelled for her.r


    Not gaining her shares in spoils that could potentially enhance her and guarantee her survival was one thing, but giving an apology to Jeremy? That was absolutely unthinkable!r


    ¡°That is my verdict. Also, I¡¯m sure it goes without saying that you also can¡¯t gain ess to the Ogre¡¯s skills.¡± Charles replied harshly.r


    He never liked Melissa and always looked forward to when she would be humiliated and forced to stop leeching off of Daniel. However, doing things this way felt wrong to him.r


    It wasn¡¯t because he felt bad for Melissa. No, the reason was more personal.r


    ¡®I hate being used like this by that kid¡­ Damnit!¡¯r


    Suddenly, it appeared like the mighty Charles had be Jeremy¡¯s puppet leader, ackey!r


    ¡°I can¡¯t ept this! I can¡¯t! I wasn¡¯t at fault!¡± Melissa kept protesting, already tearing up. r


    Whether they were real tears or not was unknown to everyone in the room, even Melissa herself.r


    Of course, she wanted sympathy, but she also felt incredibly frustrated by the judgment ced on her.r


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair!¡±r


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Melissa. Just ept the consequences of your actions.¡± Ana said, slightly disgusted by the innocent act Melissa was ying.r


    ¡°It¡¯s useless trying to feign innocence. Charles has already seen through everything. You should just apologize, Melissa. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Her lover said, drawing closer to his girl as he embraced her.r


    Melissa felt like screaming out of her lungs and pping Daniel many times over. However, what would that solve? She wrapped herself in his arms instead and cried on them.r


    Daniel affectionately stroked her hair, whispering soothing words to Melissa¡¯s ears.r


    ¡®Urgh, I feel like killing him!¡¯ Her mind rang.r


    However, Melissa understood, that despite her burning hatred for Daniel¡¯s retarded attitude, she still needed him.r


    ¡®Just you wait¡­ the moment I get a better deal, I¡¯ll be dropping you behind!¡¯ She gritted her teeth and cried some more.r

 Chapter 90 Apology (Pt 1)

    ¡°Hahahahaha!!!¡± Iughed uncontrobly. r


    It was too amusing to hear. While I couldn¡¯t watch what had transpired in Charles¡¯ office, hearing it was the next best thing, and trust me, it was so funny I couldn¡¯t help butugh.r


    ¡°So, Melissa ising to apologize¡­ and Daniel ising with her?¡± A few chuckles managed to escape from my lips as I slowly ceased my loudughter.r


    Still, it was weird hearing Daniel sound like that. There was no way I wouldn¡¯t recognize his voice, but all he said felt so wrong.r


    ¡°He really has changed, uh?¡± r


    In any case, I tried to concentrate on the rest of the conversation so I wouldn¡¯t miss anything else.r


    ~You are dismissed, Melissa. The sooner you give your apology, the better it will be for you.~ Daniel¡¯s calm voice sounded.r


    I was pleased that the prideful man knew his ce and had enough sense to rightly judge the matter Ana had brought before him. He certainly gave me a good time.r


    ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll reward himter.¡¯r


    ~Ana, stay back. There¡¯s something I want to discuss with you.~ r<sub>.</sub>


    Upon hearing this, my eyes bulged.r


    ¡®He wants to talk to Ana in private? What for?!¡¯ r


    Many thoughts ran through my mind. Was he trying to spill the beans about me to her? I knew I couldn¡¯tpletely trust him, which was why I left the bug in his office, but it didn¡¯t make any sense for him to betray me this soon.r


    ¡®I¡¯m holding his wife hostage, and his daughter¡¯s identity is also something I can easily find.¡¯r


    ~Okay, Charles. We¡¯re off.~ I heard Daniel say.r


    A couple of footsteps sounded, and I could hear the creaking of the door as It was closed, and once again, silence reigned.r


    I was feeling anxious, staring hard at my speaker. What was Charles nning on asking Ana about?r


    ~Ana, this is something important¡­ and I know it will make you very ufortable, but you need to hear me outpletely.~ Charles stated.r


    I gulped, tapping my fingers on my hand as I folded them and impatiently waited for what he would say.r<sub></sub>


    ~What is it about?~ Ana responded.r


    For a moment, there was silence again, as though Charles was thinking of ways to break the news to Ana.r


    ¡®If that man so much as says anything, this whole thing will be ruined.¡¯ r


    Panic didn¡¯t even begin to describe how I felt, but I held it in. Was I being too impatient? Paranoid? Was I rushing things too much by taming Charles? No, I had no choice, he would have found out anyway. r


    ¡®I had to take the initiative¡­ there¡¯s no way I made a mistake!¡¯r


    ~¡­ It¡¯s about Jeremy.~r


    The moment I heard this, my eyes bulged as I gritted my teeth.r


    ¡°Charles, you¡­¡±r


    >KNOCK< r<sub></sub>


    >KNOCK<r


    >KNOCK<r


    I heard soundsing from the door. This startled me and caused me to remove my attention from the speaker and look in the direction of the entrance instead.r


    ¡®Shit, I was too careless!¡¯ My mind rang.r


    I had been too focused on the Charles, and my panic had clouded my senses, that I couldn¡¯t even sense the presence that approached the room. Now, the visitor, whoever they were, had reached the door, knocked, and would soon enter.r


    ¡°Peter and the rest, maybe?¡± I whispered, my mind going into overdrive.r


    No, there was no way it could be them. After the meeting, they had left to get breakfast and so it was too early for them to return.r


    If it wasn¡¯t them, then who could it be-?r


    ¡°It¡¯s Melissa, Jeremy. Open the door or we¡¯reing in!¡± A familiar voice suddenly sounded from the other side.r


    My eyes widened, realizing it had to be Melissa and Daniel who were outside the door. They had just left Charles¡¯ office some moments ago, and they were already here. Granted, it didn¡¯t take very long to traverse the stairs and hallways, but they¡¯ve arrived too fast.r


    ¡®Did they run here?!¡¯r


    ¡°Jeremy, don¡¯t ignore me!¡± Melissa yelled, banging on the door once again.r


    ¡®This bitch!¡¯ I gritted my teeth.r


    In any case, I couldn¡¯t listen in any longer, and so I had no other choice but to return the speaker into [Subspace] and make for the door.r


    Upon reaching the door, I opened it, only to meet the annoyed face of Melissa, and the surprisingly calm face of Daniel. Both of them appeared to have been in an argument, with Daniel trying to calm her down.r


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare tell me to calm down, he¡¯s ignoring us!¡±r


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s asleep, and-¡°r


    As soon as they saw that I had opened the door, both of them stopped their disagreement, ignoring the fact that it was toote and I had seen them.r


    ¡°Good morning¡­¡± I greeted them dryly, as I was honestly not in the mood for any conversation.r


    Despite how much I had anticipated the apology Melissa and Daniel would render, it was nothingpared to the burning sensation of suspense that enveloped me as a result of Charles¡¯ conversation with Ana. There was also no way for me to record their conversation since the bug and speaker couldn¡¯t store audio files.r


    ¡°U-Uh¡­ After reflecting on my actionsst night, I-I finally realized t-that¡­ I had gone too far a-and¡­¡± Melissa began, stuttering.r


    Obviously, the mere fact that she was speaking to me as an equal was killing her pride, talk less of an apology. However, she had no other choice but to do it.r


    It¡¯s a shame I wouldn¡¯t be able to savor this moment, with all that is going on.r


    ¡®No, Jeremy. You have to calm yourself. There¡¯s no point worrying about that now. Just try to enjoy this situation¡­ you can take care of Charlester!¡¯ I spoke to myself.r


    A smile slowly formed on my face as I watched Melissa struggle to apologize. Daniel was still transfixed, obviously waiting for Melissa to be done with her apology first before he gave his own. r


    What a gentleman he was.r


    ¡°Yo, Daniel. It¡¯s been a while.¡± I smiled, ignoring Melissa and turning to the tall teenager beside her.r


    ¡°U-Uh, me?¡± Daniel asked, pointing at himself in surprise.r


    His eyes disyed shock at the fact that I casually called him. He most certainly wasn¡¯t expecting me to be so open with him.r


    As for Melissa, her reaction to my snob was pure rage and malice. Just what I wanted to see.r


    ¡°Oi, Jeremy¡­ don¡¯t ignore me when I¡¯m talking to you!¡±r

 Chapter 91 Apology (Pt 2)

    ¡°Oh? You were speaking? I had no idea¡­ your voice was too low for me to hear, after all.¡± I replied to Melissa¡¯s rageful words.r


    This made her deep scowl be even more intense.r


    ¡°Could you repeat what you said? I truly couldn¡¯t hear you.¡± I asked with an innocent tone.r


    Of course, Melissa already knew I was faking it. The disgrace she was experiencing was my fault, and I was taking  pleasure in it.r


    ¡°Jeremy. There¡¯s something you should know. I wanted Melissa to go first, but maybe I should.¡± Daniel suddenly said, interrupting my little chat with his girlfriend.r


    ¡°What is it? You¡¯vee to bully me again? Melissa did say she was bringing you to visit next time. I suppose the both of you havee to gang up on me.¡± I smiled at him.r


    I didn¡¯t know whether it was him being foolish, or just as a pretense, but Daniel instantly became flustered by my clever use of words and quickly shook his head.r


    ¡°N-no way! I didn¡¯te here for that at all. I just thought we could talk¡­ to sort things out between us. A-about our past and all-¡°r


    ¡®Pfft, this guy¡­ has he really be such a wuss?¡¯ I grinned internally.r


    ncing at Melissa, I saw her sickened and embarrassed expression. She was clearly despising how Daniel acted in front of me. The same person she had used to threaten me was now acting like an overgrown baby.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. I don¡¯t trust you. Your timing is convenient too, now that Ana and everyone else aren¡¯t present, you¡¯vee to just ¡®talk¡¯? What kind of BS is that?¡± I asked, intentionally raising my voice.r


    This drove both of them into a panic. After all, If both of them were to be found bullying me, the golden egg of the Camp, who knew how everyone would react?r


    ¡°Stop, Jeremy. Daniel is being honest! I-if you can¡¯t believe him, then check his Status¡­ you¡¯ll see that¡­ he¡­ he has changed¡­¡± Melissa protested, attempting to calm me down. r


    Her voice faded slowly though, now looking away in shame.r


    I did as she said, looking at Daniel¡¯s Status information. As expected¡­ he was weak.r


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]r


    Name: Danielr


    Race: Humanr


    Sex: Maler<sub></sub>


    Level: 30r


    Alignment: Lawful Good (Penitent)r


    [End Of Information]r


    I knew more than the Status Introduction let on, though. Since Charles had shown me everything, I was even aware of his Gift.r


    ¡°L-level 30! Whoah, that¡¯s even stronger than Ana and the Camp Leader!¡± I beamed, feigning shock.r


    Daniel smiled sheepishly, looking away quickly.r


    ¡°W-well, I am the Camp¡¯s Ace, after all.¡± He mumbled.r


    He appeared a little curious about my own Status information as well, but Charles had already told them about my story with the Masked Man and how he made sure no one could check my info.r


    Even if anyone became cynical about my testimony, it wouldn¡¯t be the dunce in front of me.r<sub></sub>


    At this point, there was no point in pushing things with Daniel anymore. I hadn¡¯t forgotten my revenge, and when the time arrives, it would be amusing to see, but for now¡­r


    ¡°So, you¡¯re good now. I see¡­¡± My voice trailed, looking at his pleading face.r


    ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m truly sorry for how I treated you in the past. I have changed, and I want you to know that. So, please¡­ can you forgive me?¡± Daniel burst out.r


    ¡®Ah, hearing such a sincere apology from someone like him¡­¡¯ My mind trailed.r


    Sure, his tone was kinder now, and his face didn¡¯t have the angry scowl he always wore back then. His Alignment states that he is kind, and everyone testified to this. r


    Yet¡­ no matter how much I mulled over these facts, there was no way I could separate this version of him from the old one I knew.r


    ¡®Your face is still the same, your smell, your voice, your height, your build¡­ everything is! I was forced to memorize every single detail about you because I was so frightened of your mere presence. It doesn¡¯t matter how much you change now, Daniel¡­ I¡¯m still going to make you pay!¡¯r


    Well, there was no way I was going to tell him that at the moment.r


    ¡°I-I¡­ I don¡¯t fully forgive you yet. But, Ana did tell me a little about you, and Charles spoke of you. So, for now¡­ I¡¯m fine with us being Camp Members.¡± I responded hesitantly.r


    If I had been too eager to ept, it would have been be suspicious, and if I was too aggressive, that would be unreasonable.r


    There had to be a bnce.r


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s enough for me Jeremy!¡± Daniel beamed, bickering about several things and gushing in front of me.r


    I endured and listened to his nonsense until he was finally done.r


    The only one who remained was his dear girlfriend, Melissa.r


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for assaulting you yesterday, it won¡¯t happen again.¡± She stated tly.r


    It was a little unremarkable,pared to what I expected. Plus, she didn¡¯t apologize for the past, but I decided to ept it anyway.r


    ¡®It¡¯s not like it changes anything.¡¯r


    Melissa still appeared pissed, ad she seethed in silent rage, while Daniel was relieved and happy. I smiled and spoke with them a little, telling them how excited I was to be a member of the family, asking if there were any other members of our ss who were in the camp, and many others. r


    After some minutes of a mentally exhausting conversation, both of them finally left me alone.r


    ¡°Haaa, finally. That was tiring¡­¡± I sighed heavily, bringing out a half-finished soda from [Subspace].r


    ¡°Here¡¯s to hoping I never run into them again!¡± I cheered at the impossible wish and downed the tasty liquid, feeling the sweetness go down my throat.r


    It was refreshing.r


    ¡°Huu, now that¡¯s the stuff!¡± I smiled, licking my lips.r


    The conversation between Charles and Ana suddenly came back to my mind, making me bring out the Speaker once again to listen in. However, by the time I was done, the conversation was over. I could only hear scribbling sounds, which was most likely Charles writing down some things.r


    ¡®That means¡­ Ana is-¡®r


    The door suddenly creaked open and I saw Ana¡¯s figure entering. The speaker was right beside me, and I was still holding my soda.r


    If she saw me, it was going to be quite an awkward situation.r

 Chapter 92 A Favor

    ¡°<Recall>¡± My lips moved instinctively, and everything went back into [Subspace].r


    The soda in my hand, the speaker on my mattress, even theic book I¡¯d stashed somewhere to relieve me of boredom at some point.r


    They instantly vanished, and right on time too.r


    Ana walked in, seeing meying on the mattress. I appeared startled, looking in her direction as she walked towards me.r


    ¡°O-oh, you¡¯re back?¡± I mumbled, still feigning surprise.r


    ¡°Yeah. Sorry to leave you all by yourself. You good?¡± She asked with a warm smile.r


    ¡®Is she pretending to be worried about me, or¡­?¡¯r


    Somehow, my paranoia acted up and I couldn¡¯t shake off the conversation Charles was having with her moments ago.r


    ¡°I am¡­ a little hungry though.¡± I smiled.r


    I tried reading her facial expressions. Someone as honest as Ana was bound to find it difficult to lie or pretend. If I could read her reaction somewhat, then I would be able to decipher what it was that Charles told her.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Jeremy¡­ you got a sec? There¡¯s something I need to ask of you.¡± She mumbled.r


    ¡°E-eh?¡± I identally let out in surprise.r


    Of all the things she could have done, making this move was thest thing I expected.r


    ¡®What is she going to say?¡¯r


    ¡°I kind of have a favor to ask of you¡­ will you listen?¡± She asked.r


    I nodded sharply and enthusiastically. Not just because of curiosity, but also to maintain my fa?ade of a kind and innocent boy.r


    ¡®That¡¯s assuming Charles hasn¡¯t told her already¡­¡¯ I gritted my teeth.r


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ana? You can ask me anything!¡±r


    Even when I said this, she remained hesitant, pondering on whether to speak or not. Finally sighing in defeat, she decided to go ahead with it.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°That masked man¡­ the one who saved you, did he mention anywhere we can get more supplies, maybe in passing or whatever?¡± r


    Ana¡¯s sudden question sent multiple thoughts across my brain.r


    ¡®The fvck is this?!¡¯r


    She appeared ufortable asking me this, which meant Ana wasn¡¯t doing this of her own volition. It was most likely something Charles had told her to do.r


    ¡®She¡¯s asking about the masked man, which means two things¡­¡¯r


    The first would be that she was trying to mask her knowledge of me being the same person as the masked man. I highly doubted this, since I would have sensed some degree of suspicion from her as she was quite easy to read.r


    The second would be that Charles didn¡¯t actually reveal anything about me to Ana, and he gave her this task in order to indirectly ask for my support with the issue of scarcity within the Camp.r


    The second option sounded more feasible since Charles would gain nothing in telling Ana my identity. Even if it ruined my ns, it didn¡¯t in any way benefit him. I could simply kill Ana as well as the rest of those chumps within minutes.r


    ¡®Charles is still working hard and trying to find a solution to the Camp. He can¡¯t afford to stir things up with me, at least for now.¡¯ I reasoned.r<sub></sub>


    Drawing my conclusion, it seems I overreacted to the whole thing.r


    ¡°W-why are you asking?¡± I responded to Ana¡¯s query.r


    Once again, she appeared flustered, but she kept pressing on.r


    ¡°Well, the Camp is experiencing a severe shortage of resources. I was, no¡­ Charles was wondering if your savior had more resources stacked somewhere so we could make it through this harsh time.¡±r


    I stared at her nkly. It was clear she was having a hard time asking for a favor from a little kid, especially since it was a shameless thing to do.r


    ¡°W-we promise to restore any food we take as soon as things in the Camp are stable. You have my word on that! It¡¯s just that we really need the¡­ the resources right now.¡± r


    Her expression told me everything about her sincerity. Ana wouldn¡¯t resort to begging a child if she wasn¡¯t desperate.r


    Still, as much as it hurt me to tell her, the deed needed to be done.r


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ana¡­ I really don¡¯t know¡­¡± I mumbled, feigning sadness at my inability to be of assistance.r


    ¡°O-oh, then that¡¯s fine. Forget I said anything, okay?¡± Ana said, quickly recovering from her disappointment, as well as trying to cheer me up while pretending like it wasn¡¯t a big deal.r


    ¡°But¡­¡± I suddenly stated, causing her eyes to glow a little in hope.r


    ¡°He did tell me something¡­ but, he said I should keep it a secret and if In any scenario, I have to say something, it should be to the leader of any settlement I find myself in.¡± I said, smiling at Ana.r


    ¡°R-really, Jeremy? And this will help us?¡± She asked with a surprised look.r


    I nodded in response.r


    ¡°T-that¡¯s great news then! B-but that means you¡¯ll have to tell Charles directly. Is it anything dangerous? You won¡¯t be in any danger will you?¡± Ana asked, looking at me with worry.r


    As expected of someone with her Alignment. Even in times of need, she was still worried about her little bro. ssic!r


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Ana. But, if the matter is as urgent as you say it is, I should probably talk to the Camp Leader as soon as possible. Maybe even right now.¡± r


    Ana considered my words and nearly nodded in agreement, but a sudden thought seemed to pop up in her head which caused her to change her mind.r


    ¡°But you said you were hungry earlier, didn¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you wait until the rest of the team bring our breakfast?¡± Ana asked.r


    ¡°O-oh, no need to worry about that. I¡¯m good. Besides, this is more important.¡± I replied, smiling awkwardly.r


    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t even hungry. Plus, thest thing I want to enter my mouth was whatever slob they would be serving in this dump.r


    ¡°No way, Jeremy. Your health matters first!¡± Ana stubbornly replied. r


    Her eyes told me she was determined to make sure I ate something before leaving.r


    ¡°You need good nutrition to be healthy!¡± She added.r


    ¡®Good nutrition my foot! What you¡¯re going give me to eat doesn¡¯t even measure up to that!¡¯ I argued internally.r


    Still, I had no other choice but to y along with Ana. Regret swirled around me as I wished that I could take back the lie I told her about my hunger.r


    ¡®Me and my big mouth!¡¯r

 Chapter 93 Bargain

    Peter, Lily, Larry, and Daniel arrived not long after my conversation with Ana ended, saving both of us from the awkwardness within the room.r


    For breakfast, we took stone-hard bread, with watered-down milk. It felt like torture for my mouth to chew the hard substance and make it soft enough to go down my throat. As for the milk, I couldn¡¯t even taste anything creamy within it.r


    ¡®It¡¯s like white-colored water!¡¯ I nearly gagged.r


    I wondered how they were able to get milk, though, since they had no way of preserving it.r


    ¡®Maybe they used Peter¡¯s ice ability?¡¯ I reasoned.r


    When I asked about it, the answer was entirely different. Apparently, the Camp used powdered milk, and not evaporated ones, allowing them to preserve it well.r


    ¡®Still, I wish I could exchange this for the milk I have in [Subspace].r


    Since I couldn¡¯t act like I didn¡¯t appreciate the meal, I endured the breakfast and as soon as it was over, I beckoned to Ana to take me to Charles.r


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon.¡± She told the others as we exited.r


    Ana brought me to the Camp Leader¡¯s office and briefly ryed my answer to him. Charles nodded and told her to leave the both of us since it was the will of the Masked Man to have only the top leader hear whatever I wanted to say.r


    She obeyed and went back to the room. I confirmed her fading footsteps with my heightened senses, as well as the fact that only Charles was alone in the room.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°You didn¡¯t bug this room, did you?¡± I asked, moving to sit on the chair before his desk.r


    ¡°You¡¯re quite cautious.¡± Hemented.r


    ¡°Just answer the question.¡± I snapped, clearly not in the mood for small talk.r


    The breakfast I ate not long ago put me in a terrible mood.r


    ¡°No, there¡¯ll be no point in upsetting you at this point.¡± r


    Hearing Charles¡¯ answer to my question, I decided to take his word for it and had my seat.r


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get straight to the point¡­¡±r


    I summoned a bottle of cool milk from [Subspace] and opened it while speaking.r


    ¡°¡­ What do you want?¡±r


    Gulping down the refreshing liquid, I savored the creamy taste and moaned in ecstasy.r<sub></sub>


    ¡®Ahh, that¡¯s more like it!¡¯ My mind screamed in pleasure.r


    Charles stared at me, dumbfounded by the act I just disyed in front of him. He waited patiently until I was done with my first bottle, but the instant I finished it and returned it to [Subspace], I pulled another one out and opened it.r


    Noticing his stunned expression, I sighed.r


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to look so surprised. You already know about my [Subspace] ability, as well as my identity as the masked man. This much shouldn¡¯t shock you.¡± r


    After saying this, I gulped the milky contents of the second bottle, waiting for him to begin whatever he wanted to say.r


    ¡°I assume the excuse you gave Ana was simply so you could have another private discussion with me without raising any suspicion,¡± Charles stated.r


    I nodded, still gulping down the milky goodness I enjoyed.r


    ¡°T-then¡­ does that mean you¡¯re willing to help us?¡± Charles asked, clearing his throat as he licked his lips.r


    Obviously, the sight of someone taking such quality milk in your presence was enough to make anyone parched. r


    ¡°You want one?¡± I asked, deviating from the original discourse.r<sub></sub>


    My mood became better after taking two bottles of milk. r


    Charles expressed surprise at my offer, appearing unsure on whether or not to ept the gesture.r


    ¡°Never mind then. More for me-¡°r


    ¡°I want one.¡± He quickly said.r


    A grin formed on my face, while he appeared ufortable. His ego was hurt by this, but refusing to partake in a once-in-a-lifetime privilege such as this was just foolishness.r


    I summoned one bottle of milk for Charles, letting it appear on his desk, right before him.r


    I also summoned one extra bottle for myself and drank it to my heart¡¯s content.r


    Charles was a little skeptical, but after convincing himself that his actions weren¡¯t wrong, he opened the bottle and began drinking.r


    ¡°Good choice. Now, let me begin¡­¡± I smiled while he drank the milk hungrily.r


    Apparently, I wasn¡¯t the only one who considered the food of the Camp to be trash.r


    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided to help you guys¡­ yet. If you need my assistance, you¡¯ll need to ept my demands.¡± r


    Upon hearing this, Charles quickly stopped drinking, so as to prevent himself from choking on it.r


    His eyes narrowed to focus on me while he licked his lips to savor the remaining milk on them.r


    ¡°And what would those demands be?¡± r


    ¡°Nothing much. I just want to be involved in formting the strategy concerning the subjugation of theing Horde.¡± I said.r


    Charles sighed upon hearing this.r


    ¡°We¡¯re not even certain that there¡¯s a Horde to Subjugate. A few scout parties have been sent, but no evidence has pointed to there being more of them-¡± Charles rambled, trying to dismiss the possibility of what we both knew to be true.r


    ¡°Please, Charles. You shouldn¡¯t behave stupidly in front of me. I¡¯m enough evidence when ites to a Horde, and you should take my word for it when I say that it exists.¡± r


    Charles widened his eyes upon hearing this.r


    ¡°You mean, you¡¯ve actually-¡°r


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve encountered a Horde before. I¡¯ve also sessfully subjugated every one of the monsters, including the Boss.¡± I replied.r


    This meant the Camp needed me, and not just for my resources, but also for my expertise when ites to handling the multitude of Demons that woulde for them.r


    ¡°I-I see¡­ so, what exactly would you benefit from taking charge of our ns? It would still mean that you¡¯re indirectly helping us.¡± Charles stated, eyeing me suspiciously.r


    ¡®This guy¡­ he¡¯s so untrusting. Why can¡¯t he just imagine that I could actually be benevolent enough to be selfless once in a while?¡¯ I mused.r


    He wasn¡¯t wrong to distrust me, though.r


    ¡°That¡¯s my business. I have my agenda, but it involves you guys still existing. You could say that, it would be in my best interest that you all lived. Last I checked, it¡¯s in your best interest that you live as well.¡± r


    Charles couldn¡¯t argue with me, plus, the cold milk he was enjoying was getting warm.r


    Sighing in defeat, he drank more of the drink in his hand and nodded.r


    ¡°So what¡¯s your n concerning the Horde?¡±r

 Chapter 94 Anarchy

    ¡°I-I see¡­¡± Charles mumbled, clearly stunned by the strategy I had devised.r


    Rubbing his chin, he mulled over my words carefully, considering if they indeed had no defects.r


    I smiled, watching him patiently while I awaited  his decision.r


    ¡°I-it¡¯s actually very decent, even more efficient than what I initially considered. And it¡¯s only going to be possible with your assistance¡­¡± Charles stated, now looking me in the eye.r


    ¡°So, what do you say?¡± I said, already knowing he couldn¡¯t refuse.r


    ¡°Is there anything left to say? I¡¯m in!¡± r


    ¡®Smart choice.¡¯r


    I rose from where I sat and used my <Recall> Skill to return the milk bottles from both my end and Charles¡¯ to [Subspace].r


    ¡°Very well then, as per our agreement, I¡¯ll provide more food and water supplies while you fulfill your end of the deal. Once the scout teams return, you will take action immediately.¡±r<sub>.</sub>


    Upon saying this, I left Charles¡¯ office and headed back to Ana¡¯s room. Before I went beyond the hearing range, I heard him say a few words.r


    ¡°That milk¡­ was so good¡­¡±r


    I smiled. Something asmon as milk was seen as a rare delicacy now. The value of certain things was changing, and soon, it wille to a point whereby human lives will have less value than resources.r


    I descended the stairs and went into the weing hands of my unsuspecting friends, as I awaited the good news toe.r


    [Two Days Later]r


    The Scout team came hours earlier than the due time, and the information they gave Charles indicated that the matter was way more serious than anyone expected.r


    ¡°A-at least a hundred of them¡­ No, over two hundred could be seen around the area.¡± They reported with bulging eyes.r


    Charles was startled, but to keep a semnce of sanity among everyone in his office, he kept his emotions in check and listened attentively.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°There are bound to be more of the Hobgoblins within their territory, but we couldn¡¯t get closer or get a better visual into theirpound.¡± They added.r


    Apparently, of the four teams that were sent, three didn¡¯t encounter anything, while thest was able to spot the Horde¡¯s nest.r


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they¡¯re not spread out. We should be able tounch an effective assault against them.¡± Charles replied to the Scouts.r


    However, they didn¡¯t look convinced about the Camp Leader¡¯s words. After experiencing the multitude of what the Camp was up against, the Scouts didn¡¯t have any hope of victory.r


    ¡°We should just make a break for it. With our current forces¡­ can we even win?¡± They asked Charles.r


    Of course, Charles knew that with a certain someone¡¯s help, victory was assured, but he couldn¡¯t tell anyone of his existence.r


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to run. With our current supplies, we wouldn¡¯t evenst a week while moving. The only reason we have been able to conserve our supplies is because of ourck of activity.¡± Charles exined.r


    Fleeing required way more energy, and without the right nutrition to supplement them, everyone would run out of energy.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Besides, where do we flee to?¡± Charles asked.r


    The outside world was just as dangerous. For all they knew, the Camp could be jumping from the frying pan directly into the fire, if they chose to make a break for it.r


    ¡°B-but, we can¡¯t win¡­ our numbers are just not good enough.¡± r


    Charles knew what he had to do at this point, it was to raise their morale. As the leader, he was well versed with the art of advocacy. His skills weren¡¯t going to fail him now!r


    ¡°With a solid strategy, we can win! Plus, have you forgotten who you¡¯re talking to? Have I ever ced this Camp in an impossible situation? So, believe me when I say we can win!¡± Charles smiled confidently.r


    The Scouts were not entirely convinced, but they had to trust in the Camp Leader¡¯s words. What other choice did they have?r


    After his brief meeting with the Scouts, Charles told them to rest well, and that in the evening he would be having an borate meeting with everyone, to decide on the next step to take.r


    After dismissing them, he sighed while burying his head in his hands.r


    Fighting the Horde would mean the use of extra resources, especially if they were to use a well devised strategy and not an all-out desperate attack.r


    ¡®We need Jeremy, no matter what!¡¯ His thoughts rang.r


    It was fortunate that he chose to help them if Charles did his bidding, and to be honest it wasn¡¯t much. Still, Jeremy¡¯s goals were too vague for the Camp Leader to decipher. r


    While they all needed Jeremy now, Charles was unsure of what was waiting for the Camp after they ovee the approaching crisis.r


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨Cr


    News of the Horde spread like wildfire within the Camp. No one knew who started the rumors or where the leaked information originated from, however, within the span of a few hours, it was a hot topic in the camp. r


    The administrators, that is, Camp executives were flooded with questions and desperateints from the Camp members.r


    They knew something about the Horde, since Charles had already told them the possibility of it and his n of sending Scouts in theirst meeting, but they hadn¡¯t gotten his confirmation of the matter.r


    The Scouts arrived not too long ago, so a lot of time had not yet passed since they told him of the oue.r


    At the moment, everyone was bustling with unrest and confusion. The situation seemed chaotic and answers were needed.r


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±r


    ¡°Is it really true? They¡¯re here already?¡±r


    ¡°Are we going to die? I don¡¯t want to die!!!¡±r


    The news didn¡¯t escape the Expedition teams, who tried finding the source of the leak, to no avail.r


    Many panicky Camp Members tried cing responsibility on the Expedition team, iming it was their duty to stop the Horde and prevent their deaths, and in less than an hour, the whole area had turned upside down.r


    Ana and her team, as well as everyone else, was either trying to stop themotion, or causing it.r


    Anarchy took free charge, with everyone in disarray. Everyone except one.r


    ¡°Just look at them¡­ hopeless maggots.¡± Jeremy smiled from where he sat, at a height no one could see and observed the crowd.r


    ¡°This will all be worth it.¡±r

 Chapter 95 Call

    I started the rumors, of course. It was a very simple task, and all I had to do was y little tricks. After overhearing everything that went on in Charles¡¯ office, I decided that it was the most effective way to resolve the problem.r


    ¡®Charles isn¡¯t willing to do whatever it takes, so I just have to motivate him a little.¡¯r


    I was a ¡®kind¡¯ person, after all.r


    While the Scouts who rested in their lounge were conversing about the Horde and what they saw, I managed to manipte a few Camp members to pass by the door. Also, by using <Steal> to reduce the intelligence Stats of all the Scouts, the already tense people lost their self-control and rambled on about the Horde to one another.r


    Their voices were loud enough to leak out of the resting area, causing random Camp members to hear their conversation.r


    The Camp members weren¡¯t exempted from my <Steal> ability, as I reduced their intelligence levels as much as possible so that they wouldn¡¯t even think of being discreet or try to confirm what they had heard.r


    Regr people in the Camp were bound to spread the rumors even without their intelligence being stolen, but I wasn¡¯t the type to leave things up to chance.r


    The rumors spread as expected, and by using <Steal> on every random Camp person, I took away chunks of their intelligence. This made their reaction to the news to be exaggerated and before long, the whole thing blew out of proportion.r<sub>.</sub>


    Ana and her righteous crusaders tried to contain the internal conflict, but it all backfired. r


    With their lessened intelligence, the sly and crafty Camp Members lost the ability to ¡®suck up¡¯ to the Expedition party as they used to do in the past. Instead, they med them and even told them to take responsibility for the horde. Their desperate eyes and ungrateful tone shocked a lot of the Expedition team members while it enraged others.r


    Before long, the whole thing had escted into one massive internal conflict. As such, it was only a matter of time before Charles would be brought into it.r


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, everyone!!!¡± Charles yelled, frowning at themotion he met.r


    A wide grin formed on my face as I watched his conflicted expression. r


    Most of the conflict was uring on the ground floor. However, since the apartment was separated into floors, in which a person from a higher floor could see the activities of what was happening on the ground floor, Charles maintained his position on the fourth floor as he was able to view everyone from above.r


    ¡°I-it¡¯s the Camp Leader¡­¡± Whispers began spreading among everyone.r<sub></sub>


    Even though their intelligence had been shaved off, the Camp Members knew better than to defy the authority of their lord and the one who ruled above them.r


    It was a simple hierarchy, one even children were aware of.r


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± Charles asked with a deep re.r


    His lips were bent in a grim, forbidden manner, disying his extreme displeasure.r


    ¡°W-well, we¡­¡± One of the camp members attempted to speak, but instantly shut his mouth the moment Charles shot him a dirty look.r


    ¡°Did I permit you to speak?!¡±r


    Everyone gulped as they felt intimidated by Charles. Not only was he as strong as an Expedition team member, but he also had many tricks up his sleeve. No one could lie to him, and he could decipher many things in an instant. He smoothly ran the Camp and saved a majority of people within their organization from a lonely life of survival outside the safe walls of their camp.r<sub></sub>


    It was safe to say¡­ Charles was like a god to them.r


    ¡®Pfft, a god that¡¯s my little puppy.¡¯ r


    This method of control was the best. Indirect rule. This way, I was actually the one in control of the Camp in the shadows, while also gaining enough freedom and mobility to act however I pleased.r


    ¡°Daniel, Ana. What the hell is going on?¡± Charles asked the two most important members of the Camp.r


    As expected, they were both trying to stop the riot ensuing, all to no avail.r


    Daniel was still flustered, so Ana decided to speak.r


    It took some time, but she exined what she knew about the situation. The Camp members tried protesting so as to interrupt her, but Charles made sure there was perfect decorum until she finished.r


    After this, he inhaled deeply and exhaled, calming his nerves. I smiled at him from the angle where I stood. That¡¯s right, I was at the penthouse, using my binocrs to clearly see everything that was going on from the small hole I made on the roof¡¯s surface.r


    The people on duty had joined in the riot, so I had all the space to myself.r


    ¡°So, because of this news¡­ you¡¯ve all thrown yourselves into disarray instead of calming down to see reason?¡± Charles gritted his teeth as he spoke.r


    At this point, he was bound to see reason in my logic. People like the regr Camp members were only a waste of space. When it truly mattered, they were not going to be of any use.r


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want things to happen this way, but since you all know, I have no choice,¡± Charles said.r


    ¡°It¡¯s true. There¡¯s a Horde approaching!¡±r


    His words sent a wave of shocked screams and loud noises of discord and fear. r


    ¡°Silence!¡± r


    His voice once again put an end to the loud protests, demanding silence in an instant.r


    ¡°Our forces are too small to deal with the number of Hobgoblins approaching us, and our resources are too small to support us fleeing from this ce. Therefore, there¡¯s only one choice that awaits us.¡± r


    A wave of unease permeated the area as they all heard this. Some of them were even beginning to have an inkling of what Charles was getting at.r


    ¡°Arge bulk of the regr Camp members will need to volunteer and join the expedition force if we are to drive away the Horde!¡±r


    ¡°WHAT?!!!¡± A loud response of shock, fear, and disbelief came from the audience.r


    ¡°A carefully nned strategy is in ce and our victory is assured as long as we make up for ourck of numbers¡­ so, as fellow Camp Members, I will ask you¡­ who is willing to join forces with the expedition force in order to form the appropriate subjugation team and protect the camp?!¡±r


    As Charles said this, I smiled in amusement. A wonderful sight would soon be revealed.r

 Chapter 96 Choice

    ¡°A carefully nned strategy is in ce and our victory is assured as long as we make up for ourck of numbers¡­ so, as fellow Camp Members, I will ask you¡­ who is willing to join forces with the expedition force in order to form the appropriate subjugation team and protect the camp?!¡±r


    Absolute silence filled the air. The once noisy mob shut their mouths and ceased moving.r


    Charles was stunned by the response of the crowd. In all fairness, he had expected this much to happen, but seeing something ur before your very eyes is always the best way to confirm it.r


    ¡°Anyone?¡± Charles repeated, his voice echoing through the vast building.r


    No one dared to meet his eyes, looking ufortable by his deration. Even in the absence of words, the Camp Members made their stance clearly known.r


    ¡®No one is volunteering¡­ because they don¡¯t want to die!¡¯ I smiled, watching Charles¡¯ expression turn sour.r


    Surely, he had realized it by now¡­ that there was no hope for these people. To get what he wanted, our dear Camp Leader would need to step up.r


    ¡°I believe you have all misunderstood me. No, perhaps it¡¯s my fault for phrasing this wrongly¡­¡± Charles said, now deepening his re at the people.r<sub>.</sub>


    The Camp members all noticed the change in his tone and looked at their leader.r


    ¡°It appears I need to spell out the situation to you. Without a proper subjugation squad, this Camp will be invaded, and every one of you will die. Do not think for one second that you are safe here if you refuse to participate.¡± Charles dered coldly.r


    This harsh reality swept through the minds of everyone, causing their eyes to widen. Despair slowly seeped in, and their hearts which were previously set on avoiding danger was beginning to waver.r


    ¡°We do not possess enough resources to support fleeing, and frankly speaking, none of them will be wasted on civilians who refuse to fight. All the resources were brought to this Camp by the expedition team members who risk their lives during every mission. Should there be a choice on preference, they take priority. I hope you all understand what that means?¡± Charles stated.r


    At this point, murmurings could be heard from the members. The scared and selfish people couldn¡¯t ept the future that awaited them. The scarce resources would be given to the Expedition team, while everyone else would be left to fend for themselves.r


    ¡°I will say this now. You all have a choice. First would be to support this subjugation mission wholeheartedly¡­¡±r


    Gasps wafted through the air as the people waited for the second option Charles would give.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°¡­ The second would be to leave this Camp right here and now! This ce has no intention of sheltering cowards who won¡¯t bother fighting for its continued survival.¡±r


    A moment of silence ensued, blood-curdling tension could be seen in everyone¡¯s eyes. From where I watched, I already knew the next action the people would make.r


    ¡®Nice going, Charles. You straight up told them¡­¡¯r


    A roar ofints burst forth from the dissatisfied members of the Camp. Their faces morphed into selfish, entitled expressions. r


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to us!¡±r


    Sure, he could. Charles called the shots, plus it was for justifiable reasons.r


    ¡°We¡¯re humans too, you can¡¯t throw us out now!¡±r<sub></sub>


    In such a world, it was every man for himself. The idea of a Camp was wed from the very start.r


    ¡°I¡¯ve worked my hardest in this Camp. I do my part. Those who can fight should do their part as well!¡±r


    It was indeed tragic. However, what was needed at this time was more fighters. No one was allowed to remain on the sidelines.r


    Moreints and excuses emanated from the wagging tongues of the audience, but the look on Charles¡¯ face indicated that he wasn¡¯t going to entertain any of them.r


    This whole thing was a test, yet the people had no idea. Obviously, not everyone could be sent to subjugate the Demons, to begin with. With my assistance and a decent strategy, we only needed a few dozen more from the hundred-plus in the Camp.r


    However, the fact that none of them had any loyalty to the Camp, at least enough to volunteer of their own volition to fight for their survival, showed that there needed to be a check.r


    ¡®The bond of any family is loyalty and trust¡­ this Camp has neither. And as a result, Charles had to resort to this.¡¯r


    The reason I caused this riot in the first ce was to put him in this situation and show him the true nature of the people he was trying to protect. r


    Judging from his reaction, he had learned his lesson.r


    ¡°I believe I have given you enough time to consider your options¡­ now then, I will ask you one more time¡­¡± Charles spoke, interrupting the protests of the desperate crowd.r


    They all stopped their pointless cries and stared at him, begging with their eyes forpassion and mercy. However, the time for that was over.r


    ¡°¡­ Who is willing to join forces with the expedition team, so as to form the appropriate subjugation team and protect the camp?¡±r


    I nearly burst outughing, I was pretty happy with the sess of the n.r


    ¡®With this, we¡¯ll have a better turnout! You can thank meter, Charles.r


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-r


    In the end, out of the 132 civilian adults in the Camp, over a hundred decided to join the Subjugation force, while the rest took their chances and left.r


    Charles, who had the Expedition team directly under hismand, didn¡¯t hesitate to drive them out. They couldn¡¯t resist since they had no strength. So, that very afternoon, all 29 traitors were banished from the Camp.r


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-r


    ¡°Well done, Charles. You handled it well.¡± I smiled, as I was seated on a chair in Charles¡¯ office.r


    The Camp leader didn¡¯t look too happy which made me wonder whether he was still sulking over the 29 who decided to leave the Camp.r


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look so glum. There was no other choice. You shouldn¡¯t be worried about those traitors. They betrayed the Camp, you know?¡± r


    Charles raised his head and I could see the re on his face. He wasn¡¯t just shaken about the ones who left. The look in Charles¡¯ eyes had more to it. He was¡­ angry at me¡­?!r


    ¡°Jeremy, what exactly did you do to them?¡± r

 Chapter 97 Demands

    ¡°Jeremy, what exactly did you do to them?¡± r


    Charles¡¯ voice was trembled  in seething rage, and his expression wasn¡¯t the best either. His question made me startled for a second.r


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.r


    ¡°Don¡¯t take me for an idiot!¡± The annoyed Camp Leader banged his hands on his desk, rising to his feet.r


    I shot him a re, not appreciating the attitude he was disying. He was a little shaken by it, but his fear was diminished by the anger swirling within him.r


    ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t notice? My Gift allows me to see the Status Information of everyone, or did you forget?¡± He burst out, still raising his voice in anger.r


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± I asked tly.r


    ¡°You did something to them, didn¡¯t you? The Camp Members. All their Intelligence Stats were less than usual. Stats don¡¯t just vanish into thin air, so it had to be caused by something¡­ or someone.¡± His eyes narrowed as he eyed me with disgust.r


    I was impressed, to say the least. It was one thing to be able to see the Status Information of his targets, but the fact that he memorized the Stats of his Camp members, enough to tell that the number had reduced¡­ that was absolutely stunning.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®He was better than I gave him credit for.¡¯ My mind rang.r


    ¡°And? Why are you so confident that I¡¯m the culprit?¡± I asked with a smile.r


    ¡°Can you prove it?¡±r


    He gritted his teeth upon hearing this. r


    ¡°Don¡¯t y that card with me, Jeremy. I assume that <Steal> Skill of yours isn¡¯t for decoration. Plus, everything yed out exactly as you wanted, didn¡¯t it? This was what you wanted from the very start!¡± r


    Charles¡¯posure was lost. He was genuinely upset by my actions.r


    ¡°I also questioned all the Scouts who knew of the matter on whether or not they leaked the news. They all denied it. I can tell when someone is lying, you know¡­¡± r


    ¡®Welp, I guess the jig is up!¡¯r<sub></sub>


    Charles could easily tell if I was lying or not, so it was pointless ying dumb.r


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right. I instigated the whole thing.¡± I admitted, sighing.r


    ¡°It was the best call, Charles. I did it for the sake of the Camp.¡±r


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me! You did it for yourself! For your selfish ambitions, whatever they are!.¡± Charles barked in response.r


    He wasn¡¯t listening to reason since anger had clouded his mind. Due to the situation I created, he couldn¡¯t act in any other way than what I intended, meaning I used him as a pawn.r


    ¡®His ego won¡¯t allow that!¡¯r


    ¡°I refuse to be your toy anymore. The deal is over!¡± He barked.r


    Now he was just being unreasonable.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? Without me, you won¡¯t be able to-¡°r


    ¡°We¡¯ll take our chances. I still have my pride as a man, I won¡¯t let some kid rule over me. Besides, after this Horde is dealt with, I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll use another thing to keep a leash on everyone here. I¡¯m tired of your antics. This agreement is over!¡± r


    Charles was allowing his emotions to rule over him. He failed to see the benefits of my actions. Plus, there was a misconception he was having that I needed to correct.r


    ¡°Charles, who do you think you¡¯re talking to?¡± I deepened my tone while staring intensely at him.r


    ¡°Have you forgotten that I still have your wife hostage? Did you also forget the safety of your child and everything you¡¯ve worked so hard to build? I would advise you to mind your tone.¡±r


    I was certain he perceived me to be a child, but my Intelligence Stat made me way more mature and pragmatic than any adult around. Plus, counting my experience in the Sacred Hall, his assessment of me was wrong.r


    ¡°You think that¡¯s enough now?¡± Charles asked, his re deepened.r


    This reaction surprised me.r


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t kill them, or me. You said so yourself. You need us for something, don¡¯t you?¡± He added.r


    He wasn¡¯t wrong, but I didn¡¯t expect him to turn things around like this. It appeared his anger wasn¡¯t merely blind. He was sick of being controlled and was willing to take a gamble. r


    ¡°Do you realize what you¡¯re doing? You¡¯re defying me right now. It could cost you-¡°r


    ¡°If I keep ying by your rules, I might as well end up dead anyway. No more!¡± Charles interrupted me.r


    It appeared my actions had caused the rtionship between me and a useful pawn to sour. It was my mistake. Next time, I will be a little more subtle in my approach.r


    ¡°Fine then. What do you want? An apology?¡± I smiled, shrugging off his rude remarks.r


    ¡°Give me back my wife.¡± He demanded brazenly.r


    ¡°What?!¡± I responded, not because I didn¡¯t hear him, but because I did.r


    ¡®This man¡¯s audacity seems to be getting bigger.¡¯r


    ¡°I want Tasha back. Return her to me and we¡¯ll cooperate.¡± He said with a determined look.r


    I could sense his unease. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure of what choice I would make. If I decided to refuse and he proved to be stubborn, I could easily kill him and take over the affairs of the Camp directly. r


    I could also decide to have someone take the fall and ensure someone like Ana or Daniel became the acting leader for the Subjugation team and the Camp as a whole.r


    ¡®No, that¡¯s too bothersome. There¡¯s still so much that I need to do. I would like to avoid that route¡­¡¯ I thought to myself.r


    Besides, there¡¯s another reason as to why I¡¯ve avoided killing anyone so far. It wasn¡¯t just due to the kindness of my heart.r


    ¡°If I give her to you, I lose my leverage. Do you think I¡¯ll allow that?!¡± I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.r


    ¡°As much as it pains me to admit it, the Camp still needs you. Your resources and power are needed to survive theing days. There¡¯s no way I would betray you as long as that fact remains.¡± Charles replied nearly immediately, as though expecting that response of mine.r


    A smile formed on my face.r


    ¡®Do you realize what you¡¯re saying, Charles? This impliedly means that as soon as this Camp is stable and safe from any threat, you won¡¯t hesitate to betray me.¡¯ r


    Unfortunately, those silly ideas in his head would evaporate soon. One thing had be clear in this little exchange of ours.r


    Charles had be my enemy! r

 Chapter 98 Loose Ends (Pt 1)

    ¡°Fine. You can have her.¡± I shrugged in surrender.r


    After considering both sides of the scale, it would just prove  to be more troublesome if I didn¡¯t indulge him. r


    Using <Recall>, I brought out the woman within my [Subspace]. As soon as she materialized in Charles¡¯ office, her dear husband¡¯s eyes bulged in shock and relief.r


    I wasn¡¯t just going to let him have her, though. The woman was unconscious, and was still in the exact state she had been in when I had taken her into [Subspace], so it was easy to hold her in a submissive position while staring at Charles.r


    ¡°W-what are you-?!¡± Charles asked as he red at me.r


    I rubbed my hand around her neck, using my fingers to slightly press on it. The woman¡¯s body was directly rubbing against mine, and I gripped her throat with my second hand.r


    ¡°I control whether or not she dies, Charles. Remember that.¡±r


    He clenched his teeth while ring at me. As long as my point had gotten across, there was no need for further discourse. r


    ¡°Here¡­¡± I pushed her slumped body in his direction and he swiftly caught her. r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°You bastard!¡± He growled, drawing her closer into his arms.r


    I watched him confirm that she was still breathing, caressing her while gently kissing her forehead. Who would have thought such a stern man like Charles would be a romantic.r


    ¡®Well, he can have her. Now that Tasha has been in my [Subspace] once, she¡¯s been registered as my property, and I can simply use <Return> to take her back.¡¯r


    Charles didn¡¯t realize it yet, that nothing had changed. Well, one thing had, and that meant his days were numbered.r


    He dared to rebel against me and take such a route. Clearly, I wasn¡¯t going to tolerate such defiance. For now, though, it would be wise to cooperate.r


    ¡®I¡¯m not going to allow my emotions to rece pragmatism.¡¯r


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve returned Tasha, I assume we¡¯re back on track?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.r


    He nodded, slowly allowing Tasha¡¯s unconscious body to rest on hisp.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll cooperate.¡± r


    As expected, he was done with his tantrums. Throw in a little treat and people would cease theirints. Charles utilized this when dealing with the Camp members, but he himself was not an exception to the rule.r


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯m taking my leave now.¡± I said.r


    ¡°Talk to Ana and her team. I¡¯ll be sending them to your office shortly. They should be getting ready to begin their expedition.¡±r


    I walked toward the exit and opened it, making to leave the Camp leader¡¯s office.r


    ¡°You know¡­ what you¡¯re doing¡­ it¡¯s wrong¡­¡± Charles muttered, staring at me weakly.r


    He had lost the fire that burned in his eyes, but his look of disapproval didn¡¯t cease. Somehow the judgemental expression he gave annoyed me.r


    ¡°You¡¯re not my dad, so you shouldn¡¯t shove your morals down my throat,¡± I replied, leaving the room.r<sub></sub>


    Plus, he was the wrong one. Everything I did was for my sake, that in itself is the most righteous action I could ever take.r


    ¡®Now then, time to tie up one final loose end.¡¯r


    I returned to my room, or should I say ¡®our room¡¯. Usually, anytime I entered, I was weed with cheerful greetings from everyone. However, this time was different. Ana¡¯s team members all looked downcast and stunned.r


    Ana appeared to be the most devastated of them all, still recoiling from what had happened some hours ago. r


    ¡®Welp, I can¡¯t me them. After all¡­ one of them left.¡¯ r


    ¡°Why¡­? why would Larry suddenly¡­?¡± I heard Ana whisper silently.r


    I quickly got sick of the dreary atmosphere and gave a loud cough. This stirred everyone from their depressed state as they noticed my presence for the first time.r


    ¡°O-oh, Jeremy. Wee back. How did your meeting with Charles go?¡± Ana asked, trying to form a smile.r


    It was of no use.r


    ¡°It went well, the Camp Leader told me to call you guys once I returned,¡± I said, looking at everyone in the room.r


    ¡°O-oh, is that so?¡± Ana asked, ncing at everyone.r


    I was certain they thought it had something to do with Larry leaving the Camp alongside the 28 others. However, they were mistaken.r


    ¡°Okay then. We¡¯ll be heading out now. Take care of yourself.¡± Ana said, moving out of the room while the others trailed behind her.r


    A smile formed on my face as the door closed gently. Why? Because even Ana¡¯s team was unaware of the huge favor I just did for them.r


    ¡°These people should be happy. Thanks to my efforts, the ¡®Evil¡¯ bastard has been flushed out of the Camp!¡± I muttered.r


    Ana was initially mad at Larry when he said he wanted to leave. She was zing furious and questioned his actions. Civilians leaving the Camp was one thing, but no one expected an Expedition member to desert everyone.r


    ¡°There¡¯s no future for this ce anymore. I¡¯d rather join another Camp where they don¡¯t force people to fight against their will!¡± Larry had dered.r


    As intended, his little statement stirred up the unsure civilians around him. The ones who were terrified and felt they had no choice suddenly bought into Larry¡¯s speech and decided to join him. Just like that, he was able to bring 28 people to his side and deserted the Camp with them.r


    The remaining didn¡¯t leave with Larry because they were not convinced and couldn¡¯t imagine a better chance out there since the only strong gifteds they knew were all within the Camp.r


    ¡°What are the chances that we¡¯ll survive if we leave?¡±r


    ¡°Which Camp will take us in?¡±r


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do?!¡±r


    The ones who stayed didn¡¯t do so because of loyalty, but because they weren¡¯t strong enough to leave. Therefore, both the deserters and remaining members were the same¡­ weak-willed idiots.r


    ¡°I should be taking care of them soon¡­¡± I smiled, rising from my mattress. r


    ¡®Charles should be meeting with Ana¡¯s team now. Calcting the time it¡¯ll take for the conversation to be over, I have a little over thirty minutes. I¡¯d better make it count!¡¯r

 Chapter 99 Loose Ends (Pt 2)

    ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t worry, everyone. Just trust me!¡± Larry said in a loud voice to raise the spirits of the 28 people who were with him.r


    Many of them looked dispirited and unmotivated. Their countenance had fallen and they were looking fearful.r


    Now that they were out of the confines of the Camp, they were forced to travel through the destroyed roads and bear witness to the destroyed properties all around them.r


    Most of them had not been outside for weeks, so taking all this in at once was too much for their minds to bear.r


    ¡°M-maybe¡­ I should have stayed behind¡­¡± Some of them muttered to themselves in regret.r


    They often turned their heads back, looking at the Camp¡¯s building a distance away, and felt abandoned. Their only source of hope and defense was Larry, a member of the Expedition team. Or rather, former member.r


    Larry noticed the atmosphere around him and was annoyed by the fools that surrounded him.r


    ¡®Tsk. These weak-minded idiots!¡¯ He groaned internally.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®I managed to take 28 people away from that ce, yet they want to head back already? Useless bastards. Why did theye with me then?¡¯r


    Still, despite his dissatisfaction, Larry knew he had to do something about the people who followed him, so as to raise their spirits.r


    So, Larry found a ce for everyone to rest among the devastated sites around. The area was rtively safe, and a covering of debris surrounded them, preventing anyone from noticing their presence.r


    It was the perfect spot for a break.r


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mention this then, since I wanted to see how many people were willing to have the courage, but I¡¯ll say this now!¡± Larry raised the tempo of his tone, making sure to obtain the attention of everyone, including those who daydreamed of returning to the Camp.r


    ¡°During one of our Expeditions, my team encountered another Camp not too far from here. They have plenty of strong people and lots of resources.¡±r


    As soon as Larry said this, the eyes of everyone bulged in shock. This was news to them.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°They offered for us to join them, but I refused since I already belonged to a Camp. They also mentioned an alliance with our Camp and we told them we would report back to our leader and think about it.¡± Larry added.r


    ¡°A-and, what happened?!¡± One of the people asked, drawing closer in curiosity.r


    Larry¡¯s grin grew wider, extremely pleased that his mindless followers had once again bought into his story.r


    Well, they had no choice but to believe him. If they didn¡¯t cling unto some form of hope, their lives were forfeit anyway.r


    ¡°After telling Charles, he said it was out of the question! He said we couldn¡¯t trust them. But, you know what I think? I think he was just worried that he might lose control of the Camp members under him?¡± Larry said.r


    This caused an uproar among the Camp members. They all began cursing Charles and listingints about him, even unreasonable ones with no justifications.r


    Larry¡¯s spark of controversy lit a fuse of hatred against their former Camp leader. Coupled with the feelings of abandonment alreadytent in the people, this was the perfect recipe for everyone to forget about returning to the Camp.r<sub></sub>


    There was only one path left for everyone to take.r


    ¡°L-Larry, can you take us to this Camp?¡± The people asked.r


    A wide grin formed on Larry¡¯s face as he savored the fact that everyone had taken his bait just like he nned.r


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s where I was nning on going in the first ce!¡± He replied.r


    This caused a positive uproar from his followers as they gratefully cheered for him.r


    ¡°If I put in a good word for everyone, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll all be able to stay there.¡± He added.r


    ¡°Thank you so much, Larry.¡± They beamed, like robots.r


    As they kept making grateful sounds, Larry maintained his expression of goodwill to them. However, hidden deep beneath his kind gesture, were dark intentions no one could perceive.r


    ¡®Hohoho¡­ Hehehehe¡­ these people are too easy!¡¯ He grinned evilly within.r


    Larry¡¯s initial intentions were to sneak out during the chaos and report to his Camp concerning the unrest going on within Charles¡¯ organization. r


    This would signal themencement of their mission; to invade the Camp and plunder all of the resources gathered by the Expedition team.r


    ¡®Our ¡®Evil¡¯ Camp isn¡¯tprised of many members, to begin with. The supplies that would take the Camp two weeks to exhaust willst us a considerably long while. I¡¯m certain the others have been busy with their respective missions and have racked up quite the resources. Hehe, this will be too easy!¡¯r


    Larry¡¯s ns, however, went through an evolution after an idea sparked within him. Taking advantage of the dissatisfaction of everyone, he decided to poach some of the Camp¡¯s members and bring them to his own.r


    ¡®I wasn¡¯t lying to them about taking them to a ce filled with more resources and stronger people¡­¡¯ Larry¡¯s grin grew wider.r


    However, unfortunately for everyone with him, they were merely going to be fodder!r


    ¡®I¡¯m sure that my fellowrades will be happy that I brought some free EXP for them!¡¯ r


    That¡¯s right! There was a discovery within the new world that those with the ¡®Evil¡¯ Alignment had realized. It wasn¡¯t just Demons who gave EXP and allowed Level-Ups.r


    Fellow Gifteds were sources of EXP too!r


    ¡®Soon, we¡¯ll kill them, Level-Up, and while those idiots in the Camp are prepping for the Horde, we¡¯ll steal their resources and destroy them while we¡¯re at it!¡¯r


    Larry controlled the expression of amusement that was beginning to form on his face as he maintained the positive outlook he gave everyone around him.r


    ¡°Ah, so this is where you all are at.¡± A voice suddenly sounded, causing everyone¡¯s skin to jump in surprise.r


    Larry¡¯s eyes bulged as he recognized the sound that came from above him. His face turned in the direction of the voice, so did everyone else who had heard it.r


    ¡°You¡­ you are¡­¡± r

 Chapter 100 Loose Ends (Pt 3)

    The traitors also recognized the intruder as they knew him quite well. It was the newest member of the Camp, the harmless boy that Ana had personally vouched for.r


    ¡°Oh, you all look surprised. Well, I don¡¯t me you¡­¡± The boy smiled, cing both hands in his pockets.r


    His expression was different from what everyone remembered. His bulging eyes were filled with excitement, and a sadistic smile, the boy descended from where he stood andnded from a tall height effortlessly.r


    This was a feat not just anyone could achieve. His sudden appearance, his expression, and the sudden feat he just aplished made everyone who witnessed it wonder if it was truly him that stood before them.r


    Larry¡¯s lips were forced to open as he let out sounds of puzzlement.r


    ¡°Jeremy¡­ Lewis?!¡±r


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-r


    ¡®Pfft, these losers!¡¯ I mused, looking at the bunch of dumbfounded idiots before me.r


    They all disyed shock by my feat, though their reactions were only normal since I had jumped from quite a height.r


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you lot hadn¡¯t progressed further. It would have been a pain to go so far away from the Camp.¡± I smiled.r<sub>.</sub>


    The people seemed to have mixed feelings, but they still tried making sense of my sudden presence.r


    ¡°Why are you here? Weren¡¯t you with Ana?¡±r


    ¡°Did you betray the Camp too?¡±r


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I didn¡¯t see you in the riot.¡±r


    Various spections were raised among them, and before long some even began whispering to each other.r


    ¡°Maybe he was scared of the chaos. I heard his level is quite low, and he¡¯s a weakling.¡±r


    ¡°Weak? Did you see the height he just fell from? And he seems fine.¡±r


    ¡°Meh, it must have something to do with his Gift.¡±r


    Hearing their hushed tone ticked me off, fortunately, I didn¡¯t have to endure it for very long.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Jeremy, did youe to join us?¡± Larry finally asked, silencing the confused remarks of everyone else.r


    Upon hearing his statement, the bunch of ¡®Yes-Men¡¯ behind him all stared at me. Many had unwee gazes, most felt threatened by my presence among them.r


    If I was brought along, as a frail boy, I would be even more of a liability. The selfish retards wanted to maintain their present situation and didn¡¯t want to afford risking their chance at a better life if I tagged along.r


    ¡®Welp, it¡¯s not like I even considered it.¡¯ I grinned.r


    ¡°Why would I think of doing that? You losers are fated to die anyway.¡± I replied with a slight shrug.r


    Apparently, my response didn¡¯t sit well with them, because the next thing that came out of their mouths were threatening noises filled with annoyance and disbelief.r


    Larry quickly quieted them down and red at me slightly. He seemed annoyed that I was stirring the crowd.r


    ¡°Why are you here then? Does Ana know you¡¯re here? It¡¯s dangerous outside the Camp, you know?¡± r


    His gaze narrowed, as though trying to see my true intentions.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Ana doesn¡¯t need to know about this. The reason I came to you all is quite simple¡­¡± r


    An evil gleam unintentionally leaked out of my eyes and my face morphed into a maniacal expression.r


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re all nuisances!¡±r


    A brief moment of unease swept across the crowd. They all looked ufortable while gazing upon my malevolent face, wondering who was really talking to them.r


    ¡°What the fvck? You little shit! Who do you think you¡¯re talking to?!¡± One of the deserters finally spoke up.r


    From his looks, he could easily pass for a thug. Having gritted teeth and an intimidating face, he walked past the rest of hispanions and moved towards me.r


    ¡®What¡¯s he supposed to be? A delinquent?¡¯ I thought.r


    Since I wasn¡¯t that great a distance from them, he reached my location in no time and raised his hand towards me.r


    I humored him and watched as he ced his hand on my shoulder while drawing closer to my face. He bent a little since I was short, but his intimidating expression didn¡¯t change.r


    ¡°Oi, you little shit. I¡¯ve just about had it with your foolish talks!¡±r


    His mouth reeked of a terrible odor, making me wonder whenst he took care of his teeth. His body didn¡¯t smell all too great either. Was it because of my heightened sense or were things just that bad?r


    My eyes darted to my shoulder which he casually pressed his hand on. r


    ¡°Take it off,¡± I replied calmly.r


    He wasn¡¯t someone I needed to waste my emotions on. Unfortunately, the idiot didn¡¯t know his ce and drew his face closer to mine in a daring manner.r


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re still running your mouth. Ana isn¡¯t here to protect you anymore, so I¡¯ll have to teach you a thing or two about respe-¡°r


    ¡®Okay, that¡¯s about it¡­ my patience has run out.¡¯r


    >FWISH!<r


    A de within [Subspace] instantly appeared at my call and pierced the hand he used to grip my shoulder, sending blood spurting out. In slow motion, I saw the man¡¯s eyes bulge in shock, and his tightly sewn frown transformed into a widely open scream.r


    ¡°Guarhhhhhh!!!¡±r


    His pained voice uncontrobly echoed across where we stayed as his mouth moved in agony. He reflexively removed his hand from my shoulder, taking steps back as he viewed his bloodied hand and the weapon that was lodged halfway into his palm.r


    ¡°A-arghhh!!¡­ It hurts¡­ Arhhh!¡­¡± He screamed some more, trying to stifle his shouts.r


    I smiled, enjoying the little sight of entertainment that he was disying.r


    The spectators were astonished by what just happened, a lot of them  took steps back while eyeing me suspiciously. r


    They watched in horror as one of them writhed in pain, unable to pull the dagger out as it would only increase his pain. It was such a pitiful sight that I decided to help him out a little.r


    ¡°<Recall>¡±r


    The dagger vanished instantly, returning to where it came from. This caused the rushing blood of the delinquent to gush out even more. r


    ¡°M-make it stop! Ahhh! Please¡­ It hurts!!!¡± He pleaded with teary eyes.r


    ¡®So his tough-guy act was false? He¡¯s just a wimp¡­¡¯ I mused.r


    Still, it appeared that I had achieved my objective. Everyone around now took me seriously. Looks of fear, suspicion, horror, anger and threat were on their faces.r


    ¡°It appears I¡¯ve gotten your full attention. Now then, let us begin.¡±r

 Chapter 101 Larrys Offer (Pt 1)

    ¡°Uarghhhhhhh!!!¡±


    The wounded man¡¯s voice still filled the air, and it was ticking me off at this point.


    Who would have thought that he wasn¡¯t even the real deal and was just some faker who most likely wanted to impress Larry with his bravado.


    He must have thought that doing so would secure him a higher standing with their ¡®hero¡¯ when they got to the Camp of their dreams.


    ¡®I can be useful when it counts, so watch me, Larry!¡¯ That must have been what he was thinking at the time.


    Looking at him now, though, he had no semnce of dignity left.


    Using my fast-paced movement, I swiftly closed the distance between us, tapping him lightly.


    He instantly vanished, disappearing into [Subspace] in a sh.


    This caused even more shocked cries from the crowd.


    ¡®Good grief, will the noise of this stupid mob ever end?¡¯


    ¡°W-what did you just do?!¡± The people cried, widening their eyes as they stared at me fearfully.


    ¡°Oh, I suppose you guys don¡¯t know about it¡­ my Gift, that is.¡± My eyes moved to Larry who had been silent the whole time.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°I see, so you faked your Gift to us back then¡­?¡± Larry said, now narrowing his eyes at me.


    I smiled, shrugging a little. He caught on quickly.


    ¡°The Aura ability you used back then must have been a Skill, then. The way you make things appear and disappear must be your Gift.¡±


    ¡°Bingo. You¡¯re smarter than I gave you credit for.¡± I said to him.


    Larry didn¡¯t respond, seeming to be thinking about a lot of things.


    At this point, the unease of the masses had peaked, and they couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.


    ¡°Larry, you know what¡¯s going on, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t your team bring him in? Why is he doing this?¡±


    ¡°Larry, please help us!¡±


    They cried out.


    The already impatient man sharply turned to the crowd, and with a menacing re, he barked at them.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Zip it, retards! I¡¯m thinking!¡±


    The sudden reverberation of Larry¡¯s voice, coupled with the expression he gave, appeared to have an immediate effect on the sound, sending chills down their spine.


    The murmurs were banished, and quietness was restored.


    He heaved a deep sigh and turned to look at me. His face looked serious and resolute.


    ¡°Jeremy, who are you exactly?¡± Larry suddenly asked.


    ¡®Welp, that¡¯s a surprise!¡¯ My mind rang.


    Of all the things I thought he would ask, that didn¡¯t appear even once.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re a High-leveled Gifted, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    My eyes bulged the moment he said this. I quickly changed my face back to normal in order not to seem startled, but his question was spot-on.


    ¡®Does he have a Skill that allows him to see hidden truths, like Charles?¡¯


    ¡®No, that can¡¯t be it!¡¯ I quickly dismissed the thought.<sub></sub>


    From the records Charles gave me, Larry didn¡¯t have any Skill of that kind. Plus, if he had known earlier, I was certain his attitude toward me would have given it away at some point.


    Also, just now, it appeared as though he was deliberating and piecing things together. Even now, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure of himself. So he was most likely taking the most rational route in his guess.


    ¡®The question is¡­ why does he think I am a High-Leveled Gifted?¡¯


    ¡°Judging from your silence, I must be right. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering how I know all this. If you cooperate, I¡¯ll fill you in on it.¡± Larry said, now giving a confident smile.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± It appeared I was a little toote in masking my surprise.


    I really have to work on maintaining a poker face, since every now and then my real reactions have been leaking out.


    Still, just because he surprised me for a moment, Larry already had a mistaken assumption that he had an advantage.


    ¡®Hehe, big mistake!¡¯


    >FWOOOOSHH<


    I sent two of my daggers his way, watching what his reaction would be. He caught their movements with his eye, as though already expecting that I would pull something like this off.


    Nimbly moving, he evaded their strikes.


    ¡®So he had been hiding these skills when he was with Ana¡¯s party, eh?¡¯ I smiled in observation.


    Iunched four more daggers to see what he would do, with each appearing at separate locations.


    Seeing that he was somewhat trapped, Larry made use of what appeared to be a Skill. His body slightly glowed ck and he sifted through the daggers, sessfully avoiding any hit at all.


    Not losing any momentum, he dashed to my location in an attempt to stop me from spamming any more weapons.


    I noticed that his speed drastically increased. It must have been the effect of another Skill.


    ¡®For his level, he should have about three skill slots. Looks like he has two Active Skills, just like Charles saw.


    One allowed him to phase through objects like a shadow, and the other granted him a boost in speed.


    He closed the distance between us with ease and used his body augmenting Gift to create sharp ws on his hand to sh me.


    His idea wasn¡¯t wed, and to be honest, even Ana would have had a difficult time dealing with an opponent like him if he fought seriously. However, we were not evenly matched at all.


    ¡°<Aura>¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother dodging his attack, but instead I let him make his hit.


    >KRIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!<


    Like metals scraping against themselves, his ws couldn¡¯t get through my aura, and sparks were sent flying as a result.


    This made his eyes bulge in shock. He seemed to quickly grasp that any further action would be meaningless, so he made to retreat, leaping backward.


    It was too bad that I was faster, with or without the activation of his <Sprint> Skill.


    >FWOOOSH< I swiftly appeared behind him and flicked my fingers while generating a crimson spark of power.


    >KPA!!!<


    My spark which was directed to his back, made an impact as he was propelled to the front and crashed into the ground.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Ow¡­¡± He groaned, slowly rising from the floor that he had crashed into.


    I watched in slight amusement, a little impressed with his durability and pain tolerance. His Level was very inferior whenpared to mine, but he was able to get right up after receiving a hit from me.


    ¡®I suppose not everything is about Levels¡­¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t like I was going all-out, but still¡­ Larry was quite a stubborn guy.


    ¡°I think¡­ we should stop fighting.¡± He suddenly said.


    A wide grin formed on his face. It wasn¡¯t an offer resulting from fear, since I could sense something peculiaring from his eyes as he spoke.


    Rather it was, CONFIDENCE!

 Chapter 102 Larrys Offer (Pt 2)

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop fighting.¡± Larry suddenly said, rising from where he crashed.r


    He had a few bruises from the impact, but they were nothing spectacr. r


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you hear me out?¡±r


    Judging from his countenance, Larry was pretty confident of whatever he was about to say. Curiosity began welling up within me, but I also knew I didn¡¯t have a lot of time to spend.r


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll want to listen?¡± I asked, rolling my eyes.r


    For all I know, he could just be trying to stall until the Cool down time of his Skills have passed, or he might be looking for an alternative way to escape. After our brief sh, it was obvious to everyone who the superior one was.r


    ¡°Larry, just kill him!¡±r


    ¡°There¡¯s no use reasoning with someone like that!¡±r


    ¡°He¡¯s a monster! Please don¡¯t go easy on him.¡±r<sub>.</sub>


    Apparently, not everyone watched the match closely. To them, did it seem like Larry was holding back in his fight against me?r


    ¡®I take it back. It wasn¡¯t obvious to everyone!¡¯r


    ¡°Will you losers just quiet down?! I don¡¯t remember you being useful in any way, so just sit and watch!¡± He responded harshly to the moring crowd.r


    This made them whimper and shrink back. Their eyes were now filled with shock that the kind-hearted and warm Larry was now being so mean.r


    ¡®Perhaps it was due to the pressure of battle.¡¯ With this thought they tried to be understanding¡­ at least that was what I picked up from their little interactions.r


    ¡°You¡¯re already showing your true colors to the people you¡¯re trying to fool, Larry. How long do you think they¡¯ll be able to trust you if you keep acting like that?¡± I asked, smiling at Larry¡¯s devious face.r


    He shrugged slightly.r


    ¡°What other choice do they have? Where else will they go?¡±r<sub></sub>


    Well, that was an apt response. The deserters were currently stuck with Larry, whether they liked it or not. r


    ¡°Still, from your words, I can assume you already know about my true Alignment. No, since you¡¯re a High-Leveled one, you must have already known since the first day we met.¡± Larry remarked.r


    I gave a poker face in response. I wanted to know exactly how he deciphered that. There was only one reasonable answer, and that would be-r


    ¡°If you¡¯re wondering how I came to that conclusion, it¡¯s because I know another one of your kind. He¡¯s also a High-Leveled Gifted. He¡¯s the leader of my true Camp!¡±r


    ¡®I knew it!¡¯ My mind rang.r


    However, this posed a serious problem indeed. I didn¡¯t know that there was someone else who would farm Demons at such a crazy pace when the Apocalypse just started. It was premature to assume that I was the only one who had achieved a high level, but I only thought so on reasonable grounds.r


    ¡®To think there was someone else who-¡®r


    Suddenly, I ceased my thoughts since I realized something. It was possible to attain a high level without having to hunt Demons. That had to be the reason. And judging from Larry¡¯s alignment, and the information Charles had obtained about his Camp, it all came down to one thing.r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Your leader¡­ he¡¯s High-Leveled, uh?¡±r


    Larry looked pleased, happy that I was gaining interest. He was wrong, though. r


    ¡°How many people did he have to kill to reach such a level?¡± I smiled malevolently at Larry, causing him to shiver a little in shock.r


    ¡°Y-you know about that? How unexpected. Does that mean you¡¯re also-¡± Larry¡¯s smile deepened.r


    ¡®The fool must be thinking I had an Evil Alignment.¡¯r


    ¡°Who knows, maybe that¡¯s the case. Although, It doesn¡¯t matter¡­ since I¡¯ll be taking care of you all soon.¡± I grinned, stepping forward a little.r


    Upon realizing that even his life was in danger because of the EXP I would gain from killing him, Larry appeared to be thinking of a way to changing tactics.r


    ¡°L-lets not be in a rush here, Jeremy. Why don¡¯t wee to an agreement?¡± He offered, trying to keep his cool.r


    ¡°What¡¯s your offer?¡± I asked tly, refusing to halt my slow approach.r


    ¡°You should know that these useless people behind me have their uses, right? That¡¯s why I brought them from the Camp. If you cooperate, I¡¯ll let you have your share of them!¡± He offered.r


    ¡®Is this guy retarded or what? I believe his brain must be fried.¡¯ My thoughts trailed.r


    ¡°If I wanted them, I could just take them without sharing with you. How does your offer benefit me.¡± I said.r


    At this point, the impatient members of the crowd started talking among themselves, whispering violently. They had been listening in to our conversation, without understanding most of it. However, upon hearing Larry¡¯sst statement, their suspicion of him rose and they were now worried about their fates.r


    ¡°I have information, you know? And resources! I don¡¯t know why you intentionally integrated yourself with our Party and joined the Camp, but it must have been for information and resources too, right? You were hoping to plunder their resources and take the EXP of the Camp members, right?!¡± Larry was now babbling on faster, since I was getting closer by the second.r


    I shrugged. His crude thoughts were not in line with my agenda. Comparing the Camp¡¯s resources to mine, I had way more than them both in quality and quantity. There was no way their supplies tempted me.r


    As for the EXP of the Camp Members, if I wanted them, I wouldn¡¯t have taken the peaceful and conniving route. I could have just easily ughtered them and plundered their goods.r


    ¡°EXP isn¡¯t everything in this world. Levels only affect basic Stats. In this new world, you have to rely on more than that if you want to survive.¡± I answered.r


    Besides, if I killed them, my Alignment would shift from Neutral to Evil, and that was something I couldn¡¯t afford to do now. After all¡­r


    ¡°T-then why? Why did you join them and share the resources of your base with the Camp? For someone like you, there¡¯s no merit!¡± Larry cried.r


    He was perplexed. The confused man was trying to figure out what it could be that I desired, so he could strike a deal with me. Unfortunately, there was nothing of interest he could offer me.r


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. You can¡¯t give me anything of value, anyway.¡± I answered.r


    Information. Power. Resources. I had more than he could fathom. r


    ¡°I have to say, I was a little interested in what you had to offer since you were quite confident earlier. However, this is kind of¡­ disappointing, It appears I overestimated you.¡± I smiled, standing directly in front of Larry.r


    ¡®It¡¯s the end of the line!¡¯r

 Chapter 103 A Hint Of The Agenda

    ¡°¡­ Disappointing¡­ It appears I overestimated you.¡± I smiled, bringing my face closer to Larry.r


    The moment I said this, a deep re appeared on his face.r


    As someone who had killed another before, he must have been familiar with human nature. An unmerciful person wasn¡¯t going to bite no matter how many pleadings or deals one tries to make.r


    Realizing that it was pointless to make further deals or argue with me, Larry knew he had to fight or escape.r


    Larry¡¯s re suddenly turned into a smile, and a dim light emanated from his body. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck on his end, but his Skills were now ready for use.r


    ¡°Finally!¡± He beamed, covering his body in the shadowy ability that made him intangible for some time.r


    ¡®I knew it. He was also stalling for time.¡¯ I mused.r


    Larry took this opportunity as his queue to leave. He couldn¡¯t take the people behind him as his prize, but at least he would be alive! r


    Dashing swiftly at me, his body passed through me as he ran ahead in order to escape.r


    Larry activated his <Sprint> Skill too, boosting his speed.r


    While I could catch up with him at my normal speed, Larry¡¯s intangibility would make it difficult for me to capture him.r<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®I need to have physical contact, after all¡­¡¯r


    Still, I wasn¡¯t worried. I turned in the direction of the confused and scared people. They trembled the instant our eyes met.r


    ¡°E-eeeek!!!¡±r


    A small smile formed on my face. It was an ironic situation¡­ I, who had once been one of those that quivered in fear, was now the one who caused it.r


    ¡®Have I be a bully myself? A Demon¡­?¡¯r


    No, it didn¡¯t matter at this point. Because in this current world, survival was the priority. And as long as I survived, nothing else was important.r


    ¡°You should all wait here. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I smirked.r


    Instantly fading with the wind, I dashed away from my position, creating a small boom in my wake.r


    ¡®Let¡¯s go hunting!¡¯ I smiled.r


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-r<sub></sub>


    ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!!!¡± Larry growled as he ran with all his might.r


    His Skills would soon go into cool down mode. The system was already warning him.r


    [System Alert!!!]r


    ~You Have 05 Seconds Left Before Your Skills <Sprint> and


    Enter Cool down~r


    [.]r


    ¡°Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­¡± He gave heavy huffs, relentlessly pushing himself to find a safe ce to hide, far away from his pursuer.r


    ¡®I didn¡¯t think things would turn out this way!¡¯ Larry¡¯s mind rang, turning his head in different directions in order to find a safe spot.r


    Finally seeing an iplete building, his eyes widened and he beamed in relief. It was just in time too!r


    He rushed toward the building, running on fumes, and even before he got there, time had run out. Still, not seeing Jeremy within his line of sight, he used his normal speed toplete his journey into the iplete structure.r


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­ that was a close one!¡± He said in exhaustion.r<sub></sub>


    Sweat was all over his body, as he took in the stifling air. As Larry calmed his unstable breathing down, he smiled in relief.r


    ¡°Finally shook him off¡­¡±r


    Still, it was regretful that he lost 28 sources of EXP. If Larry had brought them to his group, it would have solidified his position among them even more, since he was regarded as the weakest among them.r


    ¡°Should I have just killed them on the spot and taken all the EXP? Ahh, why didn¡¯t I think of that earlier?!¡± He groaned to himself.r


    He couldn¡¯t fault himself for leaving them behind though. Jeremy was a monster that wasparable to Larry¡¯s Camp leader. He was someone Larry couldn¡¯t face even if he wanted to. The wisest choice in such a scenario would be to escape.r


    Still, it bothered Larry.r


    ¡°If Jeremy is still staying at the Camp, it¡¯ll be difficult for us to raid them. Our Camp leader will have to deal with him directly if we are to seed. Ah, what a mess!¡± Larry sighed, closing his eyes to rest.r


    ¡°Indeed¡­ you look like a mess.¡± A voice echoed through the iplete structure.r


    Larry was startled by the sudden sound. He recognized the voice, it was the very thing he was trying to escape from.r


    ¡°H-how¡­ How did he-?!¡± Larry burst out, opening his eyes to find Jeremy in front of him.r


    The young boy¡¯s smile, coupled with the massive aura he emitted told Larry that he was in danger. r


    ¡°Shit!¡±r


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-r


    Looking at Larry¡¯s frightened and stunned expression was so amusing, which made sneaking up on him worth it.r


    It would have been easy to simply observe him from a closer range and wait until his


    and <Sprint> Skills timed out. However, that wasn¡¯t going to be any fun.r


    So, by maintaining my distance, I used my enhanced vision, coupled with the binocrs in my possession to watch Larry from afar.r


    I saw him when he entered the iplete building and so proceeded to surprise him.r


    From his reaction, it looked like it worked.r


    ¡°You¡­ how did you get here so quickly? How did you track me?!¡±r


    He was right to be a little surprised.


    allowed no traces of him to remain, so if I didn¡¯t spot him entering the building, it would have been difficult to track him down with my senses alone.r


    ¡°I was always watching you. Needless to say, you¡¯ve run out of options.¡± I said, drawing close to him.r


    Larry¡¯s body was at its limit. Using two skills consecutively, twice in a row, was something that took its toll on an average Gifted.r


    ¡°Why¡­ why are you doing this¡­?!¡± Larry asked, still confused about my motives.r


    Well, it wasn¡¯t going to be detrimental to me if I filled him in, so I decided to enlighten him a little.r


    ¡°Experimentation¡­ that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±r


    His eyes bulged by the simplicity of my response.r


    ¡°E-experi¡­ what are you¡­ what are you nning? What do you think human life is?! All this¡­ is for an experiment?¡±r


    Larry¡¯s words sounded hypocritical since he was a murderer. I wasn¡¯t bothered about what he thought, though.r


    ¡°Information is power. My knowledge of this world and its workings is limited. I need to know more¡­ and once my curiosity has been satiated¡­ it will all be over!¡±r


    No one could understand my reasoning because they hadn¡¯t seen what I saw in the Sacred Hall.r


    The events toe couldn¡¯t be solved with just Stats and Levels alone. To be the absolute winner of this Apocalyptic world, I needed to reach a conclusive answer!r

 Chapter 104 Losers (Pt 1)

    Larry was still recoiling from my words, but I didn¡¯t have any time to waste on him. Raising my hand to tap him, I drew even closer.r


    He must have taken this as a window of opportunity, because he swiftlyunched his arms at me, generating spikes through them. I watched as the sharp-ded arms lunged at me, but his futile attempts at survival were such a letdown.r


    Using <Aura>, I blocked off his assault and proceeded to touch him.r


    ¡°The only reason you¡¯re not dead is because I need you for something¡­ remember that!¡± I whispered in his ears.r


    He shivered and nodded slightly, d that I was sparing his life. Unknown to him, though, the fate I had nned for him was much worse than death by my hands.r


    Larry instantly disappeared into [Subspace] and became my property as well. Curious about something, I called out to my Gift and the [Subspace] window.r


    [SUBSPACE]r


    <Special Items Possessed>r


    Name: Hell Kobold King¡¯s Toothr


    Rank: F+r


    Level: 1(Upgradable)r


    Strength: 600r


    Durability: 5,900r


    Core Power: 1,200r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [.]r


    Name: Hell Kobold King¡¯s wsr<sub>.</sub>


    Rank: F+r


    Level: 1(Upgradable)r


    Strength: 1,000r


    Durability: 7,000r


    Core Power: 2,000r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [.]r


    Name: Enhanced Daggers (Core 1) ¡Á100r


    Rank: Fr


    Level: 1r


    Strength: 20r


    Durability: 200r


    Core Power: 60r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [.]r


    Name: Enhanced Daggers (Core 2) ¡Á 50r<sub></sub>


    Rank: Fr


    Level: 3r


    Strength: 60r


    Durability: 600r


    Core Power: 180r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [.]r


    Name: Enhanced Sword (Core 5)r


    Rank: F+r


    Level: 10 (Max)r


    Strength: 500r


    Durability: 5,000r


    Core Power: 700r


    Core Energy: 100%r


    [Other Items]r


    -tRegr Weapons (Knives, Clubs, Swords, etc.)r<sub></sub>


    -tMakeshift Weapons (Metal Rods etc.)r


    -tFoodr


    -tWaterr


    -tClothingr


    -tessoriesr


    -tSurvival Suppliesr


    -tFirst Aidr


    -tMediciner


    -tFurniturer


    -tFridges/Freezersr


    -tInverterr


    -tSr Panelr


    -tGeneratorr


    -tChemicalsr


    -tGasoline/Fuelr


    -tGas Cylindersr


    -tJuice and Winer


    -tMisceneousr


    [See More]r


    I tapped on the [See More] panel, expanding my range even more. In the list and slots given, I saw the humans I trapped within [Subspace]. An interesting observation was made after noticing the difference between them and regr items.r


    ¡°I see¡­ so they don¡¯t stack up like the normal objects I put in [Subspace],¡± I mumbled to myself.r


    Usually, when putting two of the same items within my special space, they stack up and share the same slot. However, for humans, even though I had multiple male specimens within [Subspace], they all had individual Slots.r


    ¡®I suppose that¡¯s the difference between humans and objects.¡¯ I reasoned. r


    Since the height, weight, size, and several characteristics of humans differed from one another, it was impossible to ce them in the same category. Plus, as Gifteds, they had unique Gifts that made them stand out from their fellow humans.r


    ¡°[Subspace] must have calcted those factors and assigned them to different slots entirely. How troublesome¡­¡±r


    That meant my collection of humans would have to be limited. After obtaining my ¡®Job¡¯, my [Subspace] slots increased to 100. I increased the Rank of my Gift since then with the (G) Karma Points I received and made it advance from Rank E to D.r


    Apart from the removal of distance limitation which I obtained from raising my gift Rank, I got additional slots.r


    ¡®I currently possess 250 Slots. Out of them, 201 are already upied. Which meant that I have only 49 slots left¡­ not enough to ce humans in one by one.¡¯r


    Well, there was no point worrying about all that now. After all, the 28 humans I left behind could still fit into [Subspace]. I could simply take care of the remaining once the need arises.r


    ¡®I wonder if Demons take up individual Slots like humans¡­ It will be troublesome if that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed.r


    Looking in the direction of where my remaining prey were, I decided to hurry back before they began to have any funny ideas.r


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-r


    ¡°L-let¡¯s hurry and leave!¡± One of the more courageous Camp Members dered.r


    He was trembling slightly, but did his best to hide his frailty by acting strong.r


    ¡°B-but¡­ h-he told us to wait here¡­ What if he finds out where we went to? I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± Another protested.r


    The hypocrite who egged everyone on gritted his teeth when he heard hisrade make this statement. He drew closer to the scared man, drew him by his cor, and gave a fierce re.r


    ¡°You coward! You think he¡¯ll spare us if we wait here? We¡¯ll all die if we remain in this ce. I say we take our chances and leave!¡± He shouted.r


    Another person beside him was annoyed by the way the man was pestering all of them. He had been on their case since Jeremy left not very long ago, and was egging everyone on.r


    ¡®I¡¯ve know this man¡¯s personality ever since we were fellow Camp Members. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going with him.¡¯ The observant woman thought to herself.r


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you leave already? Since you don¡¯t want to die, leave.¡± r


    The hot-headed man swiftly turned his face towards the woman, giving her a scowl.r


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±r


    She shrugged, not in any way intimidated by his looks. She rose up from where she sat, walking up to the man she started advancing on him at a rapid rate. This made him flustered, as he took a few steps back in nervousness.r


    ¡°You can¡¯t fool me, Hank. You¡¯re just a scared loser who doesn¡¯t want to leave this ce alone. That¡¯s why you want as many people as you can to follow you!¡± She said to him, pushing his chest as though daring him to try anything with her.r


    Hank was a coward, and he has always believed in collectivity. He knew for sure that they were not safe where they were and wanted to run away and hide. However, he couldn¡¯t leave all by himself, so he wanted more people with him.r


    ¡°W-what did you say, Lara? How dare you?! I¡¯m saying this for the sake of everyone. Let¡¯s run away before he returns!¡± Hank bellowed, finding his courage to speak back.r


    A bead of sweat dripped from his face, as he was feeling an unexinable amount of nervousness, but he couldn¡¯t give in now.r


    ¡®I can¡¯t back down now!¡¯ Hank¡¯s mind rang.r


    To his surprise, however, the one who backed down and gave in¡­ was Lara!r

 Chapter 105 Losers (Pt 2)

    Lara, the defiant woman froze, taking a few steps back as Hank replied to her statement.r


    Hank was a little astonished by her behavior, but quickly got over his surprise. He looked at everyone in front of him too and found out that their res had vanished and they were quite docile.r


    ¡®Hehe, looks like they¡¯re finally beginning to see reason!¡¯ His thoughts rang.r


    Quickly taking advantage of their current state, Hank pressured them to leave once more.r


    ¡°I¡¯m saying this for thest time. If you cowards won¡¯t get up off your arses and leave with me, we¡¯ll all die!¡± r


    The people became even more frightened as Hank finished his words. Initially, he was happy that they trembled with every word he spoke. However, their eyes disyed far greater horror than he could have imagined.r


    ¡®A-am I that scary¡­?¡¯ He asked himself.r


    The people shrank back, trembling even more.r


    ¡°P-please¡­ we weren¡¯t nning on joining¡­¡± One of them broke the silence and said timidly.r


    The others nodded obediently, looking subservient.r<sub>.</sub>


    Hank was now even more confused. He gazed upon their faces well, trying to decipher what had them so frightened. That was when he noticed it¡­ the 27 people before him¡­ weren¡¯t even looking his way.r


    No, they were staring at something behind him¡­ directly behind him!r


    Suddenly, a hand tapped Hank¡¯s shoulder, sending a chill down his spine. The hand was small, like that of a young teenager, but the pressure it exerted was more than anything he had experienced before.r


    Hank could feel it now, the overwhelming presence of the being who was behind him. He could hardly move, yet he stiffly moved his neck and turned to see who the person behind him was. His eyes widened as he beheld the one who had sent everyone into an immediate state of subservience.r


    Jeremy Lewis!r


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-r


    ¡°That¡¯s quite an interesting speech you were giving, Hank. Why don¡¯t you continue?¡±r


    I smiled, staring condescendingly at the man before me. My hands were on his shoulder, as I used a little bit of my strength to pressure him, knowing that I could dislodge his joints at any time.r


    Hank, as he was called by the system, was now trembling as he looked at me. Since I was shorter, his head was bent slightly, which made me feel slightly embarrassed.r<sub></sub>


    Usually, at times like this, the intimidator was meant to make the victims look up at him. It was a shame that my height, or rather theck of it, nerfed the moment.r


    ¡°I-I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Hank stuttered while speaking, revealing his true nature in front of everyone.r


    He was such a loser among losers, a truly remarkable sight indeed. If someone was a weakling, he ought to act like one instead of pretending to be strong.r


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyway¡­ your fate has been decided already,¡± I whispered.r


    Instantly, Hank vanished into [Subspace], making my remaining vacant slots 48. There were 27 people left, so I could manage.r


    As soon as he vanished, the rest of the deserters looked even more frightened by the sight, as they begged me with their eyes and mouth for mercy.r


    ¡°P-please spare us!!!¡± They cried.r


    It was almost too amusing, but I didn¡¯t have the luxury of time to revel in the satisfaction of having people at my mercy. r


    ¡®These guys are even overreacting¡­ they¡¯re not even going to die. I¡¯m just putting them in a ce where I can preserve them. Welp, they don¡¯t know that, though.¡¯r<sub></sub>


    That¡¯s what makes this whole thing fun.r


    Sweeping past all of them, I tapped them lightly and sent them into [Subspace] in a sh. r


    They all screamed as they watched one another vanish and even as they vanished themselves, they deemed it to be the end of their miserable lives. They were too slow to use the Gifts they possessed, too inexperienced inbat to even try.r


    Saving the best forst, it remained Lara, the woman who stood up to Hank. She wore sses, most likely due to her poor eyesight, and had the appearance of a woman in her mid-twenties.r


    ¡®She¡¯s not too bad looking either.¡¯ I smiled, unconsciously sizing her up.r


    Lara was shaken as well, looking at me with a re of curiosity and fear¡­ but not hatred.r


    ¡°Why are you doing this? Killing others¡­ is it fun to you?¡± She asked me.r


    Her speech was calm and collected, even though she was obviously scared.r


    ¡°Hmmn, you¡¯re awfully curious for someone who will soon meet the same fate,¡± I said, nearing her.r


    She didn¡¯t make any futile attempt to struggle, but her body quivered nheless.r


    ¡°Just indulge me¡­ call it the curiosity of a dying woman.¡± She replied with a nervous smile.r


    I was also curious about her, but now wasn¡¯t the time for further conversation.r


    ¡®Time¡¯s up!¡¯r


    I smiled, deciding to at least give her a few words of assurance.r


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not going to die, yet. Save your curiosity for the next time we meet.¡± r


    A brief moment of shock was disyed on Lara¡¯s face as I said this. I wasn¡¯t sure if she would grasp the meaning of what I told her before she entered [Subspace], but to my surprise, a small smile formed on her face as she nodded.r


    ¡°Very well, then.¡±r


    Lara got sent into [Subspace], just like everyone else. However, unlike them, I was slightly curious about her.r


    Still, there was no time to dwell on such. I instantly looked in the direction of the Camp. It wasn¡¯t very far, since the deserters hadn¡¯t walked for too long before taking a break.r


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can get there within a minute!¡± I grinned.r


    Dashing swiftly in the direction of the Camp, I traversed several hundreds of meters and finally got to the entrance in no time.r


    ¡°I¡¯m back¡­ finally¡­¡± I said, heaving a little.r


    Checking the time, I found out that I got to the entrance in a little over a minute.r


    ¡°Tch, have I gotten duller?¡±r


    I could have been faster if I had used Aura in addition to running, but even with my base Stats, I should have been able to make it to the Camp in a minute. r


    Brushing off the little worries in my head, I decided to contemte the matter at another time.r

 Chapter 106 Dispatch (Pt 1)

    Using my heightened strength, I raised the heavy metal walls that blocked off the entrance.


    The structure was well made, and low-level Demons could be guaranteed not to breach it. However, for me, it was quite easy.


    >CREEAAKK<


    The metal structure sounded as I slowly lifted it to prevent any loud noise. Amotion was thest thing I wanted.


    After raising the metal gate, I ventured within, closing it as slowly as I lifted it. My next destination was the lookout verandah. Swiftly racing now, I reached there within seconds, climbing walls to get to the high surface.


    ¡°Finally¡­¡± I huffed a little.


    Opening [Subspace], I looked at two Slots within the very long list of spaces I possessed. Two distinct humans were ced there, the oldest in my collection, not counting Tasha.


    A smile formed on my face as I recollected how I got to possess them. It was linked to the reason I was able to leave the Camp undetected.


    Realizing that it would be troublesome leaving the already agitated grounds of the Camp with the eyes of the sentries keeping watch around, I decided to go after them first.<sub>.</sub>


    I snuck up on the unsuspecting people and tapped them lightly, activating my Gift. By absorbing them into [Subspace], I kept them in a suspended state until I would return and restore them to their exact positions.


    Since everyone around was antsy, I doubted anyone would bother visiting the sentries, giving me enough time to act.


    ¡®Charles should be done with Ana and her team at this point¡­¡¯ I reasoned, quickly tapping the two icons.


    Instantly, they materialized in their designated posts, having the exact postures and reactions they made before being taken in. Without making my presence known, I made my exit. I heard faint traces of their conversations before leaving their range.


    ¡°Did you feel a tap behind you?¡±


    ¡°Yeahhh, nope¡­ it¡¯s probably your imagination.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess I¡¯m a little on edge. After all¡­¡±


    ********************************************<sub></sub>


    ¡°Oh, Jeremy. Where did you go? We were just about to go out to look for you.¡± Ana asked as soon as I entered the room.


    I observed their countenance and movements. Judging by their reactions, it probably wasn¡¯t very long since the group had returned. I ended up spending more time than budgeted. It was a good thing I didn¡¯t take much longer in returning.


    ¡°I went to use the toilet,¡± I replied.


    Some may refer to the term I used as vulgar, but, after experiencing it once¡­


    ¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯m calling that a restroom!¡¯


    ¡°Oh? I see.¡± Ana, as well as the others, responded.


    Ana¡¯s countenance fell a little as she smiled. I guessed it was due to the fact that she still somewhat felt guilty toward me. After her lofty words, in the end, the Camp wasn¡¯t really a great ce to live in.


    The facilities were worse than where I wasing from. Food and supplies were less than encouraging. The big family she was so proud of had an internal conflict, resulting in some deserters.<sub></sub>


    However, the major event that was certain to bother her a great deal was that the Camp was soon to be overrun by a massive Horde of powerful Demons. I was safer back at my Base, since the ¡®masked man¡¯ had rescued me and killed every monster in the area.


    ¡®She must also be considering the trauma I supposedly have. That¡¯s cute.¡¯ I smiled internally.


    ¡°Jeremy. There¡¯s something I, no, we need to tell you.¡± Ana said, now pulling herself together to give me a stern expression.


    Judging by the expression on her face as well as the other Camo members, I could guess what was up.


    ¡®So it¡¯s finally time, uh?¡¯


    ¡°We¡¯ll be returning to your Base to retrieve the remaining supplies there,¡± Ana stated.


    I feigned surprise hearing this. It wasn¡¯t like I could let them know I was the one who told Charles to make things this way.


    ¡°W-why? I thought the Expedition team members would be joining the Subjugation force.¡± I remarked, using my kind voice.


    Ana nodded slightly.


    ¡°We¡¯re an exception. Since only we know the location of the base, it¡¯s best we go to retrieve the supplies since they¡¯re still very useful.¡± Peter added.


    ¡°B-but, do all of you need to go?¡± I asked, showing slight nervousness.


    ¡°We work best as a team. Besides, you know how dangerous the journey to the Base is. Plus, with the Horde approaching, things could get more dangerous. We need to move as a group.¡± Ana exined, drawing close to me


    ¡°There¡¯s also a chance Larry might lead the deserters to retrieve the remaining resources since he knows the location, so we should act quickly.¡± Daniel pointed out.


    Ana hugged me, probably thinking I was ¡®devastated¡¯ by the news. The people who were my support and close family were leaving, of course, I would be devastated.


    ¡°L-let mee with you, then!¡± I remarked, hugging Ana back.


    The young woman smiled softly at my gesture. As I looked at her longingly, she slightly shook her head and gazed into my eyes.


    ¡°You can¡¯t. It¡¯s too dangerous¡­ I already told Charles to take personal charge of you. You¡¯ll be kept safe in the Camp among the few kids we have here.¡± Ana gave me her big sister smile.


    Once again, I hugged her, burying my face in her chest as though not wanting her to go. However, a smile was actually forming on my face. Things were progressing satisfactorily.


    ¡®Good work, Charles.¡¯


    Even with our slight disagreement, he didn¡¯t fail to keep his end of the bargain. It almost made me want to forgive him for crossing me, but it was toote for that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a baby, Jeremy. We¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll be back in two days, so don¡¯t worry. After we return, we¡¯lle to see you before joining the Subjugation team on the battlefield.¡± Peter said, rubbing my hair with his hands.


    Looking up at him, I saw the genuine smile he disyed. Peter first started as a cold guy, but after some time he too hadpletely warmed up to me.


    Lily gave a shy blush as she encouraged me. Daniel nodded in support. Now surrounded by my encouraging family, how could I not cheer up.


    ¡°O-okay, then. I¡¯ll be waiting for your safe return!¡± I beamed a smile at them!¡±

 Chapter 107 Dispatch (Pt 2)

    It had been five days since I arrived at the Camp. Six since I came into contact with Ana¡¯s team. It wasn¡¯t very long, but the memories I made were iparable to any I had in the past.


    Despite my malevolent ns, and everything I had in store for the whole Camp, my heart had warmed up to the group as well.


    ¡®You guys¡­ thank you for everything! I had a lot of fun too!¡¯ I beamed.


    After all, today was the time I bid farewell to Ana and her team.


    The Camp members gathered to give them a farewell, watching as they left the Camp. It was very early in the morning, not even seven yet.


    Yesterday, after Ana revealed their departure, I put on a little act and we all had a wonderful time conversing like a family. It was a strange, yet thrilling experience, and for a moment I was happy.


    However, ytime was over.


    I watched at the forefront of the crowd, cheerfully waving goodbye to Ana, Peter, Daniel, and Lily. They bravely marched to procure resources, essential supplies that the Camp supposedly needed.


    ¡®I could easily use Recall to get them all back, but this is essential.¡¯ I thought to myself.<sub>.</sub>


    While Ana was absent, I would be sent with the Expedition team and do what needed to be done.


    It would take two whole days before Ana returned, and by then it would have been toote. Charles was already given the excuse to tell her once she returned with her group, so I was in the clear.


    Despite the endgame, I genuinely wanted them all to be well. After all, I wasn¡¯t a monster¡­ I was just someone caught in a cruel world who just wanted to survive.


    And so, with our farewell, the team faded in the morning background, and soon after the crowd dispersed.


    My time at this ce had been nothing short of eventful. A lot of things happened, and it was a thrilling ride. The temptation to remain stagnated at the Camp came. With my resources, I could make living better for the few I actually cared about.


    The nting and borehole project would seed, giving us a stable supply of food and water. I could level up and defeat the Demons threatening the Camp, bing the new ace.


    However¡­ there was no way I could settle for that. As someone who knew what wasing, getting attached now would only mean weakness and death.


    ¡®To survive¡­ to thrive¡­ I need to do this!¡¯ My mind rang.<sub></sub>


    In the end, I just had to keep moving forward!


    *****************************************


    ¡°Everything is set. Ana is gone, and the preparations have been made on our end for the Subjugation squad.¡± Charles reported, sternly giving his briefing with me in the office.


    Tasha stood beside him, trying to maintain her stoic expression, but she couldn¡¯t fool me. Once in a while, her deep re would escape and I could see it.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to dy it. We should start advancing now.¡± I replied.


    ¡°I was thinking the same. ording to the scouts, the journey to the Hobgoblins¡¯ location is roughly ten hours. Judging by the advance they would have made during that time, the distance should be shortened. I estimate about 8-9 hours will be the new time it would take to reach them.¡± Charles analyzed.


    I was amazed by his deductive skills. He was definitely the most intelligent person I knew, other than myself.


    ¡°If the Subjugation team leaves now, they should arrive in the evening. They¡¯ll set up camp away from the enemy. We have a stealth Gifted. He will scour the area, while Melissa will make sure to provide a barrier in case things go awry.¡±<sub></sub>


    I smiled and nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll use the strategy I proposed and thin out their numbers. That will onlyst us for so long, though. Once the Hobgoblins figure out the trick, they¡¯ll attack en masse and the formation will be ruined.¡± I said.


    ¡°After that, it¡¯s up to you to finish the job¡­ as the Masked Man.¡±


    I nodded. It was a good thing we were on the same page.


    ¡°Now then, you should begin addressing the Subjugation team. They¡¯ll be surprised that I¡¯ming with them, but I trust you¡¯ll be able to handle it well.¡± I smiled


    Charles was silent. Now that the briefing was done, he had no obligation to say anything else. I rose from my seat, seeing as I wasn¡¯t wee anymore. My eyes darted to Tasha, once again noticing her re.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking good, Tasha. Charles must have treated your injuries well. How sweet.¡±


    My grin appeared, infuriating the woman as her face disyed hatred.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look that way. I can see you disapprove of my alliance with your husband. But, you should know that it¡¯s the only reason you¡¯re both alive, even your child. Never forget that.¡±


    I could tell she wanted to hurl words at me, but for the sake of her family, Tasha wouldn¡¯t dare.


    ¡°Well, then¡­ Later.¡± I smiled, leaving the office for both lovebirds.


    >SLAM!<


    *****************************************


    ¡°Charles, that boy is-!¡± Tasha burst out as soon as Jeremy was confirmed to have left the vicinity.


    ¡°Yeah. I know. You don¡¯t need to tell me¡­ but there¡¯s nothing we can do about it right now.¡± Charles interrupted his seething wife.


    As much as it pained him that Jeremy had mocked him and his wife and could seemingly get away with anything, the truth remained that he was untouchable.


    Not only was his level high, but Jeremy had just agreed to share some of his supplies with the Camp, ensuring that they held out until they could harvest their foods.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t doing it for free. Jeremy was to secure a high percentage of the increase gained from the produce.


    ¡°30 percent¡­ It¡¯s a bit high, but considering we would be dead without his resources, and he could also easily overpower us if he wanted, it¡¯s a decent deal.¡± Charles had reasoned.


    ¡°How long are you going to put up with this?¡± Tasha asked her husband, powerlessly clenching her fist.


    Charles sighed, looking to his desk. He tightened the grip he had around his fingers while interlocking them.


    ¡°I¡­ I have no idea.¡±


    What could he do against the overwhelming force of Jeremy?

 Chapter 108 Dispatch (Pt 3)

    9:07 AM.


    That was the exact time we prepared to set out. The Subjugation team members were already outside the gate of the camp, looking beyond at the looming fate in store for them.


    Our forces consisted of exactly seventy-five members. Daniel was appointed the leader of the group, as expected.


    The remaining members of the camp consisted of those who were involved in the borehole and nting project. Since no manpower could be spared, anyone who had no pivotal role in the Camp was made to participate in the Subjugation.


    Everyone already knew this, so there were noints.


    ¡°Now then¡­ depart!!!¡± Charles raised his voice, encouraging everyone to leave for their impending doom, or victory.


    Tasha apanied us, serving as the assistant leader of Daniel since she was older and more experienced.


    Of course, this was well calcted by Charles. After all, if he, the Camp leader couldn¡¯t join in on the battle as a result of the obligations he had in observing the pertinent matters within the Camp, his assistant needed to join.


    If he chose to be selfish and kept her, many members would be dissatisfied with it and even view him with suspicion.<sub>.</sub>


    I stood at the center of the crowd as we left the building, slightly tilting my head to get a final nce at Charles. He had a grim expression, and as though having the same idea, his eyes fount their way to me.


    Even though he said no words, I could tell from his expression what he was trying to tell me.


    ¡®Please keep everyone safe¡­ don¡¯t let Tasha die!¡¯


    A smile formed on my face. So now he knew how to plead. He must have realized that everyone¡¯s lives were in my hands, including his wife. I was the sole reason for victory against the demons.


    ¡®Unfortunately, I don¡¯t intend for things to go your way, Charles.¡¯ I smiled.


    After all, he was now my enemy.


    Onto other matters, there was one thing that bothered me. Well, it wasn¡¯t a bother, as much as it was a nuisance, and that was the unending gazes of people around.


    It was certain that they would be stunned by Charles¡¯ choice of making me join the Subjugation team. People like Daniel even protested to the Camp Leader, calling it madness to involve someone of my caliber in such a dangerous mission.<sub></sub>


    Charles handled things well and managed to convince them all. I overheard everything from the bug I nted in his office.


    ¡®It was a smart move¡­ but that doesn¡¯t erase the curiosity and unease within the people concerning me¡­ Tsk, how annoying.¡¯ I thought, pulling my hood up as I walked alone.


    ¡°Hey, Jeremy. You better not slow us down, you hear me? I won¡¯t forgive you if this mission is screwed because of you, retard!¡± Someone yelled at me, causing me to raise my head a little.


    From her voice, I could already guess who it was. Walking a few feet in front of me, while sticking close to Daniel, was Melissa. I sighed, not ready to deal with her nonsense, and kept walking.


    The group had been progressing for some time now, nearly thirty minutes, and the reality of the situation was already dawning on everyone. Some were scared, some were worried, some anxious, some regretful, some resolute, yet she didn¡¯t seem to bother about those things.


    Only one thing appeared to go on in the silly girl¡¯s mind. Her spite toward me! I also spotted Tasha¡¯s re from a distance, noticing she was eyeing me from a distance.


    ¡®It seems I have quite the number of enemies here¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed.


    ¡°Hey, you little-! Don¡¯t ignore me!!!¡± Melissa continued her embarrassing disy of what appeared to be intimidation.<sub></sub>


    Most people ignored her, while those who wanted to get in her good graces began making snarkyments to assist her.


    I ignored all of them, though.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Melissa. This isn¡¯t the time for that.¡± Daniel finally intervened.


    It appeared that even her lover had a limit to how much he could tolerate.


    ¡°W-wha-? What did you say, Daniel? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to slow us down! We don¡¯t even know any of his capabilities!¡± Melissa barked back at the ace.


    This attracted many res from the crowd. They clearly supported Daniel more than any other, and her rude remarks to him were enough to earn her a lot of negative points from those who watched.


    ¡°Still, he¡¯s useful for something. That¡¯s all that matters.¡± Daniel stated firmly, not even looking in Melissa¡¯s direction.


    He was most likely referring to the excuse Charles gave them concerning my presence in the Subjugation squad.


    ¡°B-but¡­¡± Melissa¡¯s voice trailed, now noticing that both the crowd and her boyfriend weren¡¯t on her side.


    Even those who were bellowing in support of her had quieted down.


    ¡°Melissa, calm down. Daniel is right. At the moment, you ought to conserve your energy and focus on the task at hand.¡± Tasha added calmly.


    ¡°As you know, your Gift is indispensable to this mission.¡±


    As Tasha said this, Melissa smiled a little, somehow pleased that her usefulness was emphasized. It appeared the wife was just as sly as her husband, seeing as she was able to sweet-talk Melissa so easily.


    ¡®Or maybe Melissa is just too easy¡­¡¯ I reasoned.


    ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll let it go for now¡­¡± She mumbled, shooting me one final re before concentrating on her front.


    Everyone disyed relief that the little episode ended with no incident. However, for me who couldn¡¯t care less, I simply kept trodding along.


    [3 Hours Later]


    Nearly four hours had passed since we left the Camp and our team had not encountered a single Demon. It was the strangest thing yet.


    A cluster of Gifteds was sure to attract the attention of Demons, yet we hadn¡¯t even sighted any. Everyone was uneasy and on their guard since the situation was unpredictable.


    Even I had certain theories concerning this, but kept my cool.


    ¡®At the very least, one or two strays should have sensed us¡­ if not a small group. What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    Suddenly, my eyes bulged, reacting to a strange sensation I felt. Even before our official subjugation began, we were already being greeted by this. How absurd!


    ¡®T-this is¡­!¡¯

 Chapter 109 Demon Ambush

    ¡°SKURRIIIIIIKKK!!!¡± A sudden cry echoed in the air, sending chills down the spines of everyone.


    The sound didn¡¯t originate from our group, and the high pitch indicated that it certainly wasn¡¯t from a human.


    ¡°T-take formation!¡± Daniel dered, instantly realizing what was happening.


    The already tensed people jumbled up their movements since they were extremely flustered. Most hadn¡¯t been in an actual fight with deadly Demons before, and even if they had been, the suddenness of the situation made everything unsettling.


    The earth trembled, and more of the blood-curdling cries from earlier rang in the air once again.


    Slowly, they began to make their entrance. It was a simply absurd and terrifying sight. Dozens of demons appeared, having the signature slimy green bodies and disgusting features that were associated with their kind. They appearedrger than the ones Ana¡¯s team faced and didn¡¯t seem any less dangerous.


    They appeared all around us, closing their distance slowly. By the time what was happening became evident, it was toote.


    We were surrounded!


    ¡°Shit!¡± Melissa yelled, quickly activating her Gift.<sub>.</sub>


    A pink force field was generated, covering our entire group. It was a surprising move made by her, surprising me. I didn¡¯t expect her to act so quickly. Perhaps it was her survival instinct.


    ¡°Pull yourselves together, everyone!!! Get in formation!¡± Daniel yelled.


    This snapped everyone who was petrified by the sight of way too many Demons back to reality. They quickly assumed their positions as rehearsed.


    Clustering closer in a watertight formation, I was stuck in the middle, not seeing much of anything. The vanguards encircled the group, like shieldmen. Every single one of them had Gifts that were effective in closebats, as well as at least a Skill useful for fighting.


    Those who were encircled in the secondyer were mid-range fighters. They were to take care of enemies who were able to get past the close-range fighters. Hidden deep within the formation were long-range Gifteds or those incapable of fighting in such a situation.


    The long-range fighters were to use their Gifts, Skills, or whatever, tounch assaults on the enemies while being protected by the formation.


    This ensured a bnce in the party y. Of course, I was stuck at the center since I had no use in the ensuing chaos, however, that wasn¡¯t the cause of my annoyance.


    It was because the person directly beside me in the formation was none other than Melissa!<sub></sub>


    ¡°Shit! You better stay a good distance from me, twerp!¡± She growled, eyeing me ferociously.


    I couldn¡¯t go any further from her since the formation was designed in such a way, so I merely tolerated her tantrums. Melissa was in the center for good reason, after all.


    As the propagator of the shield field that protected the Gifteds, she needed to remain in the middle so that her Gift would cover everyone. Also, she was a key member, so she needed to be protected dearly. In addition, she had no offensive capabilities.


    The conclusion was only inevitable.


    ¡°We willmence the first assault now. Prepare yourselves!¡± Daniel¡¯s voice rang once again.


    His fierce eyes were focused on the Demons that now quickened their pace and neared us at an rming rate. In merely a few seconds they would be in our vicinity.


    ¡°Hold¡­.¡± He raised his hand, waiting for the opportune time to give the signal of attack.


    ¡°HAHAHAH!!! SKURRRIIIIK!!!¡± The Hobgoblinsughed maniacally, lunging themselves at us in a frenzy.<sub></sub>


    As they poured in their multitudes, Daniel still refused to give a signal of attack. They neared us¡­ closer¡­ closer.


    Everyone held their breath and waited until they finally reached our location.


    In a coordinated manner, they sent their ws flying at our group in an attempt to fatally wound us. However, as soon as the bodies of the Demons touchedMelissa¡¯s barrier, sparks flew and they were instantly repelled by the force generated.


    >BOOOOMMMM!!!<


    A deafening reverberation echoed across the vast wastnd around us, and that was exactly the moment Daniel decided to give his signal.


    ¡°Chargeeeee!!!¡±


    Hearing this, everyone activated their Gifts,unching a heavy barrage of assaults. From ming fists to sonic bursts. Some could move the very earth itself and create quakes to destabilize the Goblin troops, while others restrained them by using binding Gifts. This made it easier for the vanguard to deal more damage and vanquish their foes.


    It was difficult to watch the whole thing, but I caught slight glimpses of their fights. A slight feeling of frustration welled up within me as I wanted to recall how it felt like to kill Demons.


    Plus, so much EXP was being taken away from me. Well, the Demons were about 50 in number, so they would have probably made me Level up once.


    I gave that all up for the greedy pigs that surrounded me.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t so bad watching the entire group struggle against the Hobgoblins. They were doing quite well, even the former civilians. Some had extremely useful skills inbat. It was a shame that they had been wasting away as civilians due to their cowardice.


    The tides of the battle slowly began to change, favoring the Hobgoblins. This caused Daniel to make another call.


    ¡°Return!¡± He yelled.


    Instantly, thebatants returned to the pink field that offered them sce. As soon as they did this, they caught their breaths a little, regaining stamina.


    The Hobgoblins growled, gritting their teeth at the cowardly disy the Gifteds showed them, advancing once more to their prey.


    As soon as they shed with the Pink barrier again, they were bounced back, allowing the Gifteds to attack them in their stunned state.


    As simple as the strategy was, it was highly efficient.


    The vanguards were to leave the barrier for a short while, cutting down the Demons while the middle rangers would remain in the barrier, same with the long-range Gifteds. Once the vanguards were exhausted, they would return to the force field, luting the Demons to the impregnable pink haven.


    The Demons would get thrown back by this, giving the team openings to exploit.


    Slowly, yet assuredly, the Subjugation squad ate at the numbers of the Hobgoblins, reducing them drastically until the final one was cut down.


    Raising his fist high in the air, Daniel made a great victory cry. This was followed by dozens of our troops making the same noise as the Subjugation squad tasted its first victory.


    From where I stood, despite the annoying banter of the girl beside me, I smiled.


    The fools were satisfied with this level of achievement when the true fight hadn¡¯t even begun.


    ¡®This is merely the beginning¡­¡¯

 Chapter 110 Setting A Base

    After fighting the Demons who ambushed our squad, a majority of the Subjugation members were exhausted. Many hadn¡¯t exerted themselves to this degree before, so it was only natural.


    The adrenaline wore off, and many felt the built-up tension surface. Since we had also been walking for quite some time as well, Daniel made the right call for us to rest.


    A select few, including Daniel, went to pick up the Demon Cores that were scattered around. I would have liked to observe one and check the Skills hidden within the cores, but someone of my caliber wasn¡¯t given ess to the glowing stones.


    ¡®There¡¯s no need to rush¡­ there are many more at the destination.¡¯ I reasoned.


    As we took our break, water was distributed to everyone, but not food. Not only were we to manage our resources, but food would only weigh us down at this point. We would soon be on our way, anyway.


    Even as I took my seat away from everyone, I could sense the tension in everyone¡¯s hearts. None of them could shake the bad feeling apanying the presence of the Demons in such a mighty wave.


    Some had hoped that the 50 Hobgoblins were the Horde they were sent out to subjugate. They were wrong, of course.


    ¡°Those Hobgoblins are most likely members of the scout teams.¡± I overheard Daniel say.<sub>.</sub>


    He was talking to Tasha and other high-ranking members of the Subjugation team.


    ¡®Hmm, spot-on.¡¯ I reasoned, drawing my attention to their little discussion.


    ¡°If that¡¯s how the scout team is, heaven only knows howrge their numbers actually are¡­¡± Tasha remarked.


    ¡°It¡¯s still bothersome as to how they were able to coordinate their attacks that way and ambush us. We didn¡¯t even suspect until they came at us¡­¡± Dave, the team leader of the second expedition team added.


    Daniel, Dave, Tasha. These were the people with the highest levels currently on the Expedition team. Daniel had leveled up considerably, so his Level was now 35. Impressive.


    ¡°We can only prepare for the worst. I¡¯ll observe the Hobgoblins¡¯ Demon Corester, so we¡¯ll be able toe up with a reasonable exnation.¡± The Subjugation leader stated.


    I smiled after hearing his words. He truly had changed.<sub></sub>


    We continued progressing after taking a short break, though some did so grudgingly. Trodding our weary feet, we pressed on, looking around us observantly to prevent being caught off guard again.


    Even Melissa wasn¡¯t being as talkative as she had been before the ambush. Reality had dawned on everyone, and they knew that if they weren¡¯t careful¡­ they would die!


    *******************************************


    Evening drew near, and the orange skies were painted with the setting sun. However, just as expected¡­ we had arrived at our destination.


    ¡°Oof! I¡¯m so exhausted!¡± Many let out.


    Sitting on the hard ground, they didn¡¯t mind in any way. Heaving and huffing tiredly, our group was relieved that we finally halted.


    ¡°ording to the scouts, this will be the best position for a base to intercept the Hobgoblin Horde,¡± Daniel stated.<sub></sub>


    It was located on high ground, a short end to the right away from the main road where the Hobgoblins would transverse. Since they wererge in number, the vast horde would be conspicuous to everyone who saw them.


    Looking at the time, it was about 5:38 PM, making it about eight hours and thirty minutes since we left the Camp. If we calcted how much time it took for everyone to kill the Hobgoblin ambushers and rest, the time it took for the actual journey was a bit over seven hours.


    ¡®It¡¯s sooner than expected. They¡¯ve already advanced this far¡­?!¡¯ My mind rang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking a few members to scour the area to make sure it¡¯s safe. We¡¯ll also make sure to get a visual on the Horde¡¯s base.¡±


    Upon saying this, Daniel took Dave and one other high-leveled Gifted with him, alongside two of the Scouts. He left Tasha with everyone else, in case there was a need for her expertise.


    I was tempted to see the horde for myself. If I wanted to, I could swiftly leave the rest of our group members to follow Daniel and see the horde for myself.


    ¡®Even if I end up being missing, I¡¯m sure Tasha will understand what I went to do and cover for me¡­¡¯ I smiled.


    However, I restrained myself. Sooner orter, my chance woulde.


    [Thirty Minutes Later]


    ¡°Everyone, gather around. We would like to make an announcement.¡± Daniel called out to the Subjugation team members who were already enjoying dinner.


    Since they would have very little time to cook, most of the food with them was dried. At the moment, they ate dried beef jerky for dinner, downing it with water.


    In the morning, they would eat dried potatoes and soda, since they needed a great amount of energy tomence subjugation.


    Interrupted by Daniel, everyone turned in his direction, refusing to stop biting the dried meat they held in their hands. Daniel too realized this and decided to just address them while they ate.


    ¡°We have spotted the camp of the Hobgoblins¡­ I have good news and bad news.¡± He said in a serious tone.


    Everyone stopped eating that every instant and focused their attention on him. This was a matter of life and death. Only a fool would be distracted in this moment of truth.


    ¡°As guards stationed across the area they set up base in, we spotted at least a hundred. This means there are sure to be more enemies within their base. Judging by our strategy of cing guards, it¡¯s estimated that a total of 500-700 Hobgoblins are in the Base.¡± Daniel revealed.


    This was followed up by the shocking cries of many. Their eyes bulged in surprise, and the lingering fears in their hearts began resurfacing.


    Panic was written on their faces as they looked at one another, wondering what the next course of action would be. At least 500 troops within, coupled with the 100 guards were already over 6 times our entire squad.


    The same question pressed into the minds of everyone who heard Daniel.


    ¡®Can we win?!¡¯

 Chapter 111 Sneaking Out

    An estimated amount of 500-700 Hobgoblins.


    Ever since I saw that the scout group of the Demons contained 50 of them, I already knew that the numbers of their main forces would be vast.


    ¡®700 is too low a number¡­ they should be even more.¡¯ I reasoned.


    Back in my apartment, the amount of Hell Kobolds I faced was easily over a thousand. They would have kept increasing if I didn¡¯t kill the Boss.


    Since a Gate spawning demons would keep spitting them out, it was expedient to quickly kill the Boss to stop the outpouring of demons.


    The problem was that even I didn¡¯t know how long the Gate had been open. If it was during the same period as the Kobold Gate, then the Hobgoblins were sure to have reached thousands by now.


    ¡®How exciting!¡¯ My mind rang.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s the good news, then?!¡± Someone finally burst out in desperation.<sub>.</sub>


    The crowd was uneasy, and if Daniel didn¡¯t give them some semnce of hope, most would lose their will to fight.


    Daniel noticed this and quickly attempted to raise their spirits.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a chance of victory! Their numbers are not overwhelmingly much! If we stick to the tactics prepared by the Camp and wear down their numbers little by little, we will emerge victorious!¡± Daniel dered.


    I looked around and saw that the people began to cheer up and cling to his words of hope.


    However, being who I am, I already noticed two major ws.


    ¡®As long as the Boss is still alive, the gate will keep spilling Demons, so a prolonged battle is to our disadvantage. If they attempt to wear down their numbers, the only ones who will be losing is us!¡¯ I thought to myself.


    We had limited rations, so we couldn¡¯t for more than a week. The Demons would keeping, and ultimately, we would easily be overpowered.<sub></sub>


    ¡°You have all had experiences fighting the Goblins. You know how tough they are! But do not despair! Just as we were able to defeat 50 today, we will kill even more tomorrow. We won¡¯t lose to those monsters!¡± Daniel kept raising their spirits.


    The second w with his logic was the ideology that the difficulty of the Hobgoblins would remain the same.


    ¡®Back at the apartment, the closer I got to the Gate, the more powerful the Hell Kobolds I encountered were. Variations such as the ¡®Adults¡¯ ¡®Guardians¡¯ and ¡®King¡¯ emerged, making the fight even more difficult.¡¯


    The same applied here. There were bound to be Hobgoblin Chiefs and leaders who surpassed the regr Hobgoblins in power.


    ¡®As the battle drags on, the people will also grow wearier. Adding the increased difficulty and the never-ending spawning of monsters to the mix, the possibility of victory is non-existent.¡¯ I mused.


    ¡°Let us all rest up for tonight. I will select guards and members of the scouting party, and we will take turns in twos. The Hobgoblins don¡¯t appear to be making any moves, for now, so we should be safe.¡± Daniel remarked.


    After this, he took a break and was given his share of dinner. I watched how he ate quickly and drank water. As one who was responsible for so many, Daniel couldn¡¯t be caught cking off for too long.<sub></sub>


    ¡®I kind of pity him¡­¡¯


    Finally, it was time for lights out. Since there were enough clothing materials, the tailors among us had already formed many tents with the materials, allowing us to take refuge inside. Unfortunately, that meant sleeping in the same tent as several other people, something I refused to do.


    The exhausted troops quickly slept off, snoring loudly. As I sat in the tent with barely any room to move, I gritted my teeth.


    ¡®Let¡¯s be patient¡­¡¯ I growled, holding my annoyance in.


    After waiting a few moments and confirming that everyone was asleep except for those keeping watch, I left the ufortable tent.


    Keeping my footwork to a minimum, I made sure to spread my senses as far as I could to ensure no one spotted me. So far, the watchmen were looking away from our settlement, since they expected interference from the outside, not within the base itself.


    I used this to my advantage and found the perfect way to sneak out unnoticed.


    Blending with the darkness and the grass, I swiftly made my way from everyone else and advanced to the Hobgoblin base.


    ¡®Now this is more like it! I¡¯m excited!¡¯ My mind rang.


    Suddenly, as I fast approached the Hobgoblin base, not yet sighting where they were all clustered, I sensed some Hobs rushing at me at great speed.


    ¡®They sensed me? No¡­ they are aiming for our base!¡¯ My mind rang.


    I could have easily evaded their advance and allowed them to attack the camp we settled in, but based on what I sensed, they were more than the 50 that ambushed us on our way.


    ¡®The Subjugation team won¡¯t be able to fight as efficiently as they did in the afternoon. The darkness is a huge disadvantage, plus everyone is tired and sleepy.¡¯ I reasoned.


    Melissa could use her force field to protect everyone, but it wasn¡¯t going tost forever. Plus, the pink glow of her Gift would give our position away, signaling reinforcements from the Hobgoblin base.


    ¡°If they were to send more assaulters to us¡­ the whole Subjugation team will be wiped out and the mission will end in failure!¡± I mumbled.


    There¡¯s no way I could have that!


    Halting in my approach, I took abat stance and readied myself for the wave of Demons fast approaching me.


    I activated my <Aura> skill to boost my overallbat prowess, also preparing <w Attack>, <Venomous ws> as well as my <Spike Attack> for the battle to ur.


    A wide grin formed on my face as I saw the green folk rush at me.


    I could see clearly in the dark, so it was of no disadvantage to me. As I suspected, they were at least a hundred Hobgoblinsing. They had also spotted me and soon raced at me with murderous eyes.


    My body throbbed excitedly and my eyes bulged in excitement. My first fight in a while¡­ there was no way I wouldn¡¯t savor it.


    ¡°Come! Let¡¯s have some fun!¡± I grinned widely.

 Chapter 112 Battle In The Dead Of Night (Pt 1)

    >FWOOOOSHHH!!!<


    My body fluidly moved with the wind, charging at the fast-approaching Demons.


    In a sh, they all lunged at me, but I was faster than them.


    Jumping, while twisting my body in mid-air, I sent spikes flying at them, coordinating my projectiles to hit them at fatal spots.


    ¡°Guraaaaaakk!!!¡± They made painful screeching sounds as they fell.


    Those who managed to avoid fatal hits, but were grazed soon began experiencing the venomous effects of my Skill. They became sluggish as purple veins began growing on them and their green skin became paler than usual.


    Taking this as a hint, I dashed at them, still covered in my red aura, and elongated my nails to make w attacks.


    Lunging the sharp ws at the poisoned targets, it was easier for me to rip them to shreds, tearing them apart in mere moments.<sub>.</sub>


    They screeched, trying to get closer to me to deal damage, but I ensured I faced them from a far distance, bncing my fights out.


    ¡®Hobgoblins are melee fighters! If they can¡¯t get close, they¡¯re not dealing any damage!¡¯ I thought happily, enjoying the ughter that urred.


    My ws poked through their skulls, ripped through their flesh, causing their blood and internal organs to splurge out, staining my outfits and skin with their grimy liquid.


    I didn¡¯t mind though. The blood would evaporate, and their flesh would turn ashen, leaving no evidence of the fight.


    ¡°Die! Die! Die!¡± I screamed excitedly, feeling my blood boil as Iunched my ws, poking their eyeballs and mutting the disgusting skin of my foes.


    It was so one-sided that none of them couldnd a hit on me. Using Aura, my entire stats were boosted, making me no match for their futile attempts to near me. Using my <Spike Attack> Skill, coupled with <Venomous Spikes>, I made sure to injure and slow down those that surrounded me, while using <w Attack> to finish them off!


    Just as I was still enjoying the ughter, I heard a ping, something that brought me joy in the past that I hadn¡¯t seen in quite a while. Yes, after all this time. Finally¡­<sub></sub>


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    My grin became wider and I became more motivated to kill the targets. Spreading my senses, I noticed that some of the Hobgoblins had climbed the trees around in order to gain higher ground and ensure my attacks didn¡¯t reach them.


    >WHOOOOSHH<


    I dashed, running atop therge stem of one of the dried trees around, using my long and sharp ws to keep a good foothold, I hurriedly reached a high summit, looking at the several Hobs who were already staying stop the branches to ambush me.


    They were with peculiar weapons, making my eyes bulge more in excitement. I recognized their arsenal well.


    ¡°Bows and arrows! Excellent! It would be too boring if you guys couldn¡¯t attack from a distance!¡±


    Goblins have always been portrayed to have higher intelligence than regr beasts, and Hobs were a more advanced variant.<sub></sub>


    Looking at the Status Windows of these Archers, they had higher intelligence statspared to the brawlers below.


    Still, it didn¡¯t matter. I was going to kill them all anyway.


    ¡°Guurrrrukkk!!!¡± They shouted, as though giving the signal to fire.


    >FWOOOSH<


    Their projectiles wereunched at me. I saw dozens of flying arrows making their way to my location. Even though I had Aura, I was smart enough not to underestimate their attacks. It would be better to avoid any direct hits.


    Using <w Attack> I cut through the approaching arrows, jumping from the tree where I stayed and rushed at the enemies. Spinning midair with my ws stretched out, I resembled a rotating de, slicing through the branch of the trees around me, as well as the bodies of the Archers.


    More arrows were fired, but by keeping up my spinning state, I cut through their arrows, ensuring none of them couldnd a solid hit. So, using my frenzied dance, I jumped atop trees andy waste to the Demons.


    >SPLURGE!!!<


    Their blood poured down, falling like rain to the warriors who helplessly growled and watched as their kin were mercilessly ughtered by their supposed prey.


    Realizing that they were outmatched, the ground Hobs decided to make a run for it, fleeing in their remaining number. Upon noticing their attempt to escape, a wide grin formed on my face.


    ¡®Hehe, as expected of filthy goblins!¡¯


    There was no way I would let free EXP run away though.


    Even if they were too low-leveled to provide me with huge chunks of them, their EXP was still useful. Plus, they made for good target practice and ways to blow off steam.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡± I asked, a wide grin forming on my face.


    Almost turning into a blur, I raced ahead of them, using the trees above them as footholds while they tried running from beneath me. The red energy surrounding my body flickered, showing that time had nearly run out for its use, which meant I needed to end things quickly.


    Adding more strength to my legs, I lunged further, aiming for the ground to make a perfectnding.


    >BOOOMMM!<


    Inded right in front of the frightened Demons, now blocking off their escape route.


    ¡°You should all fight and die like Demons. There¡¯s no escape for you. Now¡­ Come!!!¡± I dered, weing any pointless assault they wanted to make. The Hobs looked at one another, as though deciding the next course of action they would take. After nodding at each other, they all red at me, opening their mouths in rage, and cried.


    ¡°Guraaaaakkkk!!!¡±


    Their joint screams reverberated through the air, causing my skin to tingle a little. Was it a final desperate cry that they decided to undertake? No!


    ¡°You called your allies, right? So they would gang up on me and kill me¡­¡± I said to the small group of survivors.


    The Hobgoblins looked at me smugly, happy that I would sook encounter death. The stupid Demons were wrong about one thing though. I didn¡¯t dread the appearance of more of their kind.


    In fact, I looked forward to it.


    ¡°There¡¯s more of youing? That¡¯s perfect! That means I can kill you off now!¡±

 Chapter 113 Battle In The Dead Of Night (Pt 2)

    The desperate screeches of the Hobgoblins filled the air, calling the rest of theirrades for help.


    Of course, since it waste at night, the entire force wasn¡¯t going to move. They would most likely send a few of their forces to eliminate the threat.


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed over a hundred Hobgoblins already¡­ about thirty remain. That¡¯s approximately 150 Hobgoblins in this batch.¡± I muttered, staring at the survivors who red at me.


    Taking their numbers into ount, I could predict that the next group toe in response to their screams would be considerablyrger since they had to eliminate someone that gave the previous team problems.


    ¡®I should be expecting at least 300 extra Hobgoblins.¡¯ My mind rang.


    The thought of this made me smile before I noticed. My blood began boiling as my heart raced in excitement.


    ¡®Yes¡­ more¡­ more enemies to fight!¡¯


    At that moment, my <Aura> Skill expired, causing the red glow on my body to dissipate. Upon seeing this, the Hobgoblins took it as a window of opportunity. I was already weakened as a result of the buff vanishing, giving them a bit of an opportunity to inflict injury on me.


    I watched them draw closer to me, though their movements were already rendered sluggish due to the venom that coursed through their bodies. In all honesty, I didn¡¯t even need <Aura> to take care of the remaining Hobgoblins.<sub>.</sub>


    Taking a sprint stance, I readied myself to strike, elongating my ws once more.


    >FWOOOSH<


    I propelled myself toward the band of monsters, twisting my body in a frenzied dance while slicing their bodies inrge chunks. I dodged their slow attacks which consisted of bites and w scratches. Their strength and agility were way higher than the regr Kobolds, but unlike thetter, these Hobgoblins had no specialized skill for mid or long-rangebat.


    Against an opponent like me, that was fatal.


    >SPLURGEEEEE!!!<


    More blood sttered across the area as the dead Hobgoblins turned into dust, leaving behind their Demon Cores.


    The red stones on the ground all glowed in the dark, drawing my attention to them. The bright lights emanating from them made their locations known, so it wasn¡¯t going to be too difficult to retrieve my prize.


    ¡®There could be a Skill worth learning¡­¡¯ I mumbled.<sub></sub>


    Since I still had some time before the reinforcements arrived, I picked up my pace and collected all the Demon Cores that were on the floor.


    Some were located on the branches of some trees since the Demons died atop them, so I had to leap to the trees and retrieve them. I made sure to collect Evey single piece in order not to cause waste.


    ¡®Even if I don¡¯t need the Skills, I can use them as bombs by injecting mana into them. Ultimately, they¡¯re still useful regardless of the Grade.¡¯


    Just like clockwork, a few moments after I was done picking thest one of the red cores, the Hobgoblin reinforcements arrived.


    They rushed in multitudes, and even from their distance, I could tell that they were way more than I bargained for.


    The earth shook as a result of their march, and the skies were filled with their cries of war. Judging by their sounds, they had abandoned the quiet ambush strategy, since the ones I just dispatched used that method. Instead, they were going for an all-out fight.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it! Beasts should be beasts!¡± I grinned, watching theme into my line of sight. In a few seconds, we would sh.


    ¡°400¡­ 500¡­ 530¡­ there should be nearly 600 Hobgoblins here alone. That¡¯s arge number!¡± I muttered.<sub></sub>


    Now that I thought of the estimate Daniel made, it nearly made meugh. 500-700? The total number of Demons I would kill this night alone would be over 700. And this only meant that there were way more where they came from.


    ¡°Thousands upon thousands¡­ I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    Still, I needed to focus on the matter at hand. Their numbers were by no means small, and these Hobs were stronger than the average Kobolds I faced in the past. Sure, I had grown stronger than before, but even I would have a little trouble facing off against these numbers, especially since my <Aura> Skill was in cooldown.


    ¡®Plus, themotion of this battle would have attracted the attention of the scouts. They should be here shortly. I have to end this fast!¡¯


    Me against odds like these¡­ it just made the match all the more stimting.


    A few more seconds, and we would sh¡­ this was no time to be standing still. However, for me, perhaps it was.


    ¡°Sorry, fes¡­ it¡¯s time to stop going easy on you.¡± I grinned, retracting the spikes all over my body and the ws.


    By canceling the Skills which were active, I automatically sent them into cooldown, meaning I couldn¡¯t use them for a while. However, I wasn¡¯t worried. Because¡­


    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    In a sh, dozens of weapons within [Subspace] appeared, lunging at my targets.


    >WHOOOOSHH!!<


    The dozens of des began piercing the Hobgoblins, easily tearing through their flesh. Sparks of energy burst from the enhanced weapons and loot I obtained from killing the Kobold King.


    Twenty <Hell Kobold King Tooth>


    Ten <Hell Kobold King w>


    A hundred <Core 1 Enhanced Daggers>


    Fifty <Core 2 Enhanced Daggers>


    And finally¡­ appearing in my hand was the weapon I would personally be using, the one <Core 5 Enhanced Sword>


    180 projectiles, one main weapon, against over 500 Hobgoblins¡­ the odds appeared to not be in my favor. However¡­


    >SPLURGE!!!< The blood of several Hobgoblins who were struck down by my weapons burst out as they died, turning into dust.


    The few <Kobold King Tooth> and <Kobold King w> that Iunched at the Hobgoblins killed more than one in a single strike. This whittled down their numbers in an instant, causing them to drop drastically. However, there were still many more who approached.


    Unfortunately for them, I could easily restock.


    ¡°<Recall>¡­¡± I whispered, and all the expended items I had used to kill the Demons vanished, returning to my [Subspace]


    Grinning widely at the remaining Demons who ragefully approached me, I said the magic word once again.


    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    And so, my weapons of war appeared once more as I gripped my de tightly, prepared to join the fight.


    The Demons stared at the iing projectiles with shock and disbelief while I prepared to dash toward them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dance!¡±

 Chapter 114 Slaughter

    >SQUISH<


    >SPLURGE<


    >SPLASH<


    Blending flesh, spraying blood, and the cries of the victims filled the air.


    As I cut them down one after the other, in their hundreds, they all sumbed to death. I spared no expense in sending the Hobgoblins to oblivion. Using the weapons I possessed and the personal summoning at my disposal, Iid waste to the enemy Recalling and summoning my weapons again, the bodies of the Hobs became nothing but target practice which tore to pieces after countless stabs and slices.


    I didn¡¯t allow my weapons to do all the work, though. With my sword in hand, I raced amid the enemies and began shing my way through. Even with <Aura> gone, I was plenty fast and powerful.


    I dodged the hits they gave, twisting my body to deal deadly strikes at my foes. Swiftly moving my body, yet powerful swinging my arms, I locked on to the arms, legs, and when I was done immobilizing the prey, I sliced their necks.


    ¡°GUARRRRKKKKKIIIIIKKKK!!!¡± They cried in pain, breathing theirst.


    Their bodies left no traces, allowing me to easily move to the next targets without any obstacles.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Die! Die! Die!¡± I obsessively grinned while cutting down the Hobs.


    Sparks of crimson energy were generated from my de, easing the impact it made with their flesh.


    Of course, I still keptunching my weapons at the Hobgoblins I wasn¡¯t directly fighting. Darting my eyes quickly, I spotted the targets and used <Summon> to generate the sharp daggers where they were needed, effectively using the little time I had topletely subjugate the monsters.


    ¡®Ten more!¡¯ My mind rang as I used <Recall> to retrieve all the expended weapons in my arsenal, deciding to hunt the rest of the Demons myself.


    The Core 5 sword I wielded also vanished since I decided to kill the remaining Hobgoblins using a different approach.


    ¡®I haven¡¯t tried this before¡­ so you lot should be grateful.¡¯ I grinned, readying myself with a stance.


    Instead of using the usual method of subjugation, there was something I had been meaning to try. Pressing my feet into the ground, I created enough pressure, even cracking the surface I stood on.


    >BOOOM< My body wasunched high, toward the remaining Hobgoblins who were already fleeing.<sub></sub>


    Spinning midair, I instantly created a frenzied dance once more, summoning two of the <Hell Kobold King w> from [Subspace]. Grabbing one with my left hand, while the other made its way to my right, I made my way to the running targets.


    ¡°I¡¯m Dual-wielding, baby!!!¡± I screamed with excitement.


    Swinging both hands at one of the Hobgoblins, I created a synergy with both weapons, causing a deeper spark of crimson energy to burst forth from it. The swords ripped through the flesh of the Demon from both ends, even before their tip touched its skin.


    >SWISH<


    In a sh, the Demon got blitzed. As I saw it turn ashen, and its blood particles drifting in the air, I got excited once more, feeling the effects of having two des rather than one on both hands.


    ¡°More! Let¡¯s do more!¡± I grinned, seeing 9 more fodder to try more techniques on.


    ¡°Gurrrukiiiii!!!¡± They made noises, indicating that none of them had any intention of dying by my hands.


    Not that they had a choice in the matter, though.<sub></sub>


    Dashing once more, I tightly gripped both ends of the sword and shed at my enemies, cutting them down before they could even react.


    Bursts of crimson light filled the air, illuminating the frightened expressions the Hobgoblins made, while also reflecting on the blood spilled.


    Cries kept ringing out in the dead of night, the cries of bloodthirsty monsters who had lost their drive to fight and only craved survival.


    The predators became prey, hunted by a more brutal and ravenous creature¡­ Me!


    I kept hacking at them, already drowned in the ecstasy of killing freely, something I hadn¡¯t done in so long.


    This continued, until finally¡­ I couldn¡¯t hear any more noise. The cries of the Demons had ceased, and the reason for that wasn¡¯t too far-fetched. They had all died.


    I looked around me, seeing thest one to perish turn to dust. The rest had already left behind their Demon Cores, and their blood was still evaporating.


    ¡°Huu¡­¡± I heaved heavily, staring coldly at the sight of carnage left in my wake.


    ¡°How boring¡­ I wanted to have more fun¡­¡±


    A pinging sound appeared in my head, and I saw the notifications that had been piling up since my first Level-Up while fighting the Hobs.


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    ¡°Oh? Your level-ups¡­ adding thest one to the mix, I leveled up a total of five times, uh? That¡¯s neat¡­¡± I muttered, proceeding to check my Status Information.


    ¡°Status Win-¡°


    Before I finished making my statement, I heard approaching sounds from a distance. This alerted me in an instant. Upon leveling up, the range of my senses had increased considerably, so I could notice the presence approaching from a better distance.


    ¡°It looks like they¡¯re close already¡­¡± I mumbled, gritting my teeth.


    The scouts and guards from the Camp must have been alerted by the noise generated by my sh with the Demons.


    Since it sounded pretty dangerous, they must have realized that they couldn¡¯t handle it alone. The scouts would have notified Daniel, who in turn would gather top Gifteds, while alerting the whole Camp.


    ¡®Since the noise could be caused by aing threat, everyone needs to be on guard.¡¯


    Using this mindset, Daniel would set out with the scouts and top leveled Gifteds to assess the situation.


    ¡°They¡¯ll soon be here¡­¡± I whispered, looking around me to see the Demon Cores left behind by the Hobgoblin ughter.


    Their blood had also not vanished entirely. Daniel¡¯s group was sure to reach this location before itpletely evaporated, leaving evidence of a fight here. However, I had no time to worry about that. A more pressing concern came to mind.


    ¡®The Demon Cores!¡¯ My mind rang.


    There was no way I could leave them behind.

 Chapter 115 Retreat

    ¡®My Demon Cores!¡¯


    Quickly realizing that I was in danger of losing either my identity or the drops of the prey I ughtered, my body went into overdrive.


    I hurriedly began picking the Demon Cores in a hurry, lightly tapping them and storing them into [Subspace]. This allowed me to take care of a hundred in seconds.


    Of course, since the Demon Cores were scattered apart, in some cases atop trees or at a farther distance from the rest, it took a lot of time to gather them all.


    ¡°I think I see something over there!¡± A voice sounded from the direction of Daniel¡¯s approaching group.


    ¡°Tch,¡± I clicked my tongue, working faster to finish taking my loot before the Camp members arrived at the scene.


    Fortunately, I concluded my task before they reached me, quickly jumping on a tall tree to escape sight. I climbed frantically, making sure to reach the top so that none of them could see me.


    ¡®Of course, it¡¯ll all be useless if one of them has a Gift that can sense me regardless of distance¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed.<sub>.</sub>


    However, I doubted that, since I already went through the list Charles made and there was none of the sort.


    From my tall height, I watched the events that urred below, as Daniel and the remaining members who were with him looked at the crazy sight before them.


    Many trees were scarred by the battle that had taken ce, and the havoc wreaked around told the story of a very disastrous fight.


    Plus, the Demon blood which was still evaporating disyed a gory sight of horror to those who saw.


    ¡°W-what is this¡­?!¡± Daniel muttered, widening his eyes.


    I could tell what was going on in his mind. While the blood of a lot of the Demons hadpletely vanished, like the first batch, Demon blood belonging to over a hundred was still present. This meant that whatever urred imed the lives of at least a hundred of the beasts who had died.


    ¡°The blood must belong to Demons since it¡¯s evaporating¡­¡± Daniel spoke observantly, moving across the expanse around him.<sub></sub>


    His feet stepped on twigs, intentionally avoiding the blood of Demons that littered the ground.


    ¡°The perpetrator, whoever they are, must have killed the Demons¡­¡± He continued.


    ¡°But this¡­ this sight means there were over a hundred. Who could have done such? Maybe another Demon is nearby?¡± A member of the scouts asked.


    Daniel shook his head slightly in response.


    ¡°There should be more than a hundred Demons dead already. Their blood evaporates, so these must be the most recent deaths. You reported hearing sounds some while back, so if we calcte the time you started hearing the sounds, the fight must have started then¡­ so, a lot of Demons would have long died before we arrived.¡± He smartly added.


    I was a little impressed by Daniel¡¯s deductions. They were apt.


    ¡°As for whether they were caused by a Demon, I can¡¯t say for sure¡­ there is no Demon Core present, so whatever killed these Demons must have taken them. The only issue is that only Gifteds require Demon Cores to learn Skills, so they would be useless for other Demons to possess.¡±<sub></sub>


    Daniel had a point. Why would a beast painstakingly gather the Demon Cores of its prey? Demons couldn¡¯t learn Skills from Cores, since they already had their own set skills.


    ¡°B-but, are we to believe that a Gifted did this?!¡± The second scout member added, looking perplexed.


    At this point, Tasha, who was also among the group sighed. Judging by the expression on her face, I knew she was aware that the perpetrator was me.


    For the sake of my alliance with Charles, and our ns, she had to cover up for me.,


    ¡°They could have been working in a group. It¡¯s impossible for a Gifted to have caused all this mayhem.¡± She said, drawing the attention of everyone else to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ still, to think another group was here. Do you think the other Camps in the area dispatched Subjugation squads like us? If so, wouldn¡¯t it be in our best interest to approach them and form a joint force?¡± Daniel said, trying to analyze Tasha¡¯s words.


    His genuine words made sense, if only they were true. Unfortunately, there was no Subjugation team around other than ours. The other Camps must have not gotten wind of the news yet.


    ¡°I doubt they would be willing to cooperate. It¡¯s not like our Camps are on good terms.¡± Tasha stated.


    ¡°True. They could pretend to be on the same side as us, then backstab uster on. Also, the allocation of roles and formation of ns would have to start from scratch. Even the Demon Cores that will be obtained from this Subjugation will be another headache. We should stick to the original n.¡±Daniel sighed.


    Tasha nodded in agreement, same as everyone else who was present.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look around. There could be Demon survivors or any clues that will help us to better understand the situation.¡±


    After Daniel made this statement, everyone nodded and began looking around.


    Since their levels were low, they all had squinted to see details of the dark area.


    ¡®I clearly remember we brought some shlights with us, though. Why aren¡¯t they using them?¡¯ I asked myself.


    I realized that they had perhaps left it behind so that the other Camp members would be able to see any approaching danger and quickly signal Daniel¡¯s team in case of an emergency.


    Daniel and his group could still manage, since they were quite strong,pared to the others.


    After searching for some time and seeing nothing, they decided to return to the Camp.


    I heaved a sigh of relief, already growing weary of hanging by the branch of a tree while tirelessly watching the group pointlessly search around them.


    ¡°They won¡¯t find anything here¡­ however, on their way back to the Camo, if they look at the paths carefully, they¡¯ll see something I especially left behind for their group to find.¡¯ I grinned.


    Daniel¡¯s group left, returning to the base we set up, still observing their surrounding. I didn¡¯t wait very long beforending on the ground softly, hardly making a sound.


    ¡°Oof. I should head back now¡­¡± I muttered.


    I had to say, the thrill I just experienced was absolutely worth it. However, with themotion I caused, it would be best to postpone visiting the Hobgoblin base for another time.


    ¡®I¡¯ve had enough fun for tonight!¡¯

 Chapter 116 Big News (Pt 1)

    Daniel, Tasha, two scout members, and an additionalrade returned to the Base.


    They had left Dave and the others in charge of coordinating themselves in case Demons found their way to attack their people. The Camp members were forcefully brought awake, all on guard against the march of Demons they heard from a distance.


    Many were still drowsy, and since the environment was still darker than daytime, even with the illumination of the manymps around, they were at a disadvantage.


    Upon sensing movements within the cluster of trees that they faced, everyone became on guard, tightening the grip on each of their weapons as they red nervously at the singr location.


    The sounds became louder, and the rustle of leaves could be clearly heard by everyone, making their hearts beat more rapidly. Just as whatever was within the cluster began making an entrance, the Subjugation Team Members all pointed their des in its location.


    ¡°Rx, guys. It¡¯s us.¡± Daniel¡¯s voice sounded, suddenly revealing himself as well as therades he went with.


    The look of relief in the eyes of everyone couldn¡¯t be expressed with mere words. Their weakened bodies gave out, and the shaky legs of every single person copsed, causing them to fall in exhaustion.


    ¡°Haaa¡­ thank goodness.¡±<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°I thought we would die!¡±


    ¡°It looks like we were worried for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Can we go back to sleep now?¡±


    Many murmurs wafted through the air, and Daniel knew the words he was about to say required absolute attention. The problem was in how he would tell everyone what he had just found.


    ¡®Should I wait until tomorrow?¡¯ He reasoned.


    No, that wasn¡¯t an option. The Subjugation wasmencing in full throttle by then, and there was no room for cking or doing anything not in the schedule.


    If he was to address the discovery he made alongside the scouts, it had to be now!<sub></sub>


    ¡°Attention everyone, we have some pretty big news. It¡¯s best I reveal it to you tonight.¡± Daniel dered, suddenly silencing everyone who murmured.


    The people all looked at him instantly. The worries on their faces resumed, while others slightly grumbled since they needed to go back to sleep.


    ¡®I have to keep this brief since if they don¡¯t get much sleep, it¡¯ll affect tomorrow¡¯s mission.¡¯ Daniel reasoned.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s make a headcount to be sure everyone here is present.¡±


    With a sleight of hand, Tasha stepped forward, bringing out a list from within her outfit.


    Since she wore a in shirt with tight trousers, alongside light armor made by the Camp, everyone ogled her with their eyes since her hand went within her shirt.


    The excitement onlysted for a brief second, though, since she instantly shot her admirers a death re, causing them to look away.<sub></sub>


    When she brought her hand out, Tasha was holding a piece of folded paper. After unfolding it, a list of names was clearly written on the long page.


    ¡°These are the names of those who are with us in this Subjugation Team. Seventy-five in total. I¡¯ll be calling your names now.¡± Tasha said, now taking the forefront as Daniel shrunk back.


    Just like roll call, she shouted the names of the members, and they responded. The only difference was that instead of responding with exciting sounds, the Subjugation team members gave disgruntled sounds and murmurs.


    Still, their sounds and facial reactions indicated that they were indeed present.


    As Tasha went down the list, she finally saw the name of someone who made her eyes bulge. She looked around, but couldn¡¯t see him. A bead of sweat formed on her face instantly.


    ¡®Jeremy Lewis. Shit, where is he?!¡¯


    Tasha couldn¡¯t skip through his name since Daniel was behind her, and while he didn¡¯t say a word, she knew he was also closely observing the list she held.


    ¡®I¡¯m just doing my job. me this on your carelessness, Jeremy.¡¯ Tasha sighed, resolute to stick to her duties.


    ¡°Jeremy Lewis!¡± She shouted, already expecting no response from the crowd.


    However, to her surprise, a hand was raised amid the crowd and the young man stood to be noticed since his height was well below average. He had a wide grin on his face, and his eyes were bright as though excited.


    Daniel appeared relieved by his presence since he too was looking around for him, Melissa scoffed, and Tasha had a mix of both relief and surprise.


    With an energetic look, the young boy opened his mouth to respond to her call.


    ¡°Present, ma¡¯am!¡±


    ************************************


    It was a close call, truly. After Daniel andpany left where I was, returning to the base, I knew I needed to hurry since they were most likely going to count our numbers.


    They had probably not done so earlier since the Camp members were in a panic and the looming threat didn¡¯t make everyone think straight. Plus, they were drowsy. However, with Daniel¡¯s party returning to provide them with news, they were sure to be more level-headed and take a proper headcount.


    I couldn¡¯t afford to be missing!


    Fortunately, the group was still searching for any evidence left behind by the perpetrator as they headed back, giving me a chance to hurry and return.


    ¡®It looks like I¡¯ll have to take a little detour, to avoid them noticing me pass by.¡¯ I smiled.


    Taking a slightly longer route to avoid them, I circled around the group and returned to the Camp. However, when I got there, Daniel¡¯s group had returned, and we were in the process of roll call.


    ¡®I barely made it, whew!¡¯


    Noticing it was nearing my turn, I realized it would be somewhat fun to tease Tasha, so I used my speed to sneak among the unsuspecting and tired crowd, exploiting my small frame to hide from Tasha¡¯s line of sight.


    I watched her hesitation when it got to my name,ughing internally. I noticed Daniel¡¯s face was also turning, as though attempting to search for me.


    Finally, she dered my name, as though giving up on my timely return. Seeing as it was my queue, I rose and answered her call.


    ¡°Present, ma¡¯am!¡±

 Chapter 117 Big News (Pt 2)

    Tasha continued reading the names on the list, and not long after, she was done.


    ¡°It looks like everyone is still here. That¡¯s a relief.¡± Daniel remarked, giving a genuine smile.


    This didn¡¯tst very long, though, as his face darkened soon after. I could see it in his eyes. Hesitation and anxiety. So many factors the Camp didn¡¯t even consider were surfacing, and he had topensate.


    ¡°While investigating the soundsing from deep within the woods, our team found some things,¡± Daniel said, giving a nod to the two scouts behind him.


    They both stepped forward and brought with them a couple of spikes. The crowd was uneasy, but also curious. All they saw were spikes that had a brown appearance, with the near tip colored purple.


    ¡°These are poisonous spikes. We found the stuck on trees or on the ground in the woods. There were many of these scattered around, but we only took a few back for investigation.¡± Daniel revealed.


    Murmurs began arising from the uneasy crowd.


    ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°What is he trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Goblins don¡¯t have spikes, do they?¡±


    ¡°Is it another Demon? Shit!¡±


    I smiled to myself, already recognizing the products which came from my body. Using Venomous Spikes, I could generate spikes that weren¡¯t going to disappear until after 25 hours.<sub>.</sub>


    The peculiar objects they were intending on investigating were purposely left behind by me.


    ¡°We saw the evaporating blood of over a hundred Demons. Taking into ount that the fight must have started much earlier, and the distance between where we found the spikes and the bloodshed were apart, it¡¯s safe to assume that there were more demons than that.¡± Daniel continued, once again hushing the crowd.


    This wasn¡¯t helping, since the atmosphere was getting tenser.


    ¡°There were no Demon Cores as well, making us slightly alter our earlier suspicion.¡±


    ¡°After discovering the spikes, we also saw w marks around, as well as several prints and holes bored into the trees, allowing us to suspect that one of two major things could be going down.¡±


    The crowd braced themselves for the results of Daniel¡¯s investigation.


    ¡°First, the existence of a more powerful Demon that hunts down Hobgoblins. Therger number must have been the Hobs, fighting against whatever Demon or demons the other side had. That would exin the poisoned spikes and w marks.¡±


    The members shuddered upon hearing this. The mere possibility of the existence of a beast that could kill off over a hundred Hobgoblins was enough to nearly break the spirit of those who heard of it.


    ¡°The second would be the existence of another group of Gifteds like us who killed the Hobs. That would exin the absence of the Demon Cores. It could be that in the first case, the powerful Demon somehow feasts on Demon Cores, but the second scenario is much more realistic.¡±


    I nodded, amazed by Daniel¡¯s analytical prowess. Though Tasha would have aided in some of his deductions, I could clearly see the experience of being an Expedition team leader in him.


    ¡®Too bad he¡¯s still very gullible, though.¡¯ I mused.<sub></sub>


    ¡°I want us to know that it¡¯s not good news for either case. Our lives may very well be in danger, regardless of what the case may be. If it¡¯s a powerful Demon, we should be looking at a beast that far outsses Hobgoblins. However, even if the perpetrators are Gifteds, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they are on our side. They could double-cross us or use our team as bait to lure Demons. Humans can be very cruel, especially since we¡¯re not allies with them. Let¡¯s not forget that!¡±


    The Camp members nodded since there was nothing else they could do. Their spirits werepletely down, and it appeared they had lost nearly all hope of victory.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t like they could go back. If they did, only death awaited them anyway.


    ¡°We¡¯ll continue the mission as nned, and deal with any new developments as theye.


    Seeing they everyone was tired, both physically, mentally, and emotionally, Daniel decided to call it a night.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all get some rest. Tomorrow¡¯s a big day.¡±


    With dragging legs, everyone returned to their tents and fell to sleep. Many of them were most likely not going to fall asleep immediately since Daniel¡¯s words would still be ringing in their brains.


    ¡®I can¡¯t sleep yet as well¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed, though for a different reason.


    Avoiding the gaze of Tasha, I returned to my tent, meeting my roomies lying on the cushioned ground, but not sleeping. I ignored them, went to my allotted space, and whispered.


    ¡°Status Window.¡±


    The golden tab popped up, disying its contents.<sub></sub>


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 107¨C Exp: 30.61


    ¨C Race: Human¨C Job: Thief


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡¯3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    ¨C Karma Points: 600


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 100


    [Stats]


    HP: 5,450


    MP: 1,112


    Strength: 1,120


    Agility:5,650


    Vitality:5,450


    Intelligence: 16,550


    ¨C (G) Factor: 70


    ¨C Gift: [Subspace]


    ¨C Items Equipped: None


    ¨C Allies: None


    [Additional Information]


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    [End Of Information]


    I smiled, analyzing my increased levels and stats.


    ¡®It looks like my Karma Points increased as well. Good¡­¡¯ I smiled.


    As expected, the (G) Aspects of my Stats experienced no change, but I was already figuring it out, so it was no problem.


    My mind trailed to what would happen tomorrow. I was going to be left on the sidelines while everyone else fought. It would be frustrating, to see the EXPs around go to waste, but I would have to endure.


    The rewards far outweighed any loss gained from losing a few Level-Ups.


    Also, since they were never going to fully extinguish the Demon Horde, or evene close to significantly whittling down their numbers, most of the Hobgoblins would still end up being my prey.


    It was something to look forward to. Especially considering the experiments I wanted to perform.


    ¡®Should I try it out¡­ tomorrow?¡¯ A wide grin formed on my face.


    Regardless, I was excited. Things were going to be fun from here on out.

 Chapter 118 The Subjugation Commences (Pt 1)

    The next morning, everyone was forced to wake up early. I got up without much issue since I needed less sleep in my condition. Hearing groans and moans from those who slept around me, I sighed in slight disgust.


    Leaving the tent first, I went to the gathering that was slowly forming as a result of Daniel¡¯s call.


    Not long after, the members began assembling, and in a few minutes, we were all present.


    ¡°We begin our subjugation today! I knowst night was unexpected, but I hope we all had enough sleep. If we didn¡¯t, it¡¯s time to shake off any semnce of drowsiness or hesitation! We¡¯ll be undertaking the real deal!¡± Daniel dered.


    Tasha was beside him as his assistant, looking stoic. It somewhat made me remember how she used to act beside Charles back at the Camp.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have breakfast, freshen up, and prepare for the first phase of the n.¡±


    The unenthusiastic response of the people ended the meeting, as those in charge of food distribution passed across the potatoes and soda we had for morning. I didn¡¯t feel like eating such an unhealthy diet, so while everyone was focused on eating, I excused myself and ventured a little deep into the woods to have a special treat of my own.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Jeremy, where are you headed to?¡± A voice suddenly sounded from behind me.


    I instantly stopped, dead in my tracks, and turned to look at the person whose voice I already recognized.


    ¡®Tch!¡¯ I clicked my tongue silently, staring at Daniel who looked at me with concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to answer nature¡¯s call. Nothing bad in that, is there?¡±


    My gentle smile masked the feeling of annoyance I felt from Daniel¡¯s interference.


    ¡°O-oh, is that so? That¡¯s fine, then. Just don¡¯t stray too far. And¡­¡± He paused, seeing a little hesitant to say the final parts of his warnings.<sub></sub>


    ¡°¡­ If you get ¡®that¡¯ urge as well, don¡¯t do it anywhere obvious.¡± He said.


    ¡®Hold up, what does he think I want to-?!¡¯ My mind rang, staring at him absurdly.


    He gave a sincere grin, turning away to address other people. I could sense there was more to Daniel¡¯s words than just a general guideline for using the toilet.


    ¡®Maybe he thinks I want to fap or something¡­¡¯I groaned internally, wondering what about my statement made him assume that.


    I ventured into the woods and had some cereal for breakfast. It was a satisfying meal. Unfortunately, I had to rush it since taking too long would attract suspicion.


    ***************************************<sub></sub>


    After breakfast, we all gathered before Daniel once again. He brought out a sheet, most likely filled with the detailed reports of the strategy Charles and I agreed on.


    ¡°As we all know, the Demons outnumber us immensely. A direct confrontation won¡¯t work. Therefore, our Camp Leader has drafted the appropriate strategy we are to adopt.¡± Daniel began.


    ¡°Of our group of seventy-five, thirty-one of us are closebatants, so we¡¯ll be taking on the most dangerous aspects of the n. Of the remaining forty-four, twenty-eight are mid-rangebatants. This leaves 16 members, of which 14 can attack from afar. The remaining two are Melissa and Jeremy. Melissa¡¯s role is crucial since she¡¯s the ultimate support. Her shield is one of the focal points of our strategy. As for Jeremy, I¡¯m certain we all know why the Camp Leader decided on himing with us. He¡¯s equally as important, so let¡¯s keep that in mind.¡± Daniel paused to catch his breath.


    My eyes darted to the many who looked at me subtly. They were bound to think useless thoughts, but that didn¡¯t matter. As long as Charles¡¯ lie was true to them, none of them would be trying anything against me. Well, none except one.


    ¡°Don¡¯t put me on the same level as this loser. Unlike him, I¡¯m actually very useful!¡± Melissa sharply remarked.


    Her re was deepened as she looked in my direction. As someone who loved being the center of attraction, I already knew Melissa didn¡¯t appreciate sharing the spotlight with me.


    However, what did I care? The strategy was drafted by me anyway, so her role was my decision. After hearing her words, I slightly shrugged.


    This seemed to enrage her even more.


    ¡°Now is not the time for this, Melissa. Let¡¯s focus on the task at hand.¡± Daniel quickly intervened.


    As he did this, the crowd jointly agreed with Daniel¡¯s words, and many began giving Melissa angry looks.


    The girl quickly controlled herself, though scoffing at everything, pretending not to care.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s continue¡­¡±


    And so Daniel spoke in length concerning the approach we would be taking. In summary, the n was to draw out some of the Hobgoblin forces, slowly whittling them down. We would draw in a number ranging from 80-100 twice a day. This meant a harvest of at least 180 Hobgoblins in a day, if all went well.


    Using Daniel¡¯s calctions, the Hobgoblins were ranging from 500-700 members, some of which were already killed the previous night.


    Looking at the new figure of five hundred Hobgoblins, he postted that it would only take three days to fully wear down their forces. Since Charles exined the concept of the Boss to them from my ount, the group decided to dedicate an entire day to fighting against the Boss of the Goblin horde, making a total of four days. Adding one more day as misceneous, as well as one extra for returning to the Camp, Daniel was looking at a total of six days to be expended.


    ¡®Not bad, not bad¡­¡¯ I mused.


    The only thing wrong with his n was the fact that he was fundamentally wrong about everything.


    Even if they spend two weeks, a month, five months, etc. They were never going to seed by using this strategy.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to win this together!!!¡± Daniel finally said, raising his fist in the air to encourage the mass.


    The gullible crew raised their fists in response to Daniel¡¯s determination. Plus, after he exined the n so well, none of them could doubt the validity of Daniel¡¯s n.


    ¡°Let us begin the Subjugation!¡±

 Chapter 119 The Subjugation Commences (Pt 2)

    ¡°Gurrriikkkk¡±


    ¡°Garukiikkk¡±


    ¡°Garakukkk¡±


    Daniel and his group watched the nest of monsters, seeing so many Hobs conversing with each other.


    It took a little over thirty minutes from the base to where the Hobgoblins were located. They were so many, that it puzzled the mind.


    ¡°There should be more inside¡­¡± Daniel whispered to the troops with him.


    The fortress of the Hobgoblins was argepound, with a massive house situated within. They had erected wooden fences from the trees in the area, making thepound too high for any of the Gifteds to see, even from their high ground. Surrounding thepound were at least a hundred Hobgoblins keeping watch. They made grunts and snorts, looking around in constant vignce.


    ¡®Whatever is in there, they certainly don¡¯t want anyone finding out!¡¯ Daniel reasoned, stroking his chin a little.


    He had only observed them for some time, but he could clearly see that something major was urring within. Once in thirty minutes or so, new sets of Hobgoblins woulde out of thergepound gates and rece the guards situated outside.


    The transition was so organized, that there was barely any room to see within the gate from their location, what was actually urring within thepound.<sub>.</sub>


    After over thirty minutes of observation, Daniel finally decided to abandon his quest to know what the Hobgoblins were up to within their vastpound.


    ¡®Maybe they have resources¡­ if that¡¯s the case, then perhaps this Horde is a blessing in disguise.¡¯ He reasoned.


    ¡°Haa, alright then. Are you ready everyone?¡±


    The Gifteds with Daniel nodded as soon as they heard his whisper.


    They were a total of thirty people with Daniel, making a total of thirty-one. These were the closebatants tasked with the most difficult and dangerous role.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to lure them here!¡±


    Daniel and his group drew closer to the Hobgoblin guards slowly. In a few minutes, they had gotten to a considerable distance, being cloaked by one of the Gifteds with them.


    Since the radius of her ability was very small, everyone was clustered as they advanced.


    ¡°Catherine, undo the cloak. Dexter, draw them to us using your [Cry] Gift as soon as she stops using her [Veil].¡± Daniel sharply instructed.<sub></sub>


    They nodded obediently, doing what he asked. As soon as Catherine stopped using her Gift, the Goblins sighted Daniel¡¯s group from their small distance. He had ensured they were close enough to be spotted, but far enough to outrun the Demons.


    Seeing as it was his queue, Dexter inhaled deeply and gave a loud shout.


    ¡°Come over here, you bastards!!!¡±


    The cry echoed across the ears of everyone present, creating an irresistible urge within the Demons present.


    The moment they heard this, the Hobgoblins all red at the targets, abandoning their posts to attack the intruders.


    Dexter¡¯s Gift, [Cry], allowed him to instigate reactions from anyone who heard him, depending on what he said.


    Since he called the Demons toe at him, they responded to his call. As such, it acted as a form of tank skill to draw the ¡®Aggro¡¯ of all the Hobgoblins present.


    However, doing this made sure the Goblins couldn¡¯t ignore them now, so Catherine¡¯s [Veil] Gift was useless. The group only had one option left.


    ¡°Run!¡±<sub></sub>


    The Gifteds quickly ran away the moment the Demons took chase, no, even before. Their hearts were beating uncontrobly as their legs raced as fast as possible.


    Still, it looked like the Hobs were gaining ground quickly.


    ¡°Keep running, we¡¯re almost there!!!¡± Daniel yelled, noticing many were already running out of steam.


    They would soon rendezvous with the rest of their team members, so all they had to do was keep running.


    ¡®Almost there¡­ Almost¡­ there¡­¡¯ Daniel¡¯s eyes remained fixated on their goal.


    ¡°Guruikkkkk!!!¡± The Hobgoblins screeched, already nearing the fleeing group.


    They had gone a considerably long way away from their base, making them vulnerable to the next step of the Gifteds¡¯ strategy.


    ¡°Melissa!!!¡± Daniel shouted.


    Instantly, a pink force field surrounded the Goblin wave. In an instant, the ones who were already gaining the advantage became trapped in a Gifted¡¯s ability.


    ¡°Guruikkkkk!!!¡± The slimy-green creatures burst out in rage, scratching at the barrier.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. I¡¯ve caught you!¡± Melissa said, appearing from among the cluster of shrubs and trees around, alongside the remaining members of the Subjugation team.


    Daniel smiled at his lover, relieved the n had worked well. A little longer and the Hobgoblins would have caught one of them and torn him to pieces.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to figure out a way around that for our next round.¡¯ Daniel reasoned.


    For now, however, he had to focus on the task at hand. The Hobgoblins were trapped, thanks to the second phase of their strategy.


    ¡°First, we lure them from their nest. Secondly, we trap them using Melissa¡¯s barrier. Since they¡¯re isted from the rest of their kin, we kill them off by releasing the barrier once in a while to allow a few to escape at a time.¡± Daniel talked to himself.


    This greatly reduced the risk of fighting, and more than one Gifted could battle a Hobgoblin. It was foolproof.


    ¡°Melissa, release some of them!¡± Daniel said.


    Melissa nodded, closing her eyes to concentrate.


    Instantly, an opening appeared from the pink barrier. It was asrge as a door, allowing only about two Hobgoblins to rush out at a time.


    The Hobgoblins, upon seeing a chance to leave their confinement, rushed at the sign of freedom desperately.


    However, not long after she opened the doorway, Melissa closed it back.


    ¡°Huu. There!¡±


    She was a little out of breath, as of it had been running for a tremendous amount of time. It was the downside of using her ability, especially since it wasn¡¯t to protect herself.


    Daniel smiled at her, beckoning on her to get behind everyone else so they could fight the Hobgoblins.


    Melissa didn¡¯t even need to be told anything before she ran off, hiding behind over seventy people to kill the Hobs that were out and raring for blood.


    ¡°GURRRIIKKKK!!!¡±


    Daniel smiled, taking a battle stance to spearhead the subjugation of the enemies.


    ¡°Twenty managed to escape, uh? That¡¯s good then, let¡¯s start with them!¡±

 Chapter 120 Clash With Demons (Pt 1)

    ¡°Raaaahhhh!!!¡±


    Excited roars of war echoed through the atmosphere as the Gifteds charged at their foes. Each wielding their respective abilities acutely, they proceeded to the 20 Demons that also lunged at them with equal vigor.


    The [Quake] Gift of one of the Subjugation Team members was used to shake the ground, causing the dashing Demons to lose bnce. This gave them an opening, allowing the close-ranged fighters to swarm the Hobgoblins.


    Since they were fewer in number,pared to the Gifteds, their execution proceeded easily.


    Sshes of blood dyed the air as the severed body parts of the Hobgoblins were sent flying. The earth became a puddle of evaporating blood as the Demons fell one after the other to their deaths.


    ¡®Yes! Looks like everything is proceeding as nned. Were easily dispatching these Hobs since they¡¯re not many in number. As long as we keep this up¡­ we can win!¡¯ Daniel beamed, charging at the enemies himself.


    ¡°<Energy de>¡± He dered, suddenly summoning a sharp blue de made of pure energy.


    Daniel smiled as his Skill manifested, gripping his weapon with determined strength to cut down all his foes.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Using his other skills, Daniel buffed himself and increased his overall speed and power, gliding through the dying Demons to kill those who still posed a problem to lesser-skilled Gifteds.


    >SWISH!< His sword fluidly moved through the air, easily cutting apart the Demons that met the de.


    Slight crackles of blue energy burst out with each swing, slicing through everything in its path. Of course, Daniel had to be careful since his weapon was only the product of a Skill, and he couldn¡¯t use it forever.


    ¡®I have to end things quickly!¡¯


    With that in mind, he proceeded to kill even more Demons. Compared to the other Gifteds who ganged up on Demons, Daniel was in a league of his own.


    In less than thirty minutes, the first Demon wave had been extinguished.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Good work, everyone!¡± Daniel smiled, huffing a little.


    His smile and encouragement cheered everyone up. They were all a little tired due to the amount of energy they exerted, but the Gifteds knew they were just getting started.


    Looking at the pink barrier Melissa made, everyone saw the rest of the Hobgoblins shoot the Gifteds a dirty and bloodthirsty look.


    Should they be released from their confinement, it would be an all-out war. Still, it had to be done. While the people wanted to take a breather, they were all aware of the schedule. This was no time to be cking off.


    Daniel nodded at Melissa, who remained behind everyone and simply spectated while the fight ensued from a distance.


    Melissa nodded back, focusing on creating an opening in her force field.


    The Gifteds all took their formation once again, with Daniel spearheading the team. A slight grin of confidence formed on his face as he watched the hole forming within Melissa¡¯s pink dome.<sub></sub>


    ¡°We still have over 80 to go!¡±


    *******************************************


    [A Few Moments Ago]


    I remained in the woods even after the other Gifteds charged to do battle. Melissa trapped the Hobs in her barrier, causing the members we had lying in wait for an ambush toe out and support Daniel¡¯s group.


    Of course, since I was deemed to be absolutely useless in battle, I remained behind, only watching as the fight would unfold.


    ¡®Perfect! No one will miss me while I¡¯m gone!¡¯ My mind rang.


    Estimating the total time they would take in dispatching the monsters and regrouping, I would say I had a total of two hours to conclude my business¡­ and that was me being generous.


    To be certain of my deduction, I decided to stick around for a little while to observe the battle.


    I saw how Melissa skillfully allowed some Demons to escape from her barrier before closing it back up. To be honest, it was an impressive feat.


    ¡®She can cover herself and her allies in her barrier, making it a useful defensive Gift. But, she can also use it this way, by only covering the enemies within it. A scary ability, indeed.¡¯


    I had already learned of the nature of her Gift from Charles and was amazed that despite her low level, Melissa¡¯s Gift¡¯s Rank was C. That was impressive!


    ¡®She must have used it a great deal!¡¯ I mused.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t simultaneously use her Gift to protect herself as well as trap her enemies, which meant she most likely used it for thetter rather than the former.


    However, since this strategy was the only way to win, even someone as selfish as Melissa had to remain guardless in a heated battle between Gifteds and Demons.


    I saw that she was staying behind everyone else to be safe, as expected of a coward like her.


    ¡®Welp, she¡¯s useless in a fight, anyway.¡¯


    My eyes darted toward the impressive fighters among the bunch. Tasha was holding her own against the Hobs due to her Gift, but I could tell she was holding back.


    ¡®Her Gift is so OP that she could take care of more Demons than this.¡¯ I reasoned.


    However, knowing who her husband was, I deduced that Charles had told her not to stand out too much, since no one really knew of her Gift.


    Plus, since it was not a fire situation, there was no need for her to go all out.


    The main attraction in the entire fight, though, was Daniel. As I suspected, he didn¡¯t hold the title of Ace for nothing!


    Compared to the sluggish, barely coordinated move of everyone else, he was in an entirely different league. For one, Daniel could solo a Hobgoblin, allowing him to ease the burden of others and turn the tide of the battle they fought easily.


    His buff skills were also nice, but I was more attracted to his <Energy de> Skill.


    So far, I had not heard of any energy-based Demons appearing, so naturally, I became curious as to how he came to obtain that skill.


    ¡®Maybe I should have asked Charles when looking through Daniel¡¯s information at the time¡­¡¯

 Chapter 121 Clash With Demons (Pt 2)

    There was no use considering something I didn¡¯t ask at the time. I just had to find a way to obtain the information I needed some other way.


    Plus, since Daniel was such a good fellow, he was sure to tell me if I asked anyway. I just had to do it when Melissa wasn¡¯t clinging around him¡­ which was almost never!


    After some minutes of watching, I grew bored quickly. The fight against 20 Hobs was dragging on for too long, and they hadn¡¯t even killed half of them yet. It would take the group close to twenty more minutes to finish everything.


    ¡®They are conserving energy and Skills since they still have a long way to go, eh?¡¯ I reasoned, rising from where I sat and observed.


    I could have easily one-shotted every single Demon around in a few seconds, but had to put up with this instead. I didn¡¯t mind, though.


    After all, these Hobs were a good distraction for my rades¡¯. Thanks to the noble Demons¡¯ sacrifice, I could make way to my actual goal for today¡­ The Hobgoblins¡¯ Fort.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, then. I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡± I grinned slightly, vanishing from the area.


    Since my Agility was extremely high, it didn¡¯t take me very long to reach my destination, feeling the winds on my face and my heart race in excitement, I couldn¡¯t hide the grin that kept growingrger on my face.<sub>.</sub>


    In what appeared to be a single moment, instead of a few minutes, I got to the goal.


    Looking at the entrance to the Hobgoblins¡¯ vastpound, I found it absolutely stunning.


    It wasrge beyond description. The towering heights of the fence made me appear even shorter than I already was.


    ¡®This is truly amazing. No one will be able to see beyond the walls of this ce.¡¯ I thought to myself with a grin.


    Moving closer to the gate, I took in the slight feeling of solitude. Everyone was busy fighting the guards of this ce, but I was going to venture in to get my fill of bloodshed, as well as obtain samples for the experiment I wanted to carry out.


    ¡°This should be fun¡­¡± I whispered.


    Activating <Aura>, I strengthened my physique, while touching the wooden surface of the fence.<sub></sub>


    The Hobgoblins used the trees around to create perfect wooden fences, an intelligent move on their part. Of course, it was most likely not due to them, but to whoever was controlling the mobs.


    ¡®Goblins aren¡¯t very bright, so whoever is calling the shots must be the true mastermind behind their coordinated activities. Interesting¡­¡¯ I mused.


    The creation of Hobgoblin scouts, the ambush they made for us, the structures erected. We were dealing with something intelligent.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, though. I¡¯m here now!¡± My voice unconsciously leaked out.


    Summoning two daggers from my [Subspace], I gripped them tightly with both hands. In an instant, the red aura covering my body flowed to it, coating the weapon¡¯s surface as well.


    ¡®Let¡¯s get started!¡¯


    Barging in was one way of handling the whole thing. I could tear down the gate and fight the vast number of monsters waiting for me within. However, that was not the smartest thing to do.<sub></sub>


    ¡®If I can avoid a direct confrontation until I¡¯ve confirmed their numbers and made a surefire strategy against them, that would be great.¡¯


    Using this rationale, I stabbed the wooden fence with my daggers, deciding to climb the tall structure and observe the Demon activities within thepound. If I did this and saw that I couldmence a fight, I would do just that.


    ¡®Plus, they will have nowhere to run away to, since the gate is closed. It¡¯s a good thing I decided against blowing it down!¡¯


    I began ascending, climbing the fence by continuously stabbing the walls with my short des and using them to pull me up.


    I¡¯m some seconds, I was already at the top. Not daring to show my face to the thousands of Demons that were most likely waiting beyond the divide, I decided to sneak a peek at the Demons within.


    ¡®Let¡¯s see if I can-¡®


    My thoughts came to an abrupt halt immediately Iid eyes on the Hobgoblin army¡­ no, even at thepound itself!


    A veryrge expanse ofnd was beyond the wooden fence. It was so vast that I couldn¡¯t see the end of it. Apound made exclusively for Demons¡­ and then, upon looking at the denizens of the ce, I was moved into more shock.


    Like sands on a beach, or as nts on a field, so were the numbers of the green Hobgoblins within thepound. I could hardly see the ground within the Compound, as they filled the entire area.


    ¡°They¡¯re at least seven, no, eight thousand!¡± I nearly yelped.


    And that was only counting their numbers for now. Since they would do nothing but increase, it was going to be far worse soon enough. I knew Goblins reproduced at a fast rate, even in mythologies and fiction, but to think it was true.


    ¡°This is¡­ even more than I bargained for¡­¡± My voice trailed as I trembled.


    It wasn¡¯t due to fear, though. I had gone past the point of being afraid of Demons. There was only one reason for the unconscious throbbing of my body.


    Excitement!


    ¡°All of this Exp¡­ you¡¯re telling me¡­ they¡¯re all mine?!¡±


    I was literally salivating as I watched the unsuspecting monsters nkly sit on the floor.


    Soon enough, they would die¡­ and I was going to take their EXP and anything else precious in this ce!


    ¡®After this whole Saga¡­ I wonder how many Levels I¡¯ll be able to obtain?!¡¯


    I raised my body to the height of the fence, still making sure I was not in the Hobgoblins¡¯ line of sight. It was strange how they made no reaction at all to even the slightest blow of winds.


    In fact, they didn¡¯t notice anything at all, as though they were in a daze. I was happy about this development, though, as it gave me enough time to entirely climb and stand on the fence without any attention brought to me.


    ¡°<Recall>¡± I muttered.


    One of the daggers on my hand disappeared, leaving the second still in the tight embrace of my hand.


    Swerving my body a little to the back, and making sure my foothold was solid on the fatyer of wood that made up the fence, Iunched my dagger, adding the force of <Aura> as well as pouring my full strength into it.


    The dagger transversed space in a sh and rapidly approached the horde of Hobgoblins like a speeding bullet, except with red coats of electricity around it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin stirring up some trouble!¡± I grinned wickedly.

 Chapter 122 One Versus Thousands (Pt 1)

    Hobgoblins.


    A variant of the popr fantasy monsters known as Goblins. While they are more powerful than the base fodder, the Hobs share a simr trait to their weaker counterparts. Intelligence, or rather, theck of it.


    Hobgoblins, like Goblins, are not intelligent. They are savage beings who crave destruction and hunt their prey to survive. At least, that was what I thought until I began noticing the difference with the Horde we were sent to subjugate.


    Their attacks and patterns so far were not ordinary. They disyed acts of intelligence, and their coordination was on par with the average Gifted.


    After seeing this, I had two theories pop up in my head. One was that these Hobs were more intelligent than the other members of their race. However, using the system to view their stats, their intelligence was nothing to take notice of.


    That left the second theory as the only viable means.


    ¡®Someone is pulling the strings¡­ most likely the Boss!¡¯


    Upon discovering this, it was easy to decipher my next move. The first would be to take my time and perform my experiments while leveling up. Once that was done, the next thing to do would be to kill the Boss, dispose of the remaining minions, and everyone would end up happy.<sub>.</sub>


    Now on the tall fence, looking beneath me, I saw the huge multitude of Hobgoblins stretching for as far as I could see. Green beings that remained unflinching despite my presence.


    They weren¡¯t sleeping but weren¡¯t entirely awake either. This meant they were under the influence of whoever was controlling them.


    ¡°Is it simr to how the Hell Kobold King used the <Rule> Skill tomand its lesser species to attack me?¡± I muttered.


    If that was the case, perhaps I could get something useful from the Boss¡¯s Demon Core after I killed it.


    ¡®Thatester. For now¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed.


    Using <Recall>, I returned one of my daggers to [Subspace],unching the other at the group of Hobs. The throw used every ounce of strength I had, enhanced further by the <Aura> Skill that affected the de and the Core Energy it also possessed.


    Sparks of crimson lightning flew around it as it was shot at the group which remained seated.<sub></sub>


    >WHOOOOOOOOSSSSHHHH,!!!<


    MY eyes could not even follow its speed as it raced ahead and hit where I aimed at.


    >BOOOMMM!!!<


    An explosion erupted from the audience, instantly rousing them from their silent state.


    ¡°Knock! Knock!¡± I yelled, grinning ear to ear at my prey.


    The Hobs all looked up and met my gaze. Their eyes changed from tired and sleepy looks to angry and agitated expressions. They disyed their sharpened teeth and gave me savage res.


    ¡°GARUUUUUAAAAAAAKKKKK!!!¡± The deafening roar from thousands of Hobgoblins sounded in my ears as I stretched my arms, weing the noise.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Ah, this is a first! Performing in front of such arge crowd!¡± I cheerfully dered.


    The Hobs began approaching the huge fence, ready to tear me into little bits. Somehow, they were no longer under the influence of whatever controlled them to be docile, and now they openly disyed the savage nature that was caged for so long.


    In a few moments, they would reach the fence, and while they couldn¡¯t reach me from my tall height, I couldn¡¯t afford them getting too close.


    ¡®At this rate, and with their numbers¡­ they could copse the walls. If that happens, there¡¯s no caging them. It¡¯ll be bothersome if they went after the rest while I am still dealing with them¡­¡¯ I reasoned, simultaneously using <Summon> to bring forth the weapons in my arsenal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what I can do with 181 total weapons¡­¡± I grinned.


    The dagger I threw previously returned to me as a result of <Recall>, so I had aplete set of the tools in my arsenal.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be faster if I dual wield. So, I¡¯ll be using the <Hell Kobold King¡¯s ws>.¡±


    Not only did they have way better Stats than my Core 5 Sword, but I could also wield two at the same time. The synergy they produced with every strike caused their effects to stack, making them both more powerful when used together.


    ¡®So, I have 179 to use as projectiles and two main weapons¡­¡¯


    By the time I was done thinking, the Hobs had neared the walls and would soon make physical contact with the wooden surface.


    I instantly reacted by sending my Weapons flying at them with high-speed velocity, boosted by the Core Energy residual within them.


    >VWOOOOOOSSSHHHH!!!< The hissed, all darting toward the targets with maximum velocity.


    ¡®This wouldn¡¯t be possible with normal knives or weapons. It¡¯s because of the energy within them¡­¡¯ I smiled, watching them tear through the skulls of several Hobs, the ones who led the others. Some weapons, like the Hell Kobold King¡¯s ws and Hell Kobold King¡¯s Tooth, dealt damage to more than one Hobgoblin in a single strike, allowing me to kill about 300 Hobgoblins in a single strike.


    I heard a ¡®Ding¡¯ in my head, bringing a smile to my face.


    [You Have Leveled Up].


    I was a little underwhelmed by the fact that killing 300 of them was only enough for a single Level-Up. However, considering the Hobs below me were all fodder, it was understandable.


    ¡°GURRRRUUUUUUKKKKK!!!¡± The Hobgoblins roared in rage, seeing their brethren fall in death.


    They now charged at the fence, determined to bring it, and me, down.


    ¡°I can¡¯t have that! It looks like I¡¯ll have toe down to your level!¡± I smiled, instantly leaping from the high estate where I stood, falling to therge group of vengeful and bloodthirsty Hobgoblins that reached out to eat me alive.


    As I descended, feeling the wind brush up on my face and raise my hair, I dived, headfirst down, gripping my two weapons even tighter.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dance!¡±


    I instantly spun in the air, rotating while descending, still shrouded in the red aura that enveloped my body.


    If anyone witnessed this sight, perhaps they would refer to it as fire falling from heaven.


    And that was because¡­ my crimson fall brought about chaos to the horde that eagerly expected me.

 Chapter 123 One Versus Thousands (Pt 2)

    >SWISH<


    >SLASH<


    >WHISH<


    >FWOOOSH<


    In a sh, I made mynding, standing atop the puddle of the blood gotten from a couple dozen dead Hobgoblins, their Demon Cores glinting from the sunlight.


    I wasn¡¯t in the clear yet, though. Rather, with me being surrounded by thousands of devastating creatures, there was no time to breathe, rest, think, or enjoy.


    Only one thing could be done¡­ Kill!


    >WHOOOOOSSSHHHH!!!<


    Blending with the wind, I dashed across the vast, immeasurable amount of enemies, cutting them down in sparks of crimson power. The Demons charged at me in their vast numbers, all attemepting to overwhelm me by entirely covering my body with their disgusting bodies.


    However¡­ by quickly summoning my weapons to kill off some of them, I reduced the number of those who resisted, while killing the rest off with my hands.


    Still, their numbers were overwhelming. They were fodder, but even the smallest ants be bothersome when theye in arge swarm.<sub>.</sub>


    The choking air and stifling smell of blood dulled my senses, and my muscles ached slightly, but I continued killing, not stopping my body for even a second.


    >SWISH< My daggers cut through a few at once with a single strike, and I made several in mere moments.


    They kept charging, and I knew it was an impossible task to keep my methods for too long.


    ¡®Let¡¯s switch up strategies a little!¡¯ I smiled.


    ¡°<Summon>!!!¡±


    Instantly darting my eyes around me, while still killing off the Hobgoblins, I brought forth one of my coveted means of killing.


    In their hundreds, Demon Cores rained all around, falling among the Demons that filled the area.


    Quickly injecting my mana into the red stones, I created the chain reaction that led to-


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    Multiple explosions raged all around me, their deafening sounds and pressure caused even me to lose bnce for a moment. This slight moment of weakness caused the one Hobgoblin close to me to sink its ws into my body, causing me to yelp in pain.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Gahhhh!!!¡± I gritted my teeth, quickly retaliating by stabbing the bastard at the center of its temple, causing instant death.


    The pain wasn¡¯t too much, and the wound wasn¡¯t too deep, since my Level was quite high. However, I wasn¡¯t a fan of leaving open wounds to fester.


    Fortunately, the deaths caused by the Demon Core Bombs tranted into EXP and gave me Level Ups at that exact moment, healing me.


    I smiled, releasing more bombs to kill off the Demons while summoning my weapons to reduce their numbers and also cutting them down with my body.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t enough¡­¡± I huffed, continuing my efforts.


    ¡°Faster¡­faster!!!¡± I cried, still killing.


    Blood smeared my outfit, but I didn¡¯t bother noticing. Only one thing was on my mind.


    ¡®I need to kill faster, more efficiently¡­ how can I do that?¡¯


    [You Have Leveled Up] Pings kept popping by the corner of my eye, but I paid them no mind. Trying to survive in a wave of bloodthirsty creatures who were in a frenzy made me neglect those things.


    As I kept killing, my eyes began noticing the Demon Cores that fell from the vanquished monsters that turned to dust.<sub></sub>


    At this point, I was deep within the monster crowd. However, I could still see them from the corner of my eyes. Several Cores on the ground.


    If I could explode them, the effects would be fantastic! Yet, I had to pick them up and store them in [Subspace] first.


    It was a shame, since I didn¡¯t have time to worry about anything but killing. That meant I couldn¡¯t afford to try to get Demon Cores at the moment.


    ¡®I¡¯ve also nearly exhausted my supply of Demon Cores¡­ if only I could ess those Cores of the Demons I have killed!¡¯ I gritted my teeth.


    ¡°GARUIKKKKK!!!¡±


    The cries of the Hobgoblins snapped me back to reality, causing me to quickly evade their quick strikes before they hit me. I watched as their attacks nearly hit me before barely dodging.


    ¡°W-wha-?!¡¯ My mind rang out.


    The Hobs were getting faster¡­ no, I was slower. <Aura> was gone, and I didn¡¯t even notice when it happened.


    That meant I was getting into more of a disadvantage the more the fight dragged on. I didn¡¯t even have the slightest clue as to how long I had been fighting since I was just upied with killing and surviving.


    I could sense myself getting exhausted, and my MP was already nearly almost down.


    Yes, Mana Point, also called Magic Power! That was what I used to activate my very high-level Skills. That meant in a while, I wouldn¡¯t be able to use <Summon> and <Recall> anymore.


    Coupling that with the fact that I was now weaker and slower, I was going to die very soon!


    ¡°No¡­ Never!!!¡± I screamed.


    Unconsciously activating <Roar>, a Skill I got from the Hell Kobold Guardians, I created a sonic wave that blew the enemies around me away.


    After doing this, I felt my MP drop even further, causing me to copse to the ground in exhaustion.


    Most of my Skills used MP, and <Roar> just took a chunk of it.


    ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± I was already nearly out of breath, and my sluggish body was already going numb.


    The enemies I pushed back started approaching me once again. Death approached me, and in a few seconds, it would catch up.


    ¡°Think, Jeremy¡­ Think! Did I make another mistake again?!¡± I gritted my teeth.


    I was always impatient when it came to Demons. While I knew it was essential to get as powerful as I could, risking my life this way was not going to cut it.


    ¡°Anything¡­ Anything¡­¡±


    The only Skills I could use without MP were the ones I got early on, but even then, I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle such arge number of Demons.


    Suddenly, I heard a ping that brought my attention to the Golden panel before me.


    [System Update]


    ~You Have Surpassed The Level Requirement.


    ~Your Primary Job <Thief> Has Increased In Rank.


    ~Addtional Skills and Skill Slots Have Been Added.


    ~Your Proficiency Has Increased In Already Existing Job-Rted Skills.


    ~You Have Obtained Karma Points For This Feat.


    [You Have Leveled Up]

 Chapter 124 Turning Point

    >DING!<


    [System Update]


    ~You Have Surpassed The Level Requirement.


    ~Your Primary Job <Thief> Has Increased In Rank.


    ~Addtional Skills and Skill Slots Have Been Added.


    ~Your Proficiency Has Increased In Already Existing Job-Rted Skills.


    ~You Have Obtained Karma Points For This Feat.


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    My eyes bulged, my body trembled, and unconsciously, I whispered the words¡­


    ¡°S-status Window¡­¡±


    As my eyes scanned through the panels, I felt a newfound surge of energy and vigor course through me. Even as my enemies approached me at a quick pace, ready to tear me apart, my lips curled up in excitement.


    Pressing my body to the ground, using all the energy I could muster, I prepared myself for the next action to take.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡± The deafening cries of thousands rushed into my ears, but none of them were heard.


    The only thing I listened to¡­ was the fast beating of my own heart. Excitement, relief, satisfaction, and pure thrill filled my whole body.


    Increasing the strength in my legs, I jumped as high as I could, leaving the Demons beneath me. Stillunching high up, I looked down, smiling at the Hobs who raised their heads to re at me.


    They had no idea what wasing¡­ but I did.


    ¡®This fight¡­ is already over!¡¯ I grinned.


    And that was because¡­ of the new System Update I received.


    [System Update]


    ~You Have Received Two New Skills~


    Skill 1: <Mine Alone>


    [Description]


    ¨C (Passive) Any Object Gotten By You Is Automatically Registered As Your Property. You Can Track It, Retrieve It At your Convenience, And Directly Affect It.<sub></sub>


    Skill 2: <Nimble>


    [Description]


    ¨C (Active) You Gain Additional [Vitality] And [Agility] When This Skill Is Active. Additional (+1,000) Stat Point Is Temporarily Added For The Duration Of The Skill.


    [Additional Information]


    ~ The Skills Can Be Upgraded, Giving More Options And Increased Efficiency, Based On Profeciency~


    [End Of Information]


    With a wide grin stered on my face, I stared across the vast field, seeing all the Demon Cores disced all around, in their thousands.


    ¡°MP has been restored to a good degree thanks to the Level-Ups. Now is no time to be stingy¡­ which means¡­¡±


    With a single thought, I enacted something that devastated the whole area.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!<


    The explosions caused by thousands of Demon Cores exploding all across the areas sent a deafening noise reverberating across the area. Thousands of Demons met their deaths as a result of the st, causing their numbers to dwindle at a staggering pace.<sub></sub>


    However, I still wasn¡¯t done.


    As each Demon died, they turned to dust and their Demon Cores fell from them.


    ¡°They¡¯re all mine!!!¡± I grinned.


    Sending my mana to the Cores again, I caused yet more explosions, killing more Demons.


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM<


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    Chain reactions caused by explosions swept through the vastpounds. As the Demons died as a result of the explosions, dropping their Demon Cores, I exploded the Cores that were left behind, causing even more eruptions of fierce power.


    Since I kept leveling up, my mana was being restored, so I could keep this up for an infinitely long time. However, I was already beginning to fall to the ground, so I couldn¡¯t keep up the sts that would adversely affect me.


    After watching such beautiful fireworks from the heights where I stayed, slowly descending back to the ground, I estimated a total of five thousand died as a result of the chain reactions of multiple sts.


    ¡®It appears I underestimated their numbers¡­ these Demons should have been more than ten thousand when I first arrived here¡­¡¯ My thoughts rang.


    However, at the moment, they were a staggering amount, not even close to three thousand.


    Inded on the ground, shaking the earth around me. However, my body felt no recoil from the impact since it was strengthened beyond any normal person¡¯s level.


    As I watched the remaining number of Demons around cautiously approach me, I grinned, confident of victory now. They were still a few thousand, but,pared to the horde I faced earlier, these were nothing.


    Summoning two of my daggers, I activated my newly gotten <Nimble> Skill, which buffed me to a new level entirely.


    ¡®This is¡­¡¯ I smiled, feeling the rush of overwhelming energy course through me.


    It was like all my exhaustion vanished. Even though I knew it was temporary, the feeling made me feel on top of the world.


    ¡°GARUIIIKKKKK!!!¡± The Demons growled and lunged at me, sensing the immense threat I posed.


    Since I was on their home turf, they couldn¡¯t retreat, and I suppose the instinctive reaction of these primitive beings to protect their home overrode their sense of reason.


    ¡®Maybe they¡¯re protecting the boss¡­¡¯ I reasoned, starting to quicken my steps as I approached the Demons who ran toward me.


    They didn¡¯t need to worry, though. I was in no hurry to kill the Boss just yet.


    ¡°Keep producing more mobs for me!!!¡± I screamed, expertly spinning my dagger, rushing at the Demons.


    >FWOOOOOSHHHH<


    Running at a speed I had never achieved before, I swiftly cut through hundreds of Demons within moments, slicing their heads off with absolute precision.


    My head was clear, and the power in each strike sent ripples of blood and sweat flying.


    I kept charging ahead, also summoning my weapons to deal damage to the Demons while I killed my prey.


    Their Demon Cores fell to the ground, which I took for myself into [Subspace]. At this point, I didn¡¯t need any shy explosion to finish the job. I would be saving those forter.


    Letting my body and weapons do all the work, I spun, drilling holes into the foes in a sh.


    As the enemies surrounded me, trying once more to overwhelm me with numbers, I used <Roar> to send them flying.


    The pressure destroyed some, while sending the rest back.


    Using this to take a breather, I leaped backward, watching the rest of the Demons from a distance.


    ¡°Haaa¡­ Haa¡­ Amazing! Absolutely amazing!¡± I beamed, feeling a new rush of emotion within me.


    My heart pulsated at an uncontroble rate. I felt like I could dance forever, but I knew it was mostly due to the high I was in.


    ¡°Rx, Jeremy¡­ this is¡­ a perfect chance!¡± I smiled.


    After all, I didn¡¯te here just to kill. It was time for the next phase of my ns.


    ¡°Now that <Nimble> is still active, I can do this¡­ it¡¯s time to catch some live specimens!¡±

 Chapter 125 Game Of Catch

    One of the regrets I had, ever since leaving the Apartment, was not taking any Hell Kobolds with me, using [Subspace].


    Perhaps it was because I was more concerned about survival and leveling up, that I never considered capturing some of the Demons I fought.


    When I arrived at the Camp, through trying it out on people, I realized it was possible to trap living beings in [Subspace]. If humans could be put into my special space, surely Demons weren¡¯t an exception to the rule.


    I just had to try!


    And so, here I was, facing a total of about two thousand demons, most likely less. After killing a great deal, so few remained. At the rate I was going, I was going to make the same errors as in the past, and not capture any specimens for future study.


    ¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to let that happen!¡¯ I grinned.


    Using <Recall>, I returned my daggers as well as the many Demon Cores that littered the floor.


    They numbered over two thousand. The rest had already been used as explosives. However, this much was enough.


    ¡°G-Gur-Guruuhikkkk¡­¡± The hesitant growls of the Demons were music to my ears, nearly provoking me to kill them.


    But, I controlled my impulses, reminding myself of the mission. I had leveled up enough, this was more important at the time.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I bounced, ready to once again dive into danger.


    >FWOOOOOSHHHH<


    My body fluidly moved, reaching the crowd of Demons. Using evasion, I expertly avoided any fatal hits, tapping the bodies of the Demons around me quickly.


    To my relief, they vanished into [Subspace]. With this, I confirmed the possibility of Demons being epted into it. The only question was¡­ would they stack up?


    ¡°[Subspace]¡± I called out while dodging the strikes of the Hobs that desperately tried inflicting an injury on me.


    As I scanned through the list, I saw the panel that disyed the Demons I captured. A smile formed on my face the moment I saw it.


    [SUBSPACE]


    [.]


    [.]<sub></sub>


    [.]


    ~ Hobgoblin ¡Á18


    [.]


    With an excited look, realizing they stacked up, I rushed at the rest and tapped them rapidly. None of their slow moves could even reach me. They were too rigid.


    No, perhaps I was too fast!


    Quickly ying the game of tag, I made everyone my targets, zooming across them, resisting the urge to kill, and taking them alive instead.


    It didn¡¯t take too long to capture a thousand, finally leaving only a few hundred, a mere mockery of the previous numbers that approached me earlier.


    Looking around me now, the space around me looked too empty. Since the crowd had thinned out considerably, it felt a little lonely being with only a few hundred after being greeted by thousands just a while back.


    Still, I had no time to feel bad. My mission continued.<sub></sub>


    With swiftness and precision, I got the remaining Hobgoblins, taking them into [Subspace]. Finally, I was left with nothing¡­ no more work to do.


    Everyone was either dead or within my [Subspace].


    ¡°Huu¡­ Huu¡­ I suppose this is¡­ missionplete¡­¡± I heaved heavily, feeling the effect of <Nimble> leave, and my exhaustion catching up to me.


    I looked ahead at what lie beyond the vastpound andrge fences. There was no boss or structure in sight that resembled where a Gate would be hidden.


    I found this to be a little curious. If this was a Horde, it has to be caused by a Gate. After defeating all the Demons, surely, I was bound to expect something to appear.


    Moving further within and farther from the gate, I transversed the vastnds, until finally, I saw something ahead.


    ¡°T-that is¡­.¡± My lips moved instinctively.


    Beyond grasses and ins within thepound existed yet anotherrge gate. This gate appeared taller andrger than the previous one which led to this one.


    Since I had gotten higher intelligence and my sensory perception increased, I could perceive it¡­ whaty behind the Gate at a distance from me.


    ¡°More Demons¡­ stronger ones!¡±


    It appeared that the Horde¡¯s base consisted of more than onepound. After transversing the Gate before me and defeating the demons there, it was possible that I would have to go through another, with an even higher difficulty.


    Now that I thought of it¡­ everything made sense.


    ¡°All the Hobgoblins I fought here are the brawler types. I didn¡¯t see a single archer or higher-ranked Hob. Does that mean¡­?¡±


    How ridiculous the situation was! To think that after conquering over ten thousand Hobgoblins, the threat was yet to be extinguished.


    Surely, I knew the mobs were the highest in number within any army, but that also meant the other Hobgoblins had a considerably high number.


    Beyond the gate ahead of me would be at least five thousand more powerful enemies.


    ¡°If I go now¡­ I¡¯ll die for sure!¡± I muttered.


    Even though I had leveled up considerably in this battle, my tired body couldn¡¯t do any more fighting.


    I also couldn¡¯t loiter about in thispound for long. After all, should the gates open and the other Hobs flood in, I would be at a massive disadvantage.


    Though I assumed the ones in the nextpound were in a daze, just like the ones I just dispatched were before I roused them, the possibility of an ambush still existed. So, I couldn¡¯t take any chances of even nearing the next Gate¡­ not until I was in top form.


    ¡°I suppose¡­ It¡¯s time to leave.¡± I smiled tiredly.


    Moving my body, I sluggishly ran to the first gate, staring at therge structure and not failing to be amazed.


    I was tempted to climb the walls the same way I did when entering, but another thought appeared in my mind.


    ¡®Why not¡­ jump?¡¯


    I wanted to try it, but my wobbly legs were too weak. There was no way I could strain myself any further.


    In the end, I climbed the walls with my daggers. After this, I left the area and returned to the position I was assigned to, hoping I wasn¡¯t toote.


    ¡°I wonder how much time I spent¡­¡± Mumbling to myself, I quickened the pace.


    ¡®Let¡¯s hope everyone hasn¡¯t noticed my absence yet!¡¯

 Chapter 126 Rank Up

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this?¡± I muttered from where I was in the woods.


    The group of Hobgoblins had not been entirely killed and Daniel¡¯s team was handling thest batch.


    ¡°Judging by their numbers, I¡¯ll say it won¡¯t take very long before they¡¯re all dead¡­¡± I whispered.


    Still, it was a surprise that they weren¡¯t done with the Subjugation. I could have sworn that I spent way more time than I nned on my end.


    ¡®It has been over two hours since the Subjugation started, and they¡¯re not done yet? Why? Did I overestimate their abilities?¡¯


    No, that couldn¡¯t have been the case. I observed as the fighters faced off against the Demons. Their movements at this moment were different from when they first started.


    ¡®Ah, I see¡­ they must have had to take breaks due to exhaustion, skill cooldowns as well.¡¯


    After all, no one had unlimited vitality. Even Daniel¡¯s movements were now slow, and his <Energy de> Skill had vanished. That would make the fight considerably harder.


    I decided to pass time by looking at my Status Information, seeing how much I had grown.


    Seeing the golden screen before me and reading the details within gave me joy.


    ¡°I¡¯m Level 135 now. After killing about ten thousand, and capturing over a thousand¡­ wow.¡±


    Judging from my growth speed, it would get even more difficult to obtain EXP in the future. Even after all the effort, I didn¡¯t obtain more than 30 Levels.


    ¡®I suppose there¡¯s a limit to how much EXP mobs give you¡­¡¯ I sighed.<sub>.</sub>


    However, my disappointment vanished as soon as I checked my Skills Window.


    * Slot 1 ¨C <w Attack>


    * Slot 2 ¨C <Spike Attack>


    * Slot 3 ¨C <Venomous Spikes>


    * Slot 4 ¨C <Steal>


    * Slot 5 ¨C <Recall>


    * Slot 6 ¨C <Summon>


    * Slot 7 ¨C <Roar>


    * Slot 8 ¨C <Rule>


    * Slot 9 ¨C <Spike Skin>


    * Slot 10 ¨C <Aura>


    * Slot 11 ¨C <Mine Alone><sub></sub>


    * Slot 12 ¨C <Nimble>


    * Slot 13 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 14 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 15 ¨C <Empty>


    Not only had I gotten two additional gifts, but I also obtained three extra Skill Slots. It wasn¡¯t a bad deal. The System also said it had improved the Job-Rted Skills.


    ¡®I should check that out¡­¡¯


    Upon seeing my [Job:Thief] on the Status Window, I tapped on it for more information.


    To my expectations, the system disyed details concerning my Job.


    [JOB INFORMATION]


    ¨C Primary Job: Thief (Rank 3)


    ¨C Secondary Job: None


    [Job Proficiency: 14.89%]<sub></sub>


    [You Now Possess 5 Job-Rted Skills]


    ~ Skill 1: <Steal>


    ¨C (Active)


    Ability to randomly obtain anything equipped from an opponent. It could be a ¡®Skill¡¯, ¡®Weapon¡¯, ¡®Attire¡¯, etc. Things obtained are subject to the Levels of the user and target.


    Additional Effect: Cooldown limitation has been reduced, and you can now use this Skill on a target three times concurrently.


    ~ Skill 2: <Summon>


    ¨C (Active)


    Can call upon any item of possession stored within [Subspace].


    Additional Effect: SubSkill: <Automatic Summon> can be used. You can choose to automatically summon items to suit your needs at a given time.


    ~ Skill 3: <Recall>


    (Active/Passive)


    Ability to call back possessed item to the storage upon the user¡¯s discretion or after an psed period of time.


    Additional Effect: You transport an item under your possession in any location and wield it instantly.


    (Current Time-Lapse Allocated: Please Select)


    ~ Skill 4: <Mine Alone>


    (Passive)


    Any Object Gotten By You Is Automatically Registered As Your Property. You Can Track It, Retrieve It At your Convenience, And Directly Affect It.


    Skill 5: <Nimble>


    (Active)


    You Gain Additional [Vitality] And [Agility] When This Skill Is Active. Additional (+1,000) Stat Point Is Temporarily Added For The Duration Of The Skill.


    [End Of Information]


    My jaw nearly dropped upon seeing the goodies I had just received. This was too good to be true. To think I had achieved such a high level of Proficiency in that single battle. Not just that, but I also got variants of the already-existing skills.


    If I had to pick, they were all useful, but the SubSkill <Automatic Summon> Was going to be very useful inbat.


    The more I Ranked-Up in my Job, the more Skills and power-ups were in store for me. This was quite exciting!


    At this point, Daniel had just finished killing thest Demons, so the Subjugation was sessful. I could hear the strained breathing of everyone from my distance, seeing as their sweat dropped from their bodies.


    ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Well done everyone! The Subjugation is now¡­plete!¡± Daniel dered.


    Everyone cheered, copsing to the ground to rest. Daniel and the others were sure to have leveled up a good deal from this fight. But, the fact that they were this tired after facing a little over a hundred Demons seemed like a joke to me at this point.


    Still, I once again decided to y the role designated to me and came out of the woods, appearing before everyone.


    ¡°W-well done, everyone!¡± I beamed innocently.


    The exhausted fighters didn¡¯t even answer me, since they were focused on regaining their strength. However, there was a particr member of the Subjugation Squad that paid attention to me.


    ¡°So, now you show up, Jeremy. I hope you enjoyed the show. Did you like seeing us work out butt off to protect you?¡± Melissa said, ring at me scornfully.


    I nced a little in her direction. She appeared exhausted since she had to maintain her barrier Gift for so long, but to think the girl still had enough energy to pick on me.


    Daniel was too tired to even notice what she was doing, so there was no one to silence her. However, as usual, my move was to ignore her nagging.


    ¡®Let¡¯s just get this over with¡­¡¯ I sighed.


    Moving around the area where the battle took ce, my eyes took in the fight of the nearly evaporated Demon blood, as well as the Cores that floated atop them.


    ¡°Bingo!¡± I smiled a little, bending to pick them.


    That¡¯s right! My duty within the Subjugation Squad was to pick the drops gotten from the Demons while the others rested. It was quite the useful role for everyone since they would be too exhausted to bother picking so many Cores.


    This wasn¡¯t the main reason I was allowed into the group, but it was still a convenient role that allowed everyone else to stay out of my case.


    Well, everyone except-

 Chapter 127 Return To Base

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t ignore me, twerp!¡±


    Melissa kept barking as I continued my duties, using the bag provided for me by the group. It was exhausting pretending to be so slow.


    ¡®Thanks to my high vitality, my recovery rate is very high¡­ I¡¯m not in top condition yet, but I¡¯m not too far off¡­¡¯


    Having a girl as weak as her yell so loudly at me made me so irritated, but at the moment, nothing could be done about it. After all¡­ I had ns for her.


    Within a few minutes, I was done with picking the Demon Cores. At this point, the Subjugation crew had caught their breaths.


    ¡°We should leave this ce and return to base. We¡¯ll have lunch, and prepare for our afternoon/evening assault.¡± Daniel smiled.


    They all nodded, grunting as they stood from the ground. Carrying the bag behind my back, I also nodded as we followed behind the leader and moved back to base.


    It wasn¡¯t going to do any good to loiter by the path that Demons could transverse, which was why we had to leave as soon as we had concluded our business there.<sub>.</sub>


    Melissa walked ahead of everyone and took her ce beside Daniel. In contrast, Tasha slowed down her steps and approached me from the front. Everyone was too tired to take note of this, plus it wasn¡¯t strange for the vice-leader to talk to someone carrying the Demon Cores, so no one said anything.


    As I walked, bag behind me, Tasha began speaking.


    ¡°So, how did it go?¡±


    Her voice was hushed, clearly not wanting anyone to notice the conversation we were having. I doubted those around would be interested since they were either thinking about lunch or clinging to their lovers.


    Thatst part was for Melissa and her energetic walk with Daniel who was clearly too tired to reciprocate her vibes.


    ¡°We felt tremors on the earth when we fought the Hobgoblins and also heard some explosions from a far distance. That was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Tasha added.


    ¡®Oh? Was the battle that fierce? To think they heard it from this distance¡­¡¯ I smiled amusedly.<sub></sub>


    I indeed went a little too far.


    ¡°Yeah. It went well, though. I reduced the numbers considerably. However, I still haven¡¯t found the Boss nor the Gate that keeps spawning them¡­¡± I exined, also keeping my voice low.


    Tasha had no idea how many Demons I killed, so I decided not to tell her the details. Furthering our conversation, I told her about the existence of the second gate and the likelihood of more Demons being there. She nodded in response, taking in all the information I told her calmly.


    ¡°The Gate is most likely at the furthest area, and the Horde keeps building fences andrge gates to create more room for their numbers. This will hide their forces, as well as serve as a good base, instead of appearing on a bare field.¡± I further exined.


    ¡°The Boss will be where the Gate is, and since it needs to be defeated before the Gate closes, we will need to get past the forces defending it. Sigh, what a hassle¡­¡± Tasha said, a little frustrated.


    From what I had told her, the Subjugation was bound to be harder than any of us thought. Still, there was no real need to worry.


    After discussing for a little more, Tasha excused herself and returned to the front. Not long after, we reached our Base. Fortunately, Daniel seemed to think that it was probably another group of Gifteds that caused the explosions they heard.<sub></sub>


    Since they also pinned the massacre of the Hobgoblinsst night on the very same parties, he decided not to further investigate it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little annoying that they¡¯re interfering with our subjugation, but as long as they whittle down their numbers, it¡¯ll be possible for us to get out of here earlier than expected.¡± Daniel had said in my absence.


    It was quite informative talking to Tasha. We needed to have more conversations often. However, from her reactions and clear displeasure being in my presence, I doubted that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea. As I already told Charles, I don¡¯t like this at all. I¡¯m only doing it because it¡¯s necessary.¡± I remembered her telling me.


    Well, we had that inmon. I also didn¡¯t appreciate dead wights slowing me down, but it was essential, anyway.


    ¡°In the next wave¡­ I should allow a few to die. No, let¡¯s be patient a little. I haven¡¯t experimented with it yet¡­ There¡¯s still very little information¡­¡± I muttered.


    There were still quite a number of things to do. It was a good thing that so many Demons were still present.


    Upon reaching the base, lunch was prepared and given to us. Melissa was in charge of food distribution, so I was a little skeptical about even bothering to receive my share.


    ¡®No, it¡¯ll be suspicious if I didn¡¯t¡­¡¯ I reasoned.


    Dragging my feet to her, I stretched my hand to receive my meal. As she stared at who was next on the line, our eyes met.


    Instantly, she scowled at me and quickly curled up her lips in a scheming fashion.


    ¡°Uh? What is a loser like you doing here? We are only giving lunch to those who were actually useful. Last I remember, weren¡¯t you just hiding like a scared-cat and only showed up when the fight was over? There¡¯s no food for you!¡± She said to me with a sadistic grin.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t like I wanted the disgusting porridge being served, to begin with.


    Still, though¡­ I wasn¡¯t going to let her have her way so easily


    ¡°I picked up the Demon Cores, though. Does that not count?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Tsk¡± I clearly heard her click her tongue in frustration, but still refused to pass the bowl to me.


    ¡°Well, I suppose there¡¯s no helping it.¡±


    She poured the contents of the pot into my bowl. However, judging by what I saw in the tes of others, what she gave me was so despairingly little.


    ¡°Here, you should be grateful I¡¯m even giving you this much!¡± She barked at me, stretching the te forward.


    ¡®I¡¯m supposed to receive this?¡¯ My thoughts rang, now looking at her with a slightly offended grin.


    Now, this girl was trying me¡­ I had to teach her a little bit of manners, didn¡¯t I?

 Chapter 128 Taking A Break

    ¡°Here! Have your meal!¡± She barked, ring at me with her conceited eyes.


    An idea sparked in my head, causing me to take the te from her. However, while I was still receiving it, her hands let go of the te in order to intentionally spill my lunch on the ground


    As I saw her hand slip intentionally, and the wicked grin she had on her face, I couldn¡¯t help but feel amused. The bowl fell in such a slow fashion that it was merely child¡¯s y to catch it easily.


    However, I had other ns for it.


    ¡°W-whoah!¡± I pretended to slip forward, using my hand to tilt the te, causing it to change trajectory.


    Instead of falling to the ground, it went straight for Melissa, and instead of settling for merely her dress, my hand pushed the bowl upward, causing the porridge to spill all over her face and drip down her body.


    ¡°Arghhhh!!!¡± She screamed, feeling the hot stuff all over her body.


    The creamy, watered-down porridge was all over her, and her mouth opened in screams while feeling the burning tinge of wasted food on her.


    A smile formed on my face, as the sight reminded me of something simr, but I couldn¡¯t just disy my enjoyment of what happened to Melissa.


    ¡°A-are you okay?¡± I let out, watching her copse to the ground in recoil.


    This drew the attention of many people around, who also saw the sight. The eyes bulged, taking in the bizarre appearance Melissa had with the white stuff all over her. With tension already built up, they gulped a little excitedly, too stunned to actually take action and help her.


    ¡°Gahh¡­ Ah¡­ Ahh¡­¡± She let out more cries.<sub>.</sub>


    I knelt to her side and asked if she was fine once more.


    ¡°Get away from me, you freak! Just get the fvck away!¡± She snapped angrily, quickly taking a rag thaty around to clean the porridge on her body and outfit.


    I saw the disappointed looks in everyone¡¯s eyes when she cleaned herself up, as well as the angry expressions they made when Melissa treated me harshly.


    ¡°I was just trying to-¡± I replied to her innocently.


    ¡°Are you deaf?! Stay the fvck away from me, you retard!¡± She shouted, hissing in annoyance.


    The public opinion of her plummeted even further as the disapproving scowl of everyone was now evident.


    ¡°Tsk. What a bitch.¡± One of them said.


    ¡°I know right? The dude was just trying to help her out¡­¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother if I were him. I mean, she¡¯s like that anyway¡­¡±


    Thements of the crowd permeated the atmosphere. Daniel was not present to support Melissa since he had gone with Tasha and the other high-leveled to strategize on the next step.


    As a result, Melissa was currently defenseless against the words of the frustrated Subjugation team members.<sub></sub>


    Her eyes looked around in slight confusion and fear, not liking where thements were leading to. She stiffened up, trying to control herself from further reacting and making the situation worse. Seeing her slowly break, I leaned closer to her squatting form, drawing my lips close to her ears in a whisper.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for trying to cross me, Melissa. You can have the food. I don¡¯t care anyway.¡±


    With this statement, her body jolted in fear. I used a little bit of <Rule> to intimidate her, so her body could do nothing but tremble.


    Rising from where I knelt, I went my way, leaving her in the mess created by our little ident.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡±


    ¡°What do you think he said to her?¡±


    ¡°Probably an apology¡­ he¡¯s a wimp, you know.¡±


    ¡°Look at this. She still didn¡¯t give him any meal.¡±


    I heard the mumblings of the mobs, ignoring them as I made my way to the woods where I could have some peace and quiet. No one bothered stopping me, since they were either busy gossiping or thought it wasn¡¯t worth their effort.


    After reaching a considerable distance, I climbed one of the tall trees and sat atop a sturdy branch it had.


    I summoned a potato chip and began downing it while ruminating on the next steps to take.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Status Window¡± I muttered, mouth full of chips.


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 135 ¨C Exp: 40.61


    ¨C Race: Human¨C Job: Thief


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡¯3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    ¨C Karma Points: 1,000


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 100


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 6,850


    ¨C MP: 1,560


    ¨C Strength:1,400


    ¨C Agility: 7,050


    ¨C Vitality: 6,850


    ¨C Intelligence: 20,750


    ¨C (G) Factor: 60


    ~Gift: [Subspace]


    ¨C Items Equipped: A Pack Of Potato Chips (¡Á1)


    ¨C Allies: None


    [Additional Information]


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    [End Of Information]


    Many things bothered me about my new Status Information. For example, my (G) Factor had once against reduced. I didn¡¯t have any knowledge of what it was used for, but Stats were meant to increase, so it was unsettling that this one was the exception, especially since I had no recollection of ever using it at any time.


    ¡°Huu, there¡¯s so much I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I muttered, downing more chips.


    I summoned a can of orange juice and drank it to quench my thirst after taking so many salty crisps.


    My Karma Points had also increased, so that was so one thing to rejoice about. It wasn¡¯t useful now, but a time wasing when people would wish for just a tiny fraction of what I had.


    I had looked at the Status Windows of the other Gifteds of the Camp using Charles¡¯ book, and none of them had Karma Points reaching 100. That was a clear indication that I was way ahead of everyone.


    ¡°Good¡­ good. Now, I should start nning the next step.¡±


    After finishing the light snack I had, I decided to focus more on pertinent matters. Since I had three empty Skill slots, and the capacity to get more in the future, it was time to learn a good Skill.


    ¡°<Summon>.¡±

 Chapter 129 New Skills

    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    Instantly, a Demon Core appeared on my palm. It was one of the Demon Cores gotten from the Hobgoblins. I had so many in my [Subspace] so it would be a waste for them to just be sitting there.


    ¡°There are two variants I have obtained. Judging from the slots, one belongs to the Hobgoblin brawlers, and the others are the archers. They have simr skillsets, except for some differences.¡± I mumbled, bringing the other Demon Core forparison.


    ¡®Let¡¯s take a closer inspection, shall we?¡¯


    [System Notification]


    [Hobgoblin (Brawler) Skill ¡®w Strike¡¯ Is Avable]


    [Hobgoblin (Brawler) Skill ¡®Camouge¡¯ Is Avable]


    ~Select The Skills You Would Like to Save~


    [.]


    After focusing on the Cores, the learning skill Window opened.


    I objectively looked at the two Skills to be learned from the ¡®Brawler¡¯ Hobgoblin ss. The first was most likely a less impressive version of w Attack, so I instinctively ignored it.


    As for the second¡­ now that looked interesting. I tapped on the <Camouge> Skill, choosing to learn it instead of the former.<sub>.</sub>


    [Confirm: Do You Want To Save The Skill <Camouge> To Skill Slot?]


    [Yes] [No]


    Of course, I chose [Yes], causing a dim light to shine from the Demon Core. I grinned, looking at the faint glow that remained in the rock. It still had enough residual energy avable since I didn¡¯t learn both Skills.


    I opened my Skills Window and nced through it to see my newly learned ability. I tapped on it to obtain more information on it and how it worked.


    [Skill Information]


    <Camouge>


    Grade: 1 (Fixed)


    Level:1 (Upgradable)


    [Description]


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ¡®Hobgoblin (Brawler)¡¯. It is a low leveled skill that causes the user to blend in with his surrounding. This causes temporary invisibility and allows the user to escape the senses of those around for a limited period.


    [Currently Unactivated]<sub></sub>


    Skill Duration: 3 Minutes


    Skill Cooldown: 5 Hours


    [End Of Information]


    ¡°A-ahh¡­¡± I let out, surprised by such a great Skill I stumbled on.


    This was absolutely incredible! An ability akin to stealth? Crazy!!!


    Since I chose the ¡®Thief¡¯ Job, I had hoped I would get a Skill rting to Stealth, but I had no such luck. Perhaps it was going to be given at ater time, or it was an exclusive skill given to the ¡®Assasin¡¯ Variant of the Thief Job. Either way, I didn¡¯t possess any stealth skills.


    I had been managing to get by due to my high speed and cunning, but those could only help me to an extent.


    ¡°But now, I have this! Perfect!¡± I beamed.


    I decided to increase the level of the Skill to its maximum. However, before doing that, I looked at the Skills within the Demon Core of the Archer Hobgoblins.


    [System Notification]


    [Hobgoblin (Archer) Skill ¡®Archery¡¯ Is Avable]<sub></sub>


    [Hobgoblin (Archer) Skill ¡®Coordination¡¯ Is Avable]


    ~Select The Skills You Would Like to Save~


    [.]


    Just like the Brawler Demon Core, this also had two skills to learn from. Upon seeing the first Skill, I also ignored it since I had no interest in archery. Sure, it would be good for ranged weapons, but since it was only a Grade 1 Skill, I doubted it would be extremely useful for all ranged weapons.


    I already had <Summon> and <Recall> to use in attacking enemies around while fighting in meleebat. There was no need to obtain an archery skill.


    As for the second one¡­ now that seemed useful!


    [Confirm: Do You Want To Save The Skill <Coordination> To Skill Slot?]


    [Yes] [No]


    After obtaining the Skill, I proceeded to learn more about it.


    [Skill Information]


    <Coordination>


    Grade: 1 (Fixed)


    Level:1 (Upgradable)


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ¡®Hobgoblin (Archer)¡¯. It is a low leveled skill that grants the user heightened and sharpened senses, especially that of sight. They are also freely able to move their body more fluidly in response to their intention.


    [Currently Unactivated]


    Skill Duration: 5 Minutes


    Skill Cooldown: 3 Hours


    [End Of Information]


    ¡°Welp, this isn¡¯t too bad either. Judging by the description, it¡¯ raises my agility and intelligence. I can¡¯t wait to see the effects on the battlefield. If I can coordinate my movements better, it¡¯ll make fighting easier.¡± I beamed satisfied.


    Now that I had obtained two new skills, there was only one thing left to do about them. Upgrade!


    ¡°Let¡¯s raise them as high as possible¡­ to the max!¡±


    *******************************************


    I threw in the Demon Cores in my possession, and fortunately, they were enough to raise their levels to the max. Even though I couldn¡¯t raise the Grade, the effectiveness and efficiency increased.


    ¡®The duration is now way higher, and the Cooldown has drastically dropped. That¡¯s good!¡¯


    Adding the Demon Cores I got from the Hell Kobolds and the Hobgoblins, I still had over two thousand left.


    They were not really useful to me now since I had gotten as far as I could with their Skills. Which meant they would make good explosives in the battle toe.


    Now that I had gotten two new skills, I was itching to dive back into battle.


    But, before that, there were a few things to consider.


    One was the Horde¡¯s advancement. I already knew the Gate was stationed at the rear, which meant to advance, they kept spilling Hobs and creatingpounds, slowly increasing their territory. I had no idea how many the total number was, but at the rate at which they were being produced, it could be a serious problem if the Hobs kept spawning uncontrobly.


    ¡°I could have said it would be useful for farming EXP, but¡­ what¡¯s the point? The higher my level, the more difficult it is to Level Up with small fries.¡± I sighed.


    Ultimately, it was in my best interest to end things quickly. The Boss would fetch a pretty decent load of EXP.


    Plus, I still had other experiments to perform, so this was no time to let my workload pile up.


    After considering other factors and eating a little more, I descended from the tree and returned to the Base. At this point, Daniel and Tasha were already present and I saw Melissa cling to him, speaking emotionally.


    If she was trying to get Daniel on my case, that was the wrong move to make. Not only did Daniel believe me to be innocent, but he was also more concerned with the mission than anything else.


    A petty ident wouldn¡¯t make him break the peace. After some minutes, Daniel finally stood from where he sat and assembled everyone.


    ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve rested well enough¡­ gather around, people. It¡¯s time for the second round!¡±

 Chapter 130 Round Two (Pt 1)

    ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve rested well enough¡­ gather around, people. It¡¯s time for the second round!¡± Daniel dered with vigor.


    The crowd was somewhat excited. After their first victory against the Demons, they all thought they had a chance.


    With morebat experience, they had built enough confidence in themselves and had the strength to raise their des against the monsters they once feared.


    A part of me wanted to squash the hopes everyone had built up, but I resisted the urge.


    ¡°We will strike them after taking positions. The same strategy used in the morning will be repeated. Since these will be a new set of Hobgoblins, they won¡¯t be aware of our tactics. By cornering them like we did thest time, we will kill them off once again.¡±


    The n sounded easy enough for everyone to understand. They were all prepared to move out. With restored strength, we all marched to our positions. The closebatants followed Daniel to lure the Hobgoblins to where the rest of us would be staying.


    As we moved, I had some thoughts.


    ¡®I¡¯ve cleaned through the firstpound, but if I¡¯m right, at this point, Hobgoblins should be filling thepound again.¡¯


    After all, quite some hours had passed. At least a hundred should havee out. If that was the case, then Daniel and his group would have Demons to lure into their trap.<sub>.</sub>


    Since I had already informed Tasha of my actions earlier, she must have raised the issue of probing within thepound in case there were no guards stationed outside.


    I had nothing to worry about!


    Following the second group, we ally in ambush, waiting for Daniel¡¯s group to return with the prey. Looking around, my eyes identally met Melissa¡¯s, and she gave me a deep re the moment we saw each other.


    I could tell that what happened earlier still bothered her. However, at the moment she was the least of my worries. I had achieved what I wanted and had my fun, but now was the time for action.


    Fortunately, she didn¡¯t approach me or say any words to me, intentionally keeping her distance. And so, with the little wave of tension enveloping everyone, we waited patiently for Daniel¡¯s signal.


    ***************************************


    ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­ It¡¯s just as you predicted, Tasha. There are no guards stationed outside.¡± Daniel muttered, looking at the unguarded fence and gate.


    Tasha slightly nodded, also staring attentively at the tall structure.<sub></sub>


    ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to go with n B, then. We¡¯ll open the gate and draw in the ones within to us.¡± Daniel added.


    It was a risky venture since they had no idea how many of their forces would be waiting for them. Still, Tasha was confident about what Jeremy told her, so she wasn¡¯t too worried.


    ¡°Our Stealth Gifted ys a very crucial role in this battle. We¡¯ll open the gate and have her take a look inside. It¡¯ll be a little peek. If we determine that their forces aren¡¯t too much for us to handle, we¡¯ll lure them to us.¡± Daniel spoke to everyone with him.


    They nodded in response, moving closer to therge structure to enact the n.


    Now arranged ordingly, evenly splitting the forces of their Gifteds both left and right, they waited for Daniel¡¯s signal.


    ¡°Now!¡± The leadermanded.


    They opened the bulky gate bars, shifting both left and right sides so the Stealth Gifted could take a little look inside.


    And so, Catherine, under her [Veil], took slow steps closer to the opening made by her allies. She took a peek, her head already touching the cold wood that served as the gate.<sub></sub>


    A moment of silence ensued as everyone waited for her verdict. Their next actions would be determined by her response.


    ¡°T-this is-?!¡± Catherine gasped.


    However, before she could utter another word, a low whistling sound, like passing wind sounded.


    >WHOOOOOSSSHHHH<


    In a sh, the Gifteds beside Catherine, all looking at her with expectations, were met with a gory sight.


    A sharp arrow pierced Catherine¡¯s head, already protruding out of the other end of her skull. Blood sshed around, sttering on those close to the poor girl.


    ¡°Catherine!!!¡± Daniel shouted, being the first to regain his speech after witnessing the shocking sight.


    For a moment, he forgot the fact that he had to remain silent. Only one thing was on his mind, the bleeding head of his ally.


    ¡°R-run¡­¡±


    Catherine¡¯s lips uttered, her body twitching before she lifelessly iled back and died instantly.


    ¡°Catherine!!!¡± Daniel yelled again, this time his voice peaking more than before.


    His sudden shout roused the others who were still stunned by the first death they experienced in the Subjugation.


    They all moved away from the gate, hurriedly shutting it back.


    Daniel rushed to Catherine¡¯s dead body, already being drowned in her own pool of blood.


    He knelt, not caring for the crimson stain on himself. Crying, he held the corpse of his closerade.


    His mourning didn¡¯tst for long, as the earth vegan trembling at a disturbing level.


    Tasha¡¯s eyes bulged as she realized what this meant.


    The rattling earth was caused by an effect that originated from behind the tall walls before them. The trembling ground continued, followed by the roar of a multitude behind the closed gates. That meant only one thing. The Hobs within thepound were so numerous that they caused such argemotion.


    ¡®Shit!¡¯ Tasha¡¯s mind rang.


    This was different from what Jeremy had told her. Still, she had no time to even think about the boy. The Gifted which provides them with cover was now dead, everyone was stunned as a result of the sudden death that urred, and Daniel was devastated.


    The situation was worse than anyone could have expected.


    ¡°Shit! Shit!! Shit!!!¡± She growled, moving closer to Daniel as she grabbed him by the arms


    ¡°Daniel, get a grip!¡±


    Daniel was so lost in grief that he didn¡¯t feel the tremors or hear the cries of Demons hurriedly approaching them.


    ¡°W-wha-?! Tasha, Catherine is dead. Catherine is-¡± Daniel spoke in a panic, flustered beyond any semnce of rationality.


    Tasha¡¯s eyes widened, seeing their leader broken down beyond belief. He bore no resemnce to the charismatic person who led them properly just a few moments ago.


    There was only one thing Tasha could resort to at this point!


    ¡®God, please let this work!¡¯

 Chapter 131 Round Two (Pt 2)

    >WHAP!!!<


    A hot pnded on Daniel¡¯s face. The stinging sensation of Tasha¡¯s palm resonating with his face jolted Daniel back to the realm of reality.


    ¡°Daniel! Snap out of it! They¡¯reing! The Hobs areing!¡± She yelled.


    The fog of grief that hung above Daniel slowly lifted and he finally regained his senses. Seeing Tasha¡¯s desperate eyes, as well as the scared expressions of his teammates, there was only one thing that came to his mind.


    With the termors and noise of an uncountable amount of monsters, the only choice avable for the group was¡­ to flee!


    ¡°Retreat, everyone! Run!!!¡± Daniel yelled.


    This jolted everyone from their frightened states, and the wobbly legs they had began working once again. The order of the leader was absolute. This was one of the basics every Camo member knew.


    Daniel¡¯s words resonated within their souls, making them instinctively take to their heels.


    Daniel too joined them, drawn by Tasha¡¯s right grip. He was hesitant to leave Catherine¡¯s dead body behind, but now was no time for dead weight. The enemies approached.


    As they created a considerable distance from the fenced territory of the Hobs, everyone heard the gates open from behind them. No one dared to look behind them for the fear of what they might see.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Pick up the pace!!!¡± Daniel yelled, now overtaking most of the team members.


    Doing so caused everyone not to ck off.


    Tasha, who was maintaining an average speed among those around her gave in to her temptation and looked behind her to see what was going on.


    Her eyes bulged in response to what they captured.


    A few dozen Hobgoblins holding bows and arrows had already taken their aim, directed at the fleeing group of Gifteds. The other Hobgoblins not aiming took Catherine¡¯s dead body within thepound, dragging it into the forbidden territory of certain death.


    It was only for a second, but Tasha caught a glimpse of the army hiding behind the gate¡­ they were immeasurable!


    Her lips trembled, and before she knew it herself, Tasha increased the speed of her legs and overtook everyone except Daniel.


    ¡°A-arrows!!! They have more arrows!¡± She screamed.


    However, by the time everyone heard this, it was toote!<sub></sub>


    >WHOOOOSSSSSHHHHH<


    The arrows whirred and hissed, transversing the distance made by everyone within a few moments.


    >THUMP!!!<


    >SQUISH!!!<


    >SPLURGE!!!<


    The ultra-fast arrows of the Hobgoblin archers easily pierced through the backs of the Gifteds. They spared none of those who were too slow to overtake the others. As a result, those behind suffered the cruel piercings of arrows on them.


    The sharp weapons went through their skulls, hearts, mouths, throats, severing flesh and drilling holes into them like nothing.


    As they ran, the Gifteds fell, one after the other. The ones who were fortunate to survive, but now the ones who were exposed to the arrows prayed that they would be spared.


    Of course, their prayers were refused!<sub></sub>


    >WHOOOOSHH!!!<


    More arrows darted and cut through their bodies, killing them as well. Blood flew into the air as the bodies of the dead rolled as a result of the momentum built when they ran. Tasha, Daniel, and the few who were still alive didn¡¯t have the luxury to falter for a second or look behind to see who had died and who had lived. They were only concerned about one thing¡­ their survival.


    For Daniel, who had the alignment of a crusader, his guilt pierced his heart, but the selfish inclination to live choked him from taking any selfless action.


    ¡°I-I am the leader¡­ I-I¡­ I can¡¯t die here!!!¡± Daniel repeated to himself as he ran, hoping that if he said this to himself enough times, then perhaps he would believe it and absolve himself from any guilt.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡± The Hobgoblins cried.


    The remaining survivors were scared, fearing it would be their turn next. However, to their surprise, the next batch of arrows never came.


    The Hobgoblins had stoppedunching any more projectiles and had instead retreated into the gates, with a few going to retrieve the bodies of the fallen Gifteds.


    Tasha saw this as she sneaked a peek behind her, wondering why the Hobs had stopped attacking. As she watched the Hobs drag along with the dead, the desperate woman strangely felt relieved that it was them and not her.


    ¡°Haa¡­ Haaa¡­¡± They all heaved heavily, already drawing near to where the rendezvous spot was.


    With guilt and sadness evident in their eyes and the heavy weight of their selfish inclinations burdening their hearts, they would return to give the terrible news to those who expected them.


    *******************************************


    ¡®That¡¯s strange¡­¡¯ My mind rang, sensing Daniel¡¯s group approach.


    From my distance, while I couldn¡¯t entirely decipher the details of the team members, they seemed very small in numberpared to how many I expected to be approaching us.


    Not only did I not sense the presence of Hobgoblins, but the presences of Gifteds were also too few.


    ¡®Something is wrong!¡¯


    It wouldn¡¯t be untilter that I woulde to realize the horrible thing that ruined the Subjugation.


    Unlike the first time when everything went ording to our strategy, one of the key members of the n died at the beginning of the second subjugation attempt. Not only that, but out of the thirty-one Gifteds in Daniel¡¯s team, only seven returned alive.


    Tasha, Daniel, the one called Dexter, Dave, and three others.


    Needless to say, it was an absolute defeat on our part.


    Those who survived were scarred with fear and I could tell that the positive glow in everyone¡¯s eyes had vanished.


    On only the first day, we had lost twenty-four people. A true tragedy!


    We all returned to the Base, defeated and demoralized. I remained behind everyone else, carrying an empty backpack that was supposed to contain the Demon Cores from a sessful Subjugation. On our way back, I saw Tasha approach me with a deep re in her eyes.


    ¡°I need to speak to youter.¡± She whispered to me and then rejoined the crowd.


    I sighed slightly, already aware of what she wanted to say.


    I had assured her of everyone¡¯s safety in this Subjugation, yet things went awry.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I gritted my teeth in annoyance.


    Though I didn¡¯t necessarily care about the lives of the Subjugation team members, after all, I had already nned for some of them to meet their ends here.


    However, this wasn¡¯t how I wanted them to go! This was something I absolutely couldn¡¯t tolerate¡­ a deviation from my ns.


    ¡®Unforgivable¡­ this¡­ is a little unpleasant!¡¯

 Chapter 132 Intimidation

    ¡°What the hell, Jeremy! Twenty-four people died because of you! How will you take responsibility for this?!¡± Tasha yelled at me as soon as we were alone.


    After arriving at the base, Tasha and I excused ourselves, and no one was even in the right shape to care about it.


    Even Daniel appeared to be too drowned in his own guilt to concern himself with others. Of course, Melissa remained by his side tofort him.


    Now alone with the vice-leader, she was hurling mes at me. Her furious expression, coupled with the guilty eyes she had, told me of the horrors she experienced as she ran away from the monsters.


    However¡­ as much as I deserved the me for thinking the Hobs wouldn¡¯t have mobilized their forcesrge enough to fill up thepound, there was only so much nagging I could take.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Tasha,¡± I said, sighing a bit.


    My calm take on the matter got her even more enraged as she drew closer to me and dragged my cors in annoyance.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°What the hell are you saying? That¡¯s enough? A great deal of our forces has been killed. The rest are crippled mentally, and this is only the first day. We also failed in subjugating any Demons this afternoon, so we¡¯ve fallen out of schedule. Plus, now that we have lost a pivotal chunk of the fighters, the Horde will be too much for us to handle!¡± Tasha gritted her teeth as she spoke.


    What she said was true, though. There was no way the remaining Gifteds couldplete the mission in time anymore. However, it wasn¡¯t like I expected them to seed even with their full members.


    ¡°This is a war against Demons. We killed a great deal of them already¡­ do you think it¡¯s strange that a couple of us die too?¡± I said, now drawing closer to her myself.


    Immediately I spoke and took action, Tasha loosened her grip and took a step back. However, I had let her have her way for so long that it now pissed me off.


    ¡°Losses will be encountered, sacrifices must be made. That¡¯s what a war is! Do you really think I am to me for your ipetence?¡± I asked, still drawing nearer.


    The scary look I donned on my face seemed to be enough to trigger thetent fear within Tasha. Her body slightly shook, though she tried her best to seem fearless. I already knew¡­ this woman was scared of me!<sub></sub>


    ¡°B-but, if you¡­ if you hadn¡¯t told me it was okay to press on, then-¡± Her voice cracked as she tried justifying her me.


    ¡°I said that¡¯s enough!¡±


    Mymanding voice demanded obedience and sheplied. Tasha appeared bossy and stern to anyone who met her, so I was probably the only one who could see her break down like this¡­ well, except for Charles.


    ¡°Even if I hadn¡¯t said anything, wouldn¡¯t your group have still attempted a second raid? You would have still tried luring some Demons out ording to the strategy, which would still yield the same result. Whether or not I gave you the right information has nothing to do with this. Remember that!¡±


    Tasha gulped.


    ¡°Besides, I never promised that there would be no casualties. If you truly wanted to save them, you could have waited behind and fought the Hobgoblins, ensuring more survived.¡± I smiled, once again drawing nearer.<sub></sub>


    Tasha¡¯s eyes bulged as they moved bizarrely. Fright and guilt were beginning to overwhelm her mind. She kept moving back until her back hit a tree. With nowhere left to move to, her body trembled as I approached, already a hair¡¯s breadth away.


    ¡°I¡­ I just¡­ wanted to¡­ I¡­¡±


    >WHAM!<


    I pped my hand on the tree, leaving my palm print there. One could call it a wall m, but since there was the absence of any concrete, a tree m would have to do.


    Tasha¡¯s heart seemed to nearlye out of her chest as she tried her best not to look at me.


    Using my unupied hand, I grabbed her face, holding it tenderly while softly squeezing her cheeks. Drawing my lips closer to hers, I created a greater sense of unease within her.


    ¡°P-please¡­ s-stop¡­¡± She whispered, powerless to stop what was toe.


    Her eyes tightened and closed shut in a grim expectation of my degenerate scheme. Fortunately for her, my intentions were not as Tasha painted in her head.


    Passing up her lips, I drew closer to her ear, whispering some words to the woman.


    ¡°You¡¯re a filthy hypocrite, Tasha.¡±


    Her body stiffened as I said this. I could feel it since a part of me was already rubbing on her to ensure there was no room for escape.


    ¡°You just wanted to live, and so you abandoned everyone else to die¡­ what happened to caring for the Camp, or the deceased? In the end, you couldn¡¯t do anything about them, and now you wish to transfer all that me and guilt to me?¡±


    I tightened my hold on her face, squeezing her cheeks even tighter as my fingers felt her jaw.


    ¡°M-mmmphhhh¡± She attempted speaking, but her lips were so clustered together as a result of the way I gripped her face.


    ¡°You¡¯re weak, you¡¯re selfish¡­ you¡¯re pathetic! All of you here are. If not for the fact that I believe you possess little worth, I wouldn¡¯t be helping you in any way. So, don¡¯t you forget for even a second that the fact that you all live or die rests in my hands. Charles understands this well, so you had better get on board¡­ or die!¡±


    I felt her strained breaths, since we were so close to each other, she could feel mine too. Looking at her body, which wasn¡¯t half bad, I saw all the skin hair stand in response to the clusters of frightening emotions that seemed to be rampaging her.


    ¡®Good¡­ it appears she understands her ce a little¡­¡¯


    Even though I was way younger and shorter, the vast difference between our abilities made her tremble and bend to my will.


    ¡°Do you understand?¡± I whispered, narrowing my gaze and tightening my grip even more.

 Chapter 133 Rejuvenation

    Tasha nodded, still trembling.


    Realizing that I had sessfully imprinted fear and respect into her, there was no longer any need to keep her with me. I could also expect that she would stop showing me any hostility or re at me coldly for the time being, since her fear of me was bound to keep her docile.


    ¡°If you understand, then leave this very instant!¡± I said, retracting my face.


    With our eyes now meeting one more time, Tasha caught a glimpse of my murderous re. Her body trembled even more, but this was as far as I intended to take it.


    Releasing her from my hold and taking a few steps back, I ced both hands in my pockets.


    Tasha didn¡¯t need another word from me as she hurriedly ran back to base to escape any further liability on her part. Who knew what next I would do.


    As I saw her run, I smiled, whispering under my breath.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about the Demons. Since you¡¯re all too weak, I simply have to do it for you¡­ and I¡¯ll avenge your fallenrades while I¡¯m at it.¡±


    ***************************************


    Even though I yed the cold and intimidation card in front of Tasha, the truth was still that I was at fault for the failure on their part.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Ah, this is so frustrating!¡± I growled, banding my fist on a tree.


    Tasha was gone already while I remained in the woods, angrily taking a walk.


    ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!¡±


    I really didn¡¯t expect such a thing to have happened. They caught all of us off guard, that was for sure.


    ¡®Is it due to their intelligence, or rather, the intelligence of the boss?¡¯ I reasoned.


    That had to be it. The Boss must have mobilized his soldiers for ambush since it expected a group of Gifted tounch another attack on their territory.


    I was careless! I should have nned more. I underestimated their tenacity, and the group of Gifteds paid the price for it. As a result, a small number of my ns had been affected.


    Still¡­ there was no way I was going to mope around while feeling sorry for myself. Instead of drowning in my failure and feeling like shit, I had to rectify this error.


    ¡°I might as well kill them all!¡±<sub></sub>


    **************************************


    Evening arrived sooner than expected, and Daniel gathered everyone together for an announcement. It appeared he had gotten enough therapy from Melissa and regained his mental strength.


    To keep the team¡¯s morale from plummetting any further, the leader had to speak up.


    ¡°Good evening, everyone! I apologize for not addressing you sooner¡­¡± Daniel began.


    I watched from my solitary seat behind everyone else and heard his address. It wasn¡¯t half bad.


    Daniel recounted the experience they had, telling everyone in detail about what urred. Of course, since he was a good guy now, he didn¡¯t mince words and simply told them the truth, including his cowardly escape.


    This caused a lot of controversy among everyone, but they were soon silenced by Daniel¡¯s roaring voice.


    ¡°I apologize for my cowardly act. If you all intend on removing me as your leader due to this, I shall ept that as well!¡±


    This generated silence, as everyone was once again awed by Daniel¡¯s words.<sub></sub>


    ¡°I ran from the enemy, others were sacrificed so that I could live. It was wrong of me. However, this mission is not yet over! Even if I am removed from the position of leader, we will continue this fight! Remember, we were never promised that we would all survive this Subjugation. However, by working together, we will prevent the possible annihtion of us all!¡±


    With his words ringing in their ears, the question was posed¡­ should Daniel remain the leader or not?


    As everyone deliberated on this, a particr person stood up and made a statement. Yes, they raised their voices, drawing the attention of everyone around.


    That person was none other than me.


    ¡°Daniel, you did nothing wrong!¡± I screamed.


    Everyone looked behind, staring at me as though I was crazy. Still, I didn¡¯t care. Pretending to speak from the bottom of my heart, my passionate words flowed.


    ¡°You were simply leasing everyone from the front. Besides, what¡¯s so wrong with fleeing in face of an overwhelming enemy? You ran, just like everyone else did. It wasn¡¯t like you sacrificed anyone. They just fell behind and were killed by the Demons. Yes, it¡¯s not your fault¡­ It¡¯s the fault of the Demons!¡± I dered.


    This caused a great stir among everyone. Using <Steal> I removed a great deal of their intelligence, also coupled with the fact that there was already tension clouding their heads, the mob slowly inclined themselves to what I was saying.


    ¡°Besides, you are our ace, Daniel¡­ our hope! Without you being here, this Subjugation team is good as finished!¡±


    Instantly, people started making positivements and whispers.


    ¡°It¡¯s true¡­ Daniel is the strongest.¡±


    ¡°If he dies, how will we even stand a chance?¡±


    ¡°So he was thinking about everyone as a whole, he considered the big picture!¡±


    Daniel was now flustered, wondering when his shameful testament became a heroic tale of his greatness.


    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not what-¡± He tried to voice out, but was stopped by Melissa.


    ¡°It¡¯s better this way.¡± She whispered to his ears.


    Surprisingly, Melissa made a fair point. Using this to increase the esteem and morale of the group was better than just telling them a depressing truth, ruining the image of the leader.


    As more positive statements were made, Daniel looked at me with surprise, deciding to be quiet. He smiled and nodded at me with approval.


    I nodded back, giving him a slight thumbs-up.


    ¡°I vote that Daniel remains our leader. He has always led the team well, and the strategies he used worked as well. Not to mention¡­ he is the strongest of us here!¡± I said, provoking cheers from everyone.


    They were all lies, though. Daniel was too transparent in his leadership. Unlike Charles whopartmentalized information well, Daniel was too upright. I had initially thought Tasha would have been better for the job of leader, but she didn¡¯t have the kind of charisma he did.


    In the end, we settled for Daniel as the leader since he was the most popr among the people.


    As for the strategies he used. They were made by me, plus they were wed. I intentionally made it that way because of my ns, but it appeared everyone thought it was a perfect strategy.


    Then myst testament of his strength was false as well. After all¡­ the most powerful among this group was none other than me!


    Still, I let everyone believe what they wanted to, and due to the wave of excitement and life returning to the group, everyone decided to once again ce their trust in Daniel, allowing him to retain his position as leader.


    Amid the now lively group, I smiled to myself. Night was fast approaching, and with everyone trying to get enough rest in preparation for tomorrow, it would be the perfect opportunity for me to go about my business.


    ¡®At night¡­ I strike!¡¯

 Chapter 134 Revenge Match (Pt 1)

    >WHOOOOSHH<


    I swiftly moved across the woods, transversing great distances with each leap. It was already night and the covers of darkness shrouded my dashing form.


    The members of the Subjugation team were all asleep, exhausted both physically and mentally, and certainly not looking forward to what awaited them tomorrow.


    Well, they didn¡¯t need to worry too much about that. After all, this very night I would be quite busy in their stead.


    Just as expected, I reached the distance which would take everyone about thirty minutes within just five. Of course, I didn¡¯t move at full speed since that would needlessly deplete my stamina.


    ¡°Now then¡­ let¡¯s see¡­¡± I mumbled, looking at the territory of Hobs from a distance.


    My enhanced vision allowed me to see clearly at night, so the view was no problem. Guards were already stationed at the front of the gate, and I could also see several patrol members around. They moved in small clusters of a dozen each and were evenly spread out.


    ¡®Smart move. Even if I engage and take down a group, the others will be notified of my presence!¡¯ I reasoned.<sub>.</sub>


    It was a good thing I learned the <Camouge> Skill, then. Who would have thought something like that woulde in handy so soon.


    Activating the Skill, I felt myself blend into the surrounding. It was a feeling I could hardly exin, but somehow, every part of my body became less visible, and my movements barely made a sound.


    Carefully moving across the wood range, I spotted the scout groups. They didn¡¯t seem to have taken notice of me yet, a good sign that learning the <Camouge> Skill wasn¡¯t pointless.


    ¡®I could summon my weapons to kill them instantly, or even use Demon Cores as explosives¡­ but, those methods are bounty to attract the others due to the noise and light they will produce!¡¯ I reasoned.


    Not only did I need to act fast, but I also needed to move smartly!


    Using <Camouge> didn¡¯t make me entirely invisible, and it was less effective if I moved. The best strategy to use to maximize such a card effectively would be to rush ahead of the groups, lie in wait, and once they got within range, finish everyone off as swiftly as possible.


    ¡®That must be how they sneaked up on us too¡­¡¯ I reasoned.<sub></sub>


    By killing the Hobgoblins personally, I could ensure that no sound would leak out and alert the others.


    Fortunately for me, the first scout group was already nearby. Staying still, I watched as they drew near.


    ¡°Guruikkkkk¡±


    ¡°Garrukuukkk¡±


    The filthy Demons appeared to be conversing, though it mattered not to me. As soon as they came within range, I darted to them in a sh.


    >FWOOOSH<


    The wind howled slowly as I made my way closer to the group. Before they could sense my presence or suspect that anything was amiss, I summoned my daggers and expertly cut their throats.<sub></sub>


    Since I had activated <Coordination> earlier before jumping in, my motion became more fluid and organized, and within a moment, I dispatched a total of 12 Hobgoblins without creating anymotion.


    ¡®Amazing¡­ this is incredible¡­¡¯ My mind rang.


    Both skills were extremely useful, more so than I had thought. It was a good thing I had maxed them out.


    Since the Skill Duration was still a far cry from being exhausted, I looked around to sight my next prey.


    ¡®Let¡¯s go!¡¯


    ************************************


    Thirty minutes had psed since I started picking off the scout groups one after the other. So far, I had dispatched over twenty groups. With thest group dead in my arms, I went over what I had learned so far.


    They had a surprising amount of Archer Hobgoblins with them, with only a few brawlers in their ranks.


    It was most likely due to the fact that I had killed most of the Brawlers. I was satisfied knowing that they didn¡¯t have enough forces left topensate for theirck of personnel. No matter howrge the Hobgoblin forces were, they were not unlimited.


    ¡°Now then¡­ It should be nearly time for the main event.¡± I smiled, looking at the gates leading to thepound.


    The guards stationed there consisted of Archer Hobgoblins, a few Brawlers¡­ and one massive Hobgoblin variant I hadn¡¯t seen before.


    From my distance, I couldn¡¯t view its Status Information, which meant I needed to draw nearer.


    ¡°Tch, what a hassle.¡±


    Realizing there was no need for me to hold anything back again, I pressed on and moved in the direction of my enemies.


    ¡°Gu-Guruikkk??!¡± I heard a Hobgoblin screech as soon as I got close enough. It was an Archer, and it appeared to be the leader of the Archer variants around.


    ¡°GARUIIIKKKKK!!!¡± The Hobs yelled out into the silent night, all growling at me.


    I still had my camouge on, but with an empty path surrounding me, there was nothing nearby to mask my presence. Plus, since I was in motion, the effects of <Camouge> had been nerfed.


    Still, it didn¡¯t matter. I had gotten rid of the scouts around, so they couldn¡¯t resort to a pincer attack. The only foes left were the ones facing me directly and beyond the gates were even more enemies.


    Ultimately, all I needed to do was kill whatever stopped my march. The number of Hobs wasn¡¯t the problem, since they were only a little over a hundred, the same asst time.


    ¡®The issue is that they have a lot of Hobs who used ranged weapons. Unlike before, it¡¯ll be difficult getting closer to them tond a decisive hit.¡¯ I reasoned.


    Also considering Daniel¡¯s report, the instant Catherine opened the gate, she was shot down directly through her temple. That showed the uracy of the Archer Demons.


    ¡®They have the Skills for it, after all¡­¡¯ I mused.


    In any case, I needed to watch out for their arrows, as well as the big guy who stood behind them.


    With my distance now close enough, I took a peek at its Status Window.


    ¡®Oh? This is¡­!¡¯

 Chapter 135 Revenge Match (Pt 2)

    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Hobgoblin (Tanker)


    ¨C Level: 60


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 1


    ¨C Age: 70 days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 400


    ¨C MP: 50


    ¨C Strenght: 500


    ¨C Agility: 450<sub>.</sub>


    ¨C Vitality: 700


    ¨C Intelligence: 30


    [End Of Information]


    My eyes bulged as I saw therge Demon¡¯s Stats. Not only was its level twice as high as the average Hobgoblin, but its stats were also something else entirely.


    ¡°It looks like its size isn¡¯t just for show!¡± I mumbled, summoning my weapons to fight.


    For one of its kind to be here, it only meant more were stationed inside. Even for me, taking on many Demons like him could prove to be a challenge, especially with Archer Hobgoblins aiming at me.


    ¡°How exciting! I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve had an extremely close fight in a while!¡±


    The Hobgoblins who aimed their arrows at meunched them without warning, sending the sharpened wooden projectiles my way.


    Tracing their trajectory, I figured out they were all aimed at me and my surroundings, none were going to miss!<sub></sub>


    Swinging both my arms fluidly, I leaped into the air and met the multitude of arrows.


    >SWISH<


    My sharp edge was able to instantly slice through the wood. Swinging more rapidly, I cut through everything that attempted to touch my body.


    However, the moment I was done dealing with the first batch of arrows, the second was alreadyunched.


    My eyes darted at the culprits, who were already loading their bows for the third batch. I could easily kill them off with my Weapons but chose not to. This was going to be a practice match for me since I would be venturing into thepound soon.


    ¡®If I don¡¯t learn how to deal with their arrows now, it¡¯ll be a bother!¡¯ I reasoned.


    After all,pared to the possible thousands that waited for me beyond the gate, my weapons were limited. I couldn¡¯t rely on them to stop thousands of arrowsunched at me.


    In that case, I needed to familiarize myself with the feeling of being chased by their projectiles.


    Their Strength. Speed. Sharpness. Trajectory. Reload Rate.<sub></sub>


    I burned everything I could learn into my head while dealing with the projectiles as they wereunched one after the other.


    >SWISH<


    >SWISH<


    >SWISH<


    My de relentlessly cut through the arrows and I managed to evade most, though receiving a few scrapes here and there. Using my minor injuries as a basis of judgment, I knew I was sure to receive even more damage in the fight toe.


    ¡®Welp, I¡¯vee this far. Might as well see this through to the end¡­¡¯


    The Hobgoblin Archers finally stopped firing. At first, I thought they had probably grown tired, however, upon closer inspection, I realized they had run out of arrows.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡± They growled angrily, all ring at me.


    It was likely that no one had survived their attacks for this long, so they must have been surprised that their arrows had been expended. With nothing else to do than resort to a direct approach, they lunged at me with full force, hoping to subdue me with numbers.


    That was a fatal mistake for them!


    I merely watched as they drew closer, not making even the slightest attempt to struggle. The Hobgoblin (Tanker) stood still, not neglecting his position which was directly in front of the gate.


    The moment the hundred-plus guards reached a certain range from my location, approximately five meters, whooshing sounds filled the air, and shes of red light danced.


    In an instant, my several weapons pierced the Hobgoblins in their numbers, killing them instantly.


    ¡°Haa¡­ to think it actually works so efficiently! Excellent!¡± I grinned.


    The Demon corpses turned into dust ad their Cores instantly disappeared, going to my [Subspace] as a result of my new Job-Rted Skill <Mine Alone>.


    The reason they all died without me even lifting a finger or having to activate any Skill was as a result of a SubSkill I unlocked from an existing Skill after my Job Ranked-Up.


    That¡¯s right! <Automatic Summon> was currently active. As long as the need for protection was present, if an enemy entered a certain range with hostile intents, an appropriate item from [Subspace] would be summoned to instantly neutralize it.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t all-powerful, and I couldn¡¯t maintain it forever. Not only did it consume a lot of MP, but it also had made a lot of unnecessary moves, which included summoning food and water anytime I was hungry or thirsty.


    I also couldn¡¯t have it active around Gifteds, since I could unintentionally kill someone like Melissa If she decided to approach me carelessly.


    I had only activated it in this battle because I didn¡¯t have time to worry about summoning weapons while fighting and evading arrows. With so many things to do at the same time, I needed to evenly split my attention.


    So, while I fought and evaded, <Automatic Summon> would handle the enemies I neglected around me.


    ¡®Absolutely efficient!¡¯


    Without the need for directly using <Recall>, the weapons returned to [Subspace] since I had set the ¡®Automatic Time-Lapse Allocated¡¯ to ten seconds.


    One of <Recall>¡¯s effects is to return my property after an approximate amount of time which I could set manually after the new patch. Since I edited it, this meant that after a few seconds, [Subspace] would be restocked and <Automatic Summon> could be used in session.


    It was a good thing I had taken my time to think of the most efficient ways to utilize my new abilities!


    ¡°Ahh¡­ all that¡¯s left is you.¡± I smiled, looking at the Hobgoblin (Tanker) who gave me a deathly re.


    Stepping in the puddle of Demon blood that had nearly evaporated, I advanced to thest monster guarding the gate.


    Deactivating <Automatic Summon> and all other Skills, I had only my dual daggers on hand. To fully judge the strength of the Hobgoblin (Tanker), this much was necessary.


    ¡®My Skills will eventually run out when I¡¯m inside, so I should try testing my base strength against this guy¡­¡¯ I reasoned.


    The moment I got closer, nearly reaching it, the Demon geared itself for battle, now making its move. A wide grin formed on my face as I opened my arms wide to wee it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got!¡±

 Chapter 136 Revenge Match (Pt 3)

    Looking at the Demon¡¯s Status Window andparing it to mine, it was clear I still had the upper hand.


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Hobgoblin (Tanker)


    ¨C Level: 60


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 1


    ¨C Age: 70 days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 400


    ¨C MP: 50


    ¨C Strenght: 500


    ¨C Agility: 450


    ¨C Vitality: 700


    ¨C Intelligence: 30


    [End Of Information]


    Compared to that, I had;


    [STATUS INFORMATION]<sub>.</sub>


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 135 ¨C Exp: 80.61


    ¨C Race: Human¨C Job: Thief


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡¯3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    ¨C Karma Points: 1,000


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 100


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 6,850


    ¨C MP: 1,560


    ¨C Strength:1,400


    ¨C Agility: 7,050


    ¨C Vitality: 6,850<sub></sub>


    ¨C Intelligence: 20,750


    ¨C (G) Factor: 60


    ~Gift: [Subspace]


    ¨C Items Equipped: Hell Kobold King w (x2)


    ¨C Allies: None


    [Additional Information]


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    [End Of Information]


    It was clear who would win. However, I understood that if one of its kind was here, there was bound to be more beyond the walls. I couldn¡¯tckadaisically overpower it.


    To fully gain the most from my fight with this Hobgoblin, I had to learn as much as possible.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I grinned.


    >WHOOOOOSSSHHHH< I dashed straight for it.


    ¡°Guruuuukkkk!!!¡± It growled, bringing down itsrge arms to crush me.


    Still, as expected, it was slow. Twisting my body to the side, I easily dodged the hit, once again propelling myself forward to strike.


    The arms that fell crashed upon the ground, making a huge dent In it. Seeing this, I expertly spun my daggers and aimed to cut one of them.<sub></sub>


    The Hobgoblin Tanker was nearly asrge as an Ogre, having a size about twice my height. Well, all things considered, that wasn¡¯t too impressive.


    >SWISH!<


    I flung my arms to sever his own. However, to my surprise, my daggers bounced back, causing a recoil in my body.


    Quickly retreating, I leaped back while observing the change in the Demon.


    ¡°T-that is!¡± I beamed from the distance I created.


    ¡°Garrukuukkk!!!¡±


    The Hobgoblin Tanker¡¯s body was now dark green, a contest of the lighter color their kind had. The most interesting factor about this was that the Demon changed colors when I was about to cut off its arm, causing my de to be bounced back without causing damage.


    ¡°A defensive Skill, maybe?¡± I reasoned aloud.


    I could see why it wasbeled as a tank. In terms of defensive capabilities, I would say it was better than my <Aura> Skill.


    ¡®Oh? Now, this is getting interesting. That Skill¡­ I want it!¡¯


    Deciding to take the fight a little serious, I activated the core energy within my daggers. This caused red bursts of energy to emanate from it as well as shes of buzzing electricity.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how much it can handle!¡±


    ¡°Garuiiik!!!!¡± The Hobgoblin Tanker growled, pounding its arms on the ground, but refusing to leave the gate it guarded.


    That was most likely its duty from the onset. Picking up my pace, I dashed at the beast, wielding my glowing weapons in both hands. I saw it raise both hands to deal damage to me once more, but instead of dodging, I jumped high to meet its descending arms and shed at them with my de.


    >SWIIISSSSHHHH!!!<


    Like hot knife through butter, my des passed through the monster¡¯s hardened skin and cut both arms off. Though I met little resistance, it was insignificant inparison to the destructive ability of my daggers.


    >SPLURGEEE<


    Blood gushed out of the Hobgoblin¡¯s severed hands, causing it to screech in pain and anger.


    ¡®So that¡¯s all its defense amounts to? Disappointing.¡¯


    I didn¡¯t even use the full abilities of the dagger, yet it easily cut through the defensive Skill of the monster.


    ¡®Maybe it only offers physical resistance and little to no defense against energy-based damage¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed.


    In any case, I had learned enough from this monster. It was time to kill it.


    Adding more power to my legs, Iunched myself at the monster which was still recoiling from the damage it received.


    Ignoring its cry and terrified expression, I diced and cut it up real good, rending its flesh into mincemeat.


    In no time, the body disintegrated, leaving no more foes to challenge me. In a way, it was a rewarding experience. And as expected, I got a reward for my hard work.


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    ¡®Even though it was strong, it only relied on its defensive capabilities and brute force. It¡¯s safe to assume that it has no long-range abilities and will attack at a close distance¡­¡¯


    So far, I was to expect three enemies;


    The Archers, number unknown, but would most likely be the majority.


    The Brawlers, their number most likely very few or non-existent.


    The Tankers, numbers fewer than Archers, but a great deal.


    No¡­ now that I thought of it well, it would be a good thing to scratch the Brawlers from the list.


    In an all-out battle, with Archers firing shots at me, and the other melee fighters dealing damage, Brawlers would only get in the way and would be killed by the arrows of their allies.


    ¡®Brawlers have physical resistance, so the arrows shouldn¡¯t be an issue for them¡­¡¯


    Alright! I got a rough idea of what my fight would be like. The only thing left would be to actually engage in it. Picking up the Demon Core from the vanquished Demon, I o served it well while giving a smile.


    It woulde in handy.


    *******************************************


    Within a few moments, all the preparations were made. Looking high at the fence, I was confident that I could make the jump in one go.


    Readying my legs, I prepared for my jump. If I appeared at the top of the fence, I would most likely be met with a multitude of arrows, shot down before the fight began.


    However, I didn¡¯t intend for things to be that easy.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Instantly, the Demon Cores I had ced in front of the gate exploded, sending a loud noise across the area. Instantly, several arrows passed through the gate. I smiled, watching from a far end by the fence. The Archers who were already waiting must have been waiting for their queue to eliminate the intruder.


    Since the explosion came from the gate, they all focused their attention there.


    ¡°Now then, it¡¯s time for the main show!¡±

 Chapter 137 Kill Or Be Killed (Pt 1)

    >FWOOOSH<


    I jumped toward the fence, making it to the tip in one try as expected.


    Looking at thepound, a wave of nostalgia washed through me, reminding me of the first time I saw the interior.


    The Demons weren¡¯t as plentiful as thest time I came, since they numbered only a few thousand. Most likely five thousand or less.


    However, just as expected, they consisted of troublesome Hobgoblin Archers for long-range and Hobgoblin Tankers for melee.


    Fortunately, the Archers had expended their arrows on their first strike toward the gate and we¡¯re now in the process of reloading their bows.


    Calcting the time it took for them to be finished based on the earlier fight I had, I reasoned it was a bit less than a second.


    That was enough time.


    Nearly all mybat skills became activated as I dashed from the fence and lunged myself at the expectant crowd.


    However, before impact, I summoned nearly all my Demon Cores to serve as the fireworks which marked the beginning of our fight.<sub>.</sub>


    My red jewels shone among the flustered group, sending brilliant lights and cackles of conflicting energy as my Mana mixed in with them.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!<


    In an instant, explosions urred all across the battlefield, killing off so many Demons that I couldn¡¯t even count.


    Quite a deal of [You Have Leveled Up] icons appeared before me, but I ignored them.


    Falling to the ground, I activated the Demon Cores that were left behind by the fallen ones, causing a chain reaction of more sts.


    >BOOOMMM<


    >BOOOOOMMM<


    >BOOOOOOOOOMMMM<


    As more brilliant shes of light filled the ground, I was met with arrows. In their multitudes they rained on me, targeting my single location and surroundings to endure I couldn¡¯t escape.<sub></sub>


    A brilliant grin formed on my face as I activated my newly obtained Skill, <Iron Skin>, gotten from the dead Goblin Tanker.


    Using the residual energy within its core, I was able to increase the Skill Level to three. Plus, with the many explosions raining on the enemies, I had obtained more Tanker Demon Cores and raised the Skill to its maximum level.


    That meant one thing. As long as <Iron Skin> was active¡­ no arrow was going to pose a problem to me!


    ¡°<Aura>. <Nimble>. <Coordination>. <Venomous Spikes>. <Iron Skin>.¡±


    With these five Skills, alongside my other Job-Rted Skills, the constant chain explosions raging on, and my battle prowess, there was no way in hell I would lose this bout.


    The arrows bounced off my body as though a few pebblesnded with nosting effect.


    Countless venomous Spikes flew out of my skin, hitting every target efficiently thanks to <Coordination>. <Aura> boosted my entire capabilities, giving me enough speed to traverse the area effectively, while also adding <Nimble> to the mix.


    It felt like I was invincible!


    My weapons killed any Hobgoblin that tried attacking me, thigh most had already been poisoned by my spikes.<sub></sub>


    I also killed the few that my weapons didn¡¯t reach, one-shotting them easily.


    >BOOOOMMMM< More explosions erupted from the residual Demon Cores dropped by the Demons.


    The fight went easier than expected. However, this was only because I had taken my time to analyze everything beforehand.


    ¡®I¡¯m never diving headfirst into danger again!¡¯ I resolved.


    And so, in very little time, less than thirty minutes, I was already done with the Demons in thepound.


    Except for a few dozen leftovers that I left alive intentionally, the rest had met their end.


    ¡°G-Gur-Guruuhikkkk¡­.¡± The survivors made cries of fear.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kill you.¡± I smiled at the helpless creatures at my mercy.


    Thanks to these guys¡¯ interference, I had lost a lot of Gifteds. They ruined my ns, and I felt like cutting them up so bad. However, being rational, I figured out another use for them.


    ¡°I finished earlier than expected. I can begin the experiment now¡­¡± I muttered.


    ¡°G-Guriiiiiikkkk!!!¡± The Hobgoblins made desperate cries, now deciding tounch a futile attempt to kill me.


    The Archers were out of arrows, so they came for me with their bare hands, while the few Tankers I spared also rushed to get a piece of the action.


    ¡°Useless¡­¡± I mumbled, sending my weapons to immobilize, but not kill them.


    Stabbing them to impede their movements, the Hobgoblins all fell to the ground, pinned by the weapons Iunched at them.


    ¡°This almost looks like I nailed then with my daggers¡­¡± I muttered.


    They helplessly squirmed on the ground, pegged by the weapons that refused to budge.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯ll free you guys soon. Just be patient. I whispered.


    The next thing I did was to open [Subspace], looking at the particr icons I wanted to see. A wide grin formed on my face as I released everything within them, or rather, everyone.


    In a sh, they all materialized from within the space they were trapped in. Everyone still had the same peculiar expressions of fear on their face before I had taken them into [Subspace].


    As for the identity of these people I brought out¡­ they were none other than the deserters of the Camp.


    ¡°Ahhhh!!!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me!!!¡±


    ¡°U-uarghhhh!!!¡±


    ¡°Please waittt!!!¡±


    Countless cries filled the air at once. I found it irritating so I instantly used <Rule> to silence them.


    The moment I activated the skill, they all kept silent and their bodies shivered in fear of my presence. Stiffly moving their necks, they looked around them, noticing the unfamiliar terrain they found themselves in.


    Even Larry was no exception. The look of terror, confusion, and desperation was evident in his eyes.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve all calmed down, I suppose I should exin some things to you.¡± I smiled.


    They looked in my direction, and then beyond me. Noticing the few dozen demonspegged behind me, many gave stifled shrieks of fear.


    ¡°You must be confused. Questions must be boggling your mind. But don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll understand soon enough¡­ It¡¯s simple, really¡± I said, addressing everyone whose knees were already too weak to support them.


    ¡°Those things behind me are Demons. Those in front of me are Gifteds. There is only one thing that connects both in this world¡­ battle!¡±

 Chapter 138 Kill Or Be Killed (Pt 2)

    As I mentioned this, the miserable people were nearly in tears, dreading the next thing I would say. Unfortunately, they were unable to speak due to the effect of <Rule> on them.


    ¡°And so, there is only one thing that is expected of both sides. Kill or be killed!¡±


    Their eyes bulged and some began shedding tears.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t like those would help at this point. With the very Demons they tried avoiding by fleeing the Camp directly before them, it was easy to surmise that most would give in to despair.


    However, whether they lived or died in this battle was of no real importance to me. After all, this was merely a means to an end.


    ¡®It¡¯s time to further my research on this matter¡­ be grateful, everyone. Your lives will produce results I can use for the greater good!¡¯


    I moved away from the Demons and Gifteds, ensuring I had moved a considerable distance from them. With a single leap, I jumped to the fence andnded safely on its thick surface.


    ¡°Now then, without further ado¡­ you may begin! I promise to exin everythingpletely to those who survive! That sounds fair, no?¡± I grinned.


    With a single thought, I returned my daggers to [Subspace]. This caused the injured Demons to finally move, groaning as they struggled to stand.


    ¡®They¡¯re injured already, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for weaklings like these guys¡­¡¯ I reasoned.<sub>.</sub>


    Upon releasing the effect of <Rule> on them, the Gifteds were finally able to move. Many turned to face me, begging for their dear lives. Some decided to run, though there was really nowhere to escape to, except one spot.


    ¡°If you want to leave this ce, you can go through the gate.¡± I dered to the frightful people.


    That would mean they had to fight the monsters, though. After all, I stationed them to be facing the only entrance and exit viable to the people.


    ¡°You crazy bastard! Why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! You can¡¯t just leave us down here to die!¡±


    Many voices ofints cried out for salvation, trying to appeal to my humanity. Upon considering their words for a few moments, I finally responded, opening my lips to give them my answer.


    ¡°You should really begin your assault. The Demons are getting closer.¡±


    Their eyes bulged, looking at the wounded monsters slowly approaching them. Their faces contorted with disbelief andabsolute fear. Well, not all of them.


    ¡°Shit! So all I need to do is kill these bastards and I can leave this ce?!¡± Larry yelled, ring at me.<sub></sub>


    I shrugged.


    ¡°You better keep your promise. Tch, I have to do this¡­¡± He mumbled to himself, creating a bow and arrows from his hands.


    Seeing Larry¡¯s ability always made me smile. At least someone was willing to fight.


    ¡°U-um, Jeremy¡­ It¡¯s a bit dark, so I can¡¯t really see. Would it be alright if you could provide us with lighting?¡± The sonorous voice of a woman among the people said to me.


    I narrowed my gaze and focused my sight on her. It turned out I recognized her, after all!


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ that woman. Lara, right?¡±


    She smiled, nodding at me.


    She was the only one who was level-headed among the group of deserters back when I captured them. Somehow, thedy had piqued my interest.


    ¡®Well, if she manages to survive this, I¡¯ll indulge in my curiosity.¡¯<sub></sub>


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It iste at night, after all.¡± I smiled.


    While the moon provided illumination, it wasn¡¯t enough for a bunch of amateurs to face off against monsters. Sure, the Demons were injured, however, they still posed a threat to inexperienced cowards.


    >CLICK<


    >CLICK<


    >CLICK<


    In an instant, I switched on several torches that I brought from [Subspace]. This greatly illuminated the area.


    ¡°Thank you, Jeremy.¡± She said, nodding at me.


    Something about thisdy was weird. While many would hate me and still be in confusion concerning the situation, she was the opposite


    Not only did she address me by name, but she also smiled and acted calmly. Instead of fretting, she thought of the situation and what would help her ovee the disadvantage everyone was in.


    ¡®Interesting¡­ this Lara woman¡­ she¡¯s quite interesting¡­¡¯ I grinned.


    ¡°GARUIIIKKKKK!!!¡± The Hobgoblins let out a cry of pure hate.


    With their focus now on the fresh set of humans, they made for their prey. Due to the injuries they sustained, most of them limped, decreasing their speed drastically.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be dying here!¡± Larry growled, aiming his now at the Demons.


    He had already made a great number of arrows from his body and was now aiming one at the closest Hobgoblin from where he stood.


    >WHOOOOSHH<


    In a direct hit, the arrownded in the temple of a Hobgoblin Archer, killing it instantly.


    ¡®Oh? Nice!¡¯ I grinned.


    Of course, the Archer was already close to death due to blood loss and weakness from poison. I could see its depleted HP from the Status Window.


    No Hobgoblin would die in a single hit from even Larry.


    ¡°GARUUUUUAAAAAAAKKKKK!!!¡± The rest roared, now focused on Larry.


    ¡°Tch, troublesome!¡± Larry mumbled, quickly drawing more arrows tounch.


    Already analyzing the size of the creature he deemed to be his target, Larryunched three consecutive arrows at the Hobgoblin Tanker.


    Unfortunately¡­


    >CLANG<


    The arrows created sparks as theynded on the Tanker¡¯s skin before bouncing off. It was a bad match from the start since Larry¡¯s attacks would be ineffective against Tankers in the first ce.


    If only a Gifted around could help him. They were busy shrinking back, trying to cling to their miserable life.


    ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!¡± Larry growled in frustration, shooting more arrows at the beast that was nearly in his location.


    The arrows dealt no damage, though. They all bounced off like pebbles on iron, making nging sounds.


    By the time Larry realized it was a futile attempt to try taking down the huge Demon, it was already in front of him. In a panic and still recoiling from his exhausted state, Larry could do nothing but watch the Hobgoblin Tanker raise his hands to squash him.


    Death was imminent! Not just for him, but for everyone else present.

 Chapter 139 Kill Or Be Killed (Pt 3)

    If anyone witnessed the sight going on beneath me, especially seeing that I was the one who caused it, they would be confused.


    A few dozen demons against 28 Gifteds. They were originally 29, but one was bleeding out after I cut off his arm and would be entirely useless in this battle.


    What sort of goal did I have in mind for this? Well, it would soon be revealed.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m dead¡­?!¡± Larry mumbled to himself as his tired eyes watched the Hobgoblin Tanker¡¯s arm fall on him.


    >FWOOOSH<


    Suddenly, I witnessed the most unbelievable thing. The Hobgoblin Tanker stopped moving midway and turned to dust, dropping its core to the ground.


    ¡°W-wha-?!¡± I let out.


    Larry was astonished as well, but what would ur next was something that would be even more unexpected.


    Appearing from the dust of the fallen Demon was none other than Lara.


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on¡­?¡± I whispered.


    What had just happened was something too sudden that even my eyes couldn¡¯t catch up to what happened.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Are you alright, Larry?¡± Lara asked the stunned young man.


    Sweat filled Larry¡¯s face. He swallowed the saliva that had formed a lump in his throat while nodding at the same time.


    ¡°Y-yes. Thank you¡­¡± His voice trailed.


    Lara smiled.


    ¡°You s-saved me. Thanks¡­¡±


    Her smile became even wider as she drew closer to the flustered man.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t for free, you know?¡±


    ¡°W-what do you mea-¡°


    Before Larry couldplete his statement, she ced a finger of hers on his lips.


    ¡°Shh. Later. For now, we have to deal with these annoying bastards.¡± She said, looking around.<sub></sub>


    The Hobgoblins encircling the two of them had gained considerable ground. Since they were the center of attention that not only took down a Hobgoblin Archer, but also a Tanker, most of the Hob forces became concentrated there.


    Of course, not all of them were gathered there. Some moved in the direction of the powerless Gifteds who were either too stupid or I experienced to use their Gifts.


    ¡°S-stay away!¡± They yelled, retreating even further away from the gate that offered them escape.


    ¡°Where are you guys running off to? There¡¯s no escape there, you know. If you want to leave this ce, you have to march forward.¡± I said, moving my attention from Lara and Larry to the cowards.


    ¡°Uarghhh!!!¡± They ignored my words and kept running back.


    If not for the injuries I inflicted on the Demons, they would have already caught up to the fleeing Gifteds.


    ¡°Tch, useless lot,¡± I mumbled, turning back to observe Larry and Lara¡¯s spot.


    To my amazement, I saw only Larry there.


    ¡°What the-?!¡± I burst out.


    Larry was already aiming his now and a freshly made arrow at the Demons surrounding him, drawings attention to himself.<sub></sub>


    ¡°That won¡¯t work, Larry¡­ you should know that.¡± I sighed, a little embarrassed that he hadn¡¯t figured that out yet.


    However, amazingly, the Hobgoblin Tanker that he shot his arrow to immediately disintegrated moments after his arrow bounced off.


    ¡®What¡¯s this? What¡¯s going on?¡¯ My puzzlement increased.


    I was supposed to be the all-knowing one in this situation, but this truly boggled my mind. Where was Lara? How were the Hobgoblin Tankers dying?


    ¡®Does it have something to do with her Gift?!¡¯


    No, I made sure to memorize all of the contents within Charles¡¯ books listing all the Camp members!


    ¡°She has a shapeshifting Gift, doesn¡¯t she?¡± I asked myself.


    Yes, I was certain. During Lara¡¯s early days at the Camp, it was said that she caused quite themotion by turning into several Camp members and getting away with their rations.


    Eventually, she was caught and disciplined.


    Further investigations into her ability presented the fact that while she could change her appearance, her Status Information remained the same.


    This made everyone in the Camp safe from Lara¡¯s tricks since they could view one another Status Window Introduction anytime and identify everyone respectively.


    That was why I was so certain that she didn¡¯t possess any ability to kill a Hobgoblin Tanker, especially in a way that was so swift and precise.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any Skills too. So, how¡­?¡±


    That was when I decided to focus more on Larry and the Hobs around him. Determined to uncover the truth behind the mysterious deaths of the Hobgoblins and Lara¡¯s involvement.


    Larry kept shooting his arrows at the Hobgoblin Tankers who took the lead, ignoring the small fry Archers.


    As soon as he hit them, the arrows would bounce off and the Tankers would die.


    This happened for some time, reducing their numbers.


    The survivors grew wary of Larry and began backing off. Even for Demons, they were well aware of the value of their lives.


    While taking steps backward, their eyes caught the remaining Gifteds who were running and decided to chase after them instead.


    ¡°Guruikkkkk!¡±


    With a consensus reached among their forces, the Hobgoblins gave up on Larry and went after the other Gifteds.


    Normally, I would have shifted my attention to the others, but I had still not figured out the mystery behind Lara and Larry, so I kept my focus fixated on them.


    ¡°Huff¡­ somehow we managed to do it¡­¡± I heard Larry say with strained breaths.


    Using his Gift consecutively drained him too much.


    Suddenly, once again, Lara appeared. She tapped Larry on his shoulder and smiled cheerfully.


    ¡°Good work. I couldn¡¯t have pulled it off without you.¡±


    My eyes bulged as I slowly began to realize what had happened. By focusing my vision on Larry¡¯s area, I was able to see it clearly, what Lara was doing.


    ¡°She¡¯s shapeshifting¡­ into an insect!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe it initially, but it all added up. Using her shapeshifting ability, she turned herself into a small insect. This allowed her to remain unnoticed by everyone. Larry drew the attention of the Hobs, causing them not to even take notice of her even with their sharp senses for Gifteds.


    ¡®She must have killed them¡­ from the inside!¡¯


    Since the Tankers were nearly invincible from the outside, due to the <Iron Skin> Skill they possessed, she must have found a way to enter their bodies and kill them from within.


    ¡®Perhaps by destroying their internal organs. Impressive!¡¯


    Since when did shee up with such a strategy? My eyes instantly widened as the realization dawned on me.

 Chapter 140 End Of The Game

    It must have been when she asked me for light!


    Insects were very small and versatile, especially flying ones. However, one thing they required was light for efficient mobility!


    She needed bright enough light to fully navigate her movements and locate the openings of the Demons. After observing them for some time, most likely guessing where their organs would be located, Lara proceeded to destroy the Demons from the inside out.


    ¡°She should be capable of partial transformation¡­ so it wouldn¡¯t be difficult crushing their hearts from the inside¡­¡± I reasoned.


    After considering all this, there was only one thing on my mind. Staring at Lara with an extremely captivated expression, my interest had reached its peak.


    ¡°That woman¡­ she¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Uarghhhh!!! S-save us! Please!!! I-I don¡¯t want to die!!!¡± The voices of several people burst out in desperation.


    I watched as the Demons caught up to some of them, shing through their feeble body and feeding on their flesh.


    They fell one after the other, still clinging to the vain idea of hope.


    ¡®If you don¡¯t fight¡­ you won¡¯t live!¡¯


    Still, they kept retreating further away from the gate. I smiled, watching the sight. What could they possibly hope for in dying the inevitable?<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Uargh!¡±


    ¡°Keukk!¡±


    ¡°S-save me¡­¡±


    They fell, crushed by the Demons, sliced by them, eaten alive, crunched down to their bones. Each suffered miserable deaths. It was a little repulsive at first, but I endured.


    ¡®So this is the fate I gave to Paul¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed.


    If I had thought of it earlier, perhaps I could have simply kept him within [Subspace] and spared his life.


    ¡°No, it was necessary¡­¡± I argued against my weak logic.


    There was no further use for his abilities. Since I would be getting better weapons soon, his limits in crafting enhanced weapons were iparable to the new ones I would obtain.


    He was too weak to fight, and I didn¡¯t want him to take EXP at my own expense.


    Plus, through what urred, I learned something important. Rather, I came up with a theory. However, since I couldn¡¯t prove it with him alone, I decided to simte the ideal scenario again.<sub></sub>


    Screams filled the air, and less than a dozen Gifted remained at this point. I watched closely, seeing that one of them had reached the other end of thepound. His hands felt the wooden barrier made by the Demons and figured out everyone was trapped.


    Their efforts were in vain! However, instead of despairing, the tired man beganughing maniacally.


    ¡°This¡­ this is another gate! I found another gate!¡± He burst out.


    My eyes bulged as I realized what he was referring to. The gate leading to the secondpound of Demons, he was talking about that?!


    ¡®That idiot!¡¯ I pped my hand hard on my face.


    Still, there was nothing to be concerned about. The gate as well as the surrounding walls were super thick. No one at their level would be able to escape.


    ¡°Jeremy lied!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another gate!¡±


    ¡°We have hope!¡±


    The other Gifteds who were behind quickly picked up their pace and made for the gate. I caught Lara and Larry from the corner of my eye. They were deliberating whether or not to follow the crowd.<sub></sub>


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Larry asked her.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll just observe for now. Besides, do you think that guy will let us leave so easily if he doesn¡¯t intend it?¡± Lara smiled, pointing in my direction.


    She had a point. Her reasoning made her even more of a threat than most. It made me wonder why she had decided to remain under Charles or foolishly follow Larry away from the Camp.


    She should have been smart enough to realize that Larry was instigating everyone and offered no real hope. Was I overestimating her?


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I wonder what that bastard is nning?¡± Larry seethed, ring in my direction.


    ¡°I wonder¡­¡± Lara shrugged casually.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad at him? He lied to everyone and ced us in this mess!¡± Larry snapped at Lara.


    Lara gave him a slightly disgusted expression, causing Larry to shrink back a little.


    ¡°And? Didn¡¯t you do the same to us? Did you think I wasn¡¯t aware of your n, or at least a portion of it?¡± She said, narrowing her gaze.


    ¡°E-er-¡­ I¡­¡± Larry was at a loss for words.


    Somehow, the woman¡¯s gaze seemed to intimidate him, even though his level was higher.


    Lara sighed and shook her head slightly.


    ¡°I hate hypocrites the most, and I make sure I¡¯m not one. I don¡¯t intend to fault someone for doing everything in his capacity to survive. Everything he has done is most likely tied to his benefit. There¡¯s no need to despise someone like that since you and I are doing the very same thing.¡±


    Her words shook Larry¡­ and even me! Who the hell was this woman, and why was her line of thinking so bizarre?!


    Focusing my gaze on her, I read her Status Information.


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]


    Name: Lara


    Race: Human


    Sex: Female


    Level: 16


    Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    [End Of Information]


    Oh? Her level was now a lot higher than previously. It must have been because she killed the Hobgoblin Tankers, just as I thought. The most interesting aspect about her was her Alignment¡­ it was the same as mine.


    Somehow, I felt we were kindred spirits. However, that could only mean that she was all the more dangerous.


    If I couldn¡¯t find a way to put her on a leash, I had no choice but to eliminate her!


    Suddenly, I heard a loud shriek from the other end of thepound where everyone else was gathered.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Have the rest of the Hobs caught up to them?¡± I muttered, turning to their location.


    But¡­ I didn¡¯t expect what I saw next!


    ¡°Uarghhh!!! More Demons!¡±


    ¡°Save me! Save me! Save me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    The people screamed as they were simultaneously killed by sharp projectiles piercing their entire body as well as heavy clubs crushing their flesh down to their bones.


    My eyes bulged in shock. The unexpected had urred!


    The second gate¡­ was open!

 Chapter 141 A Young Mans Epitaph

    [Moments Earlier]


    ¡°Shit! They¡¯re catching up to us!¡± One of the fleeing deserters cried, looking behind impatiently to see the injured Hobs approaching.


    ¡°How do we open this? The gate is too heavy!¡± Another bellowed.


    ¡°Does anyone here have a strength Gift?¡±


    ¡°Are you retarded? If I did, I would have fought back those Hobs!¡±


    ¡°Shit! We¡¯re screwed. Are we really going to die here?¡±


    As they grasped their head in a panic, one of the running Gifteds approached the panicking group, already out of breath.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s¡­ going¡­ on? Why haven¡¯t you opened the gate yet?!¡± He huffed, panting profusely.


    One of the desperate people was kind enough to exin the situation to the neer, perhaps hoping that he could profer a solution to their problem before the iing Demons reached them.


    ¡°H-old on¡­ what did you say the gate is made of?¡± The panting man asked.


    ¡°Uh? I think it¡¯s wood. Yeah¡­ It¡¯s wood!¡±<sub>.</sub>


    The neer beamed instantly. To think the desperate situation they were in called for his ability specifically. At longst, he found something only he could do!


    ¡°My Gift is [Wood Crafter]. I can control wood and wooden structures!¡± He dered to the masses.


    Immediately they heard this, everyone swarmed around him, even those who had ignored him seconds ago.


    ¡°Please help us! We¡¯re counting on you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re our only hope!¡±


    ¡°Thank the heavens! You can save us all!¡±


    As was the basic nature of weak beings, they gathered around the only one who could rescue them from an inescapable situation. Selfishness and desperation radiated in their eyes as the fee deserters begged for the young man¡¯s help.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll try my best! I have never moved wood thisrge before, though.¡± He replied, stepping forward.


    Perhaps he didn¡¯t notice the fact that everyone simply wanted to use him, or he was happy with their reliance on him. Either way, the young man was determined to try his hardest to save everyone and receive the recognition he was never able to as a mob character.


    Perhaps he would be a treasured member among them once they escaped. He could rise to the ranks of leadership and have everyone eternally grateful for his actions.<sub></sub>


    Indulging in his fantasies, he closed his eyes and activated his Gift. Pouring all the energy he had, the young man focused on the wooden structure in front of him. His body trembled, his hands shook violently, but he was determined to save everyone.


    ¡°I¡­ I will¡­ save everyone!¡± He gritted his teeth.


    Suddenly, the gates began shifting. To everyone¡¯s surprise and his relief, he was actually moving the gate.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re nearly there!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re counting on you!¡±


    The people cheered as they waited in keen anticipation for their way of escape to bepletely secured.


    Fortunately, Jeremy, their capturer was not focused on them at the moment. Since he was looking in the direction of Larry and Lara who decided to fight against the Demons, they could have the free opportunity to run away.


    Freedom was just a step away¡­ or so they thought!


    ¡®Rahhhhhhhh!!!¡¯ The young man¡¯s mind rang.<sub></sub>


    The gate opened, creaking as the bars shifted both left and right. Before everyone knew it, their way of escape had beenpletely opened.


    ¡°Haa¡­ I¡­ I did it¡­?¡± The savior said, huffing in exhaustion.


    Everyone cheered for him, acting so close and friendly with him. This was what he wanted. Finally, a mob like him obtained the recognition of everyone. Finally, he-


    Suddenly, the man¡¯s eyes caught something beyond the gate. While everyone swarmed him and hailed him as a hero, his eyes went to the open gate and whaty beyond. For a moment, it seemed he caught something.


    ¡®T-that is-?!¡¯ The young man¡¯s thoughts rang.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and get out of here before those monsters catch up!¡± The people said.


    They all began heading for the open gate, but the young man who saved them couldn¡¯t banish the sight he saw from his mind. The unease he felt began eating at him, and somehow his heart told him not to take a single step forward.


    ¡°W-wait, everyone!¡± He yelled, trying to stop the fleeing Gifteds.


    Theypletely ignored him, once again leaving him behind. Their survival meant the most, and if he couldn¡¯t keep up with their escape, he was as good as forgotten.


    After all, they didn¡¯t need him anymore! Still, the young man was frightened for them. If what he saw beyond the gate was real, then¡­


    >SPLURGEEE<


    Blood sttered all across the wooden gate and fence as the first to escape was killed by an unseen force.


    Since it was dark, none of them could entirely see what had happened. Feeling the warm sticky blood of arade fall on them, everyone was stunned beyondprehension. What had just happened?


    The head of the one whose blood was now on everyone else rolled on the ground, causing everyone¡¯s eyes to dart to it.


    Suddenly, arge leg appeared and stepped on the head, crushing it entirely.


    ¡°A-ah-?!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces were lifted as they caught the monstrous sight that emerged from the gate previously thought to bring them salvation.


    From the darkness came forth Hobgoblins, surging in dozens.


    They had big builds, taller than the Hobgoblin Tankers. Holding weapons in one of their hands and having sharp ws on the others, the green creatures marched forward.


    ¡°U-uarghhhh!!!¡± A loud cry filled the air as the Hobs began to massacre everyone in sight.


    They spared no on. Sending their ws out like arrows, they pierced the targets that tried to keep their distance while pounding the ones close to them with their blunt weapons.


    ¡°Close the gate! Close the-¡°


    >SQUISH!<


    In no time, the only one left standing was the young man who thought he could be more than he was.


    ¡°Hehe¡­ Hehehe¡­ is this¡­ how I die? I suppose¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have opened the ga-¡°


    >SPLURGE<


    A w pierced his chest from behind. It belonged to the wounded Hons who had been chasing them. At the same time, arge weapon of one of the emerging Hobs descended, crushing him into grounded meat.


    Sshing on his own blood, the crushed flesh and bones of the young man fell, dead beyond recovery.


    Ultimately, it didn¡¯t matter whether or not he opened the gate. The fate in store for him was only death!

 Chapter 142 Unwinnable Match

    ¡°Shit! How did this happen?!¡± My mind rang as I clenched my teeth.


    The gate had been opened and Demons poured out rapidly. The fools who had thought they could escape using that path were mercilessly killed down to thest one.


    The Hobgoblins that appeared looked different from the others from before and I knew they were way stronger.


    ¡°What¡¯s that? More Hobgoblins?!¡±Larry blurted in fear.


    ¡°Hey, Jeremy! This wasn¡¯t the deal! You promised to let us go if we won!¡±


    Listening to Larry¡¯s barks was frustrating. He didn¡¯t even do most of the work, yet he felt he had the right to speak.


    With the new set of Hobgoblins approaching, I didn¡¯t have the time to babysit either of them. Plus, since they could still be useful one way or the other, I decided to leave them out of the fight.


    ¡°<Recall>¡±


    Instantly, they both vanished and returned to [Subspace]. It was a relief that it worked since I hadn¡¯t tried it on a human yet.


    Still, I didn¡¯t have the opportunity to rx for even a second with the outpouring of monsters into thepound. From therge fence I stood on, I observed as they endlessly filled up the firstpound. At this point, the Hobgoblins had spotted me and their focus shifted, giving me their undivided attention.


    I narrowed my eyes to see their Status Information and was greeted with a shocker.<sub>.</sub>


    [System Alert]


    <Danger!> <Danger!!> <Danger!!!>


    ¨C Name: Hobgoblin (Warrior)


    ¨C Level: 80


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 1


    ¨C Age: 70 days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 1,000


    ¨C MP: 300


    ¨C Strenght: 1,200<sub></sub>


    ¨C Agility: 700


    ¨C Vitality: 900


    ¨C Intelligence: 50


    [End Of Information]


    My eyes bulged in response to the unbelievable stats the new sets of Hobgoblins had, and I slightly shook in disbelief.


    Not only did the stats surprise me, but the system warning boggled my mind. I could still remember thest time I had gotten triple danger alerts. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant memory.


    ¡°I nearly died back then!¡± I muttered, looking at the dangerous Demons beneath.


    One wasn¡¯t a problem, but the fact that there were a couple hundred of them already in thepound and more still seemed to appear bothered me.


    ¡°Just how many are they?¡±


    For the system to have sent me so many warnings, meant my chances of winning were low. No, perhaps they were non-existent. I only survived in the past because I got my Job at the exact moment when I was supposed to die.<sub></sub>


    I had grown remarkably stronger since then and reached unfathomable heights by the standards of everyone else. Yet, the system still gave me these warnings. So far, it had never been wrong.


    ¡°I have no chance of winning, eh?¡± I smiled to myself.


    Despite the thirst that I had for battle and the slight nudge within me to fight, I wasn¡¯t an idiot. Since it hade to this, a strategic retreat was in order.


    If I challenged this horde in my current state¡­ I would die!


    ¡°GARREUUUUUUUIIIIKKKK!!!¡± The roars of several Demons sent a chill down my spine.


    I could tell if it was due to a skill or if I was just feeling the impossibility of the situation. Either way, I had to leave¡­ and fast!


    Fortunately, since I was already atop the fence, I jumped down on the other end, away from thepound, and began my retreat. Using my strong legs and every buff I could use, I sped along the path and created a huge distance between myself and the Hobgoblins¡¯ domain.


    Suddenly, I was nearly shook off bnce as the earth rattled, trembling in response to something. I was forced to stop my escape and ponder on what could cause the very ground to shake the way it did.


    ¡®What is¡­ going on?!¡¯


    Slowly tilting my head and looking back, I found the answer to my question. The ground rattled, trees moved and rocks were unhinged from their positions, all thanks to the grand chase of the Hobgoblins behind me.


    My eyes widened as I saw the cloud of smoke afar off, and while I stood at a great distance from the cloud, it advanced at a steady pace.


    ¡°I can outrun it. But¡­ what of the others?!¡±


    I began to panic. Unlike my first two tries, where Ipletely finished the firstpound and didn¡¯t bother with the second, the gate to the second had been opened and the demons now chased me.


    ¡°They won¡¯t stop¡­ they will keep moving until they catch up to their target!¡±


    My Agility was higher, so I could escape, but that meant the Base was in danger of being overrun by these beasts. There was no way any of them could survive if a horde of this magnitude attacked.


    ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!¡± I cursed, gritting my teeth.


    Stuck between the decision of running away and allowing the Demons to get closer to the Base or fighting back and engaging in a battle I was certain I could not win, my body remained dormant.


    ¡®What do I do? What do I do?! Damnit!¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t like I cared about the Subjugation Team members. I couldn¡¯t care less if they died, but certain things needed to be in order before that could happen.


    I had alreadyid out my ns, and if they all perished, it would cause a major bacsh to me.


    ¡°Can I, no, should I take them¡­ or not?!¡±


    My brain was in overdrive as I saw the cloud of smoke already very close. The rushing Hobgoblins were already in sight and their eyes were fixated on only me.


    Quickly thinking of possibilities, I came up with a few ideas. I could rush back to base and trap everyone in [Subspace], saving their lives. However, I didn¡¯t have enough space to carry everyone, plus doing so would reveal my abilities to the Subjugation team members.


    ¡®They¡¯re supposed to be sleeping now, but this stampede will be sure to wake them up!¡¯ I reasoned.


    For all I knew, they could be awake already. I had to think of a n that didn¡¯t prove to be of any detriment whatsoever to the grand scheme of things.


    Suddenly my eyes widened as a brilliant n popped into my head.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s it!¡± I beamed.


    An idea that turned this disaster into something of a blessing, or rather, a good opportunity. It would be dangerous and risky, and I would have to face the monsters eventually.


    But, if I seeded, it would prove extremely beneficial to my cause!

 Chapter 143 Stampede (Pt 1)

    >RUMBLEEE!!!<


    Daniel and the rest of the Subjugation team members had been interrupted from their sleep due to the rumbling of the very earth.


    They all came out of their tents, wondering what the cause could be. Whatever it was, it couldn¡¯t be good!


    Daniel tried to contain the frenzied crowd who bombarded him with questions he couldn¡¯t answer since he was in the same confused state as everyone else.


    ¡°Calm down, everyone. Let¡¯s do a headcount first!¡± Daniel dered, trying to sort through his thoughts.


    The people calmed down a little, and through the aid of Tasha and Dave, the Subjugation team was able to perform a headcount. Unfortunately for everyone, they were a number short.


    ¡°One person is missing!¡±


    The ground shook once more, now growing more intense. The unease with a member missing, coupled with the approaching devastation no one knew of caused arge uproar among the group. If nothing was done, the whole squad would enter a state of anarchy.


    ¡°Hey, do something¡­¡± Tasha nudged Daniel who seemed flustered and nervous.


    He turned to see the older woman. She was hiding her nervousness quite well, so Daniel couldn¡¯t sense an iota of fear and anxiety from Tasha.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°I¡­ um¡­ I¡­ what should I do?¡± He whispered to her.


    Shocked by his question, she gave him a disbelieving re. She was still recoiling from her near-death experience and her talk with Jeremy, yet Daniel was trying to get her to do his work for him?


    The noise grew louder as people began to see waves of smokeing from a distance.


    ¡°Hey, look there!¡±


    ¡°What the fvck is that?!¡±


    ¡°Shit! Are we screwed?¡±


    Conjectures and sidements leaked out of the masses, causing them to give in to their primal instincts. The only thing humans knew how to do when confronted with something they didn¡¯t understand or couldn¡¯t handle.


    Usually, that would be to run. However, with the presence of someone of ountability who served as the source of confidence for everyone else, the focus of everyone shifted from the approaching danger to Daniel. Brainwashed by the notion of hierarchy, they all stared at him for an answer.


    ¡°Leader¡­ what should we do?¡±<sub></sub>


    Daniel froze, entrapped in the expectations of others. He was scared too! Frightened beyond belief, yet everyone expected a solution from him!


    ¡®I don¡¯t even know what the hell is going on!¡¯


    He turned to look at Melissa for some sort of emotional support, but she was too concerned for her life that she didn¡¯t even pay any heed to his emotional needs.


    ¡°I¡­ we should¡­ we should¡­¡±


    Daniel¡¯s voice cracked as his body trembled. Any moment now, and he would crumble under the pressure.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± A voice sharply spoke, cutting through the air of unease.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes instantly darted to the source of the sound, and to their surprise¡­ it was Jeremy!


    Daniel¡¯s eyes bulged in shock, but also relief that the attention of everyone had shifted away from him.


    ¡°Instead of throwing questions at our leader, we should trying up with solutions ourselves. After feeling the rumbling sound for a while, only one thinges to mind!¡± Jeremy stated, pausing for effect.<sub></sub>


    Everyone gulped as they had a faint idea of what he wanted to say.


    ¡°A Stampede!¡±


    The rattles in everyone¡¯s bones increased instantly.


    ¡°T-then, what should we do?!¡±


    ¡°Even when those Demons chased the first squad, the quake was nowhere as intense as this!¡±


    ¡°For us to feel it from this distance¡­ just how many are they?!¡±


    Questions were raised as panic began to spread once again, consuming everyone present.


    However, once again, Jeremy wasn¡¯t going to let chaos take over.


    ¡°We have to take action. The more time we spend thinking like this, the more time they have to gain ground. We have to run and hide¡­ before it¡¯s toote!¡± He eximed.


    Daniel instantly snapped out of his daze the moment Jeremy said this.


    ¡°Everyone, Jeremy is right! We need to take action now! Forget the tents and everything else that might slow us down! We need to move¡­ and fast!¡±


    The people nodded in their panic, wanting only to escape from the terrible situation that confronted them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡±


    ********************************


    As expected, the Subjugation Squad began its retreat as we ran through the woods to get further away from the rumbling that grew louder by the second.


    A wicked grin formed on my face as I ran behind everyone else, pretending to struggle in keeping up with everyone else. It would be suspicious otherwise.


    ¡®Everything has gone better than I hoped!¡¯ I thought amusedly.


    In the first instance, I watched everyone panic from my distance while I was in the woods and close to the base.


    Using <Camouge>, I snuck closer to them and activated my <Rule> Skill to send waves of intimidation throughout the base.


    This caused even greater anxiety in the minds of everyone, including the strong-willed Daniel. I also watched as Tasha recounted her trauma with me and stood, petrified.


    Still, in order not to take any chances, I activated <Steal> and took away the ¡®Intelligence¡¯ Stats of everyone present, allowing them to further sink into despair as they turned to Daniel for a solution.


    Calcting the perfect moment to step in, I did so at the most opportune time, instantly turning the situation around. Their attention tilted to me, and once I got everyone¡¯s notice, I made my voice known.


    Of course, I mitigated the effects of <Rule> on Daniel at this point, causing him to retain some of his mental prowess. He agreed with me, giving the final order for our group to flee.


    Abandoning base, everyone ran as fast as they could, hoping to rest by a checkpoint along the way. I used this chance to touch all the equipment within our base while everyone ran and took them into [Subspace].


    ¡®They mighte in handyter¡­¡¯ I reasoned.


    Thankfully, in their state of panic, Daniel and the upper echelon of our squad forgot all about the Hobgoblin Demon Cores already captured, giving me over a hundred more Cores for free.


    ¡®All ording to n! Now then¡­ I suppose I should soon begin¡­¡¯ I grinned wickedly.

 Chapter 144 Stampede (Pt 2)

    After moving for a while, our group was nearly out of the woods. A little more and we were going to reach the nds which were a mere representation of the well-established roads of the now-forgotten past.


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± Many huffed as they tried pushing their bodies to their limits, knowing fully well that the horde chasing them was relentless in their pursuit.


    Their brains were in too much of an overdrive to think rationally.


    ¡®Where are we running to?¡¯


    ¡®If we keep moving, can we outrun the iing stampede?¡¯


    ¡®Even if we manage to outrun them, we¡¯re heading in the direction of the Camp! Isn¡¯t that what we were trying to avoid in the first ce?!¡¯


    Thoughts like these never crossed anyone¡¯s minds since their intelligence had been considerably drained and adrenaline had taken over. Being the only one who could think rationally, I enjoyed the sight of watching them run off, like cattle escaping an overwhelming predator.


    We finally got out of the woods in one piece, feeling several trees crumble and crash behind us as we ran. The Demons were closer than anyone had expected.


    ¡°Hurry! Everyone, hurry!¡± Daniel shouted.


    ¡®To where, though? Pfft!¡¯


    As soon as everyone finally got out of the woods, they were greeted with despondency. Across the vast road that the desperate members thought they could escape to, they found a wave of Hobgoblins, numbering about a hundred.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°N-no¡­ no way¡­!¡±


    The wave consisted of a lot of Hobgoblin Brawlers, a few Archers, and a single Tanker. They were a small squad, but to the Subjugation Team members, they were the very definition of despair.


    Already exhausted beyond belief due to running for so long, and now seeing such a horrid sight¡­ it was enough to drive many mad!


    However, the despair was just beginning!


    ¡°G-guys¡­?!¡± I stuttered, calling the attention of everyone to me.


    Like creaking metal, they turned their heads and looked behind, their eyes widening in shock as they saw another sickening sight.


    Seeming to appear out of nowhere, another group of about a hundred Hobgoblins appeared as well, all grinning with bloodlust.


    ¡°G-guys¡­ I-I¡­¡± I stuttered.


    Why? Since I was the one at the farthest in the rear, the newly appeared wave was directly behind me.


    In essence, I was going to be the first to die!<sub></sub>


    *********************************


    Before anyone could say anything, the Hobgoblins descended upon Jeremy, tearing what appeared to be his flesh apart. Blood spurted and screams filled the air as the Hobgoblins¡¯ prey was killed in the cruelest way possible.


    The other Gifteds watched in horror, frozen in their positions as the gory sight unfolded. A wave of Hobgoblins advanced from their front, another wave from behind them, and the Stampede was nearly upon them.


    All hope appeared to be lost. Now in the dark, all about to die at the hands of the very Demons they hoped to achieve victory against, the Gifteds experienced the tallest height of despair imaginable.


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ going to die here?!¡±


    ¡°No, please¡­ I-I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    ¡°Please save us, Daniel!¡±


    ¡°Someone, save us!¡±


    ¡°Please! Please save us!¡±


    Unfortunately, their pleas fell on deaf ears since they were the only humans around. The Hobs that would soon kill them served as their audience, grinning from ear to ear, pleased by the desperate cries of fear that came out of the mouths of everyone.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Guruikkkkk! Kekekeke!¡±


    >WHOOOSH<


    Arrows flew from the Hobgoblin Archers, killing a few of the Gifteds, easily over a dozen, in one fell swoop.


    The arrows pierced their temple, as was the specialty of the Hobgoblin Archers who were already reloading their bows for the next round.


    Blood spurted out of the Gifteds, causing their bodies to fall lifelessly to the ground as their bodies became drenched in blood.


    ¡°E-eeeekkk!!!¡± The survivors made scared shrieks.


    Now drawing together and forming a cluster, the Gifteds began struggling to get into the center of their circle to preserve their lives. Fear and panic spread and despair reigned supreme.


    The earth rumbled, bodies trembled, Demons advanced, tears fell, blood flowed, cries went into the air.


    However, amid the darkness and despairing circumstance¡­ a miracle urred.


    Shining crimson in the dark night, a bright sh of light lit everywhere up.


    >BOOOOMMMM!!!<


    This loud noise once again drew the attention of all the yers on the same field. Standing to the far right of the Gifteds and adjacent to both waves of demons¡­ was the source of the bright crimson light.


    The Gifteds squinted their eyes at the sight, all expressing shock at the presence of a new presence that seemed to overwhelm everyone in the area.


    ¡°T-that is-?!¡± They cried.


    Standing in what appeared to be a surge of energy was the figure of a person. No, it most certainly was a human. He was d in a red me-like aura and appeared to be nearing the conflicting parties.


    ¡°Huu¡­¡± The man covered in energy heaved.


    The sound of his breath was evident across the nds, sending shivers down the spine of everyone present.


    The Demons were now less concerned about the frightened group of Gifteds and focused on the presence of the stranger.


    ¡°Do you¡­ want me to help you?¡± The man finally spoke.


    His voice was deep and powerful, yet noble and gentle. Everyone felt their emotions being stirred as he spoke. The blood-like color of the energy that covered him began to seem warner and more appealing.


    Everyone forgot their fear and genuinely spoke in awe and respect for this man.


    ¡°P-please¡­ s-save us¡­¡±


    The man drew closer upon hearing their words. While his face was not visible thanks to the mask he wore, somehow everyone could sense that he had wholeheartedly epted their request.


    ¡°Fine¡­¡± The masked stranger mumbled.


    >FWIIISHHH<


    Instantly, two daggers appeared in his hands, and sparks of energy raged from him. The aura enveloping his body burned brighter as he took his stance.


    All eyes were on this man, both of Demons and humans. The Hobgoblins prepared for battle upon sensing the level of danger emanating from their potential foe.


    Now staring murderously at the Hobs, the masked savior spoke.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll kill them all!¡±

 Chapter 145 Savior

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± The masked savior said with resolve, lighting the fading hopes in the hearts of everyone who heard him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them all!¡±


    **********************************


    ¡®Psych! This is just too good. Pfft!¡¯ My mind rang in absolute amusement.


    From the start, I knew this would be a silly n, but it was even funnier than I had pictured.


    The reason I suggested that our group run, in the first ce, was not to escape the stampede but to offer a false sense of hope to everyone.


    As soon as we reached the nds, I used <Summon> to pour out a number of the Hobs I had captured before now. This stopped everyone in their tracks and greeted them with despair, but it wasn¡¯t enough. To fully drown them in despondency, I summoned more Hobs behind them, very close to me.


    I called their attention and made sure they all witnessed me getting brutally ¡®killed¡¯ by the Hobgoblins. That was another reason I made sure I was at the very rear of the group.


    Of course, the Demons didn¡¯t actually hurt me in any way. Just before their slow bodies came into contact with mine, I used <Camouge> to cloak myself and also summoned one of the few Gifteds I had in [Subspace]. Other than Larry and Lara, I had one other Gifted in my storage. It was the same guy whose arm I had cut off for touching my shoulder.<sub>.</sub>


    The Demons killed him and mutted his body beyond recognition, serving as the perfect sacrifice for my death.


    After this, I remained hidden with <Camouge> and quickly changed into my ¡®Masked Hero¡¯ costume. While I did this, I watched the Hobs kill some of the scared Gifteds. It served as a good way to pass time, plus I needed them to experience enough loss to trigger even greater gratitude when I saved them!


    Using <Rule>, I made the unease of everyone dissipate when they saw me and caused them to incline their trust toward me.


    While useless against Demons, <Rule> was useful for the Gifteds since we were of the same kin. I often used it to intimidate others, but it had other uses. One of which was to control the emotions of others.


    The fact that their intelligence had drastically reduced and they were in a precarious situation helped. Everyone trusted me wholeheartedly. It was perfect!


    ¡®By killing off ¡®Jeremy¡¯ and taking on the title of ¡®Masked Hero¡¯, I can act more freely.¡¯ I reasoned.


    Now confronted with the very Demons summoned through [Subspace], I considered it a waste to kill them, but it was necessary to keep up appearances.


    >BZZZTTTTZZZ<<sub></sub>


    Red lightning shed across my body as I felt a surge of power surge through me. I refused to use any otherbat Skill except <Aura> to subdue the Demons since I needed to conserve the ¡®big guns¡¯ for my fight against the oing stampede.


    ¡°GAKURIUUUKKK!!!¡± The Hobs growled and came after me.


    A total of 231 Demons from both sides. It would have been quite difficult for me in the past, but this wave consisted of mostly Brawlers, a few Archers, and two Tankers, one from each side.


    ¡®Piece of cake!¡¯


    >FWOOOSH<


    My body fluidly brushed with the wind as I gripped my daggers tightly. The crimson light emanating from my body lit the way, and the sparks of lightning energized me even more.


    Swinging my arms powerfully, I made sure to kill five or more Demons in one strike.


    >SWISH!<<sub></sub>


    My body moved fluidly, cutting down ten at once with both hands active.


    I leaped, using some Hobs as footholds, and spun midair. My next targets were supposed to be the Archers since they could prove troublesome if left alone. However, they couldn¡¯t hit me anyway, so they were useless.


    I cut off the head of one Tanker, infusing the energy sparking from my body to the weapon I wielded expertly.


    As soon as it died, I quickly used its vanishing body as a foothold and jumped to the other Tanker that was already attempting to assault me.


    Spinning horizontally, I sliced through its outstretched arms, rendering it limbless within a second.


    ¡°Garui-¡°


    Before it concluded its scream of agony, I ended its pain with one sharp sh to sever its head.


    The bodies of the fallen Demons turned to dust, leaving only the little ones to take care of. Considering it a waste to even finish them off with Mana Core Bombs, I decided to go one final round.


    Dancing fluidly, while evading their very slow attacks, I cut off their heads and sent them all flying in a bloody parade.


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    I smiled at the notification. It was fortunate that I was able to Level Up from such a weak bunch. After myst battle with the Demons in thepound, I was already Level 169. As expected, facing stronger enemies gave a considerably higher amount of EXP. The many Hobgoblin Tankers and Archers gave higher Experience Points, and even though the wave was less than the first one I dealt with, they gave more EXP overall.


    ¡®With this new Level Up, I guess I¡¯m now at Level 170! Not bad¡­¡¯ I reasoned with a grin.


    In any case, the subjugation of the Hobs wasplete, and all the Demons around had been extinguished.


    ¡°It is done¡­¡± I whispered, using <Recall> to take back my bloodied daggers.


    Only the daggers vanished, causing the residual blood to drop to the ground and evaporate shortly after.


    I barely worked up a sweat, but this could still be considered a warm-up exercise for the real battle toe. Looking behind me to see the people I saved, I once again yed my ¡®hero¡¯ card.


    ¡°Are you all okay?¡±


    Their eyes disyed pure surprise and amazement by my brilliant disy. I was certain none of them had been able to follow my movements at all orprehend how I was able to kill over two hundred Demons in three minutes, no, even less.


    Considering it could have been done faster if I had used <Summon> and <Recall> I nearly burst outughing at the weakness of the other Gifteds.


    Drawing closer to them, the group of Gifteds all knelt before me, bowing their heads in reverence to offer their absolute gratitude to their savior.


    ¡°T-thank you! Thank you so very much!¡±


    ¡°We owe you our lives!¡±


    ¡°We will be forever grateful to you!¡±


    As I heard their words, I smiled. It didn¡¯t feel too bad being praised for saving people from danger, even though the danger was orchestrated by me, to begin with.

 Chapter 146 Bait

    ¡°Raise your heads!¡± I said in amanding tone.


    The people at my mercy all did as I said and gazed upon me. My face was hidden underneath my mask, and my body was greatly exaggerated by the energy that flowed around me.


    None of them even suspected for a second that I could be ¡®Jeremy¡¯, even though we had simr structures. Not only had they seen me die, or at least thought they did, my current state exuded power beyond their belief. Awe and respect filled their hearts more than suspicion.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    Looking at the woods beyond myself and the group, Iid my eyes on the iing threat.


    ¡°You¡¯re all in the way. I can save you all and preserve the lives of those beyond this border. Do you need me to help you?¡± I asked kindly.


    The people look at me with surprised and disbelieving looks. To think someone would go that far for a stranger like them!


    ¡°Y-yes. Please help us!¡± Daniel pleaded on behalf of the people he represented.


    It made me give a light chuckle. He now acted like a half-decent leader. Was it because the effects of <Rule> had disappeared?


    ¡°Alright then. I will transport you to a safe space where you¡¯ll all be safe. By the time you open your eyes¡­ It¡¯ll all be over!¡± I told them in confidence.<sub>.</sub>


    They nodded quickly, simply happy to be able to survive theing cmity. After taking out the humans I had captured earlier, I had freed up Slots within [Subspace]. However, by taking in the leftover equipment in the Camp, I had filled in some. Counting now, if I saved up a few Slots for emergencies, I had 31 Empty Slots to spare.


    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing the Demons killed a good amount of them before I saved them. The numbers of everyone in the Subjugation team has reduced well¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed as I counted them all.


    However, they were still more than the slots I had left. Out of the seventy-five members we started with, removing me from the equation, we had seventy-four left. Twenty-four died in the second raid of the Hobgoblins, leaving fifty alive. Of the fifty that survived, over a dozen were killed in the recent mishap. Counting them as quickly as possible, the Gifteds before me were exactly 35.


    ¡®We have four excesses!¡¯


    Arge grin formed on my face, since this was all ording to my calctions. Even if the survivors were enough to fit into [Subspace] I would still not allow them all in.


    The reason was simple.


    ¡®I need some as bait¡­¡¯


    And so, I began tapping those I was willing to save, sending them into [Subspace]. The others watched as I did this in awe. One after the other, theirrades vanished from sight, yet none suspected a thing. Rather, they were impatient for their turn.


    Welp, not everyone would get the chance though. Using my chart of priority, I took in Daniel, Tasha, Dave, and a few other useful people. I ignored Melissa, even though she called for my attention desperately.<sub></sub>


    After nearing the 31 Slot limit, a bright idea popped into my head and I decided to y a little game.


    ¡°A-argh!¡± I yelped, holding my head and staggering slightly.


    The people expressed surprise by my reaction and wondered what was happening to me.


    ¡°I¡­ I seem to have used up too much power in session. I apologize, but I can only admit three more people.¡±


    Pfft! That was bullshit, of course. With seven people left, if I wanted to I could take them all, but that would mean sacrificing my specially reserved Slots.


    ¡°A-ah, really?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re seven though!¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    Amid the confusion, the first one to figure out what needed to be done was none other than Melissa.<sub></sub>


    ¡°P-please save me first, Masked Hero!¡± She blurted out shamelessly.


    The instant everyone heard her say this, they red at the selfish bitch and quickly voiced their cries for salvation.


    ¡°No, please pick me!¡±


    ¡°I have someone waiting for me back home! Please don¡¯t leave me to die!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the youngest here! I¡¯m a minor, please I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    They all spouted nonsense that could barely pass as excuses and expected me to favor them over the others. It was so funny that I nearly let out outbursts ofughter. However, I had been practicing well in controlling my emotions and had nearly gotten the hang of it.


    ¡°Calm yourselves, everyone. The enemy will soon be upon us!¡± I ordered silence.


    They instantlyplied obediently, trembling at my voice. Their teary eyes pleaded for mercy in silence. However, I had already made up my mind.


    Swiftly moving my fingers, I selected the ones to save, leaving Melissa and three others behind.


    ¡°E-eh?!¡± The poor girl yelped, looking surprised as though expecting a different oue.


    ¡°No. Please, savior. Surely, you have enough energy to spare for one more person. I¡¯ll do anything! Please!¡± She screamed, trying to draw near to me with her filthy body.


    Well, she wasn¡¯t half bad, and her proposal was tempting, but what of it? There was nothing she could offer me that I couldn¡¯t take by force.


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯ve run out of energy!¡± I pretended to huff.


    Despair began to show in her eyes and more tears flowed. The others left behind also screamed and cried for help, trying to cling to me, but I swiftly evaded their desperate clutches.


    ¡°Pull yourselves together!¡± I snapped at them.


    Pausing in their acts, they looked at me like robots following instructions.


    ¡°Just because I couldn¡¯t take you to a protected space doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t protect you, okay? You just have to hang in there!¡±


    >CRASH!<


    More trees crashed and the rumblings of the ground became louder.


    ¡°EEEEKKKKKK!¡± The Gifteds squeaked in fright.


    They were so easily flustered, which was the very reason I chose them to remain behind. Irritable, loud, fearful, noisy¡­ those were the qualities I needed for my bait.


    ¡°You there!¡± I pointed at Melissa who was stunned by my sudden.


    Thinking I had changed my mind about saving her, she propelled her body forward and looked at me with passionate eyes.


    ¡°Y-yes?¡±


    ¡°You have a barrier ability, correct? Shield everyone with your Gift.¡±


    After all, things were going to get a little bumpy!

 Chapter 147 Survival Battle

    My [Subspace] had 250 Slots.


    I previously has 201 Slots constantly upied, leaving 49 empty. I obtained three different Hobgoblin Demon Cores; The Hobgoblin (Archer), Hobgoblin (Brawler), and Hobgoblin (Tanker), all taking different Slots. The living monsters I stored also took respective slots, making 6 upied slots added to the fray.


    If I added the things I plundered from the Camp while everyone fled, they roughly took about 5 extra Slots. That left a total of 38 Slots left. I also had Larry and Lara within the two separate slots, further reducing the number to 36. Of these, I deemed 31 usable, while the remaining 5 were specially reserved.


    If I thought of things that way, they all added up. All that was left was for the bait to perform their roles well, and things would proceed more smoothly.


    ¡°You there! Use your barrier ability to shield everyone.¡± Imanded Melissa.


    She instantly showed shock at my words. The bitch was probably expecting me to favor her, but why would I? She was extremely useful in drawing attention. Plus, with her Gift, she could ensure the safety of others, making sure theysted longer as attractions for the Hobs.


    ¡°W-wha-?! H-how did you know I have-?¡±


    ¡®Ahh, I don¡¯t have time for this.¡¯ I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of my skills.¡±


    That simple answer seemed to clear her question immediately. I squatted and touched her shoulder in an attempt to cheer her up and provide an incentive to do as I desired.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°You need to do this. It¡¯s the only way you can all survive. I promise¡­ none of you will die!¡±


    It was a well-made pledge. If they all yed their roles right and the n was executed well, my promise would hold up. But, how often did things go exactly as one intended?


    Melissa, however, seemed to believe my words. I didn¡¯t know whether it was because of her gullibility or the extra loss of intelligence I just caused.


    Either way, it was convenient that she agreed easily. My <Rule> Skill was under cooldown. Thinking rationally, she had no choice since she would die if she tried to run and ultimately had to rely on me to survive.


    Taking her chances, the best choice would be to trust me. How ironic!


    Melissa heaved a sigh, calming herself. A pink glow emanated from her, and in no time it covered everyone surrounding her. The three extras who couldn¡¯t do anything but shiver in fear were now under her custody.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± I whispered at the marvelous sight from a short distance from the Gift¡¯s range.


    ¡°W-what now-?!¡±


    ¡°GARREUUUUUUUIIIIKKKK!!!¡±<sub></sub>


    Before Melissa couldplete her sentence, a blood-curdling cry pierced through the ears of everyone nearby, including mine. The woods parted and the Hobgoblins proceeded from them. Having extremelyrge builds and bloodthirsty looks, one could mistake these monsters for orcs.


    Melissa gazed upon their unsightly and frightening appearance for the first time and shrieked in terror. The other three with her joined her as they all held a chorus of frightened cries.


    ¡°M-masked hero, please help-¡± Melissa looked in the direction where shest saw me.


    However, to her disbelief and the despair of those around her¡­ the masked hero and savior of Gifteds were nowhere in sight.


    In essence¡­ I had vanished!


    *********************************


    ¡°Noooooo!!!!¡± Melissa cried.


    ¡°I can¡¯t die here! I can¡¯t die here!¡±


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t leave me to die here!¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening! You said you would save us!¡±


    Unfortunately, their pleas fell on deaf ears as there appeared to be no one around to respond to their desperate cries. To make matters worse, the Hobs were already attracted to their voices.


    ¡°GARAAKKIKKKKK!¡± The bloodthirsty monsters approached Melissa¡¯s pink-coated barrier, grinning excitedly.


    One could misinterpret the glows in their eyes for something other than hunger as they stared at the bunch of girls within the pink force field.


    Now surrounding them, with no means of escape, the Hobgoblins wasted no time and began pounding the barrier as hard as they could.


    >BAM!<


    >BAM!<


    >BAM!<


    Their blunt clubs caused tremors with every hit as they kept hitting the pink barrier. Melissa could feel her force field vibrating and nearing its limits already.


    Was this how she would die? Melissa could begin to feel her strength leave her, but she couldn¡¯t give in yet. Her will to live was so strong that the girl felt that if she clung to life long enough a miracle would ur and her little existence would be spared.


    A little more, and the four girls surrounded byrge monsters would be maimed, killed¡­ or worse!


    It was a good thing that all hope was not lost. After all, all that had urred was ording to the ns of a certain someone watching from the shadows.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    A huge st caused by several Demon Cores exploding filled the area, causing clouds of smoke and dust to rise with the energy surge caused by the eruption.


    Melissa was trapped in even more confusion as she tried to figure out the situation. No, she was happy enough that the pounding had stopped. For some reason, after the explosions urred, she could hardly hear any sounds or tremors around her.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t see a thing¡­¡± She muttered.


    She, as well as the three others around her, could only see smoke and dust surrounding them, impeding their sight. Slowly, the clouds of dust cleared and they saw silhouettes of Hobgoblins to their despair. However, to their surprise, the shadows of monsters around them were reducing drastically.


    For a moment, their eyes caught a Demon and in the next, it was gone. This urred for a considerable amount of time which only served their confusion to increase further.


    ¡°W-what the hell¡­?!¡± Melissa croaked.


    By the time the smoke had cleared, the Hobgoblins around then had thinned out so much that she couldn¡¯t believe it. The explosions that urred, and the fog of smoke that followed brought about the disappearance of what appeared to be hundreds of Hobgoblins.


    It was inconceivable! However¡­ Melissa and her little group weren¡¯t out of their desperate situation yet.


    After all, more monsters beganing out of the woods, recing the ones that had vanished, and once again over a thousand Hobgoblin (Warriors) encircled them.


    This made her close her eyes in terror and slight hope that the bizarre explosions and smoke that had urred so abruptly before would once again appear.


    Her prayers were answered. Just as strangely as they appeared before, more sts sounded, covering a wide area in loud fireworks.


    Beautiful salvation appeared.


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<

 Chapter 148 Flawless Strategy

    It was an unwinnable fight! That much was painfully obvious.


    However, by using the right methods, I could win wlessly. Yep, this little Jeremy was going to face off against hundreds, no, thousands of high-spec Hobgoblins, and if he yed his card right would hardly receive any damage.


    It seemed foolish to even considering out of such a mess unscathed. But, here I was already pulling it off.


    ¡®It¡¯s time for the next st¡­¡¯ I reasoned upon seeing the dust had cleared from my first round.


    Melissa¡¯s frightened face prayed for a miracle, same as the other girls. As much as it would have been satisfying watching the bitch, Melissa, suffer some horrid fate at the hands of the Hobgoblins, I didn¡¯t have any intention of giving her such an easy end.


    ¡®Huu, here goes¡­¡¯ I smiled.


    Instantly summoning a couple of Demon Cores and cing them in strategic locations underneath the Hobgoblins that made to attack Melissa¡¯s barrier, I sent my mana to them at the same time.<sub>.</sub>


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!<


    Once again, a cloud of smoke filled the area andmotion filled the air. It would be impossible for any normal person to see through such thickyers of dust and smoke. Fortunately, such logic didn¡¯t apply to me.


    Melissa and her fellow Gifteds screeched in terror, drawing the attention of the confused Hobgoblins. Once again, I had a window to strike!


    ¡®Let¡¯s go!¡¯


    **************************************


    It was a simple n, really. Once I thought it through, I found out how easy it would be to pull off. Firstly, I had my boat prepared. By giving them the wonderful sight of screaming humans, the Hobgoblins were bound to be attracted to Melissa and the other girls. Melissa¡¯s [Safe Haven] Gift also stood out above all else. Even amid a thick cloud, there was no way anyone could miss a shiny pink force field shimmering and begging for attention.<sub></sub>


    Using this to my advantage, it was definite that the Hobgoblin Tankers would go after Melissa first. Using <Camouge> Skill, I hid myself from sight, watching what happened from a distance. Everything happened exactly as I predicted.


    The Hobgoblins began banging Melissa¡¯s barrier, and while I knew that the thing was sturdy, Melissa wasn¡¯t strong enough to hold it for long. I had to intervene!


    Then came my second n.


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    Using Demon Cores as explosives, I nted them around the area using <Summon> and activated them all at once.


    While I knew the explosions weren¡¯t enough to cause fatal damage to the Hobgoblin Warriors due to their high Dexterity Stat, they performed their tasks well.<sub></sub>


    Waves of smoke covered the area, impeding their sight. They could still see Melissa¡¯s Gift, though, so naturally, the Demons all gathered around her.


    It was the perfect scenario. Once this happened, the n was for me to make my move!


    Using <Camouge> to mask my presence, I was able to sneak in amid themotion andmence the next phase of my operation. Even though the <Camouge> Skill¡¯s effects were drastically reduced when in motion, it was no bother since I already had smoke as a cover.


    The Hobgoblins had very low intelligence, so I was safe from any high sensory interference. The next question that naturally arose was how I would dispose of the enemies. After all, they were vulnerable once the smoke had blocked their vision and I was in their midst.


    Killing them was one way of getting rid of them, but that would be unwise. Engaging inbat, no matter how covertly I tried doing so, would only end up blowing my cover. The sounds of my des swinging, the noise of squishing flesh as well as the blood-curdling screams of dying Hobs would fill the air, and sooner thanter, my presence would be exposed.


    It also took a great deal of energy to kill, and considering the numbers and difficulty of my enemies, I reckoned I would run out of energy before I was done dispatching all of them.


    The smokested only for a few minutes. I only had limited Demon Cores for explosions, and the more time dragged on, the more of a risk I was in.


    If I wasted time killing Demons and managed to escape unnoticed every time I raised the smoke curtain, one of these few things was bound to happen.


    One, I would get caught sooner orter in my covert battle with the Hobgoblins.


    Two, I would run out of energy before the Hobgoblins died since I would have to be repeating a process for the strategy instead of just fighting them head-on.


    Three, Melissa¡¯s barrier wouldn¡¯t hold up and get breached. The Demons would kill the bait off before I could finish them. That wouldpletely ruin the n.


    There were other disadvantages, but these three were my major fears. Considering their demerits, there was only one way I could win by getting rid of the Hobgoblin Warriors.


    Trap them into [Subspace]!


    I had already thought of this, which was why I had left sufficient Slots unupied. Of the five avable Slots, one would serve as the prison for these Hobgoblins.


    This was by far the most efficient method in winning against the Hobgoblins while they were distracted. Not only did [Subspace Trap] (as I called it) make no sound, it was a quicker way of getting rid of Demons instead of killing them.


    All I needed was physical contact, a light tap, and they would vanish within the specified slots.


    Using this method, I could take care of over a hundred within a minute, no, even more! I turned on <Coordination>, <Nimble> inbination with <Camouge> and began.


    Within the few minutes that the cloud of smoke was active, I had already taken over a thousand Hobgoblins prisoner!


    Having a sessful first round, I made my escape before it was toote and any of the Demons would notice me.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t too difficult¡­ In a few more rounds, I should be done!¡¯


    It was unbelievable, wasn¡¯t it? Using this method to win an impossible battle. However, I was inclined to take the safest and most efficient method. After all, nothing mattered except victory.


    ¡®It¡¯s not important how it¡¯s done¡­ as long as I win, that¡¯s all that matters!¡¯

 Chapter 149 Absolute Victory

    Being honest, it was surprising how easy it was to handle all the Demons blinded by smoke and distracted by the bait I prepared specially for them.


    The effectiveness of my n surprised even me, causing me to wonder how I was able to deliberately execute such a n wlessly.


    ¡®It must be due to my high intelligence¡­¡¯ I reasoned.


    In any case, it took me only five rounds of my strategy to fully capture all the Hobgoblins. What initially seemed like an endless and undefeatable army slowly whittled down with each round of my ambush, and I was able to end things by the fifth round.


    >SHUUUUUUUU<


    Smoke hissed from the hot, charred ground as a harsh silence filled the air, save for the consistent undertone of the hot smoke that surrounded everyone.


    It had almost dispersed at this point, and just in time too. By the time vision began returning to the frightened group of Melissa andpany, I was done with the final Hobgoblin.


    ¡°Whew!¡± I heaved in relief.


    My arms felt a little sore from pping them so much to touch as many Demons as I could in such a limited period. Surprisingly, I didn¡¯t even need to resort to my big guns to take care of the biggest threat yet.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®I suppose I should be grateful to these guys¡­¡¯ I mused, turning to the confused bunch trembling within Melissa¡¯s pink barrier.


    If not for the convenient ability she had and the personality of the girls, I may not have been able to distract the monsters as well as I did.


    Disabling <Camouge> which was already at its limit, I appeared from the fading vestiges of smoke that remained and made my presence known to the girls.


    ¡°Are you girls okay?¡± I asked.


    Still donning my mysterious mask and dark cloak, my oddly small body moved closer to the huddled group.


    ¡°I-is it over¡­?¡± Melissa stuttered, clearly suffering from extreme trauma.


    She had to endure over an hour of a most heart-wrenching experience. Death was knocking at every turn, and if she let up for even a fraction of a second, the Hobgoblins would have devoured her.


    While the others had been in an equally dire situation as Melissa, as the one handling the defenses most of the mental and physical burdens were ced on her.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s over¡­ I¡¯ve taken care of them all.¡± I replied in a calm, soothing way.


    Instantly, Melissa released her pink barrier, coughing and wheezing in exhaustion. She nearly copsed to the hard ground, but I quickly knelt and caught her.


    As much as it would have been quite a funny sight to watch her hit her head on the ground, it was dangerous since she might die from the fall. I couldn¡¯t have her dying on me just yet.


    ¡°T-thank you¡­ for not abandoning us¡­ f-for saving us¡­¡± She whispered.


    Her lips quivered as she spoke and her entire body followed, trembling with the remnant fear that had seeped into every nook and cranny of her being.


    The remaining girls also gave me heartfelt thanks and burst into tears. Of course, performing my role as a hero, I consoled them. Their pathetic states were so pitiful that if it were under different circumstances, I could have actually felt bad for them.


    These girls were broken from the near-death experience they had experienced. Now that it was all over, they gave me profound thanks for saving them. If only they knew that I was the malefactor behind their misfortune.


    ¡®I wonder what their reaction would be like¡­¡¯ I mused.<sub></sub>


    ¡°You¡¯re all scared and exhausted. It¡¯s still very dangerous out here, since there may be some leftover Demons running around.¡± I said.


    The moment I mentioned the possibility of more monsters, the girls froze in even more fear and stifled shrieks that were bound to be deafening.


    Their eyes bulged as the trauma reyed in their minds. I didn¡¯t think things would be so bad with them, but to think they were so weak-minded.


    I currently had four [Subspace] Slots to spare, since I had already used on up to capture the Hobgoblin Warriors.


    It was kind of a waste to do this, as well as hypocritical, but I decided to let them into safety.


    ¡°I seem to have recovered some of my energy. I can transport all of you to a safe ce while I scout the area for any remaining threat.¡±


    The girls all loosened up when they heard this, nodding with relief and immense gratitude that I had once again saved them from a terrible fate.


    I touched them one after the other and transported them into [Subspace].


    [System Alert]


    ~Your Gift [Subspace] Storage Is Full!~


    [.]


    I gave a wry smile upon seeing the icon. Even the system knew I needed to reserve slots for emergencies. Besides, Skills like <Mine Alone> wouldn¡¯t be able to function properly if I had no free Slot in [Subspace].


    ¡®Looks like I need to free some space¡­¡¯


    To be fair, some slots in [Subspace] could use some rearrangements. Since items could be put in boxes and count as a single object, I could ce some of the things taking up independent space in them.


    If push came to shove, I could also remove the Camp supplies, since they weren¡¯t going to be as useful as what I had. However, I didn¡¯t consider doing that yet. No matter how low in quality something was, it still had value.


    That was something this Apocalypse had forcefully taught everyone!


    ¡®Welp, there¡¯s that poop Slot as well¡­¡¯ I reasoned.


    Needless to say, this would take a while. And then, after I was done¡­ the real challenge would begin.


    During the just-concluded ¡®stampede¡¯, I had trapped 3,432 Hobgoblin Warriors, 1,457Tankers, 558 Archers, and no Brawlers. A total of 5,447 Hobgoblin Demons.


    ¡°Not bad¡­¡± I smiled in a whisper.


    I could feel my blood rising in excitement as I gave in to the thought of what would happen after I was done organizing my [Subspace].


    A ughter wasing!


    After all¡­ the Demons I took into [Subspace] weren¡¯t supposed to live there forever!

 Chapter 150 The One Called Jeremy Lewis

    It took some time, but I was able to free up as many as 15 Slots. I didn¡¯t even need to dispose of any Camp supplies and my poop Slot was still intact. It really went to show how inefficient I had been keeping [Subspace] these days, most likely because of how much space I thought I had.


    It seemed so much back then, but now it was not nearly enough. Ironic as it may seem, this was how the world truly was. I had grown plenty strong, yet it wasn¡¯t enough. Back at the apartment, I was satisfied with achieving Level 100. Now, I was at Level 170, yet the urge to get stronger hadn¡¯t vanished.


    ¡°Just as everyone¡¯s desire to obtain things is endless¡­ so will my possessions be,¡± I mumbled to myself with an amused smile.


    After all¡­ I desired to possess everything. A grand dream that was worth pursuing!


    After concluding on the matter of [Subspace], I took a good look around me. So much time had gone and it was already very early the next morning. Who would have thought that the first day of the Subjugation would end in such a bizarre manner?


    A lot had died, but the rest were still alive and well. From this moment on, using my disguise as the masked hero, I was going to make the Subjugation easier for them.<sub>.</sub>


    I could assist the Subjugation team directly and ease the burden. Since everyone had already experienced despair one too many times, I was certain none of them would voice anyints concerning the matter.


    ¡°Now, then, I should really get some shuteye¡­¡± I whispered.


    I had been working myself to the bone for so long that I neglected adequate rest. I had a frighteningly high amount of Dexterity, but it wasn¡¯t infinite.


    I looked around me for an appropriate ce to rest and get a few hours of decent sleep. I chose the far end of the woods, far away from the Hobgoblin base.


    The location was among piles of wild shrubs and I intentionally used the overgrown undergrowths as good cover. While I knew it was unnecessary to go so far, I couldn¡¯t help being overly cautious.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Welp, I¡¯ve done the best I can¡­ time to sleep.¡± I finally mumbled, copsing within the tent I had exclusively for myself.


    Of course, I summoned the mattress from the bed I had back home. It was heaven to feel its nicefort. It felt so good that I felt hesitant to sleep on the lush andfy surface of the bed since there was a high possibility of oversleeping.


    Still, I deserved this much pleasure, did I not? I had earned this degree of indulgement. Wasting no further thought on whether or not to sleep on afortable bed in contrast to the hard mat provided for in the tent.


    My eyes slowly closed as I slipped into the realm of unconsciousness. It was a sleep long overdue, and I was t going to postpone it any longer.


    ¡°Zzzzzzzzzzzz¡­¡± I heard my voice leak out everything finally faded into pitch-ck darkness.<sub></sub>


    ************************************


    In a faraway ce, beyond the bounds and logic of any mortal mind, was a council. Groups of beings d in pure light and had overall white bodies that shimmered with unbelievable radiance.


    The glory that dwelled in this world was unfathomable, unable to be interpreted in mundane things such as words.


    The beings were d in white, also having an entire semnce of a bright overwhelming light.


    As was the usual format of their gathering, these beings were in an orderly circle,rger than any that existed in the realm of understanding. They appeared to be infinite in number. However, there was an anomaly in the group of white-lighted beings. One of them was at their center.


    What appeared to be a trial seemed to be taking ce, and every single radiant being gave silence, allowing the one at the center to speak. They had asked him a question and awaited his answer.


    ¡°His name is Jeremy Lewis¡­ and he is a Gifted.¡± The one in the center spoke, his voice echoed across the vast, seemingly infinite expanse of space.


    For another inconceivable amount of time, there was silence again. Finally deeming it fit to break the silence, all the beings that formed the circle spoke at the same time.


    ¡°Supreme Being of Sector A-67, The Order shall state your actions that have caused this Convergence to ur. Do you have any objections?¡±


    The one addressed as the Supreme Being of his sector smiled wryly, forming crinkles in the face of pure light that he had.


    He already knew what he had done, but this was all procedure, anyway.


    ¡°I do not.¡±


    ¡°Very well. The Order shall now list the breach you have instituted.¡±


    Another brief moment of silence ensued. The being at the center braced himself, staring emptily at the colorful space that seemed to stretch forever.


    ¡°Supreme Being of Sector A-67, you have abused your power and broken the Supreme Celestial Statute. The order shall exin.¡±


    Another moment of silence.


    ¡°You have refused to follow the appropriate procedure for the process known as ¡®Gifting¡¯. Rather than summoning all humans and bestowing them with Gifts, you dyed in summoning one. You also kept him in the Sacred Hall for an indefinite period. You also gave him an ¡®unregistered Gift¡¯, sending him to his home to the time period of 30 days after the tutorial phase of Armageddon began.¡± As though listing the kneeling being¡¯s wrongdoings one after the other, all the floating white beings used their joint voices to speak.


    ¡°As a result, the Order has perceived a peculiar wavelength emanating from the human you made all those exceptions for. This human is none other than Jeremy Lewis of your Sector. This very same Jeremy Lewis has died in all other realities except yours, and the fate of your Sector¡¯s Jeremy Lewis is also meant to be death. ording to the future which we have all seen, the insignificant being known as Jeremy Lewis should be among those killed in Armageddon.¡±

 Chapter 151 A Fleeting Moment

    ¡°ording to the future which we have all seen, the insignificant being known as Jeremy Lewis should be among those killed in Armageddon.¡± The Order jointly mentioned, pointing at the hologram of a particr teenage boy disyed above the great white being in the center.


    The kneeling white being throbbed a little, feeling the crushing pressure of guilt concerning his actions.


    ¡°Yet¡­ He remains alive in your Sector. Not just that, the future ahead of him bes a glitch after a certain event. We can not see or interfere beyond a certain point in this human¡¯s stream of fate¡­¡±


    They were right!


    Even though these beings were absolutely supreme, that only applied to their sector. To exert a level of influence on another sector, The Order needed the consent of the Supreme Being in charge of that Sector.


    However, even though they had no authority in another sector, through the joint power they all shared, the Supreme Beings could at least see through the stream of fate and see the end from the beginning. After all, since they existed out of the bounds of time, they perceived everything; past, present, and future, as one.


    But¡­ for some reason, this particr human was beyond their perception andprehension!


    ¡°Exin yourself, Supreme Being A-67!¡± They all spoke thunderously.


    After their voices echoed across the Celestial ne, silence once again reigned as they expected the response of theirrade who had done a grievous wrong.


    They did not know what he had done specifically, or how far he had gone, but one thing was for sure¡­ his actions were a vition of everything the Order stood for, as well as an anomaly in the event known as Armageddon!


    Dwelling in the silence that permeated around him, this being who bowed and knelt before the others had a little thought within himself. He already knew what awaited him, caused by the consequences of his actions.<sub>.</sub>


    He did not regret any of it, and for due reason. Still, he found it unfortunate that things had to end this way. A sad smile appeared on his face for thest time as his final fleeting thought echoed in his mind.


    ¡®Looks like this is the end of the line. Jeremy, I can¡¯t protect you anymore. You¡¯re on your own now¡­¡¯


    He raised his head and this great being met the eyes of the seemingly infinite beings just like himself.


    ¡®¡­ These are your adversaries, Jeremy Lewis. Will you win? I haven¡¯t forgotten what you told me during thest moments of our time together¡­¡¯


    Yes, the moment already erased from history and the mind of the very subject of discussion. However, even though the human in question didn¡¯t remember it¡­ yet, this Supreme Being clearly remembered Jeremy¡¯sst words before his memory was tampered with and was sent to Earth.


    He had said the most amusing words.


    ¡°I will¡­ consume everything!¡±


    With his sad smile fading, the kneeling supreme being now had to wrap things up from his end.


    ¡°I did all I have done for only one reason¡­ and that is #&@[emailprotected]</a>&[emailprotected]</a>@@-###¡±


    Before everyone, the great white being known as God dered his reasons and intention for plunging the event in his Sector into chaos.<sub></sub>


    A reason that could not be understood by mere mortal beings as of yet.


    *************************************


    ¡°A-ah¡­ I feel much better!¡± I yawned, stretching my body.


    It had been a surprisingly long night. I slept morefortably than I had done in a while, which was ironic considering the fact that I was in no position to do so. Every second wasted was an addition to his enemy¡¯s army.


    Still, I didn¡¯t care!


    ¡°All the aches in my body are gone. Ah, I feel brand new!¡±


    Not only was Ipletely cured of any difort, I felt myself well up with newfound energy. There was no way I could stay put with such a great feeling.


    ¡°It¡¯s still morning, I should do some exercise!¡±


    Returning the camp materials to [Subspace], I moved away from the woods and returned to the nds where the Stampede met its end the previous day.


    ¡°This should do it¡­¡± I muttered, looking around.<sub></sub>


    No one was around for miles. That was only natural, considering this ce had been abandoned. No Hobgoblins entered my radar as well. Since a great deal of their forces had left, they probably didn¡¯t have enough troops to release as scouts.


    ¡°At this point, they must be fortifying their defenses pending the time they regain their forces¡­¡±


    Welp, I had no intention of allowing them to regain their strength. I was going to strike them soon anyway. But, first, I needed to get stronger.


    Fortunately, I had a good deal of EXP sitting within the confines of [Subspace], ready to be harvested.


    ¡®Now, how should I do this?¡¯ I reasoned.


    The answer wasn¡¯t too difficult. Just like the strategy of the Subjugation force, I was going to take care of the Hobgoblins in batches. If I released them at once I would be in serious trouble.


    To get a feel of things, it was best to begin with a small number.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with a hundred¡­ to test things out.¡± I grinned, checking my surrounding for thest time to ensure no one else was present.


    Using <Summon> I brought out exactly a hundred Hobgoblin Warriors.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡± The Demons growled, filling the air with their cries the moment they were brought out of their prison.


    ¡®Tch.¡¯ They didn¡¯t have to be so noisy.


    Checking through their specs again, I whistled.


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Hobgoblin (Warrior)


    ¨C Level: 80


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 1


    ¨C Age: 70 days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 1,000


    ¨C MP: 300


    ¨C Strenght: 1,200


    ¨C Agility: 700


    ¨C Vitality: 900


    ¨C Intelligence: 50


    [End Of Information]


    Their stats never ceased to amaze me. Even my highest grade weapons would barely be able to one-shot one in a single hit. It proved how badly I needed better equipment.


    ¡°Oh well¡­ at least it¡¯s not showing any <Danger> signs¡­¡±


    That was good! It meant only one thing concerning the fight I was about to engage in.


    ¡®I can absolutely win!¡¯

 Chapter 152 Gaining EXP

    ¡°GARUKIIIIKKKK!!!¡±


    The several Hobgoblins lunged at me. Their clubs were tightly gripped on one hand while their ws all iled at my location to slice me to shreds in case blunt attacks were rendered ineffective.


    >FWOOOOSHHH!<


    I quickly dodged their strikes, leaping a few meters backward. The Demons saw this and quickly stretched their hands in my direction. Instantly, ws from their arms were dislodged andunched at me like Gatling guns.


    ¡®A-amazing!¡¯ I beamed, my grin growing wider.


    The rapid ws fired like bullets and flew straight at me. Their sharp edges were followed by my eyes, and since my mind was in overdrive, everything slowed down naturally.


    ¡°<Aura>. <Coordination>. <Nimble>. <Iron Skin>.¡±


    Using these four Skills at once, I became a blur. Since there were so many ws that were rapidly fired at me, I didn¡¯t bother dodging everything. The ones that touched me were rendered ineffective by thebined efforts of <Aura> and <Iron Skin>.


    In essence, I was practically invulnerable!


    >WHOOOOSHH<<sub>.</sub>


    Running like the wind, or perhaps like a flickering amber light, I shortened the distance between myself and the monsters. For some reason, I didn¡¯t feel like using any weapon today, so I decided to use the old-fashioned way.


    ¡®It¡¯s been a while, but¡­¡¯


    ¡°<w Attack>. <Venomous Spikes>. <Spike Attack>.¡±


    Using the first Skills I first obtained brought back memories, but now wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on nostalgia.


    Shooting out my spikes like bullets, Iunched them at my foes, giving them a good dose of poison. I wasn¡¯t done, though!


    My fingers elongated with a single thought, and by swinging my arms, I rendered several Demons into mincemeat.


    Piercing them hard and fast, I killed the Hobgoblins one after the other. To be fair, they were too slow to even react to my movements, so it wasn¡¯t too hard dealing with merely a hundred of them.


    It had been a while since I fought without the assistance of any weapons from [Subspace], but somehow I felt relieved and refreshed.


    With every swing I took and the blood I saw break out of the flesh of the monsters, I gleamed with satisfaction.<sub></sub>


    It was primal! It was raw! The experience of fighting on my lonesome against such ferocious beasts was one I intended to savor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need tools! With my body¡­ I¡¯ll kill you all!¡±


    And that I did.


    In no time at all, I hadid waste to the hundred Hobgoblins and stood atop their ashen corpse and evaporating blood.


    ¡°More¡­¡± Words escaped my lips.


    This wasn¡¯t enough for a morning exercise. To really work up a sweat, I needed more of a challenge.


    ¡°Shall we go for a bit of a challenge?¡±


    I decided to summon a thousand next!


    >WHIISHHH<<sub></sub>


    A thousand Demons materialized from [Subspace], all ring angrily at me. They really wanted to tear me to pieces, but it wasn¡¯t like I would allow them to do just that.


    Just like before, I intended to use my body to fight.


    [SYSTEM ALERT]


    <DANGER!>


    ¡°Oh? It won¡¯t be that simple, eh?¡± I muttered, seeing a single disy of warning.


    I saw this several times back at the apartment where I began my Demon ying adventure. It simply meant that these monsters were enough if a threat to kill me. However, they weren¡¯t so powerful that I couldn¡¯t handle them.


    ¡°Fun fact¡­¡± My lips pursed into a smile as I spoke and moved closer to the Hobgoblin Warriors that already charged at me in an attempt to tear me apart.


    ¡°¡­ Every single Demon that the ¡®System¡¯ ever showed me that <Danger> Sign for¡­ ended up dead!¡±


    I kicked the dust on my feet and dashed at the thousand Demons that made their way to me. Determined to fill the air with more screams, I sharpened my ws, bore my fangs, and readied for another blood-curdling match.


    Lightning sparked from my body which was in fluid-like motion.


    Efficiently poisoning my targets with <Venomous Spikes> while blinding them with <Spike Attack> by targeting their eyes, as well as killing them off with <w Atttack>, I killed the enemy with god-like precision.


    This was all possible thanks to the <Coordination> Skill which ensured that none of my movements were ever wasted. It was more useful than I thought!


    Unlike the previous fight, though, I didn¡¯t fight unscathed. While <Aura> and <Iron Skin> blocked off most of the spike assaults rapidly fired at me, they weren¡¯t absolute.


    Sooner orter, their effectiveness dropped, causing slight scratches on my body.


    For the first time in a while, I saw the color of my own blood!


    ¡®Ah¡­ it¡¯s still red¡­¡¯ My mind trailed as I smiled.


    It appeared that despite how far I had gone, I was still merely a human. As such, I was not invincible¡­ yet!


    The blunt clubs of several Demons all fell on me while I was still distracted by the sight of my blood, sending me to the ground in a loud crash>


    >BOOOOOMMM<


    I fell, but quickly stood, knowing that every second spent down was fatal to me.


    >WHOOOOOSHHH<


    I quickly evaded their bullet-like spike and readied my ws for aeback. Pushing my legs forward, I rushed at them.


    I shed at the monsters, drilling holes in their skulls and tearing them to pieces. Yes, their attacks still hit me, and being honest, they stung. However, what was pain? It was only temporary.


    I endured the pains that the Demons sent to me and delivered even more to them. Thanks to <Coordination>, I never lost focus and kept fluidly using my movements to devastate the Demons, reducing their numbers rapidly.


    [You Have Leveled Up] Icons kept popping, but my eyes were more focused on the Hobgoblin survivors that stubbornly clung to life.


    ¡°You¡¯re all going to die!¡± I screamed maniacally.


    Since their numbers had dwindled considerably, the number of ws fired at me had reduced considerably. At this point, none of their attacks hit me! The ws had also slowed down considerably thanks to my Level Ups and I felt my body moving faster.


    Feeling lighter and suddenly full of more energy, I sent my arms flying to treat the rest of the monsters into pieces.


    It was a massacre, and at the center of it all was me!


    In ten minutes¡­ I was done with a thousand Hobgoblin Warriors!


    ¡°Next!¡±

 Chapter 153 Exceeding The Limit

    ¡°Should I summon the rest of them next?!¡± I smiled excitedly.


    Of course, my passive Skill <Mine Alone> had already swept the area clean of all the Demon Cores belonging to the Demons I slew.


    Checking my Status Window, I noticed I was already over Level 190. With a few Level Ups, I would go beyond 200. It truly was incredible, how extremely efficient it was to kill stronger enemies.


    ¡°I really should just summon them all at once!¡± I grinned, giving the order.


    >SHIIIIIII<


    The Hobgoblin Warriors, Archers, and Tankers all appeared at once, disying a total number of over four thousand.


    [SYSTEM ALERT!]


    <Danger!> <Danger!!>


    Two danger signs¡­ that didn¡¯t spell a good sign. While I was confident I could still emerge victoriously, I decided it wasn¡¯t worth the risk to push myself to the limit. There was no profit in being so exhausted in the morning


    ¡°<Recall>¡± I muttered.


    Instantly, a great deal of the Demons vanished, halving their numbers.


    The group before me was now a little over two thousand. Of course, they were a mix of Warriors, Tankers, and Archers, since two thousand Warriors would still be an annoying group to battle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± I grinned.<sub>.</sub>


    Tankers had high physical resistance, so my w attacks and spikes wouldn¡¯t be too effective on them.


    ¡°Welp, I suppose it¡¯s about time¡­¡± My thoughts trailed.


    I had gotten enough exercise anyway. It was time to subdue the Demons with full force. A wide smile formed on my face as I was giddy with excitement.


    ¡°GRAWWWKKIIIIKKK!!!¡± The annoyed Demons all cried angrily at me.


    Using my heightened speed, I dashed backward and created arge distance between us.


    ¡°<Camouge>.¡± I grinned.


    As soon as I activated this Skill, I summoned a few hundred Demon Cores and exploded them amid the Hobgoblins. In a sh, the Demons began perishing one after the other.


    Thanks to my <Camouge> Skill and the smoke caused by the st, the Demons couldn¡¯t navigate their way to find me and perished within the smoke.


    Some grew desperate and beganunching their projectiles at random locations. Some flew at me but were easily bounced off due to the defense I had in ce.


    ¡®I should go for that chain reaction again¡­¡¯ I reasoned with a pure evil grin.


    However, the party wasn¡¯t so much fun with only so few attending. I decided to summon even more Hobgoblins, leaving only a few reserves to keep for somethingter.


    With more of their forces appearing, the Hobgoblins appeared more confident of their victory.<sub></sub>


    ¡°GARARAAAAKKKK!!!¡± They cried into the air.


    Unfortunately, their voices were cut short by the glowing rocks that shone ever so brightly underneath them.


    Their attention went to the Demon Cores that illuminated the ground full of evaporating blood. Before they figured out the meaning behind the glow that increased rapidly, an eruption followed


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    Sparks of devastating explosions urred without end. Other than a few hundred Demon Cores I had already stored for myselfter, the rest blew up in session, killing the Demons as I merely watched.


    I didn¡¯t even need to lift a finger or summon any weapon to subjugate these monsters. The higher ranked a Demon was, the better the quality of the Demon Core they dropped. The higher the quality, the more powerful any st caused by them would be.


    Using the Hobgoblin (Warrior) Demon Cores to initiate massive eruptions was far more effective than any I had seen in the past. Their high stats were not for nothing.


    [You Have Leveled Up] Icons filled my line of sight as I grinned andughed, enjoying the fireworks that exploded before me.


    A st, two sts, multiple sts. Deaths resulted in even more deaths that it was pointless to count how many died. It all happened so very quickly that I didn¡¯t have to grow bored before all the Demons were exterminated.


    ¡°Haaaa¡­ so this is the end, uh? I muttered, watching the devastated ins.<sub></sub>


    Charred remains of the explosions scorched the ground for a long distance and no trace of the dead Demons or even their ws was left behind. They had all been consumed by the great destruction.


    ¡°Welp¡­ that was fun,¡± Imented, crashing on my butt to rest.


    My body ached slightly from exerting myself so quickly, butpared to yesterday it was really nothing.


    In no time, the lingering exhaustion would leave. Lying t on the ground as I faced the sky, I gave a satisfied sigh. What a great day this was, for my morning to begin in such a way. And so, after staying in that single position for a few minutes, my energy was restored.


    Not only that, but the aches I felt had also vanished. I raised my body and sat upright. There was something that kept popping up, disturbing my little rest, so I decided to finally check it out.


    Eyeing the system panel from the corner of my eye, I saw the golden window automatically move to the center of my eyes where I could see it more clearly.


    [System Notification]


    ~You Have Exceeded The Required Level~


    Rewards Will Be Given!


    <Will you ept The Rewards?>


    [Yes][No]


    I didn¡¯t even waste any time contemting. Who would do such a thing when a reward being given by the system itself was guaranteed.


    ¡°Heck yeah!¡±


    [System Notification]


    <You Have epted Your Rewards>


    ~ Secondary Job Can Now Be Selected~


    <You May Select At Your Convenience>


    [.]


    My eyes widened in excitement. This was incredible! Having a Primary Job had given me so many benefits! I couldn¡¯t wait to see what a Secondary Job would do.


    Still, since I could select it anytime I wanted, I decided to put it off for now and check my other rewards.


    [Additional Rewards]


    ~10 Skill Slots Have Been Awarded~


    ~1,000 Karma Points Have Been Awarded~


    [.]


    My face twitched in excitement and I could feel my heart racing as soon as I saw this. Incredible didn¡¯t even begin to describe how I was currently feeling.


    I had been steadily racking up Karma Points for so long, and I was at barely 900 after even thisst match, yet 1,000 were just given to me. It was unbelievable.


    Not only that, but I was given 10 more Skill Slots! So far I had only obtained 15, but to think 10 would fall on myps like this¡­


    ¡°Well, considering I wasn¡¯t supposed to have achieved this much so soon I guess this reward is appropriate¡­¡±


    I had achieved something that wasn¡¯t supposed to exist at this point in time. Not to sound conceited, but I was probably the only Gifted to havee this far¡­ my Level that is¡­


    [Status Information]


    Name: Jeremy Lewis


    Level: 211EXP: 11.52%


    [.]


    [.]


    [.]

 Chapter 154 Collecting Points

    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 211 ¨C Exp: 11.52%


    ¨C Race: Human


    [JOB]


    (Primary Job) Thief


    (Secondly Job):


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡å 3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    ¨C Karma Points: 1,900<sub>.</sub>


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 1,050


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 10,650/10,650


    ¨C MP: 2,776/2,776


    ¨C Strength: 2,160 (20)


    ¨C Agility: 10,850 (12)


    ¨C Vitality: 10,650 (30)


    ¨C Intelligence: 32,150 (510)


    ¨C (G) Factor: 60


    ¨C Gift: [Subspace]


    ¨C Items Equipped: None<sub></sub>


    ¨C Allies: None


    [Additional Information]


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    [End Of Information]


    Looking through my new Status Window, a satisfied smile yed across my face. All my Stats appeared to have doubled. Also noticing the brackets beside my Stats, I realized those must have been the stolen Stats I had taken from others. They weren¡¯t muchpared to my base Stats, but they were still a good addition.


    I noticed I had taken quite a great deal of intelligence. That seemed quite amusing to me, considering my Intelligence Stat stuck out like a sore thumb out of everything else in my Status Window.


    ¡°Welp, it doesn¡¯t hurt to grow smarter¡­¡± I grinned.


    In such a cruel, unpredictable world, sometimes intelligence yed a greater part than actual strength. That didn¡¯t mean strength was useless, though. It was good to have both, like me.


    The already wide grin on my face grew evenrger the moment I focused my gaze on a particrly troublesome item on my Status Window that had stubbornly refused to make any changes for some time now.


    [.]


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 1,050<sub></sub>


    [.]


    My eyes bulged, realizing my experiment was a sess! The (G) Karma Points that had stubbornly stagnated at 100 had now risen by a whopping 950 points, giving me the current number.


    ¡°Amazing¡­ my first theory has been proven then!¡± I beamed.


    As for what I meant by theory and experiments, it was quite something. To understand my line of reasoning one would have to trail back to my final moments at the Apartment.


    I had first noticed after waking up on the ground floor of the apartment. The Boss had just been killed and I also pushed Paul down the pit to experience the same fate.


    Due to my exhaustion, I copsed and had a short nap. By the time I woke up and had the opportunity to check my Status Window, my Levels, Stats¡­ as well as (G) Karma Points had all risen. Though my (G) Factor was reduced for some reason, I was surprised that the (G) Karma Points that I had no idea how to obtain had increased a great deal.


    It was previously 5, but at that moment it had be 200!


    It was still a mystery how that had urred since I knew for a fact that killing monsters, no matter how many, never added a speck to the (G) Karma Points.


    Since I had desperately tried all I could to obtain them, I knew that much! To upgrade [Subspace], they (G) Karma Points were needed. They were the only way to increase the power of my Gift.


    I used a hundred of the points to increase the [Subspace] Rank from E to D. This reduced a huge chunk of 100 Points from my (G) Karma Points, but it was necessary. With only 100 Points left, I checked the system for how many Points I would need to upgrade [Subspace] again.


    I was met with an exorbitant amount!


    [System Error]


    ~You do not have enough (G) Karma Points To Edit Rank~


    [(G) Karma Points Required For Rank Up Are 1,000]


    ~You Possess Only 100 (G) Karma Points~


    This disparity reminded me of the first time I tried to upgrade [Subspace] and the amount I needed was a mere 5 Points. The system now demanded a thousand points!


    ¡°Where am I supposed to find that?!¡± I remembered screaming in utter confusion.


    However, being flustered and frustrated wouldn¡¯t solve my problems. I had to figure out the root and cause behind the (G) Karma Points. This was absolutely necessary since my Gift was my ultimate means of survival in the Apocalypse.


    After thinking hard about the reason my Points increased, I could only narrow things down to two possibilities.


    First was the fact that I had defeated a Boss and closed a Gate, something I had never done before! If that was the case, then it would make sense that the System would reward me with something special.


    The second was the fact that I caused the death of Paul. It was probable that killing a Gifted, or causing their death would earn me (G) Karma Points.


    The second option seemed less believable than the first, especially considering the fact that I wasn¡¯t even sure Paul had died. However, something within me resonated with the idea as well as the first.


    A third theory sprang up and I contemted that maybe it could be both.


    Without any proof for my theories, I needed a way to figure out the workings of (G) Karma Point allotments, and to do that¡­ I needed Gifteds.


    When I saw Ana¡¯s team, I knew they were godsends. I could have tested my theory back then and allowed the Ogre to kill them, but doing so would be a waste.


    I reasoned that they most likely belonged to a Camp and that I was bound to find even more test subjects if I stuck with them. That decision paid off!


    I was introduced to a whole nest teeming with test subjects! It was so exciting that I felt my skin tingle. After spending some time with Charles and discovering the Status Windows of others, though, I began finding holes in my theory concerning the death of a Gifted.


    For starters, no other Gifted had the (G) Effects I possessed, making me wonder if they could generate Points if they died.


    Secondly, Larry was one who had killed and caused the death of Gifteds in the past, yet he also didn¡¯t have the (G) Karma Points, causing me to wonder if their deaths would really produce (G) Karma Points.


    Still, I was desperate and couldn¡¯t entirely disprove the theory until I was satisfied with the results of an experiment!


    I was happy with the existence of a Horde approaching since it meant a Gate appearing somewhere. I would be able to prove my first theory that way. Also, since a bunch of Gifteds would die in their fight against the Demons, my second theory was also going to be proved or disproved, whichever was the case.


    Though I hadn¡¯t yet encountered the boss, I ensured the death of a couple of Gifteds by the hands of Demons. And the result?


    I got myself a bunch of (G) Karma Points!

 Chapter 155 Jeremys Grand Plan

    ¡°It¡¯s just perfect!¡± I beamed.


    Not only had my first theory been proven right, but I also got a load of (G) Karma Points as returns. What more could I ask for?


    ¡®With this much¡­ I should be able to upgrade [Subspace] to Rank C!¡¯


    Doing that would provide me with more features and abilities. The mere thought of it made me throb in excitement. I could barely hide the overwhelming expectations welling up within me.


    It felt strange that I felt little to no remorse for those who had died. If anyone heard of what I had done to achieve my goals, they wouldbel me as a wicked being. After all, it may have been indirect, but I had practically sent those Gifteds to their deaths.


    While the deaths of the Camp¡¯s Subjugation team members couldn¡¯t really be med on me, the deserters that I had captured using [Subspace] were forced to fight Demons by me.<sub>.</sub>


    I had caused their deaths!


    However, was it really as simple as that? Looking at things objectively, they were bound to die eventually. Larry was taking them to their ughter and if I had done nothing, the fools would have be nothing but EXP for ¡®Evil¡¯ Aligned Gifteds.


    ¡°In a way, I gave them a chance for survival, didn¡¯t I?¡± My lips curled in a twisted smile as I tried justifying my actions.


    Not only were the Hobgoblins severely weakened after my battle with them, but they had also sustained injuries that made them too slow to pose a major threat to the Gifteds if they used their head a little.


    Instead, they ran away and caused their very deaths. Not only did they die, but they also left a mess for me to clear. I had to take care of that stampede thanks to their futile struggles.<sub></sub>


    ¡®Good grief¡­ if they didn¡¯t want to fight, they should have just died without causing me any trouble¡­¡¯ I sighed.


    Well¡­ even if they had survived the Hobgoblins¡¯ assaults, I was determined to keep summoning monsters until some died to prove my theory. It was only a matter of time.


    I would have liked it if they leveled up more, though. That way, if they died, just as was the case of EXP, more (G) Karma Points would have probably been given to me.


    In any case, I couldn¡¯tin. I got what I wanted, didn¡¯t I? Still¡­ it wasn¡¯t enough!


    ¡°I want more (G) Karma Points!¡±<sub></sub>


    I hadn¡¯t tested my second theory yet, but in the likelihood that it failed, I had a backup n in store, which would be the Camp members.


    This Subjugation was just an excuse to gather points. In a way, (G) Karma Points were more valuable than EXP for Level Ups since I could always obtain those. This was a rare chance to rack up as much as I could!


    ¡°Hehe¡­He-he-he¡­¡± I chuckled to myself, wondering to myself how much my mind had changed from the scared, silly one I had in the past.


    I was thinking of sacrificing human lives for my goals, but I didn¡¯t feel they weighed much. Sooner orter, they would die. I was just ensuring they died for a good cause.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t entirely heartless. People like Ana, Lily, and Peter were among those I didn¡¯t want to encounter any harm. Somehow, they had managed to worm their way into my heart and I somehow cherished them.


    I had initially wanted to use them as a start in my experiment but changed my mind after some time. They showed me a lot of things I hadn¡¯t experienced before, and while I still thought of their group as pretty stupid and naive¡­ I¡­ didn¡¯t want them to die.


    ¡®I wonder how they would feel¡­ if they learned of what I have been up to¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed.


    The thought alone made me skip a beat. They definitely wouldn¡¯t approve, so I had to make sure I was extra careful.


    ¡°I¡¯m not evil¡­ I¡¯m not a bad person¡­¡± I whispered as the tiny vestiges of my conscience pricked me, reminding me of the little notion of morality lurking somewhere within me.


    The System itself registered my Alignment as ¡®Neutral¡¯, so I certainly wasn¡¯t doing anything bad from an objective standpoint. It was only morality and societal standards that thought of my actions as perverse.


    These were merely excuses I came up with, though. Deep within¡­ I knew why my Alignment hadn¡¯t turned ¡®Evil¡¯ even though it would have changed already by normal standards.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t killed anyone yet¡­¡±


    As the words escaped my lips, I clearly remembered the criteria for attaining an ¡®Evil¡¯ Alignment. People like Larry who had taken the lives of others were granted this alignment, and while I had certainly caused the deaths of quite an amount of humans¡­ I had not done so directly!


    No matter what anyone said, their blood was not on my hands. That was the only saving grace I had in this situation. By effectively using monsters to do my dirty work¡­ I evaded the penalty of taking a life, while also reaping the rewards. It was a loophole I could only achieve because of my Gift, Skills, and high level of intelligence.


    The reason I hadn¡¯t just massacred everyone in the Camp for (G) Karma Points and EXP was due to this very same reason. Charles had taken it for weakness, but it wasn¡¯t anything like that.


    It would just be inconvenient¡­ if I became branded with an ¡®Evil¡¯ Alignment. I had to avoid it¡­ at all cost!


    ¡°Whew, that¡¯s some thinking I¡¯ve been doing!¡± I smiled, covering my eyes for a moment.


    It was good to take a break every once in a while to consider a few things. Only then would one be able to figure out more hidden truths and decipher events to exploit the most of situations.


    As inhaled and exhaled slowly, I ruminated on a bunch of things I still had to do.

 Chapter 156 Upgrade

    For one, I had gotten a method to umte (G) Karma Points. Secondly, I could finally upgrade my Gift and be way stronger. Thirdly, I could obtain a Secondary Job now.


    Also, since I had more Skill Slots now, I could learn a few of the Hobgoblin (Warrior) Skills, if it had anything decent. If not, I would save the Slots for the Boss.


    ¡®Welp, I shouldn¡¯t be too stingy about Skill Slots!¡¯


    After all, the first thing to consider was always survival. There would be no long run if I died abruptly as a result of not being powerful enough.


    There were also other factors to consider, like my increased Karma Points, as well as the other prospects I had in the works, but for now¡­ these four would be my focus


    ¡®It¡¯s time to be stronger!¡¯ I beamed excitedly.


    *********************************


    The first item on my list of priorities was, of course, upgrading the Rank of my Gift. It was something I had been looking forward to for a long time now, so of course, it woulde first.


    Opening the Gift Window, I read through the information with glee.


    [SubSpace Edit]


    ¨C Current Rank: D <Change Rank><sub>.</sub>


    ¨C Current Level: 1 <Change Level>


    ¨C Total Amount Of Slots: 250


    <Cost For Edit are (G) Karma Points>


    [Current (G) Karma Points In Possession: 1,050]


    I was familiar with this quite well. It never ceased to amaze me that one could edit their Gifts this way. So far, even with my memories from the Sacred Hall, I knew of no one who could do this!


    Could I be a chosen one? Was it a glitch in the system? I was resolved to find out sooner orter, but I was presently concerned with survival. It was useless focusing on things beyond my control and neglect opportunities right in front of me.


    I knew the reason for my unique condition had something to do with the God entity I spent time with. He was always so suspicious, no, the whole thing was.


    The fact that I was the only one who ¡®conveniently¡¯ slept through Christmas. The fact that there was only one Gift left behind and he chose to withhold it until a deal of time had psed before giving it to me. The fact that the underrated Gift he gave me ended up being this useful.


    ¡®Surely, if he¡¯s God and the original owner of the [Subspace] Gift, he should know how it works and the huge potential it has¡­¡¯


    The more I thought if it, the more confused I got since I could not arrive at a reasonable conclusion. Giving up o the matter, my mind returned to the task at hand.<sub></sub>


    With a giddy heart, I tapped on the <Change Rank> are of the Edit Window.


    [System Alert]


    ~Confirm! Are You Sure You Want To Upgrade The Rank Of Your Gift?~


    [Yes][No]


    ¡®Sheesh¡­¡¯ I rolled my eyes.


    Why else would I be doing this if I wasn¡¯t? Why would I sacrifice human lives if I was not certain? Sometimes I wondered about who designed such a system and what made them bother about asking such useless questions!


    I tapped [Yes] and waited for the next notification. It popped up immediately, as expected.


    [System Update]


    ~Subspace Has Ranked Up~


    [Rank Has Increased From D ¨C C]<sub></sub>


    [Previous abilities have been upgraded]


    [Additional Slots have been added]


    [Additional Ability has been added]


    ~You Have Used Up 1,000 (G) Karma Points~


    ~50 (G) Karma Points Remain~


    [See More]


    I grinned. It was sessful! I had lost quite a great deal, and I was certain the next cost for an upgrade would be more unbelievable. But, what else could I have done?


    The rewards were sure to be worth it!


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got!¡± I smiled, tapped the [See More] icon, and watched the panel change.


    [SUBSPACE]


    Rank: C


    Level: 1


    Ability: Stores ¡®Anything¡¯ within a personal pocket dimension (Rank D ¨C C)


    Total Amount Of Slots: 1,000


    Additional Ability:


    ~ Items Stored Within [Subspace] Remain In Suspended States (Rank E)


    ~ Items Can Be Summoned Over An Unlimited Distance, As Far As The Eye Can See. (Rank D)


    ~ Any Item (Non-Living) Can Be Taken Into [Subspace] Without The Need For Physical Contact. (Rank C)


    ~ Non-Physical Items (Non-Living) Can Be Registered By, And Taken Into [Subspace]. (Rank C)


    <Edit>


    [Additional Information]


    A Gift that stores any ¡®Any¡¯ matter inpact slots located in a distinct pocket universe. The matter stored within this space can be retracted by choice. The size and additional capabilities increase upon growth.


    [End Of Information]


    My jaws nearly dropped as I read the information. No, they definitely did. I could feel saliva drip down my mouth as I drooled at the unbelievable amount of growth I had made in such a short span of time.


    There was no doubt about it. My 1,000 (G) Karma Points had been spent wisely.


    All those humans definitely died for something great! If I had received just one extra feature, I would have felt a little mad, but not only did I receive two new abilities, [Subspace] could now take in ¡®Anything¡¯. The fact that it was qualified meant it could be more than even I bargained for.


    I didn¡¯t even need physical contact for non-living objects. That was extremely impressive. It would have been too OP if it applies to Living Objects. If that was the case, then handling Demons would prove to be too easy! I could just handle them the same way I took care of the stampede, except with much ease.


    ¡®That would be enough for it to be called a cheat!¡¯


    No, if I was being honest, the [Subspace] Gift was a cheat all by itself already. I had 1,000 Slots now. A massive leap from just 250. This all felt like a dream. It was so overwhelming!


    However, when I considered what I had to sacrifice, I realized it was most definitely worth it.


    Even though I still had no idea why the System required human lives for (G) Karma Point, or how exactly it was evaluated, human life didn¡¯te cheap.


    ¡®Cheap, uh¡­ hold on¡­¡¯ My eyes bulged as a thought suddenly sparked in my head.


    It was something I had never even considered before, but now that it appeared, I couldn¡¯t dismiss the thought.


    ¡°This is¡­!¡±

 Chapter 157 Selecting A Secondary Job

    ¡°Hold on¡­ this makes no sense¡­¡± Words leaked out of my lips as I remembered something very important.


    The notion that human life wasn¡¯t cheap rang true in my mind. However, not every life was equal. Even in modern society, humans weren¡¯t equal.


    Being weighed by the scales of society, certain humans would always gain the upper hand and be regarded as superior. That simple concept hadn¡¯t changed yet.


    The only difference was the method of allocating worth. The System did it using EXP and Levels.


    ¡®The higher a person¡¯s level is, the more they are worth¡­¡¯ I reasoned.


    Evil Aligned Gifteds were most familiar with this since there was a vast difference in EXP when they killed two Gifteds with different Levels. In a way, it was no different from measuring the worth of Demons.


    My point? If this applied to EXP, then surely the same had to be said for my (G) Karma Points.


    Of the forty Subjugation team members who had died, twenty-four of them were killed by the Demons during the second raid when I wasn¡¯t present. As a result, I got no (G) Karma Points for it. Adding the number of deserters who died due to my experiment, a total of 43 should have produced (G) Karma Points for me.


    I got 950 Points.


    I had no way to know how these points were allocated. However, there was one thing I couldn¡¯t forget. After the whole incident in the apartment ended, I was given 195 Karma Points.<sub>.</sub>


    If I was to judge the worth of Paul¡¯s life, he was merely a Level 1. He couldn¡¯t have been worth that huge amount of (G) Karma Points.


    Using this line of reasoning, two thoughts came to mind. One was that Paul wasn¡¯t necessarily dead, since he couldn¡¯t have produced that huge amount of points just by himself.


    The second was more realistic. Paul had died, but his death wasn¡¯t the only cause for the points I received. If I was right, that meant.


    ¨C


    ¡°The Boss¡­ the Gate¡­ It¡¯s not just a theory!¡± I beamed.


    I could actually gain (G) Karma Points by closing Gates, otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t make sense that I was awarded such a high amount of (G) Karma Points just for the death of a Level 1.


    ¡®Whew¡­ I feel much better¡­¡¯ My mind felt clearer, as though a fog had been lifted.


    Having what bothered me out of the way, I proceeded to the second thing on my list.


    Normally, it would be selecting a Secondary Job, but I decided to leave that forst since I needed to take more time to deliberate on what I wanted.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Let¡¯s check out the Skills of the Hobgoblin (Warrior)¡­¡±


    After observing the Demon Core, as well as its properties, I discovered three major Skills the Hobgoblin had.


    However, of those three, one was <w Bullet>, which wasn¡¯t very useful for me. I ignored it.


    The second was <re>. Since I was curious about it, I decided to learn it. Apparently, this Skill caused a debuff to whoever made eye contact with its user. The only reason the Skill didn¡¯t work on me was that my Level was too high, so I resisted it.


    I didn¡¯t consider the Skill too useful, though, since I wouldn¡¯t have the time to make eye contact with all my enemies once engaged inbat. Still, it wasn¡¯t entirely worthless, so I decided to upgrade it to the max.


    The final Skill, which I considered the most useful, was <Muscrity>. This doubled the strength of its user for a short period. Strength was my weakest Stat. If I could double it, it was guaranteed to make me way more powerful.


    It also made sense that the Hobgoblin Warrior had this since I remembered how much their blows hurt.


    In conclusion, I learned two extra Skills, bringing my total amount of Skills learned to 17, with 8 more Slots to spare.


    ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s do this!¡± I beamed in satisfaction.<sub></sub>


    My efforts weren¡¯t entirely in vain!


    The final piece I had to engage in for now, also considered the most important at the moment, was choosing my secondary Job.


    ¡°Status Window,¡± I muttered, and the golden screen shone on my face.


    My eyes automatically trailed to my Job icon.


    [.]


    [JOB]


    (Primary Job) Thief


    (Secondly Job):


    [.]


    A lump formed on my throat and I felt my skin itch. This was another life-changing moment, so it was only natural that I would be nervous. Deciding not to waste any more time, I took the bold step of tapping the


    icon.


    [CURRENT JOB INFORMATION]


    Primary Job: Thief


    Secondary Job: <In Progress>


    [Secondary Job List]


    ~Please Select Your Secondary Job~


    <Duelist>


    ¨C The Thief whose specialty is based onbat. With quick movements and advancedbat prowess, a Duelistbines a Thief¡¯s existing Skills and new ones to better suit their lust for danger and carnage.


    <Assassin>


    ¨C One with the ways of stealth and precision. An assassin can not be easily deciphered, and their mastery over their weapons is top-tier. With increased agility and weapon mastery, they are unparalleled in sneak attacks.


    <Vagabond>


    ¨C A collector of items and one who refuses to stay in a particr position for too long. Having great sensory perception, unimaginable fortitude, and a deep well of endurance, the Vagabond endures even the harshest of circumstances. Their persistence and indomitability make them extremely deadly


    <Ninja>


    ¨C One with darkness, and the practitioner of the arts of shadows. Combining pure intellect and stealth, the Ninja develops countless techniques and uses ¡®ninjutsu¡¯ topletely outsmart and overwhelm the enemies. Supernatural abilities and deadly strikes are a Ninja¡¯s way


    <Recluse>


    ¨C Contrary to the Vagabond, a recluse prefers familiar territory. Able to detect enemies encroaching on your territory and defending it is the hallmark of a Recluse. Possessing both high sensory perception, intelligence, and control over their surrounding, they are able topletely ovee opponents on familiar ground.


    <Trickster>


    ¨C The ways of a Trickster are sneaky and conniving, and what better way to do that than fooling both enemies and allies? Using extreme sharpness of mind, deduction, and tricks, the Trickster is all about fighting dirty! A versatile field, full of shamelessness and dishonor. Who dares walk this path?


    ~More Information Will Be Avable For The Job Selected~


    [Please Select Your Job]

 Chapter 158 Conflicted Choice

    ~Please Select Your Secondary Job~


    <Duelist>


    ¨C The Thief whose specialty is based onbat. With quick movements and advancedbat prowess, a Duelistbines a Thief¡¯s existing Skills and new ones to better suit their lust for danger and carnage.


    <Assassin>


    ¨C One with the ways of stealth and precision. An assassin can not be easily deciphered, and their mastery over their weapons is top-tier. With increased agility and weapon mastery, they are unparalleled in sneak attacks.


    <Vagabond>


    ¨C A collector of items and one who refuses to stay in a particr position for too long. Having great sensory perception, unimaginable fortitude, and a deep well of endurance, the Vagabond endures even the harshest of circumstances. Their persistence and indomitability make them extremely deadly


    <Ninja>


    ¨C One with darkness, and the practitioner of the arts of shadows. Combining pure intellect and stealth, the Ninja develops countless techniques and uses ¡®ninjutsu¡¯ topletely outsmart and overwhelm the enemies. Supernatural abilities and deadly strikes are a Ninja¡¯s way


    <Recluse>


    ¨C Contrary to the Vagabond, a recluse prefers familiar territory. Able to detect enemies encroaching on your territory and defending it is the hallmark of a Recluse. Possessing both high sensory perception, intelligence, Nd control over their surrounding, they are able topletely ovee opponents on familiar ground.<sub>.</sub>


    <Trickster>


    ¨C The ways of a Trickster are sneaky and conniving, and what better way to do that than fooling both enemies and allies? Using extreme sharpness of mind, deduction, and tricks, the Trickster is all about fighting dirty! A versatile field, full of shamelessness and dishonor. Who dares walk this path?


    ~More Information Will Be Avable For The Job Selected~


    [Please Select Your Job]


    Conflicted didn¡¯t begin to exin the emotion I felt as I gazed upon the list, rereading it for what seemed like a billion times.


    A wave of indecisiveness enveloped me as I felt a pressure I couldn¡¯t exin. These Secondary Jobs were all good. I could think of a few that suited me perfectly. Unfortunately, I could only pick one!


    Of course, from my memories of the Sacred Hall, I knew I would get the opportunity to select another Secondary Job down the line and could stack up their effects, but that wasn¡¯t anytime soon. I needed something I could use now.


    They all had their advantages and disadvantages. If I had to pick, I would either go for Assassin or Ninja, since they relied heavily on stealth, an element I really wanted. However, how certain was I that other Jobs didn¡¯t have those?


    I could also unlock <Stealth> or a simr Skillter on if my Primary Job ranked up. There was no need to pick something based on that choice alone.


    ¡°This is a little difficult¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    Biting my nails, I scanned through the panel once more. <Duelist> was a good idea forbat, but it wasn¡¯t like I wanted to always fight my foes head-on. If there were more convenient means, I would go for that.


    For example, my Mana Core Bombs!


    <Recluse> seemed incredibly useful, but I didn¡¯t have enough information concerning it. What were the conditions needed for establishing what could be called a ¡®territory¡¯? Was it something like a permanent residence with only a limited amount allowed? If so, that wouldn¡¯t work for me since I would be on the move for most of my time in the Apocalypse.


    Using this logic, I could go for <Vagabond> which seemed like a good choice for a traveler. I was most likely going to get extra [Subspace] Slots and some useful stuff for traveling and encountering enemies. But, it didn¡¯t exactly seem to satisfy me.


    ¡®I have enough Slots for now, anyway¡­¡¯ I muttered, biting my nails harder.


    After looking through the list, my eyes kept returning to the same ce, but I was skeptical about it.


    <Trickster>¡­ it was oddly resonating with me.


    I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that out of all the options presented, this particr Secondary Job described me best. However, it was because of this I was being extra cautious in considering this.


    Its descriptions were too vague, and I saw no realbat merit in it. It relied heavily on tricks, but there was only so much mere tricks could do when facing an overwhelming enemy. I needed a game-changing ability.


    ¡°Should I go for <Assasin> or <Ninja>, then?¡± I whispered, raising my wobbly hands to select my choice.<sub></sub>


    Somehow, hesitation seemed to grab my arms, causing them to go numb. I was wavering seriously. My eyes kept moving to the <Trickster> Job.


    ¡®Tch¡­ I should just get this over with!¡¯


    Steeling myself for what woulde next, my fingers changed direction and descended to pick the <Trickster> Job that seemed to call for me.


    I could just select another Secondary Jobter on, anyway. There was no need to be so indecisive about things. I was never going to decide on anything if I kept myself from taking risks.


    A ringing sound echoed in my head as soon as I made my choice.


    [System Notification]


    <You Have Selected Your Job>


    ~ Current Job (Primary): <Thief>


    ~ Current Job (Secondary): <Trickster>


    [Congrattions]


    ~ You Have Gained Additional Benefits ~


    [See More]


    I hurriedly tapped the [See More] Panel to check out what I got.


    [System Notification]


    ~Your Primary Job <Thief> Has Increased In Rank~


    ~You Have Obtained Extra Skill Slots~


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    ~Secondary Job Title <Trickster> Will Be Recorded In Your Status Window~


    [You Have Gotten 3 New Skills]


    ~ Skill 1:


    There are 25 Arcanas In Tarot Cards. Manifesting The Ability Of These Cards Into Reality Is The Specialty Of A Trickster. Random Cards Are Chosen And Their Effects Will Manifest Without Fail. (1 Card Ability Per Day)


    ~ Skill 2: <Magician>


    [Active] MP is doubled when activated. (1 Hour Per Day)


    [Passive] MP consumption is significantly lessened once it falls below 30 percent (50 Percent Off)


    ~ Skill 3: <Dirty y>


    [Active] Random items are summoned that render negative status effects to your opponent. The objects and their effects are random and have various uses. (Maximum uses: 3 Times Per Day)


    <Secondary Job (Trickster): Level 1>


    [You Have Leveled Up]

 Chapter 159 The Trickster

    Okay, now this was just ridiculous!


    How was this anything befitting a ¡®Thief¡¯? The Skills I got resembled something a Mage or something would have. How could I, as a Thief be getting magic-rted Skills?


    Still, I couldn¡¯tin since their effects were pretty decent. Not only did I receive an MP boost, but I also had random effects that were bound to help me in a pinch. The only problem was the unpredictability of the situation.


    I didn¡¯t like the fact that I was kept in the dark about things. In any case, I would need to thoroughly research all I had gotten.


    The new abilities of [Subspace].


    My new Skills, gotten from both the Demon Cores as well as my new Secondary Job.


    There was so much to do, so little time.


    I saw that my <Thief> Job had also Leveled Up, so that meant an additional Skill I wasn¡¯t aware of.


    ¡°Skill Slot.¡± I voiced out.


    The System responded promptly and disyed its golden window, as usual.


    [SKILLS]


    * Slot 1 ¨C <w Attack>


    * Slot 2 ¨C <Spike Attack>


    * Slot 3 ¨C <Venomous Spikes>


    * Slot 4 ¨C <Steal>


    * Slot 5 ¨C <Recall><sub>.</sub>


    * Slot 6 ¨C <Summon>


    * Slot 7 ¨C <Roar>


    * Slot 8 ¨C <Rule>


    * Slot 9 ¨C <Spike Skin>


    * Slot 10 ¨C <Aura>


    * Slot 11 ¨C <Mine Alone>


    * Slot 12 ¨C <Nimble>


    * Slot 13 ¨C <Camouge>


    * Slot 14 ¨C <Coordination>


    * Slot 15 ¨C <Iron Skin>


    * Slot 16 ¨C <re>


    * Slot 17 ¨C <Muscrity>


    * Slot 18 ¨C


    * Slot 19 ¨C <Magician>


    * Slot 20 ¨C <Dirty y><sub></sub>


    * Slot 21 ¨C <Sneak>


    * Slot 22 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 23 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 25 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 26 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 27 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 28 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 29 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 30 ¨C <Empty>


    [End Of Information]


    My lips curled up in satisfaction as I noticed thest Skill surface under the rest. Determined to find out more about it, I tapped on the Skill for more information.


    [Skill Information]


    <Sneak>


    Grade: 3 (Upgradable)


    Level:1 (Upgradable)<sub></sub>


    [Description]


    The hallmark of a Thief is Stealth. The Ability to move unnoticed for a set period of time is guaranteed. As long as the user is in motion, no one will be able to sense his presence!


    [Currently Unactivated]


    Skill Duration: 30 Minutes


    Skill Cooldown: 5 Hours


    [End Of Information]


    It was an amazing thing, indeed. I was grateful that I didn¡¯t choose <Assasin> or <Ninja> die to the tempting stealth abilities they promised.


    Using <Sneak> and <Camouge> at the same time guaranteed non-detection whether or not I was in motion. It was perfect!


    I had 9 Extra Skill Slots, giving me a wide range of choices and opportunities to get stronger. Somehow, I felt a giddy feeling of excitement well up within me. Unrest permeated my body, forcing me to jerk up in a rapid motion.


    ¡°Alright! That¡¯s enough of that!¡± I smiled.


    With my feet on the ground, and my body upright, I looked around me and realized that quite a great deal of time had passed. ¡°It¡¯s practically noon now¡­ wow,¡± I said under my breath.


    My mind trailed to the Hobgoblin in their nest, and how many would currently be upying the fenced territory. Their numbers had drastically fallen, but that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t regaining their numbers.


    ¡°I should use this opportunity to kill two birds with one stone!¡±


    I would get the chance to test out my new Skills and reduce their numbers even more. However, the first priority would be to figure out [Subspace]¡¯s new feature.


    It would be foolish if I didn¡¯t test it out at least once, especially since there were no demerits in doing so.


    Unlike my other Skills that had a cooldown, [Subspace] wasn¡¯t restricted. I also had enough Slots and could easily dump out anything I took. Learning more about my new level of power was important in strategizing for the future.


    ¡°My current Level is 212 since I leveled up after obtaining a Secondary Skill. I have way more Skills and abilities than I did a few hours ago.¡±


    It was time to see how far I hade.


    ***********************************


    The colorful ne showed itself once again, and the council of white beings floated in an orderly, endless spiral.


    Their eyes, if they had any, were all on a particr one in the middle. Apparently, they had heard all he had to say, and it was time.to render judgment on the one who had chosen to break the rules and betray the code all the Supreme Beings abided by.


    ¡°The Celestial Statute has been breached, and as such you must be punished in ordance with thews written therein.¡±


    They were all supreme, gods in their own worlds. However, as a collective, there was one thing that bound them all¡­ the CelestiaL Statute. It was a multiversalw that even gods were subject to.


    When and how such aw came to be was something that couldn¡¯t be discussed at the moment. The only thing that mattered currently was a dispensation of appropriate measures against the offending party.


    ¡°You will face <Integration>. The Order is certain Supreme Being A-67 understands that.¡±


    The white being who was addressed remained silent, resigned to his fate. What more could he do against such insurmountable pressure? However, he hadn¡¯t let go of his amused feelings. No matter what they did now, the die had been cast. It was only a matter of time before the ripples of distortions spread and corrupted everything the Supreme Beings had under their grasp.


    ¡°Since you have no more words to utter, <Integration> shallmence.¡±


    Suddenly, a rainbow panel, depicting various glowing colors appeared above everyone, instantly overshadowing the image of the one called Jeremy Lewis.


    [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]


    ~Confirm! Are You Sure You Want To Resort To <Integration>?~


    [Yes][No]


    The Supreme Beings who saw this system gave abined sigh, somewhat sick of a pointless question. If they weren¡¯t certain, why would they have chosen such an extreme method in the first ce?


    ¡°YES!¡± All the infinite Supreme Beings said in unison.


    Instantly, the system responded with a ping and it glowed brighter, changing what it had disyed just a moment ago.


    [SYSTEM NOTICE]


    ~<Integration> Shall Commence Soon~


    >SHIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG<


    A bright light enveloped the white being in the center. The bright light covered the being entirely, turning into shes of different colors. Gold, silver, red, blue, multiple balls and sparks flew in all directions as the white being began to dissolve into particles of light.


    Once again smiling, what seemed to be the being¡¯s lips moved and uttered some words to the others who watched.


    It was faint, barely audible¡­ but the infinite beings could all hear what he said.


    It was what they hadn¡¯t expected! But, they couldn¡¯t question or stop the white being anymore. It was toote.


    [SYSTEM NOTICE]


    ~ <Integration> In Progress ~


    [Completion Rate: 21.56%]


    The numbers kept rising as more sparks and bursts of light came from the Supreme Being. Once it reached a hundred¡­ it would all be over!

 Chapter 160 New Being

    ¡°Haa¡­ that¡¯s about it¡­¡± I mumbled, feeling pretty good about myself.


    Why? It was simply because I was able to fully test my [Subspace] abilities to my satisfaction. Over an hour had psed since I made sure the experiment was as borate as possible.


    The results were simply amazing. I could not only take in any non-living object without touch, but also things I couldn¡¯t see or touch.


    I had tried taking in the air itself, and it worked.


    [System Notification]


    <Several Items Have Been Selected At The Same Time>


    ~Please Select The Element You Would Like To Collect>


    ¨C <Oxygen>


    ¨C <Nitrogen>


    [.]


    [.]


    [.]<sub>.</sub>


    <Select All>


    This was disyed as a result.


    I tried taking in eruptions from exploding Mana Core Bombs, and that worked too. The moment I took them into [Subspace], they registered, and the moment I used <Summon> to redirect them to another location, that ce was covered in charred remains.


    ¡®Amazing!¡¯ I beamed.


    With my new abilities, there was no doubt that I would be nearly unstoppable¡­ well, for now.


    What was left were the Skills I had learned, both Job-Rted, and from the Hobgoblin Warrior.


    Since they had annoying stuff like Cooldown and Durations, I couldn¡¯t waste them. I could try using them without targets, but wouldn¡¯t that just be a waste.


    Lifting my face to the thick woods a short distance from me, I smiled. The thought had been creeping into my mind for some time now, but I was too focused on learning more about [Subspace] that I banished it.


    However, now was the right time to give in to the desire to return to the nest of the Demons.


    ¡°Hehehe, let¡¯s do this!¡±


    Stretching my body which had grown a little stiff from doing the same monotonous activities for some time, I heard cracks pop from my bones. Feeling the relief of easing my tense muscles, I moaned slightly.<sub></sub>


    I was in peak condition, all right.


    ¡°It¡¯s about 1 PM now¡­¡±


    Taking into consideration the distance it would take me to reach the Hobgoblin base, I figured I should be done before evening time.


    Without wasting further time, I prepared my feet, nting them into the ground. I felt the earth crack as my feet dug deeper into them.


    The cracks extended and I realized that if I kept putting pressure on the ground, it could cause the whole area to experience a quake.


    ¡®Welp, here I go!¡¯


    Exerting pressure on my legs, I propelled my body forward, sending an unbelievable wave of shockwaves behind me. The earth shattered and a massive >BOOOM< sounded as Iunched myself in the direction of my target.


    The woods.


    >FWOOOOOOSSHHHH!<


    With what felt like lightning speed, I glided through the thickets of trees. Everything seemed to blur as I cut through the wind and focused my eyes on the goal.


    ¡®This is even faster than I was with <Nimble> and <Aura>bined!¡¯ My lips curled up in additional glee.<sub></sub>


    >WHOOOOOSHHH!!!<


    I passed what was once considered the Subjugation team¡¯s base of operations. It had been trampled by the march of the stampede that was stopped by me.


    In fact, a lot of footprints remained and several undergrowths had beenpletely devastated due to the devastating march they had made.


    Many thoughts ran down my mind as I transversed the woods easily and navigated my way through. Within a few moments, I was already standing at the high ground that was used by Daniel¡¯s group to monitor the Hobgoblins¡¯ territory.


    I saw that they had no guards stationed outside. A wise choice, considering that they would only serve as Cannon fodder for invaders. Since I had managed to take down a stampede of over four thousand, of which more than three thousand were ¡®Warriors¡¯, the Hobgoblins had to take a more conservative strategy.


    ¡°There must be a trap inside¡­¡± I reasoned, sensing that the environment was too quiet.


    Still, at this point, I had nothing to fear.


    I approached the tall gate confidently. Now nearing the structure, it strangely appeared smaller than it used to be.


    Was it because I wasn¡¯t as intimidated as I was previously. Maybe I had grown in height after all the upgrades that urred within me.


    ¡°System Window¡­¡± I uttered, searching for my Height disyed as one of the information given.


    [.]


    ¨C Height: 5¡ä 3.


    [.]


    ¡°Yup¡­ figures¡­¡± I uttered dryly.


    Why did I even have any expectations in the first ce? It was hopeless!


    Returning my gaze to the gate before me, I had two options,e through the front entrance like a champ, or jump the fence. Thest time I had used the gate as a diversion and taken the fence. I wasn¡¯t sure that tactic would work this time around, and being honest, I didn¡¯t feel like resorting to that.


    This wasn¡¯t a test of my crafty measures and careful nning. It was to experiment with my newly gotten powers. That meant only one thing!


    ¡°I¡¯ll crush them with my power alone!¡±


    With that out of the way, I winded my arms a little, making sure I had prepared my joints enough for the shock about to be sent through them.


    ¡°<Muscrity>¡±


    I felt a pump of power surging through my body. My entire being felt hot and I could feel my blood boil. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant, though. In fact, it felt so amazing that I couldn¡¯t have enough of the feeling.


    ¡®So this is what it feels like having twice my Strength Stat¡­¡¯


    I didn¡¯t have time to think about that for too long, since the clock was ticking.


    ¡°Huu¡­ here I go!¡±


    I stopped winding my arms and focused my sight on the gate before me.


    If I had truly gotten way more powerful than normal physically, then¡­


    >FWOOOOSHHH<


    A single arm lunged at the gate with a frightening speed that the very air seemed to trail alongside it as it moved. It moved toward the sturdy, fat, and tall wooden gate.


    As my left hand, the inferior one, was nearing the gate, I didn¡¯t feel any hesitation or fear that I would fail. Only a slight feeling of worry crossed my mind¡­ that perhaps I had overdone it!


    >BOOOOOOOMMMMM<


    The wooden gates shattered like crackers as pieces were sent flying all around, revealing the territory of Demons. The shockwaves filled the entire area as I heard roars of the st echo for a great distance.


    My body trembled a little as my teeth shook a little.


    ¡°Damn¡­ I put too much strength into it, didn¡¯t I?¡±

 Chapter 161 Too One-Sided To Be Called A Fight

    ¡°Damn¡­ I put too much strength into it, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ngs of wood scattering about still filled the uneasy air that seemed to rush at me from afar off. It was a sensation I was very familiar with¡­ the bloodlusted gazes of Demons.


    ¡°GARRIUUUUUUUUUUUUUIIIIIIIKKKKK!!!¡±


    Their deafening roars filled the air as I instantly saw a multitude of arrows lunging at me. They had to have at least been a hundred.


    ¡°<Iron Skin>, <Aura>, <Nimble>, <Coordination>¡±


    My brain went into overdrive and time slowed down instantly. The whirring arrows seemed to hang in midair, moving ever so slowly as they broke through the air. They were faster than I had thought they would be, considering all my Stats had been ridiculously buffed. Focusing my sharp vision on them, I realized why that was the case.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ they¡¯re coated with energy¡­ mana, eh?¡±


    I looked at the thousands of monsters before me. None seemed like the type to shoot arrows. That meant¡­ the archers were hiding behind these buff-looking warriors and tankers.


    ¡®But, that doesn¡¯t exin why I can¡¯t see them very clearly¡­¡¯<sub>.</sub>


    I realized that the Archers were most likely using the <Camouge> Skill, as well as exploiting the presence of the other Hobs to mask their presence. It was quite a smart strategy.


    Considering they also knew how to infuse energy into their weapons, I had to assume that these weren¡¯t the usual Archer Hobgoblins I dealt with in the past.


    ¡°A new kind, uh? Good¡­¡±


    The arrows were nearing me already, and while I knew they had no effect on me, I looked at them all and activated ¡®it¡¯ just in case.


    >WHOOOOSSSH<


    In a sh, no, even less, the arrows that had swarmed me in their thousands disappeared into thin air.


    I reduced the weight upon my mind, returning my perception of time to normal. The Demons all looked aghast and full of shock the moment they couldn¡¯t see their projectiles in the air or piecing me.


    ¡®Where have our arrows gone?¡¯ Seemed to be the question ringing in all their minds. Unfortunately, they had no idea of my new capabilities. If they did, they would have already realized that such futile attempts were absolutely pointless.<sub></sub>


    >FWOOOOOOSSHHHH<


    The very arrows that had beenunched at me were now directed at the monsters, increasing in velocity due to the extra charge of mana I added to the arrows.


    Quick Question: What happens when Demon Mana and Gifted Mana mix? That¡¯s right! It resulted in an explosion!


    The arrows that had caught great speed due to my mana boost began acting up and sparks flew from the projectiles that neared the Hobgoblins who were still trying to figure out what I had done.


    There was no need to exin what happened next, was there?


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!<


    That¡¯s right! Brilliant fireworks were disyed right in front of me as the Demons that had been pierced by the arrows experienced eruptions due to the uncontroble imbnce of both manabinations.


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<<sub></sub>


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    >BOOOOOOOKMMMMM!!!!<


    Like clockwork, the explosions made perfect harmony in giving off their sounds of loud reverb, coupled with screams of demons. The fresh smell of crisped Hobgoblins wafted through the air, but was quickly banished as the unfortunate monsters tuned into Dust.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡± The survivors bellowed, both in anger toward me and intimidation.


    I felt several stares focused on me as well as a feeling of unease that appeared for a second but quickly vanished. Quickly figuring it out, I made a littleugh.


    ¡°Oh? You guys were trying to use <re>, right?¡±


    It was a shame that I had been buffed to the point that it didn¡¯t matter how many used the Skill on me. I simply resisted their effects. However, a thought shed in my mind.


    ¡®What if I used it on them?¡¯


    I needed to test it out sooner orter, after all.


    ¡°<re>¡±


    My eyes darted at every single Demon within my field of vision. Moving my eyeballs and face with absolute precision and swiftness, it didn¡¯t take too long to render the Hobgoblins for a wide distance under my debuff.


    [System Notice]


    ~The Skill <re> Is Currently In Effect~


    <All Demons Have Been Struck By The ¡®Debuff¡¯ Status Condition>


    [All Hobgoblins Affected Will Experience A 15 Percent Decrease In Total Ability And Stats]


    ¡®Oh? So that¡¯s what happens!¡¯ My mind rang.


    It seemed I had underestimated this particr Skill. It was pretty impressive.


    I had initially thought it would be impossible for me to make eye contact with every Demon I encountered. However, it was easier than I thought.


    The Demons all had their eyes on me due to their natural hatred for Gifteds. Plus, since they were slow, or rather, I was way faster, I could nce at all of them within moments.


    A 15 Percent Decrease in Ability was quite impressive.


    However, it didn¡¯t stop the Demons. They lunged at me, hoping to overwhelm me with their numbers. While I had taken care of a few thousand with that attack, there were still thousands left. If they yed their cards right, they might stand a chance.


    ¡®Pfft, as if!¡¯ I nearly burst outughing.


    From my line of sight, they were so slow that it wasughable. Usually, I would have loved to exert myself a little and killed them while swinging my arms and rapidly moving my feet, but that was unnecessary now.


    What I now aimed for was an overwhelming victory.


    The Warriors, not learning their lessons from the previous event with the arrows, shot their ws at me all at once. A total of 10 ws per Demon, and an approximate five thousand of them¡­ that was about 50,000 ws I was looking at. It was quite a great amount.


    I could tank that many, maybe. But, why bother? A broad grin formed on my face as I proceeded to use one of the most useful features of the new and improved [Subspace].


    ¡°Allow me to show you guys¡­ the cost of all those people that gave up their lives for me to achieve this!¡±

 Chapter 162 Monster

    As expected, the spikes the Demons threw at me all contained their energy.


    I didn¡¯t know why or how this was possible, since the previous batch of Hobgoblins didn¡¯t have this feature. Perhaps these ones were just an advanced set of Warriors or another type of Hobgoblins entirely.


    The answer to my curiosity was presented, using the system to check for myself.


    ¡®Their Status Information shows they are ¡®Hobgoblin (Advanced Warrior), uh? Well¡­ that exins it.¡¯


    Not only were their ws covered in dark-red energy, but their bodies were also brimming with the same power, burning brightly as they charged. Their Stats were also superior to that of the usual Warriors, and I noticed a darker tan of slimy green on their flesh.


    It didn¡¯t matter to me, though. Whether they were more powerful than the previous batch or not, whether they had energy covering their bodies or not, whether they came at me in thousands or not.


    Rather, I preferred it this way. After all¡­


    ¡°<Summon>¡­¡±


    Of everything I had absorbed into [Subspace], there was something I especially stocked to the brim. Without the new update of my Gift, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to pull it off¡­ and that was-<sub>.</sub>


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    The spikes that came at me in several thousand exploded, turning into nothing but crisps. Shockwaves spread everywhere as thick smoke pervaded a wide distance.


    The Demons halted their march and frantically bobbed their heads to navigate through the darkness. As Demons, they were certain to have a certain degree of enhanced sight, but this smoke was not one they could see through easily.


    ¡°GARRIUUUUUUUUUUUUUIIIIIIIKKKKK!!!¡± They bellowed angrily.


    I smiled. Thinking I should be generous to the confused monsters, I used [Subspace] to collect the smoke that filled the area, returning their lost sight to them.


    Now regaining their vision, they once again red at me and gave an angry shriek.


    ¡°Urgh, you¡¯re wee¡­¡± I muttered, scoffing at their ingratitude.


    Now realizing that their spikes couldn¡¯t reach me since they would just explode, the Hobgoblin (Advanced Warrior)s decided to do the job themselves. An utterly foolish mistake.<sub></sub>


    I watched their body burn bright with energy as they closed the distance between us in a sh. The Hobgoblin (Advanced Archer)s were still lying in wait, most likely waiting for a chance tounch a surprise volley of arrows.


    ¡°¡­ <Summon>.¡±


    Blue energy sparked all-around their reddened aura, and just like that¡­ another eruption took ce, spreading across all the thousands that charged, not missing a single one.


    >KAAAAAABOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!<


    It was a brilliant disy of devastation, feeling the hot wind brush on my face and waves of death dancing before me.


    Was it this easy to take care of thousands of man-eating monsters? How had I done such a simple task? A broad grin formed on my face as I began walking toward the devastation that seemed not to cease.


    During my experiments with [Subspace], I realized that I could ce my mana into [Subspace]. It was a simple process.


    While I couldn¡¯t manifest mana directly, as I wasn¡¯t a mage, I could add it to anything I owned. That included the very air I absorbed with [Subspace].<sub></sub>


    ¡®I simply need to add Mana to the air I take into [Subspace], transforming them into air fill of my mana. If I stock those into a Slot, I can readily summon them at any time!¡¯ I had reasoned.


    And that line of reasoning paid off. Using <Summon> to bring forth gusts of mana-infused air


    The burning demons had gotten their body parts scattered by the impact of the sts that sent smoke rising into the sky. Once again, I got rid of the smoke and remains of the st, leaving nothing but a nearly emptypound.


    ¡°You know¡­ I can see you clearly now.¡± I muttered, referring to the Hobgoblins that still pointlessly relied on their camouge to hide from me.


    Their bodies jumped, already bathed in so great a fear that I could sense it from my position.


    ¡°The smoke has basically given you all away. There¡¯s no hiding now. Plus, now that those big ones are gone, there¡¯s no way you guys can hide from my sight.¡±


    I had no idea whether Demons could understand humans, but if they could, perhaps they chose to ignore me since no one budged from their positions.


    Maybe they hoped I would leave if I didn¡¯t see anyone else to ughter. It felt slightly insulting, so I decided to prove my point.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    In a sh, one of my weapons from [Subspace] lunged at a Hobgoblin to my far right, piercing its head with absolute precision.


    ¡°G-Gur-Guruikkk?!¡± The Demon appeared instantly, seemed to utter confused words, coughing blood.


    It fell and died instantly, fading into dust.


    The moment the rest saw this, I had a feeling they realized the jig was up. All undoing their <Camouge> Skill at once, they all foolishly clung to what they knew best.


    Gripping their bows tightly, they prepared arrows and pointed them all in my direction. Despite taking care of over five thousand Demons now, there were still over a thousand left.


    Ten minutes hadn¡¯t even psed and I was already about done. Not only did it end too quickly, I hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to test all of my Skills yet. Even though I hadn¡¯t nned on it, it seemed I would have to enter the secondpound as well.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I better wrap things up here..¡± I reasoned.


    Using [Subspace], I collected all the arrows that wereunched at me again, using the same tactic as the first time, and returned them to the Demons.


    Since they were now my property, I added my mana to them, causing the arrows to explode upon contact with each Demon.


    More sounds of explosions and destruction hailed thepound, sending dust and smoke flying which I diligently took away with [Subspace].


    In no time at all, I was the only one left in the vast space. It felt relieving, yet somehow hollow. In a little over ten minutes, I waspletely done with a whole batch of about seven thousand monsters.


    I didn¡¯t even need to move a muscle.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little boring¡­¡±


    To think I had grown so strong. From the timid boy who just wanted to survive, I hade so far. The monsters that once haunted me were now so easily destroyed by my overwhelming power.


    In a way, it appeared as though our roles had been reversed. The way I so easily dispatched them made it seem like they were the innocent and timid creatures¡­ and I was the monster!

 Chapter 163 Hobgoblin Magic

    Now done with the first batch, my eyes frolicked as I lifted my gaze to the second gate that seemed to call unto me.


    In the past, I wouldn¡¯t even dare to consider answering the nudgings within me, risking my life unnecessarily. However, it was different now. Even when I faced so many monsters that would have sent three <Danger> signals, I didn¡¯t see a single one pop out.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve be a little stronger¡­¡±


    Walking swiftly toward the gate, I arrived within what seemed like a moment¡¯s breath.


    I currently had <Muscrity>, <Iron Skin>, <Aura>, <Nimble>, <Coordination>, and <re> active. Even though they weren¡¯t going to enter Cooldown anytime soon, it felt like a waste to leave them burning up without any target to use them on.


    Now standing before the gate, it looked bigger than one from before, for some reason. It definitely appeared tougher¡ª more difficult to pass through. Behind this barrier was the next wave.


    I didn¡¯t need a single moment to think. Grasping my fingers and turning my right hand into a fist, I casually punched my way through the gate.


    >BOOOOOMMMM!!!<<sub>.</sub>


    As expected, the wooden gate crashed so easily that I wondered if there was any point in it being erected in front of me. Using <Muscrity> and <Aura> was overkill. While I hadn¡¯t tested my physical strength on a Demon yet, it was certain that I had more physical prowess than any monster I had ever met.


    The moment my loud destruction of the gate reverberated through the newpound, the Demons within jerked to life. It seemed these Hobgoblins had been waiting impatiently for me to invade since there was no way they couldn¡¯t hear the deaths and destruction I had wrought in the firstpound.


    I stepped into the secondpound. There were no ranged attacks, to my surprise. The growls of Demons filled the air as I looked around me.


    ¡®This is my first time in here¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed.


    The secondpound was definitelyrger than the first. Nearly twice as big, with an air of unease and terror that made the first one seem like a walk in the park. This certainly wasn¡¯t going to be easy.


    Darting my eyes at the Demons that all watched me with pure hatred and bloodlust, the system warning popped immediately.


    [System Information]<sub></sub>


    <Danger!>


    [.]


    It seemed like a joke, having only one warning present when I meant business. However, considering the fact that the system deemed it fit to allocate such a level to them, it meant they were going to be more of a pain than the previous batch.


    Maybe it was because of my increased level and heightened perception, but I could count a multitude of over ten thousand demons¡­ and those were only the ones I was able to pick up.


    They consisted of Hobgoblinsbeled as; (Advanced Warrior), (Advanced Tanker), (Advanced Archer).


    However, something seemed off to me. I felt like there was more to this crowd of Hobgoblins. I wanted to spring into action, but my intuition told me to remain still for a little while longer.


    Just as I did so, I saw a peculiar sight spring into the air. My eyes widened in shock and amazement, considering this would be the first I saw anything like this. I had seen flying arrows, gattling ws, and several other Skills. However, this was different.<sub></sub>


    Flying at me with remarkable speed and pinpoint uracy were hundreds of fast-approaching balls of mes.


    That¡¯s right! Fireballs were rushing at me.


    They were faster than arrows, and from what I could sense from them, they were going to pack quite the punch. A bombardment of a couple hundred of those would render even arge army into nothing but crusty remains.


    A bunch of Hobgoblins employing such ability only meant one thing. They had Hobgoblin casters among them!


    I had read about those special types of Hobgoblins before, but I hadn¡¯t encountered any so far, so I thought they didn¡¯t exist in this reality.


    ¡°Come to think of it¡­ did I see any Hobgoblin Caster back in the Sacred Hall?¡±


    It was difficult to remember considering I had seen all kinds of monsters. There was no point in keeping count of a subspecies of lesser Demons.


    ¡®These fireballs, though¡­ they¡¯re so many.¡¯ My mind rang.


    If I had chosen toe here unprepared, it could have been disastrous.


    However¡­


    ¡°[Subspace]¡­¡±


    Instantly, as far as my eyes could see, I registered the iing balls of destruction as objects I wanted to be transferred into my personal storage. In a moment, my desire was fulfilled, and not a single fireball remained in the air.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK?!!??!!¡± I heard instant shrieks of confusion marked with frustration.


    A smile formed on my face as I realized what I did could be considered cheating. The strategy these Hobgoblins were most likely trying to employ would be to cause me to sustain damage using the long-range fireballs. Once I had done that, even if I didn¡¯t die, they would then rush at me with w attacks and overwhelm me with melee.


    ¡®Sigh, if only they saw my previous fight back there¡­¡¯


    Still, it was impressive they were able to do this much. Casters, Warriors, Archers, Tankers¡­ all against little ol¡¯ me.


    I had a trick, rather, plenty of tricks up my sleeve, though. There was no way I intended on going down so easily. To fully experiment on my new abilities, I couldn¡¯t just dispose of them by sending their fireballs back at them, now could I?


    The Hobgoblins didn¡¯t intend on giving me any time to think as they roared in fury, rushing at me. If fireballs didn¡¯t work, they must have just figured it would be best to crush me the old-fashioned way.


    ¡®No matter the intelligence they seem to have, in the end, they¡¯re still mere creatures, uh?¡¯ I reasoned.


    In that case, I just needed to use these guinea pigs as much as I wanted. With no strategy to follow, they were nothing but a bunch of mindless monsters.


    ¡®First, let¡¯s take away their vision.¡¯


    ¡°<Summon>¡±

 Chapter 164 Death To Demons (Pt 1)

    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    Responding to my call, thick smokes began appearing in all directions, surrounding the advancing demons in what seemed to be seconds. The intense clouds of white, grey, and ck were so deep and thick that it seemed one could feel them.


    Using the smoke gotten from all the explosions I had used earlier, I spread them all around, blindsiding the monsters from every angle. Needless to say, they were trapped in a vast wave of choking fogs.


    ¡®The smoke won¡¯t extend to the back, though, since they¡¯re so many¡­¡¯ I reasoned.


    It didn¡¯t make any difference, though. If the front vision was blocked, they weren¡¯t going to be able to see me anyway.


    Having blinded them, I took advantage of the moment of confusion and activated the two of the Skills I was most excited about.


    ¡°<Camouge>, <Sneak>.¡±


    Using these two at the same time, I became an invisible persona. The thick clouds of smoke hadn¡¯t cleared yet, so I decided to get rid of them.


    To fully understand the effects of these two Skills and how they work well hand-in-hand, I had to create a scenario where the targets had a clear vision.<sub>.</sub>


    >WHUUUUSSSHHHH<


    In a sh, the permeating smoke vanished, leaving behind the stunned Demons that rubbed their grimy arms on their faces.


    I waited for a few seconds and watched them clear the remnant of dust and smoke from their eyes. The moment they were done, they all turned in my direction and gave a deafening roar.


    I initially thought they had spotted me, but after ncing at where I was for a few moments, they started turning their heads and looking around in confusion. Their eyes sought an enemy, but none was anywhere in sight.


    A smile formed on my face, realizing I had truly be undetectable. The next thing I did was to take steps away from my position.


    Once again¡­ they couldn¡¯t see me. They strained their eyes and growled, searching for prey. I could sense impatience in their eyes. None of them could even meet my gaze.


    ¡®This is crazy¡­ seriously!¡¯ I beamed in delight.


    Figuring it was probably in my best interest to speed things up at this point since I only had 30 minutes of <Sneak> to spare, I picked up my pace and closed my distance with the Demons instead.<sub></sub>


    >FWOOOOOOSSHHHH<


    Bing one with the wind, breaking the barrier that shackled my body, I sped at them. To my surprise, even the sounds I made while running was inaudible, so they still couldn¡¯t hear me while in quick motion.


    Now amid the Demons, I clenched my fist and struck the first blow.


    >BOOOOOOMMMM!<


    My fist generated a gaping hole in the body of a Tanker that was using its full defensive skills with little to no resistance. I felt like I could crush the strongest object in existence with my current power.


    The sudden boom caused by my punch attracted the Demons. They all turned their necks and looked at their fallenrade having a drilled hole in his guts.


    It died, turning to dust instantly. Even though I was standing next to its fading corpse, none of them noticed me.


    ¡®Now this is what it means to be a thief!¡¯<sub></sub>


    Deciding to repeat the process, I rushed at more Demons and began killing them with one hit like one of my favorite manga characters.


    I had the urge to scream his name, or rather, the move he made, but doing so would call the attention of the Demons to me.


    >WHOOOOOSHHH<


    I made hastened steps, realizing that time was running out.


    Twisting my body and coordinating myself to make unwasted movements, I swiftly killed the Demons. Kicks, punches, elbow jabs, all of them worked¡ª as the Demons all fell after receiving one of any.


    At some point, they started iling their arms haphazardly upon seeing there was an invisible enemy in their midst. Still, they were too slow to catch me.


    I punched them more, shattering their skulls and turning their bones into powder with each grinding hit.


    Blood sttered on my body as I carved my invisible arms into their slimy-grin flesh. One could think that their blood would render me visible, but I was still undetectable.


    ¡®Is it because their levels are too low to perceive me?¡¯ I reasoned, still refusing to stop my massacre.


    ¡®ONE PUUUUNNN-¡® I controlled myself from shouting out loud. The temptation persisted, though.


    Minutes passed and the Skill duration began reaching its end. I had lost count of how many I had killed, most likely a few thousand. However, I was nowhere near finishing all of them off. There was only so much I could do with only my bare fists.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make every second count!¡± I whispered under my breath and proceeded to kill some more.


    ¡°GUARRRRUUUUUKKKK!!!¡± Pained cries of Demons filled the afternoon air.


    Carnage was running amok!


    [Minutes Later]


    ¡°Huu¡­¡± I exhaled deeply, pausing in my stance.


    After realizing the Skill duration had nearly been psed, I retracted myself from the thick horde of Hobgoblins and made my way closer to the gate.


    I felt a strange hum on my body as something seemed to flicker, most likely the effect of the <Sneak> Skill.


    The humsted for a few moments before vanishing. From that moment onward, I knew that if I moved a single muscle from where I stood, the demons would spot me easily since they were now actively searching for a culprit.


    My only saving grace was that <Camouge> was still on.


    ¡°Garakukkk! Garakukkk!!!¡± I heard the Demons yell, turning behind them as though talking to some people at the very rear.


    ¡®What could they be nning now?¡¯


    I didn¡¯t have to wait for very long before I realized it. Underneath me, a magic circle appeared, stunning me for a moment.


    This could be my first time seeing such a circle, and while I was intrigued by it, I knew such a thing meant only danger since I wasn¡¯t the one that conjured it.


    ¡°Shit!¡±

 Chapter 165 Death To Demons (Pt 2)

    Before I could react, however, the magic circle glowed brightly and sent a wave of light permeating the surroundings.


    I had to close my eyes to prevent being affected by the blinding light. By the time the light ceased and my eyes naturally opened, though¡­ the deed had already been done.


    ¡°Hehehe, GAGAHIRUIIIKK!!!¡± The Hobgoblins seemed to sneer as they looked in my direction once again.


    In their seemingly inexhaustible number, their gazes were now focused on me. A wide grin of happiness and satisfaction was painted all over their face.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡±


    I didn¡¯t need a prophet to tell me¡­ the Demons could now see me!


    ¡®Fvck!¡¯


    Whether I remained stationary or not, it didn¡¯t matter at this point. The bloodthirsty and annoyed monsters all wanted a piece of me and were already heading in my direction. Their pace hastened as they marched, hurriedly trying to close the gap that existed between us.


    Though they were slow, the Hobgoblins were going to reach me sooner orter. In a bit of frustration, I realized that the cause for my position beingpromised was most likely the Hobgoblin Casters.


    They were more troublesome than I gave them credit for.


    ¡®It seems they need time to chant their spell, though¡­¡¯ I reasoned, seeing no effort on the Casters¡¯ end to rain down fireball on me or anything worthy of being called magic.


    I wasn¡¯t out of options, though.


    ¡°I still have the fireballs I collected from earlier¡­¡±


    If I used that, U would be able to kill off a good number of them. Shaking my head vehemently, I decided against that approach.


    ¡®I¡¯ll save as for ast resort¡­¡¯


    Deciding to try out the Skills I hadn¡¯t used at all, I checked the list of all my Skills.<sub>.</sub>


    [SKILLS]


    * Slot 1 ¨C <w Attack>


    * Slot 2 ¨C <Spike Attack>


    * Slot 3 ¨C <Venomous Spikes>


    * Slot 4 ¨C <Steal>


    * Slot 5 ¨C <Recall>


    * Slot 6 ¨C <Summon>/(Automatic Summon)


    * Slot 7 ¨C <Roar>


    * Slot 8 ¨C <Rule>


    * Slot 9 ¨C <Spike Skin>


    * Slot 10 ¨C <Aura>


    * Slot 11 ¨C <Mine Alone>


    * Slot 12 ¨C <Nimble>


    * Slot 13 ¨C <Camouge>


    * Slot 14 ¨C <Coordination><sub></sub>


    * Slot 15 ¨C <Iron Skin>


    * Slot 16 ¨C <re>


    * Slot 17 ¨C <Muscrity>


    * Slot 18 ¨C


    * Slot 19 ¨C <Magician>


    * Slot 20 ¨C <Dirty y>


    * Slot 21 ¨C <Sneak>


    * Slot 22 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 23 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 25 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 26 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 27 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 28 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 29 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 30 ¨C <Empty><sub></sub>


    [End Of Information]


    ¡®Oh? Now that I think about it-!¡¯


    There was one Skill I had obtained back in the apartment that I rarely used due to its huge mana consumption.


    <Roar>.


    Its effects were destructive, but it cost too much MP. However, at the moment I had more than enough Mana. With the effects of <Magician>, MP wouldn¡¯t be an issue.


    I had <Aura> that buffed my abilities as well, so it was going to be quite effective. Using <re>, I weakened the movement speed of the enemies that rushed at me, taking a very deep breath.


    My cheeks were puffed, ready to activate the Skill that boasted one of the most destructive capabilities in my arsenal.


    ¡®<Roar>¡¯


    Opening my mouth and pouring my energy into the loud shout, I felt everything around vibrate, blurring the very space in an instant.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM<


    The Sonic boom I caused sent hundreds of Demons toppling among each other. None could draw closer since they were all pushed back. Tho unfortunate ones at the forefront were ripped into shreds by the scathing effects of my sonic explosion.


    Even the grounds split in response to my cries.


    ¡°Huu¡­ that was fun¡­¡± I muttered, feeling a little sore in my throat.


    The Skill entered Cooldown, as expected.


    Well, I wasn¡¯t really relying on it, the thought just sprang up the moment I spotted it in my Skills Window.


    With many hundreds blown away by my initial attack, I decided not to let the momentum go to waste and quickly exploit the opportunity to deal more damage to them.


    Of everything that was left untested, I had <Dirty y> and


    . Deciding on the first to try, I went for the former since it had a maximum use of three times a day, unlike


    with only one.


    ¡°<Dirty y>¡± I muttered, wondering what random negative effects would be inflicted upon my already debuffed targets.


    [System Information]


    ~Skill <Dirty y> Is Now In Effect~


    <All Targets Will Experience The Status Ailment ¡®Poisoning¡¯>


    [View More]


    I decided to check out what exactly poisoning did.


    [Status Ailment]


    ~ Removes 1 percent of HP per minute.~


    [End Of Information]


    ¡®Oh? That¡¯s neat!¡¯


    While it might have not seemed very much when trying to end a fight quickly,


    was extremely useful for long battles. Even if I remained in my position or went on the defensive, the Demons would naturally lose health.


    And, since it was 1 percent per minute, in less than two hours¡­ my targets would die!


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to wait, though¡­¡± I muttered.


    Deciding to see how far the Skill went, I tried it out again. This time, a different Status Ailment fell on the Demons.


    [System Information]


    ~Skill <Dirty y> Is Now In Effect~


    <All Targets Will Experience The Status Ailment ¡®Blindness¡¯>


    [View More]


    I was <Blindness> this time, something I didn¡¯t expect. Quickly checking the details, I figured out how it worked.


    [Status Ailment]


    <Blindness>


    ~ Blinds Targets For A Period Of 5 Minutes.~ (The Effects Vary ording To The Level Of Resistance Possessed.)


    [End Of Information]


    It was possible that the effects would increase against fodder, and the more powerful I became, the longer the effects wouldst.


    So far, I wasn¡¯t disappointed by what I had seen. As for the Hobgoblins afflicted by two Status Ailments at the same time, they writhed in pain, itching their bodies as purple veins grew manifested all over them.


    Not only did they suffer from such intense pain that ate away at their life force, but the pitiful monsters also couldn¡¯t see a thing.


    Even though I heard disturbingly painful groans that could make anyone break down in pity¡­ why was I having such a thrilled expression on my face.

 Chapter 166 The Hanged Man

    ¡®If I move, they should be able to follow the traces of my sound, so I shouldn¡¯t be too careless.¡¯ I reasoned.


    I still had one more chance to use <Dirty y>, but I decided not to use it. It would be unfortunate if the need aroseter in the day and I had already exhausted it.


    ¡®I¡¯m happy the effects stack up, though. It would have been a letdown if one ailment vanishes the moment another appears¡­¡¯ I reasoned, watching the Demons still charge at me in their blind state.


    They must have figured out that I was still in my location and desperately tried to end my life.


    Unfortunately for them, I wasn¡¯t nning on going down so easily.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time I pulled this out my sleeve¡­¡± I grinned, looking at my long list of Skills.


    I had tried everything in my arsenal at least once; all except one!


    ¡°


    !¡±


    An icon bobbed right in front of me the moment I decided to activate the Skill. The temptation not to use this right now gnawed at me. After all, an unknown danger could approach that would cause me to require its power.


    However, it was even more dangerous to have a Skill and not know of its abilities, especially since it was a ¡®Randomizer¡¯ type. For better or worse, I had to find out what it was about.<sub>.</sub>


    [System Information]


    ~Your Skill


    Is In Effect~


    <The Roulette Will Be Spun>


    [.]


    I waited¡­ a total of five seconds passed, yet nothing happened. Unlike my previous Skills, this was taking quite some time to activate.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?!¡¯ I questioned in a bit of panic.


    The horde of Demons was already rushing at me, ready to tear me apart. I could take them on, but I was expecting more of an assistance from my newly gotten skill. After seeing the abilities of <Dirty y>, my expectations were quite high.


    It was a shame how low and fast they plummeted now.


    After about seven seconds psed since I activated the Skill, a system icon popped up. Quickly looking at it since I didn¡¯t have much time to spare, I read the notification.<sub></sub>


    [System Notification]


    ~ Tarot Card <The Hanged Man> Has Been Chosen~


    (The ¡®Upright¡¯ Variant Will Be Used)


    ~Please Confirm Card Usage~


    [ept][Decline]


    Of all things to have gotten, I got one with an awfully sounding name. It sent shivers down my spine just considering the possibilities of this Skill backfiring on me.


    ¡®No, the system wouldn¡¯t give me anything detrimental¡­¡¯


    Somehow, I wasn¡¯t convinced, but beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers. There was no guarantee that I would get a second chance to choose another card if I declined this one.


    Either way, I needed to find out the use of


    , so it was an inevitable choice.<sub></sub>


    A few meters from me, the closest Demon was already ready to leap and pounce on me.


    Quickly tapping [ept], the Golden panel shone and disyed a new set of information. However, before I got a chance to read it, a new development urred that caused me to look around me.


    In a sh, no, maybe even faster (since I couldn¡¯t perceive it), all the Hobgoblins halted. They weren¡¯t slowed down or anything. No, they froze entirely!


    Their bodies shimmered a slight golden glow that made me realize that this was due to the effect of the system.


    I quickly recoiled from my shock and checked my Status Window for an exnation, and boy was my mind blown.


    [System Information]


    ~Skill <The Hanged Man (Upright)> In Progress~


    <The Hanged Man: Upright Variation>


    [Description]


    The Hanged Man usually indicates ack of ability to help oneself through independent action. The energy is arrested and awaiting judgment. With this card, there is no avenue for the will to regain control until the situation has passed.


    ~ Card Effect: All Enemies And Allies Within A Certain Range Will Be Temporarily ¡®Arrested¡¯ and suspended from any action.


    (Skill Duration: Currently 5 Minutes)


    [Note: Effects Vary Depending On Level Of Resistance]


    [End Of Information]


    Was anyone seeing this? What kind of broken Skill was this?!


    This sort of thing was too overpowered to be called a Skill! I was nearly out of breath by what I read. This ability alone was alone to qualify as a Gift, yet it was one of a couple dozen Tarot Cards I could employ.


    My mind sought an exnation toprehend what I was seeing until I finally reached a reasonable conclusion.


    ¡®Well, Secondary Skills are supposed to be obtained at theter part of the Apocalypse¡­ this is only the beginning stage.¡¯


    Using this logic, it made sense that I was blessed with such a terrific Skill.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not absolute, though¡­¡± I muttered, looking at certain disadvantages.


    For one, allies were frozen alongside enemies. In a way, it could be considered a good thing, but it could alsoe to bite me in the butt if I needed to use it for escaping with allies or fighting a boss I couldn¡¯t defeat alone.


    In any case, I wish I could choose when it affected allies or not. Unfortunately, no option like that existed.


    The second restriction was, of course, the variation of the effects of this Skill on targets based on resistance. There was a high chance that it wouldn¡¯t even work on those with higher Levels than mine. Fortunately, no such Gifted existed currently.


    As for Demons, while I wasn¡¯t certain, the same logic was supposed to apply.


    In any case, there was one final problem with this ability. It wasn¡¯t just the Tarot card chosen, but the Skill itself as a whole.


    ¡®It takes too long to activate!¡¯


    Calcting how long it took for the icon to pop up and my movements in confirming the card, I had to allocate about ten seconds just to be on the safe side.


    My eyes returned to thepletely frozen Demons and I let out a wide grin.


    ¡°Still¡­ considering the effects¡­ ¡°


    My legs made slow movements as I approached the Hobgoblins. Calcting the time that had psed since the Skill went into full bloom, I still had over 4 minutes left.


    ¡°¡­ This is so worth it!¡±

 Chapter 167 The Third Gate

    >WHUUUUSHHHH<


    Making good use of my Coordination skill, I was able to aptly multitask. Since they were all frozen, I turned on my <Automatic Summon> SubSkill and caused my weapons to deal damage as I made my way through the crowd.


    My eyes darted all around as I searched for the Hobgoblin Casters among the others. They were sure to look different, as was the case with the other Hobgoblins I had met so far. I just needed to spot one¡­


    ¡°Aha!¡± I shouted in delight as soon as I spotted an odd one among a cluster of Hobgoblin Tankers.


    At this point, I didn¡¯t even bother controlling the volume of my voice since no one could hear me. They were all frozen!


    Not literally, of course.


    Drawing closer to the Demon, its Status Information popped up instantly.


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Hobgoblin (Caster)


    ¨C Level: 80


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 1<sub>.</sub>


    ¨C Age: 90 days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 500


    ¨C MP: 1,200


    ¨C Strength: 100


    ¨C Agility: 500


    ¨C Vitality: 600


    ¨C Intelligence: 900


    [End Of Information]


    There was such a huge difference between the Casters and other variants of Hobgoblins. Not only was their health way too low for their level,pared to others, but they also had a huge reserve of MP. Their intelligence Stats were also the highest I had seen Demons possess since I started hunting their kind.<sub></sub>


    ¡®Well, you need Intelligence to cast magic¡­¡¯ I reasoned, uttering the basics of any RPG that existed.


    In any case, I couldn¡¯t dawdle around when time was running out. I tapped the Hobgoblin, sending it straight into [Subspace] since it would prove to be a valuable specimen.


    I just needed to search for others and kill a few while I was at it so I could learn whatever Skill they had in store for me.


    On my way, searching for more Casters, I made sure to tap as many Demons as I wanted so they went into [Subspace] while using <Spike Attack> and <Venomous Spikes> to deal damage to others. Of course, my weapons were also attacking at the same time.


    It was an absolutely efficient way to kill so many birds with one stone, or was I supposed to say several.


    ¡°Found another!¡±


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s that one!¡±


    ¡°Oh, a few are here!¡±


    I made noises while catching my prey hiding among the more buff Demons, cleverly working on spells before they froze.


    A window suddenly appeared, stopping my joyride.<sub></sub>


    [System Alert!]


    ~Your Skill


    Will Soon End~


    (Time Remaining: 5 Seconds Left)


    [End Of Information]


    ¡°Well, shit!¡± I found myself blurting out.


    Couldn¡¯t rhe System have told me sooner? I was basically trapped at the center of a bunch of Demons. If they regained theirposure while I was caught in such a condition, it pained me to wonder what would befall me.


    ¡®Oh, wait, they should still be blind, right?¡¯


    Using normal measurements, the ¡®Blind¡¯ Status Ailment was supposed to have psed since over 5 minutes had passed since I used the Skill, but since the Hobgoblins had been entirely suspended due to the effects of <The Hanged Man>, their Status Ailments experienced the same fate.


    They were all still going to be blind and poisoned. However, it still wasn¡¯t safe to be at the center of such a huge crowd. About a thousand were still left. They weren¡¯t that much, but I would rather not be caught in their midst.


    Strengthening my legs with <Muscrity> and <Aura>, I took to my heels and headed in the opposite direction they faced. In essence, I decided to go behind them.


    Leaping high into the air, I avoided any physical contact with any of them and was able to transverse all of them in an instant.


    >BEEP!!!<


    I heard a loud rm echo in my head signaling the end of my Skill. At that moment, the noise of the Demons resumed as they all charged forward.


    ¡®Pfft, this is funny.¡¯ I nearlyughed.


    It was possible to wait things out until they died, or pick them off one after the other. But, I had grown quite bored of the whole thing. After experiencing all my Skills firsthand, there was no need to dy things any further.


    ¡®Let¡¯s end this, shall we?¡¯


    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    In an instant, the several fireballs that had beenunched at me appeared above all the Hobgoblins. Hundreds of destructive fireballs fell from great heights and charged at them. From my location, I could feel the heat and it didn¡¯t take the monsters to halt and look above them in response to the stimulus.


    Though blind, they were able to sense that something big was approaching.


    ¡°G-GUR-GURUIIIKKKKK!!!¡± They made one final cry of resistance before the mes descended upon them in their hundreds.


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    Shockwaves were sent flying across thergepound and dust rose to an unimaginable degree. Of course, I took my queue and collected all the smoke into [Subspace], since they would be usefulter on.


    >SHUUUUUU<


    The charred remains of the earth sizzled in heat as its scarred surface still emitted vestiges of the smoke I had taken away. In a couple of minutes, the ground would cool off. I wasn¡¯t going to be present when it did, though since it still had that amber glow coupled with ckness that existed in burnt firewood.


    Turning behind me as I ignored the sounds of burning earth, I looked behind me. I was at the other end of the secondpound, and as expected, existing at the rear was yet another gate.


    I moved closer to it, lightly trodding the grounds, and in a blink, I was there already. I had barely exerted myself in this fight, so thest thing I felt was exhaustion.


    ¡®Plus, I leveled up a few after all that, so my Vitality is chock full¡­¡¯ I reasoned.


    The third Gate was simr to the first, having wood as its only element. It was made of sturdier wood, though, and thepound fence that marked the end of the second portion of the Hobgoblin territory stretched way higher into the sky than the previous ones.


    ¡°Interesting¡­ I¡¯m feeling quite lively. Should I¡­?¡±

 Chapter 168 Fattening The Lambs

    ¡°Nope. I better not!¡±


    Quickly deciding against the idea, I stepped away from the gate. This time, not out of fear¡ª but logic.


    ¡°I could probably take them, I think¡­¡±


    The problem was that if I kept taking in Demons, there would be nearly nothing left for the Subjugation team to fight. Judging by their respawn rate and how long the horde must have begun their conquest, I estimated that they had at most fivepounds. No, most likely four.


    I had taken care of two, leaving about two left. I wasn¡¯t a fan of unfinished work, so if I was to dive into the thirdpound, the feeling of immersion would consume me and I wouldn¡¯t stop until every single Demon in sight had been vanquished.


    That wasn¡¯t a good thing.


    Plus, I needed more Demons for target practice when considering


    and <Dirty y>.


    There were many variations and it would be useful to try them all out so I knew what to work.


    ording to a particrly great man¡ª if you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles, or was it a thousand?<sub>.</sub>


    In order words, to be able to best your enemies, you must first know yourself perfectly.


    The best form of strategy would be the absolute knowledge of one¡¯s capabilities. Once that had been established, creating a n for defeating enemies would be nothing but a cinch.


    ¡°I need more information, so I¡¯ll leave you guys alone until my Skills get restored.¡±


    Having said that, I ventured away from the gate and went my way. Looking around, other than the charred ground that created a dark spot across the t field, one would not suspect that a bunch of monsters had been here.


    With that fleeting thought, I vanished into thin air¡ª well, not really. I just ran so fast that it appeared so.


    ************************************


    ¡°Level 230, uh?¡± I mumbled, feeling a little disappointed.


    After facing so many strong enemies, I was barely able to gain 18 Levels. It felt very unfair, but I rationally thought things through. My level was an anomaly, so the monsters I fought were not usually what a Level 200+ like me should be hunting.<sub></sub>


    I needed more powerful creatures, but at the moment, I had to be content that the system even allowed me to Level Up after reaching such a height.


    ¡°What now?¡± I muttered, lying down on the nds.


    It was quiet, and the little grasses tickled my face as I slowly inhaled the sweet air. Winter had passed and it was already around March. Many people had lost the concept of time, myself included, but there was no way I wouldn¡¯t know what month it was.


    The weather was still a little chilly, but my Vitality didn¡¯t allow me to feel any adverse effects.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    There were a couple of options avable to me at the moment. One would be to release the thirty-five Gifteds within Subspace who were members of the Subjugation Team and address them.


    Of course, I would feed them a bunch of lies and make them trust me. Once I became their leader, we would raid the thirdpound together, though I would be doing most of the work.


    ¡®I don¡¯t mind¡­ the EXP will still be useful, either way¡­¡¯<sub></sub>


    Even if they Leveled Up by killing monsters, I didn¡¯t consider it a loss. After all, fatteningmbs before killing them for meat was the basics of animal husbandry.


    I wasn¡¯t sure about others, but I personally preferred my meat to have a bit more flesh in them. With that idea in mind, the higher the Level of Gifteds, the more (G) Karma Points I would obtain.


    Their Leveling Up so far was an investment I allowed only because I was well aware of their end.


    The second option I considered was to summon both Larry and Lara and interact with the two of them.


    They were both peculiar cases¡ª especially thetter.


    ¡°I have been curious about something, plus, it¡¯s best to kill two birds with one stone.¡± With a wide grin forming on my face, a bright idea formed in my twisted mind.


    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    In an instant, both Larry and Lara appeared a couple of meters from me. They appeared scared and confused¡ª no surprise there since theirst memory was in thepound.


    ¡°Rx, you two,¡± I muttered, giving them a sharp gaze.


    The moment they both saw me, their bodies froze instantly.


    While no Skill was currently active, the sheer presence of a person with insurmountable power was enough to put them in their ce.


    They were silent and trying to avoid my gaze, but I did the opposite. Looking the both of them, I found out that Lara was now a Level 17 and Larry was in Level 34.


    ¡°Oh? Not bad¡­¡± I made a barely audible whisper.


    Killing those Demons had made them quite strong. It made me want to perform a certain experiment, but I restrained myself.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite strong, Larry. Already past the Level of Ana.¡± I grinned, moving closer to him.


    The frightened young man took steps backward, not knowing if I meant what I said as a joke or otherwise.


    The cheerful expression I had on my face didn¡¯t match my dark, threatening tone.


    ¡°W-what do you want now? You said you¡¯d let us go if we fought and defeated all the Demons and we-¡°


    ¡°You failed.¡± I interrupted swiftly.


    Surely, they didn¡¯t think they had seeded when there were more Demons who chased the other deserters.


    ¡°Besides, I never promised to let you go. I only gave my word that I would exin the situation to you if you managed to survive until the end and defeated your foes¡ª a task you all failed at.¡±


    Upon hearing my response, Larry zipped it.


    ¡°So, what will you do with us now?¡± Lara asked, neither smiling nor frowning.


    Her expression was nk. I expected her to show at least some form of emotion like Larry¡ª who was simply oozing with fear.


    ¡®Well, well, well¡­.¡¯ A grin formed on my face.

 Chapter 169 Hero

    ¡°Well, for you, Lara, I¡¯ve decided that you¡¯re worth keeping alive.¡± I smiled at the young woman.


    A look of relief broke from Lara¡¯s stoic face, causing her to rx a little. She bowed a little and thanked me for sparing her life, as though it was only natural.


    This felt a little strange, considering she was five years older than me. Still, I had to get used to such treatment. After all, this was how the weak addressed the strong.


    ¡ªAnd I was strong!


    ¡°W-what of me?¡± Larry asked, cutting into my thoughts with a shivering voice.


    His eyes disyed hope that I would spare him since I had done so for the other girl. Unfortunately, his hopes were all for naught.


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re going to die here.¡± I said nkly.


    This caused Larry¡¯s eyes to bulge. His face told me that he was processing millions of thoughts concerning my decision.


    ¡°B-but why?!¡± He snapped, feeling a mix of anxiety, fear, and anger.


    He had done all he could to survive. When it came to Levels, he was also way higher than Lara. To the young man, he had every reason to live.<sub>.</sub>


    However, just as I had told him thest time we spoke¡­ ¡®Levels aren¡¯t everything!¡¯


    Well, to be more precise, it was because of his Level that I wanted him dead.


    ¡°Please, understand, Larry. It¡¯s for the greater good.¡± My lips curled up in a smile.


    It was sadistic, one could call it devilish even, the kind of expression I must have been disying.


    ¡°B-bullshit! Why do I have to die?! I-I didn¡¯t-!!!¡±


    His voice was chock-full of anger and frustration.


    After trying so hard, would his life end in such a miserable way? I was sure that was his line of thought.


    ¡°You confuse me, Larry¡­¡± My tone changed to a deeper and more intimidating one.


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯ve killed Gifteds before, haven¡¯t you? Your ¡®Evil¡¯ Alignment clearly shows that.¡±<sub></sub>


    His body froze the moment my voice reached him. Larry could profer an answer to my question.


    ¡°I-erm, it just¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°So many innocents have died by your hands, Larry. That¡¯s simply the truth¡­¡±


    My voice changed and it once again had the sweet innocence evident only when I wanted to act like a child.


    ¡°You¡¯re a bad guy, Larry. Isn¡¯t it only natural that bad guys should die?¡±


    Larry¡¯s face morphed into horror. He most likely saw a greater evil than himself standing opposite him¡ª me.


    Unfortunately for him, the System didn¡¯t register my Alignment as evil. So far I didn¡¯t kill anyone directly, it didn¡¯t count.


    Turning to Lara, my innocent, child-like smile grew wider. Appealing to her good-natured emotion, I asked her a simple question.


    ¡°What do you think, Lara?¡±<sub></sub>


    With his fate now resting on the young woman¡¯s reply, Larry¡¯s head turned to his once-only ally and his eyes begged her for mercy.


    ¡°I agree with you, Jeremy¡­ bad guys should die. The world would be a better ce without them!¡±


    Her smile resonated with mine as she said those words. Giving me the same innocent and sweet smile, it was like I was staring at a reflection of myself in the mirror. Lara, this woman, was just like me¡ª at least when it came to our personalities.


    Turning my head slowly to Larry, I gave a moderate smile and spoke in an understanding tone.


    ¡°You heard her, Larry¡­¡±


    The young man gulped, feeling the crushing weight of both mine and Lara¡¯s judgemental eyes on him.


    ¡°¡­ The world would be a better ce¡­ without you!¡±


    And, as a bonus, the world would be a much better ce with the heroes who extinguished evil and took care of the bad guys. Yes, as the one who took it upon myself to ensure that the very evil of the world died off, I could not be referred to as anything but a noble individual.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be surprised if my Alignment changes to Lawful Good under this circumstance¡­¡± I chuckled, moving closer to Larry.


    After all, I was the one who would be responsible for vanquishing an evil one¡ª a ¡®Hero¡¯


    ***********************************


    Of course, I didn¡¯t kill Larry myself. That would stain my perfect record.


    Instead, I summoned one of the Hobgoblins captured into [Subspace] and watched from a distance as it approached Larry.


    Naturally, he made to escape. It was fun to watch Larry run desperately. His eyes bulged as his legs picked up as fast as they could go.


    It was no use, though.


    ¡°Garuiikkkk!!!¡± The Hobgoblin caught up to Larry in no time.


    The ones he had fought in the past were weakened versions of the regr Hobgoblin Archers and Tankers. He stood no chance against Hobgoblin Warriors. I felt generous and gave him the ¡®Advanced Warrors¡¯ who could use Mana to coat their bodies and infuse it into their weapons.


    With Larry already so tired from hisst bout with the Demons¡ª unable to replenish his energy, he could only run sluggishly.


    His Skills were on Cooldown, his body was way past his limits so using his Gift was impossible. His Stamina was just about finished. Yet, the young man ran so well!


    ¡®I suppose this is what happens when your life is on the line¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed as my eyes darted to the young woman beside me for a second.


    Lara didn¡¯t seem fazed by the chase urring between the Demon and Larry. Strangely, she watched with a sort of academic curiosity¡ª like she was learning from the hopeless activity.


    ¡®She¡¯s so strange¡­¡¯


    We were both atop a tree. I jumped there easily while she shapeshifted into a bird or something and got there pretty easily too. While we both sat beside each other on a beach, we maintained just enough distance that things didn¡¯t feel too weird.


    ¡°Guarkkkkk!!!!¡± A pained cry sharply went into the air, causing me to return my gaze to Larry.


    The Demon had already caught up to him, tearing apart his legs in one sh.


    ¡°Arghhhh! No- ah! My legs! Arghhh!¡± He screamed, copsing to the grassy ins already dyed in blood.


    ¡°That¡¯s the least of your problem, buddy.¡±

 Chapter 170 Psychopath

    ¡°That¡¯s the least of your problem, buddy.¡± My voice leaked out in amusement.


    I was fond of talking to myself so this wasn¡¯t strange. However, out of habit, I had spoken¡ª forgetting the person who sat beside me. She had heard my snarky remark.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Lara chuckled slightly, responding to my words.


    I was a little, no, very surprised by this reaction. Even though she had done quite a lot to make me consider her strange, who wouldugh at an awful statement while another man writhed in agony¡ª close to death.


    Apparently, Lara would.


    ¡°Arghhh! Please save me! Please! I¡¯ll do anything! Please!!!¡±


    His screams irritated my ears, once again dragging me from my deep thoughts and back to his bloodied flesh.


    The Hobgoblin took its time to approach Larry¡¯s legless body, appearing to grin in excitement. From the creature¡¯s expression, it was enjoying this quite well.


    ¡®I wondered why it didn¡¯t just use its w spikes to finish Larry off moments ago. So, this monster also knows the thrill of a hunt!¡¯ I smiled in amusement.<sub>.</sub>


    Unlike before, the Demon was in charge of its prey¡ª not the other way around. It was the instinct of every living being to drown in the pleasure of superiority and dominance.


    Even though the Demon would meet its end sooner orter, I figured it was entertaining that the beast also got a good taste of despair from another living being.


    Larry¡¯s scream rang in the air once again as the Hobgoblin pressed one of its ws into his body. Squishing flesh could be heard from my distance.


    ¡°Arghhhh! Help me! It hurts! It hurts! I don¡¯t want to die! Please help me!¡± Larry screamed.


    Realizing that Lana was silent even after hearing the man¡¯s cry for help, my curiosity about her sparked once again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to help him?¡±


    My question surprised me, but I was just too flustered by her unnaturally cold attitude toward a fellow human in need of assistance. Larry was going to die, truly!


    ¡°Why should I? It benefits me in no way¡­¡± She simply whispered, giving a distant look.<sub></sub>


    I could tell that she spoke the truth. But this confused me even further. If that was the case¡ª and Lara only cared about herself first and foremost, why did she decide to join the deserters? She must have been aware of Larry¡¯s schemes.


    ¡®I suppose I¡¯ll have to ask her once this is all over¡­¡¯


    ¡°Pweasshh! H-helk mmeee! Sshavee m-ee!¡±


    Larry¡¯s voice was now distorted as the demon pierced him with another w.


    The Hobgoblin (Advanced Warrior), raised Larry¡¯s powerless body, as though disying it to fully appreciate the bloody form of helpless prey.


    I had one image pop into my mind once I saw this¡ª a kebab!


    Larry looked like he was meat on a stick. The blood and partial intestines that poured out were like the sauce added to the meat to produce a juicy taste. Perhaps this Demon thought so as well, considering it was resorting to this means.


    ¡°Pwweashhh¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ dooo.. a-anyshiinn¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    >CHOMP!<


    The Demon instantly interrupted Larry¡¯s final plea for help by biting off his head. Blood sprayed from his neck and his body went cold. Having no strength left to resist the creature¡ª not that there was much in the first ce, Larry¡¯s body was no more than a lump of meat that the Demon enjoyed to its fullest.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough¡­ he¡¯s dead,¡± I mumbled, sending a couple of my weapons at the Hobgoblin.


    >WHOOOSH!!!<


    In a sh, the multiple daggers pierced various parts of the Demon, killing it instantly. The Demon fell in Larry¡¯s pool of blood and sent his remains flying as it crashed¡ªturning into dust.


    At least, I could say I avenged Larry. That was a benevolent act. If I had sent the monster back into [Subspace], then there was no way to distinguish which of the Hobgoblins ate Larry. This way, I put an end to the chain of hatred.


    It was funny how the whole thing yed out, or perhaps it was just me. By human standards, only one word would be able to describe me well¡­ a psychopath.


    ¡°Meh, the System says I¡¯m okay,¡± I mumbled under my breath.


    And the System was never wrong!


    ¡°We should get down now¡­¡±


    Following my words, I descended to the ground while Lara turned into a bug and once flew downward. Seeing her morph back so fluidly, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was a limit to her Gift. As a shapeshifter, her growth was nearly endless.


    I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to give away my thoughts¡ª though it was toote since Lara had already sensed me looking in her direction.


    The young woman gave a short smile and shrugged, making me feel like I was being yed. From a distant corner of her eye though, I could see caution and fear toward me embedded therein.


    ¡®Looks like one of the objectives has been achieved¡­¡¯


    I had two agendas when I sent Larry to his death. One was to inspire fear within Lara. Once she witnessed my ruthlessness and ability to decide the fate of someone far superior to her in terms of Levels, there was no way she would take me lightly¡ª though it didn¡¯t seem like she ever did.


    The second reason was what I decided to check next.


    ¡°Status Window¡±


    Responding to mymand, the System disyed my information. I didn¡¯t bother checking anything else, since I had already seen how strong I had gotten. My eyes went straight to a particr spot.


    [.]


    ¨C Karma Points: 2,130


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 155


    [.]


    My Karma Points had taken a boost¡ª a good thing, but that wasn¡¯t my goal. A wide grin formed on my face as I witnessed the growth in (G) Karma Points.


    I had 50 (G) Karma Points prior to Larry¡¯s death. It has increased by 105, a great sum. As expected, high-leveled Gifteds produced more (G) Karma Points.


    ¡®That¡¯s it! I have to make sure the Subjugation team members level up like crazy!¡¯

 Chapter 171 The Woman Called Lara (Pt 1)

    I felt ufortable seeing the remnants of Larry¡¯s corpse so I sent the entire thing into [Subspace]. This made me, once again, grateful for my Gift¡¯s upgrade.


    ¡®Whew! I¡¯m happy I don¡¯t need to touch that stuff!¡¯ My mind rang happily.


    I caught Lara observing my actions with a degree of interest in her eyes. She was curious about the true nature of my Gift, no doubt.


    Well, there were a few things about her I was curious about too. It was good that she had also developed¡ª or rather, reciprocated the interest I showed.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    My question caused her to look at me in puzzlement. After what seemed like a few seconds of consideration she nodded while replying positively.


    She was honest¡ªgood.<sub>.</sub>


    I summoned a decent amount of food for the both of us since I was feeling a little famished myself. Meat, vegetables, with freshly made rice which I had cooked in my spare time in the apartment¡ª all lined up on the neat mat I had also taken out from my special storage.


    Since any object ced within [Subspace] maintained its state before entry, the pot of rice was still smoking hot.


    ¡°A-ah¡­?¡± She made a confused look, disying both disbelief and an extreme expression of hunger.


    More than anything, I sensed that this woman wanted to eat the food I provided badly. I didn¡¯t mind.


    Bringing out five tes from my storage, I served us rice on different tes¡ª using the three others for meat and veggies. Of course, as a growing boy, it was important for me to take my vegetables. Giving her the two tes that contained stir-fried rice (my personal favorite) and meat, I took three which had vegetables as an addition.


    With bottles of milk on the side, and water¡ª just in case the milk wasn¡¯t enough, our meal was well-bnced.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Welp, let¡¯s eat,¡± I stated and delved into my meal.


    Just like me, the woman didn¡¯t bother offering any word of prayer before eating. After offering her thanks, she simply helped herself to the meal before her.


    ¡®Not a pious one, eh?¡¯ I reasoned after eyeing her with one eye.


    Well, what did I expect from someone who didn¡¯t bat an eye when a fellow human being died. She ate the meal with gumption, making sure she bnced the taste of meat with the freshly made and well-seasoned rice. Milk came after she had taken sufficient rice and meat. She didn¡¯t touch the water for some reason.


    I understood things from her perspective. While I wouldn¡¯t consider myself a great cook, I wasn¡¯t half-bad. After consuming the Camp¡¯s meals for so long, it was only natural that eating my food would feel like pure bliss.


    ¡®The only reason I refrained from helping myself to cooked meals like this is because of the aroma it leaves behind¡­¡¯ I smiled, taking another spoonful of delicious rice.<sub></sub>


    If I had taken such food in the Camp, there was no way to erase the smell. That was why I only resorted to snacks and processed meals after meeting up with Ana¡¯s team. I had to say¡­ eating piping hot meals like this was a treat.


    In an Apocalypse like this, it was a very rare thing to eat well-bnced foods without worry. For me, though, it was no big deal. I had an abundance of ingredients thanks to all the houses I raided. It was also rtively easy to cook since a lot of burners in the apartments nearby ran on gas tanks. I had lots to spare even after making so many meals.


    Finally, it was safe to cook since there were no Demons fairly near my apartment who could smell my cooking. It was fun¡ª the interval between when I conquered my apartment and the nearby area, and the moment Ana¡¯s team waltzed into my life.


    The meal was enjoyed in silence, just as I preferred. Surprisingly, Lara finished her food before me and enjoyed the bottle of water after she was done. I finished not long after and gave a powerful ¡®huff¡¯.


    ¡®That was a truly good meal!¡¯ I beamed in satisfaction.


    ¡°Thanks for the meal, Jeremy,¡± Lara said with a warm smile coupled with gratitude.


    It felt weird being called by my name by such a stranger, but I allowed it. If anyone spotted us from a distance, they would think we were having a pic outdoors. Well, if one could ignore the devastation around the area and therge footsteps of Demons around us caused by the thousands vanquished yesterday¡ª then I suppose a pic was a good way to describe the sight.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± I smiled at her, returning our tes into [Subspace]. With only my bottle of water and hers left, I gazed at her one more time.


    She had a mature demeanor, entuating her smooth skin. Well, she had some freckles on her nose¡ª but they weren¡¯t too noticeable. Her slightly dark auburn hair fit perfectly with her eyes.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re curious about me. I understand.¡± She smiled.


    Once again, this woman chose the forward approach with me. While I could have chosen to subject Lara to servitude and make her address me as stuff like ¡®master¡¯ or whatnot, in the end, that would be superficial.


    A direct¡ª more realistic approach would be perfect for both of us.


    ¡°Yes, I am. Did you enjoy your meal?¡±


    She nodded in response.


    ¡°Yes. I also know it wasn¡¯t for free.¡±


    This time I nodded in response. Compelling her to reveal all she could to me was one way to go about things. With <Rule>, that would be a cinch. However, I somehow wanted a more fluid conversation.


    She would be the first human who would interact normally with me, even after seeing what I was capable of. I was curious about her¡ª yes. But, I was also quite bored and lonely. Perhaps she would serve as a good partner to talk to, something along that line yed in my head.


    ¡®Just this once, can I just loosen up a little?¡¯

 Chapter 172 The Woman Called Lara (Pt 2)

    ¡®Just this once, can I just loosen up a little?¡¯


    Of course, I didn¡¯t mean to let my guard down. However, I had put on a wall that always masked my true intentions to others. People like Ana, Lily, Daniel, and even Charles didn¡¯t really know who I was and what I was capable of.


    If I was to fully express myself to this woman, would I be able to let go of the loneliness welling up within me? No one understood my point of view in this world¡ª no, even before now. However, Lara felt like a kindred spirit. Perhaps if it was her¡­


    In any case, the problem was how to begin the conversation and gear it in the direction I wanted. I could think of a bunch of questions I wanted to ask, but couldn¡¯t decide on a particr one to start from.


    ¡°My full name is Lara Jerfied. I¡¯m twenty-three, a Gifted like you. I am, no¡­ I was a Psychiatrist.¡±


    I was shocked that she started her introduction before even needing me to kickstart the conversation. As she kept talking, I found out more about her.


    ¡®A psychiatrist, eh? No wonder she¡¯s weird¡­¡¯ I thought to myself.<sub>.</sub>


    Apparently, she had just finished her thesis for her doctorate, an impressive feat for a woman so young. She must have been considered a prodigy when the world was still normal. It would be no understatement to say she would have appeared on the news at some point.


    ¡®Welp, I wouldn¡¯t have heard of her¡­ I didn¡¯t care about stuff like that.¡¯ I mused


    She also told me about how she used to work at a mentally ill facility and dealt with various kinds of people. It was interesting, hearing her speak about her very ¡®peculiar¡¯ line of work. This was most likely what shaped her mentality into what it was now.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m weird, don¡¯t you?¡± Lara smiled, appearing to realize that I was analyzing all she was telling me.


    Even though I told myself to loosen up, I couldn¡¯t shake up the habit of critically examining everything being spoken. Well, with a woman as mentally sharp as Lara, it was probably best to keep my guard up.


    ¡°In my opinion, you¡¯re the weird one, you know¡­¡± Lara mumbled, shrugging a little.<sub></sub>


    She seemed a little upset that I didn¡¯t respond to her earlier question. For some time now, she had been the one speaking. I only listened. It was difficult talking to someone who seemed to be able to guess my thoughts and read in-between the lines.


    ¡®Before I address something, she¡¯ll talk about it. There¡¯s really no space for me to enter the conversation¡­¡¯


    ¡°How¡­ am I weird?¡± I finally asked, fumbling a little in my speech.


    That was a little embarrassing, messing up in front of someone I was superior to. Perhaps it was due to our age gap? No. Charles was way older and he was also mature.


    Maybe it was the look in her eyes and her smile that seemed to gnaw at my unease. I didn¡¯t like the emotions of confusion welling up within me¡ª but enduring was the only solution.


    ¡°Well, for one¡­ you¡¯re too grown for your age. I¡¯m a psychiatrist, you know? I¡¯ve seen many cases of mature teenagers and immature adults. I¡¯ve personally addressed people with warped personalities¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    As Lara spoke, she revealed the existence of a child who killed both parents all for something petty, even adults who resorted to eating their children. Several nasty stuff popped up and I was surprised by the cruelty and insanity abreast even in society before it all came crashing down.


    ¡°¡­ But you¡¯re different. I¡¯ve never seen a case like you. Perhaps that¡¯s what makes me so interested in you.¡± She smiled, a bit of mischief evident in the glint within her eyes.


    My emotions were in check, so I wasn¡¯t flustered in the slightest. Lara was ying a game. As a psychiatrist, she must have learned various techniques to get her patients to talk¡ª as an expert in the field, there was no doubt she was trying to use various means to reveal ¡®things¡¯ she was interested in.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m interested in you too. Your Gift is extremely useful, and I particrly like how your mind works.¡±


    Compliments were essential in conversations like this. I could tell¡ª since I was also moved by the words she used to address me.


    ¡°Well, thank you.¡± She smiled slightly, though hiding a deeper expression underneath her expression.


    It was quite an interesting game. Our conversation wasyered on personal interests. I had thought we could rte freely, but our personalities were too simr. Upon realizing that I was speaking to a mind like mine, the hope of a normal heart-to-heart was vanquished.


    The only advantage I had over her was my superiority. For my safety, killing her would be best. But, it would be too much of a waste. Greed lit up in my eyes as I realized that I wanted this woman¡­ in her entirety.


    ¡°Lara¡­ I like you.¡± I smiled, giving my first truly sincere words since the conversation began.


    Her eyes lit up a little, clearly surprised that I had gone down the honest route. The only way I could get to see her true self was if I revealed a bit of mine first.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I feel the same way. It¡¯s the opposite actually. You frighten me, if I¡¯m being honest.¡± Her arms shifted a little, showing difort.


    Her confident grin was gone and her face clouded up. Whether this was an act or not¡ª I couldn¡¯t say, but it felt real.


    ording to the words she uttered after making this initial statement, she mentioned how my cruelty and abilities sent shivers down her spine. However, she wasn¡¯t lying about her interest in me either.


    As expected, it was wise to show her Larry¡¯s death. That, as well as the merciless way I sent the other deserters to their deaths, showed that I could easily kill her if she offended me, proved to be a threat, or grew less interesting.


    Her life was in the palm of my hand. She was scared for no reason, though¡ª at least for the most part. Strangely, I didn¡¯t want to kill this woman.


    The thought of ¡®I can use her!¡¯ kept shing in my mind. A bright smile formed on my face and I looked at Lara once again.


    ¡®Well, what¡¯s the harm in keeping her¡­?¡¯

 Chapter 173 Anas Return (Pt 1)

    Lara and I talked for a little longer, spending over an hour together¡ª meals included.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop here for today.¡±


    I had gotten enough information about her to satiate my present curiosity. The best way to utilize someone like her would be to fully exploit the [Shapeshifting] Gift she possessed.


    Of course, I told her my intentions and she had no objections. She had to earn her keep, after all.


    ¡°You need to get strong, though¡­ stronger than you currently are!¡±


    I had no use for weaklings. Her Gift would only make for better utility if she was considerably strong.


    My n was to incorporate her into the surviving members of the Subjugation Team and fatten them up together. The strategy was efficient, however, one problem was evident in it.


    ¡°I ditched the camp alongside the others, right? How would you be able to bring me back into the fold?¡± She asked.<sub>.</sub>


    My grin stretched wider. I had already anticipated this issue.


    ording to Lara¡¯s earlier exnation, she was already aware¡ª to an extent, of Larry¡¯s ns. The sly woman didn¡¯t trust him for a moment. The only reason she decided to abandon Charles¡¯ Camp was that she wanted to avoidbat.


    She intended to shapeshift into a bug or something when everyone¡¯s guard was down and disappear. She would trail Larry and the other deserters to the new Camp. After that, it would only be a matter of time for someone with her wits to find a way to survive¡ª depending on the circumstances.


    It wasn¡¯t a bad n, unfortunately, the whole thing was thwarted by me.


    ¡°I know that I can¡¯t avoidbat now¡­¡± Her voice had trailed after telling me her initial goal.


    She was right. If she intended on being dead weight, I would kill her off. There was already a fine example of that in my record, though it was a memory I would rather leave behind.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that,¡± I replied to her concern about my n on integrating her with the surviving camp members in,[Subspace]<sub></sub>


    For one, the one known as Jeremy was already dead. I was known as the masked hero to the Camp members¡ª the Subjugation Squad all feared and respected me. It would be a cinch to bring Lara to the table¡­ especially if she had a considerably high level.


    ¡°Before I introduce you to them, I¡¯m going to have you Level Up a bit.¡± I decided.


    At the moment, while she was strong based on the Camp¡¯s standard, I needed more. The strong and weak both respected the strong. If Lara had considerable strength, no one would even dare to harbor any trace of suspicion or me toward her.


    ¡®Even if I endorse her using my masked man persona, it¡¯ll be better if she¡¯s a force to be reckoned with¡­¡¯


    Using this logic, I decided to groom her a little.


    ¡®I have so many Demons within my special space¡­ might as well put some of them to work.¡¯


    I was looking forward to this¡ª Lara¡¯s evolution!<sub></sub>


    ********************************


    ¡°Haa¡­ we¡¯re finally back.¡± Ana smiled satisfactorily.


    Her smile was weary, her eyes tired. However, she remained strong in her resolute expression.


    Standing behind her were the remaining members of her expedition squad. Peter, Daniel, and Lily all looked equally tired. It had been a grueling task for them to have made it so far in such a short while.


    ¡®Usually, we would be reaching the Camp in the evening¡­¡¯ Her thoughts trailed.


    They were early by a couple of hours. This was due to the hurry everyone had been in. The group wanted to arrive soon so they could join the rest at the battlefront.


    Even though their numbers were few, it would still make a big difference since Ana¡¯s squad was elite.


    That was the general reason for their rush, but there was one more that Ana had in mind. It was something everyone also thought of, but she was the most concerned about the deep-seated issue that burdened her heart.


    ¡°Jeremy¡­ I hope he¡¯s fine.¡±


    The guard stationed atop the verandah saw Ana¡¯s team and called another to help him open the gates.


    The two turned the lever, straining as they worked themselves to the bone in order to lift the heavy metal gate.


    Sounds of creaking metal and grinding iron reverberated around as Ana and the others hurriedly entered the building. Taking note of this, Ana could deduce what was happening. A great deal of the Camp members either went to subjugate the horde, or left.


    The Camp was shorthanded as a result. Only those who were working on the borehole/nting project were left, as well as a lookout officer who would often switch with those who engaged in hard work at intervals.


    Anyone in the scout position did nearly nothing, so the pst was considered as a ¡®break¡¯ for those who took the shift and rotated it among themselves.


    As Ana ventured into the ce that once bustled with excitement and sound, she realized how empty everywhere was. No one came to wee her since they were all so busy.


    She didn¡¯t expect a warm wee, though. Her head was raised and her eyes darted to the floor where her room was. Jeremy was supposed to be safely tucked in bed or perhaps in Charles¡¯ office.


    ¡®I should check up on him first!¡¯ Her mind raced.


    Like an anxious mother, worried about her child¡ª Ana couldn¡¯t get the thought of Jeremy out of her mind. He had been all she could think about throughout the Expedition. The desire to see him at the moment grew exponentially stronger now that she was at the Camp.


    However, Ana was bound by her Alignment. As one who donned the persona of a crusader, responsibility mattered most. Since her duty had not yet been fulfilled, she had to restrain herself from further action.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­ we¡¯ll report to Charles first?¡± Her voice rang out, though it appeared to be addressed toward her team members, she was actually telling this to herself.


    Ana¡¯s team members positively responded, and with her in the lead, they made their way to Charles¡¯ office.

 Chapter 174 Anas Return (Pt 2)

    ¡°WHAAAAATTTT?!¡± Ana¡¯s loud shriek pierced everything in the room.


    The shock she felt clearly disyed on her face as the young woman red at the one in front of her while still letting out a surprised noise.


    ¡°Ana, calm down.¡± Charles quickly interjected. H


    ¡°What the hell, Charles? How can I calm down?!¡± Ana let out, refusing the man¡¯s request.


    At this point, she had let go of the notion of superiority. Ana¡¯s rage was far too intense for her to consider such a thing.


    Charles looked a little flustered and even annoyed by Ana¡¯s reaction¡ª this only caused thetter to re up in greater anger.


    ¡°You sent Jeremy to the battlefront?! How could you?!¡± Her shriek increased with each passing statement.


    Charles attempted to speak, but she cut him short and kept spurting words of annoyance and disbelief.<sub>.</sub>


    Not only Ana, but every member of her team expressed their displeasure¡ª of course, none of them were bold enough to say anything, but through their facial reactions, they supported Ana¡¯s fury against the Camp Leader.


    Charles was exhausted at this point. Frustration didn¡¯t even begin to describe the emotion that swirled deeply within him. Was there any way for him to exin to the woman in front of him that her worry was misced?


    ¡°Jeremy is nothing but a weak boy! He did so much for the Camp, yet you still sent him to die!?!¡±


    Charles wanted to scream, but he kept hisposure. Ana didn¡¯t understand anything¡ª that was why she was able to valiantly fight for Jeremy with so much energy.


    ¡°Exin yourself, Charles!¡± The seething young woman demanded.


    ¡®What should I tell you, Ana?¡¯


    Charles couldn¡¯t have told her the truth, now could he?<sub></sub>


    ¡®Hey, Ana, do you know the ¡®weak boy¡¯ you¡¯re so worried about is powerful enough to level this entire Camp? He has been fooling everyone this whole time!¡¯


    Charles couldn¡¯t have said these words to her. He wanted to, so badly, but what would that achieve? Even if she believed him by some miracle, Ana was no match for Jeremy. Plus, as things stood, the entire squad was relying on Jeremy.


    It was no understatement to say that the Camp¡¯s survival was only guaranteed by Jeremy¡¯s existence. Plus, the current n was enacted by the ¡®weak boy¡¯ that Ana wanted to protect so much.


    ¡®I just have to y by his rules¡­ for now¡­¡¯ Charles but his teeth.


    Despite his growing hatred for the boy, he couldn¡¯t lose sight of his goals. Besides, his dear wife was currently on the field with Jeremy. She was more or less a hostage.


    ¡°Let me make myself perfectly clear, Ana¡­¡± Charles began, finally obtaining the opportunity to speak.


    Ana¡¯s eyes were still aze with rage, but she allowed the Camp Leader to speak his mind¡­ she wasn¡¯t entirely unreasonable, after all.<sub></sub>


    ¡°This is what Jeremy wanted.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ana burst out in another tantrum.


    ¡°Why would you even use that as a basis to-¡°


    Jeremy might have wanted to contribute to the Camp since he would be viewed as a burden to his new family if he did nothing, but Ana knew he was only a powerless boy. Why would Charles listen to the selfless request of such an innocent child?


    ¡°It¡¯s because that¡¯s the final resort we need to win!¡± Charles dered, banging his hand on the desk to request decorum.


    He had just uttered a lie.


    But, just as Jeremy wanted, he would go with the n and deceive Ana. That was the only way things would be resolved¡ª though just barely.


    ¡°W-what are you talking about?¡± Ana muttered, slowly mellowing out.


    ¡°Jeremy told you, didn¡¯t he? That there was a way he could help the Camp contact the Masked man¡­ but he could only reveal that to me.¡±


    Ana nodded, clearly remembering that Charles and Jeremy had had many private sessions all because of this ¡®secret n¡¯. She had thought the Camp Leader was warming up to him, but to think he still sent him out to die!


    ¡°Well, the only way to contact the Masked man is if Jeremy gets in contact with a Demon. Apparently, the masked man imbued Jeremy¡¯s Status with that effect. If he¡¯s in any grave danger of Demon aggression, the masked man would appear!¡±


    Ana listened in astonishment. She didn¡¯t know anything like this.


    ¡°B-but, that means¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. He offered to go with the Subjugation team in case they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the Demon Horde. His presence with them only serves as ast resort and I¡¯m sure Daniel and everyone else will ensure that his safety is top priority¡ª second only to stopping the Horde.


    Ana gritted her teeth as soon as Charles made that statement. Something about it didn¡¯t seem right.


    ¡°Why¡­ would you allow something like that? He¡¯s only a harmless child¡­¡±


    Charles felt like screaming a bug ¡®NO!¡¯ but once again kept his emotions in check. For the sake of the Camp¡¯s safety¡ª for his family¡­ Charles has to y by Jeremy¡¯s rules.


    ¡°It was the only way, Ana. Hopefully, it won¡¯te to that. The formation ensures he is given the safest position, so there¡¯s no need to worry about him so much. The only way he dies is if everyone on the Subjugation team dies. And¡­ if that happens, the. The Horde will make its way here and everyone in this Camp will meet the same fate as well.¡±


    Charles made a valid point. If Jeremy was bound to die in the Subjugation team, it meant he would die if he stayed back too. The judgment was logical and cold-blooded. As one who was easily swayed by her emotion, Ana found that uneptable.


    ¡°How can you just make a n like that? Charles¡­ are you even human?¡± Her whisper indicated hatred, something Charles felt he didn¡¯t deserve.


    In the first ce, the n wasn¡¯t his¡ª Jeremy wrote a script and all he was doing was following his lines. Plus, it wasn¡¯t like the Camp Leader had nothing to lose either. His wife was in the Subjugation Team as well.


    He hoped, more than anything, that they all returned alive.


    ¡°Call me whatever you want. As long as the enemies are vanquished¡­ that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

 Chapter 175 Hope For The Future

    ¡°Call me whatever you want. As long as the enemies are vanquished¡­ that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    Ana was not surprised to hear Charles utter those words, but still felt utterly terrible by his nonchnt¡ª no, justified actions.


    ¡°What did I expect from someone like you¡­¡± She spat.


    Her trust for Charles was now hanging by a thread, but she still couldn¡¯t deny his authority.


    ¡°I¡¯ll chase after Jeremy the moment I¡¯m done giving my report!¡±


    Charles sighed the moment he heard this. He had expected her answer to go along this line. Still, he had to stop her.


    ¡°Would you be reasonable, Ana? In your current condition, you¡¯re exhausted. If you encounter a group of Hobs you wouldn¡¯t be able to hold your own!¡±


    Ana¡¯s eyes tightened¡ª she had already realized this. However, there was no way she could abandon Jeremy to suffer an unpredictable fate.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Just as you want to protect Jeremy, I¡¯m sure he wants to do the same for you. That¡¯s probably why he chose to go with the Subjugation squad. Of you end up suffering severe injuries¡­ or worse¡­ do you think he¡¯ll be able to live with himself.¡±


    Ana¡¯s guilt was piling up as Charles gave her rational argumentsyer byyer. The young woman gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Then¡­ what do you expect me to do? Sit here knowing that every moment I waste is detrimental to Jeremy?¡± Her low undertone showed a hint of stubbornness and slight animosity.


    Charles gulped. Ana was quite scary when she became like this. Plus, with his [Mind¡¯s Eye], he knew she was speaking the truth. All the feelings she had toward Jeremy were genuine. That made things more bothersome.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m asking you to trust the team. I can show you the Subjugation n if you want. It¡¯s something that doesn¡¯t ce Jeremy in any form of danger. I promise.¡±


    The suspicion in Ana¡¯s eyes wasn¡¯tpletely gone even after she was told this.


    Charles took his time to exin things to her until she saw theplete efficiency of the strategy being used. In all honesty, Jeremy couldn¡¯t have been any safer.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Besides¡­ do you really think Daniel would allow Jeremy to face any danger?¡±


    Upon saying this, Charles added more validity to his promise of Jeremy¡¯s safety. Daniel, like Ana, had a noble Alignment. They both believed in justice and did what was right. If he mentioned Daniel, Ana would have no choice but to concede.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll trust your words. But, first thing tomorrow, I¡¯m leaving! The Subjugation team still needs the support of my squad.¡±


    Charles nodded at Ana¡¯s words. There was no way he would have been able to win against her stubbornness anyway.


    ¡°Fine. Now, then, can we return to the matter at hand? What resources did you bring this time?¡±


    With that, the chapter to Jeremy was closed and the people within Charles¡¯ office focused on the result of their mission. As expected, Charles saw many useful items within the supplies they brought.


    Jeremy had already left behind enough food tost the time they needed toplete the project, so the appliances and clothing that Ana¡¯s team brought would be quite useful.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Thank you, everyone. You did an excellent job!¡±


    The group sighed in satisfaction. Charles almost never praised them for their efforts. They thought this would be the same, especially since he had been mentioning the dire state the Camp was in. To their surprise, he seemed pretty calm about everything.


    After a short moment of telling Charles of their less-than-eventful encounter, the group was excused.


    As soon as they shut the door and the Camp Leader was left all alone in his office, he sighed heavily.


    ¡°Damn you, Jeremy!¡± Banging his fist on the table, he growled in annoyance.


    He had to paint himself to be the bad guy in front of one of his most capable Camp members. Even if the Horse incident became resolved and they all survived, his reputation had been irreparably damaged.


    This was all a result of Jeremy¡¯s strategy. If only he didn¡¯t y games as he did and just came clean to everyone¡ª there would be no need for resorting to tactics like this.


    Still, in a way, it was unavoidable. Their only hope of winning was Jeremy, though it pained Charles to admit it.


    With his wife absent, the burdens of the Camp weighed very heavily on the man¡¯s mind. His brows furrowed in exhaustion. He usually had his daughtere over to check up on her, but none of the Camp members knew she was actually his.


    ording to the story he and Tasha made up, they found her somewhere and ended up taking her in. The reason for that was the fear that his daughter may suffer for any of his actions. To keep her safe from the dissatisfaction of the Camp members or any special treatment, he had to hide her identity.


    ¡®That means I can¡¯t see her every time. But, if it¡¯s for her safety¡­ then that¡¯s fine.¡¯


    So far, only eleven children were in the Camp, most of which were direct rtives of the Camp members. Though one could call them Dead Weight, Charles could see their potential through his Gift.


    They all possessed marvelous Gifts. Once the children grew up, they would no doubt be capable of surviving on their own.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s true what they say¡­¡± Charles mused to himself.


    ¡°¡­ Children are the future.¡±


    *********************************


    In a dark room that reeked of alcohol and cigarettes sat a man. There was arge sofa where he rested his body and he was cross-legged on the desk in front of him, raising his legs slightly.


    The man puffed a cloud of smoke as he looked at the ceiling. The ce around him was a mess¡ª dirtyundry, remnant food, waste¡­ the list could go on.


    If not for the darkness currently pervading the room, anyone who walked in would be able to see the terrible state of the environment this man stayed in.


    The man exhaled another cloud of smoke from his nose and removed the cigarettes from his mouth, causing more white mist to leave his lungs through his pursed lips.


    A small smile appeared on his face as he appeared to contemte something.


    ¡°So¡­ Larry¡¯s dead, uh?¡±

 Chapter 176 Looming Darkness

    ¡°So, Larry¡¯s dead, uh?¡± A deep voice whispered in the darkness.


    More smoke came from his mouth as his absent-minded eyes stared at the ceiling. The expression on his face was impossible to tell. Did he feel angry, vengeful, or relieved?


    Suddenly, a knock interrupted the man¡¯s mncholy. The knock sounded three times, each resounding in loud rhythms.


    After the knocks sounded, without so much as a word from the man who dwelled alone in the darkness, the door leading to his office opened.


    >CREAK!<


    Slowly, light was let into his private space, brightening up the area while also letting in fresh air.


    ¡°Urgh!¡± Came the voice of the person who entered the office.


    His face looked rough and his brows were furrowed with disgust. Walking into the office, he crinkled his nose to withstand the horrid smell that invaded his senses.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Boss¡­ I¡¯m here about the report you ordered.¡± The man spoke after walking a good distance from the entrance.


    He had left the only visible entrance/exit to the office open to allow for the escape of the putrid smell of abination of various unsavory things¡ª at least until he left.


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± The one addressed as the boss, also the one who had been smoking a couple of seconds ago, spoke in a gruff tone.


    He dropped the cigarettes on his table, not batting an eye about it. The man now dropped his face and looked at the one who entered his office with a re¡ª an expression that was constantly worn on his face.


    ¡°¡­ And? What did you find out?¡± The Boss asked.


    A nearly invisible cloud of shite mist came out of the man¡¯s mouth, the final vestiges of the smoke that remained in his lungs. Now purged of all the smoke in his lungs, he took in a whiff of the air and calmed his nerves.


    The underling, perhaps better known as his subordinate nodded and began speaking.<sub></sub>


    ¡°After watching their camp for two days now, we¡¯ve noticed significant changes. For one, it appears scanty¡ª barely any activity at all is evident there. James also used his [Detective] Gift, and so far there are less than fifty Camp Members in their building.¡±


    The Boss nodded, taking in all the information he was gaining. What was being reported was unexpected, but it only confirmed the fact that something strange was going on in Charles¡¯ Camp.


    ¡°Did anything strange happen within the span of a few hours since you checked?¡± The Boss asked.


    ¡°You mean, stranger than the fact that their base is nearly abandoned? Well, one of their major Subjugation parties arrived. The one led by Anabelle.¡±


    The Boss smiled, remembering that name quite well. He gestured for his subordinate to continue.


    ¡°As for signs of our ally¡­ we didn¡¯t get anything of the sort. Larry, whom we sent to infiltrate their Camp isn¡¯t currently there¡­ as well as several others. We are not sure why they-¡°


    ¡°Larry is dead.¡± The Boss interrupted his subordinate¡¯s report.<sub></sub>


    This shocked the adult man. He fought to regain hisposure and stared at his leader in shock. Their boss wasn¡¯t one to joke about something like that¡­ so it had to be true.


    ¡°W-when¡­?¡± The subordinate asked.


    ¡°I received the notification a few minutes ago¡­ so it had to be within thest hour or so. Maybe a little longer.¡±


    The Boss didn¡¯t have any tone of remorse or loss. A subordinate of his had just been confirmed dead, yet he showed little to no emotion.


    ¡°Is this connected to the reason you told us to watch Charles¡¯ Camp, even though Larry was already stationed there?¡± The subordinate asked with curiosity.


    It was hard reading his superior, but¡­ if only he had more information¡ª then maybe¡­


    ¡°I lost connection with Larry a few days ago. He wasn¡¯t dead, but I just couldn¡¯t get his wavelength. After that, I became curious. After waiting and still sensing nothing, I sent your team to observe their Camp.¡±


    The subordinate listened carefully.


    ¡°Yesterday, in your absence, I sensed his presence again¡­ for a short while. But, after an hour or so, I couldn¡¯t sense him again.¡±


    The words of his boss sounded strange, but he knew everything had to be the truth.


    ¡°Then, I sensed his existence not too long ago¡­ only for him to be registered dead some minutes after. I have now confirmed Larry¡¯s death.¡± The Boss spoke sternly.


    It wasn¡¯t impossible for someone like Larry to die, but the inconsistencies that urred before his death were what was more puzzling.


    ¡°For them to have killed him, they probably know of our existence¡­¡± The subordinate spoke, trying to analyze things calmly.


    Their group had intended to raid Charles¡¯ Camp after spying on it considerably well. Not only did the Camp have more resources than they currently possessed, but it was also chock full of humans that could serve as EXP. Now that the mole they had sent there was dead, itplicated their n.


    ¡°You said their numbers have reduced, no? No one other than Ana¡¯s team has ventured within. There¡¯s only one possibility¡ª and it must be that they¡¯ve mobilized their forces for a mission.¡±


    The Boss didn¡¯t know why Charles had taken out a great deal of his members, but this was the perfect opportunity for their group. Now that Larry waspromised, their ns had to be enacted much faster before the likelihood of failure increased.


    ¡°They currently don¡¯t have many people in their Camp so it¡¯s the best time for a raid. Is that what you¡¯re saying, Boss?¡± The subordinate asked, thinking about the n¡ª it was spot-on!


    ¡°Of course. Besides, other than for the sake of strategy¡­¡± The Boss finally arose from his seat.


    He was tall, no, huge. He appeared to be over seven feet tall¡ª taking on the appearance of a menacing silhouette. Having a brimming expression in his eyes, the man had a wide grin on his face.


    ¡°¡­. They took out one of our own¡­ its time to return the favor!¡±


    Despite his calm facade, the boss of the ¡®yers¡¯ was not the one who remained calm after noticing such news like this. Bloodlust raged throughout his body as the strong emotions of vengeance coursed through his veins.


    ¡°They¡¯ll pay for killing one of my men, I¡ª Kevin Smith, swear it!¡±

 Chapter 177 Laras Growth

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough!¡± I dered.


    At that very moment, the final Demon turned to dust and dropped its Core before vanishing. The one beside the monster was none other than the feminine figure of Lara.


    ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± She heaved and breathed heavily.


    Sweat was all over her face as the woman copsed on the ground in exhaustion.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile in satisfaction, feeling a little proud of Lara¡¯s achievement in such a short span of time.


    Focusing on the resting woman, I saw her brief Status Window.


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]


    Name: Lara


    Race: Human


    Sex: Female


    Level: 41


    Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    [End Of Information]


    She had gained quite the Level,pared to the measly number of 17. Feeling like a proud parent, my grin expanded even further. Thanks to my supervision and a careful matchup with the Demons she faced, she was able toe this far.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®Well, this should be good enough¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed.


    I moved closer to Lara and appeared directly in front of her. She seemed to notice my presence and fidgeted a little, though not making any big movements as a result of her tired state.


    ¡°Well done, but we¡¯re not done yet,¡± I said softly.


    Her face turned, allowing me to see her very beautiful look¡ª well, it was smeared in sweat and dirt at the current moment. Plus, a look of fear enveloped her face.


    ¡°W-wha-¡­? There¡¯s more¡­?¡± She huffed, straining with every word she released.


    ¡°Of course!¡± I dered, rising from my squat.


    While she had Leveled Up nicely and was at an adequate level, strong, by the current standard¡ª Lara stillcked other things.


    ¡°You need Skills!¡±


    Thanks to her current Level, she could learn 5 Skills. Of course, I already knew the ones I would pick for her.


    <Muscrity>


    <Coordination>


    <Camouge>


    <Mana Control><sub></sub>


    <Fireball>


    Thest two were newly obtained Skills gotten from the Caster Hobgoblins. I also learned these Skills and maxed them out since the Demon Cores were more than enough for me.


    Of course, I ensured Lara didn¡¯t achieve the same level of mastery as me. Her Skills all stopped at Level 5 at most.


    Using this means, she wasn¡¯t going to be better or equal to me at anything, Levels or Skills.


    Some might have called it selfishness, but I was fine with that. In the first ce, the only reason I kept her around was for my benefit.


    I wasn¡¯t too focused on Lara that I neglected my own growth too. Even as she fought, I ensured I used the new Demon Cores gotten from the subjugated monsters wisely.


    ¡°Okay then¡­ let¡¯s look at what I¡¯ve got now¡­¡±


    [SKILLS]


    * Slot 1 ¨C <w Attack>


    * Slot 2 ¨C <Spike Attack>


    * Slot 3 ¨C <Venomous Spikes>


    * Slot 4 ¨C <Steal>


    * Slot 5 ¨C <Recall><sub></sub>


    * Slot 6 ¨C <Summon>/Automatic Summon


    * Slot 7 ¨C <Roar>


    * Slot 8 ¨C <Rule>


    * Slot 9 ¨C <Spike Skin>


    * Slot 10 ¨C <Aura>


    * Slot 11 ¨C <Mine Alone>


    * Slot 12 ¨C <Nimble>


    * Slot 13 ¨C <Camouge>


    * Slot 14 ¨C <Coordination>


    * Slot 15 ¨C <Iron Skin>


    * Slot 16 ¨C <re>


    * Slot 17 ¨C <Muscrity>


    * Slot 18 ¨C


    * Slot 19 ¨C <Magician>


    * Slot 20 ¨C <Dirty y>


    * Slot 21 ¨C <Sneak>


    * Slot 22 ¨C <Mana Control>


    * Slot 23 ¨C <Fireball>


    * Slot 25 ¨C <Spell Conjuring (Basic)>


    * Slot 26 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 27 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 28 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 29 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 30 ¨C <Empty>


    [End Of Information]


    Basically, <Mana Control> gave me the ability I had been missing for so long¡­ the power to control the MP I had and allocate it ordingly. In the past, I could only infuse any item I had with mana¡ª but this was a different ball game entirely.


    I could strengthen myself with Mana, just like the Demons did. I could also infuse all my other Skills with mana, giving them greater effectiveness.


    As for <Fireball>, it was the most powerful offensive Skill the Hobgoblin Casters had. It was also the only Magic-Rted Skill that stood on its own. The rest of the Magic Skills they disyed was probably due to thest Skill I learned.


    <Spell Conjuring (Basic)> allowed them to cast Basic Spells. Unlike <Fireball> that worked as a Skill and could be used immediately, thetter needed the knowledge of Magic. It also required a long time to cast based on the Spell being used.


    ¡®This is more like a Skill for the <Magician> Job¡­¡¯


    Still, I had already learned it so there was no turning back. At the moment it was useless to me, though. After all, I had no knowledge of spells. Chanting nonsense wasn¡¯t going to get me anywhere. I probably needed a grimoire or spellbook.


    ¡®Well, that can wait untilter¡­¡¯


    With both myself and Lara considerably powered up, it was about time already. The sun had already set to a considerable extent and the skies turned dark orange. Before long, nightfall would creep upon all of us.


    I was going to let Lara get a good night¡¯s rest and keep watch¡ª maybe practice a few Skills while I was at it. But, once it would be time for me to sleep, I was obviously going to make sure to keep Lara in [Subspace]wotho the others.


    There was no way I would leave myself so vulnerable with her right next to me. This way, I could reduce or possibly eliminate any chance of her betrayal.


    ¡®Whew, that¡¯s enough thinking for now¡­¡¯ I thought to myself while staring at Lara.


    She was hungry and tired¡ª the same as me.


    I brought out dinner and we enjoyed it under the soothing evening breeze. After eating, the young woman slept off. I was going to be on watch so she had no reason to fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s not healthy to sleep right after eating though¡­¡± I mumbled aint, staring at the duvet-covered woman.


    Still, she must have been well aware of this as a medical practitioner. Her exhaustion must have been really deep.


    ¡®Welp¡­ she did a good job. What a strange feeling this is¡­ I wasn¡¯t the one who killed the Demons. Yet, what¡¯s this satisfaction that¡¯s welling up within me?¡¯


    I truly couldn¡¯t understand¡­ at least not at the time.

 Chapter 178 New Subjugation Squad (Pt 1)

    I shrugged and sat on the grassy ins¡ª all alone.


    Tomorrow would be quite busy for me, Lara, and everyone else in the Subjugation Squad. It was about time I brought them out of [Subspace] and resumed the mission they were entrusted with.


    With the identity of Jeremy already lost, it would be more efficient if I used my new alias to the maximum. There was no profit in dying any longer.


    ¡®We¡¯ll kill the Demons and be done with it by tomorrow! After that, we¡¯ll return to the Camp.¡± I decided.


    I was already sick of the Hobgoblins, and they were not really increasing my Levels much. Since it hade to this, after killing off the boss and earning myself more (G) Karma Points, I would prepare for the endgame with Charles and the Camp.


    ¡°Ah, Ana and her team should have already arrived at the Camp by now¡­¡±


    I shuddered at the very thought of Ana¡¯s conversation with Charles. It was my n and all, but I knew Charles would seriouslye to despise me after she chewed him out.


    Well, it ultimately didn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t care how any of them viewed me.


    In the end¡­ all that mattered was victory.<sub>.</sub>


    ****************************


    The next day was exhrating. After I made sure Lara had gotten a couple hours of sleep, I transferred her to [Subspace] and rested well myself.


    As soon as the sun reared its head, I arose from my slumber and found myself carelessly wrapped in my duvet. Perhaps it was due to the extremely toughness I had due to my Level, but I felt no difort even after sleeping outdoors.


    ¡®Oh well¡­¡¯


    I had long surpassedmon sense, had I not?


    The next thing I did was to bring out Lara from [Subspace], wake her up, and exin a few things to her. Since she was a smart girl, she caught on quickly.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the story we¡¯re going with. Any objections?¡±


    Lara shook her head and smiled inplete support. Hidden in her eyes was an unknown glint that I couldn¡¯t really decipher. However, I decided to ignore it and go with the flow.<sub></sub>


    If she tried sabotaging my ns, I would simply return her to [Subspace] before she couldplete her actions.


    There was no merit in betraying me, the opposite was true as well. As long as she remained on my good side¡­ Lara would survive!


    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    The 35 Camp members¡ª members of the Subjugation Squad within [Subspace] instantly appeared.


    All having different postures of fright and confusion, they paused for a moment after being summoned.


    The fresh air around them, the warmth of the sun, as well as the strange new sight of daylight instead of nighttime, shook them out of their daze. Confusion permeated the crowd as they looked at me.


    ¡°W-what is going on?¡±


    ¡°D-did it not work?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°I-it¡¯s daytime¡­?¡±


    Multiple mumbles of confusion collided with one another as I stood transfixed and watched with Lara.


    Of course, I had already donned my special mask¡ª my dark outfit retrofitted with my cloak painted me to be the very hero they all recognized quite well.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± My voice shook all of them at their core, causing the confused mob to fall silent instantly.


    They were all either kneeling on the grassy ins or sitting, depending on their previous posture before I transported them. Now having eyes on me, they expressed surprise by my presence.


    ¡°MASKED HERO!!!¡± Their voices thundered in unison.


    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a small smile underneath my mask.


    Since I had been using <Camouge> all along, they hadn¡¯t noticed my presence until I deactivated it and called out to them. It made it seem as though I appeared out of thin air, giving me a more mystified visage.


    Of course, the people¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but slowly move to the person by my side. She was d in ck and had her long hair tied with a band. A stern expression was written all over her face¡ª she also had a dark cloak like me.


    ¡°I-isn¡¯t that¡­?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Lara, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s she doing here?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it, she¡¯s actually with¡­¡±


    Once again their murmurs resumed. However, just as nned, Lara said nothing. She remained transfixed and looked nk. Even when they began hurling insults at her for abandoning the Camp.


    This was when I had to step in.


    ¡°I said¡­ that¡¯s enough!¡± The serious tone in my voice, coupled with the huge presence I carried, caused everyone to zip it instantly.


    Their bodies shook in awe, fear, respect¡­ gratitude. I was the one who had saved them from certain death and now that they looked around they found no trace of the stampede that had been chasing them.


    ¡°W-we¡¯re sorry for our sudden rowdiness, Masked Hero. We¡¯re still¡­ a little confused and-¡± Daniel spoke out, representing everyone.


    He slowly stood to his feet and approached me. I didn¡¯t want him to get too close since he would be able to see how small I was inparison to him.


    Previously, the darkness had masked a lot of details about me¡ª plus, they were scared out of their minds.


    However, with much clearer minds, they would be able to sense a resemnce between me and the ¡®Jeremy¡¯ they knew. It made me desperately wish I had an illusion Skill or something.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I raised my hand, stopping him where he stood.


    Heplied easily and halted his approach. Though they hadn¡¯t figured it out now, it was only a matter of time before they deciphered my height.


    I couldn¡¯t fake it, unlike my voice!


    ¡°I had to resort to a special Skill that transported you to another dimension for a set amount of time¡­ a whole day has psed since you all were transported,¡± I exined.


    That meant this was the actual third day of the Subjugation. I was certain they would flip, but before that, I had to strike while the iron was still hot!


    ¡°Because of the quick use of my abilities and pushing myself to the limits, I am temporarily stuck in this immature body¡­ I hope you all understand.¡±


    A smile formed on my face. This was the only way I could exin my frame¡­ me a non-existent Skill!

 Chapter 179 New Subjugation Squad (Pt 2)

    Exining in detail, I told the Subjugation Squad lies about the Demon stampede and how I stopped it. I also praised them for their valiant struggles so far, encouraging the weak-minded.


    I had expected a little bit of suspicion or disbelief from the audience since a huge portion of it was unbelievable and bizarre¡ª surprisingly they all ate it up pretty easily.


    ¡®I don¡¯t even need to use <Rule> on these guys¡­ must be because of their low intelligence¡­¡¯


    ¡°A-ah, I see¡­¡± Daniel muttered, noticing my small frame for the first time.


    The others also took a better look at me and indeed noticed that I was shorter than an average teenager. It was embarrassing¡­ especially since I was supposed to be a valiant adult.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Daniel blurted out in all honesty.


    The boy went to his knees and bowed before me.


    ¡®Whoah, what the fvck!¡¯ My mind rang.<sub>.</sub>


    The Camp members, not knowing what else to do, followed their leader¡¯s actions and also knelt in what I assumed to be gratitude.


    ¡°We¡¯re so sorry to have made you use your Skill so much that it turned you into a dwarf!¡± He cried.


    ¡­ Ouch.


    The others also profusely apologized for the sacrifice I made for them, all emphasizing my really small height. They did this out of sincerity, I knew that much. Still¡­


    ¡®That actually hurts, you know?¡¯ I nearly cried underneath my mask.


    Lara stifled a chuckle. The moment my face tilted to her side, she quickly stiffened up and resumed her stoic expression.


    My sudden movement caused everyone to once again notice Lara, and Daniel had to raise the issue.<sub></sub>


    ¡°U-um, sir Masked Hero¡­ how do you know that woman beside you. Actually, erm¡­¡± Daniel looked for the words to say concerning the presence of a deserter.


    From the res of everyone, Lara wasn¡¯t going to be weed so easily. She did abandon everyone else and was concerned with her survival, after all. Still, I expected this much.


    ¡°I found her being attacked by a horde of Demons. She hadpanions with her, unfortunately, they all died. She¡¯s the only one who survived.¡± I exined.


    This way, I was able to create alibis for the others whom I kidnapped and linked us both together.


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± Daniel muttered.


    The Camp members all had conflicted looks on their faces. They felt horrible that the very people they used to know so well a few days ago had been devoured by Demons. However, this feeling of pain and guilt merely covered an inner emotion or satisfaction that the betrayers who couldn¡¯t fight were all killed.


    ¡®That¡¯s what they get for turning their backs on us!¡¯ Must be what they are thinking right now.<sub></sub>


    It was human nature, after all. People often don¡¯t like the idea of others doing better than them. They also take sce in the fact that others have it worse than them.


    In essence, the Subjugation Squad members were secretly happy that they had chosen the right option and the others who betrayed them all suffered horrible fates.


    ¡°I saved her from the attack and took her under my wing¡­¡±


    The Subjugation Team members all quietly listened as I narrated the tale of the masked hero and his new protege¡ª how they now journeyed through the Apocalypse to help others.


    Naturally, of course, their suspicion and negative emotions toward Lara were reduced. During my speech, I caught some of their eyes darting to Lara¡ª most likely to get a look at her Status Information.


    It was funny how their faces paled upon realizing that she was crazy strong. The most powerful among them was Daniel, a Level 45. Compared to him, the others wereughing behind theter stages of Level 20, with a few in the early 30s.


    They had all Leveled Up considerably during the raid, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough. The moment they saw how much she had grown, the people were more adept at epting her. It also helped that I was the one who sponsored her¡ª and they owed their lives to me.


    ¡°A-alright, I understand¡­¡± Daniel muttered, fully grasping everything I exined.


    For some reason, he still stuttered in my presence. I had initially thought it was because of my superior presence. However, after observing him more closely, I discovered the cause.


    ¡®He¡¯s feeling guilty about my supposed death, uh?¡¯


    Of course, for them, it hadn¡¯t been long since I kicked the bucket. The chill of watching someone die, especially an innocent¡ª helpless Jeremy, was something anyone would take some time recovering from. But, what made this worse was the fact that the Masked Hero was someone who was closely tied to Jeremy.


    After all, ¡®I¡¯ as Jeremy was saved by ¡®me¡¯, the Masked Hero. It would make anyone feel awkward knowing that they were the leader of the team which caused the death of someone close to their savior.


    ¡°You just be feeling very guilty about the death of Jeremy¡­ I understand¡­¡±


    I had to address this before it got out of hand.


    The moment I said this, everyone jerked to life and looked at me with guilt and reverence. The only reason they had brought ¡®Jeremy¡¯ along with them to subjugate the Horde was because of his connection to the Masked Hero.


    ording to the n I made with Charles, I had a special mark imprinted on me by the Masked Hero. He would immediately appear if I was in any danger, and as a result, I would be used as ast resort in case they couldn¡¯t handle the monsters alone.


    But, none of them could have actually imagined that it would be my death as Jeremy that would cause me to emerge as the Masked Hero. In a way, it seemed like they sacrificed a 16 Year Old so that everyone could be saved.


    That was one heavy guilt to bear.


    It wasn¡¯t my initial intention to make such a narrative, but once the Stampede started I had no choice but to alter my ns a little and resort to that. It solved the problem temporarily, but now what I had before me was a problem.


    A guilt-consumed group, uh? How pathetic.


    I needed to raise the morale of these people¡­ one way or the other!

 Chapter 180 A New Identity

    ¡°I am deeply hurt by Jeremy¡¯s death, but¡­ I will not let it impede the progress of this mission. You shouldn¡¯t as well. If you allow this to stop you¡­ his death, as well as the several other deaths that have urred, would be for nothing!¡±


    Using <Rule>, I echoed those words into their ears and somehow began to change their perspective on things. There was no way I would try consoling them.


    In the end, I only needed them to be strong enough toplete the mission, leveling up in the process. Out of everyone around, only two people knew my identity¡ª apart from myself.


    Lara, because I filled her in on the n and also wanted her to be an integral part of it. There was one other¡ª Tasha.


    She had already heard from Charles that the masked hero was merely a persona I created. Plus, she knew I wouldn¡¯t die so easily.


    ¡®She¡¯s still silent¡­ good.¡¯


    It would be quite troublesome if she spoke out. I would have to silence her. Well, there was no immediate chance of that ever urring. Everyone was counting on me, after all.


    ¡°I would like to exterminate the Demon Horde that has gathered. Judging from your numbers, our objectives must be aligned.¡±<sub>.</sub>


    Immediately after I said this, Daniel beamed and nodded profusely.


    ¡°Yes! If they aren¡¯t dealt with, our Camp¡ª no, everyone in the area will suffer!¡±


    As usual, he donned his crusader vibes. His self-righteous tone nearly drove me to disgust but I controlled myself.


    ¡°With your current numbers, you won¡¯t be able to handle them,¡± I stated the obvious.


    The rest of the Subjugation members were a total of 35. Out of them, most weren¡¯t suitable for directbat and excelled at long-range attacks. Plus, their levels weren¡¯t too high. A single Hobgoblin of the secondpound would be able to kill one of them with Stats alone. In terms of numbers, they also had the upper hand.


    Conclusively, Daniel and his small fry had no chance of victory.


    ¡°I was nning on taking care of them with Lara, but now that you¡¯re here¡­ we could work together! What do you say? Let¡¯s form an alliance!¡±<sub></sub>


    Despite my attempt at the offer, it was not as if the group had any other choice. They had been saved by me once already. Plus, Melissa and the rest of the bait had witnessed how I handled the stampede all by myself.


    ¡®Well, their vision was blocked so they probably couldn¡¯t see a thing!¡¯


    However, the fact remained that I killed all those monsters in their presence. No one in their right mind would refuse me. Plus, Lara, my supposedckey was only surpassed by Daniel in the whole group.


    ¡®The second strongest is Tasha. She¡¯s Level 39¡­¡¯


    As expected, Daniel agreed. We shook hands and formed the alliance¡ª though it was clear the odds were unevenly bnced.


    ¡®I¡¯ll practically be carrying them. Lol.¡¯


    ********************************<sub></sub>


    The Subjugation Squad members were hungry, so I fed them scraps from my Subspace. Of course, they were d to ept the nearly expired products and ate through them with satisfaction.


    One would think I offered them the world from the way they thanked me. As they all ate, I decided to have a private meeting with Tasha. No one objected or suspected anything.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on Jeremy? I don¡¯t¡­ understand¡­¡± Tasha¡¯s voice mellowed out halfway into her inquisition.


    Confusion yed finely in her eyes as she expected an exnation from me. My supposed death was not a part of the n, and the Masked Hero was only supposed to appear in theter parts of the Subjugation¡ª the final few days.


    However, once one thought of it well, nothing had gone ording to n. Even I had topensate for the major oversights on my part. The deaths of so many Gifteds during the second round on the first day, the unrest that followed¡­ even the ¡®Stampede¡¯. They all happened outside my predictions.


    In essence, the more time went, the more dire things would get. I had to switch up to a quicker¡ª more efficient strategy.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know the details. If there¡¯s something you should be aware of, it¡¯s this¡­ we¡¯re clearing out the Horde today!¡±


    The look on Tasha¡¯s face was shock, no, that didn¡¯t do it justice. I couldn¡¯t exactly exin it since I had never seen anything like it before.


    A mix of disbelief and surprise, adding a hint of confusion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, it¡¯s not impossible.¡± I grinned.


    ¡°B-but, how¡¯s that possible? Even with your strength¡­ they should number over a thousand, and-¡°


    ¡®Pfft!¡¯


    Tasha¡¯s ignorance was amusing. If I were to judge by their normal standards of measuring the Hobgoblins, I would be looking at the normal Brawlers and Archers from the beginning stage.


    I had already killed thousands of them, though. The total number should have been nearing fifteen thousand. I also dealt with thousands more Hobs who had far better Titles and Stats. So far, approximately over thirty thousand of those monsters had died at my hands.


    That was far too many a numberpared to the paltry sum Tasha was bringing up. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean the rest would be a cakewalk. I was certain that the final challenge waiting for me at the end of the walls was one that would draw blood from me¡ª probably.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll win.¡± I simply told her tly.


    She chose to believe me and didn¡¯t question me any further. A hint of the fear that had remained with Tasha from ourst exchange lurked within her eyes as she tried avoiding a direct gaze with me.


    It was just so amusing that I wanted to observe her for longer. However, I decided to send her back to her group.


    The moment she left, Lara appeared from the shadows¡ª undoing her <Camouge> Skill. It was quite useful since she could eavesdrop all she want from a close distance and Tasha couldn¡¯t even notice her presence.


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m surprised¡­¡±

 Chapter 181 Dark Premonition

    Wow, I¡¯m surprised¡­¡± Lara mumbled as she drew closer to me.


    My eyes met hers, causing the young woman to halt in her approach. From my gaze, I meant to ask what she found to be so surprising.


    ¡°Is that really the Vice Leader of the Camp? You¡¯ve tamed her, uh?¡±


    A broad grin formed on my face the moment she said this. While the process of breaking Tasha¡¯s mind had been fulfilling¡ª especially considering the results, there was a better target I wished topletely conquer in every essence.


    A smile formed on my face the moment I saw her. It wouldn¡¯t be long now¡­ I just needed a little more time


    Oh! it wasn¡¯t Tasha, by the way. My target was someone who would end up bing a sweet cornerstone of revenge for me.


    ********************************


    The Camp members were exhausted even though it was still morning.<sub>.</sub>


    I understood, though, considering theirst memory was being chased by Demons in the dead of night. Of course, their bodies were sleep-deprived and needed some shuteye. Plus, after the meal, they were more receptive to the slumber that was calling out for them.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can all rest. I¡¯ll keep watch.¡± I told them as they bowed apologetically at me.


    The group slept and I kept guard over them. The temptation to summon a group of Hobgoblins to devour the sources of (G) Karma Points gnawed at me, but I controlled those rabid impulses. It would be too inefficient of me to impatiently do such a thing now.


    ¡®They need to Level Up first¡­ and then¡­¡¯


    My face twisted in a dark grin and the only one awake to witness me do so was Lara. I had already taken off my mask and was a good distance from the Gifteds whoy on the grassy ins so they couldn¡¯t see me.


    ¡°You must have some twisted ns for them, uh?¡± Lara muttered to me with a small smile on her face.


    Out of everyone I knew, she was the only one who was aware of what kind of person I was. Of course, I didn¡¯t reveal the full scope of my ns to her since she only needed to know so little to fulfill her role. She understood though, so the young psychiatrist didn¡¯t bother crossing the line of her curiosity.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Meh, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s twisted.¡±


    Truthfully speaking, other than two of the Camp Members in particr, I was thinking of letting the rest off easy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Lara sighed silently, but not at too low a volume that my enhanced hearing couldn¡¯t pick up. From the corner of my eye, I saw a deep sense of unease shoe on her face¡ª though subtly.


    She tried to hide it, but Lara was plenty afraid of what I might do to herter on. Was she going to join everyone in the fray? Was she special to me? Would she survive?


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be afraid. I have no intentions of killing you.¡± I once again dissuaded her from judging her fate based on my standards of others.


    It was ironic, actually. Paul¡ªmy firstrade¡ª didn¡¯t think I would end up betraying his trust. In the end, he suffered for it and most likely encountered death.<sub></sub>


    As for Lara, she was so convinced that I was going to kill her sooner orter, but I had no intention of doing so. Other than the fact that I considered her Shapeshifting ability to be very useful, she was also a goodpanion.


    Paul was too boorish, and he was such a wuss. His pushover and cowardly personality left a bad taste in my mouth which was why I might have been in too much of a hurry to kill him. With Lara, however, I didn¡¯t need to feel so self-conscious.


    More than a ¡®tool¡¯ to use, perhaps I desired a spectator to my story, someone who would share my experiences with me. I didn¡¯t want to be lonely.


    With [Subspace]¡¯s help, that wasn¡¯t an impossible goal.


    ¡®Paul would most likely disapprove of most of my actions, but Lara knows her ce. No, it¡¯s more than that¡­ she also sees nothing wrong with it!¡¯


    A perfect partner.


    ¡°You should practice on your Skills andbat prowess more. Get some rest after that. Once the Subjugation Squad members of wake up¡­ we¡¯ll be attacking the Hobs!¡±


    ***************************


    Ana was already prepared to leave the Camp. Her supplies were set and her backpack was full of enough resources tost her less than a day¡¯s journey to the base of the Subjugation Squad.


    ording to Charles, the Subjugation team already had her team calcted in ordance with the food supplies with them. Everything was set.


    ¡°Are you guys ready?¡± The high-spirited woman spoke and her team roared in response.


    Lily, who had been a newbie at Expeditions was now going to join in the Subjugation. Ana would have loved for her to remain, but her Gift was extremely useful. Plus, the young girl didn¡¯t want to let Ana out of her sight.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have her tag along with me. But, I¡¯ll make sure she experiences as little danger as possible!¡¯ She resolutely thought to herself.


    Now downstairs, ready to have the gates to the Camp open for them to exit, Ana¡¯s team braced themselves for their long journey.


    Charles watched them from the top floor where he stood. His face was devoid of emotion, giving Ana a strange feeling of annoyance.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about that!¡¯ She corrected herself, waiting for the gates to open.


    They never did.


    A few seconds passed, yey the gates remained shut. Ana¡¯s group was confused since the two men who had gone to turn the levers of the gates were supposed to have made the iron door rise by now.


    ¡°Charles?¡± Ana raise her voice, wondering if this was another of Charles¡¯ scheming attempts to dy her.


    As her head bobbed upward, ring toward the direction of the Camp Leader¡¯s height, she caught his joint surprise.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± He whispered.


    However, before any of the two respective leaders could make out what was urring, Lily¡¯s eyes bulged wide open¡ª nearly popping out of their sockets.


    ¡°A-Ana, everyone, watch out!!!¡±

 Chapter 182 Siege!

    Due to the dy in their departure and the unease that was creeping upon everyone, Lily decided to activate her [Great Sight] to figure out what caused the hold-up.


    Her eyes bulged the moment the image registered in her brain.


    It was only for a moment, but Lily¡¯s special eyes caught something¡­ something so dangerous that she had to shout with all her strength.


    ¡°A-Ana, everyone, watch out!!!¡±


    >BOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    A deafening sound that sent chills down the spine of everyone present resounded, causing the concrete that made up the walls surrounding the Camp to burst open.


    Everyone was pushed back by the shock of the explosion, even Ana the most physically capable of the bunch was sent off-bnce. It was a surprising assault!


    Daniel instantly took action and shrunk the debris that flew to their side. His movements were quick and precise¡ªjust in time too! As the explosion still raged and everyone was in a state of panic, Anabelle shook off the dust that had gathered and red at the entrance.<sub>.</sub>


    Smoke oozed from the devastated walls and the ground still slightly trembled with a low hum, caused by the aftereffects of the eruption.


    ¡°A-Ack! What the hell?!¡± She coughed, feeling a deep sense of foreboding from the sudden attack on their camp.


    ¡°Ana, are you okay?!¡± Charles yelled from his elevated tform.


    the Camp Leader¡¯s voice showed so much concern and emotion, a sharp contrast from his initial stoic approach. His eyes bulged with fear, trembling with anxiety.


    He wasn¡¯t expecting this!


    As Ana heard her superior¡¯s voice, she looked up instinctively. Her prior irritation had vanished. The situation that the Camp was under was several times direr than her inclination toward him.


    ¡®What the heck is going on?!¡¯<sub></sub>


    Ana didn¡¯t need to ask herself these questions any further¡­ the perpetrators began appearing from the settling smoke.


    A cluster of silhouettes began making an appearance. Their bodies became evident not long after they arrived since the dust had settled to a considerable degree. From the corner of Ana¡¯s eye, she could see the two Gifteds who should have opened the gate already lying among the rubble as corpses. Blood covered their faces¡ª no, their whole bodies.


    From the distorted looks on their faces and the gaping hole in their temples, it was clear that the cause of their death was something more than just the explosions¡ª as well as the rubble that followed.


    ¡°Shit¡­ they have snipers too?!¡± Ana whispered, looking at the group that had formed before them.


    Other than Ana and her team, as well as Charles, the rest of the Camp members were in the backyard creating the borehole spring or preparing the area to be used for a farm. No doubt, the noise would have reached them and the people were in hiding by now.


    ¡°Well, well, well¡­ so this is what it looks like from the inside?¡± A thin, slow voice came from the group.


    ¡°¡­ I have to say¡­ I¡¯m not impressed!¡±<sub></sub>


    The man who stood before them was a wiry adult male, having a slender figure and multiple tattoos on his body. From his build and the several piercings on his ears, nose¡ª even navel, it was clear that he wasn¡¯t a kind one.


    He had the criminal vibes wafting around him, indicating he was probably a convict or something simr before the Apocalypse.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to mind our rude entry. But¡­ we¡¯ll be taking over now!¡±


    The group of at least two dozenughed in reaction to thenky man¡¯s remark.


    Ana gritted her teeth and rose from the surface she fell upon as a result of the explosion. Dust flew from her tight jeans and jacket as her body flung to life in a sh.


    ¡°Who are you, people? What do you want?¡± Her eyes were narrowed in a threatening re, as though ready to pounce on the group if they gave the wrong answer.


    ¡°Oi, oi. You¡¯re one fiesty woman!¡± Thenky man said.


    The group advanced, transversing the rubble as they moved closer to Anabelle¡¯s team. Charles attempted to jump from his height, but his movements halted the moment he spotted a red dot on his body.


    ¡°Our sniper has targets on you. Move, and you die.¡±


    With this statement, he knew there was nothing he could do but wait¡­ wait for perhaps some miracle.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Ana¡¯s fists clenched tighter and she was already feeling her blood boil with violence. The Camp that everyone had worked so hard to build and protect was being invaded by strangers who had just killed two of their members and threatened to do the same to their leader.


    ¡°As for your question, Anabelle. Isn¡¯t it obvious? We¡¯re going to be taking everything you have¡­ of course, that includes your lives!¡±


    Realizing that their intentions were extremely hostile, though she had pretty gotten the info from their actions earlier, Anabelle didn¡¯t waste a second more.


    Donning her [Armament] Gift, she activated her <Overdrive> Skill along with her special <Sprint> Skill, giving her a major boost.


    Somehow, Ana knew she couldn¡¯t be caught cking off or taking things easy now.


    >FWOOOOSH!!!<


    Her bodyunched from where she stood, sending cracks into the ground due to the impact. Gazing at the twenty-plus opponents that stood before her, she scanned her Status as fast as possible.


    Her mind quickly processed the information and she realized that none of them were as high-leveled as her¡­ but one!


    The Lanky man in the center was one Level higher than her, but with her Gift as well as <Overdrive> in her arsenal¡­ her victory was within reach.


    The targets didn¡¯t just wait around to be defeated. No, they lunged at her instantly. The desire to defeat the well-known Ana drove them to move every ounce of flesh they had. Unfortunately, they just weren¡¯t fast enough.


    Ana increased her body¡¯s tempo and flowed as quickly as she could¡ª every second counted! The Armament that covered her body had already turned bright crimson, disying its full wrath.


    ¡°I¡¯ll destroy you all!¡± Her voice echoed in a loud cry.


    With a bloodied aura looming on her and the very armor of crimson toughness¡­ Ana¡¯s counterattack began!

 Chapter 183 Defending The Camp (Pt 1)

    >WHOOOOOSH<


    Ana moved in a sh and quickly cut through the crowd, breaking their formation. Her quick reflexes, increased stats, and tough armor allowed her to charge directly at the enemy, crushing them.


    While it wasn¡¯t in her policy to take lives, Ana broke a few limbs as she gave direct hits to ensure the mob couldn¡¯t offer much¡ªif any¡ªresistance.


    ¡°Guarkkkkk!¡±


    ¡°Arghhh!!!¡±


    ¡°Gahhh!!!¡±


    Pained screams filled the air as she proceeded without any hesitation toplete her task. Even though she wasn¡¯t used to dispatching humans, her instinct was to protect her family¡ª her home.


    Since the opponents had already aligned themselves with evil, killing two of their own and even possessing the ¡®Evil¡¯ Alignment, it became Ana¡¯s duty to do the needful.<sub>.</sub>


    Purge!


    With her uninterrupted flow, she kept charging into the crowd, refusing to give them the time needed to activate their Skills or Gifts. Having superior speed, reflexes and strength, they were no match.


    The Sniper of the invaders would have taken action¡ª while hiding at the rear of everyone, concealed, he thought of these very things. But, if he took his eyes off of Charles, there was no telling what the Camp leader would do!


    Plus, with the way Ana was moving and subduing their men, she blended with them and moved too quickly.


    ¡®My bullets will be homed at her if I can focus on her!¡¯


    The issue was that Ana didn¡¯t stay in a single spot long enough to register in his head. Plus, he had to still concentrate on Charles. If he made a mistake and fired at Ana haphazardly, he could identally kill one of his own¡ª a mistake the Boss wouldn¡¯t ept!


    ¡°Shit! Shit!¡± The Sniper cursed, unable to help hisrades who were helplessly flung around and devastated by Ana¡¯s frenzy.<sub></sub>


    >BOOOMMMM!!!<


    A sudden explosion sounded, halting the crimson dance Ana had started. She quickly took a few steps back as a result of the eruption from the ground, standing in front of her team to protect them.


    ¡°Oi, oi, not bad!¡± Thenky tattooed man smiled in excitement.


    A bead of sweat dropped from Ana¡¯s face. She had intentionally left him aside, saving him forst due to his strength. However, she was aware that he would make his move sooner orter.


    ¡®Damnit!¡¯ Ana cursed within herself.


    ¡°My Gift is [Combustion]. It allows me to explode anything I touch! Welp, the effects depend on how much energy I put into it¡­ oh yeah, I was the one who caused your gate to crumble as well!¡±


    The man became talkative, easily divulging Information that would be better hidden. From the tone of confidence that he used, Ana could only decipher two things. This man was eitherpletely confident in his ability to win¡­ or he was just a simple idiot.<sub></sub>


    Ana wished it was thetter, but life wasn¡¯t always as simple as that.


    As Ana was still ruminating on this, the opponent quickly activated a skill¡ª taking advantage of her indecisiveness.


    The moment Ana saw this, she dashed straight for him, hoping to overwhelm the foe with speed and power before it was toote.


    >FWOOOOSHHH<


    Unfortunately, she was toote.


    Her hand, no, her whole body slipped past the tattooed man, causing it to go out of bnce when she finallynded behind him. She had gone through him as though the opponent was merely air.


    Shocked by this discovery, Ana tried to pull herself together from the recoil of surprise, but the for had already advanced. He was heading straight for her group.


    ¡°N-no!¡± Ana stuttered while yelling.


    The tall man grinned, already knowing there was nothing the woman could do to stop him.


    was a useful Skill he had which allowed all attacks to pass through him for some time. He hadn¡¯t raised the proficiency that much, but it was enough tost a few seconds.


    But that was more than enough time to escape from Ana and target one of her allies. Even with his high level, he knew the gap in speed and stamina between Ana and himself was in her favor. Her Gift was morebat-based than him and he needed physical contact to deal the brunt of his offensive capabilities.


    If he chose to fight head-on with her, he would lose. However¡­ it was a different story entirely if he targeted one of her members. Ana seemed like a good woman, enough to be flustered when her allies are captured. Using this to his advantage, he would corner and dominate her.


    ¡°Hehe, let¡¯s see how you stop me now!¡±


    He only had about five seconds more. His body swiftly moved to take the youngest among the bunch hostage. Peter quickly activated his [Crypgenesis] Gift and sent a wave of ice to the fast-approaching man. However, just like Ana¡¯s earlier attack, there was no effect on the man as it simply passed through him.


    With a grin, he lunged for Lily to make her his hostage. Only three seconds were left.


    If he timed his move properly, he would be able to capture Lily the moment his time was up.


    ¡®They¡¯re all Lower-Leveledpared to me! I can win!¡¯


    >FWOOOOSHHH<


    In the blink of an eye, he moved so quickly that it was like a mirage and appeared directly behind Lily who was too flustered to do anything. As soon as he got behind her, the man¡¯s eyes scanned the room¡ª seeing Ana desperately trying to reach Lily, Peter ring at him, and Daniel looking up for some reason. He knew none of them could reach him in time! It was a victory on his end!


    The tattooed man¡¯s body materialized as he grabbed ahold of Lily, ready to pull her to his side and use her as a bargaining chip. However, as soon as he did this, something dropped on his head.


    >BAM!<


    Something heavy hit thenky man on the head, sending some painful sensations to course his body. He didn¡¯t take much damage, but the surprise of the attack caused his body to freeze up for a moment.


    ¡°W-wha-?!¡±

 Chapter 184 Defending The Camp (Pt 2)

    ¡°W-wha-?!¡± Words came out of the man¡¯s mouth as he looked to see what hadnded on him.


    It was a massive boulder¡ª most likely from the debris that had scattered about the area. Massive and strong, it would have been enough to kill a normal person. However, as a Level 37, he was not going down so easily.


    Before he could recover from the assault, though, another boulder hit him, then another, and even more. Large chunks of rocks fell throughout his body, stopping him from achieving his goal which was capturing Lily.


    ¡°Gahhh!¡±


    He took a few steps back, wondering where the rocks wereing from¡ª that spelled the end for him.


    >CRIIIAAAKKK<


    The tattooed man felt his joints stiffen as a cold aura began covering his body. Looking down, a cier of ice had covered the ground and was already coiling around him. Within what would be a few moments, the ice had enveloped him entirely.


    ¡°A-argh¡­?!¡±<sub>.</sub>


    The man stood, frozen for a few moments¡­ but not forever! The ice that shrouded him began to crack, unable to be stopped. Peter attempted to patch the fissures that were forming, but the damage was too extensive. The ice was breaking apart faster than it could be fixed.


    ¡°You¡­ Idiooootssss!!!¡±


    Giving out a deafening roar, the man shattered the ice. Particles flew around, though none were able to harm anyone. Thenky invader¡¯s body emitted smoke, evidence of the cold chill that remained on his body.


    ¡°Huu¡­¡±


    His body felt sluggish from the ice, and his head still ached from the severalrge rocks that had fallen on him¡­ as a result, the man wasn¡¯t able to sense what was approaching him with full force¡ª until it was toote!


    >WHAAAMMMM!!!<


    Ana¡¯s fist was driven directly into the opponent¡¯s face, crushing his facial muscles, node, several teeth¡­ so much more. His body iled for a few moments before being sent flying backward.<sub></sub>


    >BOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    In a sh, the man¡¯s body was sent back to the rest of the invaders,nding among the debris with a loud noise. The power in the enraged woman¡¯s blow contained a great deal of her emotion¡ª there was no way he would be able to keep fighting after receiving such a hit.


    ¡°U-urghh¡­¡± The man made a groaning sound, seated among piles of devastated rocks as he passed out.


    Ana¡¯s face was still thick in a frown but she turned to see her team members for a moment and gave a small smile. Despite the suddenness of the situation and the opponent¡¯s tricks, they were all able to act ordingly and perform their roles well.


    From the start, everyone knew his target would be Lily¡ª thetter included.


    Daniel used his shrinking Gift to create miniature versions of boulders and throw them above the enemy who didn¡¯t suspect a thing. Though the rocks made nosting damage, they were good enough to serve as distractions for a short while.


    Peter used this chance to send ice to the target acter confirming he was now physically tangible. Since Peter¡¯s Level was low, his Gift¡¯s effect was too weak topletely immobilize the enemy, they didn¡¯t count on it as their decisive card. The best he could manage was five seconds due to the Level difference.<sub></sub>


    Five seconds were more than enough time, though. Ana was able to cross the distance and even charge up her blow topletely knock him out.


    ¡°Huuu¡­ good job, everyone!¡± Ana smiled as her gaze returned to the remaining enemies.


    Now, all that was left were the small fries. The whole team was happy about this development, the opponents had the opposite expression on their faces.


    However, of the people on Ana¡¯s side, one felt awful as a result of the just-concluded formation.


    ¡®I was¡­ useless again¡­¡¯ Lily¡¯s thoughts trailed.


    She was only able to contribute to the n as bait, and even then¡­ the whole reason they had to resort to such a quick strategy was her vulnerability.


    Once again, it appeared she was only causing trouble for her big sis and benefactor.


    ¡°They are roughly seven left¡­ Peter and Daniel, can I count on you to handle the ones to the right and left?¡± Ana¡¯s voice interrupted Lily¡¯s thoughts.


    Daniel and Peter responded positively, but that only caused Lily to be more engrossed in her negative thoughts. Ana didn¡¯t even need her help, yet she was always needing Ana¡¯s help.


    It felt unfair, yet¡­ there was nothing the little girl could do.


    ¡°Hehehehehe¡­¡± A sudden voice caused everyone to freeze up and look straight ahead.


    Lily no longer had the luxury to engage in any useless thoughts and Ana waspletely on guard. Everyone¡¯s eyes were locked on the new yer that showed himself.


    He was tall, huge, bare-chested¡­ dark-skinned. This man walked with authority as he transversed the debris and stood among the other seven invaders.


    The invaders bowed their heads slightly in his presence. While their eyes were still on Ana and her team, they were still showing reverence to the new yer.


    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t be able to win, Terry. You tried your best, though.¡± The man smirked, looking at the unconscious tattooed man known as Terry.


    He had appealed to this man, Boss of the invaders, that he wanted to have a chance to battle the famed Anabelle himself. Thenky man presumed he was already stronger than her since his Level had increased drastically since thest time he witnessed her in action.


    Unfortunately, even with that¡­ he lost.


    ¡°Now, then¡­ I should take it from here.¡±


    Walking forward, ahead of the other men who didn¡¯t dare to take a single step from their location, the man gave a huff and smoke emanated from his mouth.


    The cigar which he held very casually in his hand dangled with every step he took and he didn¡¯t seem the least bit concerned.


    ¡°You¡­ are¡­?¡± Ana had never seen this person before, so she was utterly confused by his presence.


    ¡®Could he be the true leader of these guys?!¡¯ Ana thought to herself.


    That had to be the case¡­ it was the only exnation! After all, the man before them¡­ was very strong!

 Chapter 185 Impossible Challenger

    ¡®He¡¯s strong¡­ stronger than me by far!¡¯


    Ana¡¯s head was pounding as all her instincts screamed at her to quickly run, but she wouldn¡¯t listen. How could she be so unsightly as to flee in the face of a foe¡ª even if it was nigh impossible to win!


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve really done a great deal of thrashing to my men, uh?¡± The man¡¯s husky voice picked up.


    His head turned as he looked around and saw several of his subordinates rendered incapacitated¡­ though still alive.


    A bead of sweat dropped from Ana¡¯s face. Charles watched from his spot above, feeling powerless to do anything despite being the leader. He knew he couldn¡¯t win, even if the Sniper targeting him wasn¡¯t present.


    Ana and her team raised their guard as they red at the man who approached them alone. Even though he wasn¡¯t with them, Charles could feel the danger creeping upon his body.


    ¡®N-no¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡¯ His mind rang, looking at both his Camp members and the opposing side.


    He had used his [Mind¡¯s Eye] on the man they were about to face¡­ he was a monster!


    Ana shook off her hesitant feelings and decided to rush in. Though she realized that the enemy was tough, she couldn¡¯t back down now.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®If we all coordinate our attacks¡­ we have a chance of victory!¡¯ Using this rationale, Ana took the forefront.


    The temptation to look at her opponent¡¯s Status Information came, but she didn¡¯t give in. There was no use in looking at the enemy¡¯s Level when it would only strike fear into her heart.


    As long as she was careful and yed well with her allies, there was no human enemy they couldn¡¯t beat¡ª at least that was how she reasoned.


    >FWOOOOOOSSHHHH!!!<


    As she increased her pace and closed the distance between herself and the enemy, Ana felt the wind blow on her face and her body¡¯s temperature rise to an unprecedented degree. Still, she had to endure.


    ¡®I¡¯m almost burned out!¡¯ Her thoughts cried.


    Ignoring the sizzling blood within her, Ana pushed herself past her limits and lunged at the opponent.


    >FWOOOP<<sub></sub>


    Her attack didn¡¯tnd. No, Ana recognized this sensation¡­ it was the same as the other guy she just faxed. Her body passed through her target¡¯s body and went the opposite way.


    ¡®Shit! No!¡¯


    Before she couldplete her thoughts, the man vanished from where he stood¡ª yes, even for someone as High-Leveled as Ana, she couldn¡¯t see a fraction of his movements!


    In a sh, he appeared beside Daniel and a crack sounded soon afterward.


    A >Crack<, caused by the snapping of one¡¯s neck¡­ the neck of the person he appeared beside¡­


    ¡°Daniiieeeellll!¡± Ana yelled in shock and utter sorrow.


    Herrade, Daniel, fell t on the ground with his lifeless body. His neck had taken a whole 180 degrees turn and twisted to the back. Falling on the hard ground, a heavy thud sounded and Daniel ceased to be alive¡ª no, he was already dead even before that.


    ¡°His shrinking ability is quite troublesome. It¡¯s best to get him out of the way.¡± The enemy said while donning a nonchnt smile.<sub></sub>


    Ana was furious. Ana was enraged. Ana waspletely, utterly drowned in pure fury as she saw the death of herpanion. The mes and hard crimson covering on her body intensified by an unimaginable margin as the pressure she generated caused everything around to tremble.


    ¡°You bastard!!!¡± Ana growled as she forgot anything about strategy and calm assessment and charged directly at her target.


    As she neared the man, the man¡¯s lips broke into a smile and he moved in such a quick and fluid way that Ana would have thought she was moving in slow motion.


    As soon as he did this, the man¡¯s body was already turned to the side, out of Ana¡¯s trajectory. However, she wasn¡¯t going to give up yet.


    >FWOOOSH!<


    Twisting her body in midair, she iled and made for a kick that would cut through her opponent. The man was impressed by this as well, showing his emotions by shing an ugly smile.


    Ana pushed her body to generate more strength and plow through any form of defense the man might have.


    ¡°Rahhhhhh!!!¡± With her scream of pure rage, her legs descended.


    However¡ª


    >KRRRIIIKAAANGGG<


    Ana¡¯s leg was repelled by something, causing her body to bounce backward. Her eyes widened in shock as she flipped andnded on the ground. A small distance had been made between both her and the enemy, but it wasn¡¯t something she couldn¡¯t transverse quickly.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on? I was sure I hit him! Was it a skill?¡¯


    Ana was conflicted about what the heck was going on. It appeared the man noticed this and decided to exin it to the ignorant young woman.


    ¡°That was no Skill¡­ it¡¯s not a Gift either¡­ it¡¯s just¡­¡± As the man spoke, a devilish grin appeared in his eyes.


    ¡°Your attacks are too weak to even prate my skin.¡±


    The unbelievable statement made by their target caused all the members of Ana¡¯s team, minus the dead Daniel to look at him in dismay. What the hell was he talking about?!


    The man was able to tank Ana¡¯s full-powered kick without taking any damage and he imed it was as a result of his base Stats.


    Not wanting to believe it, Ana finally decided to give in to the temptation that had been gnawing at her for so long. She checked his Status Introduction.


    Nothing was disyed.


    Ana was confused for a moment and tried again¡­ nothing was disyed. She looked at her teammates and saw their respective Status Information¡ª turning back to her target and doing the same, still¡­ NOTHING WAS DISPLAYED!


    ¡°You can¡¯t see anything, can you?¡± The man¡¯s smile grew wider, shrugging slightly.


    Ana remembered Jeremy had the same issue, but it was because of the masked man¡¯s help¡­ the aid of unknown power. Was this man operating under the same power?


    ¡°The fact that you can¡¯t simply means you stand no chance against me. I¡¯m over 50 Levels higher than you!¡±

 Chapter 186 Beast

    ¡°The fact that you can¡¯t simply means you stand no chance against me. I¡¯m over 50 Levels higher than you!¡±


    These words shed at Ana, but they were too unbelievable to ept.


    ¡°You¡¯re Level 35, I can clearly see that. Do you want to know my Level? It¡¯s at least Level 85, you know?¡±


    The buff, ebony manughed as he stared at the dumbfounded woman amusedly. To him, she was someone who wasn¡¯t anywhere near his level. Of course, her attack was going to be ineffective.


    Charles, who had been hearing all that the man was saying knew that he was speaking the truth. The man¡¯s Level and the Stats that apanied it were way beyond what Ana and her team members could handle!


    ¡®What an understatement¡­ his Level is higher than 85¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡¯


    Charles was trembling now, trying to control himself from breaking into a frenzy. Their only hope now was for Jeremy to save them, but even then¡­


    ¡®It¡¯ll take a few more days before they¡¯re done with the mission!¡¯ Charles gritted his teeth impatiently.


    It was no use relying on Jeremy¡¯s miraculous appearance! Besides, after once again looking at the man¡¯s Level and Stats¡ª his Gift too¡ª he was certain¡­ that not even Jeremy could beat this opponent!<sub>.</sub>


    This beast was in a ss of his own entirely¡­ a true predator¡ª possessing an Alignment Charles had never seen before.


    Chaotic Evil!


    ¡°Now then, shall I make my move again?¡± The overwhelmingly evil being yelled in excitement.


    He had a policy that he strictly followed. It had existed before the Apocalypse began¡­ when he was still a criminal.


    ¡°You made your first move, then I made mine and killed one of your allies. Since you¡¯ve made another¡­ I suppose it¡¯s my turn again.¡±


    Ana¡¯s eyes widened the instant she understood what he implied with his crass statement. Her body instantly moved in the direction of her teammates, going at full power.


    ¡°Ohh, impressive!¡± The man beamed, unfazed by Ana¡¯s blood-curdling cry as she moved faster than her body usually handled.


    Her movements weren¡¯t quick enough, though. In another sh, the second ¡®SNAP¡¯ was heard, and the lifeless body of Ana¡¯srade fell.<sub></sub>


    It was Peter this time.


    ¡°Noooooo!!!¡± Ana¡¯s hateful scream pierced the ears of everyone as she lunged at the brown-skinned man.


    He appeared d that his prey wasing to him of her own ord. With her fists tightly clenched, she made for his face¡ª uttering words she never thought she would say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Unfortunately, at that very moment¡­ Ana felt her great power dissipate.


    >WHUUUUSSHHHUUU<


    The red aura around her vanished, turning orange¡­ and then yellow. Ana was still in midair as this change urred. She felt her body move slower, heavier than before. The young woman realized what had just happened.


    She had reached her limits!<sub></sub>


    >BAM!< Her weakened blow reached the opponent with barely any noise of an impact.


    Compared to her previous feats, this was too underwhelming. The man felt her hand slide off his face, looking bored.


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve hit your limit already, uh?¡±


    His mumbles were silenced by Ana¡¯s energetic scream. Her hands moved in a flurry,unching many blows at the unflinching man. She wasn¡¯t thinking anymore! Two of her closestrades were dead, and herst one¡ª one who was like a dear younger sister to her was going to be next!


    The very thought sickened Ana and drove her to the edge of insanity.


    ¡°YOU BASTARD!!! I¡¯LL KILL YOU!!!¡±


    At this point, the man who was receiving the blows had had enough.


    >WHOOOSH<


    In what seemed like a blur, a single hand of his moved, chopping both of Ana¡¯s hands off.


    >SQUELCH!!!<


    Blood poured out of her exposed wound as her flesh was visible, along with muscles and bones¡ª it was a clean cut!


    ¡°Guaahhhhhh!!!¡± Ana screamed,pletely overwhelmed by the pain and rage she felt.


    Instantly activating the healing Skill she got from the Ogre previously, she was able to alleviate the pain. However¡­


    ¡®It hurts! Gahhh! It hurts!!!¡± Both her arms were lying on the ground and while the bleeding had stopped, a great amount of her red fluid had dripped to the ground.


    ¡°Oh? You can heal? Nice. It¡¯s your turn now¡­¡± The man muttered, egging her to go on and entertain him more.


    Ana clenched her teeth. Deep down she must have known it was impossible. She must have realized that he was just toying with her¡ª no¡ª she had most likely already figured it out a while back.


    However¡­ for some reason, Ana couldn¡¯t bring herself to stop.


    Mustering thest ounce of her energy, she focused everything she had on her head. Bobbing it backward, sheunched it at the target who waited expectantly.


    >BAM!<


    The impact was deafening. Both sides watched to see the result of the sh between both heads. Blood rushed over, caused by the hit¡ª it belonged to Ana.


    Her forehead was severely bruised, having thick red liquid pouring out of it. She had given it her all, yet Ana was unable tond a single scratch on her foe. The only stain on the man¡¯s head was that of her blood that printed itself on the center of his face. How deplorable!


    While the Ogre¡¯s recovery Skill was useful, it wasn¡¯t almighty. Having to heal two severed arms and a bruised forehead was too much to ask of it.


    Ana slumped back, taking a few staggering steps due to the loud ringing in her skull. Perhaps she had cracked it.


    ¡°Well, then, it¡¯s my turn¡­¡±


    The man turned his head to the side and spotted Lily, the youngest among Ana¡¯s team members. She was small, she was weak¡­ also really cute.


    He would have killed her with his turn, but something within the man decided against it.


    ¡°The girl is only a Level 15¡­ not much EXP¡­¡±


    Ana heard his whispers and saw that his eyes were on her little sister. Despite the disoriented state she was in, there was no way she could stay still while her enemy was about to kill Lily!

 Chapter 187 Death

    ¡°Guarghhh!!!¡± Ana yelled and pushed herself forward.


    Despite all her injuries, she charged!


    ¡°Noooo!!!¡± Her voice¡ª hoarse and desperate¡ª called forth.


    Unbeknownst to the desperate woman, there was good news and bad news. The good news was that the all-powerful opponent had decided not to kill Lily.


    Unfortunately¡­ the bad news meant that his target was someone else. The only one who was alive and not his ally on the ground floor other than Lily was none but Ana.


    His choice¡­ was HER!


    The man¡¯s face turned sharply, faster than the eye could process, and looked at Ana who was already moving in his direction.


    ¡°You¡¯re it!¡±<sub>.</sub>


    With this final statement going into Ana¡¯s head, she suddenly felt a sharp sting on her cheek caused by an impact with something, or rather¡­ someone.


    The impact caused her head to move, turning without end. Her neck twisted as her head made its way in the opposite direction. Ana could feel it¡­


    >SNAP< Her neck was twisted!


    With that final motion of her bending neck signaling what could only be described as the end of her life, Ana¡¯s body hung awkwardly¡ª the same as her fallenrades.


    Her body spasmed, jerking a little due to the tiny vestiges of life within her as she struggled to live. The Ogre¡¯s self-recovery Skill was trying to prevent the death of its wielder but even this was asking for too much.


    Her severed hands hadn¡¯t fully recovered and now she was basically moments away from eternal slumber.


    Perhaps it was due to her high Level or the Skill to heal that Ana felt herself fading bit by bit¡ªinstead of just dying immediately.<sub></sub>


    ¡®A-ahh¡­ A-ahh¡­¡¯


    Her mind was broken as she fell to the ground. It felt slow, like an eternity.


    ¡®I-I¡¯m dying¡­?¡¯ Ana¡¯s thoughts trailed.


    She felt the numb pain coursing through her body, but it was too numb to be unbearable. It was almost as though Ana didn¡¯t feel a thing, after all, she was already on her way to death.


    ¡®This is¡­ it?¡¯


    In the end, she couldn¡¯t protect Lily from the viin, nor could she protect the Camp as she had sworn to. The regret that gnawed on her mind the most, however, was concerning a little boy she had just met not too long ago.


    Ana had a little brother. No, to be precise, he was her cousin. She loved him so much and showered him with all her love and attention when the world was still sane.<sub></sub>


    Unfortunately, due to her weakness, the boy was not able to survive when the monsters came forth. They got separated in the horde and she lost him. Her parents and the boy¡¯s parents never returned from work¡ªmost likely killed by monsters on their way back.


    Ana was all alone, surviving in her empty life. That is, until she met Lily and swore to keep her safe.


    She joined the Camp and encountered allies who became her closestrades. She had hope for the future and finally felt like she had a chance at life.


    When she encountered Jeremy, it felt so surreal, almost like she was seeing her dead cousin. His appearance of powerlessness and the kind smile he brandished on his face was enough to make Ana¡¯s heart flutter. She was deeply moved in when he narrated his story to her, realizing that he too had lost everyone he cared about¡ªwith no one left to rely on¡ªunlike her who still had her team.


    It was at that moment she swore to herself to protect him with all she had.


    She did her best to fulfill this conviction, and to a certain extent, she had. But now, with her neck snapped and her body slowly descending to the ground, there was no way to continue as she had promised.


    ¡®Jeremy¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯


    In a way, though, happiness came over Ana¡ªeven though it was only a little. No, perhaps it was more of relief. It may have been self-satisfaction or merely a delusion, but it didn¡¯t stop the emotion from coursing through her body.


    ¡®Thank God¡­ you¡¯re not here, Jeremy¡­ you must¡­ stay safe¡­¡¯


    In a way, she had to be grateful for sending Jeremy off. Taking sce in the fact that Daniel was doing a good job of keeping him from any danger, Ana felt relieved.


    A lingering regret concerning Lily began rearing its ugly head but before it could register, Ana had already given up the ghost. Everything went nk¡­ literally!


    Now back to reality, the young woman¡¯s body fell in an uncontroble thud. There was no blood, but her unflinching expression was enough to tell the remaining witnesses that she had died.


    However, what was stered on her face shocked anyone who saw it. This wasn¡¯t an expression one gave when on the verge of death¡ªa sharp contrast from the expressions of the others (Peter and Daniel) who met the same fate. The Ebony man grinned widely as his eyes met Ana¡¯s lifeless ones and her face registered in his brain.


    ¡°So you died a happy woman, eh? How cute!¡±


    Though he sneered, it didn¡¯t change the fact that Ana¡¯sst face was that if a relieved smile.


    A moment of silence permeated the air. The evil minions did nothing since their Boss was silent. Lily was paralyzed and couldn¡¯t let out a single sound. Her bulging eyes and trembling body told all there was to know about her current condition.


    Charles felt horrible, but he remained standing¡ª unable to do a single thing. He wondered if his actions were too hasty and if he shouldn¡¯t have sent the bulk of his Camp members to fight off the Horde.


    No, he wasn¡¯t foolish enough to take sce in what-ifs at this point. Besides, Charles was well aware that even the full force of the Camp couldn¡¯t win against the devastating creature that was Kevin¡ªthe name of the Boss of the killers before him.


    There was no hope.


    No chance.


    Only despair.


    In such a situation, what was one meant to do? Charles didn¡¯t know. His kind was absolutely nk.


    The only thing he could do was stand quietly and allow his thoughts to continue trailing an endless path of despondency.

 Chapter 188 Diving Into The Horde (Pt 1)

    ¡°Alright! Are you all prepared?¡±


    With a voice loud enough to cover the immediate area, I asked the group in front of me a simple question.


    They all gave energetic ¡®Yeses¡¯ and nods, raising their hands in support.


    The group was none other than the Subjugation Squad. Beside me was¡ªsomeone I didn¡¯t know how to describe, so I went with ¡®person of interest¡¯¡ªLara.


    I was donning my usual ¡®Masked Hero¡¯ costume and stared at the crowd of 35. Their eyes were lit with hope while gazing at me, though I could sense the inevitable amount of fear that was also lurking in their countenance.


    Of the seventy-five who had sojourned to subjugate the Horde, only thirty-five were left. It was only natural that they would be anxious about facing the very Demons who robbed them of so manyrades. However, after hearing Melissa¡¯s ount of the previous night¡ªhow I single-handedly defeated what seemed to be an uncountable amount of Demons all on my own, the unease mellowed out.


    It was the right choice to make her, alongside there other equally talkative girls, my witnesses.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°The n is simple. We break in from the front entrance! The enemies will be sure tounch projectiles at us, but you do not need to worry about them. I¡¯ll draw all the projectiles fired so you all just need to advance.¡±


    As I exined, they all bobbed their heads positively. Even if they were against the idea, it was only a matter of using <Rule>.


    ¡°Once we have all advanced to a considerable extent, the Demons will give up on projectiles and will begin their assault. That is when we all stop moving. I¡¯ll create a massivemotion that will cause them to focus the brunt of their forces on me. Just ensure you take care of the few thate your way.¡± My words were warm and encouraging.


    What I was indirectly trying to say was that I would basically be ¡®carrying¡¯ the team.


    By making sure there were just enough monsters trickling toward them, the group could Level Up considerably.


    I would take the chunk of EXP from most of the Hobs anyway.<sub></sub>


    ¡°We¡¯ll use this strategy until we get to the heart of the enemy¡¯s base which will most likely be the most difficult of all. Since Hobgoblins are not too intelligent, we can assume that the way to approach will be onward. Once we¡¯ve reached the final area, I¡¯ll transport you all to a safe space and defeat the Boss on my own.¡±


    Myst statement caused a little bit of uncertainty among everyone. So far, the n practically centered around me, giving everyone else the supporting role. If I was to choose to fight the Boss as well, and alone for that matter, it had to raise concerns.


    ¡°W-will you be okay on your own?!¡± Daniel asked me.


    As expected, his kind nature surfaced even in moments like this. The others also had concerns but kept their mouths shut. In the scenario where they spoke and were taken seriously, it meant everyone would fight the strongest Demon around.


    No one wanted that!


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­ I have a Trump Card! Besides, I don¡¯t want to see anyone I save die¡­ especially after Jeremy¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    That seemed to do the trick. Everyone looked down, feeling the weight of guilt on their conscience. Even Melissa showed remorse. Despite all that she was, she had never killed anyone or caused their deaths before.


    Sure, she was a cruel bully, but in the current world that was nothing worth mentioning. My death, or rather Jeremy¡¯s, affected her too. Of course, she was mostly shaken by the gory sight of spraying blood and mangled flesh than she was about the actual person who died. Plus, after her traumatic experience in her pink bubble during that night, I could tell that Melissa had seriously mellowed out.


    However, as expected¡­ she was trying so hard to cling to me and curry favors. Fortunately, with Lara by my side, and the fire straits everyone was in, she didn¡¯t have many opportunities to use her cards¡ªmuch to my relief.


    ¡°We leave now!¡±


    With my orders, everyone responded by moving their bodies ordingly as they marched. They followed my lead, something that felt quite weird any time I considered it well. With Daniel by my left and Lara by my right, others behind me, and the enemy territory straight ahead, I moved resolutely.


    ********************************


    Thanks to everyone slowing me down, it took over thirty minutes to transverse the forest from the ins and reach the territory of the Hobgoblins.


    ¡®I could have just taken them into [Subspace] and then summon them once I got here¡­¡¯ I sighed a little, taking into ount the time that was wasted.


    However, using that method would be no good since I had already established that I had a limit to that power. It was only supposed to be used once we were close to the Boss Area and I wanted a face-off against the Boss alone.


    ¡®Huu¡­ it can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s just think of this as exercise.¡¯


    Now calming myself and tempering more patience, I made my way toward therge gate that seemed weird.


    Thest time I arrived, I punched my way through the gate, but here was another one erected before me. It looked like a makeshift gate, though, of less qualitypared to the original.


    I sensed a certain degree of mana emanating from the brown surface of the gate, realizing it had been coated with some fine magic energy¡ª most likely from the Casters.


    ¡®So they¡¯re this desperate to keep me out, uh?¡¯


    Even though this gate was not as sturdy as thest one, it was sure to be tougher due to the enchantment ced on it. However, that didn¡¯t matter to me in the slightest.


    Winding my arms a little, I took a firm stance and nted my legs on the ground. A smile formed on my face as I gave my arm a thrust.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t a full-poweredunch since I wasn¡¯t even using any Skill at the moment¡ªjust raw, physical power.


    >BOOOOOMMM!!!<

 Chapter 189 Diving Into The Horde (Pt 2)

    >BOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    An explosive sound of shattering good rippled through the air as everyone behind me seemed to tense up as a result of my disy of strength.


    It could be seen to be terribly frightening¡ªthat a human could break through what could seem to be a fortified gate with such ease. None of them seemed to have perceived the mana coating the door, yet they all seemed so impressed.


    It was a good thing my Strength Stat was already so high up.


    With the disappearance of the gate, as I expected, the Demons poured thousands of projectiles our way. The sight of over a thousand¡ªthat would be an understatement¡ªarrows and wsing our way made my skin tingle in excitement.


    As for the others behind me, shrieks of fear and despair confounded them. Some looked like they remembered quite a bit of an unpleasant thing. If I had to guess, it was most likely due to the fact that some of theirrades were massacred by Hobgoblin Archers not so long ago.


    The trauma must have still been fresh.


    That worked in my favor, though. After all¡­ the deeper the fear one possessed¡ª<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®¡ªthe higher the gratitude that will be expressed when a rescuer saves them from their despondency!¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t cower. It¡¯s all going ording to n, isn¡¯t it?¡± My voice rang through the fearful shrieks of everyone around.


    The tone I chose was soothing,forting, yet brimming with confidence!


    In a sh, my range of vision increased and I spotted multiple arrows at once thanks to my heightened perception.


    >WHUUUUSSHHH!!!<


    Dissipating sounds of emptiness reced the whirring arrows that wereunched at us. Within mere moments, the glowing ws and arrows imbued with mana had vanished.


    ¡°W-wha-?!¡±<sub></sub>


    Awe and surprise didn¡¯t begin to encapste the feelings expressed within the words that the spectators blurted out in response to my nearly godlike feats.


    How could a person¡ª a human¡ª achieve such a level as to make thousands of arrows vanish in a few seconds?! Their minds seemed to burn with several questions, but even if they mulled it over for eternity, their small brains could never figure it out.


    ¡°Are you all ready? We¡¯re charging in!¡± I roused their shocked state and began moving forward immediately.


    I caught glimpses of their unrecoverable gazes of amazement and deep respect as the people quickly moved, refusing to be left behind by their masked hero¡ªme.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡± The several thousand Hobgoblins that had once again upied the firstpound like rats all screamed at our approach.


    Launching another set of projectiles likest time, the idiot monsters thoughtlessly gave me more weapons to stock up in my inventory, [Subspace].


    I grinned satisfactorily as our charge sent shivers running down the spine of the Demons. Compared to their multitude, our numbers were despairingly small. However, being able topletely nullify their barrage of ranged attacks, not once, but twice, proved that were by far no ordinary group.<sub></sub>


    Of course, I was the only actual threat among the group, but the Demons were equally wary of us.


    Upon seeing that the ranges attacks were being rendered ineffective, the Hobgoblin (Advanced) Archers, Tankers, and Warriors all decided to take a more direct approach. I saw no Casters, though, making me a feel a little uneasy about their formation.


    ¡®Of the types I should be wary of, those magic-wielding bastards stand at the top¡­ at least for now¡­¡¯


    ¡°GARUUURUUUUUKKKKK!!!¡± Following their disgusting cries, the army of Hobgoblins moved from their stationary state and charged like the army they were.


    The earth trembled and sent shivers down the spine of everyone who was with me. The Gifteds I led all halted just like I had told them ording to the n. Though, I had a feeling they would have stopped either way.


    Only an exceptionally braved would continue charging Toward such a massive army, or an exceptionally strong person. I fell under the second category while the Gifteds with me were neither. It was no mystery why they had instinctively paused.


    With the Hobgoblins drawing nearer by the second, everyone¡¯s eyes darted toward me for a miracle.


    ¡®I feel tempted to just leave them here and let them die. They¡¯ll fetch a good amount of (G) Karma Points as is¡­¡¯


    However, I had to shake off such negative thoughts. In the first ce, the reason I was going through this much of a hassle was for the returns. If they Leveled Up more, they would be able to give equivalently higher points as profit.


    Since it was (G) Karma Points that was in question here, it was clear I had to wring out the most out of every single individual. In essence, Level them up to their limits.


    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±


    In a sh, I summoned the multiple arrows and ws that were in my [Subspace] thanks to their stunts from earlier.


    Mixing in my mana into all of them thanks to the terribly high MP I possessed, the result was catastrophic.


    The arrows all sparked as they appeared close to the approaching Demons. Before they could react with their demonic screeches, the deed was already done.


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    Countless melted, burned-up, and dismembered Hobgoblin corpses filled the area by the time the smoke was cleared up within a moment due to me collecting it.


    Standing dumbfounded were the bunch of Gifteds behind me. In what seemed like a sh before their eyes, over half of the Demon¡¯s forces had been whittled out, leaving a little over two thousand survivors left to fight. It was still arge number, but considering it was barely five minutes in and I had already achieved such a feat, two thousand didn¡¯t seem like such a big deal anymore.


    The surviving Demons were equally shocked. Some had sustained some damage from the explosion, having some part of their body caught up in it while others were only affected by the shockwave alone. In any case, it was something very terrible¡ªfor the Hobgoblins that is.


    They were now standing at the edge of death!


    My head turned to face the Gifteds behind me and once again, I donned a chivalrous tone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done what I can¡­ now we begin an all-out attack! I¡¯m counting on everyone!¡±

 Chapter 190 Carrying

    My speech was short due to the Demon army already fast approaching, but I ensured I gave enough motivation to spur everyone into action.


    ¡°Rahhhhhhh!!!¡± The Gifteds raised their voices unnecessarily for battle.


    Perhaps it was to douse the overwhelming cries of the Demons before them or to steel themselves knowing they would be fighting against enemies previously deemed unfathomable.


    However, there was no way the Gifteds could turn back now! After all, they were under the influence of my <Rule>. It dictated that they fought while cing their trust in me.


    <Rule> amplified their awe for me, as well as the desire to achieve something remotely close to my feat of ying over half of the opposing enemy¡¯s army. With their lowered intelligence, the Gifteds became a nearly unintelligent mob that only sought to obey their instincts for battle¡ªwith the exception of Lara whom I left intact.


    Her intelligence in battle was one of her best traits. She used her Shapeshifting abilities well when it came to dispatching Demons!


    ¡°GUARKKKK!¡±<sub>.</sub>


    Demons died easily after we charged at them. While the Gifteds were in a battle frenzy, they lost the fear and desperate desire to cling to their lives¡ªa basic human trait. As a result, they hunted more efficiently.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t that they got a massive boost in physical ability. They were even very close to losing their lives so many times in the course of the battle. However, I served as the overseer of their little bout and intervened when a Demon was about to inflict any serious harm on them.


    As a result, the group Leveled Up just fine. Of course, it would take forever if I just let them handle the thousand plus Demons on their own so I sent my weapons to deal some damage and whittle down the Demon¡¯s health up to the barest minimum so that the Gifteds could finish them off.


    Unlike in some games where EXP was shared collectively, the current situation was different. I received no gain after they killed the Demons despite being the one who contributed the most to their death.


    ¡®Well, maybe it has to do with the fact that I have no ¡®Allies¡¯ among them¡­¡¯


    In games, there was the ¡®Party¡¯ System where members of the same party got shares of EXP no matter how dealt the final blow to the enemy. Since I had no one registered as an Ally in my Status Window, it could be surmised that such an effect couldn¡¯t be used for me.<sub></sub>


    I didn¡¯t mind though. Shared EXP would only go so far in actually increasing the amount required for a Level Up.


    It was more relieving to see the others growing at a fast rate.


    ¡°G-GUR-GURUIKKK¡­..¡± The Hobgoblins now stopped attacking and began taking hastened steps to retreat.


    I smiled wryly. Who would have thought that such monsters would turn tail and flee in the presence of weaklings like Daniel and hisrades? Well, they couldn¡¯t be considered that way anymore.


    ¡°They¡¯re a little over a thousand now¡­ I see¡­¡±


    My murmur came out while I stroked my chin. The effects of <Rule> were still on the Gifteds, but it was clear that they were already exhausted. Pushing them too far would be unhealthy.<sub></sub>


    In that case, I had to let them stop!


    Releasing the group from my hold on them, they nearly copsed in exhaustion and I took over in the little time of recoil they were experiencing. A thousand Hobs weren¡¯t too much of a deal. I could think of so many ways to kill them, but I decided to go with a rtively new method I invented.


    ¡°Summon¡±


    In a sh, several Fireballs, like the Skill, appeared above the Demons. The heat seared the atmosphere as no one could resist looking above their heads to witness the ming balls of destruction.


    The Gifteds marveled. The Demons screeched. The mes burned ever so brightly. And I? I watched the scene with a grin of satisfaction, ready to see the mes scorch everything in sight.


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    The Hobgoblins around all got caught up in thebustion as they tried to retreat, leaving behind smoke and ashes. The Demon Cores were automatically collected so there was literally nothing left from them.


    >SHUUUUUUUU!!!<


    Smoke rose to an unbelievable degree, but I caused it to vanish within a moment. My grin grew wider as I mulled over how effective this method had been.


    The <Fireball> Skill was very effective and destructive, even more than several Maa Core Bombs of my highest quality. A single Fireball was enough to scorch and kill probably two to three Hobgoblins at once. Once I enhanced it further with my MP control, it could kill five at max level.


    The problem was the Skill Cooldown.


    <Fireball> could only be used once every five minutes even after I leveled it up to the max! As expected of a Grade 1 Skill. It was quite useful, but having to rely on it once every five minutes was a bad joke.


    However, I soon found my way around it!


    ¡°I simply need to keep using the Skill every five minutes and storing it inside [Subspace]!¡±


    It was a crazy idea, but heck it was effective!


    I kept putting the Fireballs generated every five minutes into [Subspace], giving me about 12 Fireballs every hour. Enhanced to the max, I could kill five Demons with one Fireball. I could kill sixty with twelve fireballs.


    It didn¡¯t seem like something I couldn¡¯t achieve using other means, but it didn¡¯t hurt to have many options in my arsenal. Especially since my weapons were slowly losing effectiveness against the new bunch of Hobgoblins surfacing.


    I was certain a bunch of new stuff coulde along once I was done with the Horde, but I had to figure out quick-fire ways to get rid of the small fries. Of course, I used this same method for all my other Skills.


    Skills like <Spike Attack> and <Venomous Spikes> were good examples.

 Chapter 191 Advancement

    Skills like <Spike Attack> and <Venomous Spikes> were good examples.


    While they didn¡¯t do much damage against the tough Demons, once I infused my mana, they would explode upon touch with the Demons, causing extra damage. Not to mention, by using <Coordination>, I could easily pinpoint the exact location of the targeted spots of the Demons. Eyes were my number one goal. By using Venomous Spikes to pierce the Demons¡¯ eyes, I could impede their sight and affect them with poison while using regr spikes to kill them off.


    That was my initial rationale. However, I came to realize that my Spikes and ws possessed incredible hardness and actually dealt a great deal of damagepared to my initial assumption.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of this?¡± I shouted in excitement.


    The reason was quite simple.


    My body had Leveled Up at a very abnormal rate, causing me to be extremely tough and powerful even merely physically. The Spikes and ws I produced were made from my body, and since the body kept experiencing changes and getting stronger¡­ so did the Skills!


    For Grade 1 Skills¡­ they were pretty overpowered, weren¡¯t they?


    So long as I kept growing stronger, these Skills would continue to remain relevant. By storing them within [Subspace], I could gain ess to a nigh unlimited amount of weapons made from my own body. When I thought of it that way, I realized¡­<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®I¡¯m freaking OP, aren¡¯t I?!¡¯


    ****************************


    The firstpound was subjugated without any issue. As a result, everyone Leveled Up to a considerable degree. Daniel grew to Level 61. Tasha became Level 59. Dave grew to Level 54, and so many others entered the early 50s. Melissa became Level 20, a miracle considering how little she contributed to the fight.


    ¡®I had to basically offer the Demons on a tter for her to Level Up¡­¡¯ I grimaced, remembering how weak and useless she was inbat.


    The best result from the fight so far was Lara. She surpassed Daniel and became a whooping Level 69! A huge jump from her previous estate. Looking at everyone now, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little moved. Of course, I leveled up a few times after killing the Demons. It was funny how I received so little EXP despite being the one who killed the most Demons.


    ¡°I¡¯m Level 237, uh?¡± I muttered, realizing I got additional 7 Levels.


    As expected, my Stats took another major boost, but it was all within expectation.<sub></sub>


    While I was exceedingly happy about the increase in the Level and fighting ability of my followers, there was something that took more pertinence. The most important aspect of their growth¡ªchoosing a Job!


    I remembered it was after I surpassed Level 50 that I got the chance to choose a Job. The same applied to everyone else who had surpassed that threshold. Only a few like Melissa and five others remained who hadn¡¯t reached Level 50. That was because they weren¡¯t very useful in the offensive and their Skills weren¡¯t attuned to fighting as much as the others.


    So, out of 36 Gifteds, including Lara, 30 could choose their Jobs.


    ¡°W-what should we choose?!¡± The group looked at me curiously.


    I squinted my eyes and gave a look of disgust. Of course, they couldn¡¯t see my expression through my mask, but it was annoying having to cater to every single need of these people. Perhaps it was my fault for reducing their Intelligence Stats, but they must have regained a great deal of it when they Leveled Up.


    The Subjugation Team members simply wanted to rely on me for everything!


    ¡°It¡¯s your choice. You should decide on your own.¡± Was my verdict.<sub></sub>


    Other than Lara, I didn¡¯t really care about the path everyone else chose. In the long run, it wouldn¡¯t be of any benefit to me. Turning in Lara¡¯s direction, I signaled her to have a word.


    She immediately got my message and moved toward me while the others were racking their brains on what to choose as their Jobs.


    *************************


    ¡°So? Which of them do you want to pick?¡±


    My question caused Lara to rub her chin a little as her eyes went to a Window I couldn¡¯t see which was most likely disyed in the corner of her vision.


    Her face disyed uncertainty and she was also conflicted about the choice¡ªjust like I had been.


    Choosing a Primary Job basically determined everything about a Gifted. The growth level, Stats, Skill sets, future Job selections, and style of fighting. Primary Jobs couldn¡¯t be revoked so it was a decision one had to make with the utmost caution.


    ¡°Being honest, I would rather go with the <Thief> Job¡­¡± Her voice trailed as she looked at me.


    ¡®Oh? Same as me uh?¡¯


    ¡°But, you¡¯ve already chosen that Job, haven¡¯t you? I figured out as much. It would be a waste if we both chose the same Job.¡±


    Just as always, Lara read my mind. While she was better suited for the <Thief> Job¡ªlike me¡ªhaving two people in the same Party bearing the same Job was disadvantageous. For versatility and better options in battle, another specialty had to be chosen.


    Lara gazed at her Status Window one more time. I still remembered how the Job selection worked.


    Faced with so many options and countless possibilities, it was easy to get lost in one¡¯s thoughts.


    Lara bit her lip and looked at me with a pained expression. It seemed she didn¡¯t want to resort to what she was about to do, but the young woman decided it was the best option.


    ¡°W-what do you think I should choose?¡±


    Her question was a bit surprising.


    Unlike the others who had asked for my opinion from the get-go, Lara had decided to use her intellect to battle the myriads of possibilities in her head. However, everyone had a limit.


    If not for my future knowledge and absurdly high amount of intelligence, I would have flopped in my choice. Besides, with someone as experienced as me standing before her, it was clear that the wisest thing for Lara to do was ask for my help.


    Unlike the others, she wasn¡¯t stupidly asking me to make the decision for her. She just chose the safest and most rational course of action. This was the reason why¡ªunlike previously¡ªI wasn¡¯t disgusted with Lara¡¯s question.


    ¡°Well, if I was to pick¡­¡±

 Chapter 192 The Right Choice

    [Primary Job List]


    ¨C Uses bare hands to fight, dealing powerful damage to foes. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved into a higher ss.


    <Knight>


    ¨C Uses several weapons to fight, several weapon-based skills are involved. Depending on proficiency, can be evolved to a higher ss.


    <Archer>


    ¨C Shoots projectiles from a long distance. Uses long-range weapons and firing skills. Senses and other rted abilities increase. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved into a higher ss.


    <Forger>


    ¨C Creates various materials and items by using base objects and drops. Monsters drop more items and raw materials for forgery, and smithing-rted skills are given. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved to a higher ss.


    <Mage>


    ¨C Uses spells to deal damage, having various elemental-rted skills. Using basic elements, they can cause various effects. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved to a higher ss.


    <Thief>


    ¨C Uses sneaky tactics and abilities to gain the edge against others. Steals items and objects from opponents and marks every item in possession. Able to store and retract any items currently owned and obtain rted skills. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved to a higher ss.<sub>.</sub>


    <Berserker>


    ¨C Uses rage and raw destructive power to pummel opponents. Has high vitality and indomitability. The longer a battle is prolonged, the greater the power output. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved to a higher ss.


    ¨C Uses holy power, divine powers of the gods. Can use healing, buffs, and protection to defend oneself and allies. Based on proficiency it can be evolved into a higher ss.


    <Schr>


    ¨C Possesses knowledge and information. Has the privilege of seeing more information on monsters, objects, and other things in the world. Can also see more information about fellow Gifteds. High intelligence and retention. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved into a higher ss.


    <Tamer>


    ¨C Able to enlist the aid of Demons through contracts. These Demons are bound by the specific contract, and so is the Gifted. Based on proficiency, it can be evolved into a higher ss.


    [.]


    [.]


    [.]


    In simple terms, Lara had to pick one of the Ten basic primary Skills disyed on her Status Window.<sub></sub>


    Asking me for advice was the smartest thing to do, and if I were to pick one, I¡¯d go for¡­


    ¡°Choose Mage.¡±


    The moment I said those words, Lara broke into a sigh and gave a relieved smile.


    ¡°I figured¡­¡± She said as she looked at her Status Window once again.


    It wasn¡¯t that a Mage was the most optimal Job to choose, neither did it have much of an advantage over others by arge margin. However, considering <Thief> was no longer an option and Lara¡¯s Job had to be something with the greatest amount of specialty, <Mage> was the right choice.


    Why?


    The answer dwelled in her Skillset, and I meant it as the current Skills in her possession. At her current Level, Lara had 5 Skill Slots, all of which already had Skills upying them.


    [SKILLS]


    <Muscrity>


    <Coordination>


    <Camouge>


    <Mana Control><sub></sub>


    <Fireball>


    [.]


    When looking at these five, the first of them would be concluded to be especially suitable for the


    Job. The second fit the <Knight> and <Archer> Job more. The third was suitable for the <Thief> Job. However, thest two¡­ were <Mage> oriented.


    Having two Skills already leaning toward that department made the choice easier. In the event where her choice was Mage, it would increase her potency if she already had existing Skills in that line.


    Plus, if the Skills ovepped with each other, they would simply merge and form a better Skill, just like how my initial <Store> Skill ovepped with the effects of [Subspace] and became another Skill, <Summon>.


    My rationale might have been biased due to the fact that I thought <Mage> was pretty cool, but still¡­ it still felt like the best choice for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick that then.¡± Her voice ovepped with my thoughts as she tapped on the invisible window disyed for only her eyes to see.


    In what appeared to be a few moments, I saw the transformation she went through.


    Maybe it was due to the difference in our Levels and my superior stats, but I could clearly sense the overflowing power within Lara as though waves of energy poured into her body.


    Her face reddened a little as she seemed to be a little ufortable. Heat surrounded her body, and in a short while¡ªmost likely a few seconds¡ªthis phenomenon ended.


    ¡°Haaa¡­ I did it¡­ I got my Job.¡±


    A grin formed on my face and I nodded with satisfaction. Lara had taken one step closer to strength. However, I had to be very careful about this.


    While it was to my benefit that she became stronger, it would certainly suck if she grew beyond my control. I couldn¡¯t ck off, neither could I unterally trust her.


    ¡®Looks like I need to take some measures¡­¡¯


    ***********************


    Lara and I returned to the rest of the group after I confirmed a few things with her.


    Firstly, I told her to tell me all the Skills in her possession and how many Slots she had.


    ¡°I have two new Skills, one Upgraded Skill, and my total Skill Slots are 10.¡± She responded sharply.


    That all added up.


    The second thing I told her to do was to list all the Skills for me, which she did without hesitation. Lara was of the same understanding that the moment I found the cause to doubt her, she might as well be saying goodbye to her life.


    I wasn¡¯t above killing my allies.


    [SKILLS]


    <Muscrity>


    <Coordination>


    <Camouge>


    <Mana Maniption> (Upgraded+)


    <Fireball>


    <Spell Conjuring (Basic> (New!)


    <Elemental Affinity> (New!)


    <Empty>


    <Empty>


    <Empty>


    [.]


    Once she listed them all out to me, I realized that her previous <Mana Control> Skill had evolved to a higher form which allowed her to control Mana more fluidly, and not only hers, but also the Mana in the surroundings as well.


    That meant she could restore her MP to a certain extent, as well as tap into more energy than her limit was. In a sense, it was a pretty impressive Skill.


    ¡®Others who get this Job early on won¡¯t have ess to this Skill, though¡­ it¡¯s a more advanced version of <Mana Control>, after all¡­¡¯


    Lara was already ahead of any Mage that would exist at this point¡­ which was good! I knew it was the ideal choice to make her one.


    ¡®Let¡¯s just hope this doesn¡¯t backfire on me!¡¯


    That would suck.

 Chapter 193 Pushing Forward

    Another thing I told Lara to do was to mention the details of her Skills to me. It was a pain that I couldn¡¯t see her Status Window myself. Yes, a real pain indeed!


    She exined the functions of her new Skills, giving me a general idea of how they worked.


    Apparently, <Spell Conjuring (Basic)>, just like the one I had in my Skill Slot, allowed Lara to use Basic Spells as long as her MP allowed it. However, unlike mine, she already had four preset Spells avable for use¡ªeach belonging to the basic elements; Water, Earth, Fire, and Air.


    I felt a tinge of jealousy, but this was what I got for not choosing the <Mage>Job. The System didn¡¯t help me choose presets for my exact Skill. I had to learn them manually¡­ and to do that, I would need a Magic Item.


    ¡®Tsk¡¯ I clicked my tongue and got to know about the second Skill.


    <Elemental Affinity> gave Lara a twenty percent increase in offensive ability when using any Elemental magic, as well as a 10 percent damage reduction from Elemental attacks.


    They didn¡¯t seem much now, but I was certain that if her Job kept upgrading as mine had, this Skill would make Lara overpowered in no time.


    It was an educational session and I learned a lot from her exnation. However, my lingering feeling of uncertainty remained. The reason for my unease was due to the fact that Lara could be lying to me about these Skills and I would have no idea.<sub>.</sub>


    To ease my suspicions, I had her do one more thing for me¡ª use the Skills so I could see them in action for myself.


    For that, Lara responded by first showing me the four Basic Spells in her arsenal. Afterward, she used <Mana Maniption> to slightly control the flow of Mana around so I was certain it was true. I also felt a good deal of energy entering her body so she had to be restoring herself.


    It was still impossible to guess thest Skill, <Elemental Affinity>¡¯s effect, so I decided to let it go.


    After I was done confirming what I wanted, we left for the rest. Everyone was done choosing their Skill, so out of the 29 other Subjugation team members, we had;


    2


    3 <Knight>


    7 <Archers><sub></sub>


    12 <Mages>


    5


    It was an oddbination, but I could work with that. For those who chose the same Job, their Skills were identical, so I was able to confirm the truth behind Lara¡¯s words from the other Mages.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised that so few chose to be Brawlers and Knights. Many didn¡¯t want direct confrontations, while others chose that due to their area of specialty.


    As expected, Daniel chose <Knight> and Tasha chose


    .


    Their Skills were also pretty decent. The reason I knew that much was because they all confided in me in hopes that they hadn¡¯t made the wrong choice.


    Daniel and Tasha, most especially, were pretty spot-on with their choices since the Jobs they chose synced well with thier Gifts.<sub></sub>


    Lara had the Gift called [Sheet Might], which forcefully brought her strength level to that of her opponent, with no drawbacks! Having the Brawler Job was basically icing on the cake. There was no better choice.


    For Daniel, his Gift was [Unlimited Potential]¡­ a cheat ability. In simple terms, it allowed him to adapt to situations quickly, and gain extra EXP from his enemies which made him Level Up faster than usual.


    But the most astounding aspect of this Gift was that he could bring out the best of anything he wielded. He could not only increase his potential, but also the potential of his weapons. That was why the Job of <Knight> was perfect for him.


    If I were him, mastering many weapons would be my goal. However, knowing him, he would most likely stick to the sword. Under the Job tree of <Knight>, it was certain that a rare kind known as <Hero> could be achieved. If Daniel obtained that, he would be beyond unstoppable!


    ¡®No wonder he¡¯s the ace of Charles¡¯ Camp¡­ what a monster¡­¡¯ I grinned.


    Now that we were basically done with our preparations and had powered up considerably, the next goal was to invade the secondpound. It was afternoon already, so I wanted to speed things up even more.


    After all, I wanted to be done by the end of the day.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have lunch after clearing the secondpound!¡±


    The Subjugation squad had noints about my proposition, no, mymand. In the first ce, I was sharing my food with them. Secondly, they had to take down thepound one way or the other! They might as well do that with my support!


    Everyone was excited due to the ease of the first round in addition to their massive growth. There was no way they would refuse a new chance at more power.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡± My eyes darted to the second gate.


    ********************************


    ¡°Huu¡­ so, what are you trying to say, old guy?¡±


    A puff of smoke went into the air as the lips of the ebony-skinned man parted. He satfortably on a seat and was smiling in a rxed manner.


    His name was Kevin Smith, leader of the disorderly band of ¡®Evil¡¯ Aligned yers who broke into the Camp, killed a bunch of people and practically took over the whole structure.


    This man¡¯s eyes squinted a little as he looked at the other person who sat opposite him. He appeared older, was white-skinned¡ªthough it now resembled a pale color¡ªand his frozen was evident.


    Kevin Smith smiled at the uptight, nervous, older male in front of him. More smoke came out of his mouth and nostrils as he spoke once more.


    ¡°There¡¯s a Horde¡­ you say¡­?¡±


    Charles nodded stiffly.


    In all honesty, he felt overwhelmed by the presence standing before him. Unlike Jeremy, this man was a hardened killer and had the mature presence of an impregnable fortress¡ªno, a wild beast that could devour him at any time!


    Charles could only gulp and answer the man¡¯s questions in hopes his life and that of his family would be spared.


    ¡°Yes¡­ and it¡¯s fast approaching as we speak.¡±

 Chapter 194 The March Continues

    ¡°I see¡­ so that¡¯s why most of your members aren¡¯t here¡­¡± Kevin Smith smiled, rubbing the rough beards that covered his chin.


    Charles nodded and exined the Subjugation n, though not in detail, and the gravity of the danger that loomed on all of them.


    He bit his lip and clenched his fist in frustration several times while speaking. He was terribly upset by Ana¡¯s death, as well as the early demise of all her Party members except Lily.


    ¡®Forgive me, Ana, Daniel, Peter¡­ even you, Lily ¡­ I¡¯m such a coward!¡¯


    Even though Lily hadn¡¯t been killed, her fate was already sealed. Charles could predict that the reason they spared her was that her Level was too low to give any reasonable amount of EXP.


    While he was of a considerably high Level, enough to give EXP, they hadn¡¯t killed him either. The reason for this was due to his position as leader. He held a strategic position of relevance, so Kevin and his minions decided there was worth in keeping him alive¡­ at least, for now.


    ¡°And? They¡¯ll be returning in four days? That¡¯s awfully optimistic considering the emphasis you ced on the level of ¡®threat¡¯ the horde in question is¡­¡± Kevin muttered in response to Charles¡¯ brief exnation.


    The Camp leader, no, ex-Camp Leader gulped. What was he to say?<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®We have a Jeremy on our side?¡¯ No, that would be foolish. He clenched his fist once again and readied himself for spouting as much information that made his relevance more established.


    His daughter was low-leveled, so there was no worth in killing her now. She was sure to survive. As for his wife¡­ he had to think of a way to protect her too!


    While he couldn¡¯t guarantee victory, Charles was certain that Jeremy would fight Kevin due to their opposing interest. He would need to find a window of escape during that period and leave with Tasha.


    ¡®There¡¯s so much to do and think of¡­ but, I have to endure¡­ just for a few more days¡­¡¯


    *************************


    ¡®Ahh, just a little more, and we¡¯ll be done.¡¯


    My grin became wide enough to reach both sides of my ears as I stared at everyone working so hard.<sub></sub>


    The monsters in the secondpound included Casters, so I had to handle those ones while the others managed to make good use of their newly acquired Skills to fight.


    Their movements were uncoordinated and crude at best, but, with my assistance, they didn¡¯t suffer many injuries and managed to Level Up quite a lot.


    We were already done with over half of their forces and Lara, who had the highest Level, was already in thete eighties.


    Their growth was frightening, but it was to be expected considering the fact that they were killing monsters that would usually take stronger people to handle.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before they reached Level hundred or more.


    ¡®I should be careful, though¡­¡¯


    While it was profitable to raise their Levels as high as possible, I couldn¡¯t allow myself to be too greedy. If these Gifteds became more powerful than I could control¡­ it wouldn¡¯t bode well for me.<sub></sub>


    In the first instance, I needed to neutralize them using Demons. It would be stupid if I made them too strong for the Demons in my possession to handle.


    I couldn¡¯t afford to kill them myself, after all.


    I returned my gaze to the group of Demons that was left and saw the fright in their eyes. The Gifteds wanted to push on, but I could sense the exhaustion that pervaded them. After enduring such an intense third round, they were simply too tired to do more.


    It was funny, but I allowed it.


    ¡°Stay back, everyone!¡±


    Using abination of <Fireball>, <Venomous Spikes>, and <Spike Attack>, I rained destruction upon the rest of the Hobgoblins and got me some EXP while I was at it. My current Level was 243, barely moving from its previous position, even after killing so many Hobs during the Subjugation.


    ¡®Am I getting uneasy because everyone seems to be Leveling Up so quickly and mine is barely moving?¡¯ I sighed at my pettiness.


    Logically, there was no reason to feel moved by the Gifted¡¯s progress, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    The burning desire to be so strong and hoard all the EXP kept gnawing at me. Even with my goal in mind, I could barely restrain myself from acting on my emotions.


    ¡®Jeremy, calm yourself¡­ you wanted them to be strong, now they are!¡¯


    I couldn¡¯tin, things were moving exactly as I wanted. It was now just a matter of time.


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    The explosion caused by my countless rains of destruction filled the area, dragging me back to reality. The Demons within the secondpound were all eliminated.


    ¡°Good¡­¡±


    I turned to the group and congratted them. They all made cheerful and joyful noises the moment my praise reached their ears.


    It hadn¡¯t been easy, but everyone had ovee what seemed impossible. It was clear they were ovee with unspeakable happiness.


    ¡°You should all take a break¡­ while this might be a little bit ahead of ns, I intend to handle the thirdpound on my own.¡±


    My sudden deration shocked everyone.


    The group of Gifteds all looked at me with puzzled nces, and for a few seconds, no one spoke. Taking this as his queue, Daniel represented the intentions of everyone well and voiced his concern.


    ¡°B-but, will it be okay? We should all go as a team and work together. I understand that you¡¯re way stronger than us, but¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be better if we overcame their numbers with ours?¡±


    I rolled my eyes underneath my mask. These people didn¡¯t get that they were slowing me down. I had to hand over injured versions of the monsters so they could kill them. In essence, it was spoon-feeding.


    Even though their Stats were high and nearly all of them possessed Jobs, they still weren¡¯t ready enough to fight with no holds barred.


    Besides, it waste afternoon and they were tired and hungry.


    At our current pace, we would reach the Boss Area in the evening/night. While I could see things perfectly in the night, I didn¡¯t want to prolong my confrontation with the ¡®Big Bad.¡¯


    It had to be now!

 Chapter 195 Risk

    ¡°I understand your concerns, Daniel¡­ and I respect it. However, you have all reached the limits of your strength. You need ample rest¡­¡±


    Daniel and the rest of the Camp members lowered their heads and looked guilty. Despite their good intentions, they were only going to be liabilities. The bunch had also realized it!


    ¡°¡­ Besides, it¡¯s because your Levels are all low, that¡¯s why you can not sense it¡­¡± My tone became more ominous as I looked at them and released an inkling of my pressure to make them feel terrified.


    ¡°¡­ If you cross that third Gate with your current Levels, you¡¯ll all die!¡±


    I could hear all of the Gifteds swallow the moment my statement dropped. Their eyes showed something that had been missing for some time¡­ fear!


    Sweat formed on Daniel¡¯s face and his face fell as well.


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ understood.¡± Aware of his own weakness, the boy bit his lip in frustration and decided to leave me at my decision.


    It was a good thing none of them pursued any further.


    Seeing as no Demons were left in the secondpound, we decided to make it our temporary base. I brought out a few curtain blinds and drapes to serve as mats for everyone to sit on. The ground was rough and dirty, so this made the Gifteds far morefortable.<sub>.</sub>


    Next were meals. Bringing out snacks and sugar-filled soda, I poured them out benevolently for my growing investments to eat and drink to their fill.


    After I was done bringing out the necessities, they thanked me profusely, but I waved off their expressions of gratitude with a chivalrous statement that made me cringe so much in my costume.


    ¡°Helping others who are in need is onlymon sense!¡±


    I nearly bit my tongue saying it since the statement was the very antithesis of my philosophy. The only reason I blurted out such hypocrisy was due to my current position as a white knight. Plus, I thought it sounded cool since I picked it up from one of my favorite Light Novels.


    ¡®Good grief¡­ have I gotten too ¡®In-Character¡¯ with this facade?¡¯


    The bunch of Gifteds I spoke to dumbly epted the logic, though, and gratefully enjoyed my kindness to them.


    I shrugged and moved away from the bunch, gazing upon the third Gate from my distance.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± A whisper came from behind me, and Lara dashed toward me with swift movements.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Erm¡­ are you sure you want to go in alone?¡±


    I nodded and told her to watch over the others. My voice was low, tone sharp. Being Level 90, it wasn¡¯t impossible for her to understand what I meant.


    She nodded immediately and returned to where her seat was.


    Looking at her back, I felt a swirl of unfamiliar emotions wash through me and shook them off before any could register. Now wasn¡¯t the time to entertain silly ideas.


    For a moment, my thoughts hadn¡¯t perceived Lara as a mere ¡®tool¡¯, but as a woman¡­ no, a girl¡­ I couldn¡¯t exin it, but the idea was too dangerous that I quickly shut it off.


    ¡®That¡¯s enough of that!¡¯


    My eyes returned to the gate and I cocked my head to the direction¡ªmy body following swiftly afterward.


    In a couple of light steps, thanks to my swift movements, I reached the gate. Feeling the gaze of everyone rest upon me, I felt a little shy.<sub></sub>


    They all sat far away from the entrance, at a corner that wasn¡¯t facing the gate. This was to ensure that no stray attack would reach them from the opening I would soon be making.


    I gulped a little.


    Even though I told them that they would certainly die if they came with me simply because I didn¡¯t want them tagging along, it wasn¡¯t a lie.


    I could feel the strong presence that existed beyond this door. I had felt it since thest time I made it this far, which was why I chose not to venture any further.


    My Level had definitely grown beyond what it used the be during my previous attempt, but not by much. The strength of the opponents beyond this gate was nothing to scoff at.


    ¡®But I¡¯m in a hurry¡­¡¯ I clicked my tongue.


    This was no time to be stingy with my abilities.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±


    Adding strength to my legs, I jumped higher than the fence and stood on the long tform that stretched as far as covering all sides of thepound.


    My face lifted and I saw the enemies I would be challenging¡­ they were frightening.


    ¡°This is¡­ a little more than I expected¡­¡±


    The thirdpound stretched beyond the space that both the first and second had. Calling it enormous didn¡¯t do it justice!


    My eyes could barely contain the whole scenery¡ªeven with my heightened sight.


    What was worse¡­?


    The Demons that stood below me covered over seventy percent of the unbelievablyrge field. It was an unprecedented sight, making me almost grateful that I chose to stand on an elevated tform instead of charging from the gate.


    If I had my doubts before, any such feelings vanished the moment I took a look at this crowd.


    ¡°Yep! They would have surely died!¡±


    [SYSTEM ALERT]


    <Danger!> <Danger!>


    My grin became fiercer as I saw the double signs of danger. For the System to have revealed such a thing to me¡­ it meant there was a chance I would be defeated. No, if I calcted the chances of victory as null with three danger signs, two meant that I was most likely to lose.


    In such a situation, it would be easy to feel discouraged and choose retreat. However, that would simply be foolish. There was no way I could turn back now and continue a fool¡¯s game that had no end.


    I needed more EXP! That meant an inevitable sh with stronger Demons. Whether I liked it or not, I would once again need to risk my life!


    ¡°Huu¡­ let¡¯s do this!¡± I exhaled, ring at the Demons who red at me with equal resolve.


    On the farthest end, I could see the massive gait of the creature that had given me goosebumps even when I had stood before the gate.


    It stood, motionless, waiting for an action from me. Such behavior was only allowed for the strong.


    ¡°That one¡­ is strong!¡±

 Chapter 196 The Devil

    With my eyes fixated on the one who seemed to be the most powerful of the bunch, I whispered words to myself.


    ¡°That one¡­ is strong!¡±


    But, I wasn¡¯t about to get myself discouraged.


    Casters, Advanced Warriors, Advanced Archers, Advanced Tankers¡­ I could see them all stretch at a distance.


    They all took their stances. Archers took their aims, Casters were ready tounch Spell, as the others prepared for their moves as well. This was a muchrger crowd than anything I had faced so far, and they contained only the most elite of forces.


    Yet¡­ yet¡­ what was this confidence that was brimming from within me?


    ¡°Huu¡­ seems like a waste to use it now since I only get to do it once, but¡­ let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got. Activate Skill: Parlor Tricks.¡±


    [System Information]


    ~Your Skill


    Is In Effect~


    <The Roulette Will Be Spun><sub>.</sub>


    [.]


    Seeing this notification, I decided to pass time by dropping from my elevated standpoint, knowing that this would signal all hell to be let loose. But, I was prepared for that much.


    With a single leap, I left the wooden fence cracked as I jumped down.


    The Demons saw my movements and rapidly fired their shots at me in what seemed to be too great a multitude to refer to as merely ¡®thousands¡¯. The red aura of demonic energy covered the sky as I saw the rains of pure, overwhelming power near me at a frightening pace.


    My eyes picked up the ones I could, but even I could tell that I couldn¡¯t get all of them in time.


    Still, it would be embarrassing if I got struck by a single one of them, so I resorted to one of my tricks.


    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    Instantly, air that was already filled with my mana filled the sky that contained the iing enemy projectiles. My mana shed with the demons¡¯, sending everything into a massive gust of mes and destruction.


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<<sub></sub>


    The sky was painted in distortions of crimson red and grey smoke. I took the opportunity to take in all of them, but even remnants lingered in the sky by the time I was done.


    The fireworks disyed seemed to signal the start of the Demons¡¯ march as they all charged at me with deafening yells that could kill an average person.


    Thousands upon thousands upon thousands rushed at me, causing the ground to quake ceaselessly.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIIIIIIIIIUUUUUUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡±


    Such brute noises and mors that I had never experienced in all my life came flooding into my eardrums as I struggled to keep them out. In what could possibly be the veryst seconds of my life, the Demons would crush me with their absolute numbers.


    But, I wasn¡¯t frightened.


    Why?


    The answer was simple¡­


    [System Notification]<sub></sub>


    ~ Tarot Card <The Devil> Has Been Chosen~


    (The ¡®Upright¡¯ Variant Will Be Used)


    ~Please Confirm Card Usage~


    [ept][Decline]


    I selected the most reasonable option without hesitation.


    And so¡­ as the effects kicked in, so did the description of the frightening Skill. And it was beyond my expectations.


    [System Information]


    ~Skill <The Devil (Upright)> In Progress~


    <The Devil: Upright Variant>


    The Devil expresses the realm of the taboo ¡ª the culturally rejected wildness and undigested shadow side that each of us carries in our subconscious. This shadow is actually at the core of our being, which we cannot get rid of and will never seed in taming. The Devil evokes the church-fueled fear that a person could ¡°lose their soul¡± to wild and passionate forces.


    ~ Card Effect: All ¡®Demons¡¯ (Those Who Possess Evil Alignments) Within A Specified Range Will Lose Their Souls And Fall.


    (Skill Duration: Instant)


    [Note: Effects Apply Currently To Only Demons Of Grade 1 and Evil Aligned Person¡¯s 50 Levels Lower Than The User.]


    [End Of Information]


    And so, as the Skill pronounced¡­ every single Demon in sight died¡ªright before my eyes.


    Not one thousand. Not two, not five, not ten¡­ probably over thirty thousand Demons¡­ all of which were Grade 1¡­ lost their souls and fell. They perished!


    [You Have Leveled Up] pings nearly deafened my ears and blinded my sight as I took in the unbelievable sight. It was absurd, yet believable.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to get my Secondary Job after the beginning phase¡­ the Demons that I will encounter in theter stages go beyond Grade 1. When using that logic, this Skill isn¡¯t so powerful, since it only affects Grade 1s¡­¡±


    That was the rational conclusion I came to. Yes, it was only right to think that way. However, the fact that this Skill made it to the beginning phase, where nearly any Demon in sight was Grade 1¡­ broke the bnce of the very concept of fighting.


    There was no point in exerting myself needlessly over what was considered small fry by the System.


    I had grown beyond that¡­ I was truly one who ruled Devils themselves. A Devil above the current Demons.


    However, my celebration was cut short the moment I realized that I hadn¡¯t entirely been victorious.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK¡­.¡±


    Standing a very far distance from me was the very beast I spotted when I stood atop the fence. Its growl could be felt from my distance and I could still sense its power.


    The Demon was green, the same as its other kin, having ck markings that resembled tattoos all over its body. The bizarre creature donned primitive clothes that made it seem like a caveman, and had arge staff that appeared wooden in nature.


    Bushy hair came from its head and on its chin flowed a long beard.


    The most noticeable trait about it, however, was its height. Goblins, even Hobs, were creatures with inferior heights aspared to other Demons. However, this one broke the record.


    It had to be at least 12 meters in height, and its incredibly muscr body made it seem all the more dangerous.


    It was tall! It was huge! It was powerful, and most of all, it was a Demon beyond the realm of the usual monsters I had experienced till now¡ªwith the exception of one.


    The massive monster I now challenged was thest of the Demons that previously filled thepound for one reason and one reason alone.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Grade 2!¡±

 Chapter 197 Hobgoblin Chief

    Grades¡ªthe very means by which one could measure the power of a Demon.


    Levels of Demons are proportional to their race and Grades, so it isn¡¯t impossible to see a Level 100 Grade 1 monster lose to a Level 10 Grade 2. Grades essentially separate what is possible and impossible for a Gifted in battle.


    This was how I could exin things simply.


    All monsters I had encountered so far belonged to the Grade 1 category. They were all Lesser Demons with low sets of Stats. They had numbers, sure, but their quality was something that could be ovee.


    However, there was an exception to the Demons I had fought and killed¡­ the Boss of the first and only Gate I sessfully closed¡ªThe Hell Kobold King.


    It was a Grade 2 Demon!


    Usually, that would have signaled the end of my life at that moment. Fortunately, that Demon was affected by the Status Ailment of Hunger that caused its Stats to reduce to such pathetic figures.


    ¡®I always thought it was too weak to be a Grade 2¡­¡¯


    Even with its <Hunger> Status Condition, his base Stats must have suffered some severe reduction from being in a hungry state for so long.


    In essence, the total amount of Stats I saw with it was definitely not what it would have been if the Demon was in perfect health. If I had faced a proper Grade 2 back then, death was guaranteed several times over.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®Whew! I should consider myself lucky¡­¡±


    I barely scraped by then, even with a far inferior Grade 2, and now I could see the vast difference between that and this monster standing a distance from me.


    Separated by what I could only describe to be an immeasurable sea of dirt and rock¡ªalong with trampled nts¡ªstood the beast that was on the same level as the Boss of the Hell Kobolds. However, unlikest time, this one wasn¡¯t affected by the Status Condition of <Hunger>.


    But¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not the Boss, uh?¡±


    My voice was low and sullen, but notcking the resolve to do what was needed.


    Even though this monster was leagues above the small fry I had dealt with for so long, I could discern that this wasn¡¯t quite on the Level of a Boss¡ªdue to several reasons, of course.


    ¡®There¡¯s no Gate¡­¡¯


    It was trite, no, an absolutew¡ªfor a Boss to guard the Gate where its kin would spawn from. For this massive hunk of meat to stand by its lonesome, it was guaranteed that it wasn¡¯t the Boss of the herd of Hobs I had faced already.<sub></sub>


    From the corner of my eye, I spotted another gate behind the monster. The Demon firmly stood a couple of meters from it, as though it was its guardian. My instincts told me that the final Boss dwelled beyond that border and all I had to do was beat the foe who served as the guard.


    ¡°A monster thatmands both Grade 1 and Grade 2 Demons¡­ I wonder how strong it¡¯ll be¡­¡± My thoughts leaked out and I grinned happily.


    There was one final reason why I didn¡¯t believe that the Demon I was to face wasn¡¯t the Boss, even though it possessed the qualifications to be one¡ªin terms of strength, that is.


    ¡®It¡¯s not strong enough!¡¯


    I could certainly feel its power from my location, but it wasn¡¯t the kind of overwhelming and overpowering sensation I expected a Boss to possess.


    If this was actually the final opponent I would face after going through so much, then it would be very underwhelming¡ªtoo disappointing!


    I sought a better challenge, but I wasn¡¯t about to underestimate the one I currently faced and look down on it.


    No matter the level of power it possessed, prey was prey. As the predator, I could only act in my capacity and finish what I started¡ªmy hunt!


    Feeling eagerness well up within me, I grinned with anticipation and began moving my body toward the monster who was also making conspicuous movements.<sub></sub>


    It growled, albeit in a low, intelligent tone. Unlike the other savage beasts, I could tell that this one was on another level in terms of intelligence.


    ¡®That¡¯s a Grade 2 for you¡­¡¯


    As I closed the distance between the two of us, I saw the Demon take a battle stance. It didn¡¯t take a single step away from where it was, indicating the intention to continue guarding its post.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t intend on leaving, eh? Perfect!¡±


    This would prove a great opportunity to properly prepare for the enemy, so I had no qualms with its decision.


    Exhaling deeply, I felt the newfound strength surging within me. After killing an estimate of thirty thousand Demons, I was certainly not the same as before.


    EXP and Levels had flowed through me like an endless river back then, and the more steps I took, the more I felt the degree of change that had taken ce within my body. It wasn¡¯t arrogance or conceit, no, it was¡­ absolute recognition.


    I took more steps and I had gotten to a considerable distance between myself and the beast¡ªenough to see its Status Window. A grin formed on my moist lips as I took in the information with rabid sensations.


    [System Alert]


    <Danger!> <Danger!>


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Hobgoblin Chief


    ¨C Level: 100


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 2


    ¨C Age: 200 Days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 30,000


    ¨C MP: 5,000


    ¨C Strenght: 17,000


    ¨C Agility: 8,000


    ¨C Vitality: 15,000


    ¨C Intelligence: 1,500


    [End Of Information]


    ¡°What a beast!¡± I found myself eximing, though still maintaining my amused expression.


    Its Stats were higher than I had anticipated. Imagining the Hell Kobold King I fight in the past having such outrageous numbers caused me to slightly shiver. Still, this much was within expectations. I didn¡¯t expect a walk in the park when the System specifically allotted two warnings to me as I approached the Demon.


    My Level was currently at 281, a huge jump from the previous 243. At my current pace, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for me to reach Level 300 by the end of the Subjugation.


    That thought alone gave me all the vigor I needed!

 Chapter 198 A Stronger Opponent

    My enemy had far superior Statspared to mine. Currently, my Status Window looked like this¡ª


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 281 ¨C Exp: 11.52%


    ¨C Race: Human


    [JOB]


    (Primary Job) Thief


    (Secondly Job): <Trickster>


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡å 3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Chaotic Neutral<sub>.</sub>


    ¨C Karma Points: 2,130


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 155


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 14,150/14,150


    ¨C MP: 3,896/3,896


    ¨C Strength: 2,860 (520)


    ¨C Agility: 14,350 (412)


    ¨C Vitality: 14,150 (130)


    ¨C Intelligence: 42,650 (910)


    ¨C (G) Factor: 60


    ¨C Gift: [Subspace]<sub></sub>


    ¨C Items Equipped: None


    ¨C Allies: None


    [Additional Information]


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    [End Of Information]


    Compared to my Stats, the opponent had a pretty scary set.


    From my knowledge, one <Danger!> Signal meant the likelihood of severe harm, or even death. The opponent could possess lesser Stats, but as long as they could kill you, the sign showed up.


    When it became two, that meant the Level and Stats of your opponent were higher. It also meant a greater likelihood of danger, but it still didn¡¯t prove that the threat was insurmountable. Just as it was possible for a lower Stat Demon to kill a higher Stat Gifted, the opposite also applied.


    Finally, once the System showed three <Danger!>, It only meant one thing¡­ the situation was hopeless!


    There was a limit to the possibility of a weaker being defeating a more powerful one. In the face of immeasurable power, there was no way a lesser foe could win.


    If I met a Demon who was attributed two Danger signs, my instincts would instantly tell me to run. So far, my instincts were silent, though.<sub></sub>


    Why?


    This was a fight I could win!


    ¡°Garauiik¡­ Hurik Fruiik Lawiuuik Mik.¡± Distorted words proceeded from the mouth of rhe Hobgoblin Chief as it growled.


    My ears picked up its disgusting voice and nothing more. Still, judging from its expression and the snort it gave, I could sense that it was trying tomunicate something to me.


    ¡®Most likely condescending words¡­¡¯ I smirked.


    This monster had intelligence, not as high as mine, but way higher than normal. It was able to sense the difference in our strength and determine I couldn¡¯t kill it as easily as I did the others.


    ¡®Now I understand why no actions were made from the innerpounds even when I ughtered the small fries¡­¡¯


    No matter the number of deaths dealt with the Hobgoblins, none of the stronger monsters took direct action. They must have been confident in their ability to subdue me if I ever made it this far.


    To them, the lesser kinds were no more than expendable. The fact that they were not affected by the <Hunger> Status Condition meant that they engaged in cannibalism.


    Compared to them, the Kobolds seemed like a more honorable race. Still, it didn¡¯t matter much. Hobgoblins, Kobolds, they were all the same, weren¡¯t they?


    In the end, Demons are enemies!


    >FWOOOOSH< I dashed forward the moment I settled on that thought.


    Seeing as I closed the distance between the both of us in mere moments, the Demon instantly took guard.


    ¡®I have the advantage in Agility and Intelligence! It has the upper hand in HP, MP, Strength, Vitality!¡¯


    Any reasonable person would consider this lopsided battle to be incredibly dangerous and refuse to risk any injuries. However, as experience had taught me, Stats weren¡¯t everything.


    With the right Skills, it was possible to defeat an opponent even if they were stronger!


    ¡°<Muscrity>. <Aura>. <Iron Skin>. <Mana Control>.¡±


    These Skills would be more than enough¡­ for now. For a beast of such terrifying magnitude to be stationed here, it only meant there were more in thest area. I had to save up a majority of my firepower for them. Plus, it would be quite useful for me if I fought this monster without resorting to much tricks. This was the best way to learn!


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± I yelled, brandishing my hands and tightening them into clenched fists.


    My body was covered in a red aura which mixed in with the blue color of my mana that was released due to <Mana Control>. Sparks of colliding energy burst forth, creating what resembled purple hue.


    My muscles became strengthened due to my buff Skills and my defenses were fortified. In response to my disy, the Hobgoblin Chief did not disappoint.


    Its body glowed like metal and intense crimson energy covered it. From where I stood, it looked like a soaring inferno that caused my skin to crawl slightly.


    Even in my heightened state, I still felt such pressure. No, maybe it was because I was in an elevated state. Only the strong could quite understand the depths of their opponent¡¯s power.


    Just like I had boosted my abilities, my for did the same. It was a shame its Status Window didn¡¯t reveal by how much.


    ¡°Grauiiii!!!¡± It roared, sending chills down my spine.


    It was probably a debuff skill that instilled fear. Fortunately, my Stats weren¡¯t too low to be caught in such an obvious trap. In the same vein, I couldn¡¯t affect it with debuffs too, and even if I couldn¡¯tst too long since its resistance was way higher than mine.


    In a sh, the Demon swung the staff that it gripped ever so tightly and gave a horizontal sh. Quickly sensing the imminent danger that approached me, I put a great deal of energy into my legs, causing the very ground to crack and part ways.


    >BOOOOOMMM!!!<


    My body lunged into the air at a far greater velocity than the swing, allowing me to avoid a direct hit.


    >SWOOOOOOOSHHHHH!!!<


    The very air seemed to part ways as the staff distorted the space beneath me. I let out a gasp, feeling a surge of wind blow as a result of the pressure.


    However, this much wasn¡¯t enough for me to lose myposure.


    Summoning a sturdy desk from [Subspace], I pressed my body on it and used it as a foothold tounch toward the Demon.


    >WHOOOSH<


    The moment I did this, the tform I used vanished and I had gained enough momentum to rush at the Chief¡¯s face.


    Having a faster Agility Stat meant the first hit was guaranteed to be mine.


    ¡°Clench your teeth!¡±

 Chapter 199 A Close Fight

    ¡°Clench your teeth!¡±


    Putting all my strength into my blow, I gave a straight thrust and connected with the hot flesh of the opponent.


    >BOOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    Shockwaves flew that very instant as well as sparks caused by our colliding energy. The force was enough to push the monster back, but I was also caught in its recoil.


    ¡°A-ah¡­ ow!¡±


    My body jerked back in recoil as I flipped in midair andnded safely on the ground.


    >RUMBLE!<


    Sounds of trembling earth reverberated around me as the monster stumbled a few times before regaining itsposure. My eyes were wide open in amazement while I rubbed my slightly aching wrist with my other hand.


    ¡®It¡¯s tough!¡¯ I made a mental assessment.<sub>.</sub>


    Even with a punch made with my full power, I could only cause a few staggers. Not only that, but I had also been affected by the impact which made consecutive hits like that impossible.


    The monster didn¡¯t seem to be too hurt by my just concluded attack, but just to be sure, I made a peek at its HP.


    My eyes widened more in shock as I saw a more astounding sight.


    ¡®IT¡¯S STILL FULL?!!¡¯


    No, that was impossible! There was no way it didn¡¯t suffer even the slightest bit of damage from that attack. My mind was still trying to process the rabid sensations that ran amok within it when the monster sprang into action.


    Taking a few steps forward, it hurriedly brandished its staff and poured its demonic red energy into it, causing it to sharply glow¡ªominous chills ran down my spine.


    In a sh, it closed our distance and flung its staff in a horizontal strike, just as it did previously. Once again, I sprang up and dodged the hit that would turn me into mangled meat¡­ only to see another strikeing from above my head.


    ¡®W-wha?!¡¯ My mind rang out.<sub></sub>


    The horizontal strike that I had sessfully evaded vanished, as though it was never there. Recing the gigantic pressure of the previously visible move, a new attack was nearing me at a remarkable pace. A green hand that tightly gripped the staff, and the crimson-d weapon came into sight as I raised my head frantically, watching as it approached me in mid-air.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I bit my lip.


    Quickly strengthening my arm, I coated it in more power than usual andunched it at the descending staff.


    >BOOOOOMMM<


    Shockwaves rippled across the area and I could hear dust clouds flying around us. The ground cracked by the mere presence of wind and the intense sound our sh generated.


    My enhanced strength versus the monster¡¯s strike¡ªit was already certain which would prevail.


    As expected, my body was pushed to the earth like a sh of lightning and I crashed to the ground with a loud thud, breaking apart the already unstable ground.


    Fortunately, due to my already calcted efforts, I had realized that my strength wouldn¡¯t be enough to repel the opponent¡¯s move so I prepared adequately for my fall.<sub></sub>


    ¡°A-ah!¡± I yelped, barely maintaining my standing posture.


    Yes, I hadnded on my feet!


    As I and the monster crossed hits, I already knew I was on the losing end in a battle of strength so as I was sent flying down, I flipped and ensured my feet touched the ground instead of my back.


    It sent chills throughout my body due to the shock I absorbed¡­ fortunately, I could take it!


    ¡°You¡¯re very strong, uh? I¡¯m learning quite a bit¡­¡± I grinned tiredly at the monster.


    I was barely minutes into the fight and I could feel fatigue build up within me. Perhaps it was due to the presence of a more powerful enemy after so long.


    The weapons in my arsenal would be ineffective against this monster, just as my previous weapons hardly did much to the Hell Kobold King.


    My only hope was to chip away at its EXP using such tactics and there was no guarantee that it wouldn¡¯t finish me off before then.


    ¡®My first attack didn¡¯t do anything to its HP too¡­¡¯ My mind still mulled over the strange phenomenon that had urred a while back.


    Even if it had healing abilities, it would have shown the damage taken before it healed.


    ¡®Or did it heal faster than I damaged it?¡¯


    I highly doubted it. Hobgoblins weren¡¯t all that specialized in healing so its recovery rate¡ªif it had one¡ªshouldn¡¯t have been all that high.


    I needed to cross blows with it a few more times to draw my conclusions, but a theory was already springing up in my mind.


    Plus, there was another thing that boggled my mind.


    ¡®It seemed like the Hobgoblin Chief went for a horizontal strike, and then a sudden vertical strike rained from above¡­¡¯ I recounted the blow that just sent me crashing to the ground.


    It seemed like an illusion if I was to be frank with myself. If that was the case, I needed to be seriously wary. Opponents who could rely on such tactics were usually small and nimble. If such arge monster had it¡­ the dangers encountered would drastically increase.


    A direct confrontation could prove to be fatally dangerous! It would be safer if I just attacked it with ranged assaults that I hadprepared beforehand.


    ¡®No, I can¡¯t resort to that!¡¯


    There was no way I would take the easy route out now, just because I met a more powerful monster. I had managed to survive in the past even against the odds.


    ¡®Use your head, Jeremy¡­ think!¡¯


    Even against a more powerful adversary, it wasn¡¯t impossible to win! I just had to figure out a way around it!


    It¡¯s absurd strength. It¡¯s unflinching HP. It¡¯s illusory attack. Everything about this monster needed to be analyzed. A Demon was still a Demon in the end¡­ it wasn¡¯t beyond being killed!


    A wave of nostalgia built up within me as I remembered my moments of weakness. Compared to back then, I had achieved an unfathomable height, but was now faced with an even more unfathomable foe.


    I could see the monster sneer at me with a confident grin, already assured of its victory. It almost made meugh deliriously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this¡­ I¡¯ll show you how the weaker one wins!¡±

 Chapter 200 The Weak Versus The Strong

    >FWOOOOSHHH<


    My legs crushed the battered ground beneath me as I once again sprang into action and charged at the impossibly colossal excuse for a Hobgoblin.


    The monster, expecting I would have lost some of my nerve, appeared surprised by my sudden action and gave a slightly orded expression to the emotion. It didn¡¯t n on staying still, though.


    Roaring in what seemed to be a champion¡¯s cry, it stretched its unupied hand and aimed to crush me with sheer might.


    I expected this, though.


    Quickly summoning tforms for me to climb on, I made way higher and reached the Hobgoblin¡¯s face. Once again, I brandished my hand and made a tightly clenched fist.


    >SWOOOOSHHHH!!!<


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM!<<sub>.</sub>


    The impact pushed me back, but, just like before, I had no problem twisting in the air andnding.


    Due to the imbnce caused by the Hobgoblin Chief suddenly thrusting its arm at me for a straight blow, my sudden hit caused it to stagger even more than previously. But, it wasn¡¯t enough to send it crashing down as it dug its feet into the earth and gave a solid stance in defiance.


    My eyes focused on the Demon¡¯s emotion and stills saw a full HP. It boggled the mind, but I couldn¡¯t conclude for sure without exchanging a few more blows.


    ¡°RARHHHHHH!!!¡± The beast roared at me in slight annoyance¡ªthe same kind a human would disy at a bug that ceaselessly disturbed it.


    This time, with my eyes focused on the prize, I sent a few Demon Cores to the mouth of the beast, causing it to erupt in no time.


    >BOOOOOMMM!!!<


    It exploded, causing smoke to proceed from the monster¡¯s mouth. As the mist cleared, I saw scorched marks clearly imprinted on the Hobgoblin¡¯s body, but there was still no reduction in its HP.<sub></sub>


    ¡®I¡¯ve been staring at it for some time now, even when the st happened¡­ nothing changed!¡¯


    Even if it was healing, or if the damage caused was merely a fraction, a slight reduction would be seen. Considering how keen my senses had be, there was no way I could have missed any of that.


    This only meant one thing!


    ¡®It isn¡¯t taking any damage!¡¯


    Or rather, it appeared it wasn¡¯t.


    A smile formed on my face as I put a few things together and formed a string of theories that would most likely prove true. The monster¡¯s seemingly infinite pool of HP had to be the result of a Skill. The illusory strike had to be a Skill too.


    However, considering the fact that it hadn¡¯t used its illusory Skill to finish me off or used other Skills it was sure to possess meant that the Skill it was using had a limit.<sub></sub>


    As for a way to bypass it, I didn¡¯t have one at the moment. No matter what I thought of, it wouldn¡¯t do much good. I could be filled by the illusion and be dealt a critical hit and it was possible that I wouldn¡¯t make a dent in the monster¡¯s health throughout our exchange.


    Still¡­ I was slowly seeing my path to victory!


    If I couldn¡¯t predict its attacks, it only meant one thing¡­ I had to strike first!


    As the one with the higher Agility, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Launching myself from my location, I ensured my body was in perfect harmony with my thoughts and charged at the monster to deal relentless attacks on it until it had gotten enough.


    The earth trembled as a result of our sh. I could feel each blow I gave the monster send shock throughout my body. Its skin was tough and hot to the touch.


    My body kept being blown back as a result of the sh between my mana and the Demons¡¯. Though, with the way I dealt damage, it was clear that it was receiving the brunt of the impact, not me.


    I didn¡¯t stop, even though it seemed hopeless. I kept attacking, refusing to let itpletely charge up its attack or brandish its lone staff.


    The monster¡¯s face slowly transformed. From an arrogant gleam to an annoyed expression¡­ until it finally became that of slight apprehension. I could tell that the beast was changing its assessment of me.


    I was nothing more than an inferior being to it¡ªa weakling. However, to its astonishment, this weakling kept pestering it so much that it couldn¡¯t help but give away its emotion.


    It was only for a moment, but I saw its eyes depicting fear¡ªa fear of the possibility that I could win.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡± It was at this moment that the Hobgoblin Chief let out an enraged cry that pushed me backward, despite my firm stance.


    It was as though the intelligent monster had reverted to savagery. No, it wasn¡¯t exactly so¡­ but, I could sense a form of primal pressure that it didn¡¯t emit before. People called it all sorts of things, but I recognized it quite well.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally getting serious, eh?¡± I grinned, though beads of sweat dripped from my face.


    I had been a pain in its arse for so long that the Hobgoblin Chief was finally ready to face me for real.


    Was I supposed to feel honored? Nope, not in the slightest. Unlike it, I didn¡¯t have any intention of using all of my might in this battle.


    No matter how serious a person could be, they could neverpletely show all they have to an opponent¡ªexcept for a single scenario.


    There was only one reason why anyone would disy their full strength to another¡­ and that is when they are driven into a corner!


    Desperation was the name of the game!


    As such, there was no need for me to feelforted in honor for any reason. The one who was getting desperate was the alleged superior creature.


    Rather than feel graced by the sudden change in atmosphere, there could only be one emotion I could find rising uncontrobly from my depths.


    Absolute confidence!


    The moment it got flustered was the moment I became assured of my triumph.


    ¡°This is the final phase. I¡¯ll say it once again¡­ CLENCH YOUR TEETH!¡±

 Chapter 201 Distortion

    My heart pounded as my head rang. It took all I had to stop myself from running away due to the immense pressure being emitted by the monster¡ªby a creature far superior to me in nearly every way.


    Still, due to this action that it took, I knew victory was in sight.


    ¡°Garuiak Guguak Laruik!!!¡± It bellowed unintelligible words which I ignored.


    Lunging straight at the beast as everything around me turned into a blur, I raced and closed the distance between us in a sh.


    >SWOOOSH!!!<


    My tightly clenched fist sharply made for the Hobgoblin Cheif¡¯s head as I ignored the raging heat emitted by the crimson aura that shrouded it.


    >BAM!<


    Surprisingly, I felt my body hit what I could only describe as a sturdy wall. Before I could reach the target, an invisible barrier blocked my path. It felt like a distortion in space that forcefully halted my movement and sent me back.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Gah!¡± I yelped as I felt my body sharply descend to the ground as a result of the unprecedented impact.


    >BOOM!<


    Shards of earth were sent flying. With a re now on my face, I was a little pissed and surprised by the sudden development.


    ¡®It has a force field Skill?!¡¯ Was what registered in my mind as I saw the slight distortion in space manifest around the Hobgoblin Chief who grinned war to ear.


    It really was getting serious with me!


    A surge of emotions swept through my body and I increased the tempo of the energy flowering throughout my body, ready to break the invisibleyer of the shield if necessary.


    However, before I could make a move, the opponent quickly moved the hand holding its staff. The moment it did this, I became wary and took a defensive stance, wondering what it would do.<sub></sub>


    The Hobgoblin Chief now used both hands to tightly grip the seemingly wooden object and raise it high. I felt the air grow stale and tension build up. Sweat began pouring out of my body in expectation¡ªwhat would this monster pull off now?!


    >WHAM!<


    Like a bolt of descending lightning, the Grade 2 Demon brought forth the staff and pierced the earth, causing a terrible quake that would probably spread for a mile. The ground trembled and I almost lost my footing as a result of the horrid attack.


    ¡°Guh!¡±


    Wind blew across my face as I felt the heat emitted by the monster¡¯s mana sting my skin. It became hard to see, but it would be suicide to take my eyes off my opponent for even a fraction of a second, so I kept my focus on it¡­ even though it hurt like hell.


    And boy, was I d I did.


    What happened next seemed like a mirage, no, a distorted image of some sort. It was as though I was staring at the restless surface of a pool of water. Just like how the image would fade and turn to mush as ripples disturbed the calm, clear sight on a surface, so was the urrence I witnessed.<sub></sub>


    The Hobgoblin Chief suddenly became three after this distortion began clearing up. I saw three equally massive monsters appear before me. They all looked identical, all had fiery mana on their body, staff tightly stuck to their arms, and they all gave toothy grins at my confusion.


    ¡°Guriiok¡± I heard echoed voices of the three grotesque monsters speak in unison and yet another bizarre urrence happened.


    >VWUM!<


    Sparking out of thin air came a ball of mes¡ªFireball! Not just one, but three fireballs appeared almost simultaneously. They rested above the head of each Hobgoblin Chief that presented themselves before me.


    ¡®They¡¯re more powerful than the other ones¡­¡¯ I marveled, looking at the bigger, hotter, and far more intimidating version of the <Fireball> Skill I was used to.


    Was this the difference between a Grade 1 and a Grade 2 using the same Skill?


    I didn¡¯t have time to answer the question as the three Fireballs wereunched at me, also simultaneously. Of course, they posed no threat as I quickly took them into [Subspace], a feat that greatly surprised the three Hobgoblin Chiefs.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t want to show them my moves yet, but¡­¡¯


    If the monster resorted to far more powerful attacks, I had to respond equally, didn¡¯t I? Using this logic, I stored up the Fireballs that would have dealt massive damage to me.


    Three Hobgoblins made equally dumbfounded faces that morphed into rage at once. This alone educated me concerning the nature of my opponent¡¯s trick.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re not three¡­ two are only illusions!¡± I grinned, staring at the one in the center who was most likely the culprit.


    I was about to rush toward it when another thought sparked into my head and I quickly decided against it.


    ¡°GARUIIKKKK!!!¡± A distorted cry thatbined the voices of the three Hobgoblins was sent forth, nearly paralyzing my ears.


    More fireballs appeared, three, just likest time. I absorbed all three and ran from my location. Pushing my body toward the front, I was able to evade an invisible attack.


    Yes, invisible!


    As expected, a massive crack appeared on the ground where I had previously stood and the earth shattered instantly. That told me all I needed to know.


    The moment I stepped away from the distant location I had maintained, the three Hobgoblins aimed to take advantage of my moment of weakness andunch attacks at me.


    They moved their massive bodies and lunged their staff at me all at once. Smiling to myself, I ignored the three, as though they weren¡¯t there at all, and kept my eyes fixed on an empty space, right beyond the one at the center.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s it!¡± Augh nearly burst out of my mouth as I made that statement.


    >FWOOOOSHHH<


    The Demons all dropped their staff to hit me in a sh. I remained transfixed on my position and their weapons all hit me. No, they seemed like they did. In actuality¡­ nothing made contact with anything.


    There was no wind, no pressure, no impact! The monsters that were merely illusions couldn¡¯t do a single thing to me.


    ¡°Bingo!¡±


    A sharp gleam in my eyes pierced the empty space I had been staring at for some time now and I used this chance tounch my counterattack!


    >BOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<

 Chapter 202 True Strength

    >BOOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    The earth shattered as I thrust my body into the air with all my strength.


    >BAM!<


    I was met with the abrupt resistance of the invisible force field in what would have been an empty space¡­ except it wasn¡¯t an empty space!


    ¡°Oh, no, you don¡¯t!¡± I yelled.


    In response to my voice, a sharp sound pierced my ear and I felt the very air vibrate. I didn¡¯t need anyone to tell me what was happening.


    ¡°It¡¯sing!¡± A whisper subconsciously leaked out as I pinpointed the location of an invisible attacking toward me.


    By sending the changes in the atmosphere, it was possible to tell when and where an assault wasing from even if one couldn¡¯t see. Using my heightened perception and my previous fighting experience with the opponent I was up against, It was easy for me to tell the direction its swing wasing from.


    >SWOOOOOSHHH!!!<


    An invisible strike caused the very ground to tear apart as it horizontally got shredded off. Once again, the area of devastating was where I previously stood.<sub>.</sub>


    An invisible attack had made to kill me, or damage me severely at the very least, but my keen senses made me sessfully evade it.


    I didn¡¯t waste any time as I saw the grazed ground. It was my chance, after all!


    Once an opponent swung their weapon, it took them a while to get it ready to attack again. Plus, considering I was already faster than the one who swung the weapon, it gave me a massive boost¡ªa window of opportunity that couldn¡¯t be missed, even if I couldn¡¯t visibly detect the monster.


    My legs broke the unstable ground again as I soared into the sky.


    I was headed toward an empty space, or what looked like it at unremarkable speed. I was pushing myself past the limit of what I was used to, and I could definitely feel the strain in my muscles. It wasn¡¯t beyond bearable though.


    Still, it would be at this moment that some invisible barrier would block me and send me crashing into the ground. Judging based on the current speed I was in, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if I just hit the invisible shield and ¡®SPLAT!¡¯


    I wasn¡¯t about to let that happen, though!


    My [Subspace] could literally take in anything, even if it wasn¡¯t physical or visible. That included the very shield that annoyingly prevented me from reaching my true target.


    Having been struck already by the force field, I was able to estimate its radius and how long it would take me to reach it at my current pace. My eyes went to work and I consumed everything in my path, taking them into [Subspace], air and all!<sub></sub>


    The only thing that was left would be the only thing I couldn¡¯t transport without having physical contact¡ªa living being¡ª also known as¡­ the Hobgoblin Chief!


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten¡­ CLENCH YOUR TEETH!¡±


    <Muscrity>, as well as my other activate Skills became strengthened by my Mana usage and intensified at a rapid rate. While I couldn¡¯t see the enemy, I could feel the shift in the atmosphere as the invisible foe was most likely flustered by what I had just done.


    It did t take me very long to reach what I suspected to be its head.


    ¡®Currently, its staff isn¡¯t able to attack since he¡¯s under recoil. I¡¯ve gotten rid of the barrier, and it¡¯s not fast enough to activate another Skill¡­ if it has any. This hit is as good as mine!¡¯


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    My blow met flesh as my entire body jolted in response to the impact caused by my beyond all put attack.


    The Hobgoblin Chief instantly lost its invisibility the moment I struck and its greenish body came into light. As I suspected¡­ my blow was nted right on its cheek.


    ¡°Guarkkkkk!!!¡± Teeth flew out of the Demon¡¯s mouth as it made pained groans.<sub></sub>


    ¡®It didn¡¯t take my advice, uh?¡¯ I grinned as I watched the monsters il and bounce away from me.


    Unlike before, when it only stumbled back a few times, the beast struggled to maintain a proper stance, and due to its failure at this, the Hobgoblin Chief was sent crashing to the ground.


    I was still falling from my position in midair when I witnessed its magnificent fall.


    Usually, I would celebrate and sneer at the monster. However, there wasn¡¯t enough time for that. I had to strike while the iron was still hot.


    Quickly generating arge desk to serve as a tform for me, I nted my feet into it and pushed further away from my descending state, and lunged straight for the fallen Chief.


    The desk broke apart like crackers, unable to handle the pressure.


    >WHOOOOOOOSHHHH<


    The air hissed as I charged like a speeding bullet for my target, all locked on!


    My eyes fell on the creature¡¯s Status Window and I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to crack a smile after seeing what I saw.


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Hobgoblin Chief


    ¨C Level: 100


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 2


    ¨C Age: 200 Days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 27,510/30,000


    ¨C MP: 731/5,000


    ¨C Strength: 17,000 (-)


    ¨C Agility: 8,000 (-)


    ¨C Vitality: 15,000 (-)


    ¨C Intelligence: 1,500 (-)


    [Status Condition]


    <Shock>


    Demon is stunned by a sudden action and all stats have been reduced for a certain amount of time (5 Seconds Left)


    [End Of Information]


    A Status Condition had affected the monster thanks to my sudden blow that shook its mental faculties. By giving a solid hit to its head, I was certain the monster¡¯s brain¡ªif it had any¡ªwould be shaken as a result of the impact, causing it to momentarily lose motor functions.


    In essence, this was the perfect time to strike!


    Other than the fact that its Stats were currently locked due to the effect of <Shock>, there was one other thing that gave me greater joy.


    Finally¡­. after all this time, the monster was taking damage. Assured by this, the result of our fight became even clearer to me.


    ¡®CHECKMATE!¡¯

 Chapter 203 Final Round (Pt 1)

    >BOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    I made sure tond on the Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s stomach, pressing my legs on it while putting all my strength into the strike.


    The earth beneath the Demon shattered as more of its health was drained.


    It spat out blood and gave a pained expression, the kind I loved to see on a monster of its caliber.


    ¡°So, what do you think now, eh? Still think I¡¯m just a puny insect?¡±


    The monster groaned, feeling another Status Condition affect it. <Confusion>


    I grinned ear to ear as I could feel the massive body of the monster jerk underneath my feet. My blows weren¡¯t done yet. In fact, I was just getting started!


    It was time to educate this seemingly overpowering monster and show it the meaning of true strength!


    >BOOOMM!!!<<sub>.</sub>


    >BOOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    Taking advantage of the Status Ailments that kept popping on the monster as a result of my strikes on vital parts of its body, the Hobgoblin Chief could do nothing, except writhe in agony as I dealt deadly blows to it.


    The ground shook for a great distance, but I didn¡¯t stop. I kept pounding my fist on the creature. I was also taking damage as a result of shing with such a Demon of great durability, but I didn¡¯t flinch.


    Even for such a being of great mass, it had to have a limit.


    ¡®Its MP has reduced drastically. Those illusions and Fireballs must have cost a lot of MP. The mana it uses to coat itself has grown thinner, allowing my punches to dig deeper!¡¯


    With each strike, the Hobgoblin Chief grew weaker, nearing death. Even if it wanted to attack, it couldn¡¯t. Its endless state of confusion and shock rendered it nearly harmless. Still, my arms were in a terrible state as a result of the flurry of attacks.


    I needed to end this soon.<sub></sub>


    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    Instantly, two of my most powerful weapons appeared. The Hell Kobold King¡¯s w¡ªtwo of them¡ª materialized in both my hands as I tightly gripped them.


    Usually, such weapons would deal barely any damage to the Hobgoblin Chief and would also lose their durability in the process. However, this was the only way to fix things now that my hands were in such a terrible state.


    They stung, my knuckles, and my wrists were killing me. I could feel the quality of my blows drop with every hit. If I didn¡¯t end things soon, the Hobgoblin Chief would regain itsposure and strike.


    I couldn¡¯t allow that to happen!


    ¡®My MP is already below 20 percent thanks to increasing my power so much by releasing mana. It¡¯s a good thing I have that Skill!¡¯


    That¡¯s right! My newly acquired Skill, <The Magician> gave me a massive boost in my hour of need, a reduction in Mana Consumption. It was extremely useful in situations like this and I was d I had it.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna chop you up now!!!¡± I yelled, pouring every hit of MP I had into the weapon I wielded.<sub></sub>


    I could feel the Hell Kobold King¡¯s w tremble as a result of the inflow of power it clearly couldn¡¯t handle. It was only a matter of time before the weapon broke apart due to its plummeting durability. However, I intended to end things before it got that bad.


    ¡°Rahhhhh!!!¡±


    >SWOOOOOSHHH<


    >SWIIIISHHHHH!!!<


    I expertly shed at the monster with all my strength and mana. I repeatedly swing my de and cut through the beast at what one could mistake for lightning speed. It happened very faster, faster than my eyes could even perceive. All I cared about was dealing damage.


    The de was met with resistance, but as I kept slicing, increasing the tempo and pace of my attacks while burning up my MP, I could feel it getting easier. I cut up the monsters, saw blood gushing out, and cut it up some more.


    >CRACK!<


    The integrity of my de had reached its limit as I saw its edges chipped away. In a few more strikes, they would break apart! Of course, I had more, but I wasn¡¯t a waster. I wasn¡¯t going to throw away a couple of tools just for a single monster.


    ¡°This is¡­ the end!¡±


    Upon making this statement, I aimed at the center of the heart to kill it. Unfortunately, as soon as I prepare my aim, I was thrown off bnce by the very monster I was atop.


    ¡°A-ah!¡±


    My yelping sound was apanied by more wobbling from my body. It seemed like¡­my prey had finally recovered from its status Condition. My luck had run out!


    >WHOOOSHHH!!!<


    I quickly sped away from the monster¡¯s body andnded on the ground, a short distance from it. It would suck if I got trapped in one of its offensive moves.


    ¡°Gruuuuuuuuuiiiii¡­¡± It growled silently, rising slowly to its feet.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t about to let itpletely recover, but I was held back by my instincts. The re the monster gave me was the face of death. I couldn¡¯t carelessly approach, or the tables could easily turn against me and I would be the one to die.


    I could feel the injured, enraged monster¡¯s bloodlust from where I stood. Weakened as it was, this Demon was still a Grade 2. That didn¡¯t mean I had to pointlessly wait, though. The moment it showed the slightest bit of weakness, I was going to charge and exploit any opening.


    In the meantime¡­ I had to do something about my weapon. It had already taken so many beatings and was on the verge of copse. My Mana had protected it so far, but even that was wearing thin. Was there really no other option?


    Of course, there was!


    Upon realizing what I had to do, I once again brandished my dual weapons and took s cool stance, well, I thought it was cook.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡± The Hobgoblin Chief yelled in hateful rage, such that I had never heard before.


    A puny creature like me had managed to defy it, wound it to such an extent, and I was standing. Any creature that was used to dominance would feel pressured. It was that exact pressure I needed!


    ¡°Game Over!¡±

 Chapter 204 Final Round (Pt 2)

    I charged at the monster as it also charged at me. The faster one would obtain the more decisive victory.


    The monster was sluggish, having an HP a little above 1,000, and all other Stats reduced to a mere vestige of what it had previously been. It was a cinch for me, or so it would have been if I wasn¡¯t in a simr predicament.


    We were both at our limits¡ªphysically, that is.


    One hit would decide everything!


    >FWOOOOOOSSHHHH!!!<


    My body cut through the wind as I prepared both my des for the attack. As for the Hobgoblin Chief, it had its massive staff, ready to smash my head in and turn me into squashed mincemeat.


    I wasn¡¯t sure I would survive it, even with protection. It was a good thing I had no intention of being hit in the first ce.


    I saw the monster¡¯s hand descend, the giant stick drawing closer to me by the second. Death was above my head¡­ or was it?!


    I summoned several tforms underneath me, destroying them instantly as I used them as footholds and pushed my body away from the trajectory of the monster¡¯s attack.<sub>.</sub>


    Since I was faster, I avoided the horizontal strike and closed my distance from the Demon. Unlike before, I didn¡¯t need to be wary of illusions or force field since the Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s MP had reached rock bottom, well, nearly.


    Having less than a hundred points left qualified as that, after all!


    >WHOOOSHHH!!!<


    I burned nearly everything, my MP, to transverse the gap between both of us and finally reached my aim¡ªthe Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s neck!


    ¡°Here goes!¡±


    Already out of MP, I decided to resort to the air within [Subspace] that was chock-full of my Mana. I ensured to concentrate the air around the neck of the target, spraying it like perfume until I was sure that the very surface of my opponent was covered in the mist.


    Since the Hobgoblin Chief was conserving its strength, it had concentrated its Mana skin on its hands and staff, ignoring its neck. That meant I couldn¡¯t explode it since there was no sh between my mana and demonic energy.


    ¡®Well, I just have to work a way around that!¡¯ I grinned, brandishing my de.<sub></sub>


    One of the special effects of weapons like this was to burn core energy to increase their attack potency. Since I was using my mana to strengthen myself, I couldn¡¯t resort to demonic mana from the de since that would only blow up in my face, literally.


    However, I was already out of mana, and I currently needed a boost from the de. Plus¡­


    Both Hell Kobold King ws sparked with crimson lightning and burst forth in brilliance. I felt the surge of powering from them and felt their essence crumbling away. It wouldn¡¯t be long now!


    Creating another tform behind me, I twisted my body in midair and ensured my legs kicked at the multiple desks lined up to create enough pressure to speed at my opponent like a bullet.


    It worked!


    >BOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    All the furniture I kicked behind shattered instantly and I charged at my prey in a sh.


    My des were readied, and the sparking energy kept raging, going berserk. Using thest strength my body could muster, I twisted in the air, flipping like a rollercoaster, and after building enough pressure, I threw both daggers at the monster.<sub></sub>


    >WHIIIIIIISSSHHHHH<


    The air parted ways as both weapons hissed, heading straight for the giant Demon that was still too slow to attack me during my counter. The weapons reached their target¡ªthe neck¡ª in an instant, meeting the most unexpected element waiting for them.


    My Mana!


    As the already rampaging demonic energy on the de met the lingering Mana permeating all around the Hobgoblin Chief, only one end result presented itself.


    An explosion!


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    I nearly lost my bnce in the air, making me wish for a Skill like flight. If only wishes were horses, though¡­


    I settled for summoned tforms and made my way back to the ground, feeling the intense heat emanating from the corpse of my opponent¡ªnow deceased.


    Just as I had hoped, the explosion was enough to cut off the head of the Hobgoblin Chief since Its HP and Dexterity had basically be fodder, and its unprotected neck was just the weak link I needed.


    ¡°Haa¡­ it¡¯s finally over. That was a long and tough fight!¡±


    >SHUUUUUU!!!<


    The Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s body started crumbling away, turning into dust. A relieved expression formed on my face. It had taken quite a good deal of work, but I had single-handedly killed a Grade 2 Demon on my known¡­ this had to be a new record.


    ¡®This is just the beginning stage. There shouldn¡¯t be more than five of their kind in total, yet I¡¯ve already killed two¡­ well, not exactly.¡¯


    ording to my knowledge, the initial phase wouldn¡¯t end until all five Grade 2 Demon Bosses had been defeated, and the Gates closed. After that, the true Apocalypse began.


    I had managed to kill the Hell Kobold King, and was about to challenge the Boss of the Hobgoblins, whoever it was. All that remained were three, and as much as I would love to have them¡­ time was nearly up.


    Most would have been conquered by now, judging by the progression of events. Well, maybe¡­ I wasn¡¯t so sure at the time.


    ¡°A-ah!¡±


    My mind seemed scrambled, like I was missing something important. This caused my brain to spark, acting most unusually. I felt what seemed like a thud in my head, causing me to grip it tightly.


    ¡°Guh!¡±


    It was an unpleasant experience, and while I wanted to attribute the overpowering migraine to exhaustion caused by my concluded fight, I knew better than that. Something was wrong¡­ I just didn¡¯t know what it was yet.


    ¡°Welp, there¡¯s nothing I can do about that!¡± I finally yelled in surrender, falling t on the ground.


    Thanks to the effects of my Skill, <Mine Alone>, my loot was automatically transported into [Subspace].


    [You Have Leveled Up] Pings also popped up, like clockwork.


    The System sent a [Congrattions] Window and told me of some ¡®Special Reward¡¯ for being the first to defeat such a creature and an additional reward for killing it alone.


    ¡°Haa¡­ looks like it was worth it, after all.¡±

 Chapter 205 Rewards

    ¡°Status Window!¡± I dered.


    Answering my call, the Golden panel appeared before me and disyed its contents.


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 286 ¨C Exp: 11.52%


    ¨C Race: Human


    [JOB]


    (Primary Job) Thief


    (Secondly Job): <Trickster>


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡å 3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    ¨C Karma Points: 2,600 (+500 Rewards¡ª3,100)


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 155<sub>.</sub>


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 14,400/14,400


    ¨C MP: 3,976/3,976


    ¨C Strength: 2,910 (520)


    ¨C Agility: 14,600 (412)


    ¨C Vitality: 14,400 (130)


    ¨C Intelligence: 43,400 (910)


    ¨C (G) Factor: 60


    ¨C Gift: [Subspace]


    ¨C Items Equipped: None


    ¨C Allies: None


    [Additional Information]


    A human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    [End Of Information]<sub></sub>


    I noticed a few things about it, including the fact that I had advanced five extra Levels. my lips naturally curled up in a grin of satisfaction.


    Even though I had grown plenty strong, just one of these monsters was enough to give me five levels. I seriously anticipated what was waiting for me beyond the gate that lie beyond. Still, I knew better than to be impatient.


    ¡®Huu, I feel much better!¡¯


    The Level Up had increased my Health Cap and my regeneration caused the aching body I had to be refreshed. Of course, I still felt the emotional strain of the battle, and my stamina hadn¡¯t fully recovered, but this was better than nothing.


    It was evening, the time was most likely approaching 5:00 PM, and that meant it wouldn¡¯t be long until the day was over. I had already decided to exterminate the nest today, and I wasn¡¯t going back on it.


    However, after my fight with the Chief, it was painfully obvious that I was still weaker than my opponents. I was fortunate that my opponent was only one this time, and it underestimated me.


    There was no guarantee that this would be the same case when I ventured into the heart of the monsters.


    I no longer had the cheat Skill of


    on my side, so there was really no shot for a miracle. If I didn¡¯t go in properly, I would lose!


    Firstly, I had to check out the reward the System promised me after I defeated the Hobgoblin Chief. This would be the first time it gave me something special in exchange for killing a Demon, and there was even an additional reward for doing it alone.


    I was curious¡­ and excited!


    [Special Reward Will Now Be Given]


    [Additional Reward Will Now Be Given]


    I waited patiently as these two icons popped, simr to how the system often told me [You Have Leveled Up].


    [System Update]<sub></sub>


    [Special Reward Given Are Listed]


    ~System Effect, <Title>, Has Been Unlocked~


    ~You Have Received Five Titles Based On Your Achievements So Far~


    Title 1: [Hell Kobold yer]


    Title 2: [Hobgoblin yer]


    Title 3: [Champion]


    Title 4: [ughterer]


    Title 5: [Merciless]


    ~Effects Apply To The Host ording To The Respective Titles Recieved~


    ~Additional Karma Points Have Been Added~


    [See More Information]


    I was already amazed enough that I had already gotten the <Title> Effect so soon, but to think I had five already!


    ¡°I see¡­ usually, <Titles> are unlocked after the beginning phase. The achievements only start counting once the second phase begins and they get transformed into <Titles>¡­ But¡­¡±


    Receiving the <Title> Effect at such an early stage meant that all my achievements since the start of the beginning phase became recorded. It was amazing!


    <Titles>, unlike <Skills>, had no allowed Slots. So, in a sense, one could obtain as many <Titles> as they could¡ªas long as the condition for obtaining them was fulfilled.


    In addition, <Titles> all had passive effects which didn¡¯t cost Mana or wear down the user. Plus, they had no Duration Limit or Cooldown. Such a blessing, being gifted to me at such an early stage¡­ and in form of five distinct kinds¡ªhow could I not be moved?


    I had to see what these <Titles> were about!


    Tapping on the [See More Information] panel beneath the window, I saw a new set of information disyed before me.


    [System Information]


    <Titles>


    [Hell Kobold yer]


    Aplished by exterminating a horde of Hell Kobolds. It is the advanced derivative of the Title [Hell Kobold Killer].


    ~Title Effect: Deals 10 Percent Extra Damage on Fanged Demons. Deals 30 Percent Extra Damage on Hell Kobolds and their kin.


    Title 2: [Hobgoblin yer]


    Aplished by exterminating a horde of Hobgoblins. It is the advanced derivative of the Title [Hobgiblin Killer].


    ~Title Effect: Deals 10 Percent Extra Damage on Green-Skinned Demons. Deals 30 Percent Extra Damage on Hobgoblins and their kin.


    Title 3: [Champion]


    Aplished by exterminating a Demon Boss and closing a Gate.


    ~Title Effect: Deals 10 Percent Extra Damage on Demon Bosses. Inflicts the <Fear> Status Effect On Demon subordinates when facing the Boss.


    Title 4: [ughterer]


    Aplished by exterminating a great deal of Demons at once.


    ~Title Effect: 30 Percent chance of inflicting <Critical Damage> on Demons if they are in a group.


    Title 5: [Merciless]


    Aplished by refusing to rescue Gifteds who are in danger of extermination by Demons.


    ~Title Effect: A ¡®Perfect¡¯ state of mind will always be present. No matter how horrifying a sight is or heart-wrenching it is, the mind will not waver.


    [End Of Information]


    They were all amazing Titles, useful in their own way. Thest <Title> was a little implicating, though. It basically spoke of how I wasn¡¯t a ¡®kind¡¯ person. If anyone saw this on me, I would gather some opinions I didn¡¯t want¡ªespecially if I was acting as the Masked Hero. That would suck big time!


    ¡®I don¡¯t have to worry about that currently, though¡­¡¯ I reasoned while admiring the usefulness of the Title.


    A solid mind and unflinching will were ideal for the kind of experiences thaty ahead of me.


    Titles could be turned off if one wanted, but there was no way I would choose that. Well, not at the moment! All of these were handy, well, maybe not right now, but they would certainly be in the long run.


    ¡®Whew! I have good ¡®Special Rewards¡¯, don¡¯t I? What of my Additional Rewards?¡¯

 Chapter 206 Drops

    [System Update]


    [Additional Reward Given Are Listed]


    ~<Title> [Solo Hunter] Has Been Given~


    [Solo Hunter]


    Aplished by exterminating a massive amount of enemies, including ones of higher Stats, all alone.


    ~Title Effect: 10 Percent boost in Stats when facing a Demon without ¡®Allies¡±.


    ~Additional Karma Points Have Been Given~


    [End Of Information]


    This was perfect! The Perfect Title that befitted someone like me! I knew it was worth it to face the Chief alone, but to think it paid off so well!


    My grin and excitement hadn¡¯t disappeared when yet another thought popped into my head. I had defeated a Grade 2 Monster just now. I was now privy to its Skills contained in the Demon Core that it dropped. But, that wasn¡¯t all!


    Demons in Grade 2 and above all had something inmon, something that distinguished them from the Grade 1 fodder¡ªbesides their superior strength, of course.


    They all gave Drops!


    And I didn¡¯t man just Demon Cores¡­ actual drops!<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°[Subspace]¡± My voice echoed.


    The blue Status Window that was my [Subspace] popped beside my Status Window, its contents visible to me.


    I trailed down and found the icon I was searching for¡ªthe Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Demon Core. My smile grew wider the moment I looked beside the icon and saw other loot gotten from the same monster.


    ¡°<Summon>¡± I brought them all out to examine the drops I obtained this time, as well as their quality.


    ¡°Hmmn¡±


    Three items materialized. One was the Demon Core of the vanquished Demons, and two were the other drops that apanied it.


    ¡°Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Staff¡­ and Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Attire,¡± I muttered, calling the name of the drops that appeared like icons atop them.


    The first one, the ¡®Staff¡¯ looked exactly like the one the Hobgoblin Chief held tightly¡ªonly that this one was smaller. A miniature staff that appeared to be made out of wood, curling like a snake at the tip, and giving off hints of magic energy.


    It made me curious.


    As for the second, it looked like the primitive robe that the Hobgoblin Chief wore¡ªlike a sash made of rags. I knew it was pure and clean since it was a drop, but wearing it was something I didn¡¯t want to do.


    Not only would I look weird with it, but it would also get in the way of my fights if I put on a rag this inappropriate.


    ¡®I could make it into a cape, though, just tie it around my neck and shoulders¡­ that¡¯ll work¡­¡¯ I reasoned.<sub></sub>


    Well, before I made any more assessments, I needed to see what my drops were all about. I tapped on both icons and caused nee data to pop out of them, revealing both items¡¯ capabilities.


    [System Information]


    Name: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Staff


    Rank: E


    Level: 1(Upgradable)


    Strength: 10,000


    Durability: 20,900


    Core Power: 10,200


    Core Energy: 100%


    <Item Description>


    The Staff Of a Hobgoblin Chief holds immense power and assists it in battle. The staff can be considered to be an extension of one¡¯s body and augments the user¡¯s abilities.


    [Special Effects]<sub></sub>


    ~ 10% Boost in Magic abilities


    ~ Multiplies any Spell Cast [Currently ¡Á2]


    ~ Shares Mana with User and vice versa.


    [End Of Information]


    The highest Rank of weapons I had gotten previously was F+. Compared to this, those ones could be said to be no better than trash. While I felt like this was a Mage-rted drop, it wasn¡¯t entirely useless to me, since I used a lot of Mana in my battles. Plus, I even had Magic-based Skills.


    This was mine!


    ¡°Let¡¯s check the second one¡­¡±


    [System Information]


    Name: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Attire


    Rank: E


    Level: 1(Upgradable)


    Strength: 15,000


    Durability: 45,000


    Core Power: 9,000


    Core Energy: 100%


    <Item Description>


    The Attire Of a Hobgoblin Chief holds immense power and assists it in battle. The Attire can be considered to be an extension of one¡¯s body and augments the user¡¯s abilities. Its defensive traits are especially what makes it worthy of note.


    [Special Effects]


    ~ 20% Increase in Defense.


    ~ Able to Nullify any Damage dealt in exchange for Durability. [Currently ¡Á1]


    ~ Shares Mana with User and vice versa.


    [End Of Information]


    With effects this good, I no longer cared if I had to wear such a raggedy outfit. The effects were too good! I had to assume that it was this Attire that saved the Hobgoblin Chief so many times when I hit him. The defensive properties on this thing were amazing.


    ¡°The Chief nullified the damage I dealt more than once¡­ that means this attire can grow to that point. I just need to Level it up!¡±


    There are two types of drops generally, and that also applied to this world.


    Items with fixed quality that experienced no growth, and those with upgradable properties that allowed growth.


    The former usually consisted of powerful items, rare, and extremely useful from the start However, over time, they dwindle in usefulness and are overtaken by the appearance of more powerful items.


    Thetter, however, allows the user to grow alongside it, giving to a form of bnce and synergy. Of course, better items will eventually appear, so both types had ws and advantages.


    So far, I had been getting drops that could increase in level, but not in Rank. This had to do with the kind of Demons the Drops were gotten from.


    ¡°Still, I should be alright with this much¡­ they¡¯re not good Drops.¡±


    The next thing I set my eyes on was the Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Demon Core.


    Excitement welled up within me as I looked at the fairlyrge Demon Core. It was thick and sturdy. I couldn¡¯tpletely wrap my fingers around It, showing how huge it waspared to the others.


    ¡°This is good¡­ Grade 2 Demons are truly very worthwhile!¡¯


    Concentrating on the stone, I felt a huge pulse of energy surge from it, and, just like clockwork, icons appeared.


    My eyes bulged widely as I took in the bunch of Skills that awaited me.


    They were breathtaking, amazing, extremely useful, but most especially¡­ they were all MINE!

 Chapter 207 Final Prep

    [System Notification]


    [Hobgoblin (Chief) Skill ¡®Extremity¡¯ Is Avable]


    [Hobgoblin (Chief) Skill ¡®Illusion Art¡¯ Is Avable]


    [Hobgoblin (Chief) Skill ¡®Great Fireball¡¯ Is Avable]


    [Hobgoblin (Chief) Skill ¡®Invisible Barrier¡¯ Is Avable]


    [Hobgoblin (Chief) Skill ¡®Rule¡¯ Is Avable]


    ~Select The Skills You Would Like to Save~


    [.]


    Five new skills, all for the taking. They weren¡¯t fodder Skills too. Each of them was amazing, and they exined a great deal about the Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s abilities when I fought him.


    I could see some familiar Skills from the list before me. <Rule> was a Skill I possessed, but due to having only one Demon Core back then, I could only increase its Level to 3, before using up the energy of the Demon Core back then.


    If I added this new <Rule> Skill, I would be able to get more proficient in it. However, was that the best thing to do? A bunch of new Skills were right in front of me currently. It would be a waste to choose a Skill I already had for the sake of increasing its Level. I needed to increase the Level of the new ones I would be getting too.


    ¡®There¡¯s a good chance that there are more Hobgoblin Chiefs beyond this point¡­ if I¡¯m lucky I¡¯ll get more Cores and increase their Levels more!¡¯


    With that in mind, I decided to leave <Rule> out of the equation at the moment, since it wasn¡¯t exactly useful against monsters. The Skill worked as a symbol of hierarchy and control.


    Higher Grade Demons could control lower ones of the same kind. So, since only worked on beings of the same race, it was only useful against fellow humans.


    What I needed at the moment was something useful to defeat the Boss up ahead!


    I didn¡¯t know what <Extremity> did, but it seemed like a good Skill. My gut feeling told me so.


    Other than that, there was <Great Fireball>, but I was going to pass on that since it was bound to eat up a lot of mana and the Cooldown rate would be high. If it was a more advanced version of the <Fireball> currently in my arsenal, I could count on that.


    Next, I saw <Illusion Art>. This was extremely useful. There was no guarantee that I wouldn¡¯t naturally obtain it as I advanced in my <Thief> job, but the possibility existed that I wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡®It could belong to the <Assassin> or <Ninja> Secondary Job though¡­¡¯<sub>.</sub>


    With that in mind, I decided to get that too. The final was <Invisible Barrier>. This was quite troublesome for me when I was up against the Hobgoblin Chief. I wondered how my opponents would feel If they were on the receiving end.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be that strong from the onset, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    With my decision already made, I chose the three Skills I wanted to select.


    [Confirm: Do You Want To Save The Skill <Extremity> To Skill Slot?]


    [Yes] [No]


    [Confirm: Do You Want To Save The Skill <Illusion Arts> To Skill Slot?]


    [Yes] [No]


    [Confirm: Do You Want To Save The Skill <Invisible Barrier> To Skill Slot?]


    [Yes] [No]


    [.]


    It felt annoying having to confirm my selection, but I patiently swallowed. The moment I positively responded to the System inquisitions, a bright spark surged, and the Skills became one with me.


    The next thing to do, as a matter of course, was to check out what I had gotten in more detail.


    [Skill Information]


    <Extremity>


    Grade: 2 (Fixed)


    Level:1 (Upgradable)


    [Description]


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ¡®Hobgoblin (Chief)¡¯. It is a skill that grants the user heightened Stats in exchange for Mana. Coating the body with intense energy, it acts as an offensive covering and also defensive, boosting bodily functions.<sub></sub>


    [Currently Unactivated]


    Skill Duration: None (Mana Consumption Is Applied¡ª100 MP per Second)


    Skill Cooldown: None (It is advised not to use this Skill in quick session since prolonged use causes burnout in the user.)


    NOTE: This is an evolution of theSkill <Aura>


    [End Of Information]


    [Skill Information]


    <Illusion Arts>


    Grade: 2 (Fixed)


    Level:1 (Upgradable)


    [Description]


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ¡®Hobgoblin (Chief)¡¯. It is a skill that allows the user to forcefully cause others to perceive wrong details on the user¡¯s body. One can use this to create visible illusions in limited ways. It also allows the user to create illusory clones, depending on proficiency.


    ~Current Clones Usable: 1


    [Currently Unactivated]


    Skill Duration: 5 Minutes


    Skill Cooldown: 5 Hours


    NOTE: Illusory Clones are not real, and can not deal any damage. They can also not be dealt any damage.


    [End Of Information]


    [Skill Information]<sub></sub>


    <Invisible Barrier>


    Grade: 2 (Fixed)


    Level:1 (Upgradable)


    [Description]


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ¡®Hobgoblin (Chief)¡¯. It is a skill that creates an invisible dome around the user, shielding them from external attacks. The durability of this barrier depends on the MP expended.


    [Currently Unactivated]


    Skill Duration: 5 Minutes


    Skill Cooldown: 3 Hours


    [End Of Information]


    A grin leaked out of my clearly satisfied face. I was about to celebrate when I heard a System Ping, notifying me of something else I should have expected.


    [System Update]


    ¨C User¡¯s Skills <Aura> and <Extremity> have simr properties and functions. For efficiency, these two will be merged.


    ~Do You Want To Proceed?~


    [Yes] [No]


    Since <Extremity> was said to be an evolution of <Aura>, it made perfect sense. I was looking forward to what would be born.


    [Merging Sessful]


    ~<Extremity> Has Reced <Aura> In Skill Slot.~


    ~ <Extremity Has Leveled Up To Level 2.~


    ¨C All Skills Have Synced With [Skill Slot].


    [End Of Information]


    Everything was perfect. I was quite exciting, I had to admit. I still had some energy left in the Demon Core, so I could upgrade my newly acquired Skills a little.


    It was only a matter of choice.


    ¡°Skill Slot.¡±


    The window popped up.


    [SKILLS]


    * Slot 1 ¨C <w Attack>


    * Slot 2 ¨C <Spike Attack>


    * Slot 3 ¨C <Venomous Spikes>


    * Slot 4 ¨C <Steal>


    * Slot 5 ¨C <Recall>


    * Slot 6 ¨C <Summon>/Automatic Summon


    * Slot 7 ¨C <Roar>


    * Slot 8 ¨C <Rule>


    * Slot 9 ¨C <Spike Skin>


    * Slot 10 ¨C <Extremity>


    * Slot 11 ¨C <Mine Alone>


    * Slot 12 ¨C <Nimble>


    * Slot 13 ¨C <Camouge>


    * Slot 14 ¨C <Coordination>


    * Slot 15 ¨C <Iron Skin>


    * Slot 16 ¨C <re>


    * Slot 17 ¨C <Muscrity>


    * Slot 18 ¨C


    * Slot 19 ¨C <Magician>


    * Slot 20 ¨C <Dirty y>


    * Slot 21 ¨C <Sneak>


    * Slot 22 ¨C <Mana Control>


    * Slot 23 ¨C <Fireball>


    * Slot 25 ¨C <Spell Conjuring (Basic)>


    * Slot 26 ¨C <Illusion Arts>


    * Slot 27 ¨C <Invisible Barrier>


    * Slot 28 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 29 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 30 ¨C <Empty>


    [End Of Information]


    In just a little while longer, my prep would be over¡­ and then, it would be time to start the final act!

 Chapter 208 The Final Gate

    ¡°All done!¡± I grinned.


    It was a tough call, but I chose to pour all I had into <Extremity>. Thanks to that investment, I was able to raise it to Level 5.


    The other two Skills remained at Level 1, and for good reason.


    ¡°Sometimes, offense is the greatest defense!¡±


    Even if I managed to raise the Barrier and Illusion Skills a little, they would do little to no good against the crushing might of the Hobgoblin Boss and the other minions it was bound to have.


    Thinking along this line, I decided to invest all I could into raw firepower.


    ¡°Okay¡­ huu¡­ this is the closing act!¡±


    The time was 5:32 PM. I could tell since I kept a bunch of clocks in [Subspace]¡ªplus, a smartphone.<sub>.</sub>


    The battery never died since I kept it in the unchanging spade of [Subspace]. I wry grin appeared on my face the moment I thought of all the uses [Subspace] had.


    However, those thoughts vanished as soon as they appeared. Now was not the same to bask in nostalgia or satisfaction. Something needed to be done, and fast¡­ and I was on my way to do it.


    After moving purposefully and transversing the distance existing between my previous location and what I could only describe as the final gate, I now stood before the only border between safety and danger.


    The walls that barricaded me within the thirdpound now looked taller, and the gate was especially menacing. Was I to call this the fourth gate? No, that would be an understatement.


    I could feel the rush of magical energy pumped into the wooden construct that blocked my path. It was studier than any barrier I had passed through to reach this far. I could tell that my normal base strength wouldn¡¯t be enough to get me in.


    ¡°Oh, well¡­¡±


    It would probably be best to charge in prepared rather than just deciding to y things by ear. Looking at my list of Skills from the corner of my eye, I pursed my lips and formed words.<sub></sub>


    ¡°<Spike Skin>. <Extremity>. <Nimble>. <Camouge>. <Coordination>. <Iron Skin>. <re>. <Muscrity>. <Magician>. <Sneak>. <Mana Control>.¡±


    This much would be enough for starters. With my MP being temporarily doubled through the effects of the <Magician> Skill, I felt so different. My other Stats also shot through the roof with the effects of the other Skills, and my usual self was lost. As though I was on a high of adrenaline, I felt my body grow hot.


    It burned with red energy, mixing well with my blue mana, which gave off purple hue as the final product.


    Sparks of bustling electricity burst out as a result of the harmonizing synergy between my Skills and the mana coursing through my body.


    My body grew thick, spikes grew on them, and I felt my muscles expand. My vision grew better, I had a better perception of everything, I became nearly invisible, my body was as light as a feather¡ªseveral other effects coursed through me.


    In addition to my Skills, I made sure to equip both the Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Staff and the Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Attire.


    It gave me a form of vagabond look, but since I wore the sash-like robe like a cape, I didn¡¯t look too weird.<sub></sub>


    The joined effects of these two drops caused another sharp spike in my abilities, giving me the absolute confidence I needed to win this fight.


    There was no need to break down the gate, even though I felt like doing it. Instead of using the front entrance, I chose the method that most suited a ¡®theif¡¯ such as myself¡­ I climbed over the fence.


    Well, climbing wasn¡¯t the most urate description of what I did.


    ¡°Hup!¡± In a single leap, my body ascended past the tall barrier as I made my way to secure a perfect footing.


    The wall was thick enough to stand on, just like the rest of them, so I took the liberty of doing so.


    I lightlynded on the fence¡ªa little close to the magic-imbued gate.


    ¡°Well, well, well¡­¡± Thanks to my <Camouge> and <Sneak> Skill, none of the Demons could sense my appearance, giving me enough leeway to observe the enemy camp.


    Contrasting the otherpounds so far, the sight before me was a whole new world.


    Giant structures made of wood were erected all around thepound. The area was vast, but not asrge as the one I was justing from.


    The wooden structures were used to hang meat, most likely so they dried up. I suspected the meat to be from Hobgoblins since it had a pale green color, a staple hue for their race. As I expected, they were cannibals.


    It did raise the question as to how the Demons didn¡¯t vanish after being killed but their kind and turned into meat. Well, for that question, the answer had to do with aplicated causality.


    Humans killing Demons gave Demon Cores as Drops.


    Demons killing Demons didn¡¯t work that way. Since Demons only killed their kin for food or territory, which would somehow still involve cannibalism, the flesh never vanished after death. They also did not drop Demon Cores.


    So, it was impossible for a Gifted to benefit from two Demons killing each other.


    Other than the waste of EXP, no benefit woulde out of their fight, except maybe if the human fancied some Demon meat.


    ¡®That would kill anybody, though¡­ Demon meat is poisonous to Gifteds¡­¡¯


    Now returning to what was in my line of sight, I several buildings in thepound, most likely settlements. They were arranged in rows, five in number, and arger one stood at the furthest end, looking entirely different. It was majestic, well, by Hobgoblin standards.


    It would have been strange for me to consider Hobgoblins building houses in the past, but after taking a glimpse at the slight intelligence and orderliness they showed, I couldn¡¯t put it past them.


    A question sparked in my head as to whom the houses were made for¡ªall six in total.


    That question was sharply answered the moment I looked ahead of me and saw the adversaries.


    ¡°Oh? So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± My lips curled up in excitement, but slightly out of anxiety too.


    I certainly wasn¡¯t expecting this turn of events

 Chapter 209 The Hobgoblin Boss (Pt 1)

    The enemiesid before me couldn¡¯t bepared to my previous foes in quantity. Not in the slightest.


    Unlike the several thousand I had vanquished in the past, these were barely three thousand. Their small numbers made the entirepound spread out and seem barely upied. If not for the wooden houses that decorated the vast ins as well as the dried meat being hung on the several stakes, the area would have seemed awfully empty.


    However¡­


    The quality of the Hobgoblins I saw was nothing like those I had encountered previously. Comparing the two was impossible. I didn¡¯t see any Hobgoblin Tanker, Archer, Brawler, Warrior¡­ no, those were all fodderpared to these beasts that stood opposing me.


    The muscr green creatures, resembling orcs, rather than Hobs, had tattoos on their bodies, simr to the Hobgoblin Chief.


    They were not as huge as the one I had defeated, though, neither did they have flowing hair or beards. However, their bodies were still much bigger than the other Hobgoblins in the same Grade. They also wore tattered undergarments to cover what would be described as one¡¯sher regions. I highly doubted that Demons had such organs, especially Hobgoblins, so I could only assume they were enchanted items.


    These special monsters also donned gauntlets on both hands, and had ferocious looks that matched the bloodthirsty nature they exude.


    Some even wielded weapons.


    With my incredible eyesight, and my elevated state, it wasn¡¯t impossible for me to take a glimpse at the Stats of the intimidating monsters that stood before me¡ªnumbering at least 2,000¡­ maybe more.


    [System Alert]<sub>.</sub>


    <Danger!> <Danger!>


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Hobgoblin Chief


    ¨C Level: 80


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 1


    ¨C Age: 102 Days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 10,000


    ¨C MP: 1,700<sub></sub>


    ¨C Strength: 7,000


    ¨C Agility: 5,000


    ¨C Vitality: 11,000


    ¨C Intelligence: 450


    [End Of Information]


    This was the average Stat I saw among their ranks. Some possessed superior ones while others had inferior numbers, but not by much. In a sense, I had to battle having these figures in my head.


    ¡®They¡¯re not as impressive as the Chief, but these Hobgoblin Champions are quite monstrous!¡¯


    The most dangerous part of them was their numbers. I was initially saddened when I found only a few enemies herepared to the others, but that feeling had already vanished.


    Worry began to rece my thoughts and anxiety crept in. Would I be able to handle these many with their superior numbers?<sub></sub>


    I shook off the uncertain ideas that weighed me down and focused more on the battle ahead of me.


    The crowd growled and snorted, as though conversing with each other. I was certain they couldn¡¯t see me, but what was this unease that just didn¡¯t seem to leave my heart? Was it instinct, or¡­?


    My eyes finally left the mob, if they could be called that, and darted to the furthest end of thepound, which I had avoided all this time. I had only one reason for doing so.


    Warbling in its purplish-blue glow, stood the nine-foot gate that spread across for at least a distance of thirteen meters. The energy pouring out of it made my skin crawl and all the air on my body stood in reflex.


    I unconsciously found myself swallowing hard at the sight. This was way bigger than the one I saw in my fight with the Hell Kobolds. I was mesmerized.


    However¡­


    However¡­


    ¡­ The Gate wasn¡¯t the only thing that was frightening! Rather, standing before the Gate was a much bigger problem, and I chose my words carefully as I thought about them.


    My body trembled slightly as I finally pieced together the reason behind the fiverge houses and the final sixth house that stood out among the others.


    They weren¡¯t symbolic!


    The beings who stood directly in front of the gate, and the one who sat at their center exuded what I could only describe as absolute dominance. All of them radiated the kind of authority that only Grade 2 Monsters could have¡ªthe overpowering strength that could make even someone like me to sweat profusely.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too hardcore¡­?!¡± What sounded like my voice leaked from my lips.


    The Demons there were the Hobgoblins who stood at the pinnacle of Hobgoblins. They numbered five, four standing and one who sat.


    The four resembled the one I had killed not too long ago, the Hobgoblin Chief. Looking at their Status Information, I could see that they didn¡¯t bear simrities in appearances only.


    They were all Hobgoblin Chiefs!


    They all wore distinct outfits, simr, but not quite the same as one another. They also didn¡¯t look the same, and their essories slightly differed.


    One had a battle-ax. Another had a bead on one hand and what seemed like a chain made of bones wrapped around its neck. Its primitive outfit also resembled more of a cloak, rather than a caveman¡¯s sash-like dress. Another wore gauntlets and boots that Seemed to be wrapped about with metal tes, but warbled and glowed in a rhythmic pattern that toldmon sense those essories weren¡¯t normal. Thest of the Chiefs had arge de, bigger than my whole body, stuck on his right hand. It had a bunch of daggers on the hip, but the de seemed to be its primary weapon.


    As though these four weren¡¯t intimidating enough, the final being who sat on a wooden throne, that was big and sturdy enough to support its weight, gave off a totally different feelpared to every other Demon I had ever facedbined.


    In short words, ¡®It was built differently!¡¯


    It was adorned with ornaments. From a very prestigious cape, to a couple of beads around the neck, bracelets on one arm, and a scepter on the other.


    It also had a helmet that wasplimented with feathers of varying colors, and the tattoos on its body were white, not ck like the others.


    Its beard was longer than the others, and it was white too. It looked older, but by no means weaker. Muscles and fat wrapped around his bones to make it at least three feet taller than the other Chiefs.


    Certainly, this guy was the Boss! There was no doubt about it.


    It was the Boss¡­ and as the monster titled its head and cocked it while rolling its eyes to look upward, I noticed something else.


    This Demon¡­ was looking directly at me¡ªin my direction. I wasn¡¯t hallucinating, I wasn¡¯t imagining things!


    The Hobgoblin who sat on the throne could see me!

 Chapter 210 The Hobgoblin Boss (Pt 2)

    I was sure that I was invisible. No one else could see me or sense my presence.


    Yet, I could clearly see the gaze of the Hobgoblin Boss rest upon me. Its old face morphed into what I could only describe as a wry grin, as though taunting me.


    It made no movements, just resting its gaze upon me as though waiting for my first move.


    ¡®This monster¡­ It saw through my camouge, yet chooses to do nothing. What kind of a joke is this?!¡¯


    I felt slightly insulted, but also relieved. If it was looking down on me like the Hobgoblin Chief, that worked well to my advantage.


    The only problem was how to handle the monsters before me.


    The Gate behind the Hobgoblin Chiefs and the Boss kept spewing Hobgoblin Champions at intervals. I couldn¡¯t wait any longer!


    But, I had no way topletely whittle down the enemies, not with the kind of Stats they had. It went without saying that this would be a terribly difficult match!


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    Instantly, a massive cloud of smoke, such as I had never seen before, gathered and spread across the whole field. The smoke was thick, so thick that it would be impossible to see through it.


    ¡®This is a result of me gathering so much of it!¡¯


    The grey fog blinded the eyes of everyone around, but I could manage. Since my heightened Stats granted me better vision, I could make do.


    I also had no problem breathing, considering the fact that I could simply summon stored air into my nostrils.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t foolish enough to hide any cards at the current moment. Using <Summon>, I called upon seventy percent of the fireballs I had stocked up there, as well as thirty percent of the Mana Cores I had in reserve.


    Of course, I enhanced them with my Mana and coated the energy surging through them with mine. The dangerous mix of my MP and the ones that the Hobgoblin Champions used would generate the greatest fireworks, after all.


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<<sub></sub>


    The explosion resounded, crackling and bursting forth. It was more than any I had made so far, and the shockwaves nearly blew me from my roots where I stood.


    Of course, this may not have killed all of them, maybe not even half, but I was guaranteed that most of the Hobs would have suffered extreme injuries. I could finish them off if that was the case!


    >SHUUUUUU¡­.<


    The surrounding gas and clouds of extra smoke that ascended to the sky made even my heightened vision blur. I couldn¡¯t see clearly, so I decided to call back the smoke.


    There was no harm in it since I was invisible, anyway.


    >WHUUUUUUSHH<


    In a sh, the smoke vanished, and all that remained was the devastating sight of Hobgoblins dead and injured littering thepound¡­ or so I expected.


    ¡°N-no¡­ No way!¡± My jaw nearly dropped.<sub></sub>


    It was surprising beyond expectation!


    The fight that burned into my retinas defied everything I had faced so far. I had even poured out so much of my resources, yet¡­ yet¡­


    ¡°Impossible! None of them are dead?!¡±


    No, that didn¡¯t quite exin it.


    None of them were harmed in the slightest!


    My eyes darted around as I searched for an exnation. Sweat began appearing on my face as heartbeats of unease became loud to my ears.


    It didn¡¯t take very long for me to notice the cause of the anomaly. The air around the group of Hobgoblins looked distorted, but the distortion faded almost as soon as it appeared.


    None of the Hobgoblin Champions seemed like Casters, and even if they were, I doubted any of them could pull off any defensive spell that could protect them against my fiery attack.


    They weren¡¯t strong enough! That only left one option¡­


    ¡°Shit!¡± I stifled my pained and slightly nervous voice as my head tilted to the area where the obvious suspects would be.


    The four Hobgoblin Chief who stood all raised their hands, and something on their palm glowed. It was a tattoo imprinted there, having the sign of runes. The fact that all the runes glowed while their subordinates were protected from my attack, meant they were the culprits.


    I had just wasted a whole lot of my arsenals on a fruitless venture.


    ¡°Damnit!¡±


    My n was to reduce the numbers of the Hobgoblin Champions as much as possible, then head over to the Boss and Chiefs to have my showdown with them. After killing the obvious leaders, the Gate would close, and I would be able to handle the surviving Hobs.


    The reason I didn¡¯t just jump at the Boss and its Chiefs was because the vast numbers of the Hobgoblin Champions would be a problem. Plus, if I focused on fighting the Hobgoblin Champions before the Boss and the Chiefs, more would pour out, and by the time I was done with most of them, exhaustion would have caught up to me.


    My ns were thwarted, though.


    I deepened my re as I stared at the bunch of five who remained at the rear and watched them all sneer. The king was especially smug as he keenly watched me.


    I was at a loss for words.


    ¡®I know it¡¯s intelligent, but this is just¡­ damnit!¡¯


    I had to take action soon, but what was I to do?


    My eyes darted back to the Hobgoblin Champions who were now on their guard. My attack didn¡¯t connect, but it certainly awakened their warrior senses, and the Demons were now actively searching for their enemy¡ªme.


    ¡°What do I do? What do I¡ª¡±


    >WHOOOOOOOSHHHH!!!<


    Before I could finish contemting my next course of action, I felt an overpowering force near me, lunging in my direction at lightning speed.


    My head tilted to the side and I saw a glowing spear zooming in on me. The giant object, bigger than my entire body, charged¡ªit was too fast for me to actively react to.


    In front of me approached certain death.


    ¡®Well, shit!¡¯

 Chapter 211 Counterattack

    >BOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    Shattering sounds of cracking, devastated wood, rang out as the entire fence I stood on broke apart.


    My body barely dodged the spearunch, thanks to reflex and my heightened physique being pushed to its limits.


    >WHOOOSHHH!<


    I became a blur, but not before shrapnels from the devastated wooden fence found me. Like raging bullets, many shards of wood came for my disoriented body.


    Fortunately, none were strong enough to pierce my defenses, so I was unscathed¡­ physically, that is.


    ¡°Guh!¡±


    Without any tform to stand on, my body helplessly descended to the ground. Still iling about in the air, I struggled to regain control over my body and twisted it quickly.


    Instantly, I recovered from my stunned state and allowed myself to freely fall to the ground.<sub>.</sub>


    >CRASH!!!<


    The massive structure erected to protect the Hobs was decimated as the pieces of wood made loud noises with each fall. A bit of dust gathered, and I could see therge spear poking out of the pile of damaged wood.


    With barely anything separating the third and fourthpound, it seemed like a whole new world was open.


    ¡®Concentrate, Jeremy! Now is not the time!¡¯


    The Hobgoblin Champions already had their eyes on me, no, on themotion the spear caused. Their weapons, for those who had some, were raised and their positions took the form of ready soldiers, raring to attack.


    Even though they couldn¡¯t see me clearly, I doubted that wouldst for very long. I had to do something¡­ quick!


    With this line of thought, my eyes darted back to the Boss, transversing the crowd that stood between me and it. I saw its hand outstretched, with a bit of smokeing from it. Judging from its posture, the Boss Hobgoblin had to be the one whounched that spear at me.


    ¡®Shit! The moment I took my eyes off it, thinking it wouldn¡¯t do anything¡­ that was when it took the chance to catch me off guard!¡¯<sub></sub>


    The monster certainly was smart!


    I wanted to try looking at its Stats, but for some reason, it seemed I needed to move closer. Most likely due to the insane gap of strength between the both of us.


    ¡®I have to deal with these small fries first¡­¡¯ I gritted my teeth in frustration.


    But, I couldn¡¯t take too long, else I would only be wasting my time and energy. Plus, if I was too focused on fighting the Hobgoblin Champions¡ªwhich would take a lot of concentration¡ª the Hobgoblin Chief could use that chance to throw another one of its javelins at me. I couldn¡¯t have that!


    ¡®Think, Jeremy!¡¯


    If I resorted to my old tricks, the shield those Chiefs erected would protect the Hobgoblins, and the only way past them was through. I could easily bypass the shield by taking the affected areas into [Subspace], but then what? If I resorted to arge-scale explosion while within the shield, it would affect me too!


    In the end, I had to be amidst them!


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s back to basics!¡±<sub></sub>


    With a wide grin on my face, I cracked my fingers and prepared my legs for some hardcore exercise on its way.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK GAU GURU GROIIIIIKKK!!¡± The Hobgoblins gave this war cry and charged in my direction.


    Wasting no time at all, I also rushed into the iing crowd of bloodthirsty Hobgoblin Champions and brandished my fist, ready to begin their execution.


    Once again, I felt a distortion in space, but this time I was prepared. Using [Subspace] to take away the invisible barrier blocking my route, I marched on and steadied my inventory chock-full of goods.


    In such a situation, there was only one thing to do¡­ take them out¡ªnot as a collective, but individually.


    That didn¡¯t mean I had to do all the work, though.


    ¡°<Automatic Summon>¡±


    I dived into the crowd of Hobgoblin Champions, and with that came a barrage of unexpected weapons flying at my foes. I used my usual smokescreen tactics to blind the enemy while racing through their ranks.


    ¡®This will blind the Hobgoblin Boss, so he won¡¯t be able to pinpoint my exact location!¡¯


    By using <Automatic Summon> to bring out juiced-up Venomous Spikes to temporarily poison the Champions, as well as Fireballs and Demon Cores to kill off others, I would her rid of the small fry, while safely making my way to the big bad.


    That was how I wanted it to go!


    Unfortunately, once again, my ns were thwarted.


    >WHOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    In a sh, another spear roared as it shot at me with frightening speed. It was faster than the previous one, but thanks to my total focus in the direction of the Hobgoblin Boss as I ran ordingly, I was able to see it approach before it was toote.


    The results of the spear was devastating, nheless, though.


    >SHUUUUUUUUUU<


    The clouds of smoke parted ways as the spinning spear neared me, ready to rip me to shreds despite being in an enhanced state.


    ¡°Well, shit!¡±


    This time, I had no intention of dodging!


    Thanks to spotting the object early, I sucked it into [Subspace], only barely though.


    However, by the time I had done that, the damage had been done. The wind pressure from the javelin of destruction was enough to chase away all the smoke I had used for cover, leaving the area bare once again.


    I found myself at the center of an army of Hobgoblin Champions, seemingly exposed.


    ¡®It¡¯s okay¡­ the effects of <Camouge> and <Sneak> are still on!¡¯


    I was about to heave a sigh of relief and continue my march toward the Boss when I spotted an evil, malevolent, utterly crafty grin locked on the lips of the Boss my eyes were on.


    ¡°GUUUUUURUUUUKKKK!!!¡± The creature of green flesh and absolute nightmare gave a deafening roar, causing my bones to chatter and my ears to ring out in protest.


    A string of emotions was let loose within me and my instincts screamed only one thought into me as the warning burned itself into my body.


    ¡®Something¡¯sing!¡¯

 Chapter 212 Playing Dirty (Pt 1)

    The Hobgoblin Boss roared!


    The moment it did so, I couldn¡¯t describe it, but, an air of unease¡­ no, pressure, filled the area.


    I could suddenly feel multiple eyes on me and bloodlust oozing around. The sudden shift was too much for me that I suddenly began to panic again. Taking my eyes off the Boss Monster for a moment, I took a good look around me and confirmed it.


    ¡°They are all looking at me¡­ with focused, eager looks. They can see me?!¡± A whisper unconsciously leaked out.


    I wasn¡¯t wrong!


    The Hobgoblins could see me! Their focus was locked on my exact location, I could tell that much!


    How? Even with their Stats, I was superior, so there was no way they could bypass the System¡¯s rules. Unless¡­


    I gritted my teeth and red at the grinning Hobgoblin who sat on his throne. What a smug look the monster had.


    ¡®It did something to them¡­ some kind of variant for <Rule>, maybe? It had to be that roar from earlier!¡¯


    That might have also been how it was controlling the other Demons I had been facing, who seemed like they were in a daze until I attacked.


    If that was the case, I was trapped, wasn¡¯t I?


    Locked at the center of a bloodthirsty mob who wanted to rip me to shreds. In Stats, I was superior, but their numbers made it very difficult to think ofing out in one piece. Even if I tried, the Hobgoblin Boss wouldunch another spear, and I couldn¡¯t forget the troublesome Chiefs who were still on standby.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Tch! I didn¡¯t think I would have to use this now, but¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t be saving my cards when my life was at such risk. I was initially saving it for the Boss and the Chiefs, but now that I thought things through, the ¡®ace¡¯ up my sleeve had the possibility of not working on the Demons due to the difference in Stats.


    No, it probably wouldn¡¯t work!


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ I might as well use it now!¡¯


    <Dirty y>!


    Unlike many of my Skills, this particr one had no Cooldown or cast time. It was instant, only restricted to the number of uses per day. In a pinch like this, it was the only alternative!


    [System Information]


    ~Skill <Dirty y> Is Now In Effect~


    <All Targets Will Experience The Status Ailment ¡®Blindness¡¯>


    [View More]


    So, the effect was <Blindness> this time. It wasn¡¯t entirely stopping them, but the Demons wouldn¡¯t be able to respond to me now, right?<sub></sub>


    [Status Ailment]


    <Blindness>


    ~ Blinds Demons For A Period Of 5 Minutes.~ (The Effects Vary ording To The Level Of Resistance Possessed.)


    [End Of Information]


    With this in mind, I returned my gaze to the Hobgoblin Boss, but the grin on its face hadn¡¯t been wiped off. Rather, it grew even more.


    My eyes bulged the moment I realized what this spelled for me.


    ¡°Guaruuuukkkkk!!!¡±


    The Champions lunged at me in a sh, bloodthirsty creatures, ready to have their pound of flesh.


    My <Automatic Summon> kicked in and sent a lot of my Venomous Spikes to immobilize them while using Fireballs to finish them off. The problem was how quickly my stock was depleting¡­ even before fighting the actual baddies.


    Still, thanks to this¡­ I was able to regain myposure.


    If I had realized it a split secondter, I would have been in serious trouble¡ªthe reason ¡®Blindness¡¯ seemed to have no effect on the Hobgoblin Champions.<sub></sub>


    ¡®They can¡¯t see me¡­ they never could! It¡¯s the Hobgoblin Boss that sees me. He onlymands them to attack based on what he sees! Damnit! Blinding them does no good!.¡¯


    With that thought in mind, and my increasing frustration due to wasting one of three chances uselessly, I decided to try my luck once more.


    ¡°<Dirty y>¡±


    [System Information]


    ~Skill <Dirty y> Is Now In Effect~


    <All Targets Will Experience The Status Ailment ¡®Paralysis¡¯>


    [Status Ailment]


    ~ Immobilizes Targets For 3 Minutes.~


    [End Of Information]


    In response to the absolute effects of my Skill, the Demons all froze up, like a pause button had been ced on them.


    No, their retinas moved, but not much else. I had them all frozen¡ªtemporarily!


    Three minutes¡­ and less than two thousand Demons¡­ I could manage that!


    I had thought not to bother since I could breeze through them, but this was bing annoying. I had no choice.


    ¡®I¡¯ll just take them into [Subspace]!¡¯


    With that in mind, my brain went into overdrive as I sped across the Hobgoblin army and began touching the Demons one after the other. The moment even a fraction of my body touched them, they vanished and took their ce in my Slot.


    From the corner of my eye, I spotted the Hobgoblin Boss don a frown and grot its teeth. The army it was so proud of was disappearing right before its eyes¡­ certainly, it would be furious.


    ¡®What now?¡¯


    Suddenly, I felt the ground move unnaturally, causing me to lose my footing.


    ¡°Guh!¡± I let out a groan, shocked by the sudden slip.


    At the speed I was currently moving at, such a hup was fatal.


    ¡®Damnit!¡¯ My mind rang as I spotted one of the Chiefs, garbed in what resembled a Casters¡¯ outfit among the four of them.


    The slippery ground had to be its doing since it gave a grin underneath the hood that covered its face.


    The Hobgoblin Boss didn¡¯t miss this opportunity.


    I saw the seated monster summon a spear as its hands were raised and poured a phenomenal amount of power into it.


    >Gulp<


    In an instant, a sh, the spear wasunched at my falling body. A moment, no, even less, was what it would take for the spear to rip me to shreds.


    I was done for!


    Or so it seemed.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    The spear cracked open the ground and shattered it upon impact. Raging sts caused the area to experience a quake and the Hobgoblin Champions lost bnce for a moment.


    Once the smoke around the spear¡¯s area of impact cleared, the results were made clear.

 Chapter 213 Playing Dirty (Pt 2)

    Jared¡¯s body was impaled by the spear, stuck on the ground.


    The Hobgoblins¡¯ top brass all reveled at the sight of the young human¡¯s gaping eyes and shocked outlook. It was a cause for celebration, was it not?


    The rat that had been scampering about was finally dead, struck by the spear it never sawing. Jeremy was the rat, and by the means of throwing an unavoidable projectile at him, he had inevitably met his doom.


    However¡­ this illusion of victory soon vanished as the Hobgoblin Boss first noticed the strangeness of the situation before them.


    Looking closely at what should have been the young Gifted¡¯s corpse, there was something different about it, something unreal¡­


    ¡°Guriuk¡­ Guriuk Garu?!¡± A growl proceeded from the mouth of the Hobgoblin Boss as soon as it noticed, drawing the attention of the already-celebrating Chiefs.


    They ceased their felicitations and also took a closer nce at the corpse and noticed the same thing too!


    ¡°Guriuk Guriuuk Garu!!!¡± The Cheifs said all at once.


    The trantion of the monsternguage they spoke could only possibly be one thing¡ªthere¡¯s no blood!


    The corpse of Jeremy Lewis, the one who challenged them and was supposedly smitten, had no blood!


    The face and features of the body didn¡¯t even look dead, and there were no signs of destruction in the outfit he wore. That could only have meant one thing¡­ the illusion of victory that they had was merely just that¡ªan illusion!<sub>.</sub>


    What they had been seeing for thest few moments was an illusion!


    ¡°GARAUIK GURU GARWIOK!!!¡± The Hobgoblin Boss banged its hand upon its armrest the moment it noticed something. As soon as it lifted its eyes from Jeremy¡¯s fake corpse and took a look around, the monster noticed that the numbers of its troops¡ªthe Hobgoblin Champions¡ª had significantly reduced.


    That could have only meant one thing.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡±


    ***********************


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you bastards! Fooled ya!¡±


    My grin was broad as I sped across the motionless Hobgoblins and gave taps on them, unfettered by the troublesome foes in a distance.


    As I had already expected, none of them were affected by the effects of


    , being Grade 2 and all.


    Still, I was able to get away with this¡­ something that would have ended in certain death!


    [Moments Earlier]<sub></sub>


    ¡®I¡¯m done for!¡¯ My mind rang.


    With my body falling straight to the ground due to the sudden slip made by one of the Hobgoblin Chiefs, I was knocked entirely off-bnce.


    The momentum built up by my speed made this a fatal mistake, and the spear lunging at me didn¡¯t help matters.


    If I chose to divert my attention to stop the spear and absorb it into [Subspace], I was certain to be vulnerable to other strikes¡ªthere were four Hobgoblin Chiefs, after all.


    Usually, it would be an impossible situation¡­ however¡­ a saving grace appeared that turned everything around.


    A Skill in my possession¡­ <Coordination>!


    [Skill Information]


    <Coordination>


    Grade: 1 (Fixed)


    Level:1 (Upgradable)<sub></sub>


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ¡®Hobgoblin (Archer)¡¯. It is a low leveled skill that grants the user heightened and sharpened senses, especially that of sight. They are also freely able to move their body more fluidly in response to their intention.


    Now in its maxed-out state, alongside the buff effects of several other Skills, this Skill allowed me to fluidlypensate for myck of bnce and regain my bearing.


    Realizing this was a perfect chance, I decided on a gamble!


    ¡°<Illusory Arts>¡±


    It could create an Illusory Clone, a direct duplicate of myself with no consequence!


    With this in mind, I made the clone and ced it right in front of me¡ªin the exact same position I currently was.


    My Agility was higher, so I could think and move faster than they could. Using to my advantage, I pushed my body to its limits and achieved a frightening state of speed, rushing behind one of the frozen Hobgoblin Champions while the clone took my ce and got struck with the spear.


    Once the hit connected, I took advantage of the window of opportunity and continued collecting Hobs into my [Subspace].


    And that led us to the present.


    [The Present]


    ¡°Haha! Ain¡¯t that something. Bet you didn¡¯t see thating!¡± I nearly burst outughing as soon as I saw the mortified expression of the Hobgoblin Boss.


    It was amusing, but I couldn¡¯t lose sight of my goal.


    In an instant, the Hobgoblin Boss summoned another spear, which I spotted from the corner of my eye, and I quickly absorbed it before it could beunched.


    This was the best move to make.


    In what seemed like a sh, three minutes were up and I was left with nearly a hundred Hobgoblin Champions left.


    ¡°This much is doable!¡±


    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    The Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Staff appeared in my hand once again¡ªI recalled it when I realized I would need both hands unupied, but now¡­ it was perfect for the job!


    Casting <Fireball>, I poured a lot of mana-infused air into the atmosphere while charging up the spell with both my mana and the boosted effects of the staff.


    The small fireball increased beyond the size I had ever made, and not only that, but it doubled in number.


    I now had two enormous balls of me above me.


    Summoning a bunch of Mana Cores underneath the Demons who would unfreeze at any moment, I poured down my gigantic mana while ensuring my eyes watched out for any distortion.


    Sure enough, I spotted the same defensive trick the Hobgoblin Chiefs resorted to thest time, but this time I wouldn¡¯t be caught off-guard.


    I quickly collected the hardened, distorted sir, and allowed my fireball to fall on the group of Hobgoblins, with me jumping far above the area of impact.


    The result? As expected, it was¡ª


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    Shockwaves rang through the entire area as the nearly hundred Demons were decimated beneath me. I watched as their bodies turned to dust and they dropped their Demon Cores, which, not long after, vanished into my [Subspace].


    ¡°Now that¡¯s one problem out of the way¡­¡±


    My gaze shifted to the final opponents I had to face.


    ¡°Next up is¡­!!!¡±

 Chapter 214 Face Off (Pt 1)

    While I was absorbing Demons into my [Subspace] earlier, my <Automatic Summon> was on. Adding <Coordination> to the mix, I was able to severely weaken the Hobgoblin Champions whom I couldn¡¯t touch.


    <Venomous Spikes> and my Daggers yed a huge part, even though they couldn¡¯t finish them off.


    Thanks to those efforts from before, the amped dual <Fireball> Iunched and the Demon Core Bombs were able to finish off the Hobgoblin Champions. Their HP had gotten to that state!


    ¡°Whew¡­ one menace out of the way. Next, we have¡­ you guys, uh?¡± A grin formed on my face as I said those words.


    The Hobgoblin Boss, as well as the Chiefs, growled in fury as I met their gazes. Now left without any more troops, I now had the advantage.


    The Gate behind them only spat Hobgoblins after a long interval, making sure I had enough time to face them without getting interrupted.


    The Boss remained seated, while I drew closer. My senses were sharpened and intended to move out of harm¡¯s way the moment I picked up any dangerous signals. With a distance of about thirty meters away from the overwhelming giant Hobs, I realized I had already gotten close enough for me to see the Boss¡¯ Status Window.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate to take a peek.


    [System Alert]


    <Danger!> <Danger!>


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Hobgoblin King<sub>.</sub>


    ¨C Level: 100


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser) ¨C Grade: 2


    ¨C Age: 567 Days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 70,000


    ¨C MP: 15,000


    ¨C Strenght: 45,000


    ¨C Agility: 12,000


    ¨C Vitality: 39,000


    ¨C Intelligence: 11,500


    [End Of Information]<sub></sub>


    As expected, it was leagues above anything I had ever encountered.


    ¡°King, eh? A befitting title!¡±


    Its intelligence was also in the realm I expected, and the rest of its stats were too monstrous to be called bnced. I wondered how the moderators of this entire thing expected humans to defeat such a beast at the tutorial stage.


    ¡®Well, they¡¯re supposed to pass through the other Hobs so they¡¯ll level up considerably. Plus, if they attack en masse, it¡¯s not impossible.


    However, this time it was only me that would be doing all the attacking.


    Of course, I had no problem with it since I would equally reap all the benefits as well.


    ¡°Guriuk Garuiosk Guruk.¡± The Hobgoblin King finally opened its mouth and uttered its unintelligiblenguage.


    I nearly rolled my eyes the moment it did this. It wasn¡¯t like anything it said could be of meaning to me.


    ¡°¡­ Human¡­ you¡­ are quite strong¡­¡±


    My eyes bulged the moment I heard the gruff voice of the Hobgoblin King utter anguage I wasn¡¯t expecting it to.


    English! Was it just my imagination or did the monster just speak English?<sub></sub>


    ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡± Itughed, probably sensing my shock before I could hide it.


    So, it wasn¡¯t just my imagination.


    ¡°Human¡­ Surprised?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t exactly surprised that a .knster could speak English. In the future, more intelligent Demons would appear and it wouldn¡¯t be rare for them to converse with humans. However, I didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon.


    That was the cause of my amazement.


    ¡°How can you speak mynguage?¡± I spat back, finally deciding to have a conversation with the monster.


    The Chiefs growled the moment I sent my question. Their bloodshot eyes radiated bloodlust and I could tell they wanted to tear me to pieces from where I stood.


    My <Camouge> and <Sneak> Skill were now deactivated, so everyone could see me¡­ not just the King.


    ¡°Ate¡­ Humans. Learnt Humans Language.¡± He spoke in simplistic terms.


    It would have been hard to understand what it meant without context. However, I wasn¡¯t too surprised when the Hobgoblin King said that.


    ¡®If I recall correctly, the Hobgoblins killed a good deal of Gifteds during that second attempt Daniel led¡­¡¯


    ording to his report, it was easy to conclude that the Hobgoblins took the bodies of our fallenrades back into thepound.


    For Demons, humans were the ideal meal to eat. Most Demons would have eaten the dead Gifteds on the spot¡ªeven If t was only just a bite, especially since the others were running away.


    But, not these ones. They took the Gifteds to their territory. My best guess came to pass. They offered it to their leader, the Hobgoblin King, and by eating the humans brought to it, this guy became capable of speech.


    ¡®Not all Demons can do that, though. It probably has a Skill for it¡­ interesting¡­¡¯ I mused.


    ¡°You strong. I kill you, I be stronger.¡± A pleased grin formed on the old Hobgoblin¡¯s face.


    ¡°Says who?¡± I said with a smile.


    This made the Demon I addressed give a puzzled look, tilting its head a little sideways.


    ¡°Human¡­ Stupid?¡±


    I understood what it was trying to say. This Demon already knew that Demons could Level Up too, by killing humans. It wanted to use this system to its advantage and achieve even greater heights once it died.


    An ambitious goal.


    However, the reason I asked if it was sure about what it said wasn¡¯t that I was questioning the logic behind killing a Gifted to Level Up.


    ¡°Who says you can kill me?¡±


    The moment I made this audacious statement, all the Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s roared in fury and red at me hatefully.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK GURIIIKKK!!!¡±


    I used this moment of excitement to try out something I was looking forward to for so long¡­ and it worked.


    >WHUUUUUSH!<


    In the blink of an eye, I stripped all the roaring Demons of all their gear.


    That¡¯s right!


    The armor they wore, the robe, the weapons, the nes, charms, all the attires and buff items that gave them unimaginable strength and power¡­ I took all of them to [Subspace].


    ¡°GURUIIIIKKKK?!¡± The Chiefs seemingly muttered simultaneously.


    ¡°My, my¡­ I really didn¡¯t think this was going to work.¡± My partly surprised, partly amused voice rang out.


    The naked Hobgoblins, now looking more like the monsters they were, looked at me with shock and a hint of fear. Their slimy green bodies throbbed a little in humiliation.


    ¡°Now, then, I¡¯ll ask you again¡­ Who says you can kill me?!¡±

 Chapter 215 Face Off (Pt 2)

    The total amount of power a person can wield isn¡¯t restricted to merely Levels and individual Stats.


    There are several other means people obtain far greater power. One would be the nature of one¡¯s Gifts, another would be the Skill in one¡¯s possession. In rare cases where both Skills and Gifts have a synergy, the abilities of an individual skyrocket.


    However, even with these, there is another integral factor that can transform a weaker being into a more powerful one¡­ Gear!


    If ying games taught me anything, it would be the fact that gear is one of the most important things to consider.


    Gamers who were dedicated to the cause go as far as spending actual money on games in order to obtain very good pieces of equipment.


    Their importance can not be overemphasized!


    Not only yers, but even monsters rely on gear. Drops and items stem from this concept, and it should already be established that individual strength can only take you so far. In a game, true power lies in one¡¯s possession!


    A weaker being can stand a chance against someone with far superior Stats if he has the right equipment. Of course, there are concepts such as Limitations and Special Requirements when ites to equipping gear and using them properly.


    But, what happens when a character who has far surpassed the requirements gains the chance to use the gear that belongs to a more superior foe?<sub>.</sub>


    That changes everything!


    *************************


    ¡°Now, then, I¡¯ll ask you again¡­ Who says you can kill me?!¡±


    As soon as I made my confident statement, the Hobgoblin King barked out in fury¡ªits hands pointing at me indignantly.


    ¡°Kill Him!!!¡±


    The Chiefs didn¡¯t understand English, or at least they didn¡¯t appear to, but the intentions of their leader registered in their green heads and they instantly moved to action.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to let them get away with this.


    Without equipment, they all had to rely on only their Skills, and in the short while that their minds told them to retaliate, there was only one thing Demons would resort to¡­ brute force.<sub></sub>


    >WHOOOSHHH!!!<


    The green hands of several Hobs lunged at me from all angles, hoping to squash me like the bug I appeared to be.


    ¡°Nice try¡­ but¡­¡±


    Instantly, I used <Summon> to bring out the stuff I had been saving for so long.


    >BAM!<


    The loud sound of impact resounded across the area as the strikes of each Hobgoblin Chief were stopped mere moments from reaching me.


    ¡°GURUIIIK?!¡± They all made puzzled expressions, but before any couldpletely grasp the situation, I pushed myself into the air.


    ¡®I used those invisible barriers of yours against you, pfft!¡¯<sub></sub>


    Spinning as I twisted in midair, I summoned some of the study trees I had taken in earlier as footholds to easily maneuver through the heights I had gotten to.


    >WHOOOOOSHHH<


    Using my superior Agility, I rushed to each Hobgoblin Chief and tapped them one after the other.


    The Chiefs vanished the moment we made physical contact, and in no time, I wouldtake in all of them.


    ¡®Three down, one to go!¡¯


    As I lunged at the final one, the Hobgoblin King was already readying itsnce to strike me down. My senses had grown ustomed to picking up the monster¡¯s bloodlust, so this didn¡¯t surprise me anymore.


    ¡®It¡¯s not so smart when flustered, now is it?¡¯


    I had the option of taking in its spear, but a better n popped up nearly instantly.


    My eyes focused on my target, and in a sh, the deed was done!


    >CRASH!!!<


    The Hobgoblin King fell hard on the ground, sending tremors surging through the area as its green, naked body sat on the hard ground.


    ¡®Tap!¡¯ I touched thest Hobgoblin Chief who was too distracted by the fall of its king.


    In no time, I had managed topletely cut off all the allies the Hobgoblin Boss had.


    Now, it was just me and it!


    ¡°Guruuuu! You bastard!¡± The beast growled, banging its enormous hand on the ground.


    That sent my body slightly jumping in the air as a result of the tremor it caused.


    ¡°My n¡­ perfect! You strong. Me stronger! I with Chiefs. We beat you together! n was perfect!¡± It growled at me with hate in its eyes.


    I had to admit, now that I listened to the monster speak, it wasn¡¯t such a bad n.


    To be honest, it had me during the first half of our match. That was only because I underestimated it and chose a method of fighting that gave me too many openings.


    ¡°Your n wasn¡¯t perfect¡­ not in the slightest,¡± I replied, staring keenly at the beast who looked like it would eat me alive over and over again.


    To be fair, I nearly messed things up this time. Why did I choose the direct approach instead of ying it the way I usually did? if I had just caused the Mana Cores to appear perhaps in the mouths of every Hobgoblin Champion and exploded them, I could have easily bypassed whatever barrier the monsters put up.


    If I had charged straight at the Hobgoblin King and Chiefs and taken them into [Subspace], thereafter dealing with the minions using my bombardments, I would have had very minimal issues.


    There were better ways I could have handled things for sure!


    But why did I choose the more difficult andplicated approach?


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve realized something while facing you and your minions, greenie.¡±My smile broadened even further the moment the monster narrowed its brows in rage when it heard its new nickname.


    ¡°When fighting your first Chief, I ensured I faced it fair and square. I wanted to test the limits of my capabilities and also see how I would fare against you and the others using it as a reference.¡±


    It was a nice battle experience, and I truly learned a lot from it. However¡­


    ¡°I made the mistake of trying something simr just now. Turns out that was wrong. While it¡¯s good to gain as muchbat experience as possible, it¡¯s just not my style, you know?¡±

 Chapter 216 How He Fights

    I began moving closer to the Hobgoblin King, who, for some reason, shrunk back a bit. Perhaps it knew of its fate if I so much as grazed it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sneaky. I cheat a lot¡­¡±


    As much as it would be really cutthroat to have a death match with Hobgoblin¡¯s staking my life on the line, I wasn¡¯t that kind of person. Perhaps it was because I had gotten so strong that I forgot¡­ deep down I was a coward.


    ¡°I hate being in pain, so I just use what¡¯s most convenient for me. Even if I have to fight one monster at a time. Even if I have to use sneak attacks. Even if I have to steal all your equipment and use them for myself! It doesn¡¯t matter, does it?¡±


    Yes. All that mattered was survival! If I had such an ability, it was onlymon sense to use it to its fullest.


    Using my [Subspace] ability, wasn¡¯t it just more efficient to trap each Chief, even the Boss, and fight at my leisure. If things looked really bad, I could easily use <Recall> to catch my breath and then utilize <Summon> to bring them back out when I was good and ready.


    I could keep Demons for convenient EXP banks and brutally wound them, nearly kill them, so I could get an easy Level Up once I entered a tough spot.


    All injuries would be healed and I would gain additional Stat points¡ªjust for dealing thest blow on some half-dead Demons I stored up!


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s convenient and can causeziness, but¡­ that¡¯s just the kind of stuff I like the most, you know? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a hardcore fighter and all.¡±


    I¡¯m the end, I just wanted to survive. Whatever the easy route was¡­ I would take it!


    ¡°You¡­ abnormal!¡±


    ¡°Pfft, it feels weird being called that by someone like you. But, what can I say? I suppose I am.¡±<sub>.</sub>


    I felt an invisible barrier blocking my path, most likely a Skill from the King, but I just took care of it easily.


    Next, multiple fireballs appeared, their heat so intense I felt burned up even being so far away from them.


    I took those in as well.


    Massive earth golems came out and tried attacking me all at once.


    ¡°Wow cool!¡± I beamed as I took those as well.


    The Hobgoblin King grew frantic. There was no Skill effect that couldn¡¯t be taken in by me, unless he actually¡ª


    Before I could finish my thought, the Hobgoblin King suddenly made a quick movement.


    Halting in its steps, as soon as it realized there was really no way to retreat, the Boss brandished its fist and lunged at me. The pressure alone was enough to make all the hair on my skin stand and I felt like my flesh would peel off.


    The Boss¡¯ nosy was coated in intense energy, and I was certain it thought I couldn¡¯t capture it if it was covered in such fine, destructive, coating.


    Ever since I arrived at this ce, I was faster than the Hobgoblinand after defeating those Hobgoblin Champions from earlier, I had gotten even faster. I could see its flustered punch nearing me.


    I currently had two options.<sub></sub>


    One would be to explode its whole body by setting it aze in my Mana. Summoning my Mana-filled air wouldn¡¯t be an issue at all. Plus, I could easily protect myself by using many of those invisible barrier thingies I collected.


    The second option was what I decided to roll with, though.


    Simply absorb the Demon energy around the monster¡¯s body into [Subspace]. I had to test it anyway.


    >WHUUUUUSH<


    And what do you know? It actually worked.


    The Hobgoblin King lost all the energy that ferociously shrouded its body in an instant, but it was toote for the Demon to halt its attack.


    I stretched my hand to reach out to the iing blow.


    The very moment our skin touched¡­ it was checkmate!


    ¡°G¡ª¡±


    The Boss couldn¡¯t even let out a word before I collected its body into [Subspace].


    ¡°Just like that¡­ it¡¯s mine, uh?¡± I smiled amusedly.<sub></sub>


    This had been a very fine and productive evening, even as I watched the sun set. It was most likely 6:00 PM in the evening. I still had time.


    ¡®The Demonic energy I absorbed from the Boss will be usefulter on. The mere thought of mixing it into my Mana-filled airter on¡­ oh, I can¡¯t wait!¡¯


    Plus, I had all those pieces of equipment in my possession, along with unimaginably powerful monsters. They were all mine!


    [SYSTEM ALERT!!!]


    [CONNECTION LOST!?!]


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    [!!!]


    My eyes widened as I saw several windows popping up on my face. They all warbled red, giving off danger signs, and their pings sounded like sirens.


    ¡®Ah, I wasn¡¯t supposed to take the Boss away from the designated spot, uh?¡¯ My mind rang.


    The Gate a few meters from me began flickering, showing a mix of red, blue and purple¡­ mostly red though.


    Something was definitely wrong. The bnce had been upset, no doubt.


    The Boss needed to be close to the Gate for it to be fully operational. The System recognized this, so it was probably glitching as a result of an unprecedented situation.


    To make sure everything returned to normal, I had to return the Boss as soon as possible and kill it in the right way.


    [SYSTEM ALERT!!!]


    [CONNECTION LOST!?!]


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    [!!!]


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I get it, okay?¡±


    Waving off the warning signals, I called upon my [Subspace] window and checked the items in stock.


    Before returning the Boss to its rightful state and fighting in earnest, I needed to equip myself properly first. My body wasn¡¯t really in a terrible state, no, it was perfect actually.


    Since I Leveled Up, most of the bacsh from earlier had worn off¡ªall of them.


    Still, there was something I needed to do.


    ¡°This might take a moment, so hang in there, okay, System?¡±


    I was in no mood to take risks. Using my Skills, Gift, Stats¡­ and lots of Gear, I would emerge the victor as easily as I could.


    It was time to get OVERGEARED!

 Chapter 217 Overgeared (Pt 1)

    Overgeared¡ªa term widely known in games where items determine one¡¯s survival.


    While many people focus on raising their Levels and Stats, others depend on finding good gear to support themselves.


    There are a few, though, who obtain so much gear and use them in such ways that only the word above can be used to describe them!


    Overpowered by Gear¡­ Overgeared!


    ****************************


    I checked my [Subspace] for the spoils of the war I hadn¡¯t even fought yet.


    The slots were chock-full of so much equipment that I nearly lost my breath. I counted the number of gear I got from the monsters and counted over twenty.


    Twenty-nine Grade 2 treasures to be exact!


    I doubted any normal person would have a single Grade 2 Treasure, except for a few beasts of whom I was already aware. Still, none existed in this area.


    Usually, a party of top Gifteds would be the ones to challenge and conquer this Horde, after many sacrifices. Those who emerged victorious would split the spoils among themselves.


    However, since I was the only one this time around¡­ being able to keep so much good gear for myself was amazing!


    The [System Alert] and multiple errors rang in my ear, but I ignored them. The Gate a couple of distance from me also buzzed, like electricity going haywire, but I paid it no heed too.


    My assessment was more important.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I¡¯ll have to check out their information¡­¡± I muttered.


    Using <Summon>, I brought out the gear to check out their properties, and I noticed a problem¡­


    ¡°Just as I thought¡­ this will be a challenge.¡±


    ¡­ Their size!


    Yes, each and every one of the gears I took out was monstrouslyrge. The massive heap of twenty-nine incredibly big equipmenty before me¡­ all unfit for use.


    They were built for Hobgoblin Chiefs and the King, after all. None of their outfits could fit my small stature, and their weapons were certainly too big to be wielded properly.


    ¡®This is quite a challenge¡­¡¯


    Usually, after defeating a Demon of Grade 2 and above, which dropped items, the System would reconfigure their drops to ensure the size matched any Gifted who would use them.


    But, such reconfiguration was impossible since I hadn¡¯t defeated the Demons yet.


    ¡®So much for being overgeared, uh?¡¯ I mumbled in disappointment.


    However, as soon as I thought this, another thought sparked in my head which caused me not to lose hope. If I was right, then it could work perfectly!


    Still, I had to figure out the goodies I obtained, didn¡¯t I?<sub></sub>


    [System Information]


    Item 1: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Battle Ax


    Item 2: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Enchanted Bead


    Item 3: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Ne


    Item 4: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Cloak


    Item 5: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Right Gauntlet


    Item 6: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Left Gauntlet


    Item 7: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Right Boot


    Item 8: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Left Boot


    Item 9: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s War helmet


    Item 10: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Armor


    Item 11: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Great Sword<sub></sub>


    Item 12: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Dagger 1


    Item 13: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Dagger 2


    Item 14: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Dagger 3


    Item 15: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Dagger 4


    Item 16: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Dagger 5


    Item 17: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Sash


    Item 18: Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Outfit


    Item 19: Hobgoblin King¡¯s Ne


    Item 20: Hobgoblin King¡¯s Amulet


    Item 21: Hobgoblin King¡¯s Crown


    Item 22: Hobgoblin King¡¯s Scepter


    Item 23: Hobgoblin King¡¯s Bracelet 1


    Item 24: Hobgoblin King¡¯s Cape


    Item 25: Hobgoblin King¡¯s Sash


    Item 26: Hobgoblin King¡¯s Ring


    Item 27: Hobgoblin King¡¯s Bracelet 2


    Item 28: Hobgoblin King¡¯s de


    Item 29: Hobgoblin King¡¯s Wand


    [See More Information]


    Looking at the list, I was giddy with excitement. But, instead of focusing on all of them, my eyes went to the few I could actually use at the moment.


    The n would be to use only weapons that could directly attack and leave out the ones that could be worn.


    Since I would still be able tounch offensive gear at the enemy, they were useful in this instance. Gears that required direct equipping were the ones I had to leave out of the fight.


    After making my list, I came up with a couple of useful gear in theing battle¡ªThe Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Daggers, Battle Ax, Great Sword¡ªGauntlets could deal blunt attacks too, so I added them. As for the Hobgoblin King¡¯s equipment, the Scepter and de were the only things I could use to directly deal damage.


    ¡°Wait, I can use the wand too¡­ I¡¯ll just summon it and use it to fire whatever I can¡­ depending on its effects. I¡¯m certain it¡¯s to conjure some kind of magic and boost magic use¡­¡±


    Making my decision, I selected on my arsenal, but still checked the effects of everything to be certain of their use.


    I was amazed by their properties. Apparently, the Crown boosted intelligence, making the Hobgoblin King capable of controlling so many Hobs at once.


    The offensive stats of each of the Chief¡¯s weapons were simr to the one I defeated previously, and their items gave identical effects to the Attire I received earlier. Ranging from increased attack power to defensive properties, to agility boosting, to magic increment, everything was spot-on good!


    But, the real bnce breakers were the gear of the Hobgoblin King. Looking at them made me grateful for not facing them all with their equipment on.


    Not only did the pieces of equipment increase its HP, but they also gave it all sorts of resistances and boosts. The defensive properties of all the gearbines made my current Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Attire look like a joke.


    ¡°Amazing!¡± I had to yell out, beaming with excitement.


    I couldn¡¯t wait before I truly made all of these items mine.


    Other than the equipment I brought out, I still possessed three of the Hobgoblin King¡¯s Javelins and the throne it sat on. I wasn¡¯t sure thetter had any special effects, but since it was good enough to support the king¡¯s weight, it had to be sturdy enough for a foothold.


    ¡®Maybe I could use it as I did with my Deep Freezer back then¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed as I remembered the good old times.


    Since I was uncertain about the effects of the other items, it was best I brought them out too. I didn¡¯t want to miss anything out of carelessness.


    ¡°<Summon>¡±

 Chapter 218 Overgeared (Pt 2)

    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    The three spears appeared, though the one that was still haywire gotunched to the earth and shattered it. I remembered I had collected it when it was still in motion.


    ¡°Whew¡­¡± I heaved a sigh, remembering the frightening speed I had to endure.


    The Throne also appeared majestically beside my pile of treasures. Looking at it now, it wasn¡¯t exactly as good as the others I had seen, as expected of the primitive Hobgoblin race. Hopefully, it had some nice features.


    My eyes focused on the new items I summoned to check their information.


    [System Information]


    Name: Hobgoblin King¡¯s Throne


    Rank: E


    Level: 9(Fixed)


    Durability: 90,700


    Core Power: 30,200


    Core Energy: 78%


    <Item Description>


    A sturdy throne made of a special material that can not be found in the normal world. Its durability is high and the energy coating protects it from regr damage.<sub>.</sub>


    [Special Effects]


    ~ 49% Damage Nullification


    ~ 30% Boost in Magic abilities


    ~ Multiplies All Stats Of User (¡Á2)


    ~ Automatic Shield Generation [Durability Depends On MP expended]


    ~ Shares Mana with User and vice versa.


    [End Of Information]


    [System Information]


    Name: Hobgoblin King¡¯s Javelins (¡Á3)


    Rank: E


    Level: 5 (Fixed)


    Strength: 30,000


    Durability: 19,000<sub></sub>


    Core Power: 9,000


    Core Energy: 87%


    <Item Description>


    Spears, made with a Skill of the Hobgoblin King. They vanish an hour after use, but possess immense destructive abilities.


    [End Of Information]


    The Javelins were plenty impressive, but I was more astonished by the Hobgoblin King¡¯s Throne.


    It was so unreal that I felt like crying. If I chose to sit on the wooden thing, I would gain ess to so much power. Sure, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get up and fight normally, but who cared about that in the first ce?


    For one, I preferred not to exert myself too much. If I could deal more damage just by seating down, who was I to refuse?


    ¡°No wonder that guy didn¡¯t stand no matter what! Haha, so it had such a broken item like this!¡±


    [SYSTEM ALERT!!!]


    [CONNECTION LOST!?!]


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~<sub></sub>


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    [!!!]


    The window popped all over my line of vision, like ads that refused to disappear whenever I visited some of those morally questionable sites.


    Ah, the frustration I felt.


    But, it was understandable this time since I was the one who messed with the System. I could have chosen to use the time to learn additional Skills by using the Demon Cores obtained from the Hobgoblin Champions from earlier¡­ but I only had 3 Skill Slots left.


    There was a high probability that I would get more after this fight, but I couldn¡¯t be certain. It was only wise to save the three slots until I really needed to get a new Skill.


    Currently, there was no real need to get one. With my current Stats and my equipment¡­ this would be a cinch.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll save the Boss for thest. Let¡¯s have the Chiefse at me first¡­ one after the other.¡±


    With these words, I returned all my gear to [Subspace], except the Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Attire I wore, the Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Staff I gripped, and the Hobgoblin King¡¯s Throne which I jumped on to get a seat.


    With all preparations made, I chose my first opponent while trying to make myselffortable.


    It was a funny sight, really. A Gifted, seating on a gigantic Throne¡­ to fight a Demon. It almost made it seem like my role had been reversed.


    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    A confused Hobgoblin Chief appeared, facing another direction.


    ¡°Guruiik?!¡±


    With its naked back turned to me, the beast was extremely vulnerable to my attack. And so, making use of my already-superior Agility and Intelligence, coupled with the ¡Á2 multiplier on all Stats, as well as the other item effects I had, one could say I was not even going to try.


    In a sh, I summoned a fleet of weapons and aimed at the Hobgoblin Chief. From Battle Ax, to Great Sword, to Daggers, to de, all weapons were coated in their respective ominous energy that I activated.


    ¡°Fall¡­¡±


    >WHOOOOOOOSHHHH!!!<


    The weapons pierced the target, sending blood spurting out of it instantly. Having so many Grade 2 items puncture its Skin directly¡­ there was really no hope for it surviving.


    The monster died.


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    ¡°Three uh? Thest one gave me five¡­ must be because I need more EXP to Level Up now since I¡¯ve gained even more Levels after killing some Hobgoblin Champions¡­.¡±


    I had to admit that these Chiefs were even stronger than thest one. It was just unfortunate that they were stripped of everything.


    Plus, since I was attacking them by surprise, none of them could do anything before it was toote.


    The Hobgoblin Chief turned to dust and its Demon Core, gleaming so temptingly, entered my [Subspace].


    With one out of four Chiefs gone, I had to quickly move on to the others.


    ¡°Next!¡±


    **************************


    In no time at all, I killed all the Chiefs.


    It was so easy I almost cried. All that I did was use the same tactics¡ªrinse and repeat.


    ¡°Hahahaha! This is fun!¡±


    My voice echoed across the empty ce where only I sat. I wasn¡¯t worried about being heard, though, since I had already taken all the Gifteds back into [Subspace]. Plus, <Automatic Summon> was on, so any threat that drew near me would be dealt with¡­ that is, if the defensive measure of the Throne didn¡¯t neutralize it.


    ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s enough fun for now¡­ it¡¯s time for the main event!¡±


    Yes, the reason so many people died and the one who was responsible for my countless Level Ups. It was time to properly thank the creature that once sat on the very throne I now used.


    I made sure everything was in order, my Stats were boosted to their maximum thanks to my items, no disadvantages whatsoever on my end¡ªthis was my territory now!


    All that was left was to introduce the one I would be facing.


    ¡°Let the final round begin!¡±

 Chapter 219 Absolute Dominance

    ¡°Let the final round begin!¡±


    With those statementsing out of my lips, I summoned the Boss. Unlike the other Chiefs I faced before now, I let it face me. I didn¡¯t take advantage of the confusion it experienced too, just waiting patiently until the Demon came to its senses.


    ¡°Oi, greeny¡­ doesn¡¯t this look strange to you?¡± I called out to the monster who looked upon my majestic pose with a mix of shock and fury.


    ¡°From where we both stand, wouldn¡¯t you say our roles have beenpletely reversed?¡±


    It was almost funny, but I held it in.


    ¡°You¡­¡± The Hobgoblin King growled, using its human speech.


    It was in denial, but anyone with eyes would be able to guess clearly once they saw what was happening.


    Our positions had been flipped.


    I was now the Boss Monster¡­ and the fallen King became the challenger!


    ¡°Well, I can see why you like this thing though, it¡¯s pretty useful. Makes my butt hurt a little, though.¡±<sub>.</sub>


    I pped the table¡¯s surface and gave a demeaning grin. Even a fool would know I was basically taunting the monster and bathing in its rage. I literally owned it.


    ¡®If it acts up, I can just throw it back into [Subspace].¡¯ My thoughts trailed.


    Usually, I would remain careful and calcting, but somehow I just wanted to let loose now.


    I wanted to feel like a strong being for once, immersed in the state of absolute dominance. Right now, with my throne and my overwhelming advantage¡­ It was the right moment to briefly enjoy myself.


    ¡°I will kill you!¡± The King growled.


    Quickly moving to take action, most likely with a Skill, the Boss began moving its body. With my Stats, it was too slow, so I simply made my move first.


    >SWOOOOOSSSHHHH!!!<


    Instantly, multiple ded weapons charged toward the monster, piercing it on all sides.


    ¡°Guarrrkkkk!!!¡± A pained cry pierced my ears as blood spurted out of the defenseless creature.<sub></sub>


    ¡°If you use your Mana to protect yourself, I can simply absorb it. Your Iron Skin won¡¯t be able to shield you from the energy-coated weapons too. So, what will you do?¡± I smiled, waiting for its next move.


    One thing I had noticed about the Boss was its reliance on its army and also certain Skills that allowed it to casually attack and defend itself with ease. It wasn¡¯t built for excessivebat and direct confrontations.


    That meant that without its throne and army, this monster was just a heading with high HP and beefed-up stats.


    ¡®I guess that makes sense, considering it has to be defeated sooner orter¡­¡¯


    With the injured monster ring at me with its injuries, I decided to make it suffer a little more.


    ¡°You once threw these at me, right? Your turn! See if you can catch them.¡±


    Instantly, two of the Hobgoblin King¡¯s Javelins appeared above me and darted at the target with full speed.


    >WHOOOOSSSSHHHH<


    The air was practically pierced as the spears spun and made their way to the wounded green giant.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Grrrr¡­. you bastard!!!¡±


    The Hobgoblin King¡¯s eyes immediately set aze as a determined look enveloped its face. From what I saw, it wasn¡¯t going to give up.


    The spears drew nearer!


    ¡°Guaruuuukkkkk!!!¡±


    A brilliant crimson light shone, nearly rendering me in a state of shock. The bustling energy emanating from the monster was enormous!


    The timing of the monster was just right, allowing it to dodge the spear attacks barely before they hit. It made me wonder why it didn¡¯t just stand there and take the hit like a champ.


    Still, its sudden power boost was incredible!


    ¡®Damn! Just how much MP does it have?!¡¯


    I checked its Stats and found out the issue wasn¡¯t its MP. Thanks to the recovery abilities of its gear and the Throne¡¯s innate restorative boosts, the Hobgoblin King had been careless with its MP use.


    That was why it didn¡¯t have that much left. Yet, the amount of energy I was sensing was insane!


    ¡®Is this a Skill?! Damnit!¡¯


    I narrowed my eyes and keenly observed the monster¡¯s Stats, noticing something peculiar about it. Immediately I figured it out, a smile appeared on my face.


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ It¡¯s exchanging HP for MP. Smart move. So, you think burning your Life Force will help you, uh?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t so sure why I was being so talkative. Was it just because I was getting into character? Was it power drunkenness? I was only sure of one thing¡­ this felt really good!


    ¡°Now I see why those viins like talking all the time.¡±


    The zing energy around the Hobgoblin King kept but ing bright as it red at me from a distance.


    Of course, the moment it dodged my spears, I recalled them into [Subspace], so they never hit the ground.


    ¡°You need touch to trap me again. Will not happen!¡±


    ¡®Oh? Did it figure that much out? Yayyy!¡¯ I rolled my eyes sarcastically.


    The bumbling idiot didn¡¯t know that I could literally take it back in if I so chose. ying around like this was fun, though, so I let it think however it wished.


    >SWOOOOSHH<


    Summoning more des, I directed them toward the Hobgoblin Boss and it kept squirming about like a worm. Of course, it made attempts to lunge at me, but the weapons in my arsenal were too much so it couldn¡¯t reach mepletely.


    Of course, it realized that ranged attacks didn¡¯t mean anything to me, and if it was to deal damage to me, it had to be with its energy st.


    ¡°Have you forgotten, greeny?¡± I popped what I could only reason to be its thoughts by smiling wickedly.


    My eyes bulged and instantly, I began taking in all the zing energy on its body. The bright red color dimmed drastically as [Subspace] diligently sucked every ounce of hue from the Demon Boss¡¯ body.


    ¡°I can take in your energy too! There¡¯s literally nothing you can do!¡±


    I had absolute defense


    I had absolute offense


    ¡­ While it had nothing!

 Chapter 220 Subjugation Complete (Pt 1)

    ¡°Do you have anything else to offer? Show me!¡±


    The Demon energy I just harvested was going to be useful, but I wanted to see more tricks. I wanted it to show me more abilities and throw more stuff at me before it met a miserable end.


    It would be a waste if I didn¡¯t get as much as I could out of the monster. Unfortunately, time was running out.


    ¡®Its HP is depleting at a fast rate. At this pace¡­ It won¡¯t be long before¡­¡¯


    I now had no other choice.


    Rather than slowly feel one¡¯s life force getting drained, a quick and obviously painful death would be better, not so? In my benevolence, I looked at the dying monster and came to a conclusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to die, uh?¡±


    But, tomemorate with the Demon who had offered so much entertainment, it wouldn¡¯t do to just send it off like that. I had to make the end spectacr¡­ without wasting any resources.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ how about a game of tag? You¡¯re it!¡±


    I summoned basically every Grade 2 weapon that could damage the monster and pointed them straight at it. If all of them lunged at it with full speed, death was assured.<sub>.</sub>


    The Hobgoblin King must have realized that too since it donned a slightly frightened expression at the multiple weapons about to descend upon it.


    But, I wasn¡¯t so heartless as to just kill it off without having a little fun first.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make them attack at once. The rules are simple, really¡­¡±


    My dear green Hobgoblin monster looked at me with suspicion upon hearing what I said, certainly wondering what exactly I was up to. I did see a look of relief break upon its face though.


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple game¡­ I¡¯llunch the weapons at you one after the other. If they miss, I¡¯ll recall them and never summon them. If you manage to dodge all of them without a single one hitting you, then that means victory ok your end. If that happens, I¡¯ll spare you.¡±


    My lips curled up in a sincere smile, but somehow, I felt like the monster didn¡¯t believe me.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± A growling sound filled with inquisition echoed from my adversary.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t like it had much of a choice. Death was imminent, the least the creature would do was to pick the best option that would offer even the tiniest hope for survival.


    And, just as I expected¡­ the idiot epted my game offer.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Will do it. Will be free!¡±


    I shrugged and gave a ¡®whatever¡¯ look. It wasn¡¯t going to win, anyway. This was just entertainment. I wanted to watch it struggle until death, and since it was ultimately a beast of instinct, survival would push it to keep clinging to life.


    ¡°Let us begin!¡±


    A grin appeared on my face as I resorted to one of the Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Daggers as the first of my weapons¡­ just to test the waters.


    >WHOOOOSSHHHH<


    The Hobgoblin King seemed to muster all the strength it could and jumped out of the way of the speeding weapon just seconds before it could pierce any skin.


    >BOOOMM!!!<


    The earth rumbled as that single dagger made an impact with the ground instead.


    Wasting no time, I sent the second dagger, and the monster miraculously dodged it once more.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Oh? Not bad.¡± My voice contained amusement.


    More weapons took turns, but the Hobgoblin King kept dodging them. The will to live was something never to look down on, and this Demon showed me precisely why that was true.


    ¡°Oh? Nice!¡±


    ¡°Close one!¡±


    ¡°Barely missed!¡±


    ¡°Would you look at that!¡±


    I kept makingments with each splendid dodge the Hobgoblin King made. Determination filled the monster¡¯s eyes as I egged it on. I was certain I saw a glint of hatred and humiliation sh in its eyes, but the monster could do nothing but put up with it.


    Finally, after many ¡®whooshes¡¯ only one weapon was left. It was one of the fallen king¡¯s very own Javelins.


    ¡°If you evade this sessfully and the javelins hit the ground, it¡¯s your win.¡±


    Upon hearing me and the sincere tone by which I spoke, the challenger gave a grin. So far, it had managed through thick and thin. It was going to survive this too!


    Armed with the confidence obtained from its previous trials, the Hobgoblin King eyes the weapon that was already ready to strike.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    The Hobgoblin King¡¯s Javelin swept through the air and made its way toward its target, the HobgoblinKing himself!


    It whirred, sparking with crimson energy as it drilled its way through and transversed the distance between them like it was nothing.


    At the very same moment, the Hobgoblin King made its move to evade. Judging by their current pace, it was clear that the Hobgoblin King would sessfully evade the strike, leading to its victory.


    Was I aware of this from the start? Of course! That was what made this so much fun!


    As the javelin was about to miss the Hobgoblin King who had skillfully gotten out of the way, it vanished! Yes, the spear vanished.


    Before the Hobgoblin King could guess exactly how and why it disappeared, the very same spear appeared behind it, in its blind spot, while it was stuck in midair, and¡ª ¡®Whoooosh!¡¯


    The Javelin made its way into the green flesh of the shocked Hobgoblin King, piercing its back muscles, and sending blood gushing out like sttered jam out of bread.


    I saw everything in slow motion, making me capture every beautiful detail of that moment.


    In a sh, yet for way longer in my perspective, the game of tag was over¡­ and it ended in my victory!


    ¡°Looks like you lose¡­ shame¡­ You were just a little step away from victory, too¡­¡±


    The moment the wounded monster heard me say this, it growled and red at my smut smile, returning it with hate and contempt.


    ¡°You¡­ Bastard! What did you do!?!¡±


    Well, in all honesty, I obviously wasn¡¯t going to let it live.¡¯


    It was all just for fun¡­ but that was over now!

 Chapter 221 Subjugation Complete (Pt 2)

    ¡°What do you mean? I gave you a chance to live and this is what I get in return? Tsk tsk¡­¡±


    In a sh, my weapons appeared once again, ready to bombard the Hobgoblin King and grant unto it a quick and painful death.


    ¡°You¡­ you cheaterrrr!!!¡± It growled and reverted to its Hobgoblin shrieks.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever!¡±


    Instantly, my des ruptured the air and all lunged toward it at once.


    >SQUISH<


    >SPLOOOOSH<


    >SPLURGGGGE<


    Flesh ripped, blood spurted, and the Hobgoblin King died in agony as the des of its subordinates ended it.


    ¡®For a highly intelligent monster, it was pretty stupid. Why would it fall for that obvious scam of a game? Pfft.¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t entirely fault the monster, though. Everyone wanted to live, even me.


    And we would do anything to achieve it, or, at the very least, I would.


    [CONGRATULATIONS!]<sub>.</sub>


    ~You Have Defeated The Boss~


    <Karma Points Will Be Awarded For This Achievement>


    ~You Defeated The Boss Alone~


    <Karma Points Will Be Awarded For This Achievement>


    ~You Have Killed More Than One Grade 2 Bosses Alone~


    <Title: Conqueror Has Been Awarded For This Achievement>


    ~You Have Sessfully Completed This Subjugation~


    <Karma Points Will Be Awarded For This Achievement>


    [End Of Information]


    I smiled upon seeing the beautifully gold window appear. It was such a wonderful thing that I was getting extra rewards for my hard work.


    Now feeling a little numb on my butt, I decided it was time to step off of the Throne and check out my rewards.


    I instantly recalled all the items that were out of [Subspace] and softlynded on the ground. It was so bare, hardly a testament to the fight that had just urred merely moments ago.<sub></sub>


    The Boss had vanished too, nowhere to be seen. Its core was taken into [Subspace], and there was nothing left of it or the Chiefs. Usually, their Drops would appear too, but since I had already taken the liberty of plundering them, the System probably couldn¡¯t give me something out of nothing.


    [SYSTEM ERROR]


    [Connection Lost?!!!?!]


    My eyes bulged the moment I saw this alert and heard rm noises ringing in my head. My vision was painted red as many notifications popped up to cover everything I viewed.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?!¡±


    I didn¡¯t realize this until I said it, but my voice had a tone of fright mixed with the surprise that coursed through me.


    I had never seen the System glitch like this before. What was wrong? I had returned the Boss and even subjugated it! Was there a problem?


    ¡®Damn it! I wasn¡¯t supposed to take the gear off it¡­ the System is probably fritzing out because of this¡­¡¯


    A bead of sweat formed on my forehead as more red panels popped up. The System probably didn¡¯t care much if I stripped other Demons of their gears, but a Boss Monster was different!


    The beginning stages could only be ended with the death of all five Bosses, after all. And since the gates, hordes, and several other events were tied to these beings, the System was specific about them.


    To think I made the mistake of tampering with its designated status and killing it. The scariest part about all this was that I had no idea what would happen next!


    [SYSTEM ALERT]<sub></sub>


    ~Countless System Errors Have Been Detected~


    <System Correction Will Be Implemented>


    [.]


    With this single golden icon popping at the center of all the red ones, a wave of calm began surrounding me and the error alerts began vanishing one after the other.


    Relief swept through my body as the System resolved the crash itself.


    [SYSTEM ALERT]


    ~Due To Error Detected, Boss Item Drops, as well as Boss Entourage Item Drops, Have Been Lost~


    <Recovery Of These Items Will Be Impossible>


    I swallowed hard.


    They weren¡¯t lost. I took them.


    The System probably just assumed that it was a loss since there was no possible way any Gifted could disarm a Grade 2 Demon at the current moment.


    [SYSTEM ALERT]


    ~ Another Form Of Compensation Will Be Granted To You In Exchange For The Loss Incurred~


    ¡ª Random Skills (¡Á3)


    ¡ª Random Drop (Grade 2)


    ¡ª Karma Points


    <Only One May Be Chosen>


    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears, or rather, my eyes. The System was going topensate me for something I actually caused?


    ¡°No, Jeremy, look at it from another angle¡­¡± I chided myself and focused on the situation at hand.


    The System probably wasn¡¯t aware of my part to y in the disappearance of the gear of the Hobgoblin Boss and dismissed it as an error. However, it would be unfair if the challenger, after expending so much energy to defeat the Boss¡ª risking his very life in the process, ended up with nopensation in form of Monster Drops.


    Judging things based on this standard, the System must have reached apromise and decided to do this instead.


    ¡®I guess it makes sense if I think of it like that¡­¡¯


    My eyes ogled the three options that were disyed before me. They were all very tempting, weren¡¯t they?


    I could get three Skills for free, a Grade 2 Drop, and or just choose Karma Points. However, the moment I saw these three options, I already knew which one would be mine.


    Tapping on my choice, the System asked me to confirm, and I once again tapped on [Yes].


    [System Update]


    ~You Have Chosen Karma Points As Your Compensation~


    ~Total Karma Points Are Being Calcted~


    [¡­]


    <You Have Been Awarded 5,000 Karma Points As Compensation>


    [End Of Information]


    I grinned widely the moment I saw how much I had obtained.


    ¡®This much should be satisfactory¡­ I mean, considering the price for all the drops I would have obtained if not for the error, it adds up.¡¯


    ¡°Keke¡­ Keke¡­ Kekekeke!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help it anymore. My emotions were overflowing. After all, I had obtained so much for free! Things were just getting better and better.


    ¡°Pfft¡­ this is too hrious! It feels like I¡¯ve just cheated on something major!¡±


    Something like this urring with no consequence? It was too good to be true!

 Chapter 222 The Anomaly

    I chose Karma Points for one simple reason¡­ it was the best option avable.


    For sure, the proposed Skills were sure to be useful. After all, they would be equal to the amount of work I had put in¡­ at least by the calction of the System.


    Even the Grade 2 Drop that would be awarded was certainly going to be top tier, even among items of the same grade.


    However, these two options had one thing inmon. Uncertainty!


    I had no idea what I would be getting, so what was the point? What if I got something I already had? Besides, even if they were entirely new, I barely had any Skill Slot left¡ªexactly three!


    Not only did I have to learn Skills from the Hobgoblin King, but also from the other Hobgoblin Chiefs and Champions. There was a good chance I would be getting more Skills soon, but, I couldn¡¯t take the risk.


    The Grade 2 item option was very tempting, but Karma Points were more important! That much was certain.


    ¡®Many people don¡¯t realize it now, but soon after the beginning phase ends, they wille to know¡­ that Karma Points are everything in this new world!


    There was no way I could have too much of them. Five thousand Karma Points were no small amount, at least by normal standards. If I added it to the sum I had currently as well as the ones awarded to me because of my recent achievements, then¡­ the total would be over 10,000 points!


    That was more than enough, considering most Gifteds wouldn¡¯t even have triple digits Karma Points by the end of the beginning phase.


    While I was thinking about what a good choice I made in the Karma Points department, something else popped into my head.


    ¡°The System is certainly taking very long with this¡­ must be because of the error¡ª¡±<sub>.</sub>


    Before Ipleted my mumble, the clogged-up System alerts appeared and blessed me with the glorious pings I had been expecting.


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [.]


    [.]


    [.]


    It kept pouring out that I couldn¡¯t keep up, even with my heightened senses. My body experienced changes rapidly and I could feel myself transcending the limits I once knew.<sub></sub>


    By the time the pings stopped, a new System Window appeared.


    [SYSTEM UPDATE]


    ~Congragtions! You Have Exceeded Level 300~


    <Karma Points Have Been Awarded For This Achievement>


    ~You Are The First Ever To Achieve This Threshold~


    <Additional Karma Points Have Been Awarded>


    ~You Have Achieved The Impossible. Correction, Your Very Existence Is Impossible!~


    <Title: Singrity Has Been Awarded For This Achievement>


    ~Your Skill Slots Have Increased To 50 Slots~


    ~Your Primary And Secondary Jobs Have Leveled Up~


    <sub></sub>


    <Secondary Job Has Reached Level 3>


    <All Existing Skills Have Been Strengthened, Skills Cooldown Habe Been Shortened, And The Durations Have Been Extended>


    ~You Have Sessfully Defeated The Hobgoblin King~


    <Title: Dominator Has Been Awarded>


    [See More Information]


    As expected, I really did receive more Skill Slots. It was unfortunate that I didn¡¯t receive any new Job-Rted Skills, but wishing for even more goodies at this point would just be in greedy of me.


    I did receive more Titles, though¡ªthree Titles, to be exact. One from killing more than 1 Grade 2 Boss solo, and the other two were disyed just now.


    Of course, I would want to know more about them.


    [System Information]


    <Titles>


    [Conqueror]


    Aplished by exterminating more than one Demon Boss and closing more than one Gate solo. It is an advanced derivative of the Title [Champion]


    ~Title Effect: Deals 20 Percent Extra Damage on Demon Bosses. Inflicts the <Fear> Status Effect On Demon subordinates when facing the Boss.


    Title 2: [Dominator]


    Aplished by exterminating a horde of highly organized Demons and the Boss. Having usurped the authority and taken over their territory, this Title is only befitting.


    ~Title Effect: Strengthens all Mental-Based Abilities. Increases the user¡¯s hold on any target once a domination-type ability is used. Can usurp control from another if the user has a superior level.


    Title 3: [Singrity]


    Aplished by achieving the impossible and being a questionable existence, judged even by the System. Due to the multiple errors the user can cause to the System, The <System Correction> Skill can be used.


    ~Skill Effect:


    ¡ª<Fix>: Corrects the Glitches caused by the User¡¯s abnormal existence. (Passive)


    ¡ª<Reversal>: Returns any Item in the user¡¯s possession back to its original state, ideal state, or vice versa (Active)


    [End Of Information]


    The Titles were all good ones, but the one that got my attention the most was the <Singrity> title. My existence was basically an anomaly, I had already guessed that much, but even the System had to admit it.


    ¡®Hopefully, this doesn¡¯t affect anything¡­¡¯


    It would be unfortunate if I was penalized due to my strange status, but that seemed unlikely. Not only was I given a Skill that would ensure glitches were solved, but I could also return objects to their original state or turn them into their ideal state.


    If that was the case, then¡­


    ¡°Does this mean¡­ if I used this Title¡¯s Skill Effect on my current items, I can ¡®correct¡¯ their size and cause them to suit me?!¡±


    There was a huge probability that the answer was ¡®yes!¡¯


    ¡°Amazing! Simply amazing!¡±


    I now had a whole bunch of Skill Slots, new Skills still locked in Demon Cores, awaiting harvesting, and I had managed to rack up nine titles¡­ while still being in the beginning phase.


    ¡®I¡¯ve done pretty good for myself, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    Excitement poured over my face as I brought out the enormous gears within [Subspace] to see if the <System Correction> Skill would be effective.


    There was only one way to find out!


    I brought one of the Hobgoblin Chief¡¯s Boots closer to me and decided to use it as my guinea pig. In the scenario where <System Correction> deleted these items, I wouldn¡¯t really miss the boot¡­ unlike the other weapons and extremely valuable items.


    And so, concentrating on my target item and praying for the ideal form to manifest, I activated the Skill.


    ¡°<System Correction>¡±

 Chapter 223 The One Who Won

    [SYSTEM NOTICE]


    ~Skill: <System Correction> is now in Effect~


    ¡ªIdeal State


    ¡ªOriginal State (Current Condition)


    <Alteration Shall Be Applied Immediately After Your Choice>


    [End Of Information]


    I had already thought hard about the choice, and it was worth the risk!


    Confirming my selected option, a brought golden light shone on the boot I selected. in a sh, the massive boot before me vanished, and a buzzing reced it, almost like a system glitch of some sort.


    It stabilized quickly, though, and I saw no [System Error] sign, so that was a good thing. By the time a few seconds psed, the bright light had dimmed, and the massive item in my presence had turned into something else entirely.


    The Boot had shrunk!


    ¡°It works! Whew! That was a relief.¡±


    [SYSTEM UPDATE]


    ~Skill <System Correction> Has Been Sessfully Applied~


    <You May Choose To Revert This Item To Its Original State If You Wish>


    [End Of Information]<sub>.</sub>


    I could basically make my weapons big or small. It was the ultimate cheat, considering how size came in handy in some cases. I was d to have gotten the Title of ¡®Singrity¡¯ if it meant I could do something like this.


    But, I still had to be wary of some things.


    These were uncharted waters since a lot of the recent changes were foreign to me. As an anomaly, I was bound to create some ripple effects that would change the scenarios I once knew.


    Of course, the major events toe couldn¡¯t be changed, they were inevitable! However, other minor progressions would be affected. That meant I couldn¡¯t blindly trust my knowledge anymore.


    ¡®I should also try not to interfere too much in things if I can help it¡­ no¡­ I will probably have to!¡¯


    Usually, at this point, a protagonist would sit back and choose to carefully move from this point, but I was different.


    There was no way I could be quiet enough not to upset the bnce of everything and still hope to achieve my goals. They were conflicting already.


    To achieve greater rewards and amass satisfactory power for myself, I would have to mess with a lot of things. If the price I had to pay for my goals changed in the future I once knew, then that would leave me at an impasse.


    ¡®There¡¯s no need to think about that now, though¡­ one thing at a time.¡¯


    The next thing I needed to do was to ¡®correct¡¯ all my new items to their ¡®Ideal State¡¯. Afterward, I would need to check out my Skills and get as many new ones as I could. Upgrading those I already had would also be useful.


    ¡°Hmmmn¡­ I should kill the Hobgoblin Champions I have in my [Subspace] too. It¡¯ll be a bother just having so much extra EXP floating around.¡±


    Of course, not all of them would die. I still needed quite a number of them for¡­ reasons. But, too many of them would just be excesses.


    ¡®With my new Grade 2 Weapons, they shouldn¡¯t pose a problem. I can take care of them and sorry out my stuff at the same time!¡¯


    A smirk formed upon my face as I finalized a n on the idea that just popped up.


    Making efficient use of time had always been something I loved.<sub></sub>


    ***************************


    Barely thirty minutes had passed and I waspletely done with all I needed to do. Currently seated on my throne, already retrofitted to suit my size, I gazed satisfactorily at my new Status Information.


    ¡°Looks like I am now Level 319¡­ not bad, not bad.¡±


    Killing over a thousand of these freakishly powerful monsters, the Hobgoblin Champions, and I barely got 7 Level Ups. Considering how my Level was already at 312 after defeating the Boss, though, it was understandable.


    During the time I spent alone, I sessfully returned all my Grade 2 items into their ¡®Ideal State¡¯, and while I was sorting my Skills and the Demon Cores in my possession, <Automatic Summon> dealt with the trash for me.


    It was quite a convenient ability to have. It gave me enough leeway to concentrate and carefully select my choice. By the time I was done¡­ my Skills were now 40.


    [SKILLS]


    * Slot 1 ¨C <w Attack>


    * Slot 2 ¨C <Spike Attack>


    * Slot 3 ¨C <Venomous Spikes>


    * Slot 4 ¨C <Steal>


    * Slot 5 ¨C <Recall>


    * Slot 6 ¨C <Summon>/Automatic Summon


    * Slot 7 ¨C <Roar>


    * Slot 8 ¨C <Command><sub></sub>


    * Slot 9 ¨C <Spike Skin>


    * Slot 10 ¨C <Extremity>


    * Slot 11 ¨C <Mine Alone>


    * Slot 12 ¨C <Nimble>


    * Slot 13 ¨C <Great Camouge>


    * Slot 14 ¨C <Great Coordination>


    * Slot 15 ¨C <Unbreakable Skin>


    * Slot 16 ¨C <Deep re>


    * Slot 17 ¨C <Great Muscrity>


    * Slot 18 ¨C


    * Slot 19 ¨C <Magician>


    * Slot 20 ¨C <Dirty y>


    * Slot 21 ¨C <Sneak>


    * Slot 22 ¨C <Mana Maniption>


    * Slot 23 ¨C <Fireball>


    * Slot 25 ¨C <Spell Conjuring (Basic)>


    * Slot 26 ¨C <Illusion Arts>


    * Slot 27 ¨C <Invisible Barrier>


    * Slot 28 ¨C <System Correction>


    * Slot 29 ¨C <Domain>


    * Slot 30 ¨C <Earth Grudge>


    * Slot 31 ¨C <Great Fireball>


    * Slot 32 ¨C <Fortitude>


    * Slot 33 ¨C <Insight>


    * Slot 34 ¨C <Caster¡¯s Blessing>


    * Slot 35 ¨C <Unyielding Spirit>


    * Slot 36 ¨C <Mutte>


    * Slot 37 ¨C <Wind Cutter>


    * Slot 38- <Healing>


    * Slot 39 ¨C <War Cry>


    * Slot 40 ¨C <Summon Javelin>


    * Slot 41 ¨C <Life Force>


    * Slot 42- <Shatter>


    * Slot 43-


    * Slot 44 ¨C


    * Slot 45- <Trantion>


    * Slot 46 ¨C <Enchant>


    * Slot 47 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 48 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 49 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 50 ¨C <Empty>


    * Slot 51: <Empty>


    [End Of Information]


    Usually, I would have had 50 Slots, but thanks to <System Correction> upying a Slot on its own, an additional Slot was added.


    It was amazing how I had so many new Skills and a lot of my old Skills also experienced upgrades.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t think this Subjugation would be so profitable!¡±


    Of course, the Gate was already closed the moment the System resolved the glitch and I was once again able to save everyone from the scourge of the Hobgoblin Horde.


    What a hero I turned out to be! I mean, it wasn¡¯t my intention, but could anyone deny the fact that I had saved literally thousands of humans that would have ultimately challenged this Horde of monsterster in the future.


    It was a win-win situation.

 Chapter 224 Conclusion

    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 319 ¨C Exp: 7.45%


    ¨C Race: Human


    [JOB]


    (Primary Job) Thief


    (Secondly Job): <Trickster>


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡¯3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    ¨C Karma Points: 12,034


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 600<sub>.</sub>


    <Titles>


    [Hell Kobold yer]. [Hobgoblin yer]. [Conqueror]. [ughterer]. [Merciless]. [Solo Hunter]. [Dominator]. [Singrity]


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 16,050/16,050 (+10,000)


    ¨C MP: 3,976/3,976 (+2,252)


    ¨C Strength: 2,910 (520) + (5,000)


    ¨C Agility: 14,600 (412) + (5,000)


    ¨C Vitality: 14,400 (130) + (10,000)


    ¨C Intelligence: 43,400 (910) + (10,000)


    ¨C (G) Factor: 30


    ¨C Gift: [Subspace]


    ¨C Items Equipped: <Hobgoblin King¡¯s Throne><sub></sub>


    ¨C Allies: None


    [Additional Information]


    ¡ªA human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    ¡ªA Labelled Singrity


    [End Of Information]


    It appeared a lot had also changed in my Status Window. I keenly observed the differencespared to the previous ones that had been disyed.


    For one, my Titles were now visible for me to see. Multiple stats had several boosts due to the passive effects of my Skills, so I was more powerful than my Level required me to be.


    ¡°Hmm, as expected, closing a Gate increases (G) Karma Points as well!¡± I grinned, noticing that the number which was previously only in its 130s had taken a sharp rise to 600.


    Myst closed Gate didn¡¯t give me that many (G) Karma Points. I had to assume it must have been due to the difficulty of this one.


    Regardless, I wasn¡¯tining about it. Unfortunately, I needed a whole lot more if wanted to advance my Gift to Rank B. Ten thousand (G) Karma Points to be precise.


    Even though there were so many good changes, I couldn¡¯t overlook the rather troublesome-looking ones.


    For example, the fact that there was a piece of extra information there thatbeled me a singrity. I knew it was true and I had the Title to prove it, but it still didn¡¯t make it any better.<sub></sub>


    The one that caused me the most rm, though, was that my (G) Factor had reduced once again. This special portion of my System Information, just like (G) Karma Points, was unique to me alone. No other Gifted had it, so that naturally made me antsier.


    ¡®If I remember clearly I started off with a total of 90 as my (G) Factor. It kept reducing, and I still didn¡¯t know how it worked.


    I had dismissed it previously since I had no way to stop it, but now I was really having a bad feeling.


    ¡®What happens once it reaches zero?¡¯


    Once that thought came over me, I felt a shiver circte through my body, resonating from my soul. Once again, I began to feel like I was forgetting something¡­ something very important! I just couldn¡¯t tell what it was!


    ¡°Argh! How annoying!¡± I growled, not liking the fact that there was something about myself that was out of my control.


    ¡°I need to analyze this carefully¡­ the only times the numbers of (G) Factor reduced were¡­¡±


    My incredibly sharp mind went into overdrive as I began scanning through my past experiences. It didn¡¯t take me very long to figure out a connection between all the events I narrowed down.


    ¡°It has been in situations where I have been in immense danger. That time I nearly died when those Hell Kobolds rushed me. That time with the Hell Kobold King, I almost died too! The Horde was another danger I faced. I lost (G) Factor when facing a great number of Hobgoblins at some points and then now after the Subjugation wasplete, a chunk of 30 Points was deducted?


    Why?


    I once again pieced together the pieces until I realized it, at least to an extent.


    ¡°I was supposed to die in all of those instances!¡±


    Looking back, the Hell Kobold King would have killed me if I didn¡¯t Select a Job back then. Same with the Horde. I somehow always managed to survive no matter the odds, and anytime I did, the (G) Factor numbers reduced.


    This time it went down a whole lot. That could only mean one thing¡­ death was imminent in this venture, yet I had managed to pull through once again.


    ¡°So, the (G) Karma Points allow me to upgrade myself, while the (G) Factor saves me from any danger and conveniently helps me win.


    I gulped the moment I realized what would happen the moment the point hit zero!


    ¡®I should have known¡­ so this is what is known as Plot Armor, uh? Too bad mine is limited!¡¯


    If I was careless and threw myself into danger, hoping to survive as a result of my (G) Factor, my luck would run out eventually¡­ and I would die.


    There were so many strange things about the System and the world I still didn¡¯t understand, but one peaked above all others.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Why was I given such unique effects on my System? I was obviously different from the others! The only one who could pull such a thing off was God, the guy I met back in the Sacred Hall, the same guy who kicked me out for being noisy.


    He was responsible for all this! It was too absurd to me this all on me oversleeping on Christmas. There had to be some other reason, a deeper connection¡­ I just couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    ¡°Huu, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in that white guy¡¯s mind. Tch, I wonder if he¡¯s watching me right now¡­¡±


    Of course, he had to be.


    Just as I looked down and observed the struggles of other Gifteds while dwelling in the Sacred Hall, he must have also been doing the same to me and everyone else. He now had all the time and room to himself.


    ¡®Hmmn, being watched like this feels¡­ a little unpleasant¡­¡¯


    Still, it was out of my control, so there was nothing to do about it. I was currently strong, most likely Moe powerful than any Gifted currently. However, with all these mysteries piling up, I wasn¡¯t very much at ease.


    A gnawing emotion ate at me from the inside out, as though trying to pass a message that I couldn¡¯t understand. I felt restless, painfully so.


    ¡°<Recall>¡± I muttered, getting off of the throne and standing on my two feet.


    I looked around me and saw an empty in, bustling with nothing.


    Gifteds were allies. Demons were enemies. God was the spectator.


    That was how I had thought of things up until this moment. However, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡­ what if that logic was all wed?


    What if¡­ things weren¡¯t so simple?


    The atmosphere was full of chilly air, though it didn¡¯t really affect me due to my Stats. It was dark, but I barely noticed since I could see clearly.


    It was night already!


    ¡°I should head back now¡­ this has been fun.¡±


    Usually, a group would say this, but since I was the only one¡­ I had to resort to my lonely voice in the vastpound.


    ¡°Subjugation Complete!¡±

 Chapter 225 The Ones Called Gods

    [SYSTEM NOTICE]


    ~Completion Rate: 100%


    <Integration> Has Been Finalized!


    <SYSTEM Has Sessfully Distributed All (G) Essences To All Candidates>


    ~Supreme Being (Sector A-67) Has Been Completely Integrated~


    [End Of Information]


    The panel shone brightly at the center of therge cluster of brightly colored beings. In the vast, seemingly infinite stretch of space, the Supreme Beings watched in silence as they sessfully ¡®Integrated¡¯ one of their own.


    ¡°It is done¡­?¡±


    One of them finally broke the silence, looking at the rest of hisrades tat stretched infinitely across the vast, colorful expanse. Even though his face was shrouded in white light, confusion was written all over it.


    His voice, though dignified, disyed an ounce of doubt.


    And he wasn¡¯t the only one.


    ¡°It is done?¡±


    ¡°It is done?¡±<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°It is done?¡±


    The Supreme Beings began questioning, one after the other, until their voices turned into echoes and then became one. All of them had certainly watched the <Integration> process, witnessing their fellow Supreme Being turn into white light particles and be one with the System.


    However, after that, they were expecting one more thing¡­ the (G) Essence distribution.


    The Supreme Beings were not fond of doing this, but they had no choice. Their confusion was too much to ponder in silence and ignorance. For omnipotent and omniscient beings such as them to have had no idea of what was happening, something was amiss.


    ¡°SYSTEM WINDOW!¡± They all spoke in unison.


    Rainbow-colored panels appeared before each of the floating majestic beings as they each checked their Status Information. Yes, they all had Status Windows that disyed their Stats, just like a game.


    With their nk eyes, the same color as the rest of their celestial bodies, they read through the countless information that existed there and spotted the ones they were after.


    (G) Karma Points


    (G) Factor


    (G) Layer


    These three items on their Status Windows were their main focus.


    The moment their narrowed their eyes and focused their vision on it, the Supreme Beings confirmed their suspicion.<sub></sub>


    ¡°NOTHING HAPPENED?!¡± Their chorus rang through the Grand Corridor, the central hub that connected all their words.


    This Grand Assembly,prised of all-powerful beings, was now in disarray as there seemed to be an error somewhere.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Why is nothing new here?¡±


    ¡°There is supposed to be an update.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Countless murmurs made by the Gods of various worlds filled the air, and no one could find an answer¡­ until one finally spoke.


    ¡°Could it be that¡­ A-67 already made a countermeasure?¡±


    The moment this statement was uttered, all the Supreme Beings stopped their murmurs, nearly like machines.


    They began considering the new proposal brought by one of their own.


    ¡°A-67 already anticipated this?¡±


    ¡°A-67 would escape his punishment and defy The Order?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°A-67 did break the Statute, it is possible that A-67 also defied the System!¡±


    ¡°How did A-67 do that?¡±


    ¡°Why did A-67¡­¡±


    ¡°<Integration> wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this.¡±


    More confusion echoed across the Corridor as everyone felt a mix of agitation and other emotions that were foreign to the invincible and exceedingly powerful beings of light.


    What could have caused such an uproar? What was it about <Integration> that was so important, and why had it not gone the way they wanted.


    It was because none of the Supreme Beings received their share of rhe (G) Essences that was distributed by the System.


    ording to the rules of <Integration>, only those fit for the (G) Essences could receive it, and we¡¯rebeled ¡®Candidates¡¯. Once a Supreme Being experienced this phenomenon, all his EXP, Abilities, Stats¡­ all that defined him would be broken down and split between all Candidates.


    That meant that the Supreme Beings were surely to gain more privileges with the Integration of one of their own.


    However, there were no privileges this time!


    The Supreme Beings checked their Status Windows once again and found out that not only was there no change in the (G) areas of their Status Windows, but all their Stats and Levels remained the same.


    They had all skipped the rest of the Stats and went for the (G) items in their list because those were the most important, but now that everything was in view, these white lights realized that nothing had truly changed


    This was getting absurd!


    ¡°It has to be the boy.¡±


    ¡°It has to be the human¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­ The Gifted¡­¡±


    ¡°Jeremy Lewis!¡±


    The Supreme Beings could have never imagined that a single, insignificant human would cause such amotion in their midst.


    Though no words were exchanged, these beings had already realized what was urring.


    It was obvious.


    The Supreme Being of Sector A-67 had clearly shown favor to a particr Gifted and gave him special treatment, a vition of the sacred Statute they all revered.


    As a result, he was punished and sentenced to <Integration>, a synonym for death!


    If there was something wrong with the <Integration> process, then it had to stem from the fact that a single variable existed.


    That variable was Jeremy Lewis.


    ¡°We have no authority over Sector A-67 since we received no (G) Essences.¡±


    ¡°We can not interfere directly. Doing so would be a vition of the Statute.¡±


    ¡°We can not see the human, Jeremy Lewis¡¯ flow of fate beyond a point, for some reason as well¡­¡±


    This was indeed the strangest thing that had ever urred since the dawn of creation.


    This anomaly, the singrity, Jeremy Lewis, had to be eliminated. The only question was how?


    The Gods had to abide by thews themselves, preventing them from direct interference. They could do certain things, but even those had limitations.


    Even in a ce outside of time, these beings felt impatient.


    However, just as earlier¡­ an idea sparked in the heads of all Supreme Beings as they all arrived at a conclusion in sync.


    ¡°An Executioner!¡±


    ¡°Let us send an Executioner!¡±


    ¡°An Executioner is the best choice!¡±


    They all looked at each other and were convinced of their choice.


    Out of all the prospective solutions in mind, this was by far the most efficient. To wipe out the blot known as Jeremy Lewis, they would employ one of their greatest assets¡­


    ¡­ And Execute the Singrity!

 Chapter 226 Gratitude

    Of course, the nigh-infinite celestial ones knew this proposal was the best.


    Executioners were the servants of Supreme Beings,pletely loyal and absolutely pure in nature. They were the keepers of bnce and existed to blot out all evil and errors that were designated by the System.


    It was due to this fact that they knew the Executioners were the perfect ones for the job. However, one problem arose from this sole option the Supreme Beings had.


    Executioners could only neutralize and exterminate evil¡­ and their target, Jeremy Lewis¡­ was not!


    But, these Gods did not despair, after all¡­ just all, they knew of the future, and the flow of fate was in their favor.


    It was only a matter of time!


    **************************


    ¡°Okay, then¡­ I suppose it¡¯s time to leave.¡± I mumbled, looking around me.


    Thepound was practically empty.


    The areas that once had houses and structures akin to kitchens, dryers, and vestiges of civilization were all taken in by me. I deemed the living structures to be useful, so I took the opportunity to keep them for myself.<sub>.</sub>


    Certainly, no one would mind, right?


    After finishing my business, I looked at the sturdypound walls¡ªthe ones that still stood erect. Stretching so far and wide, the structure looked lovely, though primitive.


    ¡®The barricade is nice, and the wood is in good condition too. Plus, I should be able to enchant it just like they did, with my new Skill¡­¡¯


    Using this rationale, I stripped therge plot ofnd of all the wooden barricades that separated thepounds¡¯ from each other. By the time I was done, only the ttened ins could be seen for miles, as well as the forest around.


    I had taken everything else for myself!


    ¡®They should all prove useful, one way or the other¡­¡¯


    Also, since I had enough space within [Subspace], it was fine.


    With all said and done, I decided that it was time to bring out all the Gifteds locked up in my [Subspace].


    ¡°<Summon>¡±<sub></sub>


    In a sh, the thirty-six Gifted hostages with me, Lara being among, appeared. They were all in seared positions, the same way they would have been when I used <Recall> to take them back into [Subspace].


    They resumed their chatter for a while, and then stopped the moment they realized something was off with the scenery and the time of day.


    It was already night.


    ¡°W-wha-?!¡± The group made flustered noises.


    ¡°Calm down, everyone.¡±


    My voice pierced through the confusion, causing everyone to look in my direction. They could all clearly see in the dark due to their high Levels. Even Melissa was nearly close to obtaining a Job, and she was the most useless of everyone, inbat.


    ¡°Masked Hero!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening!?!¡±<sub></sub>


    I was already donning my usual Hero¡¯s attire. The dark cloak I had onplimented the pants, gloves, and boot nearly covering all signs of skin on me. My masked still maintained its dignity as well, giving me a mysterious vibe.


    The Gifteds before me all had confused expressions, much of which I was sure would be guaranteed. However, as I had already intended from the start, I was going to try out a new Skill I obtained to calm their nerves entirely.


    It was an advanced form of <Rule>, and I wanted to see its effects.


    <Command>!


    ¡°All of you, stand.¡±


    Instantly, the seated humans obeyed without any hesitation. I smiled underneath the object that blocked my face.


    <Rule> could only affect the emotions and inner processes of my targets, but <Command> allowed them to act how I wished. It was the ultimate control Skill! Plus, with my Dominator Title¡¯s effects, my Skull¡¯s proficiency was higher.


    I could make these people do my bidding.


    ¡®Is there a more advanced derivative of this? If so¡­ it must be crazy broken!¡¯ My mind raced with excitement.


    I couldn¡¯t get carried away, though. I still had a role to y.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so flustered. It took some time and effort, but I finally took care of the Horde and closed the gate¡­ see for yourself.¡±


    I stepped to the side and raised my hand, pointing at what would have been the Hobgoblin¡¯s territory. What could only be seen now was a bare, barrennd.


    I watched their expressions and grinned with satisfaction as they made amazed andpletely bbergasted faces.


    Their eyes bulged to take in the wastnd that used to be crawling with green monsters beyond their control. Some even burst into tears as they finally realized that the fight was over.


    They survived the ordeal that had killed others, and finally¡­ finally¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s time to return to your homes. You¡¯ve done well.¡±


    With this statement of utter bullshiting from my mouth, the pole broke down and thanked me profusely.


    Many still had shock written all over them and most likely wondered how I was able to cause not only the Hobgoblins, but also everything else in the area, to vanish.


    ¡°T-thank you so much!¡±


    They offered thanks in tears of gratitude, kneeling before me and mentioning praises over and over. It was thanks to me that they survived the stampede. I saved them from inevitable death. I guided them through the Horde and made them all phenomenally stronger.


    I championed the cause and took care of all the big guns. Though they couldn¡¯t get the Demon Cores from any of the monsters I killed, they apparently all considered the loot a small price to pay for their lives and safety.


    Being faced with so much gratitude and worship, I had to say something to cheer everyone up, didn¡¯t I?


    ¡°I only did the right thing. Helping others¡­ is onlymon sense.¡±


    Yep. That still made me cringe.


    **********************


    ording to my story, I used a very dangerous Skill to wipe out everything in the area, including the gates and wooden barricades.


    That was why I had to transport them all to my alternate space dimension¡ªso they wouldn¡¯t get caught up in the st.


    The result was what they saw before them. Nothing at all remained.


    ¡°Here. I took the liberty of picking up the Demon Cores of the ones your slew.¡±


    Handing over tworge sacks filled with the glowing red stones of Demons, I offered them to the group.


    It was their spoil of war, wasn¡¯t it?

 Chapter 227 A Nice Development

    ¡°O-oh, wow. I¡¯m not sure if we could receive that. I mean, we wouldn¡¯t even have gotten that without your help and¡ª¡±


    Daniel, the leader of the Subjugation Squad was fidgeting as I offered to give them their share of the Demon Cores. As expected, the guy wasn¡¯t the type to receive gifts when he felt he didn¡¯t deserve them.


    ¡°A-ahem!¡±


    A female voice interrupted Daniel¡¯s nice-guy move. As expected, it was none other than Melissa.


    ¡°We can¡¯t refuse the Masked Hero if he¡¯s offering them to us, can we, Daniel?¡± She voiced out.


    Her tone was suppressive, and even though she tried to sound nice, her selfishness couldn¡¯t be hidden from me.


    ¡°But, we don¡¯t even deserve¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Daniel. I agree with Melissa.¡± Tasha interrupted, drawing closer to me in Daniel¡¯s stead.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°We thank you for your generosity. Even though we don¡¯t deserve such spoils, our Camp is in dire need of resources and manpower to rece the many we have lost. We appreciate this very much.¡±


    Tasha¡¯s tone was of reference. She knew of my identity, and she also knew I was offering the Demon Cores for a reason.


    There was no need to refuse.


    ¡°I understand. That is why I¡¯m offering them to you. Use them well and defend yourselves properly with the Skills within.¡±


    I handed the sacks to Tasha and Daniel respectively, intentionally omitting the fact that one could use the cores as explosives by infusing mana into them.


    This method hadn¡¯t been discovered yet, and I nned to keep it that way for a while.


    ¡°So, what will you do now, Masked Hero? I-if you don¡¯t mind, we would like you to return with us and have our Camp Leader personally thank you.¡± Daniel blurted out with an excited smile.<sub></sub>


    I ced my hand on my masked chin and rubbed it slightly, appearing to be considering his offer.


    ¡®Of course, I¡¯ll be going back to the Camp. Charles owes me some stuff. Plus, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m just about to let my harvest run off on its own. It¡¯s a good thing this idiot mentioned it like this. It makes it appear very natural.¡¯


    ¡°Very well. I suppose I shall apany you with my disciple¡­¡±


    Looking at Lara, who had already made her way to my side, separating herself from the rest of the group¡ªI continued speaking with a calm tone that wasn¡¯t devoid of authority.


    ¡°I would like to see your Camp Leader and have some words with him. It would also give me some¡­ closure¡­ to see the ce my dear Jeremy should have once called home, albeit briefly.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Daniel¡¯s face, as well as that of the others, fell greatly.


    The guilt they had long forgotten seemed to have returned, and I relished the sight.<sub></sub>


    ¡°I-I truly am sorry about what happened to Jeremy. Please me it all on me. I know you may be upset by the fact that we chose to bring him to such a ce despite how powerless he was!¡±


    Daniel¡¯s voice was frantic now, as though trying to bear all the pain and hate on his lonesome. Typical for a crusader.


    ¡°The truth is¡­ he offered toe with us for this operation, and he would have been a lot safer if I was morepetent as a leader! It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    Daniel¡¯s growth as a person was admirable, if not borderline enviable. It was so amazing how a person could change so drastically. Looking back on my life, I could also see a very obvious shift in my personality and mentality, but¡­ not to Daniel¡¯s extent.


    ¡®This changes nothing, though¡­ but, maybe¡­¡¯


    I shrugged off the thought and moved closer to the apologizing teenager. Even with his taller, bigger build, he looked so puny that I could trample on him easily.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It wasn¡¯t your fault. If we allow me to consume our hearts, we will never move beyond our regrets.¡±


    I winced after uttering another cheesy line, but I couldn¡¯t stop now.


    ¡°The ones who are to me are the Demons¡­ and the only way to prevent any more tragedies is to exterminate those monsters! Do you not agree?¡±


    Tears formed in Daniel¡¯s eyes and I nearly groaned as they flowed down his cheeks. It was so dramatic how he broke down emotionally and cried his heart out. I could sense gratitude, relief, and a very deep pool of reverence from him.


    ¡°Y-yes! Yes¡­ you¡¯re right! You¡¯re very right!¡±


    At this point, Daniel¡¯s charisma leaked to everyone present and before I knew it, they were all either sniffing from held-back tears or throbbing as a result of the overwhelming emotions being experienced.


    ¡®I may have the <Command> Skill, but this guy¡­ Daniel¡­ he can really move the hearts of people.¡¯


    In any case, our heart-to-heart was over, so it was time to set up camp for the night.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be bringing out some shelter from my ¡®Space-time¡¯ Skill, so you should all be prepared to have some rest.¡±


    I would have preferred chugging them all into [Subspace], but that would only suspend their current states. I was certain. They were all worn out and tired from all that fight.


    ¡®It¡¯s best they have lots of rest¡­ so we can leave for the Camp tomorrow, with no problems attached.¡¯


    ***********************


    The Camp members fell asleep in no time, the moment they snuggled into the tents I offered to them.


    After I brought out the tents I had stored beforehand, they helped themselves to their respective locations.


    Of course, these tents originally belonged to them, so I just exined that I saw the abandoned tents in the woods and took them in case people required shelter in the midst of nowhere.


    Fortunately, the idiots bought my story.


    As I watched them all sleep, my eyes caught Lara smiling at me from where she sat beside me.


    For some reason, she looked way more attractive under the dim moonlight, and her stare made me a bit ufortable.


    ¡®Why is she looking like that?¡¯

 Chapter 228 Return To The Camp (Pt 1)

    ¡°Gonna ditch the mask yet?¡± Ana¡¯s soft voice broke the silence between us.


    Everyone was already sleeping, so no one would care about my disguise. Plus, I was currently seated atop a sturdy tree branch with her beside me.


    There was no risk of being seen.


    Using <Recall>, I made the mask vanish from my face, turning to see Lara smiling gleefully at me.


    ¡°See? That¡¯s much better, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    A broad grin formed on my face as I took in the peaceful silent night with only this woman keeping mepany. I had a lot of emotions swirling within me¡ªemotions I couldn¡¯t fully decipher. However, one thing was certain when Lara¡¯s lovely face absorbed all my attention.


    ¡°It sure is¡­¡±


    ************************<sub>.</sub>


    After spending some time in silence and light conversation with the woman, Lara, I was already beginning to feel even more strange palpitations within my heart.


    It was a pleasant feeling, but I also sensed it to be very dangerous. I was confused and focused at the same time. It was as though nothing else mattered other than the special moment we were having.


    ¡°Why did you give them the Demon Cores, though?¡± She suddenly asked.


    Her tone was not jovial, and the expression on her face depicted no kindness. With stone-cold eyes, she looked beneath her and saw the tents of everyoneid about on the grassy ins.


    ¡°You offered them food and shelter and helped them to Level Up a great deal, and you gave them Demon Cores that they clearly didn¡¯t deserve¡­ why go through all that?¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem to have any problem with my act of kindness, and I also couldn¡¯t sense animosity toward the Subjugation Squad. It appeared Lara was just curious about my rationale when deciding to do something so detrimental to myself.


    ¡°The Demon Cores are already mine. I just lent it to them.¡±<sub></sub>


    My short statement carried lots of implications. Since the ¡®spoils¡¯ I gave them were already marked as my property, I could recall them at any time.


    ¡°As for why I¡¯m going through so much to preserve them, it¡¯s because I truly want them to get stronger. Charles made me promise to return them safely, including Tasha. I intend to make good on my promise.¡±


    My words may have seemed sentimental, but they were far from it. I simply had more to gain if I yed along with things for now.


    ¡®The farm they¡¯re working on, and the borehole project¡­ it¡¯ll be useful. It¡¯s best to let them do all the work and I reap the rewards.¡¯


    I noticed Lara was staring at me with eyes of suspicion. She obviously didn¡¯t buy the fact that I was doing anything without considering my gain. As a mutual understanding, we both had very vague ideas of what went on in each other¡¯s heads.


    ¡°It¡¯s just been three days since the Subjugation began and things have already progressed this far. We¡¯ll be arriving a little earlier than nned, but so much as happened¡­¡± I whispered, speaking to no one in particr.


    Lara nodded slightly, turning to look deeply into my eyes.<sub></sub>


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you that we¡¯ve managed to make it out of this alive¡­ thanks.¡±With a slight pinch to my elbow, she grinned sincerely.


    ¡®Guh!¡¯


    A sharp sensation rang in my heart and I felt my face grow hot. The throbbing in the region she had just hit with her fist seemed to course through my whole body and my throat suddenly felt dry.


    What was going on? I had never felt like this before!


    ¡°Y-yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Iughed, quickly turning my vision away from her before I lost my mind.


    The brilliant stars in the sky sparkled like jewels and it made me nostalgic. If not for the fact that I knew of the Demons that existed and the ones toe, nothing around us could make anyone suspect that this was an apocalyptic world.


    Enjoying thepany of a woman I was fond of, while watching those I had saved enjoy a good night¡¯s rest as the calm night breeze enveloped me¡­ one would say that this was the perfect picture.


    And, despite myself, I truly enjoyed it.


    ********************


    I stayed up all night to watch the group sleep and also to practice my newly obtained Skills. Even though I would have ced Lara within [Subspace], she also needed rest, so I let her stay in her tent all alone¡­ though, for some reason, she kept inviting me to stay with her.


    Of course, I declined¡­ even though a part of me was keen on continuing our conversation within the thin walls of the tent.


    After she went to sleep, I tried out my new Skills and got a general bearing of them. After that, I rxed and watched the sky while lying on my back. I didn¡¯t especially feel tired thanks to my high Level.


    ¡®I can probablyst for several days without needing sleep. Only fatigue will build up¡­¡¯


    To maintain a healthy and optimal state, though, I wasn¡¯t going to risk it. I needed to be at one hundred percent at all times.


    And so, the night passed, and morning soon arrived.


    ********************


    ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡±


    The Subjugation Team members had all gathered in front of me. Their faces didn¡¯t show a hint of tiredness thanks to the high Level they had reached. Melissa seemed a bit groggy, but not by much.


    As usual, Lara was beside me as I addressed everyone who sat on the ins and awaited my instructions. Even if no one said it, it was already very established that I was the one in charge.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be returning to your Camp very soon. Even though we¡¯ve defeated the Horde, it does not mean you should all let your guard down. Demons are lurking at every corner of this world, and we all need to be cautious.¡±


    They nodded and paid rapt attention, at the very least, they appeared to be listening with every ounce of concentration they had.


    If I, the one who brought them victory, could be so cautious, it must have sent a humbling message to everyone else.


    ¡°After breakfast, we¡¯ll take our leave. Do not fear, though. Even if it costs me my life I will ensure none of you meet any harm!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t lying. I meant that with every ounce of my being. After going through all that trouble to reside these Gifteds, I wasn¡¯t going to let anything happen to them¡­ not until the appointed time.

 Chapter 229 Return To The Camp (Pt 2)

    >ck<


    >ck<


    >ck<


    Our footsteps made noises as we left the grassy ins and we¡¯re now walking on the road.


    It had been a few hours since we had begun our journey, and in a few more, we would reach our destination. No one appeared tired or even desirous of a break.


    I noticed Melissa fidgeting a little¡ªshe probably wasn¡¯t used to exerting herself so much, but thanks to everyone¡¯s casual and unrelenting march, she couldn¡¯t voice her opinion.


    The tarred road that would have once been an express area, was broken down and unkempt. A Demon assault most likely urred here before I got transported. Considering how badly damaged the cars around were, and the scorch marks that seared through the floor and nearby areas, I had to assume the Demons won the fight.


    ¡®Of course¡­ humans would naturally stand no chance against monsters of such proportions.¡¯


    Nukes would have given us a shot at ending them, but it was certain that the Demons would have targeted those spots first. Since we were yet to see any ce get sted to bits by human technology, that had to be the answer.


    Thinking about things rationally, though, I would very much have loved to have some nukes for myself. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t even know where they were located.


    ¡®Pfft. Bummer¡­ oh well¡­¡¯<sub>.</sub>


    As I made these thoughts, my skin suddenly tingled as all the hair on my body rose instantly. I had detected something¡­ something very dangerous.


    ¡®T-this is¡ª!!!¡¯


    >GRRRRUUUUUUUWWWWW!!!<


    A heavy growl suddenly sounded, dominating the entire area where we transversed.


    The Gifteds around me paused, stopping dead in their tracks and they felt the intense pressure of whatever made that noise.


    From my auxiliary vision, I witnessed tremblings of fear, the bodies of Gifteds that had already experienced victory now quaked like helpless babies.


    There was no monster in sight, looking around the deserted and badly damaged roadside, none could be seen. However, if one merely looked at those ces, they would be deceived. After all, the monster that caused such great fear¡­ was above us!


    ¡°Keuk!¡± I groaned as I raise my head to see the flying creature, hundreds of feet abovend.


    ¡®Tch! No wonder I couldn¡¯t sense it in time!¡¯


    Therge Demon¡¯s growl sent everyone into a state of paralysis and fear, rendering none of them fit forbat. Was it bloodlust? Maybe! Fortunately, I was immune to its effects thanks to my [Dominator] Title and the high Level that came with Resistance.<sub></sub>


    Thanks to the sun that hung in the sky, I had to squint my eyes to see the intimidating demon clearly. Its wings were spread majestically as its enormous body maintained a tranquil state.


    ¡°Y-you are!¡± A gasp instantly escaped my mouth.


    I recognized this monster! There was no way I could forget it!


    Its brown-like fur, like sharpened wool that could tear a person apart, its dragon-like wings that seemed even bigger than its body, its piercing re and condescending smile¡­ this Demon was the source of my trauma as well as the origin of my drive to survive.


    Even as my body shook a little, I pulled myself together and formed a smile, ring at it with passion.


    ¡°Oi¡­ we meet again¡­ Grizzly!¡±


    As words were formed from my mouth, the Demon that majestically remained afloat gave me a puzzled look. It most likely did not remember me!


    I couldn¡¯t me it. After all, during our first encounter, this very Demon saw me as something even more insignificant than a bug. I was not worth its time as it simply killed another Demon and made off with its prey. I was nothing!


    However, now¡­ it appeared I had gotten enough of its attention to qualify as prey!


    ¡°You made a mistake that day. You should have killed me!¡±<sub></sub>


    My smile deepened and whatever vestige of fear and trauma that remained in my heart concerning the menacing Demon vanished. Right now, I was about to face the root of my deep fear of Demons, the one that showed me despair and forced me down the path of survival.


    But, unlike before¡­ I was not going to shrink back and cower in fear. No, I was going to win!


    The Demon pped its wings and began drawing near to us. Since everyone else was petrified in fear, it had nothing else to worry about but me.


    With its re focused in my direction, likewise mine, I squinted my eyes, to estimate the Demon¡¯s strength.


    [System Alert]


    <Danger!> <Danger!>


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Grizzly Dragon


    ¨C Level: 100


    ¨C Race: Demon (Dragonoid) ¨C Grade: 2


    ¨C Age: 967 Days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 90,000


    ¨C MP: 45,000


    ¨C Strenght: 60,000


    ¨C Agility: 45,000


    ¨C Vitality: 21,000


    ¨C Intelligence: 9,500


    [End Of Information]


    A Grade 2 Demon¡­ and it had the Stats of a Boss!


    Relief spread across my body as I reveled in the fact that the monster that inflicted trauma upon me was not weak, at least not by the current world¡¯s standards. So far¡­ it was the strongest adversary I had everid eyes on.


    ¡®Of course! So you¡¯re a Field Boss, not bound by a Gate!¡¯


    Bosses like this existed in this world, though in the beginning phase, only one of them was present out of the 5 Bosses. I was currently facing my third Boss, and it had even higher Stats than any other!


    ¡°Two Danger signs, eh? That means this will be a close fight¡­¡±


    The system wasn¡¯t wrong.


    With Stats alone, it would be tough to defeat this monster who had even higher abilitiespared to the Hobgoblin King. Fortunately, in this world, Stats weren¡¯t everything.


    Having defeated the Boss of the Hobgoblins, I realized the best way I could fight. Not by struggling against stronger enemies, but by subduing them!


    Yes, I, Jeremy Lewis¡­ could only fight the best way I knew how to. As a hoarder!


    The Grizzly Dragon, who had been hovering in the air for some time in order to observe my movements, finally gave in to its primal instincts and lunged toward me. My heart instantly raced in excitement as I weed it with open arms.


    ¡°Come!¡±

 Chapter 230 Return To The Camp (Pt 3)

    ¡°Come!¡±


    The Demon lunged at me with frightening speed, certain to adversely affect the group of Gifteds that were clustered around me.


    They were too scared to move, too useless to help. I could only rely on myself for this battle.


    ¡®<Recall>¡¯


    Instantly transporting the small fry away from the battlefield, I resorted to my next trick.


    >WHOOOOSSSSHHHH<


    Moving fast enough that my eyes could barely follow, the flying creature was already close to me, opening itsrge jaw to consume me.


    Memories of how this very Demon had killed another Demon while I watched yed within my mind. Back then, I was frightened to see how it so easily killed another impossible foe.


    Now, it bore its fangs at me, hoping to dig into my flesh and rip me to shreds.


    Unfortunately¡­ I wasn¡¯t too keen on that!


    >BAM!<<sub>.</sub>


    An invisible wall blocked the Dragonoid Demon from reaching me, courtesy of my <Invisible Barrier> Skill.


    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing I upgraded it¡­ plus, with my [Conqueror] Title, I¡¯m automatically boosted when fighting a Boss.¡¯


    The effects of these two made sure the monster couldn¡¯t reach me. It struggled, bulging its eyes in shock. I was certain this creature had never seen a human capable of resisting it before.


    However, before it could limate and adapt to my existence, I was going to finish it off.


    >FWUUUMMMM<


    I leaped from the ground, diving into the air as I saw myself gain more distance from theground. Within a moment, I found myself losing momentum, soon about topletely sumb to the effects of gravity.


    Using portions of the <Invisible Barrier> I had absorbed into [Subspace] earlier, I generated a tform that gave me the right foothold in the air. This allowed me to properly stand while maintaining my altitude.


    ¡®If anyone sees me like this, they¡¯ll think I¡¯m levitating¡­¡¯ I mused.


    The Demon, who was now beneath me, growled in annoyance as it lifted its head in anger. Its short and robust neck wasn¡¯t built for staring too high into the sky, so it certainly felt difort.


    This had to be the first time anyone had gotten the better of it to such an extent, even maintaining a higher level in the airpared to it.<sub></sub>


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it? Thene at me!¡±


    >FWOOOOSHHH!!!<


    pping its enormous wings, the Demon began its rise to the top, but I wasn¡¯t about to let it have its way.


    ¡°<Summon>¡­¡±


    My Grade 2 Weapons appeared just like clockwork, positioning themselves in strategic locations¡ªall aimed at the Grizzly Dragon.


    ¡°¡­ <System Correction>!¡±


    Instantly, my options were automatically selected, since I had already preset them beforehand, and¡­ in a sh all the daggers, des, ax, etc. grew in size.


    Now having their original shape and abilities, these weapons pointed at the flying monster who now seemed extremely puzzled by the strange new development.


    But, it wasn¡¯t as though I was going to let it have much time to react.


    ¡°Fall!¡±<sub></sub>


    >FWOOOOSHHH!!!<


    My giant weapons all attacked the designated locations¡­ my opponent¡¯s wings!


    In a sh, they donned their red aura and cut through the thick, scaly appendages of the approaching monster, permanently severing them from its body.


    ¡°KRIIIIKKKKKKK!!!¡±


    Blood oozed out of the monster, having purplish-blue color, as it screamed in intense pain.


    ¡°First time feeling that? Well, you better get used to it¡­ we¡¯re just getting started, after all!¡±


    Now without its wings, the grizzly fell to the ground, crashing upon the earthen surface with a heavy thud.


    >BOOOMM!!<


    The impact caused the earth to rumble, pushing away several cars in the area as everything within a couple of meters took damage.


    I wasn¡¯t going to give the incapacitated Demon a chance to regain itsposure, though. Now that it had lost its wings, it was the perfected chance to strike it down.


    Calling several fireballs, Demon Cores, and my enormous Grade 2 Weapons to my aid, Iunched them all at the wounded creature, showing no mercy or hesitation.


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!<


    The destruction spread across the area, engulfing everything in mes and smoke. The shockwaves nearly knocked me off bnce as I struggled to keep myself from falling. Well, even if I did, there was just the simple solution of getting another tform to stand on.


    My eyes were still on the cloud of smoke, staring closely to confirm if the monster was truly dead or not. I was not going to take any chances. Fortunately, the charred and wounded corpse of the monster dissipated and at that exact moment, System pings appeared, telling me I had Leveled Up.


    ¡°Hehe, nice!¡±


    I absorbed the cloud of smoke and saw the chaos and destruction I had caused. It was still so surreal to me, how I managed to kill a Grade 2 Demon so easily.


    In the first instance, the Demonpletely looked down on me. Compared to the Hobgoblin King, it had no pawns. A Field Boss was a lone wolf. This gave it more Statspared to regr Bosses, but also provided a weakness.


    Pride!


    ¡°Fool. You underestimated me and refused to use Skills until your death.¡±


    By the time its death arrived, it was already toote for the Dragonoid to do anything. I had to be grateful to it, though. Thanks to this extremely generous monster, I had now killed three out of the five Bosses that existed in the beginning phase.


    pping my hands together, I bowed my head to the lingering pieces of ash that were already fading away, giving my thanks to the deceased being.


    ¡°Thanks for the EXP!¡±


    **************************


    Returning to the ground wasn¡¯t difficult. I was strong enough to descend without taking any damage, but to y it safe, I generated tforms for myself as I descended, kind of like stairs. In a few moments, I was already touching ground.


    Thanks to killing a third Boss, I received a new Title called [Dragonoid yer] which granted me additional buff against the Dragonoid race. I also Leveled Up five times, allowing me to reach Level 324.


    The Grizzly Dragon¡¯s Demon Core in my possession was bound to be useful, but I had no intention to make use of it at the moment. The Camp awaited.


    To be honest, while it was fulfilling to finally put an end to the source of my trauma, I couldn¡¯tpletely enjoy the moment. More monstersy ahead and I couldn¡¯t let my guard down for a moment.


    Plus, even though I couldn¡¯t exactly describe it¡­ I was having a bad feeling.


    ¡®This¡­ feels a little unpleasant¡­¡¯

 Chapter 231 Bad Vibes

    ¡°It¡¯s all right now¡­ I defeated the Demon.¡±


    My calm voice soothed the shaken crowd as they all couldn¡¯t pull themselves together even after realizing that the monster was gone.


    Using a bit of <Command>, though, I was able to calm them all down.


    ¡®It seems the Grizzly Dragon had some kind of mind-rted Skill¡­¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t bother dwelling on that since I would find out sooner orter when I was looking for Skillster on. At the moment, all that was needed was the constant push toward our goal.


    ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ll get there before evening,¡± Daniel told me, probably reading my silence for something else.


    ¡°Oh? I see¡­¡±


    ording to their knowledge, I was foreign to the Camp, so he was doing the responsible thing by telling me how much further we had to go. In the first ce, the group was leading me since it was assumed that I was a stranger.<sub>.</sub>


    I didn¡¯t mind, though.


    Lara and I walked behind them, allowing me topletely have everyone in my line of sight.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t banish the bad feeling I was having. It gnawed at me the closer we got to the Camp.


    I checked severally, utilizing my heightened senses to the fullest, yet I sensed no one approach. If the dark premonition swirling within me wasn¡¯t due to danger, it made me feel even more uneasy.


    ¡®Why do I feel this way? Could it be¡­ that something happened to the Camp while I was away?!¡¯


    ***********************


    ¡°Ah, finally! It¡¯s in sight!¡±<sub></sub>


    Daniel beamed excitedly, cing his hands on his forehead to prevent the harsh reflection of sunlight while scouring straight head for the Camp.


    Apparently, he had found it!


    Everyone made excited noises and began moving faster, even though I could deduce that their bodies wanted to rest.


    I remained silent, brooding on what I had realized a couple of hours back. I noticed Lara¡¯s gaze shift to me several times, and it was obvious she was concerned about my silence, but I ignored her.


    What went on in my mind was not something she couldprehend.


    As we moved closer, and Daniel squinted his eyes even more, he began to furrow his brow a bit. I could see the worried look he donned on his face since he kept ncing back.


    Tasha moved closer to him and they appeared to be discussing something with each other.<sub></sub>


    With my heightened hearing, I didn¡¯t even need to put in any effort to hear them well.


    A slight smile formed on my face, something none of them would notice thanks to my mask, as I overheard them.


    ¡®Just as I thought, uh? This is¡­¡¯


    Unlike the others who were just noticing it as they got closer to the base, I realized what was going on a while back.


    The Camp¡¯s gate had beenpromised, and a portion of the building was damaged by what seemed like an explosive. If I had to guess, I would deduce it to be a Gifted¡¯s ability.


    The reason my line of reasoning went to Gifteds and not Demons was simply that two Gifteds guarded the entrance to the Camp. My vision picked them up clearly and after carefully observing their faces, none of them were familiar to me.


    ¡®New Gifteds¡­ and they¡¯re guarding the Camp¡¯s already-damaged structure? Suspicious!¡¯


    I had two theories concerning the likely events that had transpired.


    One would be that Demons had attacked the Camp and Charles allied with the surrounding Camps to subdue them. Afterward, they formed an alliance and some of the Gifteds from the other Camps helped guard ours.


    I found that to be less likely since Charles and I had discussed at length concerning other Camps and what he told me already made me realize that he would rather eat shit than coborate with them.


    Plus, there was no way Demons would be able to attack in huge numbers, at least huge enough to subdue the Camp. Calcting the Horse¡¯s movement and the appearance of other Demons around, I found it impossible to believe that a new threat would just ¡®pop up!¡¯


    The second scenario, which was probably what actually happened, would be that Gifteds had taken over the Camp!


    ¡®Is it Larry¡¯s group? It¡¯s most likely them¡­¡¯


    Of everyone who had their eyes on Charles¡¯ Camp and had enough resources to target them, Larry¡¯s ¡®Evil¡¯ Aligned team was the most likely choice.


    ¡®Deducing the fact that strange guards are stationed to protect the Camp, and I see no familiar faces, it¡¯s possible, no, guaranteed, that Charles and the remnant camp members lost.¡¯


    Of course, this rationale of mine was based on pure logic. However, deep within me, I hoped that wasn¡¯t true. There were precious things within the Camp that I had invested so much in.


    The deal with Charles was one thing and my grand n was another. However, what popped up in my mind the first time I considered the fall of the Camp¡­ was Ana! Not just Ana, but everyone on her expedition team.


    ¡®I found it strange that none of them showed up even after the third day of Subjugation. But, to think they were held back because of this¡­¡¯


    My heart pulsated as a result of the conflict between logic and emotion and I struggled to pick one.


    Anabelle should have returned to the Camp two days ago. Judging from the scorch marks on the wall as well as the shape the whole structure was, I had to assume this all happened yesterday since the damage still looked fresh.


    That meant Ana and her team members would have been in the Camp when the enemy attacked. Since the opposing team won, that meant she would have lost.


    ¡®If the malefactors are the members of Larry¡¯s team, Ana is most likely¡­ d-d-d¡­¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself toplete the thought. It was something I didn¡¯t want to imagine.


    If only I could use <Recall> to return her to [Subspace], I would have been able to confirm or reject my suspicions. Unfortunately, I had never made her, or any other members of her team, my property.

 Chapter 232 Arrival

    Uncertainty rang in every nook and cranny of my body as I fought to decide on what reality I was going to choose.


    My eyes lifted and I saw Daniel and Tasha move toward me. They had grave and worried looks on their faces. Even before they reached me, I could already guess what they would say.


    ¡°Masked Hero¡­ er¡­ I don¡¯t know how to say this, but¡­¡±


    ¡®I know already, your Camp has been¡­ Ana has been¡­¡±


    ¡°The Camp had beenpromised! We¡¯re not sure if ourrades are being held hostage or how strong the enemies are. We¡¯re sorry to have dragged you into this mess, but¡­ we have to fight and take back out Camp!¡± Daniel said to me, clenching his fist in determination.


    My eyes stared coldly at him and I heaved a sigh.


    Suddenly, all the pent-up anxiety within me vanished and it felt like I was under no emotional burden at all. An unfeeling smile crept on my face as I gave him the most ideal answer ever.


    ¡°I understand. Lead the way.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take me very long to realize that the reason for my lull was an effect brought about by one of the Titles I had¡­ <Sole Hunter>!<sub>.</sub>


    As a result, my heartache grew numb and I instantly relied on my rationale.


    Using that, I decided to tweak my ns as we advanced in the direction of the Camp, ready to face those who currently upied it.


    ***********************


    Due to their High Levels as well as my presence with them, the group of Gifteds undauntedly marched forward.


    Their eyes expressed determination and a fierce me of violence sparked by the reality that everyone knew of. During their absence, an unknown group had taken over the home they worked so hard to protect.


    For the sake of their fallenrades who fought for the cause¡­ for the sake of theradeship, everyone shared¡­ and for the newfound pride that was sure to have bloomed in the hearts of everyone¡ªthe Gifteds were determined to take back their homes.


    While the most prudent option was to watch from afar off and devise a strategy concerning the enemies, I convinced everyone to press on.


    Due to my <Insight> Skill and my immense sensory abilities, I was convinced that nothing within the Camp building posed any threat to us.<sub></sub>


    Well, I detected two significantly powerful signatures within, one of which had to be Charles. There was no way they would kill the leader of a Camp so easily, not if he was someone with Charles¡¯ personality.


    ¡®He¡¯s alive, I¡¯m certain!¡¯


    I was pleased that I didn¡¯t have to resort to multiple words or <Command> in convincing everyone to march forward without hesitation.


    Concern gleaned in their eyes, some had lingering fears that could be deduced from the worried wrinkles on their faces.


    ¡®Some of them have children, rtives¡­ or lovers waiting for them in the Camp¡­¡¯ My eyes trailed to Tasha once I made thest thought.


    Her concern for Charles and her child was sure to be overwhelming her, but the woman impressed me by keeping her cool. She probably took sce in the fact that her husband was extremely witty and would secure the lives of her daughter and himself.


    Well, that would work in my favor.


    The moment we reached a certain distance from the Camp building, the guards stationed in front of the gates were immediately alerted of our presence.<sub></sub>


    I saw how theirckadaisical attitude morphed into shock, and then worry as they noticed thirty-seven people approach them with no hesitation.


    Instantly, one of them ran through the closed gate, slipping through it as though he a ghost.


    ¡®Oh? That Skill¡­ I remember it well.¡¯


    It was certainly troublesome, so much so that the intangibility could be said to be a Hax. Fortunately, I had the perfect counter for that.


    The man who remained had a look of fear on his face, but he stood his ground, most likely waiting for the miracle that would ur soon.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    I noticed the iron bars of the gate move. The whole structure seemed different from how I remembered it. The original had most likely already been damaged in the siege, and now they used this recement.


    Unlike the thick iron gate that was lifted, this resembled thick iron bars that seemed like burries, all woven with metal rods and tied with metal wires.


    It was a crude structure, but I assumed this was merely meant to be a temporary measure.


    Men began pouring out of the inner recesses of the Camp building as the gates were opened. The nervous man who had been left to guard the gate let out a sly grin, now confident that his friends were around.


    ¡®Hmm, exactly thirty of them, uh? Not that much¡­ there are more inside, though.¡¯ I reasoned, aptly calcting the enemy¡¯s forces.


    Judging by numbers, our group had the advantage. But,mon sense dictated that that wasn¡¯t the measure by which a person calcted strength these days.


    My eyes squinted more and I took a peek at their Status Information.


    ¡®Pfft, seriously?¡¯


    At that moment, the final vestiges of doubt vanished.


    Our group was already facing the Camp, merely a couple of meters apart from the entrance.


    Daniel took the lead, Tasha moving directly beside him. ring at the enemies, he pointed at them and made a dramatic statement.


    ¡°Who are you people, and why are you upying our camp?!¡±


    His voice echoed across the already-tense area. I rolled my eyes underneath my mask, groaning in disgust. At the moment, their identities didn¡¯t matter, nothing about them mattered except two things¡ª their evil Alignment and one final thing¡­ their Levels!


    It appeared Tasha read my mind so she said the words Daniel had been unable to dere.


    ¡°You all have ¡®Evil¡¯ Alignments, and you¡¯re upying our territory. Do not expect any mercy!¡±


    Tasha¡¯s words resonated with the crowd of Gifteds she led and everyone gave menacing growls. The intense re on their faces showed me how desperate they were to see their loved ones.


    No one remembered the exhaustion they felt anymore. The object of their focus was right in front of them¡­ and being the veterans they were, these breed of Gifteds I raised only had one thought in mind when it came to enemies.


    Death!

 Chapter 233 Fight Back!

    There were no such things as words needed in an exchange between two opposing factions, especially where the winner decided everything.


    Only the weak would choose to resort to a conversation in order to seek an advantage over those stronger. However, those who were truly powerful only had one thing in mind¡­ to take what they wanted!


    ¡°Check their Status Windows, everyone!¡± Tasha dered, urging her subordinates to march forward without fear.


    In numbers, our group had the advantage¡­ and in Levels, we also took the crown. There was no need to hesitate.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    The possibility of sparing the lives of the invaders didn¡¯t cross the minds of any Camp Member. They simply did what needed to be done!


    I watched as they exchanged Skills and Gifts with one another, silently spectating the show.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®Oh? The opposing team members aren¡¯t bad. They¡¯re effectively using their Skills in tandem with Gifts, and they¡¯re not hesitating in going for the vital spots of our Camp members¡­¡¯


    Unfortunately, while they were impressive, there were certain heights one could not achieve without the right level. As a result, their skills were crushed by the overwhelming power and multiple Skills on our side.


    ¡°Lara is in Level 95. Daniel is at Level 89. Tasha is at Level 85. The remaining are either in the early 70s orte 60s. A few are in thete 50s while Melissa is in thete 40s. There¡¯s no way they will lose to these dregs.¡± My words unconsciously came out.


    Fortunately, it was a whisper, so no one heard me clearly. They were too immersed in their fight to care, anyway.


    Out of all the opposing members, none of them actually stood out as powerful. The one with the highest Level among them was in the early 40s, Level 42.


    I was certain he held a very high position among the rest since others had an average of 27 Levels.<sub></sub>


    Unfortunately, their champion was weaker than the most useless in our team. The results were evident.


    ¡°Uarghhhh!!!¡±


    ¡°Garrrkkkk!!!¡±


    ¡°Keukkkk!!!¡±


    Screams filled the air as blood spurted from the enemies.


    I could see fear nted in their eyes upon realizing they were no match for us. It was foolish of them not to have checked for our Levels earlier, but I had to assume they were too confident in their abilities.<sub></sub>


    Now that they had realized the error of their ways and tried to escape, it was toote. Tasha personally ripped the heart out of one of the men while Daniel dismembered their limbs. For some reason, he had a pained expression on his face as he shed blood, and even then, he refused to finish off the enemies.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Lawful Good Alignment for you, even now he fails to kill these pieces of trash¡­¡± Disgust and amusement both mixed into my tone.


    It made me remember Anabelle. Since she was the same as Daniel, chances were that she used the same method. No wonder the Camp was defeated. A weak mentality like mercy would only lead to loss.


    While taking human life was a qualifier for having the ¡®Evil¡¯ Alignment, it was strictly applied to all persons. The motivation for killing mattered when calcting if the action was ¡®evil¡¯ or not.


    If a person killed out of self-defense or had no choice in the matter, then they would not be branded as ¡®evil¡¯ by the system. Another factor was that the people that were killed had to possess the ¡®Evil¡¯ Alignment. If a person killed someone with a ¡®Good¡¯ Alignment, they would instantly be branded as ¡®Evil¡¯, since no ¡®Good¡¯ Gifted would put another Gifted in a situation where thetter had to kill the former.


    That meant killing ¡®Good¡¯ Aligned Gifteds was forbidden, and ¡®Evil¡¯ Aligned Gifteds was permissible if it was necessary. Unfortunately, if I killed anyone directly I would be branded as ¡®Evil¡¯ since my motivations were not pure.


    It was different from these Camp Members, though. They were cutting down actual humans yet their Alignments did not change! This was because they intended to retake their Camp, and also in self-defense.


    Using this rationale, people like Ana and Daniel should have had no problem killing people, but doing so would perhaps sully their extremely ¡®Good¡¯ Alignment.


    Such weakness led to one¡¯s downfall in the end.


    ¡®Still, these guys should be enough to give someone like Anabelle much trouble. There has to be a stronger person around¡­.¡¯


    Even if the major firepower of the Camp were gone, Anabelle and her team were considered elite, and their teamwork was not something to scoff at. As long as they were in the Camp, victory was guaranteed, especially if the enemies were these worms.


    ¡®Hmm, I sense two fairly powerful presences. One should be Charles, and the other¡­ hmm, it has started moving¡­¡¯


    I intensified my gaze and realized that the moving presence was actually more powerful than Charles. That meant, whoever that was, he ran the show!


    As I mused, I noticed yet another presence, albeit faint. It was stationed a distance away from the Camp, lodging itself on a fairly tall tform that used to be a high-rise building.


    It had copsed now, but the height still exceeded that of the Camp. For someone to have been there, and was clearly focused on our location, it only meant one thing.


    ¡®A sniper, uh? These guys have a sniper¡­ that¡¯s quite good.¡¯


    Unfortunately, even with such a distance from us, it was meaningless. Our team would intercept whatever st he was intending on firing at us, and then as soon as they spotted his location, that was the end.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t let him distract them, though. Besides¡­ that sniper could he useful¡­¡¯


    A smile formed on my face as I vanished from the battlefield and made my way to the location of the faraway enemy.


    >WHOOOOSHH<


    In a sh, I stealthily closed my distance and crossed the wreck of a path to get to the building.

 Chapter 234 A Miracle (Pt 1)

    >BOOOMM!!!<


    In a single leap, I achieved lift-off and sent myself flying to the top of the building.


    My vision was fixated on the presence that was already flustered by the loud noise my flight generated.


    However, before he could move, I used <Command> to halt any action and secured mynding on his vantage point.


    ¡°Haaa¡­ looks like I was right, after all¡­¡±


    In front of me was the scared sniper, kneeling and trembling before an impossible sight that was none other than myself.


    Looking at this Gifted¡¯s eyes, I saw darkness, yet the fragility of humanity resting within.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the sniper¡­¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll be having some fun with you¡­¡¯


    *****************<sub>.</sub>


    Kevin Smith growled in annoyance as he descended the stairs.


    He mumbled curses, furrowing his brows with every single step he took. Walking behind him was someone he had been talking to just a few moments ago.


    The Camp Leader himself.


    While he was having his enjoyable conversation with Charles, themotion had swept through the Camp¡¯s entrance, causing an rm within the whole interior.


    One of his subordinates came to report this to him, and he told them to handle the problem themselves.


    The problem was the bad feeling he kept having even as he continued discussing with Charles.


    ¡°I wonder who the intruders are¡­¡± He had mentioned to Charles when they were still in his office, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.


    The Camp leader had told him that the members would be arriving at the end of the week. Judging from his words, they were at least three days earlier than scheduled.


    That could only mean two things¡­<sub></sub>


    One was that theypleted their mission earlier than usual, and the second was that Charles had lied to him.


    ¡°I¡­ wonder as well¡­¡± He muttered, looking uncertain himself.


    Kevin squinted his eyes, trying to get a read on the shrewd man. They had only met yesterday, but he was making an impression on the violent man¡¯s ruthless heart. At times like this, it was best to hit the nail on its head.


    ¡°Did you lie to me? You know what¡¯ll happen if I find out that it¡¯s true.¡±


    The moment Kevin Smith said this, Charles gulped hard. He certainly didn¡¯t lie to anyone, but he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that the intruders were members of his Camp.


    ¡®Did they seed already? Nox that can¡¯t be¡­ from what Jeremy told me, a Horde can¡¯t be dealt with this quickly!¡¯


    Since they were following the n he load out himself, there was no way the mission would end so soon!


    ¡®Did he sense something was off and decided to return? Was there really no Horde and it was all a feint?¡¯


    Several possibilities swirled about in Charles¡¯ mind as he struggled to reach the ideal conclusion on what was actually going on. One thing was certain, though.<sub></sub>


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you! Please believe me, I gain nothing by doing that!¡±


    Why would he choose to rely on deceit when it would only adversely affect his survival and that of his family once the truth was revealed. Charles couldn¡¯t risk it, especially with the knowledge that his opponent was someone above Level 100!


    ¡°Well, I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± Kevin grinned, giving Charles a dirty look.


    If he so wishes, he could squash the Camp Leader like a bug, but he chose to bide his time well. Even flies had their uses.


    ¡°Well, no matter¡­ since they¡¯re back early, it can only mean there was truly no Horde, or even if there was, it was too much for them to handle.¡± Kevin grinned evilly.


    From what Charles had told him, his scouts had indeed spotted a Horde located somewhere, so the second reasoning he had was more likely to have urred.


    ¡®They must be tired after facing so many Demons. Plus, judging by the distance alone, the group must be hanging onto thest bit of their stamina.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t even need to bother himself with the small fry.


    ¡°My men should be finishing them off now¡­ we just have to wait.¡±


    He had a sniper located at a safe distance z just in case any Demons reared their ugly head, and us was on standby with the remaining subordinates. There was no way his professional killers would lose to a bunch of exhausted wusses.


    Charles could read Kevin¡¯s thoughts like a book. He knew what the beast in front of him was thinking and wanted to raise the issue of Jeremy, an existence that none of Kevin¡¯s subordinates would be able to defeat, but decided to keep quiet instead.


    ¡®I don¡¯t need to say anything¡­ I don¡¯t owe him that much!¡¯


    Ultimately, Kevin was his enemy. If Jeremy was truly around, the leader of the invaders would have no choice but to personally attend to him.


    He could use that opportunity to flee with his child.


    As for Tasha, his wife, once Charles had ensured his daughter¡¯s safety, he would return for his wife and take enough resources for the both of them.


    ¡®It¡¯s a little too soon, but we have to execute it now!¡¯


    While Jeremy distracted Kevin, he would abandon everyone just to save his family. It was shitty. It was cowardly¡­ but it was the only way he saw himself and those he truly cared about living.


    Unless¡­ by some miracle, Jeremy had gotten strong enough to overpower Kevin. But, Charles was not a believer in miracles. He was a pessimist, and so he had to act on his impulse.


    ¡°W-what is this¡­? What does this mean?!¡± Kevin suddenly banged his hand on Charles¡¯ desk, shattering it instantly.


    This forcefully ejected the Camp leader from his scheming thoughts as he looked at the clearly enraged man before him.


    Kevin was seething in rage and disbelief.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± Charles asked in confusion.


    From his office, he couldn¡¯t see what was happening at the gate¡­ though he wished he could.


    ¡°My subordinates¡­ are all dying?!¡±


    At this point, Kevin rose to his feet instantly and rushed out of Charles¡¯ office in a sh.


    The man who remained in the room gave a sigh of relief, happy he was now left alone to execute his n. Unfortunately¡­ Kevin returned a split secondter.


    ¡°You¡¯reing with me, Camp Leader. I want to see the ones who are responsible for killing my men. Of they¡¯re your members¡­ then I suppose you¡¯re about to have a reunion!¡±

 Chapter 235 A Miracle (Pt 2)

    ¡®Shit!¡¯ Charles thought to himself as he walked down the stairs with Kevin, the murderous man who ughtered Ana and several other Gifteds.


    His n was to use themotion Jeremy generated to insure himself and his family¡¯s safe exit. Unfortunately, it was all ruined now that Kevin made him follow as they went to the entrance.


    On the bright side, he would get to see Tasha, and if they were lucky, they could both make their exit once Jeremy got the leader of the scavengers busy.


    ¡°They¡¯re all mostly dead, except for a few¡­ what¡¯s going on? How could they fall this quickly?¡± The buff, dark-skinned man grumbled in annoyance as he walked.


    His eyes showed a murderous feel, and the bloodlust he emitted was enough to make even Charles tremble in fear.


    The indomitable Camp Leader had been reduced to this!


    ¡®Endure it¡­ just hold it in¡­ your chance wille!¡¯


    The two adults made their way to the entrance and could already hear noises caused by the cheers of the victors and screams of the victims. The stench of blood yed around both their noses and, the moment they reached the gate, the duo witnessed the carnage that had urred.<sub>.</sub>


    Many humansy on the floor, having the red hue of life smeared all over their bodies as they drowned in the pool of their own fluids. The expressions on their faces showed twisted agony, disying what their final moments would have been before death.


    Witnessing this, Kevin¡¯s scowl went deeper.


    ¡°B-boss!!!¡± A few voices called out, making the leader look away from the pile of corpses that used to be his subordinates.


    Three survivors, who were already terribly injured, rushed at him. Relief was smeared all over their faces as they cling desperately to their only hope of living.


    Now that their boss had arrived, all the enemies who killed theirpanions and caused them deep-seated fear would be eliminated. It was only a matter of when and how.


    Unfortunately, as they ran, a bunch of earthen spikes sprang up and tore through their bodies while a sh of wind also sliced through their necks, cutting through skin. Blood sttered from the deep injuries the parties received, and the already-battered bodies of the desperate ones slumped.


    Their HP reached zero¡­ and they died!<sub></sub>


    With thest of the enemies defeated, killed by one of Charles¡¯ team members, there was so much confusion and tension, among other mixed feelings, that everywhere was strangely quiet.


    The group of Gifteds was a little surprised by the appearance of the ebony man and Charles, who stood beside him, maintaining a bit of gap between both of them.


    They wanted to shout ¡°Camp Leader¡±, but held their breaths. Something was amiss, and with their Levels high enough, they weren¡¯t keen on being careless.


    Lara, the one who finished off thest three Gifteds smiled as soon as the [You Have Leveled Up] Window appeared, congratting her on the reward of reaching the threshold of Level 100. It was unfortunate that she didn¡¯t have the time to unpack the new abilities the System would grant to her, so she looked forward to eliminating the one before them, the Evil Aligned ebony man who seemed like the malefactor.


    ¡®I don¡¯t sense Jeremy¡­ did he go somewhere?¡¯ Lara thought to herself.


    Well, it didn¡¯t matter. She could see the current Level of their foe¡­ he was definitely stronger than her, but¡­ with an army of this size on their side, he would ultimately lose!


    This rang true in the minds of everyone who were prepared to fight.<sub></sub>


    Kevin Smith was utterly confused. He had thought the Camp members were weaklings, and judging by normal standards, none of them should have had a Level reaching 50. They should have been worn-out and exhausted too, yet they managed toy waste to the majority of his men!


    The one who killed them was none other than the grinning bitch a couple of meters from him. Rage filled his heart and his muscles tensed up in anger.


    ¡°You bitch!!!¡±


    In a sh, he lunged at her, intent on crushing her with his raw strength alone.


    Unfortunately¡­


    >KRIIIIKKKKKKK<


    A pinkyered barrier appeared, shielding Lara, and sending an odd shock coursing through Kevin¡¯s veins. The dark-skinned man realized that his target was being protected, so he leaped back to his initial position to regain hisposure.


    ¡®What the hell¡­? That barrier was able to receive one of my blows¡­ and remained intact?!¡¯


    The stone-cold killer couldn¡¯t take it anymore and decided to have a look at the Status Introductions of his enemies.


    ¡®WHAT?!¡¯


    The intimidating being became the one who was intimidated!


    Every single Gifted here had surpassed Level 50! A majority of them had Levels in the 70s-80s, a few being 90s, and one even had a Level reaching 100! It was absurd beyondpare,pletely different from what Charles had told him and the information he had gotten about them previously.


    ¡®H-how is this possible?!¡¯


    Had Charles lied to him? Sharply turning his confused and annoyed face to confront the Camp Leader for his blunder, he discovered that Charles was equally stunned by the sudden development.


    ¡®T-this is¡­ their Levels¡­ how is this possible?!¡¯


    Charles found himself failing to understand how his members had gotten so strong so quickly.


    Of course, there could only be one answer¡ªdefeating the Horde


    ¡®What? Did they actually do it? In such little time?!¡¯ It was something he wasn¡¯t expecting, but at this point, he had to believe it.


    Jeremy actually pulled it off!


    Charles could feel his heart racing. The man couldn¡¯t help but imagine how powerful the young boy had be if his own Camp members had gained such strength. He could see that their numbers had dwindled greatly.


    About only half of them survived, but he understood that there had to be casualties in battle. His eyes caught the image of his wife. She was perfectly fine.


    ¡®Jeremy kept his promise!¡¯ He heaved in relief.

 Chapter 236 A Miracle (Pt 3)

    Now thinking of the young boy, though, Charles hadn¡¯t seen any signs of him. Curiosity and anticipation coursed through his body as he awaited the glorious entry of the one they owed everything to.


    It would seem that in his desperation, Charles had forgotten about the death of Ana, and how he would exin her demise to Jeremy.


    Searching through the group for signs of the boy of interest, the Camp leader was met with surprise, though.


    ¡®He¡¯s¡­ not here¡­?!¡¯


    He counted the number of Gifteds who belonged to his Camp¡ª36! His eyes spotted Lara, who was supposed to be a deserter, yet clearly allied with the team.


    Seeing that she possessed the highest Level among those on his side, Charles knew better than toin. If she was helping them, that was for the best.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t contain his surprise and confusion.


    ¡°Where is Jeremy?¡± His voice leaked out unconsciously.


    He hadn¡¯t meant to, but he couldn¡¯t hide it anymore. Charles needed to know!<sub>.</sub>


    As soon as he said this, though, everyone in the group of Gifteds, at least almost everyone, put on downcast expressions. Grief and regret appeared, and for a moment, they forgot about the battle that was supposed to be taking ce.


    ¡°Jeremy is¡­¡± Daniel spoke up, deciding to own up to his errors like a man.


    ¡°Jeremy is dead¡­¡±


    The bombshellnded, and for yet a few more moments, silence prevailed.


    Charles couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Perhaps it was due to his unstable mental state, but he didn¡¯t even consider the fact that Jeremy had fooled everyone and faked his death. Daniel¡¯s sincere words resonated deep within him, and he found himself epting them.


    ¡®N-no way¡­¡¯


    The fact that he did not see the Masked Hero around also proved that truly, Jeremy was no longer with them. Charles didn¡¯t know whether to rejoice or be sorrowful. With the Camp member¡¯s current strength, taking on Kevin didn¡¯t seem impossible.


    Plus, now that Jeremy was out of the picture, he could forget the deal he made with him. The Camp would return to normal and they even had new fighters with absurdly high Levels. Clearly, things had worked together for their good!<sub></sub>


    ¡°Hey, Charles! You knew about this, didn¡¯t you? You tricked me!¡± A loud, hateful voice pierced through Charles¡¯ thoughts.


    This caused the Camp Leader¡¯s body to spasm, sharply looking in the direction of the enraged man who spoke to him.


    Kevin growled and red at Charles. His bloodshot eyes were proof that he intended to kill Charles. Even though it wouldn¡¯t be by much, finishing him off would cause Kevin to Level Up.


    He could use every little boost needed while facing the group before him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll die now!¡±


    Lunging his hand in Charles¡¯ direction, Kevin intended to rip his head from his neck, squeezing his skull as blood would drop incessantly from it.


    ¡°Melissa!¡± Daniel yelled.


    Instantly, just like before, a pink barrier covered Charles, shielding him from the onught of the extremely dangerous man.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about us!¡± Tasha and Lara dashed straight for Kevin, closing the distance between them in a sh.


    Since Kevin had turned some of his attention to Charles, he was a little vulnerable, and the two women had no intention of missing such an opportunity.


    Tasha brandished her fist while Lara prepared a <Fireball> spell while holding a de given to her by Jeremy.


    With theirbined efforts, and Kevin¡¯s currently perturbed state, they stood a chance of winning.


    Unfortunately, the ughterer didn¡¯t n on going down so easily.


    ¡®


    !¡¯


    Kevin¡¯s body turned intangible, allowing him to slip past the attacks of the two women and leap backward. Growling at the way they cornered him, also spotting that the remaining Gifteds before him all readied their weapons¡ªbows and swords¡ªto fight, the dark man now knew he waspletely cornered.


    Behind him was the Camp. He could try escaping there, but he didn¡¯t dare show his back to a bunch of high-level enemies. Even if he used


    , it would ultimately run out. Besides, his pride wouldn¡¯t allow him to flee so shamefully.


    They may have had him outnumbered, but he still had the highest level among everyone! Plus, with the true nature of his Gift, and the numerous Skills at his disposal, he could achieve victory.


    ¡®I¡¯ll kill them all! I should start from the Barrier girl. She seems weak!¡¯ Kevin growled, darting his eyes to the girl who seemed to be concentrating and pouring her energy in Charles¡¯ direction.


    Since she was so focused on protecting another, that meant the girl most likely couldn¡¯t shield herself and Charles at the same time.


    Kevin also noticed her level and decided that, with his speed, she wouldn¡¯t be able to react in time.


    Once he dealt with her, no one would be able to protect themselves, so he would simply use the Stats and Skills in his arsenal to decimate the remaining enemies.


    Taking a few steps back, Kevin calcted the position he would take and how fast he had to go. All he had to do was¡ª


    >BUMP<


    His back suddenly bumped into something behind him¡­ something that could only be human.


    Having felt the flesh of countless people as he killed them, Kevin knew fully well the warmth a human generated. The one behind him was clearly one.


    His body entered an excited state and, in reflex, he whipped through the air, swinging his caramel skin while also flexing his bulging muscles.


    >FWWOOOOOSHHH<


    He didn¡¯t have time to control his strength, so Kevin just poured everything he could muster into the hit and gave a backstroke, generating an immense wind pressure.


    >BOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    Shockwaves reverberated across the area, breaking apart the very earth beneath everyone. Everything along Kevin¡¯s axis broke apart and the loud bang of the impact caused every Gifted in the area to brace themselves in response to the impact.


    Still¡­ despite the rising dust, the suddenmotion, and the pressure that still lingered, everyone could vividly recognize the oue of Kevin¡¯s strike.


    ¡ªAnd it waspletely unbelievable!

 Chapter 237 Payback(Pt 1)

    Right there and then, an unbelievable sight unfolded.


    Even Kevin, with his hand stuck and wrapped in the supposed target¡¯s grip, could understand what he was in for.


    ¡°So this is the big bad, uh¡­?¡± The voice was deep, smooth, and downright intimidating!


    It belonged to none other than the one who had just arrived.


    While the ebony-skinned man had to lower his gaze as a result of the individual¡¯s height, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he waspletely horrifying.


    After all, this neer had stopped his full-peered blow so effortlessly, and even caught it.


    The man, though having an appearance of a child, was deserving awe and fear. He had a mask covering his face and a terribly dark cloak that pped ominously. The silence hemanded made Kevin shiver where he stood.


    So this was death¡­ or rather, a personification of it.


    Even though he couldn¡¯t possibly tell the kind of expression the man was making underneath the mask, Kevin was certain he was sneering at him. And, as if to confirm his suspicion, the masked man let out a little snicker, sending shivers down his spine.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°You¡­ are a little interesting¡­¡±


    **********************


    [A Few Moments Ago]


    ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t take very long,¡± I whispered in a bit of disappointment, watching the sniperpletely lose his mind before me.


    Thanks to <Command>, I made sure he divulged all the information he had at a quick pace, allowing me to receive all I could out of him in time.


    After a series of interrogations, I was finally done with retrieving information. The victim of my influence was used up, already mentally and physically exhausted from my extreme extraction method.


    ¡°H-haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± The poor guy let out whimpers as he trembled on the ground.


    ¡°So, <Command> puts a heavy strain on the mind when used too much on a single target¡­ especially when ordering them to do tasks without intervals of rest,¡± I muttered, d that I noticed this in time.<sub></sub>


    Based on what I found out, Anabelle was dead¡­ just as I suspected. Her team members, with the exception of Lily, had also been killed.


    The moment I found that out, my emotions nearly sent berserk. My heart ached terribly and I found myself failing to catch my breath.


    ¡®No, No¡­ No way! No!!!¡¯ My thoughts rang in desperation.


    Finally confirming this was something I couldn¡¯t handle emotionally.


    The pain was crippling, and I felt extreme loss by her death. However, this allsted for a few seconds at best. Almost as soon as I was assailed by guilt, sorrow, and rage, my emotions calmed down.


    In an instant, I was back to my usual logical self.


    ¡°The [Merciless] Title came into effect, uh? At this point, I don¡¯t know how toment on this¡­¡±


    It was only natural that a human would feel great pain at the loss of someone important to them. Despite how I thought her to be foolish and naive, I really cared about Ana, as well as her whole team.<sub></sub>


    Feeling terrible was absolutely normal and I nearly felt guilty for not drowning in the pits of mourning.


    Fortunately, even the guilt I felt about that faded away quickly and all I was left with were healthy emotions that ensured I maintained an optimal state.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry you died, Ana. I¡¯m also sorry I can not mourn you¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t really feel sorry, but those words flowed from my mouth.


    Even though I couldn¡¯t save her or the others who had died, even though I couldn¡¯t feel horrible for losing them, there was one thing I could do for them, guaranteed to bring me rest.


    It would be a manifestation of the only emotion I had left rting to Ana¡¯s death¡­ Rage.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill the one who murdered you, Ana¡­ I promise.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t blind rage, I felt. No. It was calcting rage. I had a clear mind, and with it, I was determined topletely pulverize the one who did this to my dear big sister.


    ¡°Big sister, uh?¡± A smile formed on my face as I chose to sink into nostalgia a little.


    It was dumb, but I couldn¡¯t help but think that way. If the world hadn¡¯t turned out this way¡­ then I would have loved being her little brother. Unfortunately, that wish dwelled only in fantasy¡­ and I was beyond that now!


    My ears suddenly picked up something from a distance, I pinpointed the location and it was the exact ce where the Gifteds were fighting. From my distance, I could clearly see all that was happening.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    A smile formed on my face as I spotted the malefactor of the whole tragedy that befell the camp. The muscr, ebony man approached the Camp members, and Charles moved behind him.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d still be alive, cockroach!¡±


    From my distance, I couldn¡¯t see the Ebony man¡¯s Level, but for Charles to have been sticking close to him instead of finding a way to escape to the Camo members¡¯ arms, it meant the ¡®Kevin¡¯ guy was stronger than them.


    ¡°So, he¡¯s about Level 100, uh? How is that even possible?¡±


    From the information the sniper gave me, I figured out he had to be around that Level since none of his subordinates could see his Status Introduction as a result of the Level difference.


    I also knew of his Gift. It was quite scary¡­ if it was me in the past, I would have probably had a difficult time with him.


    ¡®I would still win, though¡­¡¯


    Needless to say, my interest was sparked. Kevin was the first Gifted I knew that had surpassed Level 100 so early in the game.


    Of course, I would want to meet him.


    >WHOOOOOOOSHHHH<


    In a sh, I disappeared from the top of the devastated building, of course taking the sniper into [Subspace] before leaving.


    I spotted Kevin¡¯s cornered expression, how he struggled to find a way out of his desperate situation. From my distance, and with a bit of insight, it was easy to determine the move he would make.


    It was unfortunate that this was the end of the line for him, though.


    ¡®For messing with my ns and killing my dear friends¡­ I¡¯ll be sure to pay you back!¡¯

 Chapter 238 Payback (Pt 2)

    [The Present]


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re a bit interesting¡­¡± I smiled, raiding my head a little to see the terribly massive man.


    Despite the difference in our height, with me on the receiving end, the effects of my dominance did not change. The giant cowered in fear before me, taking a few steps away from me in response to taking on his attack.


    Unfortunately for him, his hand had been caught by me, lodged deeply in my right grip¡­ and I had no intention of letting it go!


    ¡°You¡¯re Kevin, right? The one they call a fiend¡­¡±


    My voice grew more intimidating and I could feel my rage surface.


    Standing right before me was the bastard who killed Ana. He really disrupted everything. After turning everything into a mess, the bastard now cowered before insurmountable power.


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t see your level¡­¡± His voice shuddered as he spoke.


    Judging from his expression, he must have deemed it impossible that someone possessed so much strength that they far surpassed him in Level.


    ¡°If it¡¯s worth anything, I have to say¡­ I¡¯m surprised about you too. You managed to reach this height in such a short span, a feat that should be impossible.¡±<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®Damn it, I don¡¯t remember any of the earlier yers in the beginning phase of the Apocalypse. I have no idea if he¡¯s an important characterter on or not¡­¡¯


    For some reason, even if I knew the events that would urter on, I was missing details. As I suspected, my memories had been tampered with.


    ¡°Kevin Smith¡­ I didn¡¯t really interfere with his life, so if he achieved this, that means it¡¯s following the normal progression of events. He is most likely going to be a major yerter on!¡± I found myself mumbling.


    Perhaps he would be one of the Gifteds who would have challenged the Horde in the normal progression, gaining more power. That made sense, considering his current state.


    ¡°I have to say, you¡¯re really good, Kevin. Not only do you specialize in killing humans to gain EXP, but you also obtain EXP and special privileges from your subordinates. That¡¯s a pretty Overpowered build you¡¯ve got there, don¡¯t you think? I¡¯m jealous.¡±


    As I said this, his eyes bulged in more fright as he seemed to be questioning how I came across such information.


    Fear and frustration mixed into him and for a moment, I could only assume, he lost himself in the torrents of emotions.


    ¡°Rahhhhh!!! You bastard!¡±


    >WHOOOOSHHH<<sub></sub>


    His hand charged at me with great speed, the fastest I had ever seen a human go. Judging by his Level, which was 122, I had to assume he took on the Job of a ¡®Brawler¡¯ since the man¡¯s speed and the power packed in his punch were more powerful than his Level ounted for.


    Well, he was still very slowpared to me, though.


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless.¡±


    Just as one swatted a bug, I used my unupied hand to push away his approaching fist, nonchntly changing its trajectory.


    >BOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    The Camp building behind me received the shockwave caused by his fist, devastating the building walls.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point. Why don¡¯t you try using your Skills? You have a lot of them, don¡¯t you? Oh, wait¡­¡±


    I could barely contain my chuckle. Perhaps some minutes ago, he would have lots of Skills at his disposal, but now¡­ he was nearly helpless.


    ¡°Hahahahaha!!!¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°You bastard¡­ you know about my Gift, my Skills, my abilities¡­ w-who are you?!¡± He growled.


    I shrugged.


    I would have loved to relish the battle and tell him all about how he crossed me by killing Ana, no, invading the Camp. Unfortunately, there were too many witnesses.


    ¡®Come to think of it¡­ I could resort to that!¡¯


    A dark gleam appeared on my face as I thought of the perfect way to make the man pay.


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to live, but your time has note yet.¡±


    ¡°What the fvck are you¡ª¡±


    >WHAP!<


    Before Kevin Smith said any more, I gave him a dirty p, sending shockwaves reverberating across the area.


    I didn¡¯t even need to rely on any Skill or Mana. No, I even held myself back. That was enough to send him unconscious, though.


    ¡°G-Guhhh¡­.¡±


    The ebony terror made a heavy groan, falling to the ground in a crash. Effortlessly, I had secured victory. I could kill him if I wanted, or let someone else finish the job. But, what was this feeling within me?


    It wasn¡¯t satisfying enough.


    That was why I had to do more¡­ but now wasn¡¯t the time.


    ¡°May I assume you are the Camp Leader?¡± I turned to see Charles.


    He was staring at me with his jawpletely dropped. He must have already surmised it was ¡®Jeremy Lewis¡¯ who was under the mask, but I was certain I didn¡¯t need to remind him to keep his mouth shut.


    ¡°Y-yes, I am. I-I assume you must be the Masked Hero that my Camp members spoke of.¡± The man let out stuttering words, clearly trying to get into character.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know about being a hero, but I suppose I did save a few of your Camp members. There a few things I would like to discuss, however¡­¡±


    My eyes went toward the Camp building and I was certain Charles followed my gaze. We were surely thinking of the same thing.


    ¡°There are a few more enemies inside. Please, a moment¡­¡±


    >WHOOOOSHHHHH<


    In a sh, I vanished from the presence of all the Gifteds outside and made my indoors. Due to my sensory prowess, I was able topletely detect where everyone was.


    ¡®So, they¡¯re monitoring the borehole construction team and the farm manufacturing team.


    It made sense, considering Kevin Smith would need a few men to monitor the activities of the Camp members to show them who was boss.


    From my line of vision, I saw Lily working as well. She did a lot of the heavy lifting, considering her Level was considered quite high among the regr denizens of the Camp.


    ¡®Poor kid¡­ she must have witnessed everyone¡¯s death and must surely me herself.¡¯ I thought to myself, observing her hollow expression.


    Still, I didn¡¯te here for her. I came for the naughty ones who took the Camp Members hostage. It was only going to take a few seconds to deal with them, though, so I wasn¡¯t very concerned.


    ¡®I¡¯ll trap them into [Subspace]¡­ they¡¯ll surely be useful for (G) Karma Points farming!¡¯

 Chapter 239 Payback (Pt 3)

    In a sh, I was done!


    None of the people within the Camp noticed my presence, allies and enemies alike. Using my stealth skills inbination with my intense speed, I was practically a ghost that zoomed past the massive structure and got away with tapping every single member of the enemy faction.


    They got caught in my Gift, vanishing in what would appear to be an instant for normal people.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!¡± The voices of the Camp members echoed in fright


    The sight of about a dozen enemies vanishing suddenly must have frightened them, but as soon as they recovered from the shock, I was certain they would rejoice.


    As for me, immediately after I concluded my business within the building, I zoomed outside and returned to the scene of the just-concluded battle.


    All of this was within thirty seconds, maybe even less¡­


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re back already?!¡± Charles gasped, having barely moved from where he was to his Camp members¡¯ location.


    ¡°Yes. Do not worry¡­ they have all been taken care of.¡±<sub>.</sub>


    For a moment, there was silence, until my eyes darted to the unconscious man on the ground.


    ¡°I would like to interrogate this man. Would it be fine if I took him with me?¡±


    Though my voice was calm and my tone polite, I assumed Charles could tell that this wasn¡¯t a request.


    ¡°Y-yeah, sure. I mean¡­ you did beat him, after all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled, though none could see my face as it was hidden.


    ¡°Thanks so much for saving this Camp, for saving my people as well! It appears we owe you a great debt once more!¡± Charles retorted.


    I shrugged in response.


    ¡°It was only natural. Your Camp members were also quite exemry. One of the deserters has be my disciple. I assume you have no problem with that.¡±<sub></sub>


    Charles turned to see Lara, whom he must have been surprised to notice among everyone else. Her face showed no emotion toward him, but I was certain he judged her strength and made sure to steer clear of any trouble.


    ¡°No problem. The moment they chose to leave, they were no longer a part of this Camp.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, then.¡±


    Another moment of silence erupted. I could sense unease in the air, mostly emanating from Charles. He must have had millions of thoughts in his mind as to why I faked my death and now put on this charade.


    ¡®You should go mad with the thought, Charles. Pfft.¡¯


    I was just about done with this farce, thoughIf I spent another second acting this way, I feared I would lose it. Plus, there were some things I had to settle in the background.


    Needless to say, it was time to leave¡­ at least, for now.


    ¡°There are some things I need to take care of, so I shall be taking my leave,¡± I told Charles.<sub></sub>


    The moment I said this, the Camp members who had grown ustomed to me gasped in surprise. Lara didn¡¯t waste any time detaching herself from the crowd and taking her ce by my side.


    ¡°A-already? You should take a break inside the¡ª¡±


    I bobbed my head a little and turned to stare at the Camp¡¯s broken-down walls. The property was in terrible shape, and this was no time for anyone to ¡®take a break¡¯ or think about resting¡­ not with everything being in dire straits.


    ¡°I only tagged along you people to ensure you got to your destination safely. Now that it has beenpleted, I am needed elsewhere. Do not worry, though¡­ maybe we will see each other some other time. Till then, I wish you good health.¡±


    Raising my hand to bid farewell, I could see the teary eyes of many Camp members. They watched in reverence and gratitude as I raised my hand, following my actions.


    ¡°Goodbye Masked Hero.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for everything!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll never forget you!¡±


    It was so cheesy that I almost cringed at the sight, but I simply withdrew my hand and nodded slightly.


    ¡°Take care of yourselves.¡±


    >WHOOOOOSHHH!!!<


    In an instant, every trace of myself vanished as I sped away. Lara followed suit and dashed off to chase after me, most likely wondering what was going on in my head.


    We traveled in silence, transversing the devastated ins until we were quite some distance from the Camp. Even from my distance, I could see everyone huddle together and venture into the building.


    ¡®They¡¯ll be upied for some time, uh?¡¯ I smiled, letting go of my mask.


    Now feeling the fresh wee of the wind on my face, I gave a pleasant sigh. It was refreshing to let go of the air of dominance and tranquility that was associated with my alter ego.


    I was now finally Jeremy Lewis again!


    **********************


    Lara and I settled somewhere quite a distance from the Camp, a ce where no one would dare to trespass.


    It was the hideout of the scavengers that assaulted our Camp. The rundown building didn¡¯t look like much from the outside, but I could tell that it had been booby-trapped in several areas. Any foreigner who got close would be weed by explosives, flying knives, etc.


    Of course, we were able to easily avoid the traps and make ourselves wee in the damp interior of the hideout.


    The ce looked quitepartmentalized. If not for the dirt around, and how the area reeked of sweat and blood, it would pass as an official structure. This was most likely apany building before the Apocalypse.


    I passed by the run-downputers and desks, seeing nothing but emptiness.


    ¡®The scavengers must have temporarily abandoned this Base in order to deal with Charles¡¯ Camp in full force.


    With their territory now unupied, it made the perfect ce to stay¡­ for now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand something, Jeremy.¡± Lara finally broke the silence.


    I knew she had been disturbed ever since we left the Camp, most likely wondering how I could do something akin to benevolence.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, Lara. But, do not worry. There is a time for everything¡­¡±

 Chapter 240 Hideout

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, Lara. But, do not worry. There is a time for everything¡­¡±


    Just because I left the Camp members to clean up Kevin Smith¡¯s mess didn¡¯t mean they were off the hook forever.


    Besides, they had lost so much. It was only fair to give them some time to grieve and pull themselves together.


    ¡°We have other businesses to attend to, you know? The scavengers are a group of collectors with ¡®Evil¡¯ Alignments. It¡¯s only fair that they have some supplies and weapons stored in here. It may not be much, but we can use whatever we findter on. Plus¡­¡±


    I hadn¡¯t forgotten about the men I had kept in my [Subspace]. Now that I was far away from prying eyes, I could finally take my time with Kevin Smith and his surviving aplices.


    It wouldn¡¯t be fun otherwise.


    *******************<sub>.</sub>


    We explored the whole building, carefully looking out for traps.


    Thankfully, I had interrogated the sniper beforehand, gaining practically all the information I needed on their base. The sniper¡ªGerald¡ªwas actually a high-ranking member among the scavengers.


    That made things easier for me.


    Thanks to the guy divulging all the necessary information to me, Lara and I were able to locate the treasure trove of the viins in no time at all.


    ¡°Demon Cores, some decently made weapons too¡­ hmm, some are even enhanced. It seems they have an enhancer among them¡­hmm, is it a Gift or a Skill¡± I mumbled.


    My tone was that of curiosity as I rummaged through all the scavengers had.<sub></sub>


    The fact that they had enhanced weapons made me slightly curious. If there was a Gifted with Paul¡¯s abilities, probably a higher grade, then it could prove a bit interesting.


    ¡®Hopefully, it¡¯s a Skill, so I can just use <Steal> to get it for myself.¡¯


    After checking through everything, I didn¡¯t see anything worth much. The Demon Cores they had were also low-end ones, only useful for fodder bombs at this point.


    ¡®Well, it¡¯s still better than nothing¡­¡¯


    On our way here, we had seen some pretty interesting things, stuff like human parts. It made me wonder if these men were cannibals or simply savages who enjoyed the sight of rotting flesh.


    If these people were so depraved as to enjoy the death of their fellow humans, the least they could do was to actively hunt down more powerful Demons.<sub></sub>


    Other than their leader, none of the scavengers had much power. Of course, I knew it was partly Kevin Smith¡¯s fault. But, if only they had been more proactive in exterminating monsters instead of humans, they would have been more powerful.


    ¡°Huu, this is thest of it¡­¡± I muttered, collecting the final Demon Core into [Subspace].


    Lara remained silent behind me. I noticed she had already reached Level 100, a very impressive feat considering it hadn¡¯t been very long when she was so weak. We had also gotten quite familiar with each other that conversations became natural.


    I could sense the reason for her decorum this time, though. The woman was most likely trying to figure out the reason behind my actions. It didn¡¯t make sense for someone like me, someone who prioritized my advantage over anything else, to go out of my way to save the Subjugation Squad, help them grow stronger, escort them safely to the Camp, and finish things off. Then, after all that¡­ simply leave!


    Usually, I would have a twist at the very end and turn things around for my benefit, but the fact that I abandoned the idea and left quietly meant I had something else up my sleeves.


    Of course, after she inquired about the matter, and I assured her there was indeed a n, I had calmed her down a bit. Still, someone as curious as Lara was bound to still keep thinking about it.


    ¡®Well, she doesn¡¯t know about my deal with Charles concerning the farming project.¡¯


    Plus, since I didn¡¯t mention the (G) Karma harvest to her, there was no way she could decipher why I had been power leveling the Camp members. It was best to keep her in the dark about some things, so I didn¡¯t bother illuminating her ignorance.


    Since it was evening already and quite a lot of things had happened, I decided it was time for the both of us to rest.


    We made our way past the sleeping quarters of the scavenger footsoldiers and went straight for the ce that would be morefortable¡­ the room of the top brass!


    ¡®I have no information about it since ording to the sniper, only the leader and vice leader are allowed inside¡­¡¯


    Still, with the <Insight> Skill and my heightened perception, I wasn¡¯t going to fall for any crude traps. We arrived there in no time, and I hastily unclocked the door.


    Immediately after I opened the door to the leader¡¯s office, a foul stench greeted me. My sense of smell spikes, causing me to feel unimaginable disgust for a few moments before limating to the change in environment.


    Smells of rotting flesh, dirtyundry, blood, and what was that¡­ cigarettes?¡ªfilled the air. It was so pungent that I had to step back out for a few moments and enter once more.


    I had mentallypared Charles¡¯ neatly arranged office to the scavenger leader¡¯s own, but I realized my mistake almost instantly. While the room I now stood in was very muchrger than Charles¡¯ domain, it was too dirty and unkempt.


    ¡®As expected, that Kevin guy was really a savage!¡¯


    ¡°Are we going to stay here? I¡¯d rather just choose any other room¡­¡± Lara retorted, disgust visible in her expression.


    Who could me her after witnessing all this?


    Still, if the leader¡¯s ce was like this, it was guaranteed that everywhere was filthy. Besides, we had already scoured most of the locations of the building¡­ it was a dump!


    At least the leader¡¯s office wasrger and would be morefortable to stay in.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re staying here¡­¡± I said, turning to Lara.


    It just needed a little makeover.

 Chapter 241 Settling In

    The woman gave me a disbelieving gasp and shook her head in disagreement. Her expression told me she would rather die than spend another minute here. The moment I gave her a serious look in an attempt to ask if she truly meant it, her expression dissolved instantly.


    Well, I could tell she was still very ufortable about the whole thing¡ªfrankly speaking, I was too.


    But¡­


    ¡°I suppose we could use a makeover.¡±


    It was at times like this, not just inbat, that I loved my Gift¡¯s abilities the most!


    My eyes scoured the room, making sure I spotted every single nuisance in an instant¡ªnone of which were deemed to be ¡®living things¡¯ by the System.


    In the blink of an eye, they all vanished! From the deep musk that wafted in the air, to the piles of garbage and unspeakably unhygienic substances littered about¡ªeverything disappeared.


    ¡°Tadah! Now, this is much better!¡± I beamed, now looking at the extremely clean room! Thanks to my attention to detail, there was practically no single piece of dirt in sight and the horrid smell was gone.


    ¡°A-amazing¡­ your Gift never ceases to surprise me, Jeremy,¡± Lara whispered in awe, though I could tell she was trying her hardest to suppress it.


    ¡°<Summon>¡±<sub>.</sub>


    Bringing out of some misceneous items, a few of many I hardly considered using, I stationed some air fresheners across the room.


    Though the pungent odor had vanished, I preferred a ce smelling nice than merely being stale.


    ¡°Open the windows.¡± Mymand rang.


    Lara, not forgetting her ce, nodded and obeyed, moving to the sides of the room where the slides were, turning them to allow proper venttion.


    >WHUUUSSHH<


    Fresh air invaded the room and I felt refreshed by the cool breeze. It was certainly better now.


    Looking at the bare ground, I brought out a pair of mattresses for both myself and Lara. I had quite a few of them to spare, after all.


    ¡°Make yourselffortable. It¡¯s time to eat too¡­¡±


    Lara didn¡¯t hesitate to appreciate my kindness and took her seat. Her eyes were on me, as though finding all my actions to be absurd.<sub></sub>


    ¡°You think I¡¯m weird, don¡¯t you?¡± I smiled.


    It seemed my question caught her off guard as she sharply reacted to it.


    ¡°W-well, I¡¯ve always considered you to be strange, but you¡¯ve been acting awfully¡­¡±


    ¡°Nice?¡± I made an attempt toplete her words.


    ¡°¡­ Different.¡±


    Her unsure eyes scanned me, as though considering whether or not to say any more.


    ¡°I understand, Lara. Maybe I have grown soft¡­ who knows? Are you disappointed?¡±


    The woman¡¯s hesitation began to vanish a little.


    ¡°Only by a bit¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    My smile broadened.


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we confirm that tomorrow. I wonder if you¡¯ll feel that way after then.¡±


    Lara¡¯s expression changed once again, now showing curiosity and slight fear. Perhaps it was due to the smile and aura I was giving off¡­ the psychiatrist must have deduced that something was going to happen then.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s nothing really important, don¡¯t worry yourself about it¡­¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see when tomorrowes. For now, though, let¡¯s eat!¡±


    I could still feel Lara¡¯s watchful gaze on me, but chose to ignore it. Tomorrow was simply for a bit of entertainment, after all. I wondered what kind of impression she would have of me after that, though.


    With our conversation concluded, I proceeded to summon our meal for the day.


    *************************


    As usual, I watched Lara sleep for some hours, and after that, I ¡®recalled¡¯ her and got some shuteye myself.


    My level of alertness was very high, and just inc case any danger would approach, I summoned my <Invisible Barrier>¡¯s properties which I had stored earlier.


    Since the barrier was now an item within [Subspace] and no longer functioned as a Skill, it had no timeout, so I could maintain it as long as possible.


    ¡®It was merely distorted air, after all.


    Once morning came, I made my way downstairs and summoned Lara too.


    ¡°We should have a clean bath¡­ I should also brush my teeth. I haven¡¯t done that in a while.¡±


    Thanks to Level Ups, our bodies were basically rid of toxins and became fully healed. That went for our skin and teeth too. They became clean. For Lara and I, who killed and Leveled Up just yesterday, we were most certainly not ¡®dirty¡¯, but I still longed for the refreshing downpour of water.


    I nced at Lara, who also seemed to agree with the n. We made our way to the toilet, but, just like everywhere else in the building, the facilities were dirty as well.


    I had to use up Slots in [Subspace] to clean up the murk, and it was absolutely repulsive. However, as soon I was done, the ce sparkled once again, returning my desire to bathe.


    ¡°So, how do we do this¡­?¡±


    It was the women¡¯s toilet, one I chose since it was generally believed that they were cleaner than the men¡¯s. Unfortunately, bothvatories were in the same state. Considering the scavengers only had men in their group, it made perfect sense.


    With both of us alone in the toilet, we could decide to bathe in the toilet stalls, but there was very little room in each stall. No one would feel veryfortable while bathing there.


    The general toilet area that also had the washer, dryer, and mirrors located had a bigger space, but there was no demarcation.


    ¡®Urgh!¡¯


    As much as I would love to help myself to the sight of Lara¡¯s body, I also wanted to enjoy my bath without having to feel embarrassed by her looking at my¡­ ¡®equipment¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s not very big, but it¡¯s not tiny either¡­ shit¡­¡¯


    Weighing my options, I decided to give up on any perverted ideas since they would adversely affect Lara¡¯s image of me¡­ and the little warrior hidden between my legs.


    Once I concluded on that, an idea naturally appeared in my mind. All that we really needed was for me to make our own demarcation.

 Chapter 242 Succumbing To Shamelessness

    I decided to summon a curtain and used it to make an ultra-thin barrier between Lara and myself. It extended to both sides of the wall, and the linen was thick enough to barely register as transparent.


    I was safe!


    Throughout my mental ordeal, Lara was silent. I was certain she wasughing internally at my very innocent nature. It was probably no big deal to someone like her!


    Pushing those thoughts away from my head, I decided to focus more on why we were in the toilet, to begin with. No more distraction, no more perverted thoughts, just the gentle wee of cool water.


    ¡°Now, then¡­ let¡¯s shower!


    *************************


    I used [Subspace] to create several little openings above myself and made it appear as though shower drops were falling on us.


    It didn¡¯t take much concentration to do it since I had gotten such high proficiency in using my Gift.<sub>.</sub>


    Before long, water descended upon me and Lara, causing us to let out slight moans as the water collided with our flesh.


    ¡°Haaaa¡­.¡±


    The cool, soothing liquid washed down my pale body as I felt every single stter and drop reverberate around my skin.


    Even as the vestiges of water sttered on the ground, the ripples coursed through my ears and I was one with all the tingling sensations around me. It felt strange, being able to feel things to such a terrifying degree, but I somewhat enjoyed it.


    After all, my senses weren¡¯t only limited to my side of the room.


    ¡®Hehehehe¡­¡¯


    Even though the curtain separated us, my perceptive abilities had surpassed such a minor obstruction.<sub></sub>


    ¡®With <Insight> I can see through objects, so the curtain is as good as nonexistent!¡¯


    Plus, my hearing and everything else was heightened to an unfathomable degree. Everything Lara did¡ªher movements, breathing, the aroma she emitted, the stters of water on he breasts, how she rubbed her body with her lustrous arms¡­ I could feel them all!


    ¡®T-this¡­ this is too much¡­¡¯ I swallowed my saliva hard, trying to resist the temptation.


    I could feel something underneath me bulging, my two legs feeling the heat and swelling of the appendage that didn¡¯t seem to stop twitching. It was only a matter of time before my libido took over all sense of reason.


    Before I knew it, my face subconsciously morphed into one of depravity and I sunk into degeneracy. The head that had been calmly absorbing the falling liquid slowly tilted and I feasted my eyes upon the curtain, no, beyond it!


    Being like mere ss in front of me, the thickyer of linen became transparent and, for the first time, I directly saw a woman naked!


    My eyes bulged as they took in the image of purity, the slender gait of the one I watched. Having such fair skin and a delicateplexion, the way the sshes of water beat her body created a tempo that I found irresistible.<sub></sub>


    Remnants of water remained on her skin, trailing down her firm posterior which were held up proudly.


    ¡®Not too big, but not small either!¡¯


    Perhaps it was because this was my first time taking a peek at a woman¡ªone who was showering for that matter¡ªI felt like it was perfection itself.


    The desire I had for power and influence transformed into pure sensual lust, and my ¡®equipment¡¯ tingled once again.


    Lara began fondling her hair, most likely in an attempt to wash off any dirt that would have stuck itself onto her body. Doing so revealed her very appetizing neck. It almost felt as if the slender figure called me for a bite.


    ¡°Haaa¡­ haa¡­¡± Heavy, hot breaths came out of my mouth.


    The next thing Lara did was to stroke her breasts, ce her hands underneath the plump bossoms tightly glued to her chest and softly rub them. The way the firm bubbles now bounced made my mouth nearly water in anticipation.


    Staring at the pinkish entuations on both balls of flesh seemed to make me more excited, making me jerk as the duo fiercely juggled.


    >GULP!<


    Lara turned her back, now showing me her posterior.


    I was not really a fan of this angle, but this woman made me change my view of it in a sh. Striking a pose simr to a model¡¯s, her buttocks shot out, almost bouncing as well.


    The pressure nearly pushed me back and caused me to slip. Fortunately, I regained myposure in an instant.


    The fact that her dark hair fell to her back and the cheeks on her behind were spread right in front of me was enough to arouse a form of love for butts!


    This lustful disy made me feel like tearing apart the veil that kept us apart and pounce on Lara like a wolf beast. Unfortunately, despite my deep affection for her body, I had no confidence in mine.


    Compared to the epitome of beauty standing merely a couple of meters from me¡­ what could I call myself? For the first time sinceing to this world, I felt so inferior and helpless¡ªwell, in reference to other humans, that it.


    ¡®Damnit!¡¯


    I gritted my teeth in frustration and clenched my fists. Was this really my fate? If this was how it would go, was there truly any point in watching any further? I might as well have simply focused on my ns for the future instead of resorting to this meaningless venture.


    ¡®That¡¯s right, Jeremy¡­ you¡¯re better than this.¡¯


    The moment I said this, my eyes slowly moved away from Lara and I sighed in disappointment.


    ¡°Ang¡­¡± A short moan, silent and barely audible came out.


    Anyone would have missed it¡­ but not me!


    >WHOOOOOOOOOOSHHHH!!!<


    In a sh, beating any speed I had ever achieved before, my eyes returned to the origin of the sound, desperate to see more of what I wanted to reject just earlier.


    My shameless mind refuted what I had just tried to convince myself of and I saw Lara¡¯s beautiful face brushing as more water beat her body.


    ¡°Ang¡­ Ahhh¡­ this feels so¡­ good¡­¡±

 Chapter 243 No Risk, No Reward!

    The way the woman gazed longingly at the ceiling, most likely seeing as the drops of water fell, how she stuck out her tongue out in anticipation of the flow¡­ they were too much for me to resist!


    ¡®I¡¯m not better than this! Not in the slightest!¡¯ My mind rang.


    There was a risk I could get caught, but was there anything worse than that? Even if it was shameless of me, I was certain Lara would understand!


    She was a psychiatrist, after all. ¡®Beating one¡¯s meat¡¯ was a healthy venture ording to science, and she was a woman of science, no? Certainly, Lara would be in support.


    My incredibly aroused mind made up its ownmon sense as I gave myself to perversion.


    Lara kept turning her body and reaching for more difficult parts. She rubbed her armpits, her legs, her¡­ hole¡­ and the more she did this, the faster my hands went.


    My eyes bulged more in anticipation and my lips curled into what I couldn¡¯t possibly describe.


    ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡±


    More and more, my eyes captured the disy and I found myself seeking more. Fortunately, Lara did not disappoint! Like a dog, I nted, though silently, rubbing faster.<sub>.</sub>


    No longer did I feel any tapping of water on myself or around me. All focus was diverted to a single person!


    ¡®Just one time¡­ just this once¡­ let me see more!!!¡¯


    ********************


    Fortunately, the whole shower incident ended without any incident urring.


    I was able to conclude my business before Lara noticed anything was strange. Once I was down and cleaned myself up well, I informed Lara that I would be turning off the water supply soon.


    This was to make her round-up, but also to avoid any further temptation on my part. Thanks to my post-nut rity, I realized the foolishness of my actions.


    Thanks to giving in to lust, I prolonged our bathing time, wasting a lot of water in the process. Of course, that wasn¡¯t all I squandered!


    Now looking at the ground in regret and slight shame, I saw the tiny vestiges that were left, the rest had been swept away by the current of the water.<sub></sub>


    ¡®My¡­ seeds¡­¡¯


    I wondered what kind of demon gued me to have sumbed to such temptation. Not even the [Solo Hunter] or [Dominator] title could save me from my primal instincts.


    Well, considering the fact that I hadn¡¯t performed my ¡®jizz ritual¡¯ in quite some time, it was only natural that my overflowing passion would take over.


    Still, it was best to be more cautious next time.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t make this kind of mistake again!¡¯


    With my resolute mind, I concluded that the next time I would indulge in the shameful act of ¡®seed dispersal¡¯, I would ensure Lara was already trapped in [Subspace]. Fortunately, every scene that had transpired today was burned to my memory.


    I wasn¡¯t going to forget it anytime soon!


    Never had I been so grateful for my unusual amount of intelligence! With this, who needed any more references?<sub></sub>


    Once again, my ns were wless. Using my target to get what I wanted¡­ how amazing was that?


    ¡®Hehehe, while it was quite risky¡­ the returns were quite worth it!¡¯


    After all, no risks, no reward!


    Unknown to my still-perverted self at the time, I could have simply watched all of Lara¡¯s actions and endured the stimtion. Then, after she was done, I would take her into [Subspace] and freely act upon the scene I witnessed without the fear of being caught.


    The thought just didn¡¯t cross my mind then. Or maybe it did, but I just considered it more thrilling to take such a risk and give Lara a ¡®tribite¡¯ while watching her live.


    In any case, it was time to close that chapter and move on to my true purpose ofing to this hideout!


    ¡®Time to get a little serious¡­¡¯


    ***************************


    ¡°Do you know why we¡¯re here?¡±


    My question seemed to startle Lara, who had been quiet since we left the bathroom. Her actions had initially made me suspect that she noticed my actions, but after observing her for some time, she showed no disgust toward me. This made me feel more at ease.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it to plunder the scavengers and wait for whatever n of yours to fully manifest. Your main goal should remain Charles¡¯ Camp. There has to be something of value there, so I¡¯m guessing you want to spend the time here while waiting for them to recover without you.¡±


    Her analysis was splendid, as always.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s true¡­ but wouldn¡¯t it just be a waste to wait for them in boredom? Why not entertain ourselves a bit?¡± I replied with a grin while sharply staring at her.


    We were both seated outside the scavengers¡¯ hideout, enjoying the fresh breeze of the outside world.


    Compared to back when the world was normal, the current atmosphere was stale. Still, we had gotten used to this life, and merely taking in the breeze now gave a soothing feelpared to before.


    ¡°So, what do you intend on using to while away time?¡± Lara replied, her voice sounding a bit grave as her eyes narrowed in both suspicion and worry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not you. In fact, you¡¯ll be enjoying the show from right here.¡±


    My assurances dissuaded some of the fear evident on Lara¡¯s face, but not all of it.


    ¡°Our yers are already waiting for the game to begin, all I need to do is bring them to the stage.


    The young woman beside me seemed to sparkle in more interest the moment I mentioned this.


    ¡°Oh? You mean the scavengers? What do you n on doing to them? Kill the¡ª?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯ll be too boring. Besides, two parties will be ying this game. One is as you¡¯ve said, the scavengers.¡±


    I paused, waiting for her to catch on to my intentions¡ªif she could.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean us, right? Since we¡¯re spectators. Then¡­¡±


    My smile slowly morphed into a wide grin as Lara slowly arrived at the truth¡­ and it was something sinister!

 Chapter 244 Let The Game Begin

    ¡°You don¡¯t mean us, right? Since we¡¯re spectators. Then¡­¡±


    Lara sharply paused mid-sentence and her eyes bulged. That told me she already figured it out. That¡¯s right¡­ those who would be ying with the human scum I collected were another type of filth.


    With my voice ringing at the exact moment as Lara, we both gave the same answer.


    ¡°Demons!¡±


    Yes, I nned on making a game simr to the impromptu one back at the Hobgoblin territory.


    Back then, I released the Gifteds who abandoned the Camp and forced them to win against the Demons I had already wounded. The deserters didn¡¯t stand a chance and lost, helping me in my experiment.


    But, unlike back then, I would be in full control over this situation. Plus, it was no experiment. What I nned on carrying out here was simple¡ªan Execution!


    It was only a matter of how interesting it would be for me.


    ¡°Now, then. We¡¯ve freshened up and had breakfast¡ªall that¡¯s left is the show.¡± My lips curled up to form a sadistic grin.<sub>.</sub>


    Since Lara and I satfortably outside, on a pile of sheets I spread on the ground as though we were on a pic, we were a little distance from the hideout.


    Quickly, I summoned the challengers before me, having them upy both the left and right sides of the gap between the hideout and us.


    Seeming to materialize out of thin air, the scavengers showed up. Their numbers were thirteen¡ªeleven regr troops, one sniper, and the leader¡­ Kevin Smith!


    On the other end, stood a bunch of Demons¡ªHobgoblin Champions, of course.


    ¡®To even out the numbers, I made sure thirteen Hobgoblin Champions also stood opposite the scavengers who were still in shock as to what was happening.


    ¡°GURUIIIIKKKK!!!¡±


    The Hobgoblins, being the first to take cognizance of the situation growled and filled the air with their screeches.


    ¡°W-wha-?!¡± The scavengers all burst out in surprise, almost at the same time.<sub></sub>


    Their faces disyed fear as they set their eyes on the Hobgoblin Champions before them. Their bodies quivered and sweat fell from their faces.


    It appeared that they instinctively knew instinctively what awaited them.


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡± The Hobgoblins made to pounce on the scavengers, not wasting any time in order to satiate their hunger and rage.


    Their feet dug deep into the ground, shattering the earth. In a single dash, the scavengers would be mincemeat.


    I wasn¡¯t going to allow that, though.


    ¡°<Inducement>. <Command>.¡±


    Instantly, the bodies of both Demons and humans froze up.


    An air of tension enveloped the atmosphere as I rose from the pic sheet I sat on, drawing closer to the two parties.<sub></sub>


    ¡°You guys are now yers in a little game of mine. I¡¯ll be exining the rules.¡± A smile formed on my face as I approached.


    I loosened my hold on the Demons and humans, allowing them to look in my direction.


    Both sides appeared perplexed, surprised¡­ and utterly frightened! Most of the beings here didn¡¯t even know who I was, save for the sniper and leader of the scavengers.


    As for the Demons, I was in stealth for the most time I was there, giving them no way of truly recognizing my identity back then. The only way they could target me was due to the influence of the King.


    As a result, for the yers gathered, they were meeting me for the very first time.


    For those who recognized me, though, they had both been unconscious thanks to my previous ¡®activities¡¯ with them, but due to the effect of <Command> that I used, they sprang back to life.


    Now staring at me with confusion, only one word could describe the emotions that must have been swirling within the two¡­ Despair!


    ¡°I have rendered you all incapable of speech. That is because as yers, you do not need tomunicate with me. You¡¯re merely characters!¡±


    As I spoke the rules of the game to them, I could sense the unease on both sides. Not only could I control the humans who stood before me, but the Demons were also no exception. It was all thanks to one of the new Skills I got, the most recent one¡ª<Inducement>.


    ¡®I should thank that Grizzly Dragon once again. I always knew the unimaginable fear and paralysis effect was a Skill that Demon had. It¡¯s a good thing I killed it!¡¯


    Having obtained three new Skills from it, I had only two empty Slots left, but they were very much worth it!


    ¡®<Inducement> allows me to control the emotions of enemies that are weaker than me to a certain extent. It¡¯s a predatory Skill mostly used to induce fear or paralysis from the target. I can also use it to draw an enemy¡¯s aggro. It¡¯s quite useful.¡¯


    The most important part was that, unlike Command, I could use it on both Demons and humans! Talk about being lucky.


    ¡°You¡¯re all currently paralyzed since the game hasn¡¯t started. I¡¯ll exin the rules to you.¡±


    My eyes darted to Kevin, who was perhaps the most frightened of all of them. Was he still recoiling from the fact that he couldn¡¯t see my Status Level or fathom how powerful I was?


    It was surprising, though, how I didn¡¯t feel any animosity toward him even though he killed Ana. Sure, I would be avenging her and everyone else if I did this, but that didn¡¯t appear to be my main motivation.


    I just wanted to have fun!


    ¡°We¡¯ll be ying tag. Simple, right? All you have to do is avoid getting killed by the Demons. If you survive for an hour, you win.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes bulged the moment I said this. Even Lara leaked out some level of surprise from behind me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow you one minute to maintain a distance from the Demons. You can use the area to your advantage. There¡¯s no one around for kilometers, so go wild!¡±


    They could run as fast as they could, and hide as well as possible. I gave them this opportunity for a single minute.


    ¡°After the period of grace is over, I¡¯ll release the monsters to hunt you down. If you can evade them for the stipted time frame, I¡¯ll take the Demons away, and you can run free.¡±


    It seemed very fair, no?

 Chapter 245 Execution

    The humans appeared to have some questions, but as I had told them earlier¡­ there was no need to speak to me.


    ¡°Now then, since I have exined the rules of this game to you, I will now be releasing you. Run as fast as you can.¡±


    As soon as I said this, the tensed face of the humans loosened considerably and they found out their bodies now moved properly. For a few moments, they stood there¡ªdazed.


    However¡­


    ¡°57 seconds left. 56 seconds left. 55 seconds left¡­¡±


    My lips began to curl amusedly, parting as words came out.


    The moment the scavenger party realized that they were wasting valuable time, they sprang into action and took a mad dash to flee.


    ¡®Now, that¡¯s more like it!¡¯<sub>.</sub>


    None of them even thought of looking back, dashing away as if their life depended on it, which it did.


    ¡°They must have seen the Stats of the Demons they¡¯re up against. Seeing that there¡¯s no chance of winning, running is the best choice¡­¡± I muttered, returning to my spot beside Lara.


    They most likely had no intention of ying my game. These guys would simply just try escaping as far as possible to preserve their lives. Unfortunately for them, they had no say in the matter.


    ¡°Is it really wise to let them go like that? What if they truly escape?¡±


    My lips curled up in a smile the moment Lara let out her worries.


    It wasn¡¯t inconceivable to imagine that one of the scavengers had a Gift that could allow him to escape this dire situation. If that was the case, then the game would be meaningless to such a person since he could just make a break for it.


    Unfortunately for them, even if they managed to escape, I could simply use <Recall> and bring whoever went out of my grasp back into the fold, starting the game over from scratch.<sub></sub>


    ¡°They¡¯re not going anywhere. Trust me¡­¡± I gave Lara a smirk.


    She gave a soft understanding smile and nodded, surrendering her logic to mine¡ªafter all, the woman beside me didn¡¯t know the full capabilities of my Gift.


    One minute passed, and just as promised, I released my hold on the Demons. The Hobgoblins growled and turned in my direction, recognizing me and Lara to be enemies.


    ¡°Do you have no sense to determine who you¡¯re up against?¡± I asked, giving them all a deathly re.


    Instantly, Imanded fear in them, causing the group to tremble. Even though they couldn¡¯t understand my words, the Demons could certainly still sense the level of threat I posed to them.


    ¡°Leave my sight! There are other humans that you should be chasing.¡±


    As I stiffened my re, the Hobgoblins obediently ran off, most likely chasing after the runaway Gifteds since they must have deciphered that I was too much to handle.<sub></sub>


    Like the hulks they were, they caused the ground to tremble and break apart in their wake as they moved like blurs, speeding across the vast area in search of prey.


    I smiled, watching them begin the hunt, summoning a binocr for Lara since her vision was not as good as mine¡ªto cover the entire devastated area.


    ¡°They could have an elusive Gift that allows them to survive for an hour, though.¡± The woman muttered, collecting the pair from me.


    It seemed like she was still worrying for nothing. Surviving for an hour was impossible, especially when against monsters like the Hobgoblin Champions.


    The one that stood the most chance was the leader of the scavengers, Kevin Smith, but even his chance dwindled the more the Demons killed his subordinates. In the end, the man would lose as well.


    ¡°Even if they manage to survive until time runs out, there¡¯s no way to tell when the time is up.¡± I smiled at Lara.


    Her eyes sparkled in both surprise and admiration. A wide smile filled her face as she appeared to be restraining herself from showing any more emotion.


    ¡°I see. Such careful nning and an utterly sadistic motive¡­ this is the Jeremy Lewis I recognized back then. I was wondering if you were changing, but to think you¡¯re still the same.¡± Lara muttered, cing the binocrs on her face.


    Once she said this, I shrugged. I had always been me, sticking to my ideals the moment I got enough power to do so. I wasn¡¯t going to forget any of my ambitions or goals.


    As for this, it was merely a way to pass time. I wasn¡¯t about to feel bad for them since they were murderers in their own rights. Plus, they would be giving me (G) Karma Points. What was there to regret?


    In the first ce, the whole game scenario was merely a sentence to death. All they had to do was survive for an hour?


    ¡®They can¡¯t survive that long and can¡¯t escape since they belong to me.¡¯


    The Demons would track and hunt them down. It was impossible to escape!


    ********************


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± Kevin Smith gave heavy breaths as he kept moving his legs.


    His eyes were bulging with fear and a terrible foreboding as sweat covered his skin. Only one thought rang within him and he followed it with every fiber of his being.


    ¡®RUN!¡¯


    He pushed his muscles to their limit and didn¡¯t stop for even a second to catch his breath. There was no way he was going to be ying the sick game that the strangely powerful boy, Jeremy Lewis had offered to him and the rest of his team.


    It was most likely a trap, and he¡ªthe Fiend¡ª was not a toy to be yed that way.


    He was going to escape! He was going to survive! He would grow stronger! And then, he would make sure to pay Jeremy back for this humiliation.


    The rest of his teammates had better survive for his sake. He would have ensured they lived by protecting them, but he couldn¡¯t handle the extra baggage at the moment. His best chance of living was going alone, hoping only one of the Demons woulde for him.


    With the stats Kevin had thanks, to his Level, and the Job he chose which focused on offense¡ªhe could handle one of those monsters himself. Yes, everything would work out.


    ¡°I can¡¯t die yet!

 Chapter 246 Crux Of The Game

    The thirteen Gifteds who were participants in the blood-curdling game made by a sick boy ran, all in different directions.


    It was the best option they coulde up with to preserve their lives.


    Of course, a few idiots believed that if they could onlyst for an hour, they would survive the death that seemed to creep up on them. Some counted the seconds in their head while otherspletely ignored the concept of time and ran as fast as they could.


    This continued until¡­ the one minute of grace psed.


    After that, the carnage began!


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡±


    The loud screeches of the unstoppable monsters echoed in the air. As soon as the desperate scavengers heard it, they realized that they needed to pick up the pace¡­ else they would die.


    Unfortunately, before one of the thirteen could even think of resorting to a Skill for safety, one Hobgoblin Champion had already crept up on him, brandishing its hand to form a fist.


    >BOOOMMM<


    The attack connected, rendering the scavenger into mincemeat. The pressure made by the blow sent reverb moving across the surrounding¡ªalong with chunks of flesh and bone.


    While the others had separated from one another, so they couldn¡¯t gain visuals of their respective locations, they clearly heard the shattering sound caused by the Hobgoblin.<sub>.</sub>


    Some were quick enough to activate the


    Skill, giving them temporary intangibility.


    However, not everyone was fast enough!


    >FWOOOOSHHH<


    The Champions moved swiftly, killing three more scavengers in the blink of an eye. Crushing their skulls, tearing apart their limbs, shattering all the bones within, and turning them to dust¡ªthe method differed depending on their twisted tastes of the Demons, but it ultimately led to the death of the Gifteds.


    A few who weren¡¯t lucky enough to have the


    Skill also fell prey to the assault of the Demons. Four more died as a result.


    This made a total of eight deaths, leaving only five survivors.


    It had been barely a minute since the release of the Demons, yet over half already crossed to the other side. The survivors were too focused on escaping to care about the death of others.


    ¡°Guruiik Guruurik!¡± The Hobgoblin Champions who couldn¡¯t hit their target growled in annoyance.


    The troublesome


    Skill got in their way since their fists simply passed through their targets.


    ¡®If I keep this up, maybe I can¡­¡¯ They thought to themselves, having glimmers of hope burning deep within their hearts.<sub></sub>


    Once again, however, they would be dealt another taste of despair!


    >ZZZTTZZZ<


    A buzz appeared in each of the surviving Gifteds¡¯ locations and a panel opened up instantly.


    [SYSTEM ERROR]


    ~The Skill being used no longer exists in your Skill Slot~


    <Skill Effect Will Be Forcefully Deactivated>


    [END OF INFORMATION]


    Suddenly, a strange sensation coursed through their bodies and they suddenly felt something¡­ yes, the dust that was being raised as a result of the Hobgoblins¡¯ tantrums.


    They could feel it now!


    ¡®I¡¯m not intangible?!¡¯ Must have been the thought that rang in their minds at that exact moment.<sub></sub>


    Unfortunately, they did not have the speed or mental capacity to fully understand and react to what was urring until it was toote.


    >BOOOOMMMM!!!<


    Flesh and blood scattered apart in all locations as the once invincible Gifteds were torn apart by the absolute Demons


    There was no chance to feel pain or fear. The death was instant¡ªalbeit gruesome. In a way, one could assume that it was mercy.


    And so, thanks to the mysterious [SYSTEM ERROR] that shed before the unsuspecting Gifteds¡ª moments before their death¡ªonly one scavenger was left¡­ and it was none other than Kevin Smith!


    ***********************


    ¡°Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­!!!¡± Now barely breathing, Kevin still pushed himself to run.


    It had barely been a few minutes since the culling began, yet he felt like he had been running for years.


    His eyes were transfixed on his Status Window and shock pervades him.


    ¡®H-How is this possible?!¡¯ He questioned within himself.


    Unfortunately, the answer to his inquiry never came.


    One after the other, his subordinates fell until none were left registered on his screen. Gritting his teeth, he cursed and kept pushing himself to run.


    In no time, a Hobgoblin would approach him for battle. He had to finish it off and resume his escape as soon as possible, lest others would catch up to him.


    ¡®There are thirteen Hobs, same as the number of us. Even if they¡¯ve killed my subordinates, it will take some time before they reach me. There should be one assigned to me, that¡¯s the one I should look out for!¡¯


    Fortunately, he had high Agility and Vitality Stats, giving him an advantage in his escape.


    ¡®I just need to keep moving. If I encounter a Hob, I won¡¯t hold back!¡¯


    Prolonging anything would be to his disadvantage.


    Having these thoughts, Kevin held on to his illusion of victory and didn¡¯t notice that, for some reason, he had gotten slower. Not only had he lost his speed, but in only a few minutes, he feltpletely worn out.


    He had thought it was a result of the tension he felt. Unknown to the foolish man who trod the path of death, the cause was something else entirely!


    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!!¡± A sharp cry from a Hobgoblin rang through his ears.


    It was most likely the one assigned to him!


    Preparing himself for battle, the most reasonable choice, Kevin brandished his fist and red in the direction of the voice. As soon as he readied himself, another cry surged from a different location, and then another, yet again another.


    Kevin kept hearing growls of Demons from all directions, as though they had surrounded him.


    ¡®H-how¡­??! They couldn¡¯t have caught up with me already!¡¯ The dark-skinned man thought in panic.


    Fear coursed through his veins as he realized he was nearly out of cards to y. Not only had he lost his subordinates, a major source of his power, but he was already feeling strangely exhausted.


    He wasn¡¯t even confident in fighting one Hobgoblin Champion, talkless of multiple ones.


    Unfortunately, the fiend didn¡¯t have a choice!


    >RUMBLE<


    >RUMBLE<


    >RUMBLE<


    The earth shook and Kevin¡¯s body shuddered in response. His eyes caught the sight of multiple Hobgoblins approaching him. From the front, from the sides, even his back. His peripheral vision didn¡¯t fail to estimate their numbers¡­ they were thirteen!


    All thirteen monsters now drew nearer, having bloodthirsty looks in their eyes. Kevin needed no prophet to tell him that he was screwed.


    Death was inevitable!

 Chapter 247 Illusion Of Dominance

    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-sizedpany, he epted 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¡ªperhaps it was no longer a dream, but a small flickering hope¡ªthat 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¡ªlike 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¡ªas usual.


    Suddenly, the environment shifted, and he found himself in what could only be described to be a ¡®nk Space¡¯. He was all alone there, or so he thought, until he saw a peculiar being in front of him.<sub>.</sub>


    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¡ªwhere 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¡ªthe 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!<sub></sub>


    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 toprehend 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 wasing to him, Kevin had to make a choice.


    Was he going to remain the underdog? Or would he take the initiative and rise to be 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.<sub></sub>


    [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. Recing what should have been guilt and anxiety was something else¡ªsomething 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 ughtering his way through thepany building, killing everyone in sight.


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


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


    Within a few hours alone, he massacred every single staff in thepany, 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¡ªassembling 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 epted.


    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¡ªbased 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 ce 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¡ªmore 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 mes.


    All his subordinates were dead, and he was thest man left. Looking around him, he saw bloodthirsty Hobgoblin Champions¡ªprowlers 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.

 Chapter 248 Malevolence (Pt 1)

    Kevin¡¯s body felt heavy, like lead.


    No more Skills were avable to him since all his servants were dead, and he knew none of his personal Skills would work.


    Despair enveloped the man, and he soon reverted to the way he was before the Apocalypse warped his nature. Kevin Smith turned frail!


    ¡°P-please¡­ don¡¯t¡­ I beg you¡­ don¡¯t kill me.¡± He stuttered, watching the amused grins of the Hobgoblins as they drew closer.


    Their green-colored skin glimmered in the sun and they rubbed their fists, most of which were covered with the blood of his fallen subordinates.


    Now merely inches away from him, all surrounding the kneeling man, the Demons readied themselves for yet another enjoyable act of pure violence.


    ¡°Pleaseeeeee!!!¡±


    **************************


    I witnessed the final moments of thest survivor, seeing as the Hobgoblins pounded him to death, ripping out his body as he pleased.


    Thanks to his High-Level, he didn¡¯t die instantly¡ªunlike the others. Slow, agonizing suffering persisted as the Demons mercilessly brutalized the man¡¯s body.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Uarghhh! Pweasee! I-I bweg wuof yuuu! Ahhh! Pweasee!¡±


    His distorted tone began reducing, nowcking the strength to say any more. Shortly after losing all the strength to protest, Kevin Smith died.


    By this time, his body was not even a shell of his previous glory. Mashed-up flesh and stters of blood¡ªthat was all left of him.


    ¡°Aaaand, that¡¯s a wrap!¡± I said, concluding the game.


    As expected, the winners were the Hobgoblin Champions.


    ¡°As a reward for your outstanding performance, you get to live another day!¡± I smiled at the green things that growled at each other, most likely intending to find more humans to turn into mashed food.


    ¡®That¡¯s enough fun for today.¡± I smiled.


    In an instant, the Demons all returned to [Subspace]¡ªleaving the sight of carnage they caused.


    ¡®Game Over!¡¯<sub></sub>


    The yers, and even Lara the spectator, were not aware of the fact that I interfered in the event myself.


    Some scavengers survived for a while longer as a result of their


    Skill, so I decided to get rid of it. It would be the first time I tried it, but seeing that it was actually a useful thing to have¡ªalbeit Low-leveled¡ªI used <Steal> on them.


    Previously having two unupied Skill Slots, the numbers were reduced to one. In exchange, I was able to obtain multiple


    Skills, allowing me to Level it up to the highest point, though the Rank remained the same.


    The mere fact that I could sessfully take away their Skills must have caused their System to malfunction and automatically cease the usage of the


    ability that was no longer in their arsenal.


    The Demons were able toplete their missions much faster that way.


    That wasn¡¯t the only thing I did, though.


    Using <Steal> on a lot of them, most especially Kevin Smith, I plundered their Stats, severely weakening the fleeing Gifteds.


    They must have been in such panic and desperation that they didn¡¯t notice. It was too bad, though¡ªfor them, that is.


    Adding their Stats to my own was sure to be helpful, and I also received (G) Karma Points for my troubles.<sub></sub>


    ¡®Haa¡­ that brings my total amount to what now?¡¯ My thoughts trailed as I checked my Status Information.


    [.]


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 2,100


    [.]


    ¡®Oh? A big jump from 600! That¡¯s incredible.¡¯


    Of course, I knew the (G) Karma Points didn¡¯t juste from the deaths of the thirteen Gifteds who had just died. Even when the Camp members fought and killed off the scavengers, I was surprisingly warning (G) Karma Points.


    It made me realize that as long as I was in a sensory range from a dying Gifted, once they died, it would increase my point.


    The question was why?


    I thought it was a sort ofpensation for any action of mine¡ªwhether direct or indirect.


    So far, I was the one who induced my (G) Karma payment, whether by sending Gifteds to their death or by closing Gates. It was reasonable that I waspensated.


    However, this time, I never even interfered in the fight of the Subjugation Squad against the scavengers, yet, points were allotted to me.


    It got me even more puzzled.


    ¡®Maybe it has to do with the fact that I¡¯m the only one with the (G) Karma Points¡­ so as long as I¡¯m around, I receive the benefits¡­ maybe?¡¯


    It was hard to fully fathom this mysterious power, so I decided to once again let it go. It would have made more sense if the God guy had exined this to me more.


    Shaking off my thoughts, I looked beside me to spot my fellow spectator.


    ¡°So? What do you think now?¡± I asked Lara, who was silent throughout the whole ordeal of the scavengers.


    She removed the binocrs from her face and returned them to me while her lips moved slowly.


    ¡°Well, I can see you¡¯ve not changed in the slightest¡­¡± Her tone sounded distracted.


    Was she dissatisfied? For the past few days, Lara had been wondering if I had gotten soft due to my unusually kind actions. This whole game, while for my amusement, was also to show her that I was far from being merciful and meaninglessly benevolent.


    Yet, she didn¡¯t give me the kind of emotion I expected.


    ¡°Seeing this just makes me more confused, Jeremy. It does appear that you¡¯re sadistic and merciless when ites to humans and Demons alike, but¡­¡±


    Lara¡¯s tone was now soft, her eyes piercing deep into mine.


    ¡°It makes me even more confused as to what your true intentions are for Charles¡¯ Camp¡­ and even myself!¡±


    ¡®Ah, I see. So that¡¯s how it is.¡¯


    She was still wondering what my grand scheme was. Based on what I just showed her, I could basically do more with my abilities and take over the Camp and its resources, yet I didn¡¯t.


    Her limited knowledge was to me, so I couldn¡¯t entirely fault her. The bigger issue, though, was herst statement.


    My true intentions for Lara¡­ what exactly were they?1

 Chapter 249 Malevolence (Pt 2)

    ¡®What are my true intentions for her, uh?¡¯


    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t even sure myself. I really did not need a sidekick or partner in my journey. There was the option of using her as a ¡®Meat Shield¡¯ in the case of danger, but I cared too much for her to consider doing that¡­ at least not at first nce.


    Besides, my attachment to this woman kept growing day by day.


    With Anabelle¡¯s death, my need for the emotional intimacy she used to supply me with began increasing. Perhaps I hoped to rece Ana with Lara?


    No, that wasn¡¯t possible. Lara could never be as pure as Ana. Still, I liked both of them in different ways. Ana¡¯s naivete and kindness, Lara¡¯spatibility with me and herpany.


    I was a bit conflicted now¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking things, Lara. I just enjoy yourpany. As for the Camp, I have ns for it, but it¡¯s not time yet.¡± My lips moved to answer her query, choosing to respond in the most non-implicating way I could.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± She mumbled.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Yeah. Besides, we still have time. I should take this chance to take care of other business. While we wait for the Camp, we can use this opportunity to visit the others in the area¡­¡± I replied, rising from where I sat.


    Charles had already informed me that other than his camp and that of the scavengers, there were two others in the vicinity.


    One was arge group of hippies and go-happy folks that had fortunately seized control of a supermarket district and could survive independently.


    The second group was more militaristic and had powerful Gifteds under theirmand, so, even though they were smaller in numberpared to the others, they were a force to be reckoned with.


    Charles told me that even Ana and Danielbined could not defeat their leader. That stood for something.


    I understood why no one went after the militaristic group, but what of thergerpany? Was there something in their possession that allowed them to maintain their ground even though they didn¡¯t have much attack power?


    Well, I would soon find out.<sub></sub>


    I had a bit over a week left to wait. It would be good to make good use of my time!


    ******************************


    ¡°Huu¡­ what do I do¡­¡± Charles sighed as he sat on hisfy chair in his office.


    His head faced the ceiling, but his eyes were closed. So many thoughts ran amok in his head but he tried cing them under control.


    Thanks to Jeremy, his Camp members had returned victories. Based on the reports Daniel and Tasha gave him, the situation was direr than what he and Jeremy had predicted.


    It was no wonder the boy had to fake his death and take on the persona of the ¡®Masked Person¡¯ in order to directly participate in the Demon Horde Subjugation.


    Now that the crisis had been resolved and peace had returned, it was assumed that he would have fewer things to worry about, but his mind still rang in worry.<sub></sub>


    Jeremy had gone, and his Camp was now safe from his tyranny. But, the malevolent boy he knew was not so generous.


    He was going to return soon, Charles knew that much. But, he didn¡¯t know what to do about it. After all, it still wasn¡¯t certain what Jeremy¡¯s true intentions for all of the were.


    ¡®What are you nning, Jeremy?¡¯


    If it was an evil scheme, something that would threaten the safety of himself and his family¡­ Charles wondered what he could do.


    ¡®Is it finally time to leave this ce?¡¯


    He had no idea, for now. But, one thing was for sure¡­ he had to make his decision soon.


    *********************


    [One Week Later]


    ¡°Haaa¡­ what a wonderful day this is!¡± I jumped from my sleep energetically.


    My body moved like clockwork and a broad smile was stered on my face. I had gotten so busy ever since I took care of Kevin and his crew, so it was quite a while since I had gotten such beautiful sleep.


    Making sure to get enough rest for myself, I had prepared myself for this particr day. At longst, it was time to return to Charles¡¯ Camp for the harvest.


    Taking a step into the toilet, I freshened up, enjoying the shower of water all alone.


    Hearing the ripples of liquid as they sttered on me, and even the ground, I was immersed in loneliness.


    Memories of my lewd instances with Lara popped into my head and I squealed a little in embarrassment.


    As it turned out, she was aware of what I was doing behind the curtain that day, and even aided in it. As I had thought, she supported my actions, but told me it would have been better if I had simply ¡®asked for permission¡¯.


    It was at that moment I realized that Lara was actually a crazy woman.


    ¡®How am I supposed to ¡®ask¡¯ you to let me¡­ argh!¡¯ I clutched my head and tried to forget the embarrassing thoughts.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time to revel in pitiful ideas. I had to prepare myself for this moment.


    As for the reason Lara wasn¡¯t with me, I kept her in [Subspace]. I intended to leave her there for the whole day until my job was concluded.


    While it would be a bit nice to have her witness some of what I was about to do, it wouldn¡¯t bode well for me to expose her to all of it. The ¡®me¡¯ in thest wouldn¡¯t have minded, but currently¡­ I didn¡¯t want Lara to see the horror that would be wrought.


    In that vein, I reckoned to leave her out of the whole thing.


    ¡®Now, then¡­ I should get going¡­¡¯


    In an instant, I pushed off all the remnants of water on my body and closed the opening of [Susbspace] that dripped liquid. Clothes manifested on my naked body¡ªunderwear and all, and I was good to go.


    Now leaving the scavengers¡¯ hideout, I was greeted by the warm radiance of the sun and the ever-bright day.


    It was indeed a pleasant morning¡­ unfit for what was toe.

 Chapter 250 Beginning Of The Harvest (Pt 1)

    ¡®Well, this isn¡¯t the first you¡¯ve done it, Jeremy¡­¡¯ I calmed myself and looked beyond the horizon.


    I could somewhat see the Camp, though it was not very clear¡ªeven with my heightened vision.


    It seems so small, so irrelevant, almost like a speck of dust. The moment my thoughts went along this line, I found the courage to do what needed to be done.


    For the past week, I had been preparing my heart for this, taking care of the surrounding Camps in the process. So far, there would be no witnesses or survivors to tattle on my actions. Having taken care of all loose ends, I was much more confident concerning the endgame of my ns.


    Taking well-paced steps, I began my approach to the Camp, an air of gloom radiating around me. The time of harvest was nigh.


    *************************


    A week had passed since hest saw the kid, yet Jeremy hadn¡¯t shown up since then.


    This was a great cause for celebration and relief for Charles. He heaved a sigh of relief as he began scribbling down so many things on the sheet spread out before him.


    It was one of the only few books that still existed in their current apocalyptic world.<sub>.</sub>


    The cultivation of the crops had been going on splendidly. Thanks to Amaya, their cultivator, and her Gift¡ªall was going ording to n.


    Thanks to Jeremy¡¯s earlier supply of food, and the early arrival of the Subjugation Squad, the estimated time for concluding the nting was pushed backward, so they had currently finished harvesting the maize grains and we¡¯re now on their second batch of foodstuff.


    Fortunately, one of their Camp members had the ability of [Forced Stasis], which temporarily maintained the natural state of anything. This allowed him to preserve their food without any of it going to waste.


    Unfortunately, it only worked on Inanimate objects, so it couldn¡¯t be used inbat.


    Still, looking at the records he had before him, things were progressing quite well. The borehole project was sessful, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about water. Food was also no longer a problem.


    The immediate threat of the Hobgoblins had also vanished, so the Camp was safe. In addition, the members who participated in the Subjugation mission were now stronger than ever.


    Compared to their manpower before, these ones were atpletely different levels.


    Charles would have felt threatened of his position in the new and improved Camp had it not been for the high Level of his loyal wife who stuck by him, and their ever-kind and faithful Trump Card, Daniel.<sub></sub>


    With both of them serving as pirs by his side, no one dared to challenge his authority. For Tasha, it was only to be expected since they were married, but Daniel¡¯s case was a s a result of his Alignment. Even before he left for the Subjugation, he was always the strongest in the Camp, but he never disobeyed authority.


    As a result, Daniel would always be under Charles¡¯ control!


    ¡®It¡¯s a shame we lost so many people, but looking at the state of things now, we¡¯re better off¡­¡¯


    They had fewer mouths to feed, more capable people, better food and water supplies, and even the walls and gates that were destroyed thanks to the incursion of the scavengers had been easily repaired thanks to the arrival of the veterans who had just returned from battle.


    Charles also couldn¡¯t forget the Demon Cores they raked in from the whole skirmish with the Horde. It was as if the whole incident was a blessing in disguise.


    The best thing, however, was the absence of Jeremy Lewis!


    Thanks to that, he had a better grip over the affairs of the ce rather than just being a puppet controlled by the little boy¡¯s whims.


    He just hoped Jeremy had chosen to leave their little gathering alone. That would be for the best!<sub></sub>


    ¡°Well, considering he hasn¡¯t shown up until now¡­ that is certainly for the best¡­¡± The Camp Leader smiled to himself.


    Unknown to him, he wasn¡¯t the only one in the room who heard his relieved statement.


    ¡°Oh? Looks like you¡¯ve forgotten about me already.¡± A voice suddenly appeared, causing the rxed man to bepletely thrown off his edges.


    ¡°W-wha¡ª?!¡± Charles tried to form words from his mouth as his eyes darted around to get a visual of the intruder.


    He had sensed nothing, felt nothing, seen nothing, yet a voice just appeared as though it had been there all this while.


    ¡°W-who¡¯s there?!¡± Charles yelled, quickly reaching for a weapon¡ªone he usually kept on the shelf beside his desk.


    As soon as he tried to touch it, though, the item vanished. It was as though the object was never there.


    ¡°W-who¡­?!¡± Charles¡¯ voice trailed.


    Many would think this was the work of a ghost or some sort of spiritual phenomenon, but Charles knew better. Deep down, he already had an inkling, no, an assurance of who the culprit would be.


    Perhaps he was just frightened that voicing out his thoughts would automatically make it real. He didn¡¯t want that!


    Unfortunately for the Camp Leader, though, he didn¡¯t have a choice.


    ¡°How cold. You¡¯ve forgotten my voice already¡­¡± The voice returned, and within the dimly-lit office emerged the figure of fear¡ªone Charles had hoped never to see again.


    ¡°J-Jeremy¡­ Lewis¡­?!!¡±


    **************************


    [A Few Moments Earlier]


    It was easy sneaking into the Camp¡ªif I could even call it sneaking in.


    I simply just waltzed in, avoiding all forms of surveince.


    ¡®Oh? Impressive. Charles reallyid out a defensive formation well¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed as I noticed the Gifteds surrounding my nks.


    Unfortunately for them, they couldn¡¯t detect me since a bunch of my Skills were working hand-in-hand to prevent that.


    I didn¡¯t even need to knock on the door before I entered. Thanks to the


    Skill, the problem was easily solved.


    ¡®This Skill is more useful than I thought. Good thing I took it before killing all those scavengers.¡¯ I mused while passing through all the obstacles in my path.


    I walked past all the busy Camp members, not paying any of them my attention.


    There was one person, in particr, I sought to find. No, three actually. Once I was done with them, I would head over to my final destination¡ªCharles!

 Chapter 251 Beginning Of The Harvest (Pt 2)

    It didn¡¯t take very long for me to locate them, given the advantage I had in sensory perception.


    Deciding to take care of the most troublesome first of all, I made my way to the second floor where I tracked my target¡¯s presence and passed through her door.


    In an instant, I was greeted with the floral scent of the room. For someone like me who had heightened senses, it took a while for me to limate to the oddly sweet aroma that hung in the air.


    I shook off the feeling and set my eyes on the owner of the room¡ªMelissa!


    She slept on her bed, humming in her usually charming voice. If I hadn¡¯t known about her rotten personality, I would have taken her for the average teenage girl.


    Drawing nearer to her, I felt no hesitation or much emotion, simply anticipation for what was toe. Reaching her bedside in a sh, I reached out and tapped her, causing the girl to vanish into my [Subspace].


    ¡®I could easily just use <Recall> to take her back, but this is much more fun¡­ plus, I¡¯m not in a rush.¡¯


    The moment Melissa vanished, I had all the space in the room to myself. Of course, I did not hesitate to take her bed, mirrors, and the countless fragrances and girly stuff she stocked her haven with.<sub>.</sub>


    Within a few seconds, I stripped the room of its beauty, leaving a nk space.


    Once I concluded my business, I made my way to another room where my second target¡ªDaniel¡ªwas.


    The room had apletely normal ambiance. Nothing unique about it in the slightest! I didn¡¯t even waste any time taking in Daniel who was having a nap, most likely after working himself to the bone on one thing or another.


    I exited the ce, realizing nothing of value was kept in hispletely unimpressive abode.


    ¡®Tch, cheapskate¡­¡¯


    Finally heading to my final target before seeing Charles, I neared a very familiar area. Every step I took reminded me of my time at the Camp. Memories flooded my head as I continued my steady pace until I reached the front door of the room.


    ¡®This ce¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed.<sub></sub>


    This was where I stayed back when I spent time with Anabelle and the others.


    Nostalgia swept through me as I entered the room, taking a good look at the ambiance. Nothing had changed! It was as though I had never left, as though Anabelle and the others were not dead.


    This was most likely a result of Lily¡¯s plea with Charles or whoever was in charge. She must have wanted to immortalize the memories of herrades.


    Speaking of the devil, I saw the young girl crouched in a corner, arms wrapped around her legs as she trembled in emotion. I silently watched as she shuddered and let out soft moans chock-full of tears.


    ¡°B-big sis¡­ A-Ana¡­ it¡¯s a-all my fault¡­ it should have been me who died¡­ Y-you saves me and d-died instead¡­¡± Her soft voice reached my ears.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ s-so sorry¡­¡±


    I would have gotten disgusted if it was another person who cried like this in front of me, but the sentiment I had toward Lily couldn¡¯t make me get angry at her. The young girl¡¯s weakness was certainly repulsive, and the way she sat in a corner feeling bad about herself reeked of self-pity and shamelessness.<sub></sub>


    However, I couldn¡¯t fault her.


    If I didn¡¯t have the knowledge of the future, if I never experienced the despair that Grade 2 Demon showed me¡­ if I was the one who was saved by Ana, and not Lily¡­ perhaps I would have been the one who was curled up like a ball and crying.


    That sentiment alone caused me to nearly sympathize with her.


    ¡®Okay, Jeremy. You¡¯ve seen how she¡¯s faring¡­ now you just need to do what you came here for¡­¡¯


    I silently moved closer to Lily.


    ¡°J-Jeremy¡­?¡± Her voice rang loudly, raising her head higher than its previously sunken state.


    ¡®What the fvck!?!¡¯ My mind screamed as I took a step back in surprise.


    ¡®She can see me?!¡¯ I panicked.


    ¡°I-If you can hear me¡­ I¡¯m sorry Jeremy¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. You died too¡­ I¡¯m the only one left¡­ I couldn¡¯t protect Ana¡­ I-I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± Her pathetic voice trailed again as she returned into silent sobs.


    ¡®Phew¡­ that was a close one¡­¡¯ I heaved in relief.


    To think she caught me off-guard like that. For a second there, I thought the girl could sense me despite all the Skills that were in effect.


    Before I had any more thoughts, I took Lily into [Subspace], as well as everything else in the room¡ªwhether they had value or not.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Lily¡­ I¡¯ll keep these precious things for you¡­ they¡¯ll be ruined if they remain here.¡¯


    With those final thoughts, I left the room and made my way to the peak of the building where the boss was¡ªand by boss, I meant the Camp leader, Charles.


    ***************************


    [The Present]


    ¡°You look surprised¡­ did you really think I¡¯d leave just like that?¡± My voice rang malevolently as I deactivated my stealth Skills and manifested my presence.


    ¡°Jeremy¡­ I knew it. It seems you¡¯ve gotten a few more Skills since west met¡­¡± Charles responded.


    The way voice the Camp Leader¡¯s voice quivered was his failed attempt in soundingposed. I could tell that he most certainly wasn¡¯t thrilled about my presence in his office.


    ¡°I gained a lot of Levels too. Why don¡¯t you see for yourself?¡± I smiled, doing myself the honor of having a seat.


    Charles gulped, obviously unable to stop me as I made myselffortable on the chair before his desk. Even as I sat, the man remained standing, most likely unsure of what to say or do.


    Maybe it was guilt, for the fact that he failed to protect Ana even though I spared his lover. Perhaps it was fear, for the fact that I could easily tear apart all that he had built and take it all for myself. Or maybe¡­ it was both?!


    ¡°Have your seat, Charles. We have some things to discuss, don¡¯t we?¡±

 Chapter 252 Beginning Of The Harvest (Pt 3)

    For a moment, silence prevailed.


    Only the exchange between Charles¡¯ eyes and mine upied the expanse of the office we both sat in. It seemed like the man wanted to say something, but he stopped himself from doing so.


    During situations like this, it was best for the one with the higher power to speak first. And so, realizing his intentions, Iplied and broke the silence.


    ¡°How have you been, Charles? You¡¯re awfully quiet¡­ and even nervous. Are you not feeling well?¡± I asked with a smile.


    Though the words uttered showed concern, the tone by which I said them clearly told the one who heard them the opposite of care¡ªjust as I intended.


    ¡°What do you want, Jeremy?¡± The Camp Leader said, furrowing his brows as he still tried to cling on to whatever was left of his confidence.


    ¡°Me? Where else do I belong? I thought you already agreed to make me a member of the family. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re talking that back now¡­¡±


    Charles fell silent.


    ¡°I saw quite a bit on my way here¡­ it seems you guys have been improving at a rapid rate. The Camp isn¡¯t doing too badly.¡± I added, looking at him and intensifying my gaze.


    ¡°Y-yeah, and it¡¯s all thanks to you. Of course, I¡ª¡±<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it wrong.¡± I sharply interrupted the man.


    For a moment, Charles looked dumbfounded, stunned by how I cut him off. So, I decided to educate him a little.


    ¡°It appears you need a reminder on how to thank someone¡­¡±


    ¡°W-what are you¡ª?¡± Charles still wallowed in confusion.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if he was intentionally being a fool, or he was naturally dense when it came to matters like this.


    ¡°¡­ Kneel!¡±


    As soon as mymand was sent, the Camp leader left his seat and immediately crumbled to the ground. The sharp motion of his body must have sent a tingling sensation coursing through him, causing him to wince a little.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand that you owe me everything so far. The fact that your Camp is in one piece¡ªthe scavengers are gone, the Demon Horde has been resolved, your members are stronger¡ªeverything is as a result of my actions. Yet, you simply think you can thank me by just using words alone?¡±


    Charles was an egomaniac, but even he needed to have enough sense topletely offer gratitude to someone who saved everything and everyone he had.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Y-yeah, you¡¯re right. Thank you so much Jeremy. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t appreciate you better just now!¡±


    His tone sounded desperate, and it was so obvious he was forcing his apology and gratitude. After taking note of my Level, that was if he could, he must have realized that I was not to be messed with¡­ even more than in the past.


    ¡°Not only did I keep my promise to you, but I also made sure to clean up your messes and gave you stronger people¡­ all for what? You couldn¡¯t even protect Ana and her team. Only Lily is left, but she¡¯s so miserable that it¡¯s even worse than dying. What exactly have you done for me?¡± My tone of annoyance caused Charles to tremble.


    I didn¡¯t even need to use any Skill to demand his absolute fear.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. There was nothing I could do to save Anabelle. You have to understand¡­¡±


    Slowly, the vestiges of his ego and pride crumbled. The man began to break.


    ¡°You should have died, then. Charles, I can¡¯t believe you had the gall to be alive after allowing Ana to die. Did you really think I would let that go?¡±


    No matter how terrible the situation was, I had no choice but to me his ipetence.


    ¡°W-what do you intend on doing? Kill me? Y-you can¡¯t do¡ª¡±<sub></sub>


    >FWOOOOSHHH<


    A de instantly flew from [Subspace] and severed one of Charles¡¯ limbs in a sh.


    Blood burst out, spurting out of the bloodied hand, much to the Camp Leader¡¯s shock and bemusement.


    ¡°Guarghhhhhh!!!¡± He screamed.


    >CREAK<


    The door opened and Tasha entered the room in an instant.


    Both Charles and I turned our heads in her direction, watching as she quickly took a battle stance and charged at me¡ªnot even waiting for any exnation from her husband.


    The fact that Charles was keeling in his own pool of blood, looking helpless, must have triggered the woman¡¯s deep love for her lover.


    ¡®She probably heard his scream from wherever she was and came rushing in¡­¡¯ My lips curled up in a smile as I watched her rush at me, ready to pounce.


    I had no interest in trading blows with the woman¡ªI learned my lesson thest time we fought.


    >FWOOOOSHHH!<


    Instantly, two des appeared from [Subspace] and did the needful.


    >SQUISH!<


    Both of Tasha¡¯s hands were loped off instantly, same as her legs!


    Blood burst out of the four openings, leaking out the red liquid that meant life to those who had it.


    ¡°Arghhhh!!!¡± She joined her husband in his screams as both of them lost vital parts of their bodies within a minute.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for trying to defy me. You thought I couldn¡¯t do anything, just because I don¡¯t want to kill you? Howughable¡­¡± I mused.


    Tears of pain and fear came out of both Tasha and Charles as they powerlessly watched me stand above them.


    ¡°T-Tasha!¡± Charles managed to let out, seeing his wife bleed on all four areas of her body.


    He must have feared that she would bleed out thanks to her injuries, but I had no fear that she would die.


    ¡®The Vitality she has won¡¯t allow her to give up the ghost so easily, but still¡­¡¯


    I had no need for her, anyway, so the sooner I got rid of the woman, the better.


    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    Instantly, one Hobgoblin Champion appeared in the room, causing both Tasha and Charles to look upon the strange new apparition in horror.


    The Demon slumped, yet its head was practically grazing the roof of Charles¡¯ office.


    ¡°Kill the woman,¡± Imanded the Demon, cing it under the influence of my <Inducement> Skill.


    The disgustingly green monster¡¯s eyes instantly trailed to the helpless and limbless woman on the ground, growling as it made a twisted face.


    ¡®This should break him even more!¡¯

 Chapter 253 Evil (Pt 1)

    ¡°N-no¡­ please. Oh, God! Please!¡± Charles begged as he saw the monster draw nearer to his wife.


    Despite his feeble and powerless attempts to try stopping the monster that incessantly approached her, he couldn¡¯t move a muscle. The control I had over him would not allow Charles to leave his kneeling posture.


    ¡°Jeremy! You bastard! Why are you doing this?!¡± He growled, showing hate in his eyes as hot tears streamed down his cheeks.


    Tasha, the poor man¡¯s lover, couldn¡¯t say much in her stunned state.


    I could hear her struggling voice attempting to whisper something to him, but his enraged screams doused the woman¡¯s words.


    ¡°Why, eh¡­? I paused and ced my fingers on my chin, as though contemting the matter.


    At this point, the Hobgoblin Champion grabbed Tasha¡¯s body, easily lifting her up since she offered no resistance whatsoever.


    Blood dripped from her body and Charles¡¯ eyes lit up further in rage and pain.


    ¡°¡­ Well, there¡¯s no particr reason¡­ I mean, you wouldn¡¯t get it anyway.¡± I concluded.<sub>.</sub>


    Charles appeared dazed by my response,pletely caught off-guard.


    Maybe he was expecting something like revenge or a fit of deep-seated anger concerning him or Tasha¡ªperhaps even ming his inability to protect Ana.


    Unfortunately for him, my motivation was none of those mundane things. While it indeed pissed me off that he was alive in Ana¡¯s stead, my annoyance wouldn¡¯t warrant his or Tasha¡¯s death if they were still useful.


    ¡®Ultimately, I suppose I want them to die to harvest more (G) Karma Points, but¡­¡¯


    Yes, there was also one other thing.


    ¡°If I was to pick something, though, it would be that you crossed me¡­¡± My voice trailed as the monster brought Tasha closer to its mouth, spreading it wide open to amodate the woman.


    I saw herst expression. It was of pure horror. Her nose crinkled, most likely as a result of the pungent stench that wasing from the Hobgoblin¡¯s mouth, and her eyes brought out excess tears¡ªboth from the pain she was experiencing, and the fear of what woulde.


    ¡°I¡­ I-I¡­¡± Her voice quivered and words couldn¡¯te out.<sub></sub>


    All of Charles¡¯ attention shifted to his wife, stretching his hand meaninglessly to reach out for her as the beast finally closed its jaws, chomping her head off.


    ¡°Nooooo!!!¡± The Camp Leader screamed as Tasha¡¯s headless body dangled in the arm of the Hobgoblin Champion. More blood dripped on the ground, making slight stters all across the room.


    ¡°Tashaaaa!!!¡± Charles screamed.


    The Hobgoblin Champion ignored Charles¡¯ screams and kept eating the other parts of the woman¡¯s body, stripping her naked before devouring her raw flesh.


    The way the monster chomped off her breasts, as well as all other parts of her body, made me feel a little sorry for her corpse. Red juiced flowed out and the monster proceeded to lick it off before greedily enjoying more and more of her flesh and bones¡ªuntil there was none left!


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re a greedy little pig, aren¡¯t you?¡± I closed my eyes andughed in surprise.


    Was it due to my order that it ate the womanpletely? I only told the Demon to kill her, though¡­


    Charles¡¯ shrieks caused me to open my eyes and as soon as I did so, the sight of the Demon reaching out from the kneeling mine registered in my brain.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re being too greedy now!¡± My voice rang out in slight annoyance as I sent a de to lope off its head in an instant.


    >SWUIIIISHHH<


    The monster¡¯s head was cleanly separated from its body and fell to the ground, sending blood spurting out in an instant. Now nothing but a corpse, the Demon fell to the floor in a heavy thud and slowly turned to dust¡ªflesh and all.


    ¡°A-ahhh¡­ Ahhhh¡­ Arghhhh!!!¡± Charles screamed even more, most likely mentally shaken by the trauma of death that he had been exposed to in merely a few minutes.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I ordered.


    Immediately, his loud voice quieted down, and while his phase exhibited horror, no sound escaped his lips to tell of it.


    ¡°Things could have gone down differently, Charles. It¡¯s too bad you made me your enemy back then when you forcefully demanded the return of your wife. It would have been better if you remained a loyal chess piece.¡±


    Well, it was uncertain if I would have spared him regardless, but seeing as my heart wasrge enough to amodate Lara, I certainly wasn¡¯t apletely indiscriminate killer.


    Charles appeared to want to say something, so I allowed him to speak.


    ¡°P-please, at least save my daughter! Even if you kill me, even if you destroy the Camp! Please! Don¡¯t kill my little girl! I beg you! You can have everything else! I¡¯ll show you where the storehouse is. All the harvested hoods are yours. Just pleaseee!!!¡±


    I watched as Charles rambled on and on, keeping quiet throughout. It would be a shame to interrupt him while he begged.


    ¡°P-please! I did everything for her! I just¡­ I just want her to live. P-please!¡±


    I had to hand it over to Charles, he kept surprising me at every turn. I knew he cared about his family, but not to this extent. He must have also realized that I nned on decimating the whole Camp seeing as I could kill Tasha mercilessly without remorse.


    ¡°You¡¯re making an honorable request, but you seem to be overlooking one thing. Even after killing your wife, and most likely deciding on killing you, don¡¯t you get it? Why would I save your child?¡±


    It all boiled down to one thing.


    ¡®What can I gain?¡¯


    ¡°She¡ªShe¡­ is a very¡­ a very powerful Gifted!¡± Charles finally spat out after what seemed like a grueling internal session within himself.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Her Gift is extremely rare and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± I tly declined whatever the man was about to suggest.


    ¡°Eh?!¡± Charles gave a dumbfounded expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s absolutely no value in whatever you¡¯re trying to suggest. Your negotiation has failed!¡±


    And so, with nothing else to gain, the man could only watch as I steadily approach him¡ªquivering uncontrobly in unexinable despair.

 Chapter 254 Evil (Pt 2)

    Charles must have thought I would find value in his daughter if I realized she had a very useful Gift that I could exploit.


    It was a very smart move to make, but his reasoning was wed.


    Why would I choose to bring extra baggage with me just for her Gift, especially when I was responsible for the death of both her parents and even everyone she came to know and love?


    There was also onest thing Charles was unaware of¡­ something no one currently knew. Since I had a bit of time left, I could simply tell him as a parting gift¡ªfor old time¡¯s sake.


    ¡°In the future, there¡¯ll be something known as the ¡®System Shop¡¯, where Gifteds exchange Karma Points for nearly everything. When that timees, Karma Points will determine nearly everything about a Gifted.¡± I spoke, moving closer to the man.


    ¡°You can obtain food, clothing, supplies, even Skills¡­ if you have enough Karma Points¡­¡± My voice trailed.


    However, here was the crux of the matter¡ªthe reason I even brought up this concept in the first ce.


    ¡°¡­ The Gifts of those who are dead automatically get turned into Skills and can also be bought using Karma Points, though the good ones are a little pricey.¡±<sub>.</sub>


    My face now moved closer to the man as I grinned sadistically.


    ¡°If she¡¯s such a powerful Gifted, I can just obtain her Gift for myself in the form of Skillster on! Your Gift wille in handy too!¡±


    The moment this bombshellnded, Charles¡¯ facepletely fell and his eyes turned grey in despondency. The tiny hope of his child¡¯s survival had vanished. Seeing the usuallyposed and resolute Camp Leader in such a state was enough to trigger augh in me.


    ¡°Pfft. Pfft¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Puhahahuahahahahahahahaaaa!!¡±


    My cackling voice nearly caused the room to shake as Iughed in amusement. One would think I was mad the way I chuckled.


    The reason I didn¡¯t hesitate to get rid of Paul back then despite his useful Gift¡­ the same reason I didn¡¯t hesitate to kill off some interesting Gifteds who had extremely overpowered Gifts¡ªthat was also the same reason I wouldn¡¯t feel any remorse in burning this whole ce to the ground to get what I wanted.<sub></sub>


    ¡°In the end, your Gifts will be mine¡­ in the form of Skills, of course!¡±


    Moreughter escaped my mouth as I bathed in the revtion that seemed topletely offset Charles to his very core.


    ¡°¡­ So¡­ because of that reason¡­ you would kill¡­ an innocent girl¡­?¡± His voice, shrill and slow, beckoned to me.


    I looked at Charles, ceasing myughter immediately. His sincere eyes disyed worry and genuine affection that was obviously meant for his daughter.


    ¡®Urgh!¡¯ I felt a slight pain in my chest once I noticed this.


    His words and actions struck a chord within me. Perhaps¡­ if I had a father like him, I wouldn¡¯t have turned out to be so twisted. No, if even one person I knew back then disyed this form of devotion to me¡­ then maybe¡­


    ¡°I respect your wishes, Charles. But, reality is quite harsh. Just as you wouldn¡¯t hesitate to let the other Camp members die in order to protect what you love, I am also the same¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    My eyes were now rid of any amusement as I knelt to stare deeper into his eyes.


    ¡°¡­ I too will sacrifice anything and anyone to protect the only person I love!¡±


    We both had things to protect. It was just unfortunate that he was weaker than I was. Had it been the other way around, if he had to make a choice, he would choose his little girl no matter what!


    ¡°You¡­ have someone to¡­ protect?!¡± Charles strained to speak, disying shock.


    His mind must have still been experiencing severe trauma and pain, yet he struggled to speak. Perhaps the hope for his daughter¡¯s salvation still lingered somewhere in his heart.


    ¡°Of course, I do. A life with no one to protect is not worth living.¡± I replied with a soft smile.


    Charles showed even more shock at my words.


    ¡°W-who¡­ is that person?¡±.


    My grin widened as I gave a bright smile and raised my hand, pointing at the object of all my affection and love.


    ¡°Myself! I love myself above all others. I also strive to defend myself before others. No one is more important than me, and if anything exists that threatens me¡­ I will do everything¡ªwhatever it takes¡ª to make sure Ie out victorious!¡±


    The Camp Leader gasped in surprise and disgust. His face morphed into an angry one, clearly inplete disagreement with my philosophy.


    ¡°You selfish bastard¡­ you devil¡­ you¡¯d kill innocents for yourself? What would you gain by that? You¡­ you monster!¡±


    Charles continued his rambling and I rolled my eyes. This was my problem with overly righteous people.


    Was there anything wrong in doing my best to live?


    Sure, my methods were extreme and sketchy, but the goal was geared toward my survival. I also enjoyed some of the things I did, but wasn¡¯t that for the best? If I had to dirty my hands to live, wouldn¡¯t it be better if I did so without feeling shitty about it?


    ¡®A job only gets easier if the person that does it starts to enjoy it¡­¡¯


    Through the deaths of these people, I would be able to secure (G) Karma Points which were able to grant major boosts to my capabilities, further ensuring my survival.


    The hell that awaited me beyond the beginning phase was something Charles and the others couldn¡¯tprehend. While I seemed like the devil at the moment, it was only a necessary precaution to make sure I didn¡¯t lose to the actual devils who would surfaceter on.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me that way, Charles. I¡¯m not the bad guy here¡­¡±


    If this man wanted to me someone, he could me God or the Demons for trapping us in such an apocalyptic world. Just like him and his daughter, I was also a victim who had been forced to y this crazy game.


    The only difference between us was that I would do absolutely anything to guarantee my survival!

 Chapter 255 Evil (Pt 3)

    ¡°M-monster¡­ you¡­ you¡­ should rot in hell¡­¡± Charles cried in anguish.


    I shrugged off his insults. People like him never understood things from my perspective. I had no idea why I decided to do such a pointless thing like telling him so much about my philosophy.


    ¡°Welp, you have your opinion, and I have mine¡­¡± I whispered, touching him by the neck.


    The man trembled as soon as our skins touched.


    ¡®I could easily kill you right now, but¡­¡¯


    ¡°Y-you think you can get away with this? No matter how strong you are, you can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t what? Handle all the Gifteds you have under yourmand? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re pretty confident in their abilities seeing as they¡¯ve all grown considerably.¡± I nearlyughed in amusement.


    Charles was most likely hoping that the Camp members heard his cries and came to rescue him. Even if they failed to save their leader, they could at least gang up on me in their numbers.


    But, was he stupid enough to think that a bunch of Gifteds like them could stop me? Had he forgotten who raised them to such Levels? It was too much of a joke.


    ¡°E-even if they can¡¯t beat you¡­ I trust them, especially Daniel. He¡¯ll make sure the kids are safe! I¡¯m sure¡­¡± Charles¡¯ voice trailed as he choked on his blood and saliva.<sub>.</sub>


    A surprised expression sharply yed across my face. Even now he kept thinking about his girl. I really had to admire this man. Even if he failed as a Leader, he was an admirable epitome of fatherhood.


    ¡°Charles, you may have a point there. But, if you think about it clearly¡­ if the Camp members were to arrive here upon hearing your pained noise, they should havee by now.¡±


    The moment I said this, Charles¡¯ eyes lit up in realization. Had he finally thought of it?


    ¡°Y-you¡­ what did you¡­ do?!¡± He growled in suspicion¡­ a deep dark suspicion that seemed to eat him up from within.


    ¡°Your Camp members are currently upied with the Demons I summoned to keep thempany. None of them will being to your rescue.¡± I smiled.


    Other than Daniel and Tasha, the remaining Gifteds were not too difficult to handle. Plus, without Melissa¡¯s shield ability, they had no defensive measure.


    Fortunately, I had both Daniel and Melissa within [Subspace], so the others were only going to get killed one after the other.


    It wouldn¡¯t take long for the Demons to reach the location of the children¡­ and finish them off as well.


    ¡°You see, Charles, it¡¯s over. I win!¡±<sub></sub>


    My sneer unnerved the man and that became the final straw that broke his willpletely. The Camp Leader¡¯s eyes fell,pletely devoid of hope.


    ¡°Now, then¡­¡± I rose to my feet, leaving the empty shell of the man lying down.


    Before I entered Charles¡¯ office, I had already summoned several Demons throughout the Camp and had them on standby. It wasn¡¯t until I assaulted both Tasha and Charles that I ordered them to begin the incursion.


    By now, they would havepletely wiped out most of the Camp members. Even the ones stationed outside would be no exception to their wrath.


    ¡®Lily is safe within [Subspace], so no harm wille to her¡­¡¯


    Since she was thest member of the team I had grown so fond of, I had no intention of letting her die such a miserable death.


    Plus, well, since her Level was quite small and her Gift wasn¡¯t very useful, I could just leave her out of my whole n. Maybe I could even feed her some lies concerning the destruction of the Camp and make her one of my allies.


    It would be extra baggage, but maybe she could rece Ana¡¯s warmth in my life.


    It also wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a cute girl by my side. If she became a burden in battle, I could just recall her into [Subspace] and do all the fighting.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Hihihihi¡­ that doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡± Iughed to myself.


    My eyes darted to Charles and his broken figure on the ground.


    ¡®I should out him out of his misery now.¡¯


    I summoned one Hobgoblin Champion to finish Charles off and left the room.


    ¡°Handle him gently,¡± I whispered.


    It was myst gift to the man¡ªan easy death.


    Leaving the office, I made my way to the roof of the Camp where a penthouse had been erected for the sake of surveince.


    After transversing the single flight of stairs that led there, I was able to get a wonderful view of the highest point of the building.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ this is nice.¡± I moaned, weed by the chill wind of the high altitude.


    I could see quite a lot from my height, and everything looked perfect. Hobgoblins of various ranks¡ªin their hundreds¡ªsieged the Camp and appeared blood-thirsty.


    They were already eating the corpses of several Gifteds, while the remaining others who had survived had sustained severe injuries and were on the verge of death.


    It was a sight of carnage, so full of despair. One could say that the Horde they had feared came to them in such surprise.


    Thinking about the horrors the Camp members all went through in their attempt to prevent this disaster, only for it to show up on their doorstep¡ªthat must have sucked a lot.


    But, it was necessary.


    From the start, their fate had been death. I merely prolonged how long it would take before they met their end. I made them stronger, I gave them the illusion of victory, and I provided good meals for them to eat.


    Now, it was their turn to provide me with what I desired¡­ their very lives.


    ¡°Arghhhh!!!¡±


    ¡°N-no! Please nooo!!!¡±


    ¡°Someone help! Please help!¡±


    ¡°Masked Hero! Save us! S-save u¡ª¡±


    To think some of them even clung to the hope of salvation even in the face of this horror¡­ how funny was that.


    Still, it was human nature to seek the support and directive of a higher existence. It was thanks to such a thing that religion and government were formed. The hrious aspect of their pleas for help was the object to which they all directed their expectations.


    Me!


    They pleaded for the appearance of the masked man, screamed with all they could that the Masked Hero would appear and deliver them from this cmity. After witnessing his awe-inspiring abilities first-hand, the Camp members sought the only one whom they could depend on.


    ¡°How unfortunate, though¡­ the person who you¡¯re all praying to¡­ is the same one who caused this whole cmity.¡±


    I was both their God and Devil¡­ how ironic was that?


    Having gotten enough of the sight of despondency, I sighed and cracked my slightly stiff neck, preparing myself for the next phase of my operation.


    It was now time for the main show!

 Chapter 256 Final Act (Pt 1)

    Finally¡­ It was finally time!


    I had been waiting for this, and now that the Final Act hade 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!¡±<sub>.</sub>


    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 disyed 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 stered on my face and my hands firmly ced 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.<sub></sub>


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


    They just couldn¡¯t believe what was unfolding before them¡ªso 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 ying on their mind was how I died back then¡ªor rather, how I faked my death.


    Ever since then, the fact of my demise had solidified in both their minds and they epted it as reality. Now shing with their previously epted 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.<sub></sub>


    ¡°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 feelingpletely sorry about everything, Melissa still acted stuck-up. As expected of the bitch.


    ¡°In any case, howe we¡¯re here. Last thing I remember, I was in my¡ª¡±


    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¡ªdozens of Gifteds scattered all across the grounds, half-eaten by Demons. Gore was already apart, and their faces were left intact¡ªfaces that showed fear, despair, and utter misery before death.


    ¡°H-how horrible! The Demons¡­ they weren¡¯tpletely 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 yed in Daniel¡¯s mind.


    ¡°J-Jeremy, what the heck is going on right now? Exin 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 exin the situation.¡± Daniel said, looking desperately at me for answers.


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


    ¡°Uhhh?!¡± Melissa gave a slightly offended look as she disyed surprise by my gall.


    ¡°Both of you should shut up.¡±


    Instantly, her parted lips were tightly glued together¡ªsame 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!¡±

 Chapter 257 Final Act (Pt 2)

    Their eyes told me they couldn¡¯t believe my words.


    I was probably saying nonsense or had probably gone mad as a result of the terrifying sight of Demons everywhere. There was no way the weakling called ¡®Jeremy Lewis¡¯ could arrange for something so sinister¡ªso downright evil.


    Unfortunately for them¡­ their thoughts were false.


    >RUMBLE!<


    >RUMBLE<


    >RUMBLE<


    Sudden quakes caused the both of them to nearly lose bnce as the penthouse trembled as a result of fast-moving beings who seemed to be getting closer to our elevated tform.


    I eased my hold on the pair, allowing them to voice out their shock.


    ¡°T-this is¡ª?!¡±


    Instead of focusing my control on the two, all my attention was ced on the ones who made the terrifying sounds that seemed to shake the concrete we stood on.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°They¡¯reing this way!¡± Daniel yelled, sharply looking directly past me.


    >BOOM!!!<


    In a burst, the door to the penthouse was sted off its hinges and sent flying straight at me.


    ¡°Hyaahhhh!!!¡± Daniel screamed, pushing himself from his standing posture as he sharply appeared in front of me to stop the metal door that would have hit me otherwise.


    ¡®I could have stopped it, though¡­¡¯ I nearly rolled my eyes.


    Daniel maintained his stance in front of me, shielding both Melissa and myself from the ones who had forcefully invaded the penthouse and now growled at us.


    ¡°Damn it! We¡¯re toote¡­ they¡¯re here!¡±


    Demons poured out of the opening that connected the penthouse to the stairs leading up. In their dozens, they appeared¡ªall were Hobgoblin Champions.


    ¡°Shit¡­ this will be tough!¡± Daniel growled, most likely realizing his chances of victory, orck thereof, after checking their Stats.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Jeremy, don¡¯t leave my back. I promise¡­ this time I¡¯ll protect you!¡± The heroic boy said, his eyes not leaving the enemies.


    Even in this type of situation, he was worried more about me than himself.


    ¡°W-what should we do, Daniel? They¡¯re too much!¡± Melissa cried helplessly.


    Even if they tried escaping, there were still Hobgoblins beneath us. Daniel could try creating an opening that let us break through their formation¡ªallowing us to escape through the only door in sight.


    However, it was uncertain if there remained Hobgoblins in the Camp building. If we were to encounter even more of such high-level Demons, especially in confined locations, it would be even more disadvantageous for us.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to rely on your Gift, Melissa. We¡¯ll break through somehow. Once that happens, I¡¯ll buy enough time distracting the Demons so you can take Jeremy and run.¡± Daniel¡¯s chivalric voice sounded, intensely looking at Melissa.


    ¡°B-but, Daniel¡­ what about you?¡± Melissa protested weakly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m strong enough to handle myself. Besides, I won¡¯t be able to go all-out if you¡¯re close to me. You may get caught up in the battle.¡± He gave a reassuring smile.


    After a slight second of consideration, Melissa conceded.<sub></sub>


    I could tell she was worried¡ªnot for Daniel, but herself.


    If anything happened to the reliable and strong hero, her survival would be threatened. Plus, he was even leaving me in her care. To a selfish bitch like Melissa, I was nothing more than a burden she would easily cut loose if I proved detrimental to her survival.


    ¡°You have to live, okay?!¡± She yelled at him, desperate in her tone.


    The idiot, feeling as though his girlfriend really cared about him, gave Melissa a reassuring smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it out alive. I promise!¡±


    ¡®What a death g.¡¯ I instantly thought.


    The Demons were now slowly advancing, ready to pounce.


    Daniel summoned a sword, thanks to his [Knight] Job, and filled it up with aura, one of the Skills in his possession, creating a brightly-colored blue de. He tightly gripped the weapon, apparently steeling his resolve for the terrible, life-threatening battle that would now unfold.


    ¡°Here I go! The moment I open up a path, run as fast as you can!¡±


    >WHOOOOOSHHH!!!<


    Before we could respond, he moved like a blur and lunged at the green army of death blocking the way.


    ¡°Rahhhhhh!!!¡±


    With a blue glow covering his body, granting him enhanced strength, Daniel most likely raised his physical ability to the maximum and cut through the small horde.


    The knight was powerful enough to damage them and exchange strikes, but even he could not deal fatal hits.


    Still, he achieved his motive, slowly handling the monsters in such a way that the oath to our escape opened up. Hope was in sight!


    ¡°Go! Go now!¡± Daniel screamed, struggling to hold back the monsters that would tear apart his flesh with any chance they got.


    Melissa, who had already activated her link barrier, sharply responded to her lover¡¯s instruction and was about to run as fast as her legs could carry her. But¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡­ Upon hearing my whisper, her body halted and she ceased any signs of escaping.


    Daniel, who was still struggling with all his strength, noticed that we hadn¡¯t made a break for it yet and swiftly turned his attention in our direction.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?! Melissa, run!¡±


    The moment his attention got diverted to us and he lost sight of the opponent¡ªeven if it was just for a brief moment¡ªit was enough time for me tomand the Hobgoblin Champions to use Skills for enhancing themselves.


    With their advanced strength, even as Daniel realized his error and tried reacting to their assault, it was toote for him.


    Theirbined assaults hit him throughout his body, especially focused on all his limbs.


    ¡°GUARGHHHHHH!!!¡± He screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, partially stunned as a result of the surprising surge of pain in multiple areas of his body.


    ¡®I¡¯m not done yet!¡¯ An evil gleam appeared in my eyes as Imanded two of the monsters to inflict additional pain on the injured boy.


    >CRACK!<


    ¡°ARGHHHHHHHH!!!¡± More screams of hurt emanated from Daniel as his bones were shattered by the crushing weight of the Hobgoblin Champions¡¯ legs.


    With all his means of struggle taken away from him, the true fun was just beginning!

 Chapter 258 Revenge (Pt 1)

    [WARNING: The Scene Depicted In This Chapter Is Adult And Can Be Considered To Be Quite Disturbing. Take Caution!]


    ¡°ARGHHHHHHHH!!!!¡±


    Bones from both Daniel¡¯s hands and legs were all broken to pieces in an instant.


    This would be enough to drive anyone to the edge of insanity. Anyone who felt this would either pass out from shock, or be mentally affected as a result of the searing and unimaginable agony.


    Hot tears flowed from Daniel¡¯s eyes as his screams filled the air¡ªenough tomand the pit from anyone who saw him¡­ but not me.


    ¡°Daniieeellll!¡± Melissa cried, unable to bear the unimaginable pain the boy was going through.


    Unfortunately for the both of them, she couldn¡¯t move an inch thanks to my words.


    The Hobgoblin Champions were about to crush more parts of Daniel¡¯s powerless body, most likely his head, when I decided to stop the torture at that.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±<sub>.</sub>


    The monsters instantly froze in their movements. Daniel¡¯s trembling body was left alone, much to his and Melissa¡¯s surprise. They looked in my direction, depicting shock and a slow realization.


    ¡°Do you understand now? Do you believe me now? You fools¡­¡± My grin got wider and wider as I ced my hand on Melissa¡¯s shivering shoulder.


    ¡°J-Jeremy¡­ argh! W-what is the m-meaning of this¡­?!¡± Daniel groaned, still wincing and spasming as a result of the lingering sensations of pain wrought on his body.


    My satisfaction increased as I watched his suffering self struggle in ignorance.


    ¡°I told you before, didn¡¯t I? I am the cause of all of this. me you dim-wittedness for not catching on quickly.¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes widened in greater shock and despair began sinking in.


    ¡°J-Jeremy¡­ w-what are you¡­ w-why¡­?¡± Melissa whispered, her voice trembling with every syble that came out of her mouth.


    With me being in such close proximity to her¡ªmy hand resting on her shoulder¡ªthe terror she must have been feeling was immense.<sub></sub>


    As the one who controlled all the monsters around, as well as the only person who had enough power to decide their fates, clearly, Melissa realized what kind of existence I had be.


    There was no longer any disrespect in her tone. Just pure reverence and fear.


    ¡°Why, uh? It¡¯s too much for you to understand why I destroyed the Camp. Besides, you don¡¯t need to worry about them. Their act is over. Currently, it¡¯s time for the main show!¡±


    This was something I had been looking forward to, even more than Charles¡¯ downfall. Sure, harvesting the Camp members was important, but the revenge I was about to get took equal priority.


    ¡°Do you know how long I¡¯ve waited for this moment? I endured in patience, thinking hard on what I could do to best humiliate the both of you and make you suffer!¡±


    I reached a conclusion after agonizing for so long.


    The first was to take away everyone they cared about¡ªsomething I achieved bypletely destroying the Camp.


    Since the Camp¡¯s destruction already ovepped with my initial ns, it was a bonus. As for the second thing to do¡­ that was where the fun truly started.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Daniel¡­ Melissa¡­ let¡¯s have an intimate session, shall we?¡±


    Without giving them enough time to digest what I meant by my statement, I tightly gripped Melissa¡¯s dress from her shoulder and tore the whole thing.


    In an instant the thin fiber parted, like soft paper, making ripping noises.


    ¡°Arhhh!¡± The young girl screamed in response to the humiliating disy of her bare skin and underwear.


    She shivered, most likely because of the chilly atmosphere¡­ or maybe a dark premonition of what followed.


    I didn¡¯t stop with her top and proceeded to tear apart her pants. There was no resistance whatsoever. In no time at all, she was nearly naked, having only her panties and bras on.


    ¡°J-JEREMY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!¡± Daniel screamed in horror and rage.


    I merely smiled, relishing the moment as I saw the despondency y on both their faces. Melissa sobbed as I carried out my action, realizing what would happen if she defied me.


    For someone like her, survival was everything. Even if it meant enduring such humiliation, she would do so and lose her pride in exchange for even the slightest chance of survival.


    Unknown to her, I wasn¡¯t going to stop after getting this far.


    ¡®Time to show us your goods!¡¯ My depraved mind rang out in amusement.


    Tearing her underwear at the same time, the sounds of the thin linen ripping apart was music to my ears. Much more so was the shout of Melissa, filled with embarrassment and powerlessness as her breasts danced in the air and theher region underneath her became open for disy.


    ¡°Haaa!!! P-please¡­ please stop¡­¡± She finally protested, albeit weakly.


    ¡®I was wondering how much longer you would endure. Pfft¡­¡¯


    I raised her by the hair, causing the girl to wince in pain as I dragged her closet to my face and stared directly into her eyes.


    ¡°Stop? Why?¡± My nk expression must have registered in her brain that I saw no reason to draw a line anymore.


    Tears formed as she shivered even more¡ªher parted lips formed the words ¡®please¡¯ many times, but they fell on deaf ears.


    ¡®It¡¯s toote now¡­¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t remember how long I had fantasized about this moment. Was it ever since I had known her all those years ago? Of course, the scenario wasn¡¯t perfectly as I imagined it to be, but the important details were spot-on.


    Daniel was suffering as he watched, Melissa was powerless to stop me, and I¡­ I was in absolute control of the whole situation.


    ¡°Do you know anything about NTR, Daniel?¡± I suddenly asked, looking straight at the agonizing boy.


    The look on his face told me he desperately wished to stand in order to save his girl. It was unfortunate that all the support for his limbs had been shattered.


    ¡°I suppose you should since you were quite the rascal before¡­ all this.¡± My smile grew wider as I dropped Melissa¡¯s long hair.


    She groaned, sniffing and trembling even more than before. Judging by her reaction, she knew what I was referring to as well.


    ¡°That makes this so much easier!¡± I joyfully dered, bringing my lips closer to one of her ears.


    ¡°Get on all fours!¡±


    [A/N: You Should All Know What Comes Next]

 Chapter 259 Revenge (Pt 2)

    [One Year Ago]


    ¡°Get on all fours!¡± The sonorous female voicemanded with ash of brutality.


    Laughs from my ssmates filled the air as they formed arge circle to spectate the show.


    From my slumped state, I could see the expectant faces in their eyes as they waited to see if I wouldply with the girl¡¯s wishes or not. I gulped down the lump that had formed in my throat.


    The disgusting smiles I was seeing made me sick to my stomach. I felt like cursing them all and exploding in a fit of rage, but my trembling body was too weak for that. Raising my head slightly, I saw the one who gave the order.


    She was beautiful, even with a scowl on her face. Her folded arms raised the voluptuous breasts that mounted evenly on her chest. Her outfit wasn¡¯t necessarily provocative, but the girl¡¯s well-rounded figure made her look irresistible.


    Even as I was being bullied, such shameful thoughts couldn¡¯t escape my mind. What a stupid loser I was! Perhaps they were right to pick on me, even though I practically did nothing to deserve it.


    No matter how depraved I was, I never disyed any of it. Despite my dark, disgusting thoughts, never did I act on them. I kept to myself, indulging secretly in my fantasies, yet those around me wouldn¡¯t leave me in peace.


    ¡°Uh? Are you staring at me right now? Know your ce!¡±


    >WHACK!<<sub>.</sub>


    A sharp noise sounded and vibrations were sent into my ears as the hot, tingling sensation burned on my cheeks. I nearly lost my bnce, feeling the pain register while softly gripping the spot that had been hit.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Get on all fours!¡± The girl¡¯s disdainful voice rang out again.


    I bit my lip in frustration.


    Even though I was slumped in my gait, not on the ground yet, the figures that stared at me appeared to be giants. I was short, yes, but never had I ever felt so little.


    Still, I was being forced to demean myself even more and take the form of a dog! It would drive anyone to anger. I thought of resorting to my fist and perhaps subduing everyone with violence, but that was nothing but one of my many fantasies that could never be fulfilled.


    As I bowed my head in contemtion, not daring to raise my head to steal another nce at the prideful queen-bee of our ss, the same girl uttered something that triggered an immediate response.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to tell Daniel about this¡­¡±


    The moment I heard this, my body instantly fell to the ground and I took the position she wanted me to.


    ¡®E-eh¡­?!¡¯ My mind rang, as I did not even realize when I had gotten so close to the tiled tform that covered the floor of our ss.<sub></sub>


    Such was the intensity of my deep-seated fear of the boy she had just mentioned¡ªDaniel.


    Yes, that was a hidden card she had always used against me. This girl, and only her, could use the worst kid¡¯s name at her leisure. Why?


    Because she was none other than Melissa, and the boy¡ªDaniel¡ªwas her lover.


    ¡°No, bark. Bark like a dog!¡±


    There was barely any gap in between her words and my response.


    ¡°Arf! Arf! Woof! Woof!¡± As humiliating and utterly pointless as it was, I tried my hardest to Imitate the animal required of me.


    ¡°Lol, he¡¯s actually barking?¡±


    ¡°Jeremy is such a creep.¡±


    ¡°I bet he¡¯s enjoying this!¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°I kind of feel sorry for him.¡±


    ¡°Welp, just be happy it isn¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, he makes a pretty good dog impression, though.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s because he¡¯s been practicing.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a dog at heart.¡±


    Hearing so many words mixed in with the torrents ofughter made me feel sick¡ªlike I was worse than a human being.


    ¡°Good. Good boy. Now¡­ lick the ground! Clean it until there¡¯s not a speck where you lick!¡±


    I shit my eyes tight and brought out my tongue to perform the act.


    It was awful.


    But, I took in the dirt. I endured the humiliation. Someone threw in a dirty sock down where I licked, but I was forced to consume even that!


    The smell was terrible. The taste was much worse! But, what could I do when confronted with an impossible situation like that? Absolutely nothing!


    Ultimately, I was bound to obey her every wish thanks to the invisible chain that shackled me¡ªfear!


    ¡°Good! Good boy, now¡­ bite yourself! Bite yourself hard!¡±


    And so the torture continued¡­


    ¡­ On and on and on again!


    No matter the fantasies I had, they remained in my head as I was forced to y Melissa¡¯s silly game, or to serve as Daniel¡¯s fist cushion. Day after day after day!


    School was hell, but not thanks to hard subjects like mathematics. No, it was hell because of the people within it.


    But, what would happen if someday¡­ all those people ceased to exist? What if I could decide all of that? What if¡­ our roles were reversed? Instead of ying the dog, I would finally be the owner¡­ and the one tied down would be none other than all of them who watched and made fun of me. Those who subjected me to such misery.


    If I was to choose¡­ the two people who would suffer the most by my hands, other than my wretched father, they would be none other than Melissa and Daniel!


    ***********************


    [The Present]


    Fortunately¡­ as providence would have it¡­ my fantasy miraculously turned into reality. The ones now being tied down were my previous owners¡ªturned dogs.


    And I? Well, I was now in control of everything!


    As my eyes took in the sight of Melissa kneeling and then cing her hands on the ground while keeping a well-bnced posture, a satisfied grin formed on my face.


    Her naked skin was so attractive, and the embarrassment she disyed made me even relish the moment more.


    Her body throbbed as pleas escaped from her lips. The girl fidgeted, as though trying to forcefully break herself out of my hold, but that was proving to be an impossible task.


    Drawing closer to Melissa from behind, I enjoyed the sight. Unfortunately, her crawling state was too low, even for my short height. For what I was about to do¡­ I needed her body to be more¡­ elevated.


    With a wicked grin and an amused gleam in my eyes, I gave the order.


    ¡°Raise your hips a bit, and¡­ spread your legs!¡±

 Chapter 260 Sullied (Pt 1)

    [WARNING: The Scene Depicted In This Chapter Is Adult And Can Be Considered To Be Quite Disturbing. Take Caution!]


    ¡°¡­ Spread your legs.¡±


    My words ofmand resonated deeply within Melissa and the girl instantly obeyed.


    She raised her hips and disyed her goods in front of me, only inches apart from my crotch. Her legs also parted a bit, revoking the crevice hidden between them. A smile formed on my face the moment I saw the bald region.


    ¡°Good¡­ good girl.¡±


    ¡°Jeremy! You bastard! What are you doing?! Don¡¯t do it! Stop!!!¡± Daniel screamed.


    It was a shame he couldn¡¯t do anything in his current state. Besides, even if he could¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s toote. I¡¯m already hard.¡±


    The bulging sensationing from my crotch was getting unbearable. My ¡®equipment¡¯ was begging me to release it from its confinement.


    Moving closer to Melissa¡¯s inviting body, I unzipped my trousers, pulled down my boxer shorts, and brought out my meat rod.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°N-no¡­ please¡­¡± Melissa whimpered.


    I saw her close her eyes in pain and fear the moment I brought out my fleshy rod, ready to thrust it deep into her hole.


    ¡°Hmmn, this isn¡¯t going to be good enough¡­¡±


    My eyes observed the current size of my dick. While it was big enough to pass as average, it didn¡¯t meet the criteria for what I wanted. To inflict the greatest suffering upon Melissa¡¯sher regions, and also imitate the scenes J had previously watched, I honestly needed something bigger!


    Suddenly, an idea sprang into my head and my lips curled in excitement, ready to bring it to life.


    ¡°<Great Muscrity>¡±


    Instantly, the erect rod I had began increasing in both size and girth. It stretched to an unbelievable proportion, reaching nearly three times its full size.


    ¡°Haa, this is much better¡­¡± Imented, staring down at my ten-inch beast of a dick.


    Both Daniel and Melissa gave shocked expressions the moment they feasted their eyes on the massive weapon I had unsheathed. Without a doubt, it wasrger than any they had ever seen.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Now, then¡­ shall we begin?¡±


    Daniel screamed in plea and anger, forcefully trying to move his body, but was unable to do so. As for Melissa, the supposed victim for what was toe, her body shook violently, in the limited proportion that it could, and begged me for mercy.


    ¡°Please! I¡¯ll do anything! Please don¡¯t put it in!¡±


    I drew nearer, ignoring her words.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jeremy! I¡¯m sorry for how I treated you! I won¡¯t do it again! I¡¯m so sorry! Please! Don¡¯t!!!¡±


    I guided my hands and positioned the rod, perfectly aiming for the hole at the lower center, waiting for the opportune time to strike.


    ¡°P-please wait¡­ no¡­ Please do¡ª¡±


    >WHOOOOSHH!!!<


    With a powerful thrust, I moved my hips and sent my meat rod charging deep into her pussy.<sub></sub>


    ¡°ARGHHHHHHHH!!!¡± Melissa¡¯s scream filled the air, as though she strained her throat to let out the dry and desperate outburst.


    Blood spurted out of the hole, but I didn¡¯t mind. The warm embrace of Melissa¡¯s insides drew me in as I epted its wee.


    ¡®Haa¡­ so this is it?¡¯ I mused,pletely immersed in the feeling of putting my ¡®thing¡¯ into a girl for the very first time.


    I quickly got used to the sublime feeling and shifted my attention to the girl I was currently inside of.


    Melissa¡¯s tone was filled with agony, and I could see her teary eyes¡ªbloodshot and seeking relief. She seemed to be in a lot of pain, yet¡­ what was this feeling welling up within me?


    It was such great satisfaction.


    >SQUELCH<


    My dick moved within her hole, filling it up at every corner. This caused Melissa to scream even more as the massive thing was too much for her tight tunnel.


    Daniel¡¯s scream of horror was mixed into hers as both sang a duet of pure misery.


    ¡®Let¡¯s pull out for a bit¡­¡±


    As I tried removing my rod slowly, it seemed stuck within her, so I used a bit more force to forcefully eject it out of her.


    ¡°Garghhhhh!!!¡± She screamed even more.


    Extra blood sploshed out of her, dripping on the ground. My dick was stained by the red, sticky liquid, causing me to cringe a little in disgust.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you were a virgin, Melissa,¡± I muttered, looking at the pool of blood that formed on the ground.


    Looking at how severe it was, this just wasn¡¯t a result of breaking her hymen. I had most likely injured her insides thanks to the force of my thrust.


    ¡®I¡¯m doing this wrong¡­¡¯


    It was my first time, after all. I was bound to make mistakes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Melissa. It¡¯s my first time too! Let¡¯s enjoy ourselves to the fullest.


    ¡°S-stop. It hurts¡­ please¡­ pleaseeee!!!¡± Her voice was weak and hoarse, tired from all the screams and shouts she had let out a while back.


    Unfortunately, it was the pain on both her face and Daniel¡¯s face I was after. In that respect, the more they begged for mercy, the happier I was.


    The only issue was the blood. It was getting in the way of my entertainment. Thanks to that, I couldn¡¯t getpletely turned on even though Melissa¡¯s rocking body was before me.


    My dick was still hard thanks to the effects of <Great Muscrity>, but I couldn¡¯t call this proper enjoyment.


    ¡®Why don¡¯t I try using this¡­?¡¯ Another smart option came to my mind.


    ¡°<Healing>¡±


    Instantly, a faint glow appeared on Melissa¡¯s pussy and repairs began taking ce. Thanks to the effects of my new skill, her torn flesh joined back together, and in a few moments, it was good as new.


    Unlike the Ogre¡¯s self-regeneration, my <Healing> Skill was very reliant on MP and could heal both myself and my target. It came in handy during times like this.


    After soothing her injuries, the blood vanished from her hole, and I cleaned off the remnant red stuff on my rod.


    ¡°Now, then¡­ where were we?¡±


    ¡°P-please, Jeremy. Y-you don¡¯t have to do this. Please¡­¡± Melissa sobbed and begged once more.


    Why had she gotten so tired after only just beginning? We still had a long road ahead of us!

 Chapter 261 Sullied (Pt 2)

    [WARNING: The Scene Depicted In This Chapter Is Adult And Can Be Considered To Be Quite Disturbing. Take Caution!]


    ¡°You bastaaardddd!!! Stop it! You¡¯re hurting her! Just stop!!!¡±


    Daniel screamed, raising his voice to the heavens. The barks he made were like that of a powerless cur.


    Even though his eyes showed concern for her, I could see a bit of the old Daniel showing. The deep hate and anger he had in the past began surfacing.


    Of course, I pretended not to even hear him and kept staring at Melissa¡¯s protruded body.


    ¡°If I prate you as I did before, it¡¯ll only cause you to rip apart again, and you won¡¯tst that way,¡± I remarked.


    Plus, there was hardly any moisture in her hole, not allowing me to enjoy the act. Fortunately, I had a strengthened body, or else my rod would have been bruised.


    ¡°For better flow¡­ I should do this¡­¡±


    I drew my face closer to Melissa and gave a depraved whisper.


    ¡°Melissa¡­ get wet¡­ and enjoy this.¡±<sub>.</sub>


    Instantly, her eyes widened. More tears fell and her body quivered in response to my instructions.


    I could feel the naked girl¡¯s temperature rising, and her face began turning red. Her leg region especially moved, rubbing together as she made struggling sounds.


    ¡°Her more aroused! Her horny! You¡¯re a dog in heat¡­ act like it!¡± I screamed, pping her ass in excitement.


    ¡°Huaaangggg!!!¡± She let out the moment the hit connected, causing her butt cheeks to jiggle.


    My rod twitched the moment I heard her verypelling voice, and her body suddenly became more appealing.


    Taking a closer look at her hole, it had begun secreting a moist liquid. It was just as the videos had shown me!


    As an amateur doing this for the first time, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little overwhelmed by how quickly everything was progressing. Oh, wait¡­ my emotions became stable thanks to the [Solo Hunter Title], giving me more control of my actions.


    Regardless, I was now once again aroused!


    ¡°Yeah! You slut! Enjoy it more!¡± I pped her ass several times more, causing her to give more moans of pleasure.<sub></sub>


    The way her hips danced and her reddened ass swayed gave me such satisfaction that I felt like doing it on and on. But, if this was how good I felt with the current forey¡­ how much better would it be to get on with the main show?


    There was only one way to find out!


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this again!¡±


    >SWOOOOOSHHH!!!<


    My thrust was quick, but intentionally gentle this time.


    ¡°Heuuunnngggg!!!!¡± Melissa let out pleasured sounds, even though tears flowed out of her eyes in reaction to the pain.


    A mix of agony and satisfaction yed on her face, but I was too lost in the satisfaction of my list that I couldn¡¯t care less.


    Her warm insides were iparable to how it was before. It was smooth to invade thanks to the natural juices she had secreted earlier, and her hole tightened my dick, causing me to experience ecstasy.


    Had it not been for my incredible vitality and self-control, I would have no doubt ejacted in response to the current sense of satisfaction I was feeling.<sub></sub>


    This was truly the epitome of sensual pleasure.


    ¡®More! More! More!¡¯ My mind rang obsessively.


    ¡°Give me more, bitch!¡±


    Retracting my dick andunching it back inside, I began the cycle of swaying both my body and hers back and forth.


    It felt good with every movement of my body, and the sexy voice Melissa made gave me a heightened feel of the intercourse.


    My eyes noticed how weak her hands were getting as she was unable to support her weight any longer.


    Quickly taking the opportunity, I grabbed both hands and held them tightly, swerving her body in response to my wishes¡ªlike a maritepletely under my control.


    ¡°Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­¡±


    Her ass pped against my front, tempting me to p it had it not been that my hands were upied with hers.


    ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re just a bitch right now! You¡¯re nothing but a bitch!¡±


    I knew it was a childish fantasy¡ªsomething so silly and stupid, yet¡­ why did it feel so good. After all the suffering I had endured, the pain and humiliation I had been through, was this truly what it all boiled down to?


    Having sex with Melissa in front of her boyfriend. How petty was that?


    It was something very minuscule, very inconsequential, in the grand scheme of things. Yet¡­ why couldn¡¯t I stop myself.


    I suddenly began feeling tears appear in my eyes, blurring my vision.


    ¡®E-eh¡­?!¡¯


    Before I could control it, the beads of tears began dripping, trailing down my cheeks as I shouted more at the slut I was raping.


    I was enjoying the act, yet¡­ what was this tight feeling in my chest? Was it satisfaction? We¡¯re these tears of joy? I couldn¡¯tpletelyprehend it?


    ¡°Bark like the dog you are!¡±


    ¡°Arf! Arf! Woof! Wood!¡± Melissa responded.


    ¡°Lick the floor clean!¡±


    Her degraded head proceeded to clean the dirty concrete that made up the penthouse.


    Just as she humiliated me, I was doing the same to her! This was what she deserved!


    We had her boyfriend and the Demons as an audience, watching herplete subjugation.


    ¡°Hahahahaha!!!¡± Iughed maniacally, feeling a mix of different feelings.


    While I was certain I felt pleasure from the act of sex as well as the intense satisfaction ofpletely breaking the girl I was banging, more and more emotions welled up within me that I couldn¡¯t exin.


    Had it not been for my emotion inhibitive skill, I would have probably lost my mind. Despite it all, despite my twitching face, my teary eyes, and my tightened chest, I kept moving my hips and pping hard on Melissa¡¯s butt cheeks, making her happy-cry.


    She pleaded for me to stop amid her uncontroble moans. I could see more blood gushing out of her at this point, but my speed did not reduce.


    Rather, I became even faster!


    Why? I was finally feeling something build up within me¡­ a mix of all the emotions that has gotten to a climax, ready to be poured out at once.


    It was time to release it all!


    ¡®I-I¡¯m cumming!¡¯

 Chapter 262 Depraved Excitement

    Instantly, I felt my body throb in excitement as the thick liquid came out.


    Dumping all my load into the girl, I squeezed her hands hard and nearly ripped them apart, thrusting deeper than ever before.


    ¡°Huangggggg!!!¡± Melissa screamed, both feeling joy and pain from my actions.


    Her screams continued as I kept pouring all my white stuff into her, emptying all my pent-up desires.


    After a while, the throbbings ceased and I let go of her arms. The heat I was feeling on my body slowly left and I felt my head clear up like never before.


    ¡°Hooo¡­¡±


    Melissa fell to the ground, having no more strength to support her. She spasmed constantly, most likely in recoil from the whole thing that just transpired between the both of us.


    My seeds plopped out of the girl, seeping out to the ground. Whites of semen mixed with reds of blood¡ªforming an unholy alliance as they poured out.


    Melissa¡¯s pink barrier around us was now shing, disying the extremely unstable state she was in. I could tell that she was at the edge of total copse¡ªmentally and physically.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Haa, that was refreshing¡­¡± I mumbled, looking at my still-erect meat rod.


    While it could still keep going, I had satiated my lust and also achieved my goal of breaking Melissa and Daniel. Any more than this would just be foolishness.


    Undoing the effects of <Great Muscrity>, I picked up my boxers and trousers and dragged them up to cover myid equipment¡ªnot without properly cleaning it off with some clean clothes first, though.


    Once I was done zipping up and taking a breather, I looked at the traumatized Daniel and Melissa. The former was still screaming, not ceasing in his powerless protests.


    Tears flowed down his eyes as he stared at his girlfriend. Watching her get painfully vited must have scarred him¡ªeven more than the injuries he had.


    As for thetter, Melissa was currently in a mentally seared state. Her mind was a mess right now, having to endure such extreme pain and trante it to pleasure instead.


    Watching them in this state brought so much entertainment to me, but it was finally time for the finishing touch.


    I bent a bit and caught Melissa¡¯s hair thaty, spraying on the ground. Dragging it back up, I forcefully raised her tired head closer to my lips and gave anothermand.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Open your eyes wide, Melissa. Focus on the sight in front of you¡­ don¡¯t look away for even a second!¡± I grinned sadistically.


    What was the sight in front of her?


    ¡°D-Daniel¡­ I-I¡­ s-save-e¡­ m-me¡­.¡± More tears fell from the broken girl¡¯s eyes.


    She truly pleaded for rescue, staring at the one whose bones were shattered, as though he could be of any help.


    ¡°You¡¯re still so mean, Melissa. He¡¯s in such a terrible shape, yet¡­ tsk tsk, such a selfish bitch you are¡­¡± I smiled, causing her to resume her shivers.


    She didn¡¯t need to be scared for herself, though. I was done inflicting whatever I wanted on her. While raping the slut, I ensured Daniel watched everything.


    But, that was only the first part of the punishment.


    ¡®Now that it¡¯s finally over, time for the second round.¡¯<sub></sub>


    It was time for Melissa to watch!


    ¡°<Healing>¡± I muttered, touching Melissa on her body and pouring a great deal of Mana into her.


    ¡°A-ahhh!!!¡± She screamed, most likely expecting another torturous scheme of mine. To her surprise, though, I once again healed her injuries. I relished the relieved expression on her face as her body returned to its normal shape. I could guess that at this point the agony and aches she felt all over her would have ceased for the most part.


    ¡°Okay, that should be enough.¡± I stopped the healing.


    Melissa hadn¡¯tpletely recovered yet, and from her expression, I could tell she still had vestiges of pain troubling her. Still, it would take too long topletely ease her pain. Plus, this much was enough for the next stage of the punishment.


    ¡°You can stand now, can¡¯t you? Rise to your feet.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t using <Command> this time, but she obeyed my instructions instantly.


    With the girl directly in front of me, I once again ced my hand on her shoulder, feeling her warm skin tingle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be giving you a chance this time, Melissa. I promise not to interfere in any way. You can do whatever you like.¡±


    In essence, she was free to go or do whatever she liked. After all, I was done with her.


    ¡°Daniel, it¡¯s your turn to suffer a bit.¡±


    I grinned sadistically at the mentally agonized boy who was surrounded by Demons. Their bodies were still¡­ for now, thanks to my <Inducement> Skill.


    ¡°W-why are y-you¡­ j-just stop, Je-Jeremy¡­ I-I thought we¡­ you forgave-e me¡­ w-why are y-you-u¡­¡±


    His cracked voice sounded as his bloodshot eyes asked me in desperation.


    ¡°Pfft¡­ Puahahaha!¡±


    When confronted with his silly idealistic notion, what other choice did I have but tough in utter amusement?


    ¡°Me? Forgive you? In your dreams. So, do you really think I¡¯d let bygones be bygones? That means I would be the only one who suffered! That wouldn¡¯t be fair, now would it?¡± Iughed even more.


    Daniel¡¯s guilt seemed to begin creeping up on him as he took in my reminders of his past actions.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± He was lost for words.


    ¡°Just take this as your punishment, Daniel. I¡¯ve punished Melissa right in front of you. Now, it¡¯s your turn!¡±


    My eyes turned to the Hobgoblins who stood all around him. Had it been that I was into Yaoi stuff, I would havemanded that he be raped as well, but those wouldn¡¯t bring me satisfaction¡ªonly disgust.


    Plus, the Hobgoblins didn¡¯t have any reproductive organs, unlike how their race was painted in adult movies.


    Still, they would be enough to do the job. After all¡­ this wouldn¡¯t be anything as petty as sex!


    ¡°Melissa, you are free to move however you wish, but your focus must be on the sight about to unfold in front of you. Anything you choose to do will be up to you.¡±


    ¡°E-eh¡­?!¡±


    With the stage set for everything, it was time for the fun to begin.


    ¡°Go wild, Demons!¡±

 Chapter 263 Gory Sight

    ¡°GARUIIIIIKKKKKK!!!¡± The dozens of Hobgoblins began moving as they swarmed across Daniel¡¯s body.


    ¡°N-no! No! Stay away!¡± The boy powerlessly screamed, squirming as they began wing their way through his body.


    Even though his arms and legs were broken, he still put on a desperate struggle as blood oozed from his body.


    Strengthening himself with what would most likely be a Skill, Daniel fortified his defenses and summoned a de to his mouth. He pushed his body and twisted it in order to cut off the Demons.


    Unfortunately, when up against the sheer might of Hobgoblin Champions who weren¡¯t holding anything back, his efforts were all in vain.


    >SQUELCH!!!<


    His body was prated and, in an instant, Daniel lost his right leg.


    ¡°Guarghhhhhh!!!¡±


    ¡°Guruiik Guru Garuik!¡± The monster who got the lucky pick grinned in amusement as it threw the lump of flesh into its mouth.<sub>.</sub>


    I watched with a broad grin ying across my face, watching Daniel¡¯s suffering, but also sighting Melissa from the corner of my eyes.


    ¡°D-Daniel! N-no!!!¡± She screamed, stretching out her hands, in what appeared to be an attempt to save him.


    The moment the Demons heard her voice, their attention shifted to the young girl, and a few of them lunged at her.


    ¡®She¡¯s also registered as prey¡­¡¯ I smirked.


    Once Melissa seemed to realize the monsters would reach her in no time andpletely vite her body before ripping it to shreds, she erected her barrier to defend herself.


    The pink field automatically protected me too since I was within range, keeping us safe from the Hobgoblins¡¯ onught.


    ¡°Garuiiik!!¡±


    ¡°Guurrrruaaakkk!!!¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°G-Guaaaaraakakakakaaaakk!!¡±


    They snarled and growled, wing and punching the pink barrier, but Melissa¡¯s Gift was nearly absolute, and thanks to her elevated Level, even the constant pounding of the Demons couldn¡¯t prate her defenses.


    ¡°Shit! Shit! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± I heard her whimper in fear.


    Even though her barrier protected her for now, how long would itst?


    Tears welled up in her eyes and she tried turning her face to me, hoping for support. Unfortunately for her, since my earliermand still registered, she was forced to watch in misery, as the Hobs wed at her barrier, and also the gory scene of Daniel struggling for his life.


    ¡°P-please h-help m-me¡­¡± She muttered, pleading with hesitation.


    ¡®You¡¯re asking me for assistance despite what I did to you? How shameless can a person be?¡¯ I mused.


    ¡°Hmm? Me? Why? I basically said you¡¯re on your own now. Besides¡­ shouldn¡¯t you be the one helping¡­ him¡­?¡± I pointed at Daniel, the one who was currently suffering the most.<sub></sub>


    The girl couldn¡¯t see me, but I knew she understood the implication of my words.


    Her teary eyes bulged as she took in the sight of Daniel¡¯s tearing flesh, his bleeding self, and how he groaned in pain as the Demons feasted on him.


    We both watched as he kept staring in our direction, tears streaming down his eyes to mix with the blood on his face.


    ¡°P-please¡­ h-help me¡­ I-I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m s-s-so s-sorry!¡±


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to receive any remorse from me. If I was one so easily swayed by sentiments, my resolve for this wouldn¡¯t be as strong.


    Looking back, Daniel and I sort of bonded in the Subjugation mission. I had his back when the Camp members fried ming him for his failure, and our conversation had been chill. To be honest, I truly respected the man he had be as well.


    But¡­ an eye for an eye! A tooth for a tooth! They made me suffer¡­ now it was my turn.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you help him?¡± I asked the shivering girl who couldn¡¯t help but watch as her boyfriend was torn to shreds.


    Only powerless tears came out of her eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s desperately asking for help, you know? He¡¯ll die at this rate.¡±


    My guilt-tripping words echoed, and I increased the volume so even Daniel could hear it where hey.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t! The monsters will finish me off before I can help him. There¡¯s no way!¡± She screamed.


    Her line of thinking, albeit wed, made sense to a degree. But, she wasn¡¯t entirely correct. It was true that she was no match for the monsters, but even with her current capabilities, Melissa could still find a means to get to Daniel without dying.


    By deactivating, activating, deactivating, and activating her voice Gift again and again as she transversed the distance, she would be able to block the monster¡¯s assaults until she reached him.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t expecting her toe out unscathed. Perhaps she would lose an arm alone if she was lucky, but she could still save her lover. Unfortunately for the poor boy who was dying¡­ someone like Melissa only cared for herself.


    ¡°Even though Daniel actually rushed toward the group of monsters to create an opening for you to escape, you can¡¯t do the same for him? You do realize that he couldn¡¯t have defeated all of them alone, yet he took the risk. Are you saying you can¡¯t do the same?¡±


    My words seemed to stab her like daggers, but her body still wouldn¡¯t budge.


    No matter what I said, Melissa wasn¡¯t going to step out of her barrier to save Daniel. I very much knew of this fact, but that was why I still egged her on.


    ¡®This is your punishment, Daniel!¡¯


    He would die, watching as the one he loved and sacrificed everything for refused to risk her life to save him! That was the death I wanted to inflict upon my former bully!


    ¡°Guarrrrhhhh!!! Help me! J-Jeremy! Melissa! H-help me!!!¡± He suddenly screamed, roaring with what was most likely hisst strength.


    Finally, he lost all the kindness in his eyes and pure rage and entitlement took over. The fear of death, my actions, and Melissa¡¯s betrayal must have awoken the true Daniel who had been asleep in his heroic husk all this while.


    His eyes widened bitterly and his bloodied face cried out in pain and desperation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to die! Save me, you bastards! Jeremy, you little bastard! Melissa, you bitch! Save me! I don¡¯t wanna di¡ª¡±

 Chapter 264 Satisfaction

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to die! Save me, you bastards! Jeremy, you little bastard! Melissa, you bitch! Save me! I don¡¯t wanna di¡ª¡±


    Before Daniel couldplete his sentence, a Demon chomped off his head, causing his lifeless body, what was left of it anyway, to copse in a splosh.


    The pool of dark blood had already formed a pool underneath, and the lump of meat that once represented the Camp¡¯s Trump Card, Daniel¡­ was no more!


    ¡°He¡¯s dead¡­¡± I mumbled, seeing as the Demons even scrambled for thest parts of him.


    I turned my vision to the girl who simply watched in cowardice. Her expression was full of horror and disgust, but she had no choice but to keep looking.


    ¡°You could have helped him, but chose not to¡­ it shows what kind of person you are, Melissa.¡±


    I heard her sniff and whisper something akin to a ¡®no¡¯ once I began barraging her with guilt.


    ¡°You may look at me now. Speak your mind.¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s not my fault!¡± Melissa¡¯s head sharply turned as she looked at me with crazed eyes.


    They were bloodshot, thanks to the tears that flowed from her eyes and the immense concentration she used up in watching Daniel. From her rushed speech and bulging eyes, the once pretty girl resembled a person drowned in insanity.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°I-I just want to live! I can¡¯t die, not yet! I¡¯ll survive, no matter what!¡±


    Saliva poured out of her lips and her face became distorted, transforming into her ugly and absolutely self-centered persona. Just watching as she gave millions of excuses made a gleam of amusement emerge from my observant eye.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad¡­ this is the end of the line for you too.¡±


    The moment I said this, her words ceased and she looked at me with surprise written all over her face.


    ¡°E-eh? B-but you said I¡¯m free to do as I wish¡­ a-and that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh? That still hasn¡¯t changed. But, you see¡­ I want to end things as soon as possible. This is thest phase.¡±


    Melissa¡¯s face was still showing me that she couldn¡¯tpletelyprehend my words.


    ¡°Undo your barrier.¡±


    Instantly, the girl obeyed my voice and the pinkyer around us vanished.<sub></sub>


    ¡°You¡¯re free to do anything from here on out¡­ except using your barrier. You can run, fight, cry¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Finally, the girl beganprehending her situation.


    ¡°God, no! Please¡­ please don¡¯t!¡± She begged, looking at me frantically as we could both hear the growls of the Demons who were already finished with Daniel.


    ¡°Come on. You should be celebrating¡­ you¡¯re free from me! Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± My sadistic grin curled up even more.


    ¡°N-no! No! I don¡¯t want that! Please let me remain by your side!¡± The girl shamelessly clung to me.


    It was as if she had forgotten how I had just vited her not too long ago.


    Her face now screamed of nothing but her desperate drive to survive.


    Unfortunately for her¡­ I didn¡¯t care!


    ¡°Why should I help you? What¡¯s in it for me?¡± My hands pushed her away as I started creating some distance between the both of us.<sub></sub>


    ¡°I-I¡­ I will¡­ I will do anything! Please!¡± Melissa¡¯s voice began growing even more desperate as she seemed to notice the pack of monsters already approaching her.


    She couldn¡¯t use her Gift thanks to my domination over her too.


    ¡°Y-you can have your way with me anytime you want! Please! I¡¯ll do anything! I¡¯ll endure anything! Please, I¡¯ll bark if you want me to! I¡¯ll be your bitch, just please!!!¡±


    Tears and snot run down her face now and the beauty she once had was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°That indeed is a tempting offer¡­¡± I smiled, giving a sadistic gleam in my eyes.


    I could use her as a sex toy to carry out whatever twisted fantasy I had in my head. Healing her was going to be simple, and I could just keep her in [Subspace] was I was done with her.


    It wasn¡¯t a bad idea. But¡­


    ¡°¡­ No! I really want to watch you die instead.¡± I gave her my sweet, innocent smile.


    ¡°Jeremy, you bastarrr¡ª¡± Melissa screamed, her hands outstretched as she seemed to desire to rip me to shreds.


    Unfortunately for the girl, the Demons had already caught up with her.


    >CHOMP!< Her legs were consumed in an instant.


    ¡°Arghhhhhhhhhh!!!¡± A deafening scream proceeded from Melissa¡¯s mouth.


    She didn¡¯t even get the luxury ofpletely feeling the agony of losing one of her limbs when the other bite came to tear off her arm.


    ¡°Guarghhhhhh!!!¡±


    More screams followed as the Demons dragged her squirming body to their group and feasted on her body, causing her to lose her mind, and everything else in the process.


    Blood sttered everywhere, and soon after, the girl died.


    ¡°They¡¯re both dead now, uh?¡± I muttered, looking at what little remnants of their bodies remained.


    Satisfaction and closure yed in my heart and I nodded at the expected end of the whole thing. I had achieved the desired result!


    Viewing the sight below, I could see the Hobgoblin Champions walking aimlessly, like Zombies. Using the <Recall> Skill, they returned to [Subspace], except the ones atop the penthouse with me as well as the ones within the Camp building.


    After watching them get their fill of satisfaction and entertainment, I had to at least kill them in return for providing them with this much.


    Of course, saving some forter was good, but I already had more than enough within [Subspace]. The rest just had to die and prove to be extra EXP for me.


    ¡°Well, I probably don¡¯t need to stress too much. I can just use <Automatic Summon> to take care of them.


    All the Gifteds in the area had been killed, I could sense that much, so there was no worry about killing my fellow humans.


    ¡®Haaa, I¡¯m in quite a good mood after that round of entertainment.¡¯ A smile formed on my face, and my body felt so relieved.


    I might as well take a stroll around with my automatic offensive capabilities active.


    ¡°Hooo, let us begin¡­¡±


    I took a step forward and watched the Hobgoblin Champions state at me in hate, fear, and reverence. They would soon be dead, though.


    ¡°¡­ <Automatic Summon>!¡±

 Chapter 265 House Of Carnage

    >SWOOOOOSHHH!!!<


    In a sh, my des went flying past me toward the enemies that blocked my path.


    They whirred, in their multiple numbers, cutting the Demons down before any of them had the chance to react. I watched as their disgusting blood spurted out and their helpless bodies iled about before copsing in death.


    It only took a brief moment, but the dozens of Hobgoblin Champions in my path had been obliterated thanks to my <Automatic Summon> Skill.


    ¡®Now then¡­ I should begin descending¡­¡¯ I smiled, making my way past the vanishing vestiges of the monsters as I approached the penthouse door.


    Upon reaching it, I stared down the staircase that led to the lower floors and smelled the stench of human blood¡­ as well as the beasts that spilled them!


    My vision limated to the darkness and I felt every echo of foreboding that told me of the monsters that crept and lurked in every corner of the Camp building¡ªnow turned house of horror!


    The Demons that moved aimlessly about slowly began gathering in my location, like how ants instinctively swarmed around a cube of sugar.


    The lowly monsters came, salivating from their mouths while giving me a deathly re. Their ws easily cut through the concrete, and the mere presence of a single one of them could make even a veteran Gifted copse in fear.<sub>.</sub>


    I felt no such thing, though¡­ only the expectation of their inevitable demise.


    ¡°You¡¯re all free from my hold, so you must be feeling quite full of yourselves¡­¡± I grinned while condescendingly staring at the Hobs.


    I couldn¡¯t evenmand them if I wanted. The duration of the Skill <Inducement> had expired, so it was unavable to me for quite some time.


    ¡°GURUIIK!!!¡± The Hobgoblins hatefully snarled back at me.


    Their very hostile gazes made me wonder why they always shot the same expression.


    >WHOOOOSHH!!!< The Demons darted at me, most likely boosting their stats with Skills.


    I saw their green skins glow with malevolent crimson light and they broke apart concrete with each step they took.


    Their course of action didn¡¯t matter, though, as my weapons once again swept through the distance and one-shotted them even without my will.<sub></sub>


    >SWISH!<


    The des loped off their heads, the Ax cleaved away their flesh, and the daggers pierced sliced and diced them into mincemeat. Watching my weapons move, like marites, made it seem like I was watching a show.


    Just like before, without much effort, the wave of monsters was extinguished.


    ¡°Next!¡± I dered, descending the stairs.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the Hobs to keep forming bands even after I killed a previous batch. I could see in their eyes that they were scared of my power. Their trembling bodies shook violently, but the eyes they gave me still rang of the same hatred.


    ¡°Do you despise me so much for killing yourrades and your leaders?¡± I smirked, referring to back when I took care of the Horde.


    No, that was most likely not the case.


    ¡®Demons have always had this strange animosity toward humans¡­¡¯<sub></sub>


    If I had to guess the cause, it would be an instinctive directive embedded in them from birth, whenever that was.


    Just as predators naturally found their ce in the food chain and sought prey, or how humans constantlybeled smaller and weaker life forms as ¡®inferior¡¯, these Demons were no different.


    And so, they must have been driven, one way or the other, to kill or torture all humans in sight. In a way, I somehow felt bad got them.


    >FWOOOOSHHH!!!,<


    My weapons ended them with no resistance.


    Finally making it to the ground floor, I approached the area that had gotten my interest the moment I arrived at the Camp. Opening the special door leading to it, I feasted my eyes on the construct a few steps from my location.


    ¡°The borehole¡­ looks like it really went well,¡± I smirked.


    The well in front of me was dug to extend deep into the ground in order to tap into a water vein and make a constant flow of water for the Camp.


    This was one of the reasons I had waited for a week before enacting my n. Well, there was also the harvest of crops, but the water was sometimes more valuable.


    Opening the well, I feasted my eyes on the bastion of clean water. It looked so pure that I had to guess it was the work of one of the Camp members.


    ¡®I have knowledge on all their Gifts, but there¡¯s none like purification of water¡­ maybe it¡¯s a Skill¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed.


    Regardless, this was a jackpot!


    Without wasting much time, I began absorbing the huge body of water into [Subspace]. It wasn¡¯t like anyone else would be needing it, right?


    As I kept absorbing, the hole never seemed to end. The depth of the well must have been profound since it didn¡¯t take me merely a moment to exhaust the water supply.


    My observation spread across the room as I kept busy with the water, trying to figure out where Charles kept the food supply.


    Of course, I knew the area where the Gifteds tilled the ground and made their farnd, but Charles had gotten enough time to harvest a good deal of crops.


    There had to be a ce he stored them!


    The obvious location would be his office, or somewhere close to it but, to my surprise, I didn¡¯t sense their presence there. I also checked the storeroom, but found nothing of value.


    ¡®Tsk, Charles¡­ that sly fox. Where is he hiding the goods?¡¯ I thought to myself.


    On my way to the ground floor, where the well was, I was met with so many dead bodies, or at least what was left of them. Many had terrified looks on their distorted faces. It was obvious they were trying to escape the onught of the wicked monsters. I was certain the dead Camp Leader¡¯s daughter was sure to be among the numerous corpses, even though I had never met her.


    Even while spreading my senses, I couldn¡¯t find the goods, making me somewhat regret my rash actions with Charles. I should have at least made him confess their location before getting rid of him.


    It was the overconfidence in my n that led to this hassle. Still¡­


    ¡®It¡¯s only a matter of time, though¡­ once I¡¯m done with the water, all of their harvests are next!¡¯

 Chapter 266 Comfort

    After spending some time with the well, the water finally reached rock bottom, allowing me to see how the surface below was.


    ¡®It¡¯s quite deep¡­no, too deep!¡¯ My eyes bulged in surprise.


    I saw water leaking out of the piped hole at the edge of the well in an attempt to refill it, but from what I could see, it wasn¡¯t very purified.


    ¡®Oh, well¡­ I¡¯ve gotten more than enough for now¡­¡¯ I shrugged, leaving the well alone in order to search for the stockpile of crops.


    Knowing Charles, he must have hidden it in such a way that I wouldn¡¯t be able to guess it. Unfortunately, while the dead Camp Leader was sly, his knowledge about my thought processes was too limited. Plus, he was bound by his ethics.


    Such a person could be understood easily.


    ¡°He most likely shrouded it with other items, trying to mask the smell¡­¡± I mumbled, trying to pick up the distinct smells around me.


    The building mostly reeked of blood, though, so it was harder for me to navigate.


    Still, my heightened senses did not fail me.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Oh? I see¡­ so that¡¯s how it is!¡± I beamed, finally snapping out of my concentrated daze.


    It took me more time than I had hoped, but the results were still the same. I found the goods!


    ********************


    The crops, which included maize, rice, and other grains, were hidden among the supply of manure in a room I dismissed earlier.


    Of course, they were sealed properly so neither contents could mix in with one another, but one would never expect something like that at first nce.


    ¡°You really thought you could outsmart me, uh?¡± I smiled, rummaging through the goods.


    Now looking at all the crops they had managed to harvest, it made me realize how many lies the dead man had told me.


    For one, he mentioned only maize being their primary crops to harvest, and the limited amount they would be nting as a result of space and resources.<sub></sub>


    Now that I saw the sacks that contained not only maize, but other grains¡ªin evenrger quantities than he estimated¡ªit was clear that Charles was a big fat liar.


    He would have cheated me out of my share!


    ¡°[Subspace]¡± They all went in.


    Looking at the slots I had within [Subspace], I had less than 50 left. It was no surprise since I had been up to so much for the past week.


    The other Camps put up quite a bit of resistance when I plundered their properties and harvested their (G) Karma Points. They all met the same end, though, as I was able to conquer everything and everyone in the area, leaving Charles forst.


    With the mission nowpleted, there was nothing more I required in this ce.


    ¡®It¡¯s time to leave, I guess.¡¯


    It appeared I had already killed all the Hobgoblins in the area since I didn¡¯t sense any more even as I stepped out of the building.<sub></sub>


    The fresh air that greeted me the moment I stepped out made me close my eyes slightly. I enjoyed the breeze and cool wind of the morning. I had pushed myself so much, and barely an hour had passed since everything took ce¡ªa quick implementation of the n that one could finish before breakfast.


    Walking carefreely, sensing no enemies around, I took a couple of steps away from the Camp building. A thought popped in my mind that it was perhaps time to summon Lara from [Subspace] to show her the tragic end of the Camp.


    ¡®Oh, wait! I totally forgot about Lily!¡¯


    She had been in my [Subspace] for so long, and by the time I brought out the girl, she would be in a disheveled state.


    Her mental instability would only increase the moment she realized the Camp had been destroyed.


    ¡®Should I just use <Command> on her? Yeah, that would be best¡­¡¯


    I didn¡¯t want to go through the hassle of trying to convince her of certain things. Emotional sensitivity wasn¡¯t exactly my forte.


    ¡°<Summon>¡± Deciding on my n, I brought her out.


    Instantly, the girl appeared, still crouched and sniffing in her despair. Not long after, her body fidgeted, most likely in response to the cool wind that blew on her skin.


    She raised her head and opened her eyes to the strange new environment that sharply contrasted with the room shest remembered being in.


    I sensed her confusion and quickly made to answer her before it was toote.


    ¡°Lily, it¡¯s me, Jeremy!¡± I called for her, causing the girl to look behind.


    I watched as her face morphed from fright to utter shock and disbelief, and finally¡­ relief!


    ¡°J-Jeremy! I-is that you?! You¡¯re alive! You are¡­ how can you b-be alive!¡± She cried and rushed at me, most likely to see if she was merely hallucinating.


    I felt her body weight fall on me as she hugged me tightly. Lily resumed her sobbing, pouring out tears and snot on my cloth as her body trembled in emotion.


    ¡°T-they said you died¡­ t-they said you were killed. I thought I was all alone again! J-Jeremy! I-is this really you?!¡± She bellowed loudly.


    Her hands clutched me tightly. It was as if the girl was frightened that if she let me go, I would vanish forever.


    ¡°T-this isn¡¯t a dream, right? This is all real, right? Tell me, Jeremy! You¡¯re alive, right? It really is you, right?!¡±


    I rubbed the back of her head smoothly, caressing her with both hands to offer myfort.


    This was all very overwhelming for her, but now that I was here to soother her needs and serve as a pir, Lily didn¡¯t have to be alone anymore.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Lily. I¡¯m here. No matter what happens¡­ I will always be here. Okay, Lily? It¡¯s you and me now. I promise¡­ I won¡¯t leave you alone in this world.¡±


    They were cringey words, but thanks to the effects of <Command>, I was embedding these words deep into her soul so the girl could get an assurance for the future.


    ¡°R-really¡­?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lily. Forget about anyone else. As long as I¡¯m here now¡­ you won¡¯t be alone. We can do anything together¡­ just me and you!¡±

 Chapter 267 Unexpected Blunder

    Slowly, I began brainwashing the young girl.


    It would be troublesome if she remembered the Camp, or Ana¡¯s death.


    I didn¡¯t need an emotionally unstable or depressed partner with me, dragging down my morale as we went through future adventures.


    I wanted a cute, supportive Lily to journey beside me. All I had to do was to make her that way! The <Command> Skill I possessed was the right one for the job¡ªconvenient for my needs.


    ¡®Just you wait, Lily¡­ I¡¯m going to dye you in my color!¡¯


    The process was immersive, as I took care of every single detail so she would not have a mental or emotional meltdownter on. We were all alone, anyway, so there was no fear of interrupting.


    In the unlikely scenario that an enemy attacked, my <Automatic Summon> Skill was still on, guarding the both of uspletely.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ my¡­ everything¡­¡± She began whispering, giving a hollow smile.


    ¡®No, not yet¡­ I need something more livid to give her that innocent look.¡¯ I agonized mentally, searching for more fillers to clog her bleeding heart.


    ¡°Yes. And I¡¯m your everything. I need you, Lily¡­ just as much as you need me. We¡¯re an unstoppable team.¡±<sub>.</sub>


    The dull expression she gave began brightening up, and her childlike innocence slowly appeared.


    ¡°Y-you need me¡­ we¡¯re an unstoppable team¡­¡± Her voice slurred, like she was half-asleep, perhaps drunk.


    But, from the bright look she gave me¡ªthat of love, affection, and admiration¡ªwhat I really craved¡­ I was extremely pleased with what I had achieved so far.


    But, I wasn¡¯t done!


    ¡®All that¡¯s left now is to¡ª¡±


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    Before I couldplete my thoughts, I felt an explosive burst of power emanating from the direction of the Camp.


    ¡°Wha¡ª?!¡±


    My face sharply turned as I looked in shock at the building a few meters from me. From the top, I saw a shimmer of golden light, such as I had never experienced before. The overwhelming disy of power was none as I had ever experienced.<sub></sub>


    It made the hair of my skin stand and my body slightly trembled in a mix of several emotions. It was as if something within me resonated with the strange energy I felt, as if I was somehow familiar with it. But, at the same time, fear pinned me down.


    Perspiration covered my skin as I began trembling violently. I noticed Lily was also shaken by the presence that was atop the building, and¡­ before I knew it, the being that appeared lunged at me in a sh.


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM<


    The apparition, taking the form of a human while being shrouded with the overwhelming golden light, chargedpletely destroying the Camp building in an instant.


    Every single rubble fell as it approached with a speed I could barely follow. Even though I was supposed to go on the offensive, only one thing was on my mind at that exact moment.


    ¡®Run! I have to run!¡¯


    >WHOOOOSHH!!!<


    Before I could move any tense muscle in my body, the being was already right in front of me. As soon as it got close enough, its appearance registered in my brain and I recognized the person in the light.


    ¡°Y-you are¡ª?!¡±<sub></sub>


    Before I could even utter the name of the scowling being that prepared to hit me with his fist, several of my weapons instantly appeared and impaled him.


    My aggressor was immediately met with all the Grade 2 Weapons in my arsenal, stabbed and pierced from all sides before he could reach me.


    My widened eyes watched his hands, mere inches from my face, but stopped by my armada of weapons. Had it not been for their timely intervention¡­ I would have suffered some severe injuries.


    ¡°J-Jeremy¡­ y-you¡­. b-bas-bastardd¡­¡± My assaulter groaned in a slurred tone as the golden sparks around him began to diminish.


    I was still surprised, not knowing what to say about who was right in front of me¡­ and how he was still alive!


    ¡°Daniel¡­ how¡­?!¡±


    My tone was hushed but, within me, I panicked like crazy.


    How was this possible? I certainly killed him back then, or rather, watched him die a gruesome death.


    He was torn apart beyond recovery, same as Melissa. How was someone who suffered such a fate directly in front of me? He would have killed, or fatally injured me if <Automatic Summon> didn¡¯t react when it did.


    ¡®Shit! What the heck happened?¡¯


    My mind was still in a panic when the golden lightpletely died out, and Daniel groaned, losing all the life he once had.


    ¡°Y-you¡­ l-loseerrr¡­¡±


    With that final statement, he gave up the ghost. The boy¡¯s body turned to dust, almost like how a dead Demon would, flying with the wind.


    Daniel left no core, though, just numerous questions that gued my mind¡­ as well as an uneasy feeling of regret and foreboding that choked me and prevented me from moving.


    ¡°W-what have I¡­ what have I done¡­?¡±


    Millions of thoughts, mostly questions, ran down my mind, and I gulped down the hard saliva that was forming in my throat. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Lily was looking at me cluelessly, but I didn¡¯t have the time to attend to her in my current predicament.


    ¡°S-Status Window!¡±


    The screen popped up, disying what I was already fully aware of.


    Thanks to the Demons I killed, I had gained a few more Levels, but that wasn¡¯t my current concern. My eyes trailed further down in a panic.


    I noticed my (G) Karma Points were almost ten thousand, soon to reach the threshold for upgrading my Gift, but that wasn¡¯t what bothered me at the moment.


    I anxiously scrolled down, looking and looking. I blinked twice and focused my sight on the particr region in the panel, and the creeping fear in my mind finally turned into reality.


    ¡°S-shit¡­ no¡­¡± I muttered, nearly in regret.


    Thanks to this unprecedented situation which I still couldn¡¯t fathom, I had made a blunder that could not be corrected¡ªat least not in any condition avable to me.


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    [.]


    Alignment: Neutral Evil (Depraved)


    [.]

 Chapter 268 Reflection

    ¡°I¡­ what¡­ am I doing here¡­.?¡± A voice echoed in the darkness.


    It was that of a lone boy, shrouded in what could only be described as a pitch-ck surrounding. It waspletely void¡ªnothing except for the young man who agonized on his existence could be noticed in this realm of nothingness.


    Upon closer inspection o this young man¡¯s being, he had no face. He was just a drifting soul, a form of energy within the vast steam of nonexistence.


    ¡°I¡­¡± His voice echoed in the dark even though he didn¡¯t have any lips to even render words.


    ¡°I¡­ remember¡­¡±


    Suddenly, memory shes of what transpired before finding himself in the void yed in his mind.


    The soil remembered his name¡ªDaniel¡ªand the life he had lived. Just as if he watched a movie, the lone existence witnessed his entire life y out in front of him.


    It was not to be desired!


    ¡°I¡­ was a bully¡­?¡±


    The countless moments of torture he rendered upon weaker students manifested. The soul, having no proper sense of right or wrong reflected on these actions, conflicted on what stance to take. This was his life, after all.


    The scenes gradually progressed, and he watched himself grow up. Daniel watched how Daniel bullied many students, but was particrly obsessed with a particr student called Jeremy Lewis.<sub>.</sub>


    Why? Why was his living self so determined to break the seemingly powerless boy that always seemed to cower in fear.


    He couldn¡¯t find the answer to that inquisition no matter how long he thought of it.


    Still, Daniel watched how he treated the Jeremy brat. It was truly torture. There was no particr reason for his obsessive bullying of the weakling.


    It just seemed fun.


    Daniel watched how the world ended. How he appeared before a being who professed to be God and was granted powers beyond his understanding.


    The young man watched as he was initially ted, d to even possess more power in addition to his already-superior physiquepared to his age mates.


    Everything changed as soon as he returned to Earth, though.


    Monsters crawled around every corner and he lost everyone he cared about. This sense of weakness, helplessness¡­ vulnerability¡­ made him emphatic and realize just how he had badly damaged others.


    Daniel watched how the trauma reformed his mind and he became a crusader for justice. Hepletely changed his ways and performed righteous deeds. If the floating soul in the void had to pick between which of his personalities he liked better, the being already knew which one would be his first pick.


    The new and improved version of the penitent bully grew strong in the strange world he now found himself in. He found his lover and saved others in need.<sub></sub>


    He was happy!


    Regret lurked in his heart concerning those he had hurt in the past, but the chance to redeem himself appeared once he met Jeremy Lewis once again. Compared to him, Jeremy was weak¡ªjust as he had always been.


    Even if it cost him everything, Daniel was resolute in ensuring Jeremy also transformed into a better version of himself.


    They went for the Subjugation quest together, and while he was very much against the idea, he found this as an opportunity to bond with the big better and even trigger a transformation in him.


    To be frank, Daniel was impressed with Jeremy¡¯s bravery during the Quests, even when he stood up for him despite his poor leadership qualities. Daniel realized that the boy was truly changing for the better, and his heart was ddened.


    That is, until the ghastly incident urred that cost the Camp members Jeremy¡¯s life! It was so heart-wrenching that he thought he would die!


    A masked man saved them, but Daniel¡ªeven from the other end of the screen as he watched¡ªfelt a strange sense of loss within him.


    Theypleted the Subjugation thanks to the help of the Masked Hero, and Daniel began to even develop strong feelings of admiration toward their savior. If he could one day achieve the stranger¡¯s strength, could he too help people the same way the masked hero had?


    He asked himself this question as the got to the Camp. They defeated the invaders and settled in and Daniel decided he had no need for rest, especially since there was much work to be done.


    Having the image of the very reliable masked hero in his head, Daniel did all he could in every area of the Camp. Whether reconstruction, guard duty, harvesting, etc. He worked until he was very tired.<sub></sub>


    Still, the boy was happy¡­ he was being of help.


    But, everything changed suddenly!


    He opened his eyes and the world had been altered yet again!


    Jeremy was now alive, and the whole Camp was under siege by the Horde that was meant to have been vanquished. This Jeremy, obviously not the one he knew, raped his lover in front of him as he died a miserable death.


    His lover, even as she watched him die, never even attempted to rescue him as he did for her.


    No, Melissa would never have done that!


    Jeremy would never have acted that way!


    There was no way the Camp he saved alongside the others would fall to the very group of monsters everyone risked their lives to defeat!


    In his state of denial, Daniel reached one focal conclusion¡­ he was in another world entirely!


    Somehow, he had gotten transported into an alternate reality where the world got flipped over and he was now suffering for his sins.


    Perhaps this was how it was meant to end¡­ a price he had to pay for the evil he wrought while he was still alive.


    ¡°But¡­ I paid that price already¡­ didn¡¯t I?¡± His thoughts rang aloud in the dark void.


    Daniel had saved more people than those he had hurt in his lifetime.


    He did his best to atone for his mistakes. He became a better, more decent, person! He certainly didn¡¯t deserve that!


    ¡°This¡­ this is unfair! I don¡¯t¡­ deserve this¡­¡±


    As he dwelled on those thoughts, a bright golden light shone within the void and offered him illumination.


    A voice came from the light that offered warmth and a feeling of pleasure.


    ~[Do you wish¡­ to restore everything to how it was? Do you wish to return to your world?]~


    Of course, he would! He didn¡¯t belong in the new hellhole he found himself in, and neither was he content with drifting aimlessly in a void. He wanted his old life back!


    A life of penitence, where he saved people like the Masked Hero!


    ~[Very well then¡­ you shall be given a new life. But, before that can take ce, you will need to do one thing¡­ kill the nemesis of this aberration. By doing so, the error will be corrected. Do you wish to proceed?]~


    If it meant he could return to how things were¡ªa loving girlfriend, a loyal team, trustworthy allies, a warmmunity¡ªthen yes, he was willing to do anything!


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ~[Very well. Your target is the Singrity known as Jeremy Lewis. Eliminate him¡­ and you shall return!]~


    Daniel knew fully well that the voice in the golden light could not mean the weak and fragile Jeremy that he knew back in his old world. The Jeremy Lewis it referred to was the disgustingly evil personality that took everything from him before he died.


    ~[Exterminate Jeremy Lewis. Correct the Error. Return To Your World. Deal?]~


    Daniel wanted to ept, but he knew he was no match for the great evil¡¯s powers.


    ~[You shall be given the power necessary to eliminate the Singrity. Deal?]~


    With this guaranteed, there was no longer any issue. With a nonexistent smile ying on Daniel¡¯s pure energy face, he nodded in delight.


    ¡°Yes. Deal!¡±


    And so, the golden light enveloped him as he readied himself for battle. He was certainly going to seed¡­ and return home.


    Everyone was waiting for him¡­ he could not fail!

 Chapter 269 Divine Retribution

    ***********************


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 323 ¨C Exp: 87.45%


    ¨C Race: Human


    [JOB]


    (Primary Job) Thief


    (Secondly Job): <Trickster>


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡¯3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Neutral Evil


    ¨C Karma Points: 12,500<sub>.</sub>


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 9,899


    <Titles>


    [Hell Kobold yer]. [Hobgoblin yer]. [Conqueror]. [ughterer]. [Merciless]. [Solo Hunter]. [Dominator]. [Singrity]


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 16,250/16,250 (+10,000)


    ¨C MP: 4,568/4,568 (+2,252)


    ¨C Strength: 3,280 (920) + (5,000)


    ¨C Agility: 16,450 (812) + (5,000)


    ¨C Vitality: 16,250 (630) + (10,000)


    ¨C Intelligence: 48,950 (3,110) + (10,000)


    ¨C (G) Factor: 30


    ¨C Gift: [Subspace]<sub></sub>


    ¨C Items Equipped: <Hobgoblin King¡¯s Throne>


    ¨C Allies: None


    [Additional Information]


    ¡ªA human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    ¡ªA Labelled Singrity


    [End Of Information]


    I stared hard at my information and realized that I was royally screwed.


    ¡°What the hell¡­ shit!¡±


    What an unfortunate error I had made. Even after all the time I had used to restrain myself, after the great length I withheld myself several times¡­ thanks to the bizarre urrence that caught me off-guard I was now stuck with an Alignment I didn¡¯t want.


    ¡°Neutral Evil, eh? Damnit¡­¡±


    It even has the ¡®Depraved¡¯ qualifier beside it.


    Just as there was the ¡®Penitent¡¯ qualifier for people like Daniel, showing how much they had changed and the reasons for their switch, the ¡®Depraved¡¯ one signified one¡¯s descent into a more malevolent Alignment.<sub></sub>


    ¡®I had thising for a while, but¡­ I made sure to use the loopholes well¡­¡¯


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Daniel¡¯s sudden attack, then¡­


    ¡°Shit! How did he even show up in the first ce?¡± I growled and stomped the ground, causing it to quake.


    For a moment, I totally forgot about the presence of Lily who was kneeling beside me. My brainwashing process hadn¡¯t been finalized on her, so she just kept looking at me nkly¡ªin utter confusion.


    At the moment, I was in no mood for attending to her.


    ¡®That golden light that came from Daniel¡­ I didn¡¯t know he had any ability simr to that!¡¯ My mind rang as I tried reasoning what the cause could have been.


    I was aware of the three Skills that came with the ¡®Knight¡¯ Job he chose, and none of them actually resonated with the overpowering ability he had just disyed.


    Not only did hepletely resurrect, but his powers were also nothing like before, and if I didn¡¯t have <Automatic Summon> on, there was no guarantee that I would even be alive at the moment.


    Whatever abilities he disyed were too overpowered to be called a Skill¡ªespecially when we were still in the beginning phase. Even Gifts weren¡¯t as bizarre as this.


    To have multiple overpowered phenomena urring simultaneously¡­ that was unreasonable!


    ¡®Plus, what was with the feeling it gave me¡­?¡¯


    Something about the golden energy resonated with me. It felt so familiar, like I had seen it before. Other than the strange sense of affinity with the energy, it alsomanded a great deal of fear and reverence from it.


    I almost couldn¡¯t even recognize that the one who was within the light was Daniel until he got so close¡ªeven though I had an extremely sharp vision.


    My senses would have picked him up and registered him as Daniel, but the one I sensed on the penthouse¡ªthe strange being that destroyed the Camp building and charged at me¡­ he only looked like Daniel and sounded like him.


    To my senses, it was as if the resurrected boy had be apletely different being. Judging by the fear itmanded in me, and how the vague sense of powerlessness caused me to panic¡­ it was almost as of I was facing God himself!


    ¡®Tch¡­ what the hell is happening? I have no idea!¡± I growled again, stomping the ground harder and harder, causing the environment to take damage and shatter apart.


    ¡°A-arh¡­ y-you¡¯re hurting me¡­¡± A shrill voice came from the ground, and I sharply turned to see who spoke.


    It was Lily.


    She had snapped from her daze and was now staring at me expectantly and with a tinge of fear in her eyes. Apparently, my violent movements had somehow caused her a bit of hurt.


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± I murmured, moving close to her.


    As my eyes watched her, I slowly began to calm down. The gentle expression she had, and the oblivious smile stered on her face as she looked at me awkwardly melted all my anxieties¡ªwell, some of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lily,¡± I whispered, drawing closer to her.


    ¡®That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no need to overthink this¡­ I¡¯ll figure this out as I go¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed as I caressed the girl¡¯s cheeks with my hand, feeling the softness and smoothness of her skin.


    No matter, I had already killed Daniel and gotten rid of my current adversaries. All that was left would be to secure a bit more (G) Karma Points to Level Up my [Subspace], see if I could find any more Grade 2 Boss Monsters, and gain more loot.


    Yes, those would be my major goals for the moment.


    However, for now¡­ I could just rx a bi¡ª


    >BZZZZZZZTTTTTZZZZZZZZ<


    >ZTTTTTZZZZZZTTZZZZZZ<


    >WHUUUUUUUMMMMMMMM<


    I suddenly heard glitches, as if a million bugs ran through an electrical device. My senses felt a great distortion in space, and I felt a heavy pressure, none as I had ever experienced before.


    My body shivered, my heart beat faster than ever, and my eyes couldn¡¯t even blink for the fear that I would open them anymore.


    Saliva formed in my throat as I sensed the great anomaly urring behind me. Even as I faced Lily, the bizarre ripple in space grabbed all my attention.


    It felt like if I turned behind to look, I would instantly die! That was how powerful the presence behind me was!


    ¡®What is it? Is it Daniel? I killed him already, though!¡¯ My mind rang in a panic.


    No, this feeling was different from the golden light. It didn¡¯t feel as familiar, but the oppressive feeling they bothmanded was simr.


    The light from earlier carried a more overwhelming force, but this¡­ this feeling I currently had as whatever being who was behind me emerged waspletely terrifying!

 Chapter 270 Angel

    I would have fainted several times over had it not been for my [Merciless] and [Dominator] Titles that seemed to keep my mental pirs intact.


    I felt like I was barely on the edge of sanity!


    Who¡­ rather, what¡­ was the being who was appearing beside me?!


    ¡°Human¡­ No¡­ Abberation¡­¡± A marvelous voice appeared behind me, causing all the hair on my skin to stand as I felt like I would die over and over again just from hearing it.


    My stiff neck was forced to turn in both curiosity, dread, and total reverence.


    My shivering body turned and my head remained bowed as I looked behind me,pletely ignoring Lily who seemed to have copsed as a result of the sheer pressure of whatever had manifested.


    My eyes scoured the ground, but I found nothing on it. That only meant one thing¡­


    ¡®It¡­ is floating¡­?!¡¯


    Yes, I could sense the owner of such terrifying pressure, yet melodious voice, hanging in the air¡ªyet no shadow was evident on the ground.


    I gulped as I reluctantly raised my head to view the stranger that surfaced. The fear of death and absolute submission was forced down within me and I overcame them with only sheer will, once again grateful for my [Dominator] and [Solo Hunter] Titles.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°W-wha¡ª?!¡± My mouth unconsciously formed words as I captured the sight of the being that hovered in the air.


    Light feathers of milky white color danced in the air, floating like ripples of water that glistened and reflected sunlight.


    The being that levitated took the form of a beautiful woman, one made of the fairest of skins and the greatest of charms. Words couldn¡¯t describe her elegance.


    Her attire was that of light armor, with silver as its main color, and lines of gold for decorations. A form of crown floated atop her head, and her morous hair flowed downward, nearly touching the sole of her foot.


    Her entire body was almost shrouded in armor, save for certain parts of her, like a portion of her arms and feet¡ªthe neck region and her face were left untouched as well.


    This allowed me to feast my eyes upon the glorious, magnificent, transcendent beauty that this strange woman had.


    With clear, silver eyes, and a stoic expression, the fair-skinned woman nced at me with barely any interest.


    On her back were tworge wings that generated the feathers which glistened with light. Her wings wererge enough topletely shroud her, yet, they were elegantly spread apart¡ªmost likely to keep the woman afloat.


    Slowly, the unease I felt began vanishing, and for some reason, I regained myposure. Was it due to the continuous effects of my Titles? I had no idea.<sub></sub>


    As I stared at the woman, only one thought came to my mind.


    I had seen someone who professed to be God, and I was encountering Demons since I came to this world. It was only a matter of time before I saw something like this¡­


    ¡°A-An¡­ Angel¡­?¡±


    At that moment, the woman¡¯s tightly shut lips pursed, opening slightly to form words.


    Yes, her small and elegant lips parted and she spoke in the same melodious, yet oppressive tone.


    ¡°Threat confirmed. You are the Singrity¡ªJeremy Lewis¡ªand as per my orders¡­ I shall now execute you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe what my ears had picked up. So much information flowed into my mind and it felt like I had no time to mull over the details.


    ¡®Threat? Singrity? Orders?!!¡¯


    As much as I couldn¡¯t believe someone as seemingly absolute as this being could be controlled by someone, she had just said it herself.<sub></sub>


    She was sent to execute me? By whom? Was it also rted to Daniel¡¯s sudden resurrection and assault?


    My brain felt like it would copse just from the internal myriad of questions that flooded it.


    ¡°Prepare yourself, o¡¯ Singrity of Evil¡­¡± Her voice came again.


    My eyes bulged as I unconsciously lifted my hands to exin myself inplete surrender.


    ¡°W-wait!!!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Your moment of retribution is nigh!¡±


    ***********************


    [Moments Before]


    In the ¡®Corridor¡¯, the converging points of the infinite worlds which connected the domains of all Supreme Beings¡ªthe ones known to be Gods were assembled.


    A menace had surfaced, one made through the rebellion of one of them. It was a mess none of the great and powerful ones could solve on their own.


    And so, having contemted on what to do, they all unanimously decided to make use of an Executioner.


    ¡°The only problem¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is the condition needed to be fulfilled before utilizing the Executioners¡±


    The Executioners were the direct agents of the Supreme Ones.


    While they possessed powers beyond naturalprehension, their roles were limited, especially once Armageddon began. Since everything was stated in the Supreme Celestial Statute, even the Gods had toply.


    They took care of those deemed as ¡®threats¡¯ by the System. These threats werebeled Singrities and also had to be ¡®Evil¡¯. Considering the fact that these two factors meant that such a being would be outside the control of the System to an extent, and also had malevolent intentions, an Executioner¡¯s job was topletely eliminate any such existence.


    ¡°The aberration, Jeremy Lewis¡­ his Stream of Fate has been corrupted, so we have limited ess to observe him.¡±


    ¡°The ones in which we have ess to show that he does not possess an ¡®Evil Alignment¡¯.¡±


    After considering it carefully, there was only one choice to make.


    The Gods, yes, the absolute and supreme ones¡­ we¡¯re going to induce the role to him.


    ¡°When will the probability scaling be at its thinnest?¡± They asked the most obvious answer while monitoring the territory of their fallenrade¡ªthe Supreme being of Sector A-64.


    The Probability Scaling they referred to was the moment where it was most likely for them to interfere. In a way, they made use of the System¡¯s loophole to slightly alter the course of events and make an ¡®ident¡¯ ur.


    That way, their target¡ªJeremy Lewis¡ªwould officially be a candidate for execution.


    Fortunately, the Gods found the perfect moment.


    It was when the aberration caused a massacre while relying on the no-kill code to remain a non-Evil Aligned Gifteds.


    If they could cause some form of unprecedented situation to ur, they could force his hand and induce a kill on the boy, resulting in him breaking the rule he abided by.


    Normally, the Supreme Beings would not bother resorting to such cheap tactics, but they had run out of options.


    For the first time in their infinite lives, the Gods were desperate!

 Chapter 271 Executor (Pt 1)

    ¡°We¡¯ll use ¡®him¡¯¡­¡± The Supreme ones decided.


    Who?


    Why, it was the very person the singrity ¡ªJeremy Lewis¡ªhad struck down using the System¡¯s loophole. If they could use that person, then it would be easier to obtain the desired effect.


    Daniel, the Gifted who possessed a Lawful Good Alignment, one of the best an individual could possess, and was the epitome of righteousness¡­ such a personality was in correct sync with the divine abilities of the Gods.


    Unknown to most, a human was more adept at receiving special privileges the closer their Alignments were to the Absolute Good area. In contrast, Penalties were bestowed upon those who were closer to the Absolute Evil region as well.


    Thanks to Daniel¡¯s Alignment, he was the perfect vessel the Gods required to pour out a tiny fraction of power to. Using a bit of the (G) Essence flowing within them, they infiltrated the boy¡¯s dissipating soul and granted him enough power to temporarily revive and fight.


    Of course, thanks to their limited jurisdiction, the Supreme ones couldn¡¯t maintain their tool¡¯s resurrection for very long without affecting the causality of several elements. However, since their purpose wasn¡¯t exactly linked to Daniel¡¯s survival, it was of little consequence.<sub>.</sub>


    They didn¡¯t expect the Gifted to seed in killing Jeremy Lewis. No, it was the opposite, actually. They wanted the anomaly to extinguish the little life they had bestowed upon Daniel. Once that was done¡­ the System would have no choice but topletelybel their target as¡­ an Evil entity!


    Just as foreseen, their ns went exactly as they desired and Jeremy ended up with the Neutral Evil Alignment.


    Watching how the boy was so flustered and frustrated by his ¡®mistake¡¯ seemed to amuse the Supreme Ones as they took their time to revel in his impending doom. With his fate already sealed, the only thing left was to select the Executioner they would employ for the job.


    ¡°We¡¯ll use one of the Archangels.¡± The Supreme Beings spoke in unison, nodding unanimously.


    As a general rule, Executioners were distinct to each sector. That meant that no Executioner of a particr Sector could invade another. They didn¡¯t possess any (G) essence that allowed them to interfere with causalities and concepts beyond their sectors.


    That meant that the Archangel being decided upon belonged to Sector A-64! All the Supreme Beings looked at each other in the infinite Corridor and decided on their choice.<sub></sub>


    Each Sector had distinct qualities, but Archangels were beings that remained constant no matter the world. As a result, each God knew of their identities and the one who would be most suited for the job.


    ¡°Sariel¡­ we will choose Sariel.¡±


    Once the choice had been made, the Gods used their joint authority, relying on the Sacred Statute that they all followed, and summoned the desired Executioner.


    In a sh, a brilliant glow of silver and white light enveloped the center of the Assembly. It was the exact spot where the Supreme Being A-67 had just been Integrated.


    ¡°Archangel Sariel, making her appearance before the Order.¡± The Executioner¡¯s feminine voice rang out in the silent expanse.


    This being had the form of an angel and, unlike thepletely white Supreme Beings, had a definite form. She possessed pure white wings, silver armor with golden designs on them, and a crown jeweled with various ornaments.<sub></sub>


    Her otherworldly beauty would make mortals tremble, but before the Gods, they could only view her as one would see an exquisite tool. Upon appearing before the council, the Archangel knelt even while floating showing her submission to the ones who called her.


    All the Supreme Beings watched as she bowed her head to offer her respect and absolute reverence. Compared to their absolute powers, she greatly fell short!


    ¡°Sariel, you have been bestowed the honor of cleansing a mess brought about by the Supreme Being of your Sector. The now Integrated one.¡±


    Sariel remained silent.


    She knew fully well what Integration meant. She would never get to see her Supreme Being any longer. Executioners werepletely loyal to the one governing their Sector, and she was no exception. She felt extreme loss over the utter removal of her ¡®everything¡¯.


    An empty void awoke inside the Archangel and her brimming eyes slowly turned dead.


    Even if she was extremely, undeniably loyal to Supreme Being A-67, she was even more loyal to the Sacred Statute that bound all of existence. In the event that her creator had been Integrated, jurisdiction regarding the control of her and the entire resources of the Sector fell into the hands of those who had already received her Creator¡¯s (G) Essence¡ªthe Gods.


    Sariel waspletely at their mercy!


    ¡°You will be exterminating an anomaly designated so by the System. A Singrity that was born as a result of an intentional subversive action caused by Supreme Being A-67. This singrity possesses the Evil Alignment and is a threat to the ensuing scenarios to ur in Armageddon¡­¡±


    Sariel understood what was required of her.


    ¡°You will be responsible for fulfilling your role as an Executioner, and one of the four most powerful of your kind¡­pletely eliminating the target known as Jeremy Lewis!¡±


    The sliver-armored Archangel nodded mechanically, and her fallen eyes lit up a tiny bit after receiving a purpose. Once it was achieved, she would most likely bepletely dead inside. Still, just as she was created to, Sariel intended to fulfill her missionpletely.


    ¡°Appear at exactly this juncture in the timestream.¡± The Supreme Onesmanded, pointing toward a screen that was now frozen and void of activity.


    In the Corridor, time was irrelevant. They could observe all the world¡¯s activities in whatever manner they wished.


    Having paused a scene that was going on Earth, Sector A-64, they charged their hunting dog to extinguish the prey.


    ¡°Understood. I, Sariel, Archangel of Sector A-64, shall fulfill my divine duty and eradicate the Evil Singrity known as Jeremy Lewis¡ªa threat deemed so by the System!¡±


    With her final words indicating farewell, Sariel departed and made way for the screen, once again transforming into glorious light with her departure.

 Chapter 272 Executor (Pt 2)

    My heart thumped faster than it had ever done in any situation. The woman who emptily stared at me rang of bad news, but my body was still limating to the immense pressure I was feeling.


    She had dered her intention to kill me, so there was no way I could dawdle any further.


    ¡°I shallmence now.¡± Her voice rang, and suddenly light particles formed around her hand to form a silver de.


    >SWISH<


    With a light swing, the mysterious angel brandished her weapon, sending an overpowering wave of pure energy in my direction.


    ¡®Shit! Move! Moveeeee!!!¡¯


    Forcefully willing myself to take action, I made it just in the nick of time, dashing away from the destructive burst of light that devastated the area around me.


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    The area where I once stood became engulfed in destruction as the earth shattered and smoke arose to an unprecedented degree. The amount of destruction told me that had the strike reached me, I would have undoubtedly died.


    Just what kind of creature was I facing? Where did shee from?


    ¡±Damnit! Lily!¡¯ My eyes bulged the moment I realized that I had left someone in my rush to escape the Angel¡¯s assault.


    Using [Subspace] to quickly get rid of the smoke, I was met with surprise upon realizing that the girl I was worried about was shrouded in some form of golden light.<sub>.</sub>


    The entire ground around the orb in which Lily sat was destroyed. The floating orb glimmered marvelously, and Lily was still unconscious within it. Shock and confusion filled my mind concerning how this was able to ur.


    ¡°I have sessfully separated you from an innocent Gifted. Nothing stands in my way any longer.¡± The angeldy whispered, readying her de once again.


    I gritted my teeth upon realizing that the goal of her earlier attack was to make me leave Lily¡¯s side. It was quite the sly n, but this woman clearly didn¡¯t know me too well! I could easily return Lily to [Subspace] since she was registered as my property!


    A grin formed on my face as I looked at my prize who was trapped in her golden cage.


    ¡°<Recall>¡±


    [SYSTEM ERROR]


    ~The Designated Target Has Ceased To Be Your Property~


    <The Target is not viable for collection>


    [End Of Information]


    ¡®What the fvck!!!¡¯ My mind rang as I quickly looked at the angel who prepared another assault on me.


    >SWOOOSH<<sub></sub>


    >SLASH!<


    Two ded strikes charged at me simultaneously, and it took all of my speed to evade them both.


    The ground around me shattered and I took to the sky as I final resort. Thanks to eh Invisible Barrier serving as a tform to float on, I was able to regain my bnce while ring hatefully at the stranger.


    She gave a calm expression, making me unable to sense even the slightest bit of her intentions other than the order to eliminate me.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed while focusing my eyes to view what kind of creature she was.


    [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!]


    [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!]


    [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!]


    [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!]¡­


    [SYSTEM ERROR]


    <Level Of Threat Is Unquantifiable><sub></sub>


    <Status Information Can Not Be Viewed>


    <You Are Advised To Flee If Possible>


    ~Goodluck!~


    [End Of Information]


    A sharp sensation rang in my head the moment I was overwhelmed with the impossible disy before me. The highest threat I had seen was merely three [Danger] signs, yet this one kept going on and on.


    Not only did I stand no chance against this creature that hovered above me, but death was assured.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I had to escape.


    Even if it meant leaving Lily here, it didn¡¯t matter! My survival was the first priority!


    Taking cognizance of all the Skills avable to me, I used all of them to secure the best chance at survival and even equipped all my Grade 2 Treasures.


    It was no understatement to say that my chances of living could use even the slightest increase in power. There was no chance of defeating her head-on, so the only thing I could do at the moment was run away!


    >WHIOOOOSSSHHH!!!<


    I sped off in a hurry, moving as fast as my legs could carry me. I was certain this was the fastest I had ever gone. With my Mana and multiple Skills boosting me, even my eyes had a difficult time catching up with my speed.


    ¡°You can¡¯t escape.¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice suddenly sounded, as though in my head, and in the blink of an eye, I saw her directly in front of me.


    Her arm lifted her de and in a sh, she descended it to deal a fatal hit on me. It was at point-nk range! I couldn¡¯t escape it.


    >WHOOOOSHHH!!!<


    Fortunately, my <Automatic Summon> Skill activated at that exact moment, and all my Grade 2 offensive weapons appeared, charging directly at the silver de that was charging down at me.


    >BOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    The impact sent me flying away as I crashed into the ground with a massive thud.


    ¡°Urgh!¡± I groaned in pain,pletely grateful that I had such a useful Skill active. If it wasn¡¯t for that, then¡­


    ¡°Pointless¡­¡± The Angel¡¯s voice appeared again.


    Staring wide-eyed at the ground, I saw my Grade 2 Weaponspletely destroyed. They nged in their shattered form, scattered on the floor like junk metal.


    ¡±N-no way¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. All my efforts and the reward for fighting so many Hobgoblins¡­ all those weapons were gone in an instant.


    >SHUUUUUU<


    The broken weapons began fading, turning into Golden dust, most likely as a result of their Durability hitting zero.


    One hit! One strike with that de was all it took topletely pulverize my most prized treasures! What kind of opponent was this?


    I couldn¡¯t run. She would simply appear in front of me.


    It was impossible to win in a fight. The System had clearly told me so.


    The only thing I could do now¡­ was probably negotiate, no, beg for my life.


    ¡°P-please can we talk t-this ou¡ª¡±


    Before Ipleted my sentence, the Angelic woman closed our distance again and gave a light sh.


    I was still recoiling from the earlier damage I received thanks to the previous attack she gave, so even with all my strength put into dodging, I couldn¡¯tpletely evade her assault.


    The results were devastating.

 Chapter 273 Pointless Struggle

    ¡°Guarghhh!!!¡± I spat out blood as the armor and all the gear I had on werepletely pulverized.


    They shattered apart, turning into dust.


    It was at this point that I realized how hopeless the situation truly was. Now stuck in a pile of rubble, and coughing violently, I watched as the woman hovered above me.


    Her de was stretched at me, and her cold eyes told me my end was truly at hand.


    ¡®Shit! Shit! Shit!¡¯


    What exactly was going on? Why did this womane? Why now?


    Millions of questions rushed into my head, but my Title suppressed the overwhelming emotion that would have consumed me. At the moment, there was no use in crying about the unfairness of the situation.


    I had to survive, no matter what!


    There was no way I had any intention to die here! No matter the opponent, they had a weakness! Besides, thanks to my panic and attempts to flee, there were so many things I forgot to try.


    ¡°Fine. You want to kill me, eh? Well¡­ I won¡¯t go down without a fight!¡±


    I rose to my feet and began my healing process thanks to the Skill in my possession.<sub>.</sub>


    With a wide grin stered on my scathed face, I eyed the exquisite armor that the Angel had on, and the extremely destructive sword she brandished.


    Those were most likely Special Grade weapons!


    ¡®You destroyed my Treasures¡­ it¡¯s only fair I take yours as payment!¡¯


    My eyes focused on the special items and I decided to make them mine by absorbing them into [Subspace]¡ªjust as I did for the Hobgoblin King and Chiefs.


    ¡®Let¡¯s do thissss!!!¡¯


    [SYSTEM ERROR]


    <You are not eligible for the items targeted>


    ~(G) Essence Required For Activation Of Special Privilege ~


    <Your (G) Essence Is Insufficient For The Task>


    [End Of Information]<sub></sub>


    My earlier confidence vanished and, if it wasn¡¯t previously established before, the truth remained even more vivid to me now.


    ¡®I¡­ I¡¯m screwed!¡¯


    **********************


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!<


    >WHOOOOOOOOOOSHHHH<


    >KABOOOOMMMMMMMM<


    It didn¡¯t matter what I did, the results remained the same!


    I fired tons of Demon Cores at the enemy, detonated nearly all the Fireballs I had in stock, and used other weapons and items in my arsenal¡ªthey were all useless against the fierce opponent.


    The winged woman didn¡¯t even seem to be trying. Her graceful demeanor as she glided through the air made me utterly dazed, and at the same time, scared.


    With each swing she took, thendscape was altered and countless sts devastated the area.<sub></sub>


    I could barely keep up, even with my full speed, and eventually found myself panting for air.


    ¡°Shit! Is there nothing I can do!¡± I growled in frustration, as my growing anxiety made every tensed muscle in my body ache.


    My throat was dry and sweat covered my whole body.


    Death was right in front of me and I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it.


    The angel, whoever she was, merely hovered above me and stretched her de at me once more. Her unmoved expression made it seem like I was nothing but a speck of dust to her.


    She didn¡¯t seem to be struggling or even having fun at my expense. She was justpletely neutral.


    It scared me to imagine what would happen if my opponent actually took this exchange a bit more seriously.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be obliterated for sure!¡¯


    Still, I wondered why she hadn¡¯t already. Was there a reason for her indifference in dealing a decisive hit? Was it that she couldn¡¯t¡­ or she wouldn¡¯t?


    ¡°You struggle in futility.¡± Her voice shook me from my thoughts as her next attackpletely threw me off guard.


    The feathers that floated around her as she levitated instantly moved and directed themselves in my location.


    The way they glistened made mepletely certain they weren¡¯t mere feathers. From their lustrous appearance and the danger signs that were ringing in my head, the multiple projectiles that were now aimed at me resembled¡­


    ¡®M-metal?!¡¯


    >WHOOOOSHH<


    The uncountable feathers charged at me with full speed, deeming to surround me at every front.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    My <Automatic Summon> took control and several buildings which I had been gathering using [Subspace] gathered instantly.


    They lined up to form canopies, shielding me from the feather barrage as I took to my heels to flee. In my mind, I heaved a sigh of relief, hoping the multiple walls of concrete would slow down the attacks, if notpletely halt them.


    Howughable that idea was.


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    In an instant, the sturdy buildings shattered apart. These concrete structures that had survived the dangerous apocalyptic atmosphere, were now rendered into mere blocks¡ªas though they were chunks of meat.


    The feathers charged at me, their speed now seeming to dwindle one bit.


    More structures appeared thanks to <Automatic Summon>¡ªhouses, trees, furniture¡ªthey were all broken to pieces.


    >BOOOOOMMMMM<


    Fortunately, I was able to steer from the trajectory of the feathers, but the impact still sent me flying away.


    ¡°Gargh!!!¡± I coughed out blood, feeling a churning pain in my chest as my body violently throbbed.


    The shock caused by the feathers¡¯ impact caused my body to helplessly swirl in the air before smashing directly into a pile of rubble.


    ¡°Guh!¡± I threw up blood, as well as what I could only assume to be breakfast.


    It was a struggle to even maintain consciousness ad my line of vision slowly turned blurry.


    I watched as the angelic figure approach me from her height. My eyes couldn¡¯t exactly ce what kind of expression she made, but I could only guess it to be the same one she had been having all this time.


    What was her deal with me? Who sent her? Why me? Why was I being targeted?!


    Thoughts like these rang in my head as I questioned in futility. However, the greatest inquisition I gave myself, of which I was frightened of the obvious answer, crept once again within my heart.


    I was in pain, close to breaking down, when I asked myself the question.


    ¡®Is this¡­ really the end?!¡¯

 Chapter 274 Desperation

    ¡°Haa¡­ Haaa¡­¡± I struggled to rise.


    My eyes darted across the filled and saw the half-eaten bodies of the Gifteds I had mercilessly ughtered for the sake of my (G) Karma Points.


    Was this the same feeling they had before their demise?


    ¡®No! I¡¯m not dying here!¡¯ I gritted my teeth in annoyance, refusing to ept my loss aftering this far.


    I simply had to figure out a way to win. No enemy was invincible!


    ¡®Nothjng in my arsenal works, and I¡¯ve nearly depleted my stockpile thanks to <Automatic Summon> acting on its own ord¡­¡¯ I began analyzing.


    I couldn¡¯t use [Subspace] on her or any of her weapons¡ªeven down to her feathers!


    Trust me, I tried.


    There was also such arge gap in our physical abilities, so no matter what action I took, she could easily react to it. I also couldn¡¯t escape because she just caught up to my movements and even overtook me.


    My only saving grace was that the Angel, for some reason, was holding back. Her movements were easy to read, and it didn¡¯t seem like she was making any effort in trying to kill me.


    Her expression was cold, no, dead. It was as if she was a machine who moved ording to predetermined patterns.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°I can¡¯t damage her, run from her, or absorb he¡ª¡±


    A thought isntantly shed in my mind as I was about to make thest statement, making me to pause and stare at my opponent with an intense gaze.


    ¡®Have I tried absorbing her by touching yet?¡¯


    There was no guarantee it would work, but at this point, what did I have to lose?


    I had tried everything else but this. if I managed to get a hold of the opponent, then maybe¡­


    ¡®Of course, I can¡¯t just recklessly charge toward her!¡¯


    To hepeltely certain my desperate idea would work, I had to test it out. My eyes squinted as I watched my opponent overwhelm me with her brilliance, once again preparing another barrage of feathers.


    For the first time, I anticipated her attack, pumping all the energy I had to my body.


    If I didn¡¯t react in time¡­ it would mean certain death!


    ¡°Come!¡± A manical grin appeared on my face as I spat.<sub></sub>


    >FWOOOOSHHH<


    The blizzard of feathers charged at me with full force as I heard them whir, sharply. The way the feathers had ripped through those concrete buildings earlier had told me that a single one could probably kill me.


    Yet, here I was¡­ facing dozens of them.


    Still, I wiped the fear of death from my mind and focused on the targets.


    ¡®Let¡¯s go!¡¯


    I moved in a blur, surpassing my limits to meet up with the overhelming speed of the projectiles that made their way toward me.


    >WHOOOSH<


    My muscles and ligaments tore with every motion I took and I used <Healing> to fix them as quick as I could. Whether or not the Skill could keep up with the strain I put on my body was something I didn¡¯t even want to consider!


    I just had to keep moving.


    Twirling powerfully like a whirlwind, I stretched my hands all around me, opening my body wide to capture as many of the feathers as I could, while wiming for the exact moment they would make contact.<sub></sub>


    The feathers were all over me¡ªhead to toe. Even if I waste by even a millisecond, they would rip through my body. Feeling the surface tension as each piercing projectilesnded on my skin, I acted in a hurry.


    >WHUM!<


    The instant I felt their stinging sensation, I activated my [Subspace], praying with every fiber of my being that my n would work.


    If it didn¡¯t¡­ I may have as well been screwed!


    In a sh, all the projectiles vanished, immediately making their way into my storage unit.


    I couldn¡¯t exin the gasp of relief that enveloped me the moment it all disappeared, causing my body¡ªwhich I had pushed to its limits¡ªto copse to the ground in a heavy thud.


    ¡®I-it worked!¡¯


    I had no idea how, but the idea worked. While I didn¡¯t have the chance to check my [Subspace] at the moment, I knew for a fact that all the feathers were within their allotted Slot!


    ¡°You¡­ what did you do?¡± I heard the angelic voice sound from above me.


    A more confident smile appeared on my face as I watched the wingeddy make a somewhat conflicted face.


    For the first time¡­ her expression disyed emotion!


    ¡®That¡¯s it!¡¯ My smile grew wider. ¡®I¡¯ve got her!¡¯


    Deciding not to waste any time to allow the enemy collect her thoughts, I took advantage of her stunned state and generated my invisible tforms, making my way to the air.


    >WHOOOOSHH<


    I kicked as hard as I could, propelling into the air even further as I dashed toward her.


    >WHOOOOMMM!!!<


    The angel, as expected, quickly recovered and gave a short re as she watched me appraoch.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡±


    More feathers descended, seeming to pierce my body. I had no strenght to dodge their speed at point-nk range, so the projectiles pierced me, rending my flesh into mincemeat¡­ or so it seemed.


    ¡®<Illusory Clones>¡¯


    I grinned with satisfaction, appearing behind my opponent in a sh as I aimed for her back.


    ¡°Wha¡ª?¡± She noticed, tilting her head backward in response to the movements of the wind most likely caused by my sudden attempt to reach her.


    ¡®Come on!!!¡¯ I gritted my teeth and pushed myself even further.


    Just a bit more¡­ and I would touch her. Just a little further!


    ¡°Pointless!¡± The woman muttered.


    Instantly, an invisible wave pushed me back to the ground, sending me flying at an unquantifiable speed.


    >BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    I crashed to the ground like a meteor, shattering everything around me.


    ¡°Puack!!!¡± More blood escaped my mouth as I could barely gasp for breath with the impact nearly shattering my spine.


    It felt so hot! Everything hurt all over me!


    I felt like screaming and crying in pain, yet no sound came out of my mouth.


    This unbearable agony and searing pain¡­ it was evidence that I was still alive, but¡­ deep down I knew that death was close by.


    No, she was hovering right above me!

 Chapter 275 Game Changer

    I was in so much pain that I forgot how to make a sound.


    Choking on my blood and drowning in agony, I could barely even move my body.


    ¡®Argh! It hurts! It hurts so much!!!¡¯ My mind rang as I desperately wished for the pain to end.


    The Angel, as usual, hovered above me, showing me the image of death. I was forced to face despondency once again¡ªthe inevitability of my loss.


    Was I going to die? Was this really the end? I knew the answer to that at this point.


    ¡®I¡­ I¡­¡¯


    ¡°You are too dangerous to exist. Your level of threat has beenpletely analyzed. This will be thedy attack.¡± The angel remarked.


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± I made heavy breaths, looking at the figure that floated in the sky who red at me.


    Multiple bodies of the dead littered the ground, leaving only me standing. Many of my des were already broken, rendered useless in the face of the overwhelming force I faced.


    Shining brightly, the white shadow nearly dimmed my eyes, and if not for my resistance I would have been blinded by it.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t win!¡± I coughed, spurting blood from my mouth in the process.


    My body was weakened already, and I knew it was the end for me. I had no more strength to escape, and even if I did, this ¡®thing¡¯ was way faster.


    I couldn¡¯t even put up a fight, since none of my attacks would be effective. Victory was never even an option.


    The figure slowly descended, ready to execute me. Sweat poured all over my body while myriads of thoughts rang in my head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    For the first time in a long time, I witnessed the same amount of fear I had when I was still a powerless nobody. No¡­ This was even far worse than that. After all, with enough training and leveling up, there was no Demon I couldn¡¯t ultimately beat in that apartment.


    But now, in face of true terror and sheer power, enough to disintegrate even the most powerful of my weapons and nullify all of my skills, I knew true despair.


    It was my loss.


    Finally, the ringing stopped in my head, reced by one definite and absolute conclusion which was that I couldn¡¯t escape.<sub></sub>


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ going to die here¡­¡±


    The enemy created multiple feathers and made them target me in a sh. Having barely any strength left in me, I couldn¡¯t possibly react to the high-speed projectiles.


    Plus, now that the woman was warier of me, there existed no alternative left at this point.


    >SHINK<


    The dozens of feathers glinted sharply and readied themselves, waiting for the directive of the Angel.


    ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­¡±


    I struggled to breathe, facing upward and waiting for my execution.


    ¡°This is the end.¡±


    >WHOOOOOOOOOOSHHHH!!!<<sub></sub>


    After proiming my demise, her whirring feathers lunged at me at undetectable speed. I was powerless in face of the terror that would soon greet me and rend my body to fone chunks!


    Instantly shutting my eyes, I awaited death.


    One second. Two seconds. Three seconds¡­ No death came.


    ¡®W-what¡¯s this¡­?!¡¯ I felt a strange presence in front of me, and even though my eyes were closed, my senses worked perfectly.


    The feathers had stopped for some reason, and suddenly appearing in my front was another human¡ªa Gifted.


    This presence was awfully familiar¡ªso much so that I decided to open my eyes in curiosity, despite the overwhelming fear of death that lingered.


    The moment my eyes captured the image of the one in front of me¡ªthey stretched widely, full of surprise.


    ¡®T-this¡­?!¡¯


    ¡°Hey, Jeremy¡­ w-what¡¯s going on?¡± The human¡¯s voice rang in my head.


    It was sweet, it was soft, it was so familiar andforting. After fighting on my own for so long, in fear and desperation, I finally felt thefort of another.


    ¡°L-Lara¡­?!¡± I responded, wondering what she was doing out of Subspace].


    Before I couldpletely utter what I had in mind, I noticed the feathers that were supposed topletely obliterate me were now hanging in that air, inches from Lara.


    It was as if an invisible wall had stopped them somehow.


    ¡®This¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯


    There was only one exnation for the bizarre scenario that was unfolding before my eyes.


    <Automatic Summon>!


    I must have run out of reasonable items for defense that my Skill chose the most rational option to block the barrage of feathers¡ªLara!


    Well, being fair, she was Level 100, sturdier than most objects. It was no mystery why my Skill automatically chose her as a meat shield. The greater mystery, however, was why the attack failed to hit.


    I looked above and found the opponent frowning even more, seeming displeased by Lara¡¯s sudden presence.


    ¡®Ah! So that¡¯s it!¡¯ My mind suddenly rang and I realized a game-changer.


    Somehow, despite her sheet powers, the Angel could not attack Lara due to some kind of restriction. I didn¡¯t know the details, but it would exin why her feather arrows stopped before reaching my associate.


    Looking back, I also remembered how Lily was exempted from her attacks and why she separated me¡ªthe target¡ªfrom a civilian like the young girl.


    In essence¡­ I had just figured out my opponent¡¯s weakness!


    ¡°You¡­ how are you not unconscious in my presence?¡± The Angel suddenly asked, disying a level of surprise and animosity.


    Once she said that, I also nced at Lara and wondered the same thing.


    There was certainly nothing special about Larapared to me. Why did Lily fall, even I nearly copsed, yet she was absolutely unaffected by the immense pressure emitted by the Angel!


    Lara looked confused at this point. Herst memory was inplete dissonance with the current events that were unfolding. Sure, she was used to switching spots due to the effects of [Subspace], but even this was too much for her.


    ¡®That¡¯s it!¡¯ I eximed internally.

 Chapter 276 Difficult Choice

    Perhaps Lara¡¯s immunity to the Angel¡¯s overwhelming pressure had something to do with [Subspace], or her continuous connection with me.


    Regardless, I had to do something¡­ and fast!


    <Healing> was working, but it was too slow! The best thing for me to do was Level Up, but even then¡­ what could I do if my opponent was stronger than me regardless!


    If I took my focus off my opponent for even a second, it would spell my end. And so, even though I had temporarily prevented the wingeddy¡¯s assault on me, it wasn¡¯t like I could deal any damage either.


    As a result, both I and my opponent¡­ were at an impasse.


    How long would thatst, though?


    ¡®If she decides to cover Lara in the same golden sphere as she did for Lily, that¡¯s the end for me. I currently have no strength left. Shit¡­¡¯


    No matter how hard I thought, there was no way out for me¡ªeven though Lara was currently holding the fort.


    ¡°Lara¡­ looks like this is the end¡­¡± I smiled at the woman who stood a couple of inches from me.


    Even though I was on the ground and she stood, Lara looked at me¡ªdeep into my eyes¡ªand must have realized that I was serious.


    She couldn¡¯t understand much of the situation, but I was d she was able to understand this much.


    ¡°I guess so. I knew it would end this way, though¡­¡± She smiled.<sub>.</sub>


    I was weakened, severely so. She could take her chances and try to escape, she didn¡¯t. Sure, it would do Lara no good since I owned her, but¡­ why didn¡¯t the woman even attempt to run away despite knowing what wasing.


    ¡°You¡­ did¡­?¡± Was all I could say in response despite the rabid emotions growing within me.


    She nodded.


    I gulped hard as I saw her unnerved smile. The same smile she had when we first met¡­ that weird expression as if she knew her ce and wholeheartedly epted what was toe.


    ¡°Looks like I was right, Jeremy. I knew this day woulde.¡±


    Her words struck a chord in my heart because I knew Lara spoke the truth. She had made mention of it several times, and her eyes often showed me the deep-seated fears the woman had been keeping. Yet, I dissuaded myself and blinded my eyes from seeing the inevitability of our rtionship.


    ¡°I really¡­ didn¡¯t want it to end this way, Lara¡­¡± My choked voice trailed, but the woman didn¡¯t change her expression.


    For the first time, I didn¡¯t know why but, I felt guilt¡ªimmense guilt.


    Tears actually formed in my eyes and flowed down my face as my vision blurred even further. Even though I had wanted things to turn out differently with her, even though I finally found someone like me.


    Why, then?


    ¡®No. She¡¯s not like me¡­ is she?¡¯<sub></sub>


    But, she was the closest anyone had ever gotten to me.


    Her resolute eyes told me she was prepared, leaving me to make the call.


    ¡°I have¡­ to do this!¡± I croaked, trying to render myst words to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry. Truly¡­¡±


    >WHOOOOSHH<


    Instantly, I activated one of my Skills, <Summon Javelin>, andunched the projectile straight at my target.


    The Angel was hovering above us, surprisingly docile for some reason¡ªeven though her annoyed expression told me otherwise.


    The Javelin wasn¡¯t directed at her, though.


    >SPLOOOSHH!!!<


    The spear hit the target, and blood spurted out in an instant.


    A gaping hole was made as my weapon whirred through the corpse, digging into the ground as it broke apart.<sub></sub>


    The one who was hit fell lifelessly to the ground, already dead before her face touched the rocky surface of the earth. I watched, enveloped with more tears and throbbing emotions than I could hear.


    Was it due to my weakness that the Titles I had were not functioning properly? Or maybe¡­ the emotions were just too much to be suppressed.


    Somehow, I felt it was thetter.


    ¡°Arghhhhhhhh!!!¡± I screamed in agony, feeling my heart bleeds as I stood on my feet.


    My strength was restored and a [You Have Leveled Up] icon shed in front of me.


    More tears streamed down my face and I could feel mypletely recovered body throbbing as a result of the recent loss burdening me.


    A sense of guilt and heartbreak mixed into one. I hadn¡¯t been certain back when we were together, but it was at the moment of Lara¡¯s death that I finally realized¡­


    ¡­ I loved her!


    ¡°You¡­ what have you done?!¡± I heard a sharp gasp from above, lifting my head to see the Executioner widening her eyes in shock.


    ¡°Were you notrades? Yet you killed her¡­ so easily! Why?¡±


    It seemed like the Angel could not fathom my decision.


    Surely, to most, my actions would be synonymous with that of a mad man. Who would kill their only guarantee of survival, especially if that same person was the one they loved dearly?


    Judging from the Angel¡¯s re, it seemed she considered things more from the emotional perspective, rather than the logical one¡ªwhich was surprising considering my first impression of her was of an unfeeling machine.


    Regardless, no matter the point of view a person looked at things, I made a stupid blunder.


    All for what?


    A Level increase¡ªwhat would that do? Other than healing me, it would only boost my stats by a little margin. That wasn¡¯t enough to give me the upper hand against my target.


    Then why?


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get it,¡± I said, smiling at my enemy.


    The Angel appeared even more disgusted by my remark, though I sensed a tinge of curiosity oozing from her.


    Wasting no time, I called upon my Subspace window.


    [SUBSPACE]


    Rank: C


    Level: 1


    Ability: Stores ¡®Anything¡¯ within a personal pocket dimension (Rank D ¨C C)


    Total Amount Of Slots: 1,000


    Additional Ability:


    ~ Items Stored Within [Subspace] Remain In Suspended States (Rank E)


    ~ Items Can Be Summoned Over An Unlimited Distance, As Far As The Eye Can See. (Rank D)


    ~ Any Item (Non-Living) Can Be Taken Into [Subspace] Without The Need For Physical Contact. (Rank C)


    ~ Non-Physical Items (Non-Living) Can Be Registered By, And Taken Into [Subspace]. (Rank C)


    <Edit>


    [Additional Information]


    A Gift that stores any ¡®Any¡¯ matter inpact slots located in a distinct pocket universe. The matter stored within this space can be retracted by choice. The size and additional capabilities increase upon growth.


    [End Of Information]


    I refused to take my eyes off the target while tapping on the <Edit> option.


    My smile widened, despite the turmoil in my heart as I stared at my stunned opponent.


    ¡®With this¡­ I¡¯ve already won!¡¯

 Chapter 277 Surprising Victory

    My heart thumped, making a noise that was so audible to my ears that it made me uneasy.


    I still felt the pain of loss coursing through me, but what was this other feeling of excitement that flowed in my body? Even though I had just mercilessly killed someone so dear to me¡­ why was I ovee with a sudden feeling of anticipation?


    Somehow, I knew the reason deep within my heart.


    ¡°I win!¡± My lips curled as I formed those words and stared maniacally at the Angeldy.


    The floating enemy gave me a deep re that told me of her dissatisfaction, no disgust, toward my actions.


    Apparently, she did not approve of my execution of Ana.


    ¡°You are truly a despicable existence. A being like you should not be allowed to live.¡± She gave a bold verdict as several feathers appeared around her.


    They were in their hundreds, probably toppling a thousand. It seemed the Angel had decided to stop messing around.


    ¡°However, your foolish actions have guaranteed your death. Singrity, Jeremy Lewis, this is the end!¡±


    After announcing her judgment, the barrage of feathers that were already aimed at me moved at barely visible speed and charged.


    They were too many topletely evade, too fast to avoid, too powerful to defend against. These feathers were the ultimate tool for killing someone like me.<sub>.</sub>


    However¡­


    ¡°Wrong choice.¡± I smiled evilly.


    In an instant, the feathers vanished.


    Silence radiated the short distance between me and the floating woman as surprise was etched on her face.


    ¡°W-wha¡ª?!¡±


    It was amusing and terribly pleasant how I watched theposure she had maintained for so long bepletely rendered redundant.


    ¡°It¡¯s over for you,dy!¡± I smiled.


    The Angel was still in shock, recoiling and seeming to calcte how such a feat was possible.


    I hadn¡¯t moved an inch from where I stood, and clearly, I had not disyed any ability that indicated my capability for such a feat. How, then, was I able to pull it off now?


    ¡°You asked me why I killed my ally, right?¡± My smile grew wider.<sub></sub>


    The unease within mepletely vanished and a wave of calmness took over. It was now evident to me that the scale of power hadpletely tilted away from the enemy¡¯s angle and now worked in my favor.


    ¡°I killed her for this¡­¡±


    Stretching my arms wide, I summoned a feather atop my palm and touched it lightly.


    Sure enough, it felt very thin and smooth. But, it was extremely fine and I was assured that if I yed around with the object too much, it could easily slice off my fingers.


    ¡°H-how are you able to¡­? What is the meaning of this?¡±


    The Angel seemed to lose more of her grace the more time passed, as none of her elegance and poise from earlier could be seen.


    ¡°Even if you got EXP, that wouldn¡¯t be able to¡­¡± Her voice weakly trailed in a murmur, causing me to snicker.


    ¡°EXP? What good would that do?¡±


    Now that I thought of it, this was the perfect chance to learn a little bit about it. So far, the whole thing had been shrouded in mystery¡ªthe uniqueness of my Status Window.


    Ever since I encountered this utterly overwhelming being, I had this feeling that she was rted to the strange power I had. Now that she was now in the mood to talk, perhaps I could extract some information.<sub></sub>


    ¡°What do you know about the (G) Karma Points?¡±


    The moment I said this, the Angel¡¯s eyes bulged and she brandished her weapon instantly.


    A crazed look appeared on her face as she vanished from her position and charged straight at me.


    >WHOOOOSHH<


    This was the first time she had ever descended to deal a strike, catching mepletely off-guard. She advanced, faster than I couldpletely fathom, and lunged her weapon at me.


    In mere moments¡ªno, even less¡ªI would be turned into a corpse!


    That is, if I didn¡¯t have a countermeasure.


    Fortunately, my Trump Card activated right on time.


    >WHUUUSSHH!!!<


    The air hissed as the remnant of the approaching pressure swept through me. I felt the empty gust of wind fly across the area, raising dust and debris as I stood on my lonesome.


    The charging opponent was nowhere to be seen, nor was any resemnce of her. It was as if she hadpletely vanished. If it hadn¡¯t been for the destruction that surrounded me, it was as though the Angel had never appeared.


    ¡°Whew!¡± I felt beads of sweat forming on my face as I sighed in relief.


    My body unconsciously fell to the ground as my trembling legs gave in. Even though I put on a brave front, I was still frightened throughout our exchange.


    That was just how scary my opponent had been!


    ¡°It¡¯s finally over¡­ Haa¡­¡±


    No, was it really?


    I had only managed to store her within [Subspace], same as her feathers. If it hadn¡¯t been for that¡­ my life would have been over several times over.


    ¡°Haa¡­ still¡­¡± My voice trembled as I reyed my experience with the enemy.


    ¡®I could have died¡­ just like that¡­¡¯


    The thought of death brought about the memory of someone dear to me, someone I had just killed.


    ¡°<Summon>¡±


    Even though I didn¡¯t need to say the words, they slipped out unconsciously, as the woman¡¯s dead body appeared.


    After killing Lara, instantly sent her back to her slot in [Subspace]. Was it due to guilt? I was still figuring it out.


    I caught her lifeless corpse in my arms and felt the body grow cold. The gaping hole in Lara¡¯s chest, caused by my javelin, hadpletely killed her in a single stroke¡ªjust as I wanted.


    Even as I stared into her lifeless eyes, the vestiges of love and guilt that clutched my heart tightly began to fade away. Thanks to mypletely recovered state, the Titles that couldn¡¯tpletely suppress my emotions were now active.


    ¡°Huu¡­¡±


    Lara¡¯s eyes were closed, as if she already expected the strike¡ªwhich she did.


    ¡°You could always see through me, uh?¡± I whispered as I caressed her cheeks slowly.


    She must have known from the start¡­ that I would harvest her (G) Karma Points at some point.

 Chapter 278 Heartless Strategy

    What should I have done? ept death?


    No way!


    No matter what, I wanted to live. That was why I had done so many unsavory things¡ªperpetrated atrocities that would cause many tobel me a monster. I did them all so I could live!


    Yet, my life was going to end even as I was confused as to the reason. No, I couldn¡¯t ept that!


    Even as I stared at Lara back when she suddenly appeared thanks to <Automatic Summon>, a dark thought crept into me.


    I initially hesitated in executing it, but the allure bepletely irresistible in the face of certain death.


    It was at that point that I realized that no matter how much I loved a person, or imed to care about them¡­ in the face of my own survival¡­ I wouldpletely abandon whatever sentiments had been built in my heart.


    My (G) Karma Points were 9,899¡­ just a bit before I reached the required amount for a [Subspace] Upgrade.


    If I could kill just a single person more, the number would add up. Despite my hesitation, the first individual that came to mind was Lily. Unfortunately, she was no longer in my grasp, and I couldn¡¯t even ¡®Recall¡¯ her.<sub>.</sub>


    If only I could achieve a total of 10,000 (G) Karma Points, I could unlock a new ability that would give me an edge against my adversary.


    Soft far, I realized that touching my opponent and her feathers did the trick, even though rangedeffects were useless.


    Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t even fast enough topete with the winged woman¡¯s speed. [Subspace] had never failed me before when it came to upgrades. It certainly wouldn¡¯t let me down now! If only I could get my hands on more (G) Karma¡­


    My mind raced, seeking other alternatives, even with Lara directly in front of me.


    I truly didn¡¯t want to think of her, but my twisted mind knew it was only a matter of time before she was the only option that existed.


    Fortunately, or could I even call it that, the woman already knew I would sacrifice her. I didn¡¯t know how, but it seemed she could read me like a book and figure it out.


    She didn¡¯t make an attempt to flee to struggle. As usual, she epted her fate with a smile, making it easier for me to pull the trigger.


    Even with that, it wasn¡¯t any easier.<sub></sub>


    Still, I did it!


    And the effects?


    The effects were superb!


    Lara had a high Level, and she gave me the highest (G) Karma Point I had ever received from any other Gifted.


    A whooping sum of 500!


    As a result, not only was I able to meet the requirement, but I also got surplus points as change.


    While the Angel was still recoiling from my actions, I took the chance to obtain my goal and upgrade my Gift. Fortunately, I made it in time and got three new abilities that changed my perception of [Subspace] forever.


    One, was the ability to take in any matter, even living beings, just by looking at them.<sub></sub>


    Second, was the ability that helped me get rid of the Angel and her feathers even though I could barely see them¡ªAutomatic Subspace!


    It was an offshoot of <Automatic Summon>, I was certain, and it allowed me to send objects into my [Subspace] based on distance and value.


    Thanks to that, once the Angel entered my range, she was done for!


    The final ability I obtained could be considered the most broken one of them all. It was ¡®Unlimited¡¯!


    I now had an unlimited number of Slots in my [Subspace],pletely removing any worry concerning the previously insufficient slots from my mind.


    Thanks to these three new perks, I was able to emerge victorious and would now proceed to achieve greater heights, but¡­ at what cost?


    Looking around me, I could see multiple shattered buildings and tons of rubble around.


    The destruction was greater than anything I had expected, and it weighed too heavily on me. All the loot I had previously gotten was now destroyed and I barely had anything left in my arsenal but food, water, and misceneous supplies.


    ¡®Well, I still have the throne¡­¡¯ A slight chuckle formed on my face as I remembered not using that.


    Still, though, everything else¡ªat least, nearly everything¡ªhad been destroyed.


    My heavy eyes looked around as my body slumped while moving. There was something in sight that buzzed. It was golden in color, and the way it shed made me feel a slight bit of hesitation about approaching, but I did so anyway.


    Upon closer inspection, I fully realized what the glow was.


    ¡°That¡¯s the ball that trapped Lily¡­¡± I uttered, seeing the bright glow of the golden orb dim until it finally flickered out and vanish.


    The absence of the Angel that supplied the energy must have caused the force field to dissipate.


    I watched the girl who had been within it slump to the ground slowly, as though being carefully let down by the remaining glows beforepletely fizzling out.


    A single smile formed on my face as I carefully examined the little girl. She seemed so innocent and her peaceful sleepy face showed how oblivious the poor thing was of the entire incident that transpired while she was unconscious.


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    I reached out for her, but stopped midway.


    My heart ached considering what would happen if I took her along with me and had to decide sacrificing her once again for my benefit.


    First was Paul, then Lara¡­ would Lily be next? Her?!


    My eyes gazed upon the girl¡¯s little frame as the remnant of humanity within me tightly gripped my conscience.


    I was currently Aligned as ¡®Neutral Evil¡¯, so it wouldpletely make sense for me to take her with me, despite knowing the consequences, and exploiting her as much as I could.


    Killing her was also an option since I could gain (G) Karma Points and EXP, without resorting to any hassle of raising her.


    But, even then, I didn¡¯t want to do any of those.


    Was it weakness? Sentiment? No, I didn¡¯t think so.


    ¡®It¡¯s too¡­ inefficient¡­¡¯

 Chapter 279 Solitude

    Something I had just realized after losing Ana, sacrificing Lara, and nearly losing it all, was that my journey was one of solitude.


    Topletely be what I intended and survive this wretched world, I needed topletely tear myself from any form of attachment¡ªLily was no exception!


    I had to do what only benefited me, but that didn¡¯t include taking this young girl who would need to rely a whole lot on emotional satisfaction, something I couldn¡¯t give.


    Killing her would also be too detrimental for me since I had to get rid of the ¡®Evil¡¯ Alignment I had before it was toote.


    The Penalties that came with it made me restrain myself from overdoing it. At the moment, I needed to refrain from taking lives unless absolutely necessary. If I wasn¡¯t careful, I could slip further down the ¡®Evil¡¯ Alignment spectrum.


    That would be bad!


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s settled then¡­¡± I muttered, dropping my hands as I walked away from the girl.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you¡­ but I can¡¯t take responsibility for you as well.¡±


    It was a heartless thing to do, especially after being the one responsible for herpletely losing her home. But, I didn¡¯t have the luxury to worry about another person¡ªnot with so many unresolved problems of mine haunting me.


    ¡°Lily¡­ you¡¯re on your own.¡±


    My steps were slow, without much energy or resolve¡­ but I kept moving.


    I had no idea where I would go, or what I would do. A few thoughts shed in my head, but I was too distraught topletely think straight at the moment.


    I had lost too much¡­<sub>.</sub>


    *************************


    ¡°WHAT?! HOW IS THIS EVEN¡­?!¡±


    The Supreme Beings roared in shock and anger.


    Never had they thought such a thing was possible¡ªthat an Executioner, one who was closest to the supreme level, would lose to a mere human.


    It was inconceivable!


    It was impossible!


    But¡­ it happened!


    ¡°That boy¡­ is more of a threat than we initially thought!¡±


    ¡°Agreed!¡±


    ¡°We need to eliminate him quickly!¡±


    The Gods were flustered, now a little worried. They had initially thought the singrity was a single pebble that stood in the way of the grand scheme of things, but now¡­


    ¡°What did you do, A-67?¡±<sub></sub>


    Sariel, an Archangel, waspletely gone by some sort of trick made by the boy.


    It seemed like a bad joke!


    There was a reason she was chosen among the other Archangels. While their number was four, and they were absolutely loyal to the Statute, each Archangel represented several things¡ªmaking aspects of their personalities.


    For Sariel, she stood for justice!


    After observing Jeremy Lewis¡¯ actions up until now, they saw the kind of atrocities hemitted and how inhumane the boy had been.


    Clearly, there was no better Archangel to send but her!


    Yet, the results they were hoping for didn¡¯t end up getting fulfilled!


    For one, the Archangel went too easy on her target. Usually, she eliminated her opponent in a single blow¡ªnot leaving a chance for discussion!


    Granted, she needed to separate Jeremy from an innocent life¡ªas per her policy¡ªbut from that point on, the target¡¯s existence should have been extinguished.


    Then why?


    Why did she take so long in executing ¡®Justice¡¯?!


    Her movements were too slow.<sub></sub>


    Her attacks were inefficient.


    Her swings were light.


    Still, even with those petty attacks being rendered by their absolute weapon, the Gods were not worried at the time.


    After all, she had the advantage and would ultimately win.


    To their surprise, the boy turned the tables and even caused the usually stoic Sariel to lose her cool.


    Upon rushing to attack Jeremy Lewis, the Gods had perhaps thought that the Archangel would get serious and finally obliterate him.


    To their dismay, once again, the opposite happened.


    Their card¡­ disappeared!


    Yes, absolutely vanished!


    How that was possible remained a question embedded in their celestial minds.


    For one, no matter the Gifts given to humans, the Gods could still sense their nature and effects. Even if someone became invisible, the Supreme Beings could see them clear as day.


    If a person teleported, they could see the trajectory of movement and knew where such an individual would appear.


    In essence, they saw all and knew all!


    That was due to the ¡®Dimensional Ladder¡¯ and their standing at the zenith. Nothing was beyond them!


    Yet, none could decipher what happened to Sariel. Where did she go? Did she die? Could she die?


    So many questions, and not a single answer was present to enlighten them.


    It was at that moment that the Supreme Beings realized what kind of threat the singrity posed. For a moment, they were tempted to send another Archangel to finish the job, perhaps more carefully than the way Sariel handled things, but they had already missed their window of opportunity.


    The system¡¯s casualty that they had exploited thedy time wouldn¡¯t help¡­ at least not in a while.


    Plus, there was no guarantee that Jeremy Lewis wouldn¡¯t try the same trick he used on Sariel on the others. If they knew what ability he used, it would have been different, but¡­ even they had no idea.


    ¡°What¡­ was his Gift again?¡±


    With that thought, they inferred from the list of Gifts in the index and observed the names that were shown.


    In a sh, the long list of names sharply scrolled down until Jeremy Lewis¡¯ name was shown.


    All of them looked at the window that was disyed before them and squinted their pure white eyes to see.


    The name of the Gift was¡­


    ¡­ $%€¡ê?¡ê?E.


    They didn¡¯t know!


    They couldn¡¯t see it!


    Or maybe¡­ the Gift didn¡¯t exist!


    There was no way the Index had crashed, which left only one option. The Gift the singrity had was not registered with the Index. It was apletely different Gift than the collective abilities that had been established.


    This had to have been another truck of their fallenrade.


    ¡°What a conundrum¡­¡±


    The Supreme Beings sighed.


    Regardless, they still had to resolve the issue. It was the only way that theing scenarios would flow smoothly. Fortunately, the Tutorial phase was just about done. Once the Main Events of Armageddon began, they would be able to interfere more.


    They could deal Special Privileges and Penalties to Gifteds as they saw fit¡­ well, in ordance with the rules.


    Still, once that happened, the days of their headache would be over soon.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t directly interfere¡­ there was more than one way to skin a rat¡ªeven one as evasive as Jeremy Lewis!

 Chapter 280 A Dark Past

    Lily drowned in a world of ck.


    Her entire senses entered a lull state as shepletely sumbed to the allure of sleep¡­ no, it wasn¡¯t really sleep.


    She was simply unconscious.


    Surprisingly, her entire self seemed to be perfectly awake. She realized the world she was currently in, a vast, empty space filled with nothing but darkness.


    Finally, the ck curtain hanging around her slowly began to lift and instead of the absolute blindness that enveloped her, the area turned grey.


    ck and white colors glittered around Lily as she opened her eyes.


    Looking around her, she could somewhat tell what kind of ne she was in. The girl wasn¡¯t in the realm of reality, at least not yet. This was simply a dream¡ªa lucid one.


    The way her thoughts trailed as she observed her surrounding made herpletely recognize the scene.


    It was a hospital ward.


    A girl wasid on the bed, a life support machine by her side. The constant beeps of the device kept ringing in the room¡ªhaving intervals between the sound it made.<sub>.</sub>


    Doctors were there, and then two people¡ªher parents¡ªhung above the sleeping figure. Lily knew this scene well, even though she shouldn¡¯t have been able to.


    The girl who was in aa was none other than Lily, and she had been in this condition for some time.


    A year? Two years? She didn¡¯t properly recall.


    Her memory of the time she first entered that deep sleep was still hazy to her. That was probably why the image of the girl on the bed was blurry.


    She didn¡¯t know what she looked like, or even how her parents or the doctor did. In heratose state, she had been in a semi-conscious state where she heard the conversation of those around her.


    She felt their presence, could detect a bit of their movement¡­ but the wall that blocked her from interacting with the living was too high to cross.


    She tried to open her mouth, but this forced sleep suppressed any attempt to speak or move.


    She was a living corpse!


    At least, that was how it went on until something bizarre urred.<sub></sub>


    Lily closed her eyes and by the time she opened them¡­ a new sight had unfolded.


    A pure white room, theplete opposite of the darkness around her before.


    This was the first thing Lily had seen in years ever since she first entered aa.


    Her eyes should have squinted in response to the sharp sensation assailing her, but the girl seemed fine. No, she felt more than fine!


    It was as if she was no longer in her sickly body! Well, she was half right!


    ¡°Wee to the Sacred Hall.¡± A voice greeted her.


    Startled by the sound, the innocent, young girl sharply turned in the direction of whoever spoke.


    It was none other than the Supreme Being known as God.


    The stranger introduced himself ordingly, exining the cause for her appearance in his domain. Perhaps she wouldn¡¯t have believed him if she was older, or more mature, but Lily still had the mindset of a kid¡ªsince she had been in aa for years.<sub></sub>


    ¡°W-wow?!¡± She could only mutter, listening to the white man¡¯s every word.


    Once he was fine exining, he handed over her Gift¡ª[Great Sight]¡ªand also briefly exined the rudimentary knowledge concerning the Divine System she now had.


    All her Stats were represented with numbers, and the girl seemed to be surging with more power than normal.


    ¡°When you return, you should be awake.¡± God, at least that was what she could only see him as, assured the young girl.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be able to see¡­ my family¡­ again?!¡¯


    Those wonderful thoughts rang with happiness as she glowed brightly. It appeared she had forgotten all about the warnings the Supreme Being had given her concerning Demons.


    All that mattered to her was going home!


    Perhaps he was making some sort of expression on his face, but the white being didn¡¯t seem to disy any qualms with her line of reasoning. He didn¡¯t even attempt to correct her.


    ¡°Now, then¡­ you should be returning now.¡± He muttered, interrupting her jubnt thoughts.


    Lily nodded that she understood and stood upright¡ªthough that wasn¡¯t really necessary.


    ¡°Well, good luck. I hope for your survival.¡±


    The white person¡¯s voice didn¡¯t particrly contain any emotion that indicated that he meant those words, but Lily epted them wholeheartedly while nodding.


    In a beam of white light, Lily¡¯s line of vision changed once again. She had already left the Sacred Hall!


    The older Lily who watched this dream, invisible in all the events, was already tense at this moment.


    Her previous expressions were that of nostalgia and a bit of pain, but now¡­ the only thing showing in her eyes was fear.


    Terror assailed the older girl!


    It seemed she hadpletely forgotten that this was only just a dream, but her widened eyes and outstretched arms were focused on the younger self who just woke up from sleep.


    ¡®Run! Run! No!!!¡¯ Her mind rang as she watched the girl remove the Life Support machine¡¯s probes from her body.


    In excitement, younger Lily hopped off the bed and ran to the exit¡ªwell, it could most urately be described as the entrance.


    Immediately she did so, the wish of just staying in bed washed over the young girl. Why?


    That was because of the sight that unfolded next.


    People were running!


    Doctors, nurses, everyone in the building, or at least on that floor. It was so overwhelming that Lily was stunned and unable to move an inch.


    ¡®Why are they running?¡¯ yed on her mind.


    Well, she soon saw the answer to her inquiry.


    Turning her head in the direction of a pungent smile¡ªto the exact ce where everyone was running away from¡ª the girl was met with the most grotesque sight ever!


    If the white being she had seen earlier represented God, then this was absolutely the devil! It was too horrific to bebeled anything less.


    The monster¡ªa Demon¡ªwas walking while chewing on the head of a human. Blood dripped on the ground, forming a trail, as the monster casually walked down the hall.


    This wasn¡¯t the world she wanted to see!

 Chapter 281 Awake

    Lily remained frozen.


    Sweat dripped from her trembling body as tiny squeaks could be heard from her.


    For someone who had not seen the outside world in years to be greeted with this sight of horror in mere minutes¡­ it was beyond traumatic.


    [Danger!]


    A System Alert suddenly popped as she got a closer visual of the monster.


    Then¡­ the next thing she experienced was a System Window.


    [System Information]


    ¨C Name: Sin Eater Spawn


    ¨C Level: 3


    ¨C Race: Demon (Lesser)¨C Grade: 1


    ¨C Age: 29 days


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 130


    ¨C MP: ¨C ¨C<sub>.</sub>


    ¨C Strenght: 45


    ¨C Agility: 90


    ¨C Vitality: 60


    ¨C Intelligence: 10


    [Status Condition]


    <Aggro>


    ¨C Ignores bystanders and focuses on predetermined targets.


    [End Of Information]


    It was as if her brain would explode.


    Lily knew her current Stats were barely on the average Level since she had already checked. Not only was this monster superior to her in Stats, but the terror it exuded was even too great for the girl to think of fighting.


    In essence, this was the end of the line!


    For a few moments, there was silence and the girl sharply closed her eyes in fright, expecting death.


    Lily awaited her fate, but to her surprise, nothing urred.<sub></sub>


    She didn¡¯t want to open them¡ªher eyes¡ªbut after waiting for seconds, she couldn¡¯t resist the urge. Once she did, though, the girl was met with an empty hallway.


    No one was there, no sign of life. If not for the trail of blood that led straight down the hallway, she would have believed the ce was deserted.


    Silence filled the area as the girl lost all feeling in her legs and crumbled to the ground.


    Her breaths were strained and her bulging eyes told the message that she was panicking within.


    Unknown to the poor little girl, though, the despair had only just begun.


    Lily remained in her hospital ward for days after that incident. Even though she was assailed by hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and a myriad of unpleasant sensations, she still couldn¡¯t leave the curled-up position she took by a corner.


    The remnant fear of the monster gued her mind¡­ and the little girl couldn¡¯t leave her tiny little box!


    She prayed for help toe, but Lily was t sure whom her requests were directed to.


    Was it the white being she met not too long ago? He was aware of her situation, though. No, he was the one who thrust her into it!


    How would such an existence save her now?


    There truly was no hope! She was going to sumb to the hunger sooner orter¡­ and die!


    Even if she didn¡¯t starve to death, perhaps a monster would enter the room and eat her instead. She couldn¡¯t imagine anyone being interested in her bony, malnutritioned body, but it wasn¡¯t likemon sense applied to Demons.


    Just like in the nightmares she had been getting¡­it was only a matter of time before she got feasted on by those creatures of horror.<sub></sub>


    To Lily¡¯s surprise, though¡­ someone dide to her rescue.


    She was dazzling so bright, like an angel, storming into the room with such precision and grace that Lily was in awe.


    Even though her blurry vision couldn¡¯t really pick up the image of the one who had saved her, the girl knew within herself that her savior hade. And with that¡­ she was able to safely pass out.


    This was Lily¡¯s first encounter with Anabelle. She was saved by her, and once she regained consciousness, they were in a rough shelter.


    Anabelle was a lone wolf, and thanks to saving Lily, she had a follower behind her.


    Lily did her best not to hold Ana back, but it was clear that the opposite was the actual truth.


    The girl was truly useless inbat, and practically all other things. Ana had to take care of meals, protection, shelter, and practically all they needed to survive.


    The young girl couldn¡¯t do a single thing right.


    Of course, Ana neverined that she was useless, but Lily felt terrible within herself.


    If only she was better!


    If only she could do more!


    If only she wasn¡¯t a burden!


    Perhaps it was these emotions that caused her to be more determined to increase her strength and usefulness. Slowly, she became more adept in the hellish world, and alongside Ana, they traveled.


    Later on, they settled at a ¡®Camp¡¯ made for survivors, and became established members there.


    This was Lily¡¯s life now.


    It wasn¡¯t perfect, but¡­ she hade to ept it and grow stronger.


    Unfortunately¡­ that also came to an abrupt end.


    The dream slowly started melting away and everything began turning dark once more. Lily saw the image of those she cared about¡­ and theirst moments.


    Ana¡¯s death.


    Peter¡¯s demise.


    Daniel¡¯s murder.


    Everyone she knew and loved slowly fell and died.


    Lily felt like someone was missing from the list of casualties, but she couldn¡¯t remember.


    The girl was sinking deeper into the world of despondency when a voice called out to her. Then, a bright light slowly began to illuminate her surrounding, causing the shadows around to disappear.


    Now within a white space, Lily thought of the warmth enveloping her. Even after such loss, why was she feeling so calm and satisfied.


    It was as if a hole had been plugged somehow, and her bleeding heart was fixed.


    ¡®W-what is¡­ thisss¡­.¡± Slowly, the girl¡¯s eyes opened, and she was back in the realm of existence.


    Reality set in, and the clouds hanging above came into view.


    Her vision was still blurry, and her thoughts hazy. Even though she had only just regained consciousness, it felt like she would sink back into sleep.


    The girl didn¡¯t sense anyone around her, only felt the hard ground she was on. As she pondered on what to do, something suddenly sounded that startled her.


    No, not something¡­ but a series of sounds.


    If not for her exhausted state, Lily would have jumped to her feet to face whatever was making that sound.


    >ck<


    >ck<


    It was footsteps¡­ there was someone nearby!


    The footsteps grew louder and the presence of someone began registering in Lily¡¯s senses.


    Thanks to her exhaustion, the girl couldn¡¯tpletelyprehend the stranger¡¯s identity, but her numb face slightly tilted to get a visual of them.


    It was¡ª

 Chapter 282 End Of A Scenario

    Lily could only see the legs of the one who moved closer to her thanks to the state she was currently in.


    Her head was t on the ground, helplessly transfixed on a single location.


    Judging by the tight pants that clung to the intruder¡¯s legs, and his well-furnished boots, this person was human.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself¡­¡± A voice suddenly sounded, making the girl suddenly feel at ease, instead of fear.


    ¡°You should rest¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes felt heavier than expected, and she slowly began giving in to the allure of sleep that had gotten stronger.


    If the girl didn¡¯t know any better, she would think the voice¡ªat least the owner¡ªwas actually the one inducing this.


    Her consciousness faded, and Lily melted away into her sleep.


    Seeing that the girl was already unconscious, the mysterious figure knelt before her and carried the unmoving figure.


    Met with no resistance, the figure¡ªlike that of an adult man¡ªtook Lily¡¯s smaller body on his shoulder and began setting off.


    His dark cloak swung in response to the wind¡¯s howl as he moved¡­ destination unknown!


    ****************


    ¡°Status Window¡± I murmured.


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 324 ¨C Exp: 87.45%


    ¨C Race: Human


    [JOB]<sub>.</sub>


    (Primary Job) Thief


    (Secondly Job): <Trickster>


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡¯3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Neutral Evil


    ¨C Karma Points: 12,500


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 399


    <Titles>


    [Hell Kobold yer]. [Hobgoblin yer]. [Conqueror]. [ughterer]. [Merciless]. [Solo Hunter]. [Dominator]. [Singrity]


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 16,250/16,250 (+10,000)


    ¨C MP: 4,568/4,568 (+2,252)


    ¨C Strength: 3,280 (920) + (5,000)


    ¨C Agility: 16,450 (812) + (5,000)


    ¨C Vitality: 16,250 (630) + (10,000)


    ¨C Intelligence: 48,950 (3,110) + (10,000)<sub></sub>


    ¨C (G) Factor: 10


    ¨C Gift: [Subspace]


    ¨C Items Equipped: <Hobgoblin King¡¯s Throne>


    ¨C Allies: None


    [Additional Information]


    ¡ªA human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    ¡ªA Labelled Singrity


    [End Of Information]


    A sigh escaped my lips as they curled in disappointment.


    Currently taking shelter in a building¡ªone of many abandoned structures around¡ªI bathed in the loneliness and solitude that enveloped me.


    Perhaps this was the definition of depression. A lot of thoughts swirled around in my mind, and while I realized there was a lot to be done, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to make much of a move.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    I knew it was best to strike the metal while it was hot.


    Having lost most of my equipment, it was imperative I reced them as fast as possible. To do that, I needed some Grade 2 Demons for drops.


    ¡®Sigh, it¡¯s at times like this that I wish Paul was here¡­¡¯


    It was a little toote to regret my rash decision at the time. Plus, since his death had brought so many advantages to me, I couldn¡¯t very wellin about it.


    I should at least be satisfied with my new [Subspace] Skills.<sub></sub>


    ¡­ Even though my (G) Factor had reduced once again.


    ¡®It¡¯s almost empty now¡­¡¯ I thought.


    With this, I was certain that death was inevitable in my encounter with the Angel. If it hadn¡¯t been for the (G) Points sacrificed for some reason, perhaps I would have been killed.


    If that was the case, then it also meant that I practically had one more lifeline.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know what will happen if the number hits zero¡­¡¯


    It could mean automatic death, it that I no longer had luck when it came to survival. Either way, I had to avoid that oue no matter what.


    ¡®That means I have to pay low for a while¡­¡¯


    My trembling hands gripped each other tightly as I felt a chill of fear and anxiety.


    The trauma of battling that Angel had not left me, even after a few days passed.


    I was holed up in this building most likely as a result of that remnant fear. No, thinking rationally, there were other reasons.


    For one, I didn¡¯t have any idea where the other Bosses were.


    I was fortunate that three appeared near my vicinity, but what about the other two? Wasting energy and effort was foolish, so conserving energy and trying to gather my thoughts were probably the best I could do at the moment.


    ¡®¡­ No, those are all just excuses¡­¡¯


    Ultimately, I was just unwilling to go further. It could have been as a result of the grief I was suppressing. It could have been as a result of my fear.


    At this point, I was just paralyzed.


    ¡°How pathetic¡­ Jeremy Lewis.¡± I scoffed at my pathetic state.


    How much longer would thisst?


    >PING<


    >PING<


    >PING<


    >BRIIINNNNNNGGGGG<


    A sharp ringing wound roused me from my half-conscious state, causing me to fully regain control over myself.


    [SYSTEM ALERT!]


    ~Tutorial Of Armageddon Has Ended~


    ~All Five Demon Bosses Have Been Extinguished~


    <Congrattions! You Have Survived The Tutorial Scenario>


    My eyes nearly popped out of my sockets. Only one thought rang in my brain.


    ¡®Already?!¡¯


    Even though it was night, and the area was fairly dark, I suddenly noticed that the surrounding was full of light.


    Not just indoors, where I was, but this bright radiation emanated from outside.


    I stood sharply and headed for a window to see what caused such glorious illumination.


    It was the appearance of multiple ¡®System Windows¡¯.


    They were giant, and so many they filled the night sky. The golden brilliance of each of them glimmered like the sun, so light filled everywhere.


    The panels all said the same thing.


    [SYSTEM ALERT!]


    ~Tutorial Of Armageddon Has Ended~


    ~All Five Demon Bosses Have Been Extinguished~


    <Congrattions! You Have Survived The Tutorial Scenario>


    I widened my eyes in awe and shock.


    ¡®To think it¡¯s over already¡­¡¯


    Suddenly, many pings began popping into my head, full of System Updates.


    [System Alert]


    ~You Have Acquired The Most Karma Points~


    <You Have Received The Title ¡®Collector¡¯>


    ~You Have The Most Achievements Out Of All Gifteds~


    <You Have Received The Title ¡®Overachiever¡¯>


    ~You Have Performed Impossible Feats~


    <Karma Points Will Be Given As A Reward>


    I smiled as the list went on and on.


    Even though this was the start of a nightmare¡­ why did I feel so pleased?


    Perhaps it was because this was time to collect the rewards for my hardbor.


    ~You Have¡­.~


    [DO NOT UNLOCK THE NEXT CHAPTER! PLEASE SKIP AND JUMP TO THE ONE AFTER THAT. I ACCIDENTALLY UPLOADED TWICE. I CAN¡¯T DELETE CHAPTERS TOO¡­]

 Chapter 283 DO NOT READ

    Lily could only see the legs of the one who moved closer to her thanks to the state she was currently in.


    Her head was t on the ground, helplessly transfixed on a single location.


    Judging by the tight pants that clung to the intruder¡¯s legs, and his well-furnished boots, this person was human.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself¡­¡± A voice suddenly sounded, making the girl suddenly feel at ease, instead of fear.


    ¡°You should rest¡­¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes felt heavier than expected, and she slowly began giving in to the allure of sleep that had gotten stronger.


    If the girl didn¡¯t know any better, she would think the voice¡ªat least the owner¡ªwas actually the one inducing this.


    Her consciousness faded, and Lily melted away into her sleep.


    Seeing that the girl was already unconscious, the mysterious figure knelt before her and carried the unmoving figure.


    Met with no resistance, the figure¡ªlike that of an adult man¡ªtook Lily¡¯s smaller body on his shoulder and began setting off.


    His dark cloak swung in response to the wind¡¯s howl as he moved¡­ destination unknown!


    ****************


    ¡°Status Window¡± I murmured.


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    ¨C Name: Jeremy Lewis


    ¨C Level: 324 ¨C Exp: 87.45%


    ¨C Race: Human


    [JOB]<sub>.</sub>


    (Primary Job) Thief


    (Secondly Job): <Trickster>


    ¨C Age: 16 Years


    ¨C Sex: Male


    ¨C Height: 5¡¯3. ¨C Weight: 115 pounds


    ¨C Alignment: Neutral Evil


    ¨C Karma Points: 12,500


    ¨C (G) Karma Points: 399


    <Titles>


    [Hell Kobold yer]. [Hobgoblin yer]. [Conqueror]. [ughterer]. [Merciless]. [Solo Hunter]. [Dominator]. [Singrity]


    [Stats]


    ¨C HP: 16,250/16,250 (+10,000)


    ¨C MP: 4,568/4,568 (+2,252)


    ¨C Strength: 3,280 (920) + (5,000)


    ¨C Agility: 16,450 (812) + (5,000)


    ¨C Vitality: 16,250 (630) + (10,000)


    ¨C Intelligence: 48,950 (3,110) + (10,000)<sub></sub>


    ¨C (G) Factor: 10


    ¨C Gift: [Subspace]


    ¨C Items Equipped: <Hobgoblin King¡¯s Throne>


    ¨C Allies: None


    [Additional Information]


    ¡ªA human with thest Gift. Possesses the interest of God.


    ¡ªA Labelled Singrity


    [End Of Information]


    A sigh escaped my lips as they curled in disappointment.


    Currently taking shelter in a building¡ªone of many abandoned structures around¡ªI bathed in the loneliness and solitude that enveloped me.


    Perhaps this was the definition of depression. A lot of thoughts swirled around in my mind, and while I realized there was a lot to be done, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to make much of a move.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    I knew it was best to strike the metal while it was hot.


    Having lost most of my equipment, it ssd imperative I reced them as fast as possible. To do that, I needed some Grade 2 Demons for drops.


    ¡®Sigh, it¡¯s at times like this that I wish Paul was here¡­¡¯


    It was a little toote to regret my rash decision at the time. Plus, since his death had brought so many advantages to me, I couldn¡¯t very wellin about it.


    I should at least be satisfied with my new [Subspace] Skills.<sub></sub>


    ¡­ Even though my (G) Factor had reduced once again.


    ¡®Its almost empty now¡­¡¯ I thought.


    With this, I was certain that death was inevitable in my encounter with the Angel. If it hadn¡¯t been for the (G) Points sacrificed for some reasons, perhaps I would have been killed.


    If that was the case, then it also meant that I practically had one more lifeline.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know what will happen if the number hits zero¡­¡¯


    It could mean automatic death, it that I no longer had luck when it came to survival. Either way, I had to avoid that oue no matter what.


    ¡®That means I have to pay low for a while¡­¡¯


    My trembling hands griped each other tightly as I felt a chill of fear and anxiety.


    The trauma of battling that Angel had not left me, even after a few days passed.


    I was holed up in this building most likely as a result of that remnant fear. No, thinking rationally, there were other reasons.


    For one, I didn¡¯t have any idea where the other Bosses were.


    I was fortunate that three appeared near my vicinity, but what about the other two? Wasting energy and effort was foolish, so conserving energy and trying to gather my thoughts were probably the best I could do at the moment.


    ¡®¡­ No, those are all just excuses¡­¡¯


    Ultimately, I was just unwilling to go further. It could have been as a result of the grief I was suppressing. It could have been as a result of my fear.


    At this point, I was just paralyzed.


    ¡°How pathetic¡­ Jeremy Lewis.¡± I scoffed at my pathetic state.


    How much longer would thisst?


    >PING<


    >PING<


    >PING<


    >BRIIINNNNNNGGGGG<


    A sharp ringing wound roused me from my half-conscious state, causing me to fully regain control over myself.


    [SYSTEM ALERT!]


    ~Tutorial Of Armageddon Has Ended~


    ~All Five Demon Bosses Have Been Extinguished~


    <Congrattions! You Have Survived The Tutorial Scenario>


    My eyes nearly popped out of my sockets. Only one thought rang in my brain.


    ¡®Already?!¡¯


    Even though it was night, and the area was fairly dark, I suddenly noticed that the surrounding was full of light.


    Not just indoor,ls, where I was, but this bright radiation emanated from outside.


    I stood sharply and headed for a window to see what caused such glorious illumination.


    It was the appearance of multiple ¡®System Windows¡¯.


    They were giant, and so many they filled the night sky. The golden brilliance of each of them glimmered like the sun, so light filled everywhere.


    The panels all said the same thing.


    [SYSTEM ALERT!]


    ~Tutorial Of Armageddon Has Ended~


    ~All Five Demon Bosses Have Been Extinguished~


    <Congrattions! You Have Survived The Tutorial Scenario>


    I widened my eyes in awe and shock.


    ¡®To think it¡¯s over already¡­¡¯


    Suddenly, many pings began pooping into my head, full of System Updates.


    [System Alert]


    ~You Have Acquired The Most Karma Points~


    <You Have Recieved The Title ¡®Collector¡¯>


    ~You Have The Most Achievements Out Of All Gifteds~


    <You Have Recieved The Title ¡®Overachiever¡¯>


    ~You Have Performed Impossible Feats~


    <Karma Points Will Be Given As A Reward>


    I smiled as the lost went on and on.


    Even though this was the start of a nightmare¡­ why did I feel so pleased?


    Perhaps it was because this was time to collect the rewards for my hardbor.

 Chapter 284 System Update

    [System Alert]


    ~You Have Acquired The Most Karma Points~


    <You Have Received The Title ¡®Collector¡¯>


    ~You Have The Most Achievements Out Of All Gifteds~


    <You Have Received The Title ¡®Overachiever¡¯>


    ~You Have Performed Impossible Feats~


    <Karma Points Will Be Given As A Reward>


    ~You Cleared The Tutorial Scenario ¡®Survive¡¯~


    <Karma Points Will Be Given As A Reward>


    I nodded, looking even further down at the other information that were shown.


    [SYSTEM UPDATE]


    ~As One Who Has Survived The Harsh Tutorial, The System Congrattes You.~


    <You Have Received A Ranking In The Leaderboard>


    <You Have First ce In The Rankings><sub>.</sub>


    <Your Default Name Has Been ced To Represent Your Person>


    ~You May Change Your <Name> Anytime You Want~


    I smiled wryly to myself. Of course, I would alter it. But, that wasn¡¯t the present concern. After the whole announcement and rewards had been given, I knew what would being next.


    [SYSTEM UPDATE]


    ~The Main Scenarios Will Now Commence~


    ~There Are Seven Waves Of ARMAGEDDON, Divided Into Seven Scenarios~


    My smile increased.


    They weren¡¯t of excitement, though. The sticky cold sweat that appeared on my body was proof of that. I was nervous¡­ who wouldn¡¯t be?


    Horrors were about to be unleashed!


    [SYSTEM UPDATE]


    ~The First Wave Of ARMAGEDDON Will Commence One Week From Now~


    <sub></sub>


    [Details On The First Wave Will Be Given Below]


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]


    <First Scenario: The Horsemen Of The Apocalypse>


    [Scenario Information]


    After the tutorial concludes, the harbingers of hell will rain upon the world, bringing about a ¡®Great Tribtion¡¯.


    The Four Horsemen; Conqueror, War, Death, and Lack, shall engulf the world in chaos and decrease the poption to about two-third their initial number before vanishing. Therefore, they serve as agents of a ¡®Culling¡¯ to ur.


    However, do not fret!


    The System provides ways for you to get stronger in order to prepare for their arrival.


    For six months six weeks and six days after the start of the Scenario, the Horsemen shall not afflict the world. Rather, they will be locked away in their ¡®Tower¡¯ during this period.


    Of course, their minions will be unleashed upon the world to wreak havoc in their stead.


    O¡¯ Heroes, stop these agents of darkness and prepare for the arrival of the Evil Ones.


    [System Update]


    ~Quests Have Been Received!~<sub></sub>


    <Quest 1>


    Survive The Invasion Of The Agents Of The Horsemen For 6 Months, 6 Weeks, and 6 Days


    <Quest 2>


    Climb The Four Towers To Get Stronger In Order To Prepare For The Arrival Of The Horsemen


    <Quest 3>


    Defeat The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse And Clear This Scenario


    [Rewards Such As Karma Points And Items Will Be Given For Each Quest Aplished]


    [.]


    I sighed while reading through the long information given.


    Many people who received the same ping may not havepletely understood the relevance of the uing scenarios, but I did perfectly.


    ¡°At least there¡¯s enough time¡­¡±


    Those who thought that way were bound to die.


    The ¡®Quests¡¯ given, though seemingly simple, were easier said than done.


    One week from now, four towers would emerge all over the Globe, and they could easily be essed by using the System Interface. Of course, these monoliths were named after the Four Horsemen. For example, The Tower Of War, etc.


    Gifteds would begin challenging the Towers to get rewards, and even those who wanted to y it safe by remaining away from those structures would be assailed by armies of Demons who served the Four Horsemen.


    These Demons were at least Grade 2, so the difficulty of this first Scenario was bound to be hardcore.


    Taking all the Grade 2 Demons I had faced so far, and using the Hobgoblin Chiefs as a reference, the Demons that were going to appear would bepletely impossible for Gifteds to handle as they were now.


    Which was why they had to Level Up as much as possible within the one week of grace permitted by the System. Still, even with that, survival was slim. Which was why¡­


    [SYSTEM UPDATE]


    <The System Has Unlocked Some Of Its Features For You!>


    ~Use These New Features To Advance Even Further~


    [<SHOP> Is Now Avable>]


    <You Can Buy, Sell, And Auction Items In The ¡®SHOP¡¯>


    ~Karma Points Will Be Used As Payment Currency~


    [INVENTORY Is Now Avable]


    <You Can Store Items and Physical Objects Within Inventory>


    ~One Slot Will Be Provided For Each Ten Levels A Gifted Has!~


    [PARTY Feature Is Now Avable]


    <You Can Team Up With At Least One Person And Share The Rewards Gotten From Your Joint Activities Based On ¡®Agreed Upon¡¯ Terms>


    ~Party Members Can See The Stats Of One Another, Even If There Is A Level Difference (With The Exception Of An Effect Of Special Skills/Gift/Items)~


    [More Information Will Be Given Later]


    I eyed the list, making a somewhat pained expression.


    For thest part, I couldn¡¯t even form Parties if I wanted to. Once they could see my Alignment, no one would trust me enough to use them.


    I was nning on using my alter-ego, The Masked Hero, to pair up with Parties and utilize them for my goals. Unfortunately, with my Alignment being the way it was¡­ that would be hopeless.


    ¡°Inventory, eh?¡± My voice came out in a whisper.


    This was one of the reasons I initially despised my Gift, albeit subconsciously.


    My [Subspace] was initially simr to the INVENTORY function avable now, so I had deemed it useless. But, with the benefit of hindsight, I now understood how wed my line of thinking had been.


    As for the SHOP feature, it had to be the most decent update of them all.


    If anything, this was the only bright side to the end of the Tutorial Scenario. With the exception of a few things such as Titles and Free Slots, a person could basically purchase anything they desired in the SHOP!


    From Gear, to Skills, to Special Items one could use for practically ranged objectives; the possibility was endless!


    ¡®It¡¯s right on time too¡­ I basically have nearly nothing left.¡¯


    With this, I would be able to restock at least¡­

 Chapter 285 [Bonus chapter] The Hoarder

    SHOP had three major functions


    The Grand Store was one section where one bought items.


    The Selling Area was the ce where Gifteds sold their stuff to the System in exchange for Karma Points.


    Then the Auction Zone was where Gifteds could put up their items for disy and also see the items of other Gifteds who did the same. As a result, people could buy from other people in exchange for Karma Points or Specific Items.


    Since it was all being monitored by the System¡­ there was no room to swindle!


    It was as a result of this feature, and the fact that Gifteds could use it with such ease, that would make everyone¡¯s life in his hell just barely bearable. Food, clothing, items, whatever a person required could be found there!


    However, one factor existed that nearly turned that hope into despair-Karma Points!


    Karma Points, which werepletely useless in Tutorials, were granted to Gifteds forpleting tasks. For example, if a person killed his first Demon, or killed a whole bunch at once, Karma would be granted.


    Of course, the further a person went, the more difficult it would be to obtain this currency. A person had to do more to earn their keep. In a sense, that sort of made the Apocalypse simr to modern society¡­ the need forbor in exchange forpensation.


    In the subsequent scenarios, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for people to do basically anything for Karma Points. A battle for Karma, and so much more would be enacted. It was also possible to grant Karma Points to others through the System Interface, though I wondered why that wasn¡¯t made in the System Update Announcements.


    Perhaps it was a hidden feature, or the System wanted the Gifteds to use theirmon sense a little. Or, maybe¡­


    My eyes showed a gleam of mischief and the grin I wore was now dark.


    ¡°Granting of points can be done forcefully or willingly. But, giving the state of th world, it¡¯s a wonder if anyone would willingly fork over their only chance at survival¡­¡±<sub>.</sub>


    That made the answer obvious!


    Karma Points gave ess to many things that would be out of reach normally. It even made people stronger, so why would anyone give it away for free?


    Still, all Systems had loophole and this was no exception. If a person resorted to violence and pushed someone to the brink of desperation, the victim would have no other choice than to hand over their Karma Points in exchange for their lives.


    Bullies and Armed Robbers did it, so that same principle applied. Your Karma Points or your life? But, given the situation, it was a wonder which was more important.


    Without Karma Points, living would be a bigger hell than necessary. I wondered what I would do if I was confronted with such a dilemma.


    ¡®Pfftt, do I really need to mull it over?¡¯


    Simply taking the Karma Points of whoever was foolish enough to threaten me was enough! That was the kind of world I lived in.


    [SYSTEM UPDATE]


    ~Additional Rewards Are Underway~


    <Rewards Will Be Disyed Shortly>


    ¡°Uh? There¡¯s more?¡± I muttered, staring at the System Window with disbelief.


    [(G) REWARDS WILL NOW BE ALLOCATED]<sub></sub>


    My eyes bulged the moment I saw this.


    What was I currently looking at? (G) Rewards? For me? Could this finally answer all the questions I had concerning the mysteries of the (G) System?


    [SYSTEM REWARDS]


    ~The Title ¡®(G) Candidate¡¯ Has Been Given~


    <Check More Details>


    ~(G) Factor Will Be Restored To 100~


    ~(G) Karma Points Will Be Increased To 10,000~


    [Since You Did Not Exhaust Your (G) Essence, Additional Rewards Will Be Given To You]


    ~Additional Increase In Stats Will Be Given As A Bonus~


    ~Additional Karma Points Will Be Given As A Bonus~


    [Due To The Satisfactory Route You Have Taken, You Have Met The Perfect Condition For Awakening]


    ~Your ¡®Ultimate Job¡¯ Will Now Be Given~<sub></sub>


    <ULTIMATE JOB: HOARDER>


    ~Exclusive Skill ¡®The Hoarder¡¯ Has Been Granted~


    ~Exclusive Title ¡®The One Who Desires All¡¯ Has Been Given~


    ~Job-Rted Skills Have Improved Drastically~


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    I was left speechless by the sudden influx of information, but after slowly grasping my position, a smile leaked out of my dry lips.


    I didn¡¯t get any answers, but obtained a bunch of rewards instead! While they were all pretty sudden, I couldn¡¯t help but feel appeased. Since I had so much to gloss over, I couldn¡¯t keep my hands idle. I tapped on the ¡®Hoarder¡¯ Job that I had just obtained¡­ though my thoughts still frolicked around the (G) Candidate Title I had.


    <Ultimate Job: Hoarder>


    An Exclusive Job only you possess thanks to your sheer drive to satiate your excessive needs. In addition to possessing an infinite storage space, you also have the means to obtain whatever you desire.


    As a result, you are now eligible to possess everything!


    [Job-Rted Skill: The Hoarder]


    <Skill Effect>


    ~You May Obtain Any Chosen Item From Your Target Within Their Inventory~


    ~All Items Within Your Storage Unit Can Be Edited, Merged, Controlled, and Freely Organized~


    ~Ability To Transport Any Item To Wherever You Desire, So Long As You Have Been There Before Or Know The Exact Location~


    ~Ability To Switch ces With Any Item Of Choice~


    ~You Are Immune From ¡®Theft¡¯ Or Stealing Of Any Kind~


    [Domination Of Your Possession Is Absolute!]


    My jaws nearly dropped. No, I was sure they did!


    This was so overpowered that my brain began analyzing all the possibilities I could explore with it.


    ¡°With this¡­ I can finally do it¡­¡±


    The restrictions that shackled me were practically gone now¡­ all thanks to being a Hoarder!


    ************


    ¡°U-urgh¡­¡± Lily slurred as she woke up from her deep sleep.


    In her dream, she had seen a bunch of System Updates, and it was so lucid that the girl admitted to them being real.


    Once she sat up properly, she realized that the terrain waspletely different from what shest remembered. The girl was in a home, quiet andfortable. Barely any light could be seen¡­ and her voice echoed within.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± She muttered.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re finally up.¡± A voice appeared as an individual emerged from the shadows.


    Even if the room was dark, Lily could see the man perfectly. She wondered why. The stranger had white hair, and his eyes gleamed of crimson light. This young adult male had a perfect build and was also very good looking.


    But, he had a dangerous aura hanging around him.


    ¡°W-who are you?¡±


    She spurted out words in nervousness. Even though the man had a gentle smile on his face, and Lily remembered someone had saved her from something¡­ her thoughts were too jumbled to make full sense of anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Take it easy¡­¡± The gentle, but deep masculine voice said.


    The girl felt herself calm down all of a sudden, and then watched the man as he approached her. Every step he took was purposeful¡­ and his stride was elegant as well. He conducted himself with power and grace, and the white hair sitting atop his head flowed smoothly.


    The smile on his face didn¡¯t vanish even as he made his introduction.


    ¡°¡­ My name is Paul. Nice to meet you.¡±


    [END OF THE SECOND ARC]


    <The Third Arc, ¡®The Horsemen Of The Apocalypse¡¯ Saga, Begins Soon!>


    ~Thanks For Reading~

 Chapter 286 Starting Area

    The world changed ever since Christmas Day.


    Humans suddenly received Special Abilities, also known as Gifts, and had a System to regte their capabilities. If it only ended there, then one could have thought of the change as a good thing. Perhaps people would dub it a ¡®miracle¡¯.


    Unfortunately, with these special powers¡­ came consequences.


    The horror known as Demons emerged!


    It has been six months since then. The world that once knew even a semnce of peace had been plunged into the depths of chaos. The skies could barely maintain its wonderfully bright color and had already began to dull.


    The air was heavy, and the stench of death could be found in every corner. Was this Hell on Earth? Perhaps¡­ or maybe it was just a prelude for what would being¡­


    ******


    [WELCOME TO THE THIRD ARC: RISE OF THE HOARDER]<sub>.</sub>


    [Date: June 26th (6 Months After The ¡®Christmas Miracle¡¯]


    <Time Left Until The Arrival Of The Horsemen: 3 Months, 6 Weeks, 6 Days>


    [LET THE STORY COMMENCE]


    ******


    The entire area was deste. Other than the darkness that surrounded the cold hallway, nothing much could be seen.


    Usually, there had to be some sort of illumination for these sort of ces, but the fact that none were visible showed the kind of situation the structure was in.


    Further down the hall, or rather, at the ce which one began to walk through the vast hallway, was arge room. It seemed like a starting area, and it was shaped like the inside of a dome. The vast expanse showed that it could fit a thousand people, most likely more.<sub></sub>


    In this massive room, there was actually light.


    Glowing mes from torches decorated the area all around it. The blue flickers of fire made no sound, and the empty hall remained in decorum. Until¡­


    >SHIIIIIINNNNGGGGG<


    A burst of light emanated from the center of the hall, and something like a Magic Circle, having different shapes and symbol imbued within, appeared!


    The golden illuminationpletely overwhelmed the dull light that the blue mes had produced, but it onlysted for a few seconds. Afterward, the brilliant radiation vanished, same as the Magic Circle. It was as if they had never appeared.


    But, there was now a difference within therge auditorium. Before, it was empty¡­ but now¡­


    ¡°Wow¡­ it really is abandoned.¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡°I¡¯m so nervous¡­ should we really be doing this?¡±


    ¡°Calm your nerves. This isn¡¯t our first time, you know?¡±


    ¡°B-but, no one has attempted this in weeks. There¡¯s a reason for that, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. Besides, we have a ¡®Return Stone¡¯, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡­ Humans had appeared!


    They were five in total, all covered in gear. Three males, two females¡­ a standard Party.


    One was dressed as a warrior, having the ssic battle armor that was dyed red, along with a longsword strapped to his waist. Two were garbed as Mages. One could tell at one nce from their robes, colored blue and ck respectively. Of the final two, one seemed like a Thief while the other had the appearance of a¡­ healer? No, she was actually a Tamer.


    These five were a Party, a group with simr objectives that had registered with the System. While they had differing personalities, it didn¡¯t change the fact that their goals were aligned. From their gear, it was clear they meant business, and since these people even had a Return Stone, clearly they came prepared.


    Usually, when exploring the Tower, one could not leave unless they reached a checkpoint known as the ¡®Safe Zone¡¯. These areas, as the name implied, was a haven where Gifteds didn¡¯t need to worry about dangers of any kind. Therge auditorium the group appeared in was one of the Safe Zones which also served as the starting point for their exploration.


    A Safe Zone allowed the Gifteds in the Tower to leave at any time, also ensuring they recovered a portion of their HP so they didn¡¯t die. In a sense, they were blessings.


    Unfortunately, only one Safe Zone existed per floor. Their positions were also random. In that light, a person could be stranded in a Tower without getting to a Safe Zone on time. It was due to this reason that Return Stones existed.


    Return Stones forcefully transported a Gifted to the Starting Area, no matter where they were in the Tower. In essence, back to the very spot they now stood on. If the Gifted who used the Return Stone was in a Party, all the members would also be transported¡­ as long as they were in the vicinity.


    If they were too far apart, the Return Stone wouldn¡¯t apply to them. This served as a deterrence to members who liked to act on their own and cause trouble for the others, but it also cautioned the whole Party to always stick close.


    Of course, even if the Return Stone didn¡¯t exist, the members of a Party had to be by one another¡¯s side. After all¡­ the Tower wasn¡¯t a ce where a single person wouldst for long. Of course, with the exception of the Rankers on the Leaderboard.


    Maybe they stood a chance, but for a team of fairly strong people, the possibility of soloing a ce as dangerous as this was practically nonexistent.


    For Gifteds who did their very best to survive, forming groups was inevitable!


    ¡°We should start moving. Tia!¡± The one with the red armor, also their leader, spoke as he turned to the one dressed as a Thief.


    ¡°Use your Skill to scour the area.¡±


    Tia nodded and activated a Stealth Skill known as <Sneak>, a Job-Rted one only she could use.


    One active, her body faded and she became invisible. Tia, the Thief, looked behind her and saw her Party Members nodding. It was a signal that they couldn¡¯t see her. Once she had confirmed this for a fact, Tia took action.


    ¡®Alright, then¡­ here I go!¡¯


    Tia activated a <Sprint> Skill and dashed away from the Starting Area. She plunged into the dark hallway that began to light up the moment she passed through it.


    The team waited patiently for her return, not bothered in the slightest.

 Chapter 287 The Party

    Tia silently moved across the Hallway with moderate speed. Using too much would deplete her vitality, and she had to save a lot for the fight toe.


    As a Thief, the girl also doubled as the scout of her Party. Since only she could make use of both <Camouge> and <Sneak> Skills, it was certain that this sort of job could only be done by her.


    It was dangerous, sure, especially considering the fact that this was ¡®The Abandoned Tower¡¯. Still, she could stride within it with at least some degree of confidence. It was because of the fact that the Return Stone was in her possession.


    For her to have undertaken such a dangerous venture, it was only natural for Tia to have been given such a resource, despite hoe expensive it was. Even if she encountered any form of insurmountable danger, the Thief could always return to the Starting Point with her life intact.


    This way, there was little to no risk attached to her mission.


    Of course, Tia had no intention to wastefully use the Return Stone. After all, it had cost quite a deal of Karma Points from her and the rest of her teammates. Using one so haphazardly would result in a loss on their end and they would have to buy another.


    Return Stones were so expensive they could only buy one and saved the rest of their Points for more resources. Wasting the only one they had was out of the question.


    Once she reached a considerable distance, she saw a room at the end of the Hallway, a Spawn Area!<sub>.</sub>


    Tia recognized it well. This was where Demons would appear the moment anyone stepped foot inside. The room would also be forcefully blocked until all the spawned monster had been vanquished. The only way out was victory¡­ or using a Return Stone.


    Tia, of course, knew better than to approach the room by her lonesome. She had already achieved her goal by making it this far and confirming all she could. With that done, the next course of action would be to retreat.


    >WHOOOSHH<


    Her steps were precise and nearly soundless, perks of her expert skills as a Thief. She returned with a bit more haste, reassured that no monsters were in the way, no danger surrounded her¡­ and also because the duration of her Skills would soon run out.


    ******


    ¡°¡­ So, that¡¯s how it is.¡± Tia mumbled, finishing her report concerning the survey of the area.


    The Party members before her had been listening to her in silence, waiting for her to finish. Once she did, they all made sighs of relief in unison.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Whew! Looks like it¡¯s the same as before.¡± The red-armored warriormented.


    His name was Nate. Thanks to being the highest-leveled individual in the group as well as his nearly stifling charisma, he was unanimously voted for as their leader.


    ¡°Yeah. A relief indeed¡­¡± The blue-coated mage answered.


    He was known to be very cautious, but that was due to his somewhat cowardly nature. Still, Terry was a fairly powerful Mage and his skills were extremely useful.


    ¡°Nothing is stopping us, then¡­¡± The red-robed mage muttered.


    He was basically looking forward to the raid and wanted to get it over with. The Karma Points and whatever rewards they could get from it counted a lot. That was Darwin¡¯s policy.


    ¡°¡­. U-um¡­ this is¡­ a bit exciting¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    The flustered, childlike voice belonged to a short and seemingly fragile member in the group. If one took a close look at all of them, she resembled a child amid the other grown folks, and her manner of speaking confirmed it.


    The girl¡¯s name was Sara, and she was a Tamer.


    It was a rare job for a Gifted to have. Even though the Tamer option was made avable for everyone to choose from among Primary Jobs, very few had selected it. And so, it was hard to find anyone with their skill-set.


    Sara was, however, one of the rare people who chose to be Tamers, and while her overall Stats and Skills suckedpared to the rest, her Tamer abilities were to be coveted.


    With all the members of the Party in agreement, Tia also nodded and they took formation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    *******


    The Party walked down the dimly-lit hallway that was only illuminated by blue-med torches hung on the walls. There were rumors that many gems of light used to litter the walls to provide more visibility, but they were all taken and sold by some selfish Gifteds. As a result, everyone had to make do with the dim lights.


    Taking their usual stratagem, the group approached the Spawn Area in silence.


    Nate was at the vanguard since he had the Knight Job and boasted the highest directbat ability.


    After him were the two mages who stood left and right, a bit behind their leader to provide cover.


    Behind them was the weakest member of the group, Sara. She was to be protected at the center of the team. Still, the petite girl was on standby, just in case her abilities were needed.


    Finally, there was the final one, Tia.


    She was at the rear, keeping watch over the blind spot of the team so none of the members were caught off-guard. It was a crucial role, especially since she was the only line of defense at the rear nkpared to the front area.


    Still, everyone was assigned to the area that best suited their Skill Sets. She was no exception.


    It took some time of ufortable silence, but the team finally reached the Spawn Area and entered with no hesitation. Even though they should have had some reasons for hesitation before stepping in due to the nature of the Tower they were in, none of them even showed a tiny bit of it.


    Tia had already done the scouting, so naturally, they believed in their teammate¡¯s efforts and ventured within.


    It wasn¡¯t just blind trust, though. Of all the people who possessed the Thief Job, they knew none more capable than their member, Tia!


    ¡°Get ready forbat, everyone!¡± Nate dered as he held onto his de and charged into the room which greeted them with a sharp glow of light.


    This indicated that the Demons were already spawning¡­ andbat was imminent!

 Chapter 288 Mobs

    >SHIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGG<


    Multiple Demons appeared from the bright light that spawned them. They were the expected kinds of mob one found on the first floor of the Tower, the not-so-strong Skeletons.


    Gleaming a bit as their milky-white bodies bathed in the light, about fifty Skeletons appeared within the room, surrounding the Party. They would have resembled the kind one saw at a scienceb, or in picture books¡­ except there was a fundamental difference between the two.


    Weapons¡­ and the stench of death!


    Each Skeleton had at least a weapon in hand. Some possessed swords and shields, some simply had dual des while some carried heavy weapons that required both of their bony limbs.


    Out of the fifty, one in particr stood out. Not only did it have a more dangerous-looking sword and shield, it also possessed some undead armor and its helmet was firmly ced on its skull face. The red gleam in the monster¡¯s eyes was more intense than the other mobs.


    Clearly, this was the leader of the undead mob!


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s truly the same as before!¡± Nate called out, shing his confident grin.


    The other members of his team nodded affirmatively. They had been here before, but since it had been so long, it was hard to imagine that the situation hadn¡¯t changed. Well, now that they experienced it firsthand, the people were relieved by that.<sub>.</sub>


    Being in familiar territory made them feel less on edge.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take them down!¡±


    With that, the group lunged at their opponents, still maintaining their battle formation to decimate any who drew closer. For Skeletons like these, they were weaker when facing Priests or those who relied on crushing¡­ like Berserkers or Brawlers, but none of the members had any such members.


    Why, then, were they so confident in their abilities? The answer could be seen in the way they expertly handled the enemies.


    >KRAAKKKK!!!<


    >BOOOOOMMM!!!<


    Bones were crushed and despite the Skeletons¡¯ defenses, they were blown to bits by Fire Spells cast by the Mages. No one needed to be told who had the upper hand!


    Since the System was fair and didn¡¯t show much bias to a particr Job above others, it made sure other Gifteds could fight on equal, or even better footing with undead like Skeletons.<sub></sub>


    Although one would need to purchase Skills or weapons from the SHOP to close the gap, it was still better than nothing! Nate¡¯s party currently had enchanted gear on that gave them special effects against the undead.


    Additional damage and defense were guaranteed, so the team whittled away their forces and reduced the number of enemies quickly.


    Chatters and nging of bones filled the hall asbat raged on. Nate, as was expected of him, charged at the strongest mob within the area.


    Brandishing his de that had a Crushing Effect attached to it for Skeletons, he yelled and flexed his muscles for a decisive hit. Themander noticed this and seemed to frantically attempt blocking the powerful strike Nate packed.


    He was a second toote, though, as the descending de broke apart the arm that had its shield, leaving only the sword limb present.


    ¡°CHITITITITI¡± The Undead snapped as it grated its teeth most likely in reaction to the ripping out of its limbs.


    Skeletons didn¡¯t feel pain from their bones being separated, no, they didn¡¯t feel pain, period.


    But, an effect of Nate¡¯s de made the impossible possible and inflicted


    on themander, making it stunned for a few moments.<sub></sub>


    That was the deciding factor!


    >SWOOOOOSSHHH!!!<


    Forming an arc with his strikes, the monster lost its second bony limb¡­ and then had its skeleton head loped off. The moment this was achieved, the monster¡¯s body fell like a puppet that lost its strings, nging to the ground in a pathetic disy.


    Of course, the other members of the Party were just about done and thest of the Skeletons fell to the ground after being defeated.


    >CLANGANGANG<


    Heaves of relief and a bit of exertion filled the room after they had taken care of their enemies, seeing only bony remains littering the floor.


    Soon, however, the bones vanished with light, and the floor became empty once more. This indicated that they hadpleted their tasks and would now advance to the next Spawn room.


    ¡°How many more before we reach the second floor?¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s the same as before, two more.¡±


    ¡°Then we had better get a move on. We won¡¯t gain much rewards from beating down weaklings like these¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright team, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Ending their short discussion with his charismatic voice, Nate charged his team members on as they left the room and followed a path which had opened when they vanquished the Skeletons.


    ¡°YEAH!¡±


    ******


    The Towers!


    After the Tutorial ended, the world was met with new peculiarities. One of those were four ascending towers that reached the skies and even went beyond. They were known as the Towers of; Conquerors, War, Death, and Lack!


    Named after the Four Horsemen, the main problem of the First Scenario, these Towers were to prepare Gifteds for the challenge toe.


    They could rack up EXP by defeating the monsters inside¡­ Demons¡­ and could also gain Karma Points depending on their achievements.


    Thanks to the endless spawning of mobs once a Spawn Room was triggered, no Demon Core dropped aspensation, and even Item Drops were rare. Also, once a particr point of the Tower had been conquered, the rewards given to theters or second-timers would dwindle.


    As a result, Gifteds could not dawdle and they climbed the Tower with all their might. There were secret rooms that contained stashes of treasures and the materials found in the Tower fetched hefty sums. Needless to say, this ce was like a mine that yielded its full riches once one reached an unexplored area.


    Gifteds grinded as hard as they could in Towers, getting stronger and stronger so they wouldn¡¯t lose to the Demons that swarmed the outside world or the imminent threat that loomed over their heads.


    Everyone had epted this life now, that it was real, and they strived to survive!


    Why, then, was this particr Tower so deserted?

 Chapter 289 Tower Of Death

    The Tower Of Death¡­


    ¡­ Also known as the Realm Of The Undead, was a ce swarming with creatures of the kind. Dark beings who had false life and resented the living.


    Apparently, the story of the Tower was that this was a prison to hold the embodiment of death, and those who fell prey to its power became undead and took on various forms depending on their abilities and Skill Sets.


    Of course, this also meant that a reward awaited anyone who cleared the Tower, and that was the power over Death and False Life! With such an alluring appeal, it was obvious that Gifteds would desire to climb this Tower to get their clutches on an ultimate ability that one couldn¡¯t even find in the SHOP.


    Of course, other rewards existed along the way, such as the Undead Summoning Ring and Necromancer Scroll that a famed Ranker possessed. With the power he obtained, he was able to make it within the ranks of Top 100 Gifteds in the world.


    If that was what he obtained merely on the 25th Floor, it was left to imagination what would await those who climbed higher¡­ on the 26th Floor and beyond!


    Each Tower had a total of 99 Floors, and every Floor had a clear reward. Other than the Karma Point and EXP gotten, abilities, items, and other goodies could be collected.


    The problem was that if someone cleared a Floor, or a Party did so, those rewards went to them and the ones that came after would only receive Karma Points for their achievements. That was why people rushed to be first in conquering a Floor, even if they were unqualified.<sub>.</sub>


    It was due to this reckless pursuit for ¡®Ultimate Power¡¯ that some Gifteds had perished in the Tower.


    But, that didn¡¯t stop more from flooding in!


    Why was the Tower of Death an exception, devoid of any Gifted other than the brave Party that steadily ascended it?


    Difficulty!


    Every Tower grew more difficult the higher one climbed, and their Levels of Difficulty were basicallyparable. However, for the past weeks, after a particr Ranker seeded in getting the Undead Summoning Ring and Necromancer Scroll, it was practically impossible for anyone to climb further.


    The difficulty had increased dramatically!


    Gifteds flooded the other three Towers, those that hadn¡¯t been conquered up to the 25th Floor, hoping to try their lucks there.<sub></sub>


    Unfortunately, this created tons of problems and a fiercepetition that seemed to cause even more fatalities. At this point, it wasn¡¯t just spawned Demons that killed Gifteds. Human killed humans too!


    It was due to this reasoning that Nate and his party decided to try their luck once more in the Tower of Death. Even if they couldn¡¯t pass the 25th Floor to gain special rewards, they had the Tower grounds to themselves.


    They could also end up lucky and discover a hidden path leading to untouched treasure! The chances were slim, but if happened before, it could happen again.


    Besides, wasn¡¯t it better to try their luck here than struggle for kills in the other Towers?


    While Nate¡¯s team was fairly strong, they were only just about average among Gifteds, and sopeting against stronger foes would only result in coteral damage. In any case, this was the optimal solution.


    They just had to keep climbing¡­ hoping for something special to happen sooner orter!


    *******<sub></sub>


    The fifteenth floor proved to be a bigger hurdle than the team thought!


    Their record was the twelfth floor. Anything beyond that was uncharted territory, but the team members were fairly confident in their abilities. And so, despite bring their first time, they made it to the Fifteenth floor and cleared it¡­ though it took a lot out of them.


    ¡°Huff¡­ that was¡­ too close!¡± They huffed and breathed heavily upon reaching the Final area in the Fifteenth floor, which was by luck, a Safe Zone!


    Now all on the ground, they did their hardest to breathe and alsough at their immense luck that they hade this far. Without resorting to the Return Stone in their possession,ing so far without any fatality was a feat. However¡­ even luck came to an end.


    ¡°Should we retire now? We¡¯vee this far, and since it¡¯s our first time clearing the 13th, 14th, and 15th Floors, we received good rewards. We also Leveled Up quite well!¡±


    Looking at the bright side, this was the safest option for them at the moment¡­ but was it the best?


    ¡°If we return now, next time wee here, we¡¯ll start from the First Floor. It¡¯ll be a waste of time climbing back up.¡±


    That was a major problem, and for a team that was in it for rewards, wasting more time couldn¡¯t be allowed.


    ¡°Besides, don¡¯t we have a Return Stone? It won¡¯t be risky going further up!¡±


    While Return Stones were expensive, the Karma Points currently in the team¡¯s possession made them feel a little rich, so affording another wouldn¡¯t be a problem. If they seeded on the next floor, they would even be met with more rewards!


    ¡°We haven¡¯t been using our ace moves since we saved them for emergencies. Plus, we still have recovery potions and other stuff in our INVENTORY. We should be good.¡±


    It was now about weighing the risks and the rewards to be expected. No matter how one looked at it, they stood more to lose if they passed up this opportunity.


    ¡°Fine¡­ let¡¯s vote!¡±


    As was a general rule in the Party, voting by majority rule was how things were decided. Even before they chose to challenge the Tower of Death, they had voted¡­ unanimously at that.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Upon agreement, the team split the options into two;


    Those who wanted to go further,


    Those who wanted to return.


    Hands were raised for the former, while those who didn¡¯t budge basically meant that they supported thetter. Once this was settled, the voting began.


    Four hands were raised.


    One hand remained still.


    Instinctively, the whole team looked at the one whose hand didn¡¯t move¡­


    ¡­ It was Tia!

 Chapter 290 Bad Vibes

    The group of people silently walked down the hallway, using their usual formation to ensure they had a semnce of safety in such uncharted territory.


    The one at the rear, Tia, had an ufortable expression on her face, but she kept moving despite the gnawing feeling in her heart.


    This was what people referred to as ¡®Bad Vibes¡¯, and that was what she was getting. As they drew loser to the Elevator that would take them to the Sixteenth Floor, her instincts screamed at her to turn back, but she couldn¡¯t very well abandon her teammates¡­ especially after they decided by Majority Rule!


    Back when they voted, even the cautious members of the team agreed to the expedition, only her was against it. When they asked for her rationale, there was no concrete answer she could give, so everyone decided to progress.


    Tia knew it would be unfair to try imposing her values on her teammates, especially if it turned out that she was being scared unnecessarily. That would only mean a huge loss for her Party. Could she really shoulder it?


    ¡®Even if I choose to leave without them¡­ that basically means I¡¯m leaving the Party¡­¡¯


    Could she risk that?


    If they returned alive, and with more rewards, they wouldn¡¯t share with her. Plus, her actions would basically be seen as betrayal and the Thief wouldn¡¯t be allowed in the group anymore. In a world such as this, one neededpanions¡­ Tia was scared of losing hers.


    Of course, there were more options avable to her, like joining a new team or founding her own, but¡­ somehow this Party had grown on her. Tia didn¡¯t want to leave!<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®Huu¡­ let¡¯s just hope I¡¯m wrong!¡¯


    The group reached the room at the end of the hallway, simr to how the Starting Area was.


    This ce, the Elevator, connected two floors via Magic.


    All they had to do was stand within the massive Magic Circle disyed on the ground, and the System would confirm whether or not they wanted to go beyond their current floor to the next floor. There was the option of descending as well, but a Safe Area allowed that, so there was only one reason approached the Elevator.


    [System Notice]


    <Would You Like To Advance To The Sixteenth Floor Of The Tower Of Death?>


    [Yes]       [No]


    Nate, as the Party Leader, was given exclusive privilege in confirming for the whole party. The man looked behind him as he stepped forward, seeing the people he trusted the most giving him smiles of encouragement.<sub></sub>


    Since they had already decided, there was no need to reconfirm, but Nate was just that kind of guy.


    ¡°Alright! Here we go!¡±


    With a tap of his fingers, the Magic Circle within the room shone and everyone was somewhat blinded by the brilliant light it emitted.


    >SHIIIIINNNNGGGGGG<


    Space warped, no, rather, they teleported from their current location and moved to the next level. The Tower was predictable, and other than the First Floor, there was no guarantee that Gifteds would be teleported to a Safe Area once they appeared on another Floor.


    As a result, the members of the Party were on their guard. Brandishing their weapons and sharpening their senses in preparation for any conflict that coulde, everyone steeled themselves for the worst.


    >WHUUUUSSSHHHH<


    The five of them felt their bodies stabilize in the new floor, quickly turning their heads to take a look around their surroundings.<sub></sub>


    ¡°A corridor, uh? So this is how the 16th Floor begins¡­¡± Nate smiled.


    The corridor showed two alternative routes they could take. It was either left or right. Unlike the other floors that gave a clear path to follow, this one had uncertainties.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± The leader was questioned.


    It was at times like this that Nate¡¯s role as a leader came into y, so he got his mind working.


    ¡°Taking the wrong route may waste our time and tire us out, but we¡¯re too small to split up in order to find the right room¡­¡±


    Thinning their forces at this juncture would be bad. Even if they wanted to rely on Tia for scouting, it would take too long waiting for her. Plus, if she returned and was exhausted, that reduced their fighting abilities.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to choose and hope our luck guarantees us the right path!¡±


    The team nodded at Nate¡¯s reasoning. In uncharted territory such as this, sticking together as a team mattered most.


    Flipping a coin, or using rock paper scissors; there were many ways to go about selecting, but everyone relied on their policy and resorted to Majority Rule.


    Three chose the left, one chose the right.


    Of course, Tia was caught amid a maelstrom of thoughts and just went with the majority, choosing the ¡®Left¡¯ option. Once their votes were cast, the group turned to their right, watching the dim-lit corridor stretch for miles before resolving to walk down the path.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    With their minds made up, the Gifteds moved swiftly, yet silently. In the advent that this was the wrong choice, they wanted to be snappy about it so they could head to the correct path. With that in mind, they traversed the hallway at good speeds.


    It didn¡¯t take very long to reach the door leading to the first Spawn Room toe into view. Once they saw it, smiles appeared on the group member¡¯s faces.


    They hadn¡¯t chosen the wrong path, after all!


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this¡­¡±


    With his hushed voice guiding them, Nate opened the gate and entered in a jiffy¡­ maybe due to his excitement.


    Usually, a Spawn Room released monsters when intruders approached, and no one would be able to exit until the challenge ended. Of course, exceptions like monsters springing out in hallways or special traps existed. That was ehy they had to be as stealthy as possible, even when traversing corridors.


    Still, they were challenging a Spawn Room, so they expected the same pattern.


    ¡°You guys, I¡¯m so¡­ w-wha-?!¡± Nate¡¯s voice turned to a horrified shriek of shock, perhaps fear.


    The other members who were already venturing in could not see what their Team Leader saw, only viewing as his face morphed into that of horror.


    ¡°N-no! Run!¡± He screamed, sharply turning in the direction of his teammates.


    ¡°R-Ru-!!!¡±


    >CHOMP!<

 Chapter 291 Terrible Turn

    ¡°Everyone ru-!!!¡±


    >CHOMP!<


    Something monstrous reared its ugly head and bit off the team leader¡¯s head, ripping it out of its neck in an instant.


    The members; Terry, Darwin, Sara, and Tia; all widened their eyes in shock at the shocking and bloody sight that instantly yed out in front of them.


    Blood spurted out of Nate¡¯s corpse, sshing from his neck. However, before the team could even react to this sight, the monster once again used itsrge mouth to bite off Nate¡¯s upper body, and then his lower body, gulping them all in two rapid sessions.


    It was at this point that screams appeared on the side of the Gifteds!


    ¡°ARHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    It appeared they had forgotten all about their silence policy and were now making so much noise that could potentially attract more monsters their way. No one knew who in particr was screaming. It could have been one or all of them. One fact was evident, though¡­


    ¡­ And that was FEAR!<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Grrrkkkkk¡­¡± The Demon that had just killed their leader moved from the corner it was in, revealing its full stature to the group of terrified Gifteds.


    This grotesque creature had a massive, slimy body, easily eleven-foot-tall, and its build disyed even more girth than one would expect. It¡¯s obese body was pale green, and its small eyes sparkled with a hint of dark red.


    The monster widened its nonexistent lips to form a terrible grin, disying itrge and sharpened teeth which already had the stain of blood and the stench of death hanging around it.


    This Demon was¡­ a Gluttonous Giant¡­ and it was Grade 2!


    ¡®W-wha-?!¡¯


    So many surprised faces greeted the beast, but it only saw food. The Gifteds were only a distance away from the monster; one leap would be enough to satisfy its hunger.


    With this in mind, the fat Demon licked its lips and prepared to lunge toward dinner.


    ¡°CLOSE THE DOORS!¡± Tia screamed at those at the forefront.<sub></sub>


    Since she guarded the rear, the two mages were the ones closest to the gate. While they had only barely entered, it was still possible to quickly shut the door tight to prevent the monster froming after them. Tia thought of that in an instant, a testament of her abilities.


    The mages quickly replied by stepping out of the room and quickly mming the door shut¡­ just as the Demon jumped!


    >WHAM!<


    Thankfully, the sound was made as the Demon hit the steady gate that separated it from them, causing the Gifteds to heave sighs of relief.


    With the Demon trapped on the end of the door and they on the corridor, the group assembled and tried to calm their panicky selves. Their leader had just died, they encountered something that should have been impossible, and¡­


    ¡°¡­ L-let¡¯s use the Return Stone!¡± Terry whimpered.


    Usually, everyone would silence him and tell him he was overreacting, but that wasn¡¯t the case now. No argument escaped anyone¡¯s lips as Tia opened her INVENTORY for the Return Stone.


    ¡°W-what the heck was that Demon¡­ why is such a thing here¡­?!¡± Darwin murmured.<sub></sub>


    This was the Tower of Death!


    As such, all Demons that appeared within this territory were, without exception, Undead!


    How then, was a Gluttonous Giant present in the Tower? Not only that, but there was no Spawn sign when Nate entered the room! It was as if the monster had been simply waiting for them within.


    Plus, it was a Grade 2 Demon! How did that even work?


    Grade 2 Demons were prevalent outside the Tower, but within it, the journey was somewhat progressive. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean there were no Grade 2 Demons in the Tower, but they belonged to the floors in the 20s. Plus, they served as bosses¡­ not the kind one just saw in a random Spawn Room¡­ especially on the 16th Floor!


    The Gifteds were going crazy! Unable to keep their thoughts from wondering as they impatiently waited for Tia to bring out the Return Stone.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s taking so long!¡±


    ¡°Come on, hurry!¡± They shouted at the Thief, hearing the doors of the Spawn Room pound in response to the beatings of the Demon on the other side.


    ¡°G-guys¡­ I-I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong¡­ is this a System Glitch¡­?!¡± Tia spoke in genuine confusion, but to the others it sounded like the ramblings of a mad woman.


    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡±


    ¡°Hurry!!!¡±


    Before anyone else could leak out a word, something horrible happened.


    >SSSHUUUUUUUU<


    The study door that had been protecting the Gifteds for so long¡­ began to melt!


    As though acid sprayed on it topletely wear out its integrity, the metal structure became like molten rubber and stretched until it cked.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes bulged as they saw this¡­ as well as the one who emerged from within. Having used its <Acidic Spray>, one of the Gluttonous Giant¡¯s Skills, this monstrosity began making its way out of the Spawn room that trapped it.


    Usually, Spawned monsters could not leave their designated room, but this one didn¡¯t even seem to care. Well, that made sense, considering it didn¡¯t even belong in this Tower. It was most likely a Demon from outside! What was such a monster doing here?!


    ¡°Grrrriiickkkkk¡­¡± It growled once more, eyeing its prey.


    ¡°TIA!¡± Everyone screamed the name of the Thief who was supposed to be holding the Return Stone.


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t find it! It¡¯s not in my INVENTORY! Nothing is!¡±


    Those words hit everyone like a bombshell!


    What in the world was she talking about? How was it possible to lose something that was in your INVENTORY? It wasn¡¯t like it could get lost either!


    Tia was Level 59, that meant she had 5 Slots in her Inventory! Just five, yet she couldn¡¯t find one Return Stone?!


    Bitterness and Rage swelled in the hearts of the team members, but they didn¡¯t have the luxury to dwell on such emotions. Now that it hade to this¡­


    ¡­ They had no choice but to fight, struggle, and survive!


    ¡°Rarghhhhhhh!!!¡±

 Chapter 292 Teamwork

    Ever since the Tutorial was over and the Main Scenario started, everyone automatically had the chance to choose a Primary Job.


    Even without the requirement of Level 50, this opportunity presented itself to everyone. This was why, in this new era, even those with less than Level 50 had Jobs attached to them.


    Nate¡¯s Party wasprised of five Gifteds, all at least Level 50, as was the requirement for joining. Even Sara, who was the weakest among them, was Level 51. Darwin and Terry were Level 56 and 57 respectively.


    Their Levels could be considered on the high side of the average Gifted, but that didn¡¯t mean they were very strong. At least, not strong enough to challenge a Grade 2 and hope toe out unscathed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to go all-out!¡± Darwin took charge, being the most mature of everyone present.


    They could try outrunning the Demon, but its Stats showed that it was faster than them. Plus, leaving their blind spot open to an opponent who could shoot out acid was a terrible n. Ultimately, if they could disable the monster and escape, that would be the best call.


    ¡®We just have to ensure it can¡¯t move for a while, then we head to the right path of the corridor¡­¡¯


    With that in mind, the team took formation!<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to withhold our cards! Sarah, begin the summoning. We¡¯ll cover you and buy time!¡±


    With those words uttered, Darwin, Terry, and Tia took the front charge, leaving Sara at the rear. Usually, a person would guard her from behind, but their enemy was in sight¡­ and it was at their front.


    Sure, it would also be wise to protect Sara from surprise attacks that coulde from behind, however¡­


    ¡®The enemy is too strong! We can¡¯t afford to thin out or formation!¡¯


    ¡­ The most effective means of fighting was to bombard their opponent with all they had!


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± Darwin dered.


    Everyone nodded and trailed behind the man, causing the air to howl as a result of their high-speed movements.<sub></sub>


    >WHOOOOSSSHHH<


    The monster brought down its enormous hand, sending a wave of chilly wind to course through the body of those who approached it.


    Still, knowing their survival depended on the resistance they put up, the group of Gifteds hurriedly mmoved their bodies, activating whatever decent Skills they had in their arsenals.


    Heck, they used them all!


    When fighting an opponent that was too strong, being conservative would only get one killed. If they didn¡¯t use their full powers now and died, then it would all have been for nothing.


    Darwin used <Fireball> andunched it at the terrifying creature. In response to his gear¡¯s special effect that improved the damage dealt and automatically fired at the enemy¡¯s weak spot, the mes grew slightly bigger and more intense.


    ¡°Grrrriiiikkkkk!!!¡±<sub></sub>


    The Demon saw the approaching ball and swatted it with its had, before it could reach the weak spot. It was no different from how humans would swat away a piece of paper or a rubber ball.


    >BOOOOMMM!!!<


    The explosion urred to the side unable to deal any damage. Hoowever, this was within expectation, as Tia had used her Thief Skill to sneak behind the monster and would now use her Gift to¡­


    ¡°Take this¡­ [IMMOBILIZE]!¡±


    The Demon halted its movement,pletely rigid as it stood. The members of Tia¡¯s team were happy that their pn worked. All they had to do was deal enough damage that the beast stayed still until the could make their escape.


    Tia¡¯s Gift, [Immobilize] granted her the ability topletely stop the motion of anything she saw¡­ as long as they weren¡¯t seeing her. In essence, if she was hiding, she could stop anyone from taking a single step. Of course, the effects would be broken if her targety eyes on her.


    As a result, she often used her Thief moves to get behind her opponent to use her Gift. That was the whole reason she chose being a Thief!


    With this¡­ what came next was¡­


    ¡°<Lightning Bolt>¡± Terry¡¯s loud voice dered.


    Instantly, a sh of lightening appeared and lunged straight at the opponent.


    >BZZZTTZZZZZ!!!<


    The effects of his attire, which provided for both offense and defense, allowed him to shorten the cast time of his Spell. After obtaining the <Spell Conjuring (Basic)> Skill, Terry had devoted himself to reaching the highest point, leading to him unlocking the Lightening Spell he just used.


    Even with his overcautious personality, Terry still surpassed most Mages in his Level with his Magic Prowess. This is because while other focused on diversification, he intentionally limited his growth tree and focused in one direction, granting him more firepower.


    In essence, he was one of the team¡¯s trump card!


    >KKRRAAAKKK!!!<


    The Spell hit, causing the body of their foe to be enveloped in blue electrical currents.


    Itsted for a few seconds, before the energypletely dispersed. Afterward, Terry knew he had to do another, and another, and another!


    Thanks to his gear and proficiency, there was barely any gap in the cast time and cooldown period. Even though the health of the monster was dropping at a snail¡¯s pace, with this surefire strategy, they had a chance!


    ¡®The only issue now is¡­ my MP!¡¯


    Sure enough, even though his Spells were strong, they consumed Mana Points like crazy. As a result, he wasn¡¯t fond of using them in session. It wasn¡¯t like he had any choice now, though.


    Terry didn¡¯t worry, though. After all, in preparation for this Dungeon raid, he had specifically bought four Mana Restorative potions, and they filled four out of the five Slots in his Inventory. All he had to do was restore his Mana as he used his Spell, creating a never-ending chain of attacks.


    Of course, even with all his potions and his powerful Spells, Terry knew it would be impossible to y the Grade 2 Demon by himself. However, the goal wasn¡¯t to kill it, but to render it incapable of movement for some time.


    ¡®The <Stunned> Status Condition should appear after a few more rapid hits¡­¡¯ Terry smiled, opening his INVENTORY to retrieve an MP Restorative Potion.


    To his surprise, though¡­ nothing was there!


    ¡°E-ehh¡­.?!¡±

 Chapter 293 Edge Of Despair

    Beads of sweat streamed down Terry¡¯s face as he obsessively observed the five empty slots before him.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s this¡­? Where are my¡­?!¡±


    His throat was suddenly dry, and his body was shaken. So far, he had only been able to give his all thanks to his confidence in the potions he carried. But now¡­


    ¡°Terry, what¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°We need to hit it quickly, what¡¯s with the dy?!¡±


    Terry didn¡¯t know what to say. No, how could he utter something even he couldn¡¯t believe?


    When Tia had spoken about her predicament some moments ago, he dismissed it as nonsense. Terry even went as far as suspecting her for keeping the Return Stone for herself. Had it not been for the current situation at hand, he would have confronted her in a very aggressive manner.


    Yet, here he was with the same problem.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t find any of my potions! Nothing is in my INVENTORY!¡±


    Terry¡¯s words hit everyone like a sledgehammer! How could someone whom everyone relied on say such absurd things? Still, the Part Members knew what kind of person he was. He was too much of a coward to joke in times like this. It had to be true!


    ¡°What about you guys? Does anyone have a spare Potion?¡±


    Upon hearing his words, the other Gifteds frantically opened their INVENTORY topensate for their partner¡¯s lost goods. Usually, they would be reluctant to share, but¡­ this was a matter of life or death. The only two who hadn¡¯t done so already simultaneously checked their Storage and all at once¡­ were met with despair!


    ¡°N-nothing is here either!


    ¡°S-shit!¡±


    With this, their formation became nonexistent and panic crept through the hearts of everyone present. With nothing in their INVENTORIES¡­ how much of a chance was there against this colossal beast?!


    ¡°Grikkkk!!!¡±<sub></sub>


    Upon hearing the soft growl of the beast, everyone knew what wasing!


    ¡°H-hold on, has it been five minutes already?!¡±


    Tia could only use her Gift on a target for five minutes at a stretch. After that, there was an interval of a few seconds for her to regain her focus and try again. But, the Gifteds around knew that a few seconds was enough to turn the tables on them.


    ¡°Grab its attention, don¡¯t let it look at Tia!¡± Darwin let out, projecting more Fireballs at his enemy. Unlike the others around him, he didn¡¯t have a Gift for attack purposes.


    Only his Skills and Stats could really help in this battle!


    ¡°<Earth Hold>. <Fireball>. <me Spear>¡± Darwin shouted, unleashing spell after spell, in order to tie down the monster.


    The moment it looked in Tia¡¯s direction, it was over.


    Terry was already beat, so he couldn¡¯t use his stronger Spells. That meant responsibility fell on Darwin to buy as much time¡­ for thest member of their team.<sub></sub>


    ¡®It should be nearly time! While Tia resumes freezing him¡­ Sara will use ¡®that¡¯!¡± With that in mind, Darwin recklessly poured out his mana resources.


    Unfortunately, they did next to nothing in the face of such almighty terror.


    The Grade 2 Demon sharply turned back and sprayed its acidic breath all around his area. Thanks to his heightened agility, the few seconds Tia needed to resume her [Immobilize] Gift couldn¡¯t be fulfilled.


    The moment the Thief saw the thick, green smoke appearing from the monster¡¯s mouth, she took the hint and dashed as fast away as she could.


    ¡°Gahhhh!!!¡±


    The <Acidic Breath> barely grazed her, yet the girl shrieked in pain. Such was the power of even the slightest lick. Fortunately, Tia managed to escape the whole thing, but that in itself posed another problem.


    ¡®I¡¯m too far away. Tch!¡¯


    Range!


    Her Gift¡¯s effect had a rage, and now that the monster was outside it and a green acidic fog separated the two of them, Tia¡¯s abilities could no longere into y!


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    As the team watched the monster bathe in its delight, a ray of hope appeared, causing their tensed faces to show a little sign of relief.


    >SHIIIIINNNNNGGGG!!!!<


    A bright golden light appeared from Sara¡¯s direction, and from that light came forth a terrifying creature in its own right. It was a SinEater, and a mature one at that!


    It was a Grade 1 Demon belonging to the highest of cadres among them. Even this group would have some difficulties battling it. It was the most powerful Demon Sarah had contracted with, and this trump card would be used now!


    ¡°Sorry I took so long, everyone!¡± The girl cried.


    The team retreated and maintained a far distance from the enemy. When it came to power, there was no better one to face the Glutonous Giant except this particr creature.


    For one, it had great agility, and was somewhat faster than the fatso. Second was due to its nature. Since I had a Skill that covered its body in miasma, the SinEeater was resistant to lots of toxins. Then it also had a tall gait, about eight feet.


    While it wasn¡¯t as tall as the Giant, it still had advantages. It had long ws and wide jaws. It was thin and nimble, and could at least hold the monster off while they retreated. Sara would have to sacrifice her Trump card as a Tamer, but considering the circumstances, there was no other choice.


    ¡°Griikkkkkk!!!¡±


    ¡°Gruuuuu!!!¡±


    Both monsters exchanged intimidating growls and red at each other. The stronger one was the Gluttonous Giant, but speed was on their side.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get Tia!¡± Terry said to the rest of his team members who nodded as he spoke.


    >WHUUSHH!<


    Instantly, blue light sparked and Terry vanished like a gust of wind.


    The young mage¡¯s Gift was [Teleport], but he could only use it to traverse short distances. Times like this made Terry wish he could at least exit the Dungeon by vanishing to the starting point, but he had no such luck.


    >VWUUSHH!<


    He appeared by Tia¡¯s side and touched her, teleporting once again and appearing among the other members of the team. If not for his abilities, the Thief would gave remained separated from the group thanks to the fog that blocked her path.


    Now that they were all together and the Tamed Demon was holding their enemy at bay, it was time to make their exit!

 Chapter 294 Abandoned

    Sara, who appeared to be the weakest among the Party, actually wielded the most power.


    Being a Tamer, she could enlist Demons as ¡®Familiars¡¯ and control them. The girl currently had five slots where she kept her Familiars, and she could withdraw them whenever she wished.


    However, the more powerful a Demon was, the lower the chances she could control them and make such monsters hers. Also, based on power difference, it would also take a great deal of time to summon stronger monsters.


    Usually, Tamers would be unable to even tame Demons higher than their own abilities, but Sara was different! Her Gift [Pure Heart], made it extremely difficult for people to fulfil her requests since she was a pure-hearted saint.


    It was most effective when she added her Taming Skill to it and asked to contract with those Demons. Although they struggled at first, the Demons would be bound to her¡­ allowing a timid girl like her to control five beings more powerful than her!


    Of course, out of all the Familiars in her collection, the mature SinEater was the strongest, and so she had to use it up here. It was a shame, considering the amount of Mana she expended and the struggles she encountered in trying to Tame it, but¡­


    ¡­ If she didn¡¯t sacrifice this much, everyone would die!


    In the end, the young girl prioritized her team and chose to go all-out, hoping her actions guaranteed their survival.


    *********


    ¡°Run! Let¡¯s run!¡± Darwin shouted.<sub>.</sub>


    The team members didn¡¯t even need his words to prompt them, but his eagerness to flee must have caused him to spit them out.


    They began making desperate attempts to move, putting all the strength they could into their legs, when¡­


    >BOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    A deafening explosion sounded behind them, in the direction where the two beasts fought. Every Gifted in the vicinity was shaken because of the tremor that traveled through their body. Whatever the noise could have been¡­ it wasn¡¯t good!


    ¡°KAAAAAA!!!¡± A terrified, pained screech rang out as well, piercing their ears even if they covered them.


    The Gifteds knew the owner of the sound very well, and even as they ran¡­ a fair idea of what was happening registered to them.


    ¡®Don¡¯t look back! DON¡¯T LOOK BACK!¡¯ Tia¡¯s mind rang loudly as she tried to flee.


    Her camouge Skills were currently in Cooldown, so all she could do was run as fast as her legs could carry her. The other members of her Party also looked terrified, but the Thief didn¡¯t have the luxury of even giving them a nce.


    What was on her mind was the battle behind her¡­ and how much time their Trump Card could buy for them!<sub></sub>


    Unfortunately¡­


    >BOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    An explosion sounded again, and a burnt smell wafted through the air. Squishy sounds like flesh melting echoed through the corridor in which they ran, and Tia could feel the heat radiating behind her. It was certain what had happened considering the sound they had just heard.


    ¡®N-no way! It hasn¡¯t even been a minute!¡¯ Tia screamed internally, shocked to the extreme by the disparity in the abilities of their Summon and the enemy.


    ¡°GRRRIIIIIIKKKKK!!!¡± They heard the Gluttonous Giant sound from behind them.


    Should they have kept running despite knowing the monster was right behind them, or would they have to turn around to fight?


    No matter how hard Tia thought, a fight would be unwinnable, but if they ran like this, death was also assured. They were caught in a deadly and impossible situation.


    ¡°W-we have to fight¡­ Darwin muttered to the group.


    Everyone sharply turned to look at the older man.<sub></sub>


    The fear and concern in his was real, but they could tell that he too thought there was no other way.


    ¡°U-understood!¡± Tia had to gulp down her fears and speak.


    ¡°I-I can still summon the rest of my Familiars¡­ I j-Just need time¡­¡± Sara whispered.


    Although no one knew how effective those would be, considering how their opponent managed to wipe out her strongest one within a minute. Still¡­


    ¡°¡­ Thanks, Sara!¡±


    It appeared everyone was resolves to fight and make their stand; all but one.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, everyone! I-I can¡¯t stay and fight anymore! I¡¯m retreating!¡±


    It was Terry!


    Their eyes bulged at the man¡¯s treacherous statement, unable topletely process what he said until it was toote.


    >VWUUUSHHHH!!!<


    In a sh, blue energy flickered and enveloped his body. Distortions yed around the space surrounding him, and before anyone do anything to stop the traitor¡­ he vanished!


    Terry had used his [Teleport] Gift as ast resort, and left everyone behind to serve as a diversion while he made a clean getaway!


    The range of his teleportation destination was awfully small, and he could only travel for about thirty meters at a stretch. Still, using this consecutively was faster than running! Plus, Gifts didn¡¯t consume MP, so he could keep it up for quite some time.


    Out of everyone in the team, it wasn¡¯t surprising to say that he had the highest chance of survival. Still, the others would never have foreseen his betrayal. However, none could really me him.


    Ultimately, he stuck with them until they absolutely had no chance, even when he could have resorted to this option much earlier. That didn¡¯t mean they forgave him, though.


    ¡°Tch, that bastard!¡± Darwin growled.


    His MP was about halfway full, so he could somehow manage.


    ¡°We should focus on the enemy!¡± Tia snapped, drawing two daggers from her hips as she prepared to fight.


    ¡°¡­¡± Sara¡¯s eyes were closed as she focused on summoning the rest of her Familiars.


    It was going to be a life or death battle, mostly leaning toward death, but they had to fight!


    ¡®I can do this!¡¯ The Thief mentally encouraged herself.


    ********


    ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Haa¡­.¡± Terry breathed heavily now, perspiration evident on his face as he appeared from the blue distortions in space.


    After escaping from the danger behind him and using his teammates to buy time for him to flee, the young man felt horrible.


    ¡°Keukk! W-what have I¡­done¡­.?¡±


    Tears streamed down his face, showing how apologetic he was. He didn¡¯t mean to betray anyone¡­ he simply wanted to survive!


    ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry, everyone. I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± His voice trailed.

 Chapter 295 Masked Stranger

    After using his [Teleport] Gift consecutively, for an extended period of time, Terry became exhausted.


    Sure, Gifts did not require Mp, but it took a great amount of concentration and stamina to maintain them. While they were considered a part of someone, even using one¡¯s hands or legs too much would exhaust a person; the same applied to Gifts.


    Needless to say, Terry was tired, so he put off using [Teleport], and decided to simply walk.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know how much time they can buy for me, but¡­¡¯


    He had to find a haven to recuperate his energy.


    After agonizing over what he did to his teammates for some time, Terry had managed to ease his conscience, and was now more determined to survive than ever before.


    ¡®Where do I go, though?¡¯ He racked his brain for an answer.


    Even if he went through the right path of the corridor, and ended up in front of a Spawn Room, what next?


    Terry wasn¡¯t confident in his ability to beat the Demons in a Spawn Room alone, especially those in the Sixteenth Floor. For one, he was a mage and sucked at closebat. Plus, his Mana hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet; he wasn¡¯t even halfway done!


    Also, once he entered a Spawn Room, the Mage wouldn¡¯t be able to leave until all the monsters were defeated. That just seemed too much for him! Terry understood his capabilities, that was why hepletely ruled that out.


    ¡®Hopefully I encounter a Safe Zone first¡­¡¯ His thoughts trailed as he walked.<sub>.</sub>


    *******


    After walking down the path for some time, Terry finally reached the entrance of a room. He gulped upon realizing what it was.


    ¡®Shit! It¡¯s a Spawn Room!¡¯


    A person could differentiate a Safe Zone from a Spawn Area based on thebels and designs of the doors. After challenging Dungeons for quite a while¡­ everyone knew this already.


    ¡°Damn¡­ what do I do now?¡± Terry nearly broke down in exhaustion and disappointment.


    He truly had no idea what to do!


    The monster could be behind him any moment, his teammates wouldn¡¯t stand a chance and after they died¡­ he would be next!


    ¡®Should I have just fought alongside them until the end?¡¯


    Now that everything felt hopeless, betraying everyone had certainly been a waste.


    ¡°Keuk¡­ shit! What should I do¡­?¡±<sub></sub>


    At this point, Terry was crouched against the walls and braced his body. His head was partially buried within his hands and legs as he sobbed. Despondency crept in and he could feel guilt choking every fiber of his soul.


    All the Mage could do was suffer in silence and inevitably meet his end.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ know what to¡­ do¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Terry paused, realizing someone had just spoken to him.


    A human had just spoken words and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes bulged in fear and surprise as he raised his head to set his sights on the one who stood before him. It was no understatement to say that his eyes bulged and his jaws dropped once he saw that he had been right.


    Someone, a person, was standing in front of him.


    It was¡­


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what to do, eh? That¡¯s not exactly detailed is it?¡±<sub></sub>


    ¡­ A masked man!


    The man had a tall, slightly muscr stature. His dark hair flowed neatly behind his white and blue mask, and a tranquil air surrounded him.


    He was wearing what seemed to be a dark, long hooded cloak that also served as a jacket. His equipment all looked first rate, and there was something about his presence that inspired both awe and fear in him.


    ¡°I have to say¡­ I didn¡¯t expect anyone to be here¡­¡± His voice, deep and powerful, trailed.


    Terry was dumbstruck and kept staring at the man standing before him.


    ¡°¡­ Why are you here?¡±


    The question pierced Terry¡¯s heart, and he sought a way to answer. What could he say? Should he tell the truth, or should he lie?


    ¡®No, this man¡­ he seems reliable! Maybe he can help me¡­ maybe he can help my friends!¡¯


    If they were still alive, perhaps he could enlist his help to save them! But first¡­


    Terry narrowed his eyes to see the man¡¯s Status Introduction. He seemed very strong and reliable; plus, his gear looked extremely good. However, just to be sure¡­ Terry had to know!


    [SYSTEM NOTICE]


    ~Detection Has Been Nullified~


    <Your Target Has Nullified Your Detection>


    [END OF INFORMATION]


    ¡®A-ah!¡¯ Terry¡¯s panicked mind rang.


    The masked man in front of him had to be armed with an item that prevented such detection. It wasn¡¯t umon in the world they were in, and that was why the only ones to trust were people in a person¡¯s party.


    ¡®Part, uh¡­?¡¯ Terry¡¯s guilty mind trailed as he looked at the man.


    The masked person cocked his head.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry for dying my reply!¡± Terry, who was very flustered, jumped to his feet.


    The height of the masked man was even greater than his. He had to be at least 6 feet 4¡ä! Realizing the height difference between the both of them, Terry shrunk back a bit.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry to get you dragged in all this, b-but¡­ please¡­ my Party needs help! Please help me rescue them?!¡±


    Terry realized his voice had been louder than necessary, and he was being shameless by asking this stranger for help, a stranger he didn¡¯t even know! Yet¡­ he had no choice!


    ¡°A Party, eh? Where are they? Why aren¡¯t you with them?¡±


    His words contained no malice, but Terry felt like his heart bled from the masked man¡¯s question.


    ¡°I¡­ I went to get help, but found no one¡­ that¡¯s why I¡¯m away from them!¡± Terry went with a lie, too ashamed to speak the truth.


    ¡®Hopefully he doesn¡¯t have a Lie Detection Skill¡­¡¯


    ¡°I see. Understood¡­¡± The Masked Man muttered.


    Terry couldn¡¯t believe the man agreed so quickly and without hesitation. Was he so good natured? Or was he so strong he could do that without any inconvenience?


    The Masked Man seemed to turn in the direction of where his Party Members would be, if they were still alive, making Terry¡¯s heart jump in suspense and excitement.


    ¡°¡­ Alright, then. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 296 Salvation [Pt 1]

    I looked at the one in front of me as he shuddered and trembled, leading the path I already knew.


    My towering gait viewed him to be no more than a rat who was desperate for survival, yet still gued by guilt.


    ¡®He abandons his friends, but now wants to rescue them? Pfft¡­ what a joke.¡¯ I mused as we moved quickly.


    Well, of course, the man kept teleporting with his Gift, but I had no problem keeping up, with my speed.


    ¡°T-thank you once a-again for helping! I truly appreciate this!¡± The man¡ªTerry¡ªsaid with a grateful and desperate tone.


    I chose to remain silent and simply nodded. It was a bother to waste time and energy speaking to such a fellow. There was really no merit whatsoever.


    Besides, was I really doing anything deserving of thanks?


    ¡®Your team got put in this condition because of your carelessness¡­¡¯ Was all I could reason.


    I suppose it went without saying that, so far, I had been orchestrating things from the shadows¡­ they were just unfortunate enough to be the ones caught in my web.


    ¡±Now, then, let¡¯s go reap some benefits!¡¯


    *****<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Haaa¡­. Haa¡­¡±


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡±


    ¡°G-guh¡­¡±


    At this point, all three Party Members that were left barely had any strength left.


    They were struggling with thest of their energy and watched the Grade 2 Demon ughter thest of Sara¡¯s summons.


    ¡°GRIIIKKKKK¡­¡±


    The Demon¡¯s growl roused the group from whatever semnce of rest they were about to undertake.


    Tia, Darwin, and Sara were at their wits¡¯ end.


    ¡°Looks like¡­ this is it¡­¡± Darwin muttered bitterly.


    He had done all he could to buy them enough time, relied on the best of his strategies, but in the end¡­ they couldn¡¯t win against overwhelming strength.<sub></sub>


    His Gift, [Great Mind], allowed him to excel at calctions and strategies. He could see the oue of any situation he envisioned, allowing him to n ordingly.


    His brain also absorbed things at a fast rate, and his thoughts processes were so fast that even the smartest of people he knew seemed slow inparison.


    However, in the presence of an insurmountable power, it was all pointless. They couldn¡¯t run and couldn¡¯t fight. All there was left to do was die!


    ¡°Damnit!¡± He gritted his teeth.


    Tia watched him from the corner of her eye, but the bulk of her attention was on the Grade 2 monster who wasn¡¯t far from them. It was approaching, albeit slowly; like a predator confident in the powerlessness of its prey.


    Tia was protecting Sara, who had passed out due to the overuse of her abilities and the shock of losing all her Familiars. She wasn¡¯t dead, though¡­ just extremely weak.


    Still, even with Tia protecting the fragile girl, it wasn¡¯t like there was anything she could do to stop the monster. To be frank, she was even surprised theysted this long.


    ¡®It¡¯s a miracle wested this long¡­¡¯


    A Grade 2 Demon would have wiped them out within minutes, and that was being optimistic. Yet, quite some time had psed and they were still standing.


    ¡°Its HP, MP and other Stats are still high, so there¡¯s no way it is weakened¡­¡± Tia¡¯s whispers came forth.<sub></sub>


    It almost felt like the monster was going easy on them.


    ording to the information she got on a few Demons from the Broker, the Gluttonous Giant shouldn¡¯t have the personality it was disying. A Demon like it would simply gobble down all it saw as food.


    Something wasn¡¯t right, but she was grateful for that ¡®something¡¯. If that didn¡¯t exist, they wouldn¡¯t be alive currently.


    ¡®Does that mean we still have a chance? No, not possible¡­¡¯ She bit her lip.


    They had no way to recover their strength, and even at full power it was doubtful that they could win against this monstrosity.


    ¡°Tia, Sara¡­ looks like this is the end.¡± Darwin said with a sad smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t keep you guys safe¡­¡±


    When it came to ability, they were both stronger than Darwin. Sara¡¯s summons were the strongest of the team; their ace! Tia¡¯s Level was the second highest in the whole party, so she was basically considered the second most powerful.


    Compared to them, Darwin wasn¡¯t as strong. Still, he felt some form of responsibility for them¡­ most likely because he was elderly, unlike them.


    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s fine. This world is messed up. It¡¯s not your fault we¡¯re meeting our end like this.¡± Tia, the only one who could reply, spoke.


    Sara was still unconscious, after all.


    ¡°GRIKKKKKKKK!!!¡±


    At this point, the Demon was just above them, disying the vast difference between the string and the weak. As they both raised their heads to watch such a towering figure, the two epted that it was impossible to do anything but get crushed and eaten.


    Such was their fate!


    ¡°S-stop, you monster!!!¡± A familiar voice rang out, jolting the defeated party out of their final moments.


    Tia and Darwin sharply turned, daring to show the enemy their back. The reason for such a careless move was because they had already epted their situation¡­ and because they recognized the voice that just appeared.


    >VWUUUSHHH<


    A blue spark appeared a few meters from them, and Terry came into sight.


    ¡°Y-you!¡± The two rang out in shock.


    Terry, who had just appeared, had a pale, sick face. The sweat dripping from his face showed how tired he was. He was breathing heavily, and his bloodshot eyes screamed of tears and desperation.


    Why was he here?!


    ¡°T-that¡¯s the Demon!¡± Terry turned behind him, addressing someone the two couldn¡¯t quite see.


    Tia and Darwin were too stunned for words¡ªa mix of emotions swirled within them. Anger and relief mixed in, but before any of those feelings could register, a blur appeared that nearly defied their logic.


    It was flying, speeding across the area like a sh of lightning.


    Before they could gasp in response to the fast entity that neared them, the blur ascended in the direction of the Gluttonous Demon and they saw something like a brandished fiste into view.


    The image of the person, now in midair¡ªdirectly in front of the Giant¡¯s face¡ªdisyed a fine, masked man. He had a slick outfit, and one of his hands stretched backward, his fists tightened.


    In a straight thrust, before the Demon itself could even react, the blow flew in its direction¡­ and then the impossible urred.


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    Flesh tore. Blood sttered. The entire area shook.


    ¡­ And the Demon that brought so much fear and pain to them¡­ was already defeated!

 Chapter 297 Salvation [Pt 2]

    >BOOOOMMMM!!!<


    My fist easily tore through the monster, killing it in one hit.


    I felt awe, surprise¡­ and fear gathering on me from behind. The people who powerlessly sat on the floor had their eyes on me¡ªwatching as I subdued a creature they had so much difficulty with.


    Monster parts scattered and its blood gushed out, staining the immediate area in the green liquid that leaked out. It only took a few seconds before every vestige of the monster vanished from sight.


    Appearing for a moment, before vanishing, was a Demon Core. It gleamed brightly, then entered my [Subspace] in a sh.


    ¡®Aaand, it¡¯s done¡­¡¯


    With that thought in mind, I gentlynded on the ground, making my smooth fall. I could still feel the countless stares behind me, but I ignored them¡ªor at least, I pretended to.


    ¡°A-ahh?!¡±


    ¡°H-he killed it¡­ in one¡­ hit?!¡±


    ¡°W-who is that¡­?!¡±


    I could overhear that surprised gasps, making me give a little amused smile from within my mask.<sub>.</sub>


    Using mypound sight, I observed the two I just saved turn to face Terry. Their expressions told him they had lots of questions and me for him. The timid idiot simply gulped.


    ¡°I-I went to get help! Y-yeah! I met this Masked Man, and he agreed to help!¡± Terry gave his excuse.


    His tone sounded so flustered that¡ªeven if I wasn¡¯t observing the whole thing from the start¡ªI would still know how pathetic his lie was. The same guy who cried and ran from danger due to his cowardice now proimed he simply took one for the team.


    ¡°S-shut up¡­¡±


    ¡°Still¡­ good timing¡­ t-thanks¡­¡±


    The surviving two gave hesitant responses, and then slowly turned in my direction.


    They must have reasoned that now wasn¡¯t the time to allot mes to Terry. It was also true that he brought me along to help, so they must have been conflicted on whether to me him for abandoning them or thank him for doing the same.


    I saw them move in my direction, treading nervously and cautiously. The looks on their faces told me they were tremendously grateful¡­ but fear remained in their eyes.


    ¡®I guess this is my queue¡­¡¯


    Turning in a slow manner so as not topletely frighten the group. Even with my quiet movements, they still shuddered.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Are you guys alright?¡±


    As usual, my voice was deep, powerful, yet gentle. Enough to soothe the people and provide them some sort of security.


    ¡°A-ah, yes. Thank you for saving us.¡± The one called Darwin spoke first.


    ¡°Y-yes. We really appreciate it. Without your assistance, there¡¯s no way we would even¡­¡± Tia spoke in a grave tone, turning her face down to look at the girl who was on the ground¡ªSara.


    They had also lost their leader. It must have been a huge blow to the group.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I suppose you should thank Terry. He told me to help you people. Apparently, he had been desperately seeking help.¡±


    The eyes of the two¡ªTia and Darwin¡ªdarted in Terry¡¯s direction. Their gazes showed a bit of surprise¡­ mixed with animosity.


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I mean¡­ you¡¯re my precious¡ª¡±


    ¡°You left us to die!


    ¡°Calm yourself, Tia. Please, not in front of our savior¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    Watching the three Party Members squabble made a weird feeling to permeate my heart. It had been quite some time since I had to rte with people, so¡­ perhaps memories of a distant past were manifesting.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind¡­¡± My voice was calm¡ªas always.


    ¡°Still¡­¡±


    ¡°Thanks foring to save us, really!¡±


    ¡°Even though we have nothing to give in return¡­¡±


    I smiled underneath my mask, d that the two of them felt indebted to me. After all, this whole borate scheme would be stupid if they didn¡¯t feel this much affinity toward my person.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be taking the Demon Core. That¡¯s okay with you, right?¡±


    Of course, it went without saying that I had ims to it since Inded the hit. But, a few idiots existed that believed their loss warranted some form of consideration andpensation.


    Fortunately, these guys didn¡¯t belong to that category.


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s yours to begin with!¡±


    ¡°I have noints either¡­¡±


    The moment Terry spoke, Tia and Darwin sharply turned to give him a disapproving look that could only be tranted to; ¡®Don¡¯t even speak since you bailed on us, dipshit!¡¯


    ¡°Hm. That¡¯s good, then¡­¡± My eyes trailed to the girl on the floor as I spoke.


    Tia kept ncing in the girl¡¯s direction, and I could tell that she was worried. If I helped them out with Sara, wouldn¡¯t they feel even more indebted to me? That thought alone gave me a bit of motivation.


    ¡®Alright, then¡­¡¯


    ¡°Your friend there¡­ let me help you with her.¡±


    As I approached, the team moved a step back in slight nervousness, but slowly regained their nerve.


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± I spoke while kneeling to examine Sara.


    ¡°She used too much Mana in summoning her Familiars. Sara is, erm¡­ she¡¯s a Tamer. She used up all her energy before you arrived. And, well, the mental shock she received after losing all of them in so little time rattled her.¡± Tia rushed her exnation, showing how much she was worried for the little girl.


    All Tamers had mental links to their contracted summons¡ªFamiliars. The shock of losing one would make the Tamer to get a little dizzy. It was reasonable for the death of so many to put her in such a state.


    In that case, then all I had to do was¡­


    I summoned an Item from [Subspace], though to these people they must have thought I was using INVENTORY.


    The item was a vial containing a liquid that looked golden in color. Of course, the golden luster it had was faded¡ªnot entirely as bright as actual gold.


    ¡°T-that is¡­?!¡± Tia was the one who first eximed¡­ and then the others also made an uproar.


    ¡°Is that really a Full Restorative Potion?!¡±


    Tia¡¯s voice was trembling, so full of emotion. The disbelief in her eyes showed me how valuable she thought the Item was.


    ¡®Good. If their reaction is like this then it¡¯s perfect!¡¯


    To me, this Item had very little value, but it seemed to mean the world to them. Since that was the case, then¡­


    ¡®¡­ I can use them well!¡¯

 Chapter 298 Progress

    It has been three months since the first scenario began.


    The tutorial ended, and the world was once again plunged into the unknown.


    Confusion reigned among many, but not me. After all¡­ I had been expecting this for quite some time¡­


    The first thing I did after the announcements were made was to check out my new Titles and Skills.


    I got a decent amount, and it was a big bonus to begin the serious aspect of the apocalypse with these abilities.


    The [Collector] Title I received allowed me to farm Karma Points from performing the same task regardless of how many times I did it. Usually, the rewards dwindled once a person achieved something more than once¡­ but that didn¡¯t apply to me.


    The [Overachiever] Title I received gave me a Title Bonus that ensured a 10 percent increase in Skill abilities, so that came in handy.


    I received even more Titles within the three months I spent in the first scenario. The most essential of them was the Title [Demon Reaper]. It was basically a more advanced version of the [Demon yer] Title and it allowed me to achieve bleed effect on my targets and also gave them the debuff of Fear.


    My Ultimate Job had a lot in store for me, and it took some time to figure out the mechanics. But, once I did¡­ it turned out to be even more than I bargained for.


    Not only could I steal anything from my target, with the exception of their Gifts and Job-Rted Skills, I could also take their Karma Points for myself. It was amazing how convenient the abilities were for me, but with the trash items that most people had, as well as the little Karma they had gotten, it didn¡¯t really bring much profit.


    The (G) Candidate Title, one of the weirdest I had gotten so far, gave a very gave idea as to its purpose.


    <Grants User ess To The (G) Essence and Assets Belonging To The Sector><sub>.</sub>


    That was all the information given about it.


    I couldn¡¯t understand it, and there was no means for a proper exnation, so the only way out was to ignore the Title.


    Another Title I received was [The One Who Desires All]. This also gave me a vague description.


    <Grants User The Ability To Climb The Dimensional Ladder. Current Dimensional Restraint: 3>


    This was yet another weird ability that was difficult to decipher!


    In conclusion, I received a whooping sum of Karma Points, bringing my total amount to 51,000. It was so unbelievable that I nearly screeched.


    By the way, a single Karma Point could earn someone a very bnced meal, decent and exquisite. The meal could also rejuvenate the one who ate it, restoring a portion of their mana and health, as well as filling them up for a whole day.


    Even having a thousand was enough to secure a person¡¯s survival for some time!


    My initial goal was to rack up as close to 10,000 as I could. Who would have expected this much?


    With my newfound fortune, I headed to the SHOP and began buying Skills like crazy!


    Of course, it was unfortunate that one couldn¡¯t buy Skill Slots in the SHOP, so I was restricted to how many I had.<sub></sub>


    Still, with 100 Slots in my possession, I was able to rack up a total of 90 Skills. I left the remaining ten for special circumstances since I had no idea when I could get the opportunity to obtain rare Skills.


    INVENTORY was useless to me, so it simply fused with [Subspace] on its own, raising my C Ranked Gift to Level 2.


    I went after specific Skills such as Ana¡¯s, Lara¡¯s, Charles¡¯, Tasha, etc. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t find Paul¡¯s Gift, making me question whether he was alive or not.


    But, I also couldn¡¯t find Daniel¡¯s Gift, which was extremely critical. Since I witnessed Daniel die before my eyes, I couldn¡¯t suspect his survival. So, I simply had to conclude that perhaps someone beat me to the punch.


    It was very surprising, though. I never expected anyone to be so sharp and quick about it. Perhaps Paul¡¯s Gift was also taken by the person¡­


    For Skills in the SHOP, they were basically former Gifts. Other Skills could be collected from Demon Cores, so not all of them could be found in SHOP. As a result, even hunting other Demons granted me a bunch of Skills I couldn¡¯t pass up.


    In the end, I could only save up 5 Slots, leaving 95 upied.


    My Level also rose to an unprecedented degree thanks to grinding nonstop outside the Towers. I hunted a ton of Grade 2 Demons, asionally meeting a few Grade 3s in order to rack up as many EXPs and Level Up within the three months I spent.


    As a result, my Level was now 501.


    Upon being satisfied with this, I decided it was finally time to begin climbing the four Towers¡­ and my first target was the Tower Of Death!


    ******<sub></sub>


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a Full Restorative Potion.¡± I replied to Tia.


    Her bulging eyes seemed to widen more as she absorbed my words. The expression of the others seemed to intensify as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Lower Grade one, though¡­ so it¡¯s not too impressive.¡± I added, opening the lid in order to feed the unconscious girl with the contents of the vial.


    Potions were ssified into Lower, Intermediate, and Higher Grades. While there were only three, the gap between the two could be described as the distance of heaven and earth.


    While many Potions existed and could also be gotten rtively cheaply, especially the Lower Grade ones, some were so rare and ridiculously expensive that people hardly got them. One of such rare Potions was the Full Restorative Potion.


    As the name implied, it restored all the Stats and qualities of a Gifted. Though the effects varied ording to the Grade, it was still known to be very valuable.


    For example, even if an HP Potion restored a Gifted¡¯s Health, if their Mana was low, there was not much they could do to fight. In that sense, a Full Restorative Potion was golden¡­ perfect in any way!


    And here I was, using it for a bunch of nobody strangers!


    Anyone would think I was either a very good-natured person, or a wasteful fool. Knowing my personality well, I knew it wasn¡¯t any of those three. A third option existed¡­ and that was¡­


    ¡®Now, then¡­¡¯


    I poured the golden liquid into the mouth of the girl, allowing everyst drop to wash down her throat. As I did this, the girl¡¯s body began to glow bright. Her pale face became colorful; and sounds began escaping from her lips.


    In essence, she was gaining consciousness.


    ¡°U-Urhh¡­¡± Sara¡¯s voice sounded weak, but only temporarily.


    She soon regained her strength.


    For Gifteds in their Level, a Lower Grade Full Restorative Potion was enough to fill up all lost Stats.


    I could hear the gratitude and amazed gasps of everyone around me. They thanked me profusely, but I only resorted to my staple response.


    ¡°Helping a person in need is onlymon sense.¡±


    Sara recoveredpletely, and I also gave Lower Grade Full Recovery Potions to every one as well. Though they were reluctant to ept suchvish gifts, but after I used my ¡®good natured¡¯ quote to coax them¡­ they epted.


    ¡®They¡¯ve taken the bait!¡¯


    And so, I grinned more as they downed the contents of the bottle, filling me up with unimaginable excitement.


    ******


    ¡°So, what will you guys do now?¡± I asked the lot.


    They had rested properly and gathered their thoughts together for some time. I had waited long enough.


    They nced at one another, as though trying to decide on their next course of action. They did not have a Return Stone any longer since I took all the items in their possession, plus they were probably not confident in exploring the Tower any longer.


    ¡°W-we think we¡¯re going to retire at this point¡­¡± Tia muttered.


    She went further to exin the rationale of their decision. I had initially thought Darwin would speak, but he was silent for some reason.


    ¡®Is he still feeling guilty about the near-death experience of everyone?¡¯


    ording to Tia, whom I gave my attention to, they would need to reach a Safe Zone, and then exit the Tower from there. That was their goal.


    The problem, however, was that to get there they would need to go past some Spawn Rooms. Even if I had restored their Stats, most of their Skills were in Cooldown. Plus, their gears were basically ruined thanks to the Gluttonous Giant¡¯s assault.


    They had used up most of the special effects they had, and the durability was nearly depleted. There was no guarantee they would get to the Safe Area before getting wiped out.


    I saw hesitation written on their faces. They probably intended to ask for my help; maybe to give them a Return Stone or guide them to the closest Safe Area.


    But¡­ I had another n in mind!

 Chapter 299 Plan

    Most people thought to start climbing the four Towers as soon as possible.


    I had to say¡­ they were utterly foolish!


    When thinking about ascending the Tower, one would expect that there would be checkpoints to save progress. However, once an individual leaves, they have to start all over again. That process is annoying and repetitive.


    Imagine facing the first floor over a dozen times thanks to retiring over and over again. Not only did it consume time, but the rewards dwindled the more one challenged a Floor.


    That was why I decided to simply ignore the Towers for three months¡ªfocusing on building my strength instead.


    After it was done and I reached my desired Level of over 500, I set my eyes on clearing the Towers in a single stroke.


    And so¡­ I started climbing.


    Fortunately, Gifteds had abandoned the Tower of Death since they had reached a dead end, so I could actually explore all by myself. No one would be disturbing me for a while since they would either be off grinding outside the Tower, or simply challenging other Towers.


    I would have the Tower all to myself¡ªjust as I liked it!<sub>.</sub>


    Unfortunately, this came to bite me in the legter on¡­


    The moment I reached Floor 30, I realized a requirement that disqualified me from going any further.


    [SYSTEM NOTICE]


    ~Only A Party Of 3 Or More Are Allowed To Go Further~


    [Select An Alternative]


    <Form A Party And Return>


    <Challenge Alongside A Party>


    [END OF INFORMATION]<sub></sub>


    As a result, my hopes of having a fun, uninterrupted, private time were dashed.


    ¡®Tch, what now?¡¯


    I had several monsters within [Subspace], but the System wouldn¡¯t really count them as Party Members. I needed to pair up with humans¡­ or at least challenge the upper Floors alongside a functional Party. It was annoying, but the Tower functions were absolute.


    The reason I never realized the need for this was that all those who actually challenged the Tower, ording to my memories, were actually in Parties.


    The difficulty of the Tower rose at a terrifying degree past the 25th Floors, and even Solo yers began forming temporary alliances so they could climb further.


    As a result, the System never gave any form of warning. But now that I was all alone, I was told toe back once I was with a group.


    ¡®Are you bullshitting me?!¡¯ I screamed internally.


    The System was most likely designed to prevent unnecessary deaths since the difficulty would be too much for any ¡®strong¡¯ Gifted to attempt. The average Level of Gifteds at this point would be around 50-59. Anything beyond would be considered to be very strong.<sub></sub>


    I was certain the most powerful Gifteds were currently around Level 100 or thereabout. I mean, considering two out of five Bosses were killed by others, that made sense. Even those with high Levels would find it life threatening to go beyond the 30th Level alone.


    That was why the System ensured we formed Parties.


    ¡®But, I¡¯m a freaking Level 501! I¡¯m strong enough.¡¯


    Long story short, I wasn¡¯t given entry, and I was about to give up when I discovered that I wasn¡¯t alone in the Tower! Apparently, a couple of people had just entered!


    There were a bunch of things the System did within thisrge structure, one of which was to indicate the total number of people currently in it. It previously only said [1]; but now I saw [6].


    Realizing it could be the Party I was hoping for¡ªand I didn¡¯t need to exit the Tower and start from scratch¡ªI decided to perform a little trick to get them on my side.


    Firstly, incur tragedy!


    I used an ability of mine to Teleport two of my Demons to two Spawn Rooms at a Lower Floor-¡ªthe sixteenth one.


    The sixteenth floor had two ends of a corridor. Either way led to Spawn Rooms. Both paths interceptedter on, so it was actually fine to go either way. I wasn¡¯t certain which path the Gifteds would take, so I simply had to ce Demons on both sides and make my way down myself.


    They went to the left path, and I kept observing them while appearing a close distance from their location. Of course, I waspletely undetectable, so none of them could see me or sense me in the slightest.


    After observing their Level, I arrived at the conclusion that they wouldn¡¯t be a match for the Grade 2 Demon I summoned. Still, to make things fair¡­ I made sure to take some precautionary measures.


    To prevent any escape, I stole their Return Stone.


    To ensure they were in dire straits, I took all their items


    After that, I merely needed to watch¡­ observe as they got overwhelmed by the monster.


    They lost miserably, and it was a bit funny to see how they struggled. Surprisingly, one of the Gifteds retreated, so I had to go fetch him while telling my Demon subordinate to take it easy on its foes. I wanted them weakened¡­ not dead!


    The rest, as they say, is history!


    ********


    ¡°I intend on going further up the Tower. Would you like toe with me?¡±


    My voice cut through the silence as I stared at the Party before me. Their expressions disyed surprise and a hint of fear¡ªhesitation was prevalent within their eyes.


    They most likely sought the easy way out, but¡­ I required them for my goals. Why else would I go out of my way for a bunch of strangers?


    ¡°Do not worry. I will protect you. I don¡¯t intend t sound conceited, but¡­ I¡¯m strong. You don¡¯t need to worry about fighting.¡±


    Now, they looked confused.


    To convince them, I only needed a portion of the truth.


    I told them about the Party requirement, and how I needed them to fill a headcount. Of course, people like benefits, so I told them they would gain Karma just from being alongside me in the raid. They didn¡¯t need to fight or work at all, and they would receive rewards iparable with their previous endeavors.


    ¡®Plus, they owe me¡­¡¯ I smiled, counting on the goodwill I had already built with the group.


    It was time to get my returns.

 Chapter 300 Graveyard

    Our group walked in silence, traversing the Floors from the sixteenth.


    As promised, I didn¡¯t allow them to fight and simply killed off all the enemies in our path. To me, they were all weaklings that didn¡¯t deserve my time. If it had been up to me, I would have summoned some Demons to take care of the trash, but¡­


    ¡®I can¡¯t have them suspecting me for their predicament¡­¡¯


    I was already plenty suspicious as it was. If it wasn¡¯t for the goodwill I built, they were probably going to fear me to a terrifying degree since trust among Gifteds was basically as fickle as could be.


    Thankfully, these monsters didn¡¯t waste much of my time¡­ and a Spell like <Earth Spikes: Intermediate> was enough to kill them. I didn¡¯t even need to touch any of the small fries.


    That¡¯s right! I had obtained the Skill which allowed me to use Spells a while back. It was at the Basic Level, but since I wasn¡¯t a Mage, I couldn¡¯t utilize it. After the Tutorial Ended, I bought a Grimoire with Karma Points, and even got the Intermediate version of that Skill along the way.


    In a sense, I could be determined to have a Mage Job based on these factors.


    And it wasn¡¯t just the Mage Job that I leaned toward!


    With so many powerful Demons at my beck and call, I could be mistaken for a Tamer. I had Charles¡¯ Gift as a Skill, along with several other sensory abilities; people could mistake me for a Schr.


    I had several buff Skills that made it seem like I was a Brawler, or even knight. With my coordination and projectile Skills, I could pass as an Archer. I could use Healing abilities and could buff others as well. I passed for a Priest.<sub>.</sub>


    In essence, I was an all-rounder at this point, but who would have thought it all began when I settled for being a Thief.


    Our group advanced quickly, killing the Spawned monsters as quick as possible. Thanks to my Potion, they had enough stamina tost them the journey, so they didn¡¯t get exhausted. And then, before we knew it¡­ we found ourselves at the Elevator¡ªthe room that led to the 30th Floor.


    Everyone had seen me carry them so far, and they must have also seen the profit I was raking in for them.


    In essence, they really had nothing to lose and got tons in return.


    ¡°Things may get a bit rougher from here, so please huddle together. Once we arrive at the scene¡­ please ensure you remain immobile until I say so.¡±


    ¡®¡­ And don¡¯t get in my way!¡¯


    [System Notice]


    <Would You Like To Advance To The Thirtieth Floor Of The Tower Of Death?>


    [Yes]       [No]<sub></sub>


    A smile formed on my face as I tapped the window disyed before me. Light enveloped the area, and in an instant, our group got transferred to the 30th Floor. I expected a bit of challenge considering the System made itpulsory that Gifteds operated in groups.


    ¡®Don¡¯t disappoint me!¡¯


    >SHIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGG<


    We all closed our eyes in reaction to the blinding light, feeling space warp as we moved to an entirely separate ne.


    After a second, I peeled my eyes slowly, sensing the ominous aura that enveloped our new surroundings.


    Capturing the new, terribly gothic sight, I smiled a little. Mist wafted through the air and an eternal night hung in the sky. I saw several graves and gravestonesid out before me, spreading for what seemed to be miles. The eerie silence was unsettling, and the pungent odor made the body to shudder.


    The entire thirtieth floor was a graveyard, bustling with death and chill that belonged only to the deceased.


    I could tell that the thick mist around gave debuff effects, the surrounding chill gave a ¡®Fear¡¯ effect, and the terrain made it extremely disadvantageous to fight. I calmly analyzed everything surrounding me, prepared for what woulde next.


    The Gifteds around me shivered, assailed by Fear. I resisted it easily thanks to my resistance, ignoring the trembling people behind me. They were only extras and it was even lovely how they simply stood there.<sub></sub>


    ¡®I should finish things up a¡ª¡¯


    >CRREEEAAAAKKKK!!!<


    Suddenly, sound began to echo all around our vicinity.


    I felt several figures emerging from underneath the ground. They seemed to be crawling up, like desperate beasts. Hands appeared above the surface, and before long their heads appeared.


    As I expected, undead were leaving their graves as they appeared for a fight. Having rotting flesh, tattered clothes, and disgruntled moans, they sluggishly approached our little group.


    As expected, they were Ghouls.


    The group of undead surrounded us from all areas¡ªwe were teleported to the center of the graveyard, after all.


    ¡°Gurruuuukkk¡­¡± I heard their murmurs.


    The tone of their groanings was low, but it felt like metal grating against each other. As the unpleasant sensation wafted in my ears, my disgust grew more.


    ¡°<Safe Haven>¡± I used a Skill, protecting my supposed allies from the undead horde.


    The pink force field brought a smile on my face as I remembered a particr someone. It was a good thing she was good for something in her death.


    With that, I didn¡¯t have to worry about the demise of anyone on my side. I couldpletely wipe out the horde that easily numbered thousands.


    ¡°Now, I see why the System decided to make this apulsory team event. It¡¯ll be nearly impossible for most Gifteds to win here¡­¡±


    The trail of undead went on for as long as my eyes could see, after all.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to spend on you guys. I¡¯ll just resort to


    ¡±


    With that, the roulette spun.


    The choice was made.


    As expected, it was [The Devil].


    As a result of its effects¡­ a dark wave of energy swept through the area as the Arcana came into effect.


    The wave of death filled the area and touched every single undead in the area.


    ¡°Fall!¡±


    I waited for the miraculous effect of my Skill.


    ¡­ But, the Ghouls did not fall and die.


    Instead, the opposite happened.


    ¡°GURRRUUUUAAAKKKKKK!!!¡± Their screeches climaxed, and I felt an aura of death surge from each and every enemy in sight.


    It was at that moment that I realized my error.


    ¡°Oops¡­¡±

 Chapter 301 Purification

    Undead are creatures of false life.


    After losing their souls in death, they be mere puppets of death and act only to satiate the bottomless hunger and hatred they have for the living.


    As a result, effects of death have no real consequence on them. On the contrary, actually. Since they are creatures of death and corruption, any effect ced upon them with those qualities will only amplify their abilities.


    Yet, I made such a foolish move!


    I went to use a Skill variant that guaranteed exactly that.


    [System Information]


    ~Skill <The Devil (Upright)> In Progress~


    <The Devil: Upright Variant>


    The Devil expresses the realm of the taboo ¡ª the culturally rejected wildness and undigested shadow side that each of us carries in our subconscious. This shadow is actually at the core of our being, which we cannot get rid of and will never seed in taming. The Devil evokes the church-fueled fear that a person could ¡°lose their soul¡± to wild and passionate forces.


    ~ Card Effect: All ¡®Demons¡¯ (Those Who Possess Evil Alignments) Within A Specified Range Will Lose Their Souls And Fall.


    (Skill Duration: Instant)<sub>.</sub>


    [Note: Effects Apply Currently To Only Demons Of Grade 1 and Evil Aligned Person¡¯s 50 Levels Lower Than The User.]


    [End Of Information]


    As a result of my usually useful ability, the Demons of death only grew more formidable.


    ¡°Gah! I messed up..¡± I quickly controlled my tone so those behind me wouldn¡¯t notice my slip-up.


    It would be pretty dumb if the omnipotent persona I had built in front of these guys was shattered thanks to this encounter. They would surely think I was unreliable, even if I had great powers.


    ¡®It¡¯s not my fault, though¡­ it¡¯s a Random Effect¡­¡¯ I argued internally.


    The Skill


    gave me Arcanas to choose from in the form of a roulette. I couldn¡¯t decide on the oue, but I could decide on whether or not I wanted to use them or not.


    ¡°I still have two more turns with it. Should I use them now?¡±


    Initially, I could only use this Skill once per day, but over time, it increased to three.


    ¡®Na. I¡¯ll just take care of them the usual way¡­¡¯<sub></sub>


    I somehow wanted to show off a little bit in front of the simpletons watching, but I should have just gone with a simpler approach.


    ¡®Purified Air it is¡­¡¯


    I opened [Subspace] and looked at the seemingly infinite items I had in the storage. My eyes trailed to one in particr; <Air>.


    Yeah, it was simply Air.


    However, thanks to my ability to augment the items I had in [Subspace], it was about to be something extremely deadly.


    I had a Skill called


    which was useful in situations like this. I could infuse it with my items using the <Hoarder> Skill.


    It wasn¡¯t veryplicated anymore, especially because I had been experimenting on several asions.


    [System Notification]


    <Edit Is Done>


    [Item <Air> has now be


    ]<sub></sub>


    [End Of Information]


    I smiled and released the sweet, fresh breeze all around the area by using the <Summon> Skill.


    The undead that had grown confident from taking in essences of death instantly began to shrink and shriek the moment Purified Air swept through the area.


    ¡°GARRRKKKKKKK!!!¡±


    Screams and piles of smoke ascended to the air.


    My Purification ability was lethal to Undead, but the range was too small. However, once I mixed it with Air, could allow its effects to travel as far as possible, acting as poison to the enemies.


    ¡®The effects are a bit watered-down, but it should suffice for Undead of this caliber¡­¡¯


    The only thing they had going for them was their number, after all.


    ¡°GUAAAAaaaarrkkkk¡­.!!!¡±


    Soon, the shrieks subsided and the Demons began falling in true death. With their bodies turning into nothing but dust, they left nothing in their wake.


    ¡®This is my problem with the Tower¡­ no drops!¡¯


    It was to be expected, though. If they gave drops to every single group that arrived, how much resources could the creator have to maintain things? The Tower was only to groom Gifteds for strength, after all. Or so it would seem¡­


    ¡°Whew. Looks like it¡¯s done.¡± I smiled with a bit of satisfaction showing on my face.


    The fresh breeze also made me feel refreshed, Purified Air was even better than the best breeze a person could receive before the Apocalypse. That was how good it felt!


    [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]


    [Congragtions!]


    <You Have Completed The Challenge Of The Thirtieth Floor>


    ~Rewards Will Now Be Allocated~


    <You Have Been Given The Skill: Undead Army Summon (Lower)>


    <You Have Been Bestowed A Return Stone>


    <You Have Received 5,000 Karma Points>


    <You Have Received The Title: Undead Cleanser>


    [End Of Information]


    The rewards were decent, so I simply shrugged and epted them.


    The best thing about System Skill Rewards was that they didn¡¯t take up space in any existing Slot. Instead, I would be given a new Slot. I was d to receive any Skill if that were the case. Of course, the one I had was to summon fodder undead, but it could still be considered very powerful currently.


    After all, it was an army¡­ not just a few dozen!


    ¡®I heard someone got a Necromancer Scroll and an Undead Summoning Ring. But, they can¡¯t bepared to this¡­¡¯


    As a collector myself, I would have loved to get my hands on those items, but once I rationally thought of it, it would mostly be a trash item at best. The Scroll could allow him to make contracts with dead beings and raise them as undead. Storing the undead was also an ability of the Necromancer Scroll.


    The Undead Summoning Ring basically allowed the wielder to summon a set amount of undead. It had a Cooldown rate, and the undead who appeared disappeared after a period of time.


    Both could be considered very powerful by normal standards, but I wasn¡¯t too worried. Thanks to my knowledge, I could make a long list of better items. All I had to do was simply be patient.


    ¡°Looks like they also got their reward¡­¡± I turned and looked at the team behind me.


    They had System windows in front of them, and I calcted that they would receive about a thousand Karma Points each¡­ just for being fill-ins. It sounded ridiculous, but I simply shrugged.


    More Karma Points for them meant more motivation on their part.


    ¡°It¡¯s a win-win situation.¡±

 Chapter 302 Overflowing Feelings

    [System Notice]


    <Would You Like To Advance To The Thirty-First Floor Of The Tower Of Death?>


    [Yes]       [No]


    I watched as the System Window appeared in front of me.


    The other members of the group were behind me, looking in both awe and excitement. It seemed their fear hadpletely vanished, only anticipation remained.


    I shrugged and decided to keep going. I wasn¡¯t going to be satisfied until I beat this Tower in one try!


    The moment I tapped on the [Yes] option, arge wall of stone appeared. It looked like a gravestone, but massive. A white swirling portal glowed at its center, seeming to call me into it.


    ¡®Oh? So, this is the gate leading to the next floor?¡¯


    It was a bit different from the usual teleportation done by the System. It was only a guess, but I felt like perhaps it was a sort of measure to allow Gifteds a second moment to decide on whether they wanted to proceed or not.<sub>.</sub>


    It was a foolish measure for me, but for others¡­ perhaps they would choose to give up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I mumbled, entering the stone portal with everyone right behind me.


    Since I already noticed them move close to me, it was assured they wouldn¡¯t leave me by myself. Now that I had their loyalty, at least to a degree, I simply needed to focus on the enemies.


    ************


    ¡®Who is this man¡­?¡¯ Tia wondered within herself as she couldn¡¯t keep her eyes away from the masked savior who helped them.


    His broad back seemed like an insurmountable wall between her group and the enemies that seemed overwhelming. The Thief didn¡¯t even know when she began to obsessively keep her gaze on him to avert any fears within her heart.


    Any time she saw the dark cloak he wore behind, her heart felt at ease. She felt secure.


    ¡®He is¡­¡¯<sub></sub>


    Tia didn¡¯t know how to describe the man. He seemed to be a bit older than her, perhaps twenty-one? His voice carried authority and power, and the gear he had on clearly disyed what kind of formidable individual he was. She couldn¡¯t see his Status Introduction, so he existed in a ne higher than she could ever imagine.


    However, what made this man so scary were the diverse abilities he disyed during their time together.


    As they traveled the Floors, he used several abilities that defied logic. Initially, she thought he was a Brawler, given the way he one-shotted the Gluttonous Demon back then, however he kept surprising her with a wide array of abilities.


    He purified the undead.


    He used Spells to decimate tough opponents.


    He used a wide array of weapons.


    Plus, his movements told her he had several Skills supporting directbat.


    This man was unfathomable in all aspects. So much so, that Tia gave up on trying to understand him. She simply immersed herself in the overwhelming disy of his might.<sub></sub>


    He was overpowered!


    Tia didn¡¯t know when her heart began to flutter. She didn¡¯t realize when she anticipated his next powerful disy. As someone who was often relied on in her group, and even before the Apocalypse, she now felt what it was like to get pampered¡­ to be protected.


    ¡°Masked Hero¡­¡± She whispered and fixated all her attention on him as he killed off thest of the Demons in sight.


    The ce where they stood which was once infested with several zombies and undead knights had been swiftly wiped clean. Of course, she was merely a spectator, watching from within the pink barrier that their Masked Hero erected to shield her from harm¨Cit seemed Tiapletely forgot that she wasn¡¯t the only one being protected.


    Her thoughts had narrowed down between herself and the one who existed several heights above her.


    ¡°Done.¡± His voice simply echoed across the devastated in that he conquered.


    With this, the 68th floor was down!


    Tia didn¡¯t know how they hade so far in such a short while, but¡­ she didn¡¯t want it to end.


    Suddenly, she heard a Ping and a Window appeared in front of her. Tia recognized this quite well¨Cthe System Window that alerted her off the reward received for merely spectating.


    [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]


    [Congragtions!]


    <You Have Completed The Challenge Of The Sixty-Eight Floor>


    ~Rewards Will Now Be Allocated~


    <You Have Been Given The Skill: Negative Effect Resistance (Middle)>


    <You Have Received 5,000 Karma Points>


    <You Have Received The Title: Undead Cleanser>


    [End Of Information]


    Just for watching her hero fight, she had gotten such good rewards from the System.


    Initially, the Rewards were only Karma Points, but they eventually became Skills. Sometimes, she even received Titles and Items. She had gotten a couple of potions, a few items that were far better than anything she owned, three very decent Skills¡­ and even one other Title other than the one she just got.


    The teammates beside Tia were also howling in delight, extremely happy about the haul they received. Even of they were merely spectators, not risking their lives in the slightest, they were already being rewarded with so much.


    If they were gaining this much, just how much was their Hero collecting? Surely, he was raking in the most profit¨Cone that exceeded their expectations. Of course, every member of Tia¡¯s Party thought this, but they didn¡¯t mind.


    They were well aware that he didn¡¯t need them to keep climbing, but he brought them along anyway. Not only did the Masked Hero save their lives, but he also gave them such benefits.


    They weren¡¯t receiving the main rewards, but the group was certain that even if the Masked Man didn¡¯t exist, another team would have beat them to the punch. They were merely an average team, after all. First ce didn¡¯t belong to them.


    But, now¡­?!


    They didn¡¯t Level Up, but they received too many privileges that they were certain their lives would be so much easier.


    It was all thanks to their masked savior.


    Tia was sure everyone in her team felt the same way¨Cfilled with overwhelming admiration toward their hero.

 Chapter 303 Mind Reading

    The pink barrier around the group was disabled, a signal for everyone to converge around the Masked Hero.


    Tia¡¯s hastened steps were quicker than the others as she swiftly sped to the front of their savior and shed him an excited smile.


    ¡°You won again! Congrattions!¡± Her voice contained enthusiasm and joy.


    This flustered the Masked Man a little, or so it appeared to.


    ¡®If only I could see his face¡­¡¯ Tia thought to herself, imagining what kind of warm expression he could be making underneath the mask.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m happy to see you¡¯re safe.¡±


    Of course, he referred to everyone¡ªnot just Tia. But, it seemed the meaning of collectivity was lost to the youngdy.


    ¡°Hehehe¡± Herugh contained contentment.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be moving on to the next Floor.¡± The Masked Man retorted.


    No one could refuse his calm voice. In fact, they were all pumped up to see the rewards of clearing the next area.<sub>.</sub>


    As he tapped [Yes] to advance to the next Floor, the usual portal appeared in front of the group. It shone on their faces, and they braced themselves for another warp.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Tia watched the Masked Man enter the portal¡ªtaking a good look at his broad back once again. A smile formed on her face, and her heart settled.


    Once again, everything would be fine.


    ¡®I believe in you¡­ Masked Hero.¡±


    With those thoughts, Tia entered the portal along with herrades.


    **********


    ¡®What¡¯s with this woman?¡¯


    My eyes slightly turned in the direction of a particr girl among the group I¡¯m using to advance. Her expression showed excitement, almost to the point of being bloodshot.<sub></sub>


    To be frank, she frightened me a little.


    Initially, I thought for sure she had some sort of detective Skill that could bypass myyers of defenses. I thought she noticed my Neutral Evil Alignment. That would mean she had realized I was only pretending around them.


    Anytime I faced the Demons, I would feel a burning gaze nted on my back. Was she looking for a window of opportunity to attack? Did she really think she could take me on even with the Stats I had?


    Of course, it could be that she was simply a fool who didn¡¯t know how to gauge the abilities of others, or perhaps she had a trump card? No, if that was the case, her group wouldn¡¯t have been in the predicament I found them in.


    I initially ignored her immense concentration on me, but when I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I decided to use a little ¡®something¡¯ to clear my doubts.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to read her thoughts!¡¯


    Using Charles¡¯ previous Gift, now my skill, <Mind¡¯s Eye>, I could see a lot of info about people. However, that was only limited to Stats and their information dictated by the System. I could also detect when anyone lied to me.


    Still, I didn¡¯t think this would be enough.


    That¡¯s why I got another Skill¡ª<Mind Reading>. As the name sounded, it allowed me to read the thoughts of others, and even sense their emotions. It was very useful since it also worked against Demons, and I could predict what their next move would be thanks to this ability.<sub></sub>


    The hassle was that I needed to have physical contact with whoever¡¯s mind I wanted to read for a total of five seconds before gaining ess to their thoughts.


    I didn¡¯t want to do something so bothersome. Plus, what excuse would I give to hold on to someone for so long? That was why I put it off¡­ until I couldn¡¯t take it anymore!


    ¡®I¡¯ll just get this over with¡­¡¯


    After concluding matters on the 70th Floor and defeating the Boss¡ªwho was quite a difficult opponent since it could turn incorporeal and was immune to all physical attacks¡ªI was once again congratted by the enthusiastic girl.


    The expressions on the faces of her teammates told me she wasn¡¯t usually like this, but after some time, even they ignored her actions. They were too mesmerized by their rewards, after all.


    ¡®Well, here goes nothing¡­¡¯ I gulped, looking at the girl¡¯s shoulder.


    She was shorter than me¡ªthey all were. Well, that was because I hit my growth spurttely.


    ¡­ Sort of¡­


    ¡°Tia, there¡¯s something on your outfit.¡± I went with the usual lie and kept my arm on her shoulder.


    A bead of sweat formed on my face.


    ¡°O-oh, where¡­?¡±


    Two beads appeared, but I quickly kept things under control. Using [Subspace], I brought some chaff on her, making some especially linger around her somewhat coiled hair.


    ¡°Here. And here. Here too¡­¡±


    I removed the chaffs, ensuring I maintained physical contact with her for at least that long. Fortunately, the girl was immobile, making my job easier.


    ¡®Hehehe. She doesn¡¯t know I¡¯ll soon figure out what she¡¯s nning. What a fool.¡¯ My grin widened.


    After I was done, the requirement had been met. I gazed at her face, seeing that it was flushed with pink. For a moment, I didn¡¯t quite understand. However, the moment I realized what was up with Tia¡­ it was toote!


    Her thoughts came flooding in.


    ~Ahhh, he¡¯s touching me!!! Did he really see some stuff on my body? But look how he¡¯s so intently doing it. How did he even notice something I didn¡¯t sense? Was he observing my body? Does he really¡­?!~


    ¡®Oh, shit!¡¯


    I was mistaken.


    I should have realized this earlier!


    Tia seemed to have a crush on me¡ªor rather, the Masked Hero persona I donned.


    ¡®Ah, why does this keep happening? I just want to use you guys in peace¡­¡¯


    Memories of all the mishaps I had begun surfacing.


    When training outside the tower, as well as trying to change my Evil Alignment, I killed two birds with one stone by saving several people from Demons. Some among them were women, and they slowly started falling for me.


    Sure, it raised my reputation among the dregs, but it also gave me some bothersome admirers. I suppose it was one of the perks of this body I now possessed.


    It was so bad that even the System gave me the Title ¡®Admired By Women¡¯. I had a feeling it was simply messing with me, but it was the real deal.


    And the Title effects were troublesome, so I turned it off.


    Still¡­ what the heck was this?!

 Chapter 304 The Seventy-First Floor

    I realized my childish body was too inefficient.


    In so many ways, the fact that I was below average in height and build was going to impede my future ns¡­ which is why I decided to solve the problem.


    Using Lara¡¯s Gift, now my Skill, I could shape-shift into any form I desired. However, it consumed Mana, and it also had a duration despite how much I maxed it out. Since I couldn¡¯t maintain it for too long, the ability was useless as a permanent solution.


    Scouring for a solution in the SHOP, I finally found my answer. It was a Potion known as the Perfect Growth Compound. After reading its description, I understood its function.


    The potion simply elevated whoever drank it to their ideal, most perfect physical state. As a result, it could take me to the peak I could ever attain physically.


    I was a little worried that I was going to remain short, but seeing as there was also a Reversal Potion being sold, I decided to take my chances.


    Who would have thought¡­ it actually worked!


    I grew to the size of 6¡¯5 ft, and got a perfectly toned body. My muscles weren¡¯t monstrous, but they weren¡¯tid either. It was the best state I could have chosen for myself, and that seemed to be the actual effects of the Potion.


    ¡®So, it gives me the form I desire most?¡¯ I murmured back then.


    But, when I thought of the implication of the Potion, I was a little worried. If others used it, any ugly person could turn incredibly handsome. A fat bum could attain the best shape. Was it possible for a guy to be a woman, and vice versa?<sub>.</sub>


    I gulped at the prospect.


    That was also what prompted me to get the <Mind Reading> Skill.


    Fortunately, the Potion would be considered pricy to many since it was 1,000 Karma Points. No one in their right mind would buy it unless they were that desperate to change themselves¡­ making me cringe even more.


    That was basically how it happened¡­ and my mind got dragged to the present¡­


    ¡­ The troublesome girl who had feelings for me.


    ¡®I just need to ignore her, right? Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll just do that.¡¯


    Even as her gaze pierced my back, I paid her no heed and simply looked at the System Window in front of me.


    [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]


    [Congragtions!]<sub></sub>


    <You Have Completed The Challenge Of The Seventieth Floor>


    ~Rewards Will Now Be Allocated~


    <You Have Been Given The Skill: Undead Army Summon (Upper)>


    <You Have Been Given The Skill: Incorporeal Essence>


    <You Have Learned Ghost Magic: It Has Been Added To Your Grimoire>


    <You Have Received The Item: Incorporeal Cloak>


    <You Have Received The Item: Spirit Ring>


    <You Have Been Bestowed A Return Stone>


    <You Have Received Full Restorative Potion (5x)><sub></sub>


    <You Have Received 45,000 Karma Points>


    <You Have Received The Title: Undead Exterminator>


    [End Of Information]


    I smiled. I had gotten so many Skills from this expedition, and there were still 29 Floors to go. This was a good pace.


    I looked behind and found that the members of the group seemed excited to go further. It had been a couple of hours¡ªmost likely five already¡ªsince we started our journey together. Normally, people would be feeling a bit hungry at this point, but I didn¡¯t expect that from this bunch.


    ¡®They are Level 50 plus Gifteds. They should be fine. Besides, they¡¯ve not expended any energy¡­¡¯


    Besides, I gave them Restorative Potions when I rescued them, so they couldn¡¯t be tired already.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    [System Notice]


    <Would You Like To Advance To The Seventy-First Floor Of The Tower Of Death?>


    [Yes]       [No]


    I confirmed, and a giant gravestone appeared ominously. The purple glow of the swirling portal told me that this would be even more dangerous than the others. Of course, I wasn¡¯t worried about a thing.


    I was currently on Level 509, and that was pretty much a cheat on its own. After fighting for so long, I barely Leveled up eight times. How sick was that?


    I had already started encountering Grade 2 Monsters, and the Boss of the 70th Floor was a Grade 3.


    I would have considered the event noteworthy, but it wasn¡¯t really relevant. I had already killed quite a few of them outside the Tower. My goal was whaty beyond the 99 Floors. For that, I had no choice but to keep pressing on.


    The group behind me nodded and huddled behind me. It was either they couldn¡¯t sense how ominous the gate in front of me was; they believed in my abilities, or greed simply blinded them at this point.


    Well, the Tia woman seemed blinded by something else entirely.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    We moved into the Portal and arrived at our destination¡ªa vast in.


    A purple sky stretched as far as my eyes could see, and I saw crows flying in the air. One look around was enough to tell me why the scavenger birds littered the heavens.


    Dead bodies of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, were on the ground. Warhorses, several weapons, and multiple corpses littered the area.


    There weren¡¯t only humans among the fallen ones. Demons of various races were present. I saw Goblins, Kobolds, SinEaters, Griphons, Orcs, Trolls, Giants, and several other racesid waste on the vast field.


    My field of vision was too narrow so I couldn¡¯t see the end of the corpses. We were on nds, so the most I could manage were only a couple of miles.


    ¡°<Elevation>¡±


    My body instantly became light as a feather as I ascended into the sky, covered by a light hue of blue. In a few moments, I had gained enough altitude to see the end of the battlefield, and my sharp eyes picked up the total number of the dead.


    ¡°Seven hundred thousand of them, uh?¡± My voice leaked out.


    However, the multiple dead figures weren¡¯t my major concern. I fixated my eyes on one figure in particr. It was also dead, but its mass and shape made it conspicuous among the other corpses.


    ¡°T-This is¡­?!¡±

 Chapter 305 The Dragon Of Storms [Pt 1]

    The area around the beast was covered in char, and nothing but ck, sooty grounds surrounding it. Impaling it were several weapons; ranging from spears to des.


    They all looked very powerful and valuable.


    There were seventy-one of the weapons that pierced the monster¡¯s body¡­ most likely what killed it.


    My eyes narrowed on the dead beast, and a wry smile appeared on my face. It now made sense why I sensed such powerful energy from beyond the gate back then.


    This monstrosity was the cause.


    Laid on the ground, surrounded by destruction and carnage was one of the most powerful races of Demons that existed.


    ¡ªA Dragon!


    Judging from the battle scene, I had a fair idea of what transpired here¡­ at least what the narrative of this Floor was.


    A battle urred, and the several racesbined forces. They had amon enemy, and that was the fallen beast at the center of the battle. I had an idea of the difficulty if seven hundred thousand individuals ganged up on the creature.


    ¡®It¡¯s at least a Grade 5¡­¡¯


    Dragons belonged to the highest cadre of Demons.


    That meant that a Grade 5 Dragon was stronger than most Grade 5 Demons.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡®Am I capable of handling a Grade 5 at my current level?¡¯


    It was doubtful, but¡­ I had alreadye this far. Besides, it didn¡¯t make any sense for the difficulty of the Dungeon to jump this far. There had to be a catch.


    And, as though reading my mind, a System window appeared in front of me¡ªalong with a ping to alert me.


    [SYSTEM NOTICE]


    ~You Have Made Your Way To A Battlefield Of Chaos~


    [Floor Description]


    The Dragon Of Storms ¡®Barbados¡¯ was in on this very battlefield. The sacrifice was great, and after being impaled with the 71 Treasures Of War (Duplicate), the joint forces emerged victorious.


    However¡­ thanks to the grief and regret that fills this battlefield, the Dragon¡¯s corpse has absorbed enough miasma to resurrect.


    Please stop the Dragon from resurrecting, and if it does¡­ subjugate it.


    Prevent the Dragon frompletely resurrecting.<sub></sub>


    <Additional Quest>


    Completely eradicate the Dragon.


    [The voices of the dead pray for your victory. Please fulfill their dying wish and end the threat that assails them]


    [END OF INFORMATION]


    ¡°Oh, wow. So that¡¯s the narrative?¡± I smiled.


    Looking down on the battlefield, I was a little happy that I wasn¡¯t told to face off against the mobs. That would be a pain.


    ¡®Since these ones will only be in the way, then¡­¡¯


    My eyes scoured the massive field, and Iid eyes on every single corpse in sight¡ªexcept the Dragon, of course. In an instant, they all got transported to [Subspace], leaving the area bare.


    ¡°Much better!¡± I beamed


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]


    ~The Dragon Has Been Cut Off From The Negative Energy Of The Corpses Surrounding It~<sub></sub>


    ~Prevent the Dragon frompletely resurrecting.~


    [The Dragon Has failed toplete its resurrection, however, it still has enough negative energy to restore some of its powers and life essence]


    <Additional Quest>


    Completely eradicate the Dragon.


    [END OF INFORMATION]


    ¡®Ah, I see¡­¡¯


    I was actually supposed to get rid of the corpses first in order to cut off the Dragon¡¯s supply. It was a good thing I took them into [Subspace] then.


    ¡°But, how are regr Gifteds supposed to clear this Floor? Wouldn¡¯t it be too hard for them?¡± I murmured, slightly upset with the System.


    Before any Party could be done with seven hundred thousand corpses, the Dragon¡¯s resurrection would beplete. Plus, the mission didn¡¯t even say anything about getting rid of the corpses. Before anyone figured it out, a lot of time would have psed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ this is a Trap Quest?¡±


    Trap Quests ensured that Gifteds wouldn¡¯t be able to satisfy all the conditions of the particr mission. Their Rewards wouldn¡¯t beplete and it was possible that they could even die as a result of their failures.


    Fortunately, Towers allowed one to use Return Stones, so Gifteds could keep challenging this Floor until they got things right. Still, the time and efforts expended would only lead to frustration.


    Many people would get stuck on this floor, that much was certain.


    ¡®Welp, I just cleared it with ease though¡­¡¯


    It was a coincidence, but I sure was d for my good fortune.


    >VWUUUUUUMMMM!!!!<


    A deadly hum rang out, and a burst of dark energy erupted from the center of the battlefield.


    My skin felt pricked, and I shuddered a little, watching from the sky as all the evil aura I witnessed converged upon the corpse of the Dragon.


    It swallowed the corpse, slowly enveloping his body.


    ¡®Oh shit, I should do ¡®that¡¯!¡¯


    I nced at the weapons that pierced the corpse¡¯s body and collected them as well. The System called them the Treasures of War, but these were only duplicates. The original could be found in the Tower of War.


    Still, these duplicates would be quite useful since they were plenty powerful¡ªakin to Grade 3 Treasures.


    No wonder so many were able to y that Dragon. Even many small insects could kill an elephant if they banded together. Well, there were exceptions to that rule.


    [SYSTEM INTORMATION]


    ~The Dragon Of Storms Barbados Has Been Partially Revived~


    <He Has Be An Undead Dragon (Grade 3+)>


    [Please Eradicate This Creature]


    [END OF INFORMATION]


    ¡°GRUOOOOOHHHHH!!!¡±


    The howl from a distance nearly made my skin jump, and I braced my floating body from the wind pressure that scattered all around it.


    The Undead Dragon, a walking Dragon corpse, was already flexing its powers. A ck vapor-like aura emanated from the terrible being, and its skin was an ashen ck. I stared into its crimson eyes and it red back at me.


    ¡®So it¡¯s spotted me, uh?¡¯


    It could have been my imagination, but this creature gave me a very despicable, hateful re. It was probably mad at me for halting its resurrection.


    ¡°Sorry, mate. It was nothing personal.¡± I spoke jovially, though I knew it wouldn¡¯t ept any sincere apology¡ªnot to talk of my half-assed attempt.


    ¡°GRUUUUUUUHHH¡­¡±


    I stared at the Undead Dragon as it growled, readying myself for a satisfying fight.

 Chapter 306 The Dragon Of Storms [Pt 2]

    There were many ways to win.


    I knew that from the get-go.


    I could use [Subspace] to shave off parts of the Dragon¡¯s body, reducing its health until itpletely fell apart.


    I could use my purification to severely weaken it and st the monster to kingdome.


    An easy solution would also be to use the seventy-one Treasures OF War to impale the beast on all ends. If I added my Mana to them and increased their efficiency, the monster stood no chance.


    I could keep going on and on as to how I could win, but what was the point?


    Once in a while, a person needed some excitement in their life¡ªI was no exception.


    ¡°COME!¡±


    My deration prompted the Dragon Of Storms¡ªor rather, what was left of him¡ªto charge at me with frightening speed.


    >WHOOOOSSHSHHH<


    In a sh, it closed the distance between us, baring its ws on me. The monster¡¯srge hand descended on my smaller frame, drawing close at a frightening degree.


    I grinned underneath my mask and stretched my hand to stop the impudent monster.<sub>.</sub>


    >BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    The shockwave of both our hands colliding caused the entire area to quake. The earth seemed to tremor and the pressure of the wind blew the ground area away and shattered our immediate vicinity.


    ¡°Heh, you¡¯re quite strong.¡± I smiled, watching the Dragon give a puzzled expression.


    Its massive hand had been stopped by my smaller one. I held it, just before it touched me, squeezing my fingers on its scaly body.


    ¡°GURUUUUUUUAAAAAKKK¡± It let out an annoyed and agonizing screech.


    >VWOOOOSSSHHH<


    Swiftly, the monster made its retreat, sending bursts of wind my way.


    I blocked with my barrier, but it used this opportunity to escape my grasp.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± I muttered.


    I looked at my hand and found a portion of it solely rotting. ckish-purple hue spread across my fingers, but before long they dissipated.


    ¡°Miasma, uh? Looks like the effects are quite strong¡­¡±<sub></sub>


    My resistance wasn¡¯t enough topletely shield me from the Dragon¡¯s negative energy.


    ¡°Oh, well¡­¡±


    My Auto-recovery kicked in, and I was immediately restored to an optimal state.


    ¡°¡­ shall we resume?¡± I smiled at the Undead beast hanging in the sky.


    A huge storm was brewing above it.


    The skies darkened, and I heard the rumbles of thunder. ck shes of lightning surged forth, and I felt a great deal of wind converging in its direction.


    Right before my eyes, I witnessed a change of scenery entirely.


    The darkened clouds surged with lots of lightning and made thunderous noises. Multiple whirlwinds appeared, and a thick fog of miasma gathered around my foe.


    ¡°Oh? So, this is why they call you the Dragon Of Storms?¡±


    The living corpse of Barbados, my foe, seemed to grin in delight.


    It must have been reveling in its power, conjuring such a storm to oppose me. I watched as it roared in superiority, sending its torrents of attacks at me.<sub></sub>


    Multiple shes of devastating ck lightning lunged at me. I also saw waves of Miasma swarm me, and the whirlwinds sharply danced in my direction.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say, but these things don¡¯t interest me.¡±


    In an instant, all his methods of assault vanished¡ªgone, as though they were never there.


    I stared at Barbados nkly, waiting to see the reaction it would give me.


    ¡°G-GRUUUHHH?!¡±


    As expected, it didn¡¯t disappoint.


    ¡°As you can see, those things won¡¯t work. Come and fight me yourself!¡± I grinned.


    The Undead Dragon didn¡¯t respond to my taunts as I wished, though. Instead, it took a couple of flights back and began amassing a great deal of power¡ªstronger than the torrents of storms earlier.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    Dark aura gathered around its mouth as the Dragon opened it. I saw an orb of devastating purple hue begin to form. It cackled with power, holding enough devastating force to wipe out arge portion of the area.


    ¡°You¡¯re going for your Dragon Breath now, eh? That¡¯s nice.¡±


    Once a few moments psed, the breath waspleted and the purple shes of energy had already be extremely formidable.


    ¡®My defenses can¡¯t take all of that. I¡¯ll receive some damage¡­¡¯


    Still, I didn¡¯t even make an attempt to move.


    ¡°RARHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    The Dragon released its breath, sending out a huge torrent of ckish purple light that seemed to consume everything in its path. Even the ground beneath us sustained damage¡ªbreaking apart as the st approached.


    ¡°Its destructive capacity is good. I like it.¡±


    As I watched it draw closer, I could feel the gazes of the Gifteds I brought along. They seemed to be worried and extremely frightened. One had even passed out.


    ¡®Bunch of chickens. They¡¯re inside a barrier and they¡¯re still this scared?¡±


    They were most likely worried about me¡ªtheir ticket to a bright future. I found thatughable, though. After all¡­ even if I did nothing¡­ that assault wouldn¡¯t touch me.


    >SHIIIIII<


    In moments, the bursts of destruction vanished, leaving nothing bearing its semnce. Only the charred trail on the ground reflected the devastating path the st took. Nothing else could be seen.


    ¡°You seem confused, scared maybe¡­¡± I grinned at the monster ecstatically.


    My [Subspace] had an additional feature called <Auto Retrieve>, allowing anything deemed harmful or beneficial to me in a particr area to be automatically transferred to my possession.


    Of course, I could alter the setting so it currently couldn¡¯t collect living things and a few other things. If I hadn¡¯t limited its functions, it would have absorbed the Dragon the moment it entered range.


    But, I didn¡¯t want things to end so easily.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve tried that and it didn¡¯t work. Are you ready to attack me now?¡± I smiled at the Undead Dragon.


    The deathly re it gave me before now turned into something akin to fear.


    It was as if its instincts were telling it to flee¡ªnot that there was anywhere it could run to.


    ¡°You know¡­ I know exactly what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    ¡°GRUIIIHHHH¡­. URHHHHH?!¡±


    What it said was simply ¡°How is this possible?!¡±


    And how did I know that?


    It was because of one of my Skills, something I got from the Hobgoblin King back then.


    <Interpretation>


    ¡°It looks like you won¡¯t being to me¡­¡± I whispered, readying myself while keeping my gaze on the beast.


    ¡®In that case¡­ I¡¯ll simply go to meet you!¡¯

 Chapter 307 Beatdown

    The audience was astonished!


    Sweat fell from their brows and their bodies shuddered. Even though they were protected by the sturdy pinkyer, none of them were immune to the chill that coursed through their bones.


    The group had thought they saw the full extent of the Masked Man¡¯s powers¡ªor at least close to it. However, his current actions shattered their preconceived notion.


    ¡°I-impossible¡­¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be real¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this¡­ is he really human?¡±


    ¡°Masked Hero! You¡¯re so amazing!¡±


    They all had different ways of expressing their shock.


    For starters, the group didn¡¯t know how it was possible to clear the battlefield of corpses. They had seen so many dead bodies¡ªlike an insurmountable sea¡ªyet, in an instant, the Masked Man cleared them all.


    It was a feat like none other.


    As if that wasn¡¯t amazing enough, a massive Dragon suddenly emerged from a dark cloud and soared into the sky. The Demon¡ªa being that far surpassed anything they had seen up until that moment¡ªcharged briskly at their savior.


    In all honesty, they expected him to lose.


    They had even readied one of the Return Stones they received from their Rewards. Other than Tia, who seemed mesmerized by the Masked Hero, everyone else considered making a break for it. The enemy was impossible, after all.


    An Undead Dragon was still a Dragon, and simply by looking at the Stats of the creature which was in the hundreds of thousands, they figured there was no chance.


    Yet¡­<sub>.</sub>


    Yet¡­ the man in the mask prevailed. His prowess exceeded all their expectations and the strength he showed was otherworldly.


    They couldn¡¯t even follow his movements.


    Even after the Dragon conjured up storms¡­


    Even after the Dragon fired its highly destructive breath¡­


    Nothing fazed the man who floated in the sky.


    At this point, they gave up trying to rely on their intellect. They were merely fools who knew nothing. They simply watched in bewilderment¡ªas the Masked Hero plunged through the sky and swiftly approached the Dragon.


    Well, they simply ¡®tried¡¯ to watch. His movements were too quick to perceive¡ªas was the Dragon.


    >BOOOOOOOMMMM<


    Once again, the shockwave of the two colliding forces rattled them.


    The barrier protecting them was sturdy, so it didn¡¯t break, but¡­ their entire spirit seemed to snap in two.


    What unfolded next was not something humans should have been privileged to see.


    The Dragon crashed to the ground, creating a massive quake that decimated arge portion of the area. The group fell to their buttocks and shrieked in terror and excitement¡ªmixed emotions that should never be allowed together.


    They peeled their eyes open like people assailed with insanity, staring at the sceneid out before them.


    >WHACK!<<sub></sub>


    >SLAM!<


    >SQUELCH<


    >BAM!<


    >BOOOOMMMM!!!<


    The pounding reached their ears as the shaken group witnessed a one-sided beatdown. The Masked Man was one-sidedly dominating the fallen creature. They saw as pieces of rotting flesh and bones flew off as the Dragon shrieked in agony.


    Undead weren¡¯t supposed to feel pain, or even fear¡­ but this one clearly disyed both.


    ¡°GRUUUAAAAAHHHH!!!¡± The Dragon bellowed.


    It was as though it prayed for salvation.


    The beast of chaos and destruction begged for its life. The Masked Hero didn¡¯t show any mercy, though. He just kept pounding.


    More and more flesh scattered, bones shattered. It was a gory sight to see. The group that watched began to wonder who the actual Demon was.


    It couldn¡¯t be the pleading, powerless Dragon¡­ or could it?


    As the team contemted this, the Dragon¡¯s HP reached zero¡­ and with one final thrust¡­ itpletely shattered apart.


    With that, in mere minutes, the most powerful Demon they had ever seen disintegrated before their eyes.


    [SYSTEM NOTICE]<sub></sub>


    [Congragtions!]


    ~You Have Completed The Quest~


    <You havepletely destroyed the Dragon Of Storms Barbados>


    <The Souls Of The Dead Thank You>


    <You Have Received Their Goodwill>


    <You Will Be Given Rewards Based On Your Aplishments>


    <You Will Be Given Additional Rewards Based On Your Actions>


    [SEE MORE INFORMATION]


    Once the party members saw the System window being disyed before them, they forgot their fears and gave in to excitement.


    That was all that mattered now.


    Still, even with the rewards given to all of them, one member, in particr, couldn¡¯t keep her eyes off of the floating gait of the Masked Hero.


    It seemed he had also received the System Notification and was checking out his rewards.


    The entire battlefield was still, and it seemed like all sound had vanished from the area. This woman couldn¡¯t keep her eyes away from the center of attraction that seemed to dull everything else.


    Tia stared hard at the Masked Hero, marveling and blushing.


    ¡®He did it again¡­¡¯


    >THUMP<


    >THUMP<


    >THUMP<


    Her heart was pounding violently.


    She hadn¡¯t felt this way before, so Tia took a while beforepletely realizing the emotion that was consuming her-¡ª


    Love¡ª


    Some called it love at first sight, fate, destiny¡ªwhatever it was, Tia felt it swirling within her, swelling more and more.


    And before she knew it, the girl becamepletely entranced with the Masked Man.


    ********


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    ¡°Whoah, two in a row? I¡¯m surprised!¡±


    As I remained in midair, I watched the System congratte me for my feats, and how there would be additional rewards.


    It also continued its narrative as to how the dead souls were willing to offer themselves to me as an expression of their gratitude. I didn¡¯t mind that since I needed to fill up my Spirit Ring with souls for it to be empowered.


    ¡®Seven hundred thousand souls are good for a start.¡¯


    Well, they were more than good if I was being honest. I just hit a jackpot.


    ¡°No, then¡­ let¡¯s see the rewards.¡±


    [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]


    [Congrattions!]


    <You Have Completed The Challenge Of The Seventy-First Floor>


    ~Rewards Will Now Be Allocated~


    <You Have Been Given The Spell: Soul Reaping (Middle)>


    <You Have Been Given The Spell: Soul Envement (Middle)>


    [They Will Be Added To The Ghost Magic Section In Your Grimoire]


    I smiled.


    ¡®So, I finally have this, uh? Good¡­¡¯

 Chapter 308 Ghost Magic

    [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]


    [Congrattions!]


    <You Have Completed The Challenge Of The Seventy-First Floor>


    ~Rewards Will Now Be Allocated~


    <You Have Been Given The Spell: Soul Reaping (Middle)>


    <You Have Been Given The Spell: Soul Envement (Middle)>


    [They Will Be Added To The Ghost Magic Section In Your Grimoire]


    <You Have Obtained The Soul Of The Dragon Of Storms: Barbados>


    <You Have Been Given The Skill: Miasma Essence>


    <You Have Been Given The Skill: Storm Conjuring>


    <You Have Been Given The Skill: Dragon Breath (Nether)>


    <You Have Received The Item: Undead Dragon Mantle>


    [SYSTEM ERROR]


    [Unable To Retrieve Items ¡®The Seventy-One Treasures Of War (Duplicate)]<sub>.</sub>


    ~System Will Convert The Item Rewards To Karma Points


    <You Have Received 100,000 Karma Points>


    <You Have Been Bestowed A Return Stone>


    <You Have Received Full Restorative Potion (10x)>


    <You Have Received 50,000 Karma Points>


    <You Have Received The Title: Dragon yer>


    [End Of Information]


    I smiled even more.


    This was simply perfect. It almost felt like I was extorting the System.


    Usually, rewards were split among Party Members based on their aplishments in a Floor Quest. The fact that I did everything solo meant that the rewards would alle to me.


    I had no idea what chump change the fools tagging along with me were receiving, but it couldn¡¯t bepared to the main thing.


    ¡°Now, then¡­ should I try it now?¡±


    Thanks to the Ghost Magic in my possession, I could interact with dead beings and their life essence. Of the Ghost Spells that existed, I currently had two in my Grimoire.<sub></sub>


    Soul Reaping and Soul Envement.


    With the former, I could forcefully collect the souls of my target. Of course, my proficiency and Mana Levels had to exceed whoever I wanted to use it on. Souls could be used to power my spells, or I could forge stuff and add their properties to it.


    They served many useful functions and could even be used to deal phantom damage on foes. My Spirit Ring stored souls, so I didn¡¯t need to keep them in [Subspace]. Also, unlike the storage of [Subspace] that would keep them in the exact same condition I took them, the Spirit Ring amplified the Souls by resonating them with one another.


    I could also use the Ring to deal direct phantom attacks with the Souls I had in store.


    My favorite feature of the ring wasbining souls stored inside and making a more advanced soul.


    In any case, Ghost Magic was epic.


    As for the second spell in my possession, one which I was looking forward to very much¡ªSoul Envement¡ªit allowed me to dominate Souls.


    Having Souls in my possession didn¡¯t mean I couldpletely control them. They would simply deal damage to targets. Afterward, it was best to return them to the Spirit Ring. If not, they could bare their fangs on anyone in the vicinity.


    By using Envement, not only did I have their loyalty, but I could alsomand them to do any task¡­ not just simple attacks.


    It was perfect!


    And since I had many Souls in my possession, it was the perfect chance to try things out.


    ¡°Summon Soul: Barbados¡±


    Instantly, a ckish swirl revolved around me, and a wicked purple light appeared.<sub></sub>


    It glowed and hovered in the air, taking the shape of an orb. ck energy distorted the air like fog and the purple light warbled.


    ¡°So, this is Barbados¡¯ Soul¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t attacking yet, most likely a result of my Title. Still, if it got aggressive, I could end up being caught in a crossfire.


    ¡°Grimoire¡±


    A golden book appeared before me, glowing with light and surrounded by several tiny lights like fireflies.


    It was the Golden Grimoire, the best one avable in the STORE. I spent a great deal of Karma Points to get this, but it was worth every penny.


    Usually, Grimoires had limitations and could only store some kinds of Spells. They also had limited Spell Slots. While they allowed non-Mages to use Magic Spells that weren¡¯t Skills, they only permitted some types of Spells and were restricted by Grades.


    This Grimoire was different.


    It had an infinite number of Slots.


    It allowed all Spells


    It allowed all Grades.


    It wasn¡¯t the ultimate Grimoire, but¡­ it was still one of the best.


    ¡®Only Ars Goetia and Sacred Scriptures are superior to it¡­ I think.¡¯


    ¡°Ghost Magic.¡±


    The pages flipped on their own and arrived at the spot where [Ghost Magic] was boldly imprinted on.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Staring at the humming orb¡ªthe soul of my sparring partner, Barbados¡ªI simply mentioned the Spell.


    ¡°Soul Envement¡±


    Instantly, a distortion appeared around the two of us. Purple light shone and ck mist filled the area.


    Soul Envement was basically a war of wills. Some Souls could be docile, especially if the user was way more powerful than the target. However, there was no point in Enving a weak Soul.


    Barbados was quite the troublemaker when he was alive and even when he died. He also had the pride of the Dragon race. He was obviously not going to give in easily.


    This could take a while¡­ especially since my proficiency was still low.


    [SYSTEM UPDATE]


    <Soul Envement Is Sessful>


    ¡°E-ehh¡­?¡±


    <You Have Enved The Soul Of The Dragon Of Storms: Barbados>


    ¡°For real? That easily?¡± I was shocked.


    Where did the will of the Dragon race go to? The Dragon yer Title in my possession simply gave me bonus damage infliction on members of the Dragon race.


    If the Soul Envement worked so well, that meant the Soul of Barbados was docile toward me. I wonder why¡­


    ¡®Maybe because I beat the shit out of it?¡¯


    In that case, I could try that method with other opponents I encountered. That way, I could get easy subordinates with <Soul Envements>


    [Enved Soul Collection]


    <New Entry Received>


    [Please Select A Name For The Enved Soul]


    ¡°Hmn, let¡¯s go with Barbados.¡±


    <Enved Soul: Barbados has been added to your collection>


    That was cool. I had a dragon under mymand.


    Of course, its physical body was lost so it could only work in its astral form. Still¡­ it was crazy strong, right? Plus¡­


    ¡®Giving it a body won¡¯t be a problemter on¡­¡¯


    With thatpleted, I still wanted to try something out.


    The team I came with didn¡¯t seem to mind that I was taking so long. Since that was the case, I decided to do something a bit more radical.


    ¡°Spirit Ring¡­¡±

 Chapter 309 Enslaved Souls [Pt 1]

    ¡°¡­ Spirit Ring.¡±


    Instantly, the item that coiled itself around my left finger sparkled.


    It had a bright blue aura, shining with a whitish glow. Within the object was a sum of seven hundred thousand souls.Apparently, as a result of the ¡®unique¡¯ way I cleared the quest, they offered their Souls to me As a result, I reaped quite the bountiful harvest.


    But, the souls within were too weak.Sure, they had great numbers, but so what? Ultimately, I wouldn¡¯t require them for anything since I had way more powerful and efficient means of defeating my enemies.


    Plus, using Ghost Magic required me to use quite the amount of MP and my Grimoire had to be activated. Going through such a hassle for a bunch of weaklings didn¡¯t seem like a good way to use my resources.


    Which was why¡­


    ¡®Let¡¯s try this¡­¡¯


    With that, I activated one of the special features of my Spirit Ring. Other than storing souls and making them more powerful over time, the Spirit Ring had the ability to merge the Souls it collected to form stronger ones.


    ¡°Commence Amalgamation.¡± I gave my instruction.


    [SPIRIT RING MANUAL]


    ~You Have Chosen To Amalgamate The Souls In Your Possession~


    <sub>.</sub>


    [Current Souls In Possession]


    ~Heroic Souls (700,000¡Á)~


    ~Barbados (Dragon Of Storms)~


    [END OF INFORMATION]


    ¡°I could probably just feed them to Barbados¡­¡±


    That would make the Dragon stronger. If they served as resources to fuel my subordinate¡¯s growth, then it was very well worth it.


    However, every being had a cap on how powerful they could get. What if feeding Barbados 700,000 Souls turned out to be a waste. Besides, even if I didn¡¯t feed everything to it, I wasn¡¯t sure how many would be necessary to hit the cap.


    Plus, after getting surplus souls left, what would I use those for? There was also the fact that it was better to have more than one subordinate for versatility. It wasn¡¯t wise to put all my eggs in one basket.


    ¡®Two are better than one, after all¡­¡¯


    Having made up my mind, I decided to use up all the 700,000 souls¡­ and merge them to form one entity!


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]<sub></sub>


    ~You have selected a total of <700,000> Souls to merge into <1>~


    [Please Confirm]


    [Yes] [No]


    The option I chose was only a matter of course.


    A bright light emerged from within the depths of my ring. It sparkled amid the vast field. I felt energy converging, and the several presences I sensed within the ring dwindled rapidly.


    Though their numbers reduced, the power inside skyrocketed at an unprecedented rate. It kept rising, even beyond the point of my expectations.


    Finally, the brilliant glow dimmed and the process ended.


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]


    <Merging Complete!>


    ~Heroic Souls Have Now Be Legendary Heroic Soul~


    [Congrattions]<sub></sub>


    I smiled and observed the incredibly powerful being lurking within the ring.


    In terms of power, it was still inferior to Barbados, but it was plenty strong in its own right.


    ¡®Both are on the level of Grade 3 Demons¡­ but since Barbados was Grade 3+, almost Grade 4, it¡¯s obviously stronger.¡¯


    Even after creating such an entity, I needed to still use <Soul Envement> to make it into my subordinate.


    ¡°Will it resist, or¡­?¡±


    *********


    It turns out I didn¡¯t need to be worried about any form of resistance from the Legendary Heroic Soul.It didn¡¯t even offer any form of hostility toward me¡ªunlike Barbados¡ªnot to mention fighting against my smoldering authority.


    It fell under mymand, and the system required me to provide a name.


    ¡®I can¡¯t as well call it Legendary Heroic Soul, can I?¡¯


    Deciding to be more creative, I remembered hearing something about how a collective of evil spirits identified themselves as a single entity Apparently, they gave their existence a name.


    ¡°Legion. For you are many in one.¡±


    With this, I had Legion and Barbados¡ªtwo subordinates I obtained from this single floor.


    ¡®I have several Demons in my [Subspace], and I can control them using my Skill, but it takes Mana and effort to manage them. But these ones are different¡­¡¯


    Plus, they were stronger than any other pawns I had in my arsenal.


    This truly was a great find.


    ¡®Welp, I guess there¡¯s something else I want to do, but we¡¯ve taken too long here. I might as well progress and do what I wantter.¡¯


    I looked in the direction of the Party that stared at me with dumbfounded expressions. They seemed to marvel more at my power, which made me smile wryly.


    Of course, my mask covered my face¡ªso, none of them saw I curled up my lips.


    The fact that none of them had attempted to flee meant they still intended oning along with me. I wasn¡¯t sure whether the Tower¡¯s System still made itpulsory for a Party to travel together at this point, but it was best not to take any chances.


    ¡°Alright. Let us proceed.¡± I made a low, calm statement.


    Upon hearing my voice, the people I spoke to whirred back to life and moved. Once they saw that arge tombstone had appeared in front of me, their pace quickened.


    Before long, they reached me and we all ventured inside the portal in front of us.


    **************


    The Floors after the Seventy-First one had a simr setting, but on differentndscapes/seascapes.


    We were transported to frozen mountainsides, scorching desertnds, storming seas, etc.


    The only thing linking these Floors were the dead beings that existed there, and the terrifying Boss monsters that always took the form of Undead.


    I fought Frost Giants, a Kraken, a Desert Serpent, and several other strong beings.


    The 80th Floor had a considerably more difficult opponent. It was in the 4th Grade, and was at least twice as powerful as Barbados when I first encountered it.


    The monster was called a Chimera, and its several features and extraordinary life force made it quite difficult to kill.


    I was holding back, of course.


    In fact, I didn¡¯t even fight.


    I had my minions for the task for me while simply watching their actions. If I was honest, the scene was absolutely blissful.


    ¡®Haa¡­ it feels nice to have capable minions, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯

 Chapter 310 Enslaved Souls [Pt 2]

    Souls, even when Enved, didn¡¯t have physical forms.


    As a result, their bodies had some sort of Astral effect to them. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t deal physical damage. It was more like their bodies wereprised of energy.


    As a result, they could make themselves incorporeal and solid whenever they pleased.


    So far, I had ten subordinates.


    After obtaining Legion and Barbados from Floor 71, I proceeded to enve the Bosses of each Floor¡ªmaking a total of ten.


    There were still several Souls I harvested, but instead of turning them into a second Legion, I simply fed them to my already-existing Enved Souls.


    My most powerful subordinates remained Barbados and Legion, though. I fed them so many Souls, so their powers wereparatively more than the others.


    The gap wasn¡¯t too much, though.


    The reason Legion stood atop the rest, despite its limited ability cap, was the gift I bestowed it.<sub>.</sub>


    The 71 Treasures Of War¡ªduplicates of the originals¡ªwere given to my faithful Enved Soul.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t an urate description of what happened.


    Thanks to my Hoarder Title, I could edit items within my Subspace, so I was also capable of merging the contents within my treasury. Of course, the items had to bepatible, or else I would end up with a far led result.


    Still, thanks to <System Correction>, I could reverse the effects of my tampering.


    Thanks to lots of tinkering and experiments, I was able to achieve several good results. For example, I produced more powerful Demon Cores by merging lower-grade ones.


    The best thing about merging was that it wasn¡¯t as simple as addition. Multiplication was the name of the game.


    So¡ªwhile 2+2 equaled 4, the same as 2¡Á2¡ª2+5 and 2¡Á5 yieldedpletely different figures.


    The quality of thebined Demon Cores made their Mana more refined; useful for more than simple explosions. I also sold quite a few in the Auction Area of SHOP for some ridiculous amounts.<sub></sub>


    I was surprised when someone bought them all. The System keeps the buyers and sellers anonymous, so I couldn¡¯t find out the person¡¯s identity. They had to be pretty well off to be able to afford the refined Demon Cores, though.


    I was quite surprised by it.


    I wished the System could give me a name, but what would that do? The person could be under an alias¡ªsame as me. Besides, the System was quite fair, so I didn¡¯t expect to get any information.


    Usually, anonymity bred distrust. Gifteds were initially reluctant and downright hesitant to use the Auction Zone of the SHOP.


    People would rather not buy from a person they had no knowledge of. However, since the System was a trusted middleman, all transactions that were conducted through it were fair. No one couldin about that.


    Back to topic, I was able to merge all 71 Treasures duplicates into a single-ded weapon. It contained several attributes and the durability was off the charts.


    It was akin to a Grade 4+ Treasure, close to Grade 5. I had a feeling that if I invested more resources into it, the weapon could be even more powerful.


    But, a tool is only as good as its user. Seeing that Legion was already a Grade 4 entity thanks to the Souls I was feeding it with, I let him have the Grade 4+ Weapon, making it stronger than the others in his ranks.<sub></sub>


    I wasn¡¯t showing favoritism, though.


    ?[0)??? It was just that none of the others had the build Legion possessed.


    Most of the Bosses were Demons who had monstrous physiques. There was a Dragon, Frost Giant, Serpent, Kraken, Hydra, Ancient Golem, etc.


    They just didn¡¯t fit the bill.


    As for Legion, it took the semnce of a Dark Knight. d in an armor of darkness, with purplish energy making up its flesh, the warrior was in due need of a weapon.


    I recalled its rank was Legendary Heroic Spirit, and given that all those Souls who perished were experts at weapons, it was only fit to hand over the item to Legion


    I watched as all ten of them squared off against the Chimera.


    Of course, I knew they could easily win if they fought it together, but that wasn¡¯t the goal.


    ¡®Barbados and Legion should be able to take it on individually. The rest of the Enved Souls should have no problem if they work in pairs.¡¯


    This was only a Grade 4 Demon, after all.


    Still, I was simply using the creature as some sort ofb rat to test out various attacks. Having my minions one-shot an opponent defeated the purpose of seeing their true capabilities.


    So, while they tested out all their functions on the creature, I ensured to heal it¡ªno, use Miasma to cure the wounds of the unfortunate creature.


    It was an undead, so Healing had the opposite effects on it. Plus, since I had <Miasma Essence> as one of my Skills, it was only right I exercised it.


    ¡®Not only can I use it to buff myself and deal Rot damage, but I can also buff undead allies as well. Cool¡¯


    I had a ton of corpses within my Inventory, and one of the Items I received allowed me to raise the dead¡ªsimr to the Necromancer Scroll that one guy received, but on arger scale.


    I could already summon Undead Armies, so I didn¡¯t need more mobs to be created from corpses.


    Instead, I merged all the 700,000 dead bodies I retrieved from the Seventh-First Floor, as well as the others I collected from the other floors, making close to ten million corpses.


    Well, they were approximately 9 million 700 thousand and 57.


    After joining them, I formed some sort of Frankenstein¡¯s Monster as a base, and by using the Undead Creation Item, I created an Upper-Level Undead. It was on the level of a Grade 3 Demon, but after feeding it enough Demon Cores and Miasma Essence, it graduated to the ranks of Grade 4.


    Needless to say, my minions finally exhausted their abilities and I put the Chimera out of its misery. Of course, its soul belonged to me.


    After enving it, I had Twelve Grade 4 Demons under my control.


    ¡®Should I call them the Rounds? Like, the Knights of the Round table from that old Camelot story¡­?¡¯ I mused as I grinned with glee.


    The 80th floor was conquered, and I was getting close to the 99th Floor¡ªno, to what was beyond that!

 Chapter 311 Farming

    It went without saying that the higher Floors were more difficult than the previous ones.


    From Floor 81-90, I was faced with legions of dead entities that had been strengthened with Miasma. It was basically a nightmare¡ªwatching so many of those creepy things charging at me.


    When considering their quality, they were practically Grade 2s and Grade 3s. The Bosses fell between Grade 3+ and Grade 4.


    I would probably lose against a Grade 5 with my current Stats¡ªbut I was never the type to fight based on Stats alone. However, since it had been a while since I battled something that made me go all-out, I had no idea what was really my limit.


    ?[0)??? But, was there really a reason to fight like a dog? Using [Subspace] when things got awry would be the most optimal solution¡­ right?


    Well, the point was that even though the Grade of monsters was surprisingly not as high as expected, they had the advantage of numbers. Unlikest time where I simply had to win by killing the Boss, there were too many minions that covered the area.<sub>.</sub>


    Plus, the Miasma around dealt continuous damage to anyone within the Floors, making it difficult to fight. I now understood why the System made it mandatory that people travel in Parties from a particr juncture.


    A high-level Priest would have no problem with the Miasma since they could purify it. However, those kinds of Gifteds weren¡¯t exactly good inbat. In a battle that required felling so many foes, one would need a strong fighter.


    Since the opponents also charged in massive numbers, defense was necessary. So, at least three people were essential to clear these Floors. Still, by the current standards, no one was strong enough to fight this wave alone.


    Even if they were strong, taking care of so many War Ghouls, Wraiths, and Death Knights at once was a bother¡­ which was why I had to use a Skill of mine to create multiple Undead soldiers¡ª<Summon Undead Army (Middle)>.


    I also had my 12 Elite fight. By those, I meant the powerful souls under my control. They surged forth and poured through the enemies, acting as the vanguard that devastated the area. The rest of my army simply fought the Demons they could, but they still emerged victorious.<sub></sub>


    ording to what I deduced, the ¡®Lower¡¯ version of my <Summon Undead Army> gave me about a thousand Grade 1 Undead mobs. The Mobs were stronger than Skeletons, though. They were most times Skeleton Knights and Ghouls. Zombies were mixed in as well.


    The ¡®Middle¡¯ version summoned about three thousand Undead who were in Grade 2. There were some who rode on horseback¡ªUndead Horses. The army was also more organized and had a Duhan as the head of its forces.


    As for the ¡®Upper¡¯ Version¡­ which I acquired recently¡­ it summoned seven thousand troops.


    They were a mix of Grade 2 and Grade 3¡ªhaving Duhans serve asmanders of different units, while a Dark Pdin served as the lead general. They were a force to be reckoned with¡­ though I felt like I wanted more numbers.


    ¡®Well, I can always make more undead with my Skill¡­¡¯<sub></sub>


    Plus, even though this Skill had a time limit, I never even came close to psing it before the job was done. I could stuff my Undead Army within [Subspace] and summon them at ater date to fight. It was more like recycling, but if I stockpiled a lot of them, I could end up with hundreds of thousands of Undead as an army.


    I wasn¡¯t in a rush to do so, though. After all, the Tower of Death didn¡¯t have armies as its specialty. That belonged to the Tower of War.


    ¡®I¡¯ve decided! I¡¯m going to War next!¡¯


    Since I took too long in my preparation, I had to hurry things up. If I used a day to clear each, I would be done by the end of the week. That alone would suffice for my tardiness. Giving any more time would mean someone could be taking treasure that belonged to me.


    Also, I clocked Level 521. It was a pain checking my Stats all the time, so I stopped. Considering how many Stats I had stolen, how well my Passive Skills and Titles were boosting my Stats, I was in the hundreds in every one of them¡­ yeah, even Strength!


    Anything my Souls killed basically gave me EXP. Even the Undead summoned by my Skill did the same. They were all part of my arsenal, after all. I could just Farm EXP like this forever¡­


    ¡®I wonder¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed, thinking of another prospective venture that would make me stronger.


    Even with my strength, I hadn¡¯t forgotten my humiliating defeat back then¡­ when that Angel showed up. I still didn¡¯t know her identity, but still remembering her gave me the chills. I knew I was currently not a match for her, so she remained in my [Subspace] until I was certain I could win.


    It wasn¡¯t certain how long that would take, which was why I was somewhat eager to gather more strength.


    Before long, the Miasma-covered battlefield had been emptied. Silence reigned¡ªso eerie that one could only find them in horror shows. I watched my soldiers return to me and I congratted them on their efforts.


    The Miasma that wafted around the area seemed useful, so I absorbed it all into my [Subspace]. Once that was done, the whole ce looked like a simple swamp.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re done here.¡±


    I ced my Enved Souls into my Spirit Ring and put my Bahumath¡ªthe culmination of so many dead bodies, and my highest Grade Undead¡ªwithin [Subspace]. I also withdrew my troops into my storage, knowing they could be useful someday.


    A smile formed on my face as I looked at the many tabs within [Subspace]. They were really infinite. Usually, a lot would get lost within such a vast space, but [Subspace] had a ¡®Search¡¯ function. Plus, since I was connected to my Gift, I knew of every item in every Slot.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny how I nearly lost everything back then¡­ but now¡­¡± My smile grew wider.


    I was on my way to having it all.

 Chapter 312 Undead Town

    [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]


    <Wee to the Ny-First Floor>


    [Description]


    This is a haunted ce. Undead and curses loom across every area in this town. Within this expanse of darkness exists the origin of the death that has corrupted all.


    Traverse the city and find the origin of the curse.


    Remember, the Undead here seek rest from their eternal torment. They have not be this way due to their own free will. Their souls cry out for salvation.


    Save these miserable souls.


    Find the Origin of this cmity of death and misery. Destroy the source.


    <Secondary Quest>


    Restore this ce to its previous estate and grant the people rest.


    <Special Quest>


    Do not kill any of the innocent undead in the area.<sub>.</sub>


    [END OF INFORMATION]


    ¡®What the fvck is this?!¡¯


    What was with these weird quests?


    No, more importantly¡­ what the heck was this ce?


    Standing before me was a huge town, and we stood at the entrance¡ªme and my deadweight group. I constantly shrouded them in my Purified energy, so even without <Safe Haven>, they were fine.


    The entrance seemed to be made of some form of wood¡ªsomething you would only see in the old age or the west. This gave me that old countryman vibes. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t hot and sunny.


    Dark clouds filled the sky, and fog shrouded the surrounding area.


    While the town¡¯s entrance was standing before us, I could sense multiple undead inside. They were mostly Grade 2¡ªin essence, fodder. Still, there were so many that I nearly heaved a sigh.


    If I got things right, then what this Floor expected from me was to simply scour the area in search of the origin of whatever transformed these guys into monsters¡ªwithout killing any monster that came my way.


    I needed to restore these guys¡¯ ce to its former glory. I wasn¡¯t exactly certain what vague terms like that meant, but I would try my best.


    ¡®Let¡¯s start with the primary quest first¡­¡¯


    I looked at the party around me, and they were shivering. The chill was too much? Or could they still not resist the fear creeping up on them despite being protected by me?<sub></sub>


    ¡®These guys will only slow me down at this rate¡­¡¯


    It was best to just dump them in [Subspace] and continue the mission without them¡ªespecially since there would be a lot of walking around from this point onward.


    Looking at all of them, they instantly vanished from sight and became locked in my storage space.


    [SYSTEM ALERT]


    <Quest Has Been Forcefully Stopped>


    [Challenger Does Not Meet The Appropriate Requirement]


    <You Will Now Be Ejected From Floor Ny-One>


    [5]


    ¡°What the fvck? Are you kidding me?!¡±


    [4]


    I didn¡¯t think they would still be enforcing this shit. I couldn¡¯t allow myself to be evicted! Not after I had gotten to this point.


    [3]<sub></sub>


    ¡®Not hereeee!!!¡¯


    [2]


    Instantly, I summoned the four individuals back from my storage space.


    [1]


    [SYSTEM UPDATE]


    [You Now Meet The Requirement]


    <Quest Will Now Resume>


    ¡®Haa¡­ haa¡­ that was close¡­¡¯


    I was definitely not going to mess with the System again. Fortunately, they warned me and didn¡¯t eject me without prior notice. That would have seriously sucked.


    ¡°U-uh, Masked Hero¡­ what are we going to do now?¡± Tia walked up to me and asked.


    ¡®Nothing. Do nothing!¡¯ I wanted to scream at her.


    But, she was the one with the crush, apparently. So far, it seemed her infatuation had only gotten worse. I had to tread carefully with this girl.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be entering the city now. You all saw the quest, right? We won¡¯t be attacking anyone. Just stick close to me and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    The moment the parasites heard this, they seemed to leap for joy. Well, I didn¡¯t really mind since I was simply using them. Plus, our journey together would only be short. Unless¡­


    ¡®H-hold on¡­ what if¡­?!¡¯


    All four Towers had simr rules¡ªand if I needed a team with me here, I would also need one in the others. Rather than finding new pawns, wasn¡¯t it better to use these old ones instead?


    ¡®Tia likes me, so she won¡¯t refuse. The others might be feeling a little overwhelmed, but if I apply to their greed¡­¡¯


    Well, this wasn¡¯t the time to mention it¡ªmaybeter.


    It would have been easier if I could just control them to do my bidding, but¡­ I had to restrict myself from doing that.


    ¡®Being an Evil Aligned is such a pain. Urgh!¡¯


    The team huddled close to me and I used <Safe Haven> to protect us. It was one of those Skills that relied on Mana to function and didn¡¯t really have much of a Time Limit. There was a cooldown function, though.


    My Mana currently recovered more than the Skill required for use, so I could basically use it for free. The More Mana I poured in, the sturdier it got¡ªbut, with the level of undead I was seeing, they wouldn¡¯t be posing any serious threats.


    ¡®So, this quest is more about using your head¡­ rather than just brute force, eh? Very well¡­¡¯


    We entered the ghost town¡ªor rather, Undead Town.


    It was funny how therge wooden entrance had a name written on it. It was anguage I didn¡¯t know, though, so I couldn¡¯t read it.


    I could probably try to decipher it, but¡­ that would be a pain.


    As one would expect from a ce crawling with Undead, I saw several of them converging in our direction. The houses in the town were well made. They didn¡¯t seem to be from Earth, though, since the roofs had crooked shapes and the architecture was weird.


    Still, it was safe to say that this was probably a really prosperous vige. Emphasis on ¡®WAS¡¯.


    ¡°GRUUUIIIIIII¡±


    Several undead growled and approached us.


    Perhaps they were drawn to the bright pink hue of my barrier¡­ or maybe they could sense living things¡ªeither way, the numbers never stopped climbing. As we walked past the square, more came our way and began to block the road path that we were taking.


    They weren¡¯t overly violent and dangerous¡ªbut these guys remained persistent and disturbed our advancement.


    ¡®If not for this shield, many would have an issue traversing this ce without killing any Undead¡­¡¯


    Plus, there was Miasma around, giving them more strength. At this point, I just sighed and watched them w at the barrier.


    ¡®So, how do I go about this one?¡¯

 Chapter 313 The Source

    The conditions were easy enough to understand, so I wasn¡¯t really bound to encounter much trouble.


    That said, I hated being slowed down. It was due to this w in my personality that I often faced many dangers that nearly cost my life.


    ¡®My (G) Factor is still 90, though¡­ I haven¡¯t been careless since that time.¡¯


    Our group¡¯s advance was slow, thanks to the Undead swarming us. I could blow them away, but that would only cause them to get damaged. Using [Subspace] to collect all their annoying bodies would be effective, but¡­


    ¡®What if the Tower tries to kick me out because of that?¡¯


    Ultimately, I decided to try something else¡ªmy Undead army.


    By summoning some mobs, I was able to spawn soldiers around us.


    These soldiers were Undead, so the enemies didn¡¯t seem to pay much attention to them¡ªUndead hated the living, after all. Unless my minions attacked first, they wouldn¡¯t be addressed as threats.


    Utilizing that to my advantage, I made a barricade, encircling myself and the other Gifteds around me with Undead. Once I achieved that, I instructed my soldiers to spread out, creating more room for us at the center.


    Before long, they had gotten rid of the wing Undead that tried to bare their fangs at us.<sub>.</sub>


    ¡°Bahumath.¡±


    The Undead member of my elite force came out. I left him in charge of the army. Since he was a Grade Demon¡ªas well as an Upper-Tier Undead¡ªand there existed a clear hierarchy among Demons, he would be able to keep them at bay.


    Once I got rid of the surrounding Undead, I progressed with my Party and made it to thergest building at the center of the vige. Common sense would tell anyone that this was the cause of the disaster¡­ and they would be partly right.


    The building had a strong concentration of Miasma, so much so that I had to intensify the purifying effect of my Skill, lest myrades were affected.


    Huge waves of negative energy stretched into the sky, like smokeing from manufacturing nts.


    ¡®That must be what is polluting the area¡­¡¯ I thought, noticing how the energy merged with the thick clouds.


    The clouds darkened even more.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re supposed to take down this building? Is it as simple as that?¡± The one called Darwin spoke.


    I almost shot him a stare that said ¡°We?¡±<sub></sub>


    Even forgiving his conceited statement, the man was still wrong. Yes, the upper part of the building seemed to be releasing the most energy, pouting into the sky, but that didn¡¯t mean the source was at the top.


    Most people, using the Tower as a reference, would rather climb a building to face the big bad. However, that wasn¡¯t always the case.


    Sometimes, a Boss stayed at the topmost part of a structure. However, in some cases¡­ like this one¡­ they would be better found underneath.


    ¡®Undead are undead, after all¡­ what better ce to find where they lurk than beneath?¡¯


    With a smile on my face, I entered the building and the rest followed.


    The internal structure was eerie, ringing with fear and smelling like death. The atmosphere was tense, and darkness surrounded us. Other than the pink glow around, nothing could be seen.


    Of course, I provided illumination and easily brightened the area. Using a luminous stone that I created by merging several objects, I brought visibility to the area around me¡ªnot that I needed it.


    The walls were grimy, ck like tar.


    For a ce that was meant to be the enemy stronghold, it had an awfully quiet ambiance. Shouldn¡¯t enemiese after us now that we had invaded the premises? Many would think that they would encounter enemies climbing upstairs, or would even relish the fact that they didn¡¯t need to fight monsters¡­ but not me.<sub></sub>


    ¡°Beneath us, eh?¡± I murmured, using my heightened senses to confirm that there truly existed some form of space underground.


    Many would have missed this if they were too focused on what awaited them above.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± I raised my right foot, preparing it for action.


    ¡°Brace yourselves!¡±


    My leg descended in a straight stomp, smashing apart the building¡¯s floor.


    >BOOOOMMMM!!!<


    Instantly, the false tform shattered and I found myself falling to another surface beneath. The others with me were screeching and yelping in surprise, so I created a board to serve as a tform for everyone¡ªthen descended it slowly.


    Within a short while, we reached the ground, and my floating orb of illumination brought light to our surroundings.


    ¡°GRRRRRRRRRR¡±


    Sure enough, we were surrounded.


    ¡°Eeeek!¡± I heard a squeak from someone beside me, causing me great irritation.


    I nearly shot him a re but decided to keep up my Masked Hero act.


    Monsters that looked like dogs, but with muchrger builds, appeared. They were grimy ck, having some portion of their bones showing from their rotting flesh.


    They snarled, releasing venomous drool, and red hatefully at our group. I stared at the monsters¡¯ red eyes and decided to stop holding back.


    ¡°Shut it!¡± My voice rang in the vast underground room.


    The snarling dogs instantly ceased their annoying disy. They made no sound at all. My Skill¡ªpreviously Rule, then Command¡ªwas called <Authority>. Basically, it was an advanced version that prevented weaklings from defying me.


    I could have used this on the mob from earlier, but I didn¡¯t know if that would trigger the System¡¯s condition on not harming the Undead. A downside to this Skill was that it was a forceful,plete hijacking of the Undead will¡ªif they had any.


    Mind attacks could be considered ¡®harmful¡¯, and this was something simr to that. I just couldn¡¯t risk it.


    But, now, I didn¡¯t need to hold back.


    Why?


    Because these guys were the enemy. Unlike the ¡®innocent¡¯ Undead that filled the town, these guys were exuding extreme hatred and bloodlust. Plus, since this was an enemy base, we were allowed to kill any opponent found here.


    It was a relief, really.


    ¡°Kill yourselves,¡± I told the subservient dogs.


    They instantly obeyed and started assaulting one another. I saw flesh being torn apart and bones breaking apart. It wasn¡¯t really a fun scenario, since it was basically dogs killing fellow dogs.


    There were like a hundred of those things, so I couldn¡¯t wait until they were done. Instead, I simply walked away with the surprised Gifteds with me.


    ¡®I guess we¡¯re on the right track¡­¡¯

 Chapter 314 Niggaruth

    The underground region of the tower was full of activity¡ªunlike the surface¡ªjust as I expected.


    Several Undead charged at us, but I ignored them and simply ordered them to kill one another. Undead were monsters with Low Intelligence, so it was quite easy¡ªno, effortless¡ªto make them do my bidding.


    Traps, Undead knights, and Undead beasts of various kinds greeted us, but it wasn¡¯t even a challenge to get rid of them.


    Compared to the previous Floor, this seemed easier in terms ofbat, but I could that it was more difficult based on other criteria.


    One was intelligence, the other was discernment. There was also the aspect of self-control. In any case, violence wasn¡¯t the driving force behind this scenario.


    After observing and moving for a while, I finally reached arge door. It appeared to be the Boss Room, and I could sense a massive amount of energy emanating from it. However¡­


    ¡®Are things really so straightforward?¡¯


    My eyes darted around, and then I spotted something peculiar. It was so inconspicuous that anyone could have missed it. It was a much smaller, less impressive door along the hallway to my right.


    A smile formed on my face as I withdrew my attention from all other areas and focused on the small, unimpressive door. It was big enough for people, sure¡­ but Demons were different. Most times,rge Demons were Bosses, so one would never expect to find such an adversary there.<sub>.</sub>


    But, I could sense it¡­


    Lurking beyond those doors was something more dangerous than the huge one that was erected.


    With a wide grin buried underneath my mask, I quickened my steps and began walking in the direction of the inconspicuous area. The foolish Gifteds with me appeared confused and hesitant, but the fact that they followed me nheless showed their level of trust in the Masked Hero.


    ¡®Now, then¡­¡¯


    I wanted to see what kind of twist this Tower had prepared for me.


    *************


    ¡°Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!¡± A cruelly miserable voice screamed out in the room.


    It was a vast area that was filled with so many different things. From stored body parts to several ingredients that seemed so bizarre, this was a haven for something utterly sinister.<sub></sub>


    A threshing floor was erected at the center of the room, and a being was rummaging around the room, hurriedly moving with panic written on his face.


    This being had horns emanating from its head, and a long dark robe covered its slim body. Its white, disheveled hair was long enough to fall upon its shoulders and its pale skin was utterly horrifying.


    ¡°Not now! I¡¯m almost done! Almost!¡± The old, disheveled being growled in annoyance.


    He was a vampire, an Elite Undead who was said to be immortal, but the old and irritated being knew just how true those legends were.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fail now¡­ Niggaruth doesn¡¯t fail!¡± He grumbled as he sought out many things across the room.


    Everything was being converged in some sort of container at the end of the room. What seemed to be many pipes connected to it, and severely dense energy was swirling within the container.


    Niggaruth¡ªthe Vampire¡ªassembled more ingredients and added it to the container, making it release vapors of death. The Miasma was taken by several pipes which led to the top of the Tower. It would be released into the air and cover the clouds.


    To many, it would be considered deadly, but to Niggaruth, it was only a waste product.<sub></sub>


    What truly mattered was what he was trying to make.


    ¡°After years. All those years, centuries¡­ to be cornered like this!?!¡±


    Niggaruth was a Vampire, which made him an elite of the elite. He was an Undead that belonged to the highest cadre, and he was no mere Vampire either. He was a powerful one, one of the few who would be considered Grade 5.


    Unfortunately, he fell from power and lost most of his powers. Having lost his prime, and now a ragged old man, this Vampire needed to restore his youth and reim his power.


    It is said that Vampires lived forever, but that isn¡¯t necessarily true.


    Their long life was guaranteed, but being able to maintain the height of their powers depended on the quality of their meal.


    If they fed well, they could keep up with their powerful state. But, without the right nutrients, they would turn disheveled like Niggaruth.


    He had fallen from his beautiful state and now desired to return. For that, he needed an Elixir.


    That was why he came to this settlement.


    By absorbing the life force of thousands of people, he created the base ingredient of his Elixir. After that, he simply needed to create and mix more ingredients until he arrived at the perfect stage.


    He had been at this for how long now? Centuries? During that time, he had shrunk even more, but none of it concerned Niggaruth. Once his potion wasplete, he would have absolute power.


    He would be able to stand beside his king¡ªthe Pale Rider himself.


    Unfortunately, some intruders abruptly arrived at his base. They broke in through the surface and found his underground structure.


    Initially, Niggaruth didn¡¯t pay them any heed. He thought they were simply lucky to have slipped past the weak Undead townsfolk and find his site. Still, he believed his superior Undead would decimate the rude intruders.


    ¡ªThey didn¡¯t!


    It was the opposite, in fact.


    The assaulters easily breezed through the Undead and traps he prepared. It was something he hadn¡¯t expected. Finally, at some point, Niggaruth began to panic.


    He was almost close to finalizing his Elixir.


    If only he had a day, no¡­ a few more hours! Why did things have to turn out this way?


    He simply hoped therge gate he erected would be enough to buy him time toplete his most prized possession.


    Niggaruth may not have looked it, but he was a very powerful Magic User, especially in his Prime. No one among the Undead Generals serving the Lord of Death could use Spells as he could.


    He knew about Potions and Magic more than most, which was why he had confidence in what he was making.


    The Elixir Of Life.


    Once it was done, he would be immortal in every sense.

 Chapter 315 Intruders

    Among the Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse, the Pale Rider was an entity known as Death.


    He was a powerful Demon, capable of being among one of the heralds of Armageddon. Since Death was powerful, it only made sense for his minions to live up to that expectation as well.


    Death was undying.


    He was the personification of death, so the concept didn¡¯t apply to him. As a result, he was immortal. He had both absolute power and the ability to wield it forever!


    Niggaruth admired that. He craved it. He coveted it.


    He looked at Death like a follower would revere their god. All he desired was a ce by his side. To forever worship and bask in the glory of Death forever!


    ¡°Come on! Come on!¡± The pale-faced, horned vampire looked at the vial in front of him.


    He licked his lips as the contents within it swirled.


    ¡®I havee this far! I won¡¯t fail now! While my Golem holds them off, this will be finished!¡¯


    Niggaruth was certain that the pesky pests who had invaded his territory would fall for therge gate he ced ahead.


    Once they entered, they would be confronted by a Golem that Niggaruth spent a great deal of time making. It was a trump card, but all objects had their uses. The old vampire didn¡¯t care if it perished as long as it bought enough time for him to be immortalized.


    ¡®Just a bit more time¡­ just a little bit more¡­¡¯


    >BOOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    The Demon¡¯s eyes widened as he heard a devastating sounde from behind him.


    The small door that led to his haven had been blown away, and the metallic object screeched on the floor as it slid off. The one who had forcefully kicked the extremely sturdy door was someone Niggaruth didn¡¯t recognize¡ªbut had a fair understanding of.


    The ancient vampire was surprised, to say the least.


    ¡°Why¡­ why didn¡¯t he go for therge gate?!¡± Niggaruth gritted his wretched teeth.


    His bloodshot eyes red at the intruder.


    ¡°I knew it. I was right, after all.¡± The human spoke casualty.


    Behind him were a bunch of other people who looked like nobodies. They were shielded by a pink force field.


    The Demon grated his teeth, even more, expressing pure rage.


    ¡®It¡¯s not ready yet! Not yet!¡¯ He growled as those thoughts rang in his head.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the boss monster, right?¡± The human addressed him.


    This impudence only served as fuel to the elite monster¡¯s fury. How could a puny human address him in such a manner?


    He was Niggaruth!


    While he had fallen from his previous estate, he was still a Grade 4 Demon, belonging to the upper echelon of Undead. The highest Grade of Undead beings was Grade 6, and that only belonged to¡­


    -.??m ¡°Who are you? How dare you enter my domain?¡± The vampire asked with disdain clearly meted out in his tone.


    ¡°Oh, it can speak! Nice!¡± Was the response he got.


    ¡®This human¡­ he dares insult me?!¡¯


    Niggaruth knew the ce of humans in the pecking order. The reason he and his master had manifested in this realm was to destroy them. Unfortunately, beings of immense power couldn¡¯t cross over yet since the Dimensional Corridor wasn¡¯t wide enough.


    Even he couldn¡¯t be manifested properly in the real world and was held in the Tower, a temporary space between both the world of demons and humans.


    Humans were weak! Yet such a weakling dared to address him in such a manner.


    ¡°Your impudence knows no bounds. KNEEL!¡±


    With his <Words Of Power>, a Skill only Elite Vampires could use, he could forcefully control his target. Humans were weak-willed beings. The ancient vampire knew this one would be no exception.


    ¡°Hm? Did you use something like <Rule>? Or was it <Command>? Don¡¯t tell me you have an upgraded version?¡± The human¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°W¡ªwhat?!¡± Niggaruth eximed in surprise.


    The human before him had resisted his control! How was that possible?


    Unlike humans, Demons couldn¡¯t see the Levels of the Gifteds. It was one of the handicaps given, so the humans had a fair advantage. The Demons didn¡¯t care, though. Their goal remained the extermination of the whole race.


    Not just humans, but everything else!


    It didn¡¯t matter the Level they had¡­ humans were still nothing but prey to them. Yet¡­ yet¡­!!!


    For the first time, Niggaruth was curious about just how powerful his enemy was!


    While he still couldn¡¯t check his Level, Demons had a way of measuring the strength of their foes. For him, it dwelled in his Skill <Appraisal>.


    Once Niggaruth activated it, he still didn¡¯t see anything. The human being in front of him disyed nothing!


    That only meant one thing¡­


    ¡®HE¡¯S DANGEROUS!¡¯


    ¡­ The Gifted before him was either too high-leveled, had a Skill that blocked it, or his equipment had a jamming effect. Regardless of which one it was, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the puny human in front of him had resisted not one, but two of his abilities.


    Once he realized this, the Vampire broke into a cold sweat.


    ¡°W¡ªwhy have youe here?¡± He spoke in a less haughty tone.


    The human appeared a little surprised by his words, and then seemed to be contemting something.


    ¡®The ones behind him¡­ are they equally monstrous too?¡¯


    By using his <Appraisal> Skill on them, Niggaruth was relieved to find out that they were nothing but fleas. It seemed the only one he needed to be wary of was the one who was speaking with him.


    ¡®Hold on¡­ how does he understand Demon tongue? How can hemunicate with me? This is¡­!!!¡¯ The Vampire was worried and more confused now.


    ¡°What have you done to the town? Is it rted to your experiment here?¡± The Gifted asked, looking around the room.


    ¡®Oh? So, he¡¯s here to save the town. I¡ªin that case¡­¡¯


    ¡°Yes. But do not fret. In an hour or so, I will be done. Once I havepleted my research, I will leave this settlement in peace.¡±


    He chose the peaceful approach.


    Once he left the town, there would be nothing else this human would want from him.


    ¡°Hm? What experiment? The Quest didn¡¯t mention this¡­ but, hold on¡­¡± The human mumbled to himself.


    ¡°Your research¡­ does it have to do with Life? Like the restoration of the dead and immortality. That sort of thing¡­?¡±


    Niggaruth¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.


    ¡®H¡ªhow does he know?!¡¯

 Chapter 316 Goliath

    ¡®Welp, looks like I¡¯ve found the Boss Monster¡­¡¯


    I knew I was right!


    When I entered the room and found a lot ofb-rted stuff, I instantly knew this would be some sort of experimentation scene. Was he using the undead in the city as some sort of experiment?


    To what end?


    Usually, I would just dive into battle and y the Demon before me. Since it was a Grade 4, it was doable. However, I controlled myself because I didn¡¯tpletely understand the situation yet.


    ¡®This Floor prioritizes intelligence and not brute strength¡­ I can¡¯t just muscle my way out of this¡­¡¯


    My first object would be to glean information from my target. Fortunately, I had the <Interpretation> Skill, so I could speak with the thing.


    ¡®So, he¡¯s using the Vampiric Language, eh? Lucky me!¡¯


    My Skill allowed me to understand and speak with anyone of differentnguages. That way, I couldmunicate with Demons. Due to some System Interpretation effect, all humans could speak the samenguage. Or, rather, we understood each other.


    As for Demons, I had to rely on this Skill. But, like any ability, it wasn¡¯t omnipotent.


    To be able to utilize it, one must have eaten something from the race of the target. I got this Skill from the Hobgoblin King.


    I was surprised when he addressed me in Human Tongue, but it was simply because he had consumed humans prior to my arrival. In essence, to speak with Demons¡­ I needed to eat them.


    Also, since there were many kinds of Demons and they spoke differentnguages, it was required of me to eat of their respective species. How disgusting was that?


    Of course, this problem was easily solved by SHOP.


    They sold purified Demon meat as a delicacy, so I got my hands on the most dominant races I could. Dragons, Vampires, sadly even Orcs.


    Of course, the meat didn¡¯t taste terrible since it had been processed properly, but¡­ it was gross when one imagined the identities of these monsters when eating their meat.


    If not for my resistance to nausea and my mental stability, I would have thrown up several times. In any case, I was happy to have learned so many Languages.


    ?<0,>?,?l ¡®My current proficiency is even higher than that Hobgoblin King¡¯s¡­¡¯


    Once we began conversing, the Demon mentioned research, and I pieced the pieces together.


    ¡®Oh, so he¡¯s really using this town¡¯s people as his guinea pigs!¡¯


    That meant killing the monster would solve the problem, right? No¡­ not necessarily. I still required a way to reverse the effects of the Demon¡¯s activities. I was told to return this ce to its previous estate, after all.


    Then, whatever this monster was making¡­ could it do that? The Tower wasn¡¯t capable of giving an impossible quest. That meant something here¡ªin this room¡ªwould be able to restore the people in this town to their usual selves.


    Which was why I asked the question;


    ¡°Your research¡­ does it have to do with Life? Like the restoration of the dead and immortality. That sort of thing¡­?¡±


    The Demon responded by bulging its bloodshot eyes at me. It was creepy; and looking at the identity of the Vampire, it was simply disgusting.


    The old fart began trembling and mumbling to itself, not even deeming it fit to answer my question.


    ¡°I knew it¡­ you¡­ you¡¯re dangerous¡­¡±


    I rolled my eyes, wondering what I could do to glean information. <Authority> could make my targets spill the beans, but¡­


    ¡®This guy is a Grade 4 Vampire. It won¡¯t work on him¡­¡¯


    Of the Demons, Vampires had one of the highest resistances to Mind Control. Plus, it had high Stats in intelligence. Not only that, but it was also a Grade 4. I knew full well how impossible it would be to bring it under my control.


    ¡°Should I use that method, then?¡± I murmured.


    Suddenly, I felt a wave of power emanate from the monster up ahead. It was shrouded in a crimson aura and had a fierce look in its eyes.


    ¡°You did well to avoid my trap room. However, your luck ends here. Even if you avoided my ¡®Goliath¡¯, I can summon it here instead!¡±


    With that loud and confident deration, arge Magic Circle appeared between us. It shed crimson light, and after a moment, something appeared.


    It was red all over, glimmering like a massive knight in armor.


    The armor had spikes on its shoulders, and the brawny figure was well over nine feet, having arge frame that made me seem short in front of it.


    ¡®Now, this brings back memories¡­¡¯ I mused a little.


    ¡°Behold, my Goliath! In purebat ability, it surpasses even me! You stand no chance. Even if you avoided confronting it then, you can¡¯t escape your fate now!¡±


    I had gotten sick and tired of entertaining the Vampire¡¯s jokes any longer. Since it hade to this, I simply needed to use Ghost Magic to get what I wanted.


    ¡°Huu¡­ good grief.¡±


    I walked ahead, leaving the party of deadweights behind me. They were protected by my shield, so it was probably fine.


    ¡°DIEEEE!!!¡± It shouted manically, seeming to order its champion to crush me.


    I nearly broke into augh, but kept it to myself.


    I just simply kept walking. Since it was a Golem, there was no need for me to bother with it in the slightest.


    <Auto Retrieve> would simply handle the rest.


    The moment the Golem stepped into range¡­ that would be the end.


    *********


    Niggaruth watched as its ¡®Goliath¡¯ charged at his foe, ready to pummel the arrogant human.


    He had spent so much time building that Golem, so the Vampire was assured that it could buy time before his Elixir waspleted.


    ¡®It might even be able to win! Maybe that human isn¡¯t all that!¡¯


    But, the way the masked person in front of him moved made him wonder if that was truly the case. He was too confident.


    ¡®You little shiiit! You¡¯ll die for sure!¡¯ Niggaruth dered in his heart, waiting for the stter of flesh and the sight of gore to appear.


    Unfortunately for the Demon, none of that urred. Instead¡­


    His Goliath, the Golem Niggaruth had spent a great deal of time and resources to create¡­ vanished in a sh!

 Chapter 317 Demise

    ¡°E¡ªeh?!¡±


    That was the only sound that leaked out of Niggaruth the moment he saw what had happened.


    His Golem was gone.


    It hadn¡¯t turned invisible¡ªthough it could¡ªand it certainly didn¡¯t vanish on its own. Since that was the case, then where was his prized possession?


    The Ancient Vampire was dumbfounded. So much so that his re reached the masked man in front of him.


    ¡®He hasn¡¯t done anything, though¡­¡¯ Niggaruth pondered.


    It made no sense how his champion vanished, leaving no trace, as though it was never there.


    ¡°W-what did you do?¡± His lips quivered.


    He had no choice but to ask the one who seemed unfazed about the whole thing. But, instead of getting a proper response, the Masked human simply shrugged.


    That was the height of it¡ªthe disrespect!


    ¡°I ASKED WHAT YOU DID!!!¡± Niggaruth bellowed.


    But he knew within himself that his rage was only covering the deep fear he felt within himself. Whatever that human did, he hadn¡¯t been able to perceive it.


    Was it Magic? No, if it was, he would have sensed it.


    Niggaruth was an expert in the art, after all.


    It was probably a Skill, or maybe a Gift, but those had limits. There was no way the humans would be able to bypass Goliath¡¯s multiple defenses.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wrap things up here¡­¡± The human finally spoke, as though he was bored of their whole exchange.


    ¡°That vial behind you is the stuff you¡¯re working on, yeah?¡±


    Niggaruth felt a tense emotion swell within him.


    ¡®He knows about my research¡­ my work!¡¯


    Did hee to have it for himself?


    If that was the case, the human had to be stopped no matter what. Niggaruth had invested too much in this project. There was no way he would have this human reap the reward of his tireless efforts.


    ¡®I may not be as adept atbat as Goliath, but¡­¡¯


    Yes, he was still a powerful Mage as a Vampire.


    Surely, he could still stall for time until his Elixir was ready.


    ¡°Grimoire.¡± The human¡¯s voice rang out and a golden book appeared.


    It floated and emitted an aura of regal light.


    ¡®H-he¡¯s a Mage too? And that grimoire¡­ I didn¡¯t know humans would have the means to get them yet! I underestimated this one!¡¯


    Niggaruth was cautious, but he was secretly happy.


    If they were both Mages, it was clear that only the superior one would win. Unlike a mesh of sses that could cause problems, when two individuals of the same kind fought, the one with the most Skill, MP, and experience would emerge victorious.


    Niggaruth knew that was him.


    He was a Vampire that had lived for thousands of years. He had extremely high MP, and this was even his domain¡ªwhere he could draw an endless supply of Mana from.


    The young boy before him was finished.


    ¡°Very well, then! I don¡¯t know what you did to my Golem, but¡­¡±


    ¡®Since he hasn¡¯t done the same to me, I¡¯ll assume he can¡¯t use it for now.¡¯


    ¡°¡­ This is the end of the line for yo¡ª¡±


    Before Niggaruth couldplete his sentence, the boy was already in front of him¡ªachieving a speed that shouldn¡¯t be possible for Mages.


    ¡®W-wha¡ª?!¡¯


    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t even granted permission toplete his thoughts. The boy¡¯s hand was raised, and something eerie emanated from it.


    Niggaruth was frightened.


    ¡®M-my Elixir!¡¯ He tried reaching out for the vial, but it was no longer there. It had already vanished¡ªsame as the Golem.


    His life¡¯s work, his dream¡­ his hope!


    Everything crumbled before his eyes, and then, he saw the human bringing down his eerie-looking hand that was covered in some sort of transparent mist.


    ¡°Soul Reaping,¡±


    Niggaruth felt his body bing light, his strength getting drained, and his consciousness fading. Then, everything went blurry¡­ before darkness took over and he lost all semnce of reality.


    In essence, he died.


    ¡®My lord¡­ I only wish¡­ I could have stayed by your side¡­ foreveeerrr¡­¡¯


    These were hisst thoughts before hepletely slipped into the abyss.


    **********


    ¡°Wow, that was easy,¡± I mumbled, looking at the purplish orb that floated atop my fingertips.


    It was the Soul of this Boss Demon, and I used <Soul Reaping> to take it. To be honest, I was surprised it worked so well, but that was probably because of the nature of the Demon.


    It was assailed by a Status Condition called ¡®Soul Damage¡¯, making it rtively weak. Plus, its HP was despairingly low. Was it sick?


    That made sense.


    ¡®It was probably making some sort of potion to cure itself¡­¡¯ My thoughts trailed.


    But, this monster¡¯s MP was amazing.


    To be honest, I hadn¡¯t seen anything like it since I arrived in this world.


    It was on the level of a Grade 5 Demon. Its other Stats were shit, but I had to give the monster props for its incredible Mana.


    ¡®Welp, I won. That¡¯s all that matters, right?¡¯


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]


    Has Been Partially Achieved


    Find the Origin of this Cmity and Destroy it. (Achieved)


    Destroy the Source. (Unachieved)


    [END OF INFORMATION]


    ¡®The source probably refers to this machine, eh?¡¯ I looked at the bunch of pipes that previously connected to the Vial I stole.


    It looked whatever it was doing hadn¡¯t beenpleted yet, so I was hesitant to use [Subspace] to retrieve it. Still, I couldn¡¯t take the risk that there was a surprising twist to the whole thing, so I decided to be careful about things.


    ¡®Well, I have this guy¡¯s Soul now¡­ I can just enve it with my other Ghost Spell, and then have it tell me whatever I want.¡¯


    That way, I couldplete this mission in the easiest way possible.


    ¡°Now, then¡­¡± I stared wickedly at the orb.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    ************


    Niggaruth found himself in an endless sea of darkness.


    He was one with nothingness, and nothingness was one with him.


    This was the fate of those who couldn¡¯t die but couldn¡¯t live either. It was one worse than death.


    As Niggaruth wondered what to do as his consciousness faded and appeared again, a bright light shone through the surrounding darkness.


    ¡®W-WHAT?!¡¯ His thoughts echoed in his realm of consciousness/unconsciousness.


    -.??m The light became too blinding for Niggaruth to see, so he simply braced himself for what would happen next.


    Perhaps his master had heard his deep wish and wanted to save him. If that was the case, then he wouldn¡¯t resist.


    Yes, he would give himself wholeheartedly to salvation!


    ¡­ To his master!

 Chapter 318 Absolute Master

    ¡°Rise and shine, sleepy head.¡± A voice greeted Niggaruth as he opened his astral eyes.


    His vision blurred, but it onlysted for a moment.


    Soon, he could see everything around him. It was the exact scene he remembered before dying¡ªthe underground room where he was brewing his Elixir.


    Did he not die? Had he managed to survive?


    Countless thoughts lurked in Niggaruth¡¯s ghost-like body¡­ until he realized the fact¡­ that he was in a ghost-like body.


    He nearly shrieked, seeing as he had a near-transparent form, and floated like a ghost. A purple aura emanated from him, and his body was incorporeal¡ªwell, nearly.


    He was made of energy, and he could even see his actual body¡ªhis corpse¡ªlying on the ground.


    Niggaruth didn¡¯t need a prophet to tell him that he was dead.


    ¡®Ghost Magic¡­?!¡¯ His thoughts rang, and an imaginary cold sweat broke on his forehead.


    He was a ghost, so he couldn¡¯t really sweat.


    Still, Niggaruth understood the implications of what had happened to him. As an expert in Magic, he knew of this kind. Plus, since he had also used it on a few minions back in the day, he knew it quite well.


    He was now an Enved Soul, bound to the one known as his master.


    Niggaruth gulped nonexistent saliva¡ªhe didn¡¯t have any in his current form¡ªand looked at the being that stood behind him.


    He was the one who called Niggaruth from the abyss. He was his new master. The Vampire, turned ghost, knew this guy well. It was¡­


    ¡°You Human!¡± He spat, both disdainfully and fearfully.


    Of all the people who couldmand him, it had to be the one he despised most.


    >BBZZZTTTZZZZ!!!<


    A surge instantly went through Niggaruth¡¯s body and he screamed in pain.


    ¡°Guarghhhhh!!!¡±


    The pain felt unreal¡ªlike he was being purified over and over again. It was the consequence of defying the one who was now his master.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that attitude. You belong to me now, so do as I say.¡± The human told him.


    It was a normal voice, yet Niggaruth felt so threatened by it. This was an unfathomable being who was able to trump him so easily. He didn¡¯t even seem to be trying, yet¡­


    Looking at things objectively, wasn¡¯t he a decent master?


    ¡®He¡¯s strong, cunning¡­ and¡­¡¯


    But, there was one final criterion that was essential before Niggaruth could truly consider anyone his master.


    ¡°A-are you¡­ immortal?¡± The astral vampire man asked.


    The Masked person had no expression to give since his face was hidden behind ayer, so Niggaruth could only imagine whatever face he would give.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t n on dying so¡­ yeah. I¡¯m practically immortal as it is.¡±


    Once Niggaruth heard that, his heart melted.


    Usually, he would find it doubtful, but this man had easily subdued him and made everything seem so causal. Plus, he was practically an Enved Soul who had no choice but to obey his master.


    Niggaruth knew of his greatness.


    ¡®There¡¯s no need to doubt his words¡­¡¯


    And so, with those trailing thoughts, the Vampire ghost decided to dedicate all he had to serve his new master.


    *********


    The Vampire Soul¡ªwho turned out to be someone called Niggaruth¡ªinitially started out as a pain, but it eventually submitted.


    I was a bit surprised when it asked me about immortality, so I just winged it and gave the answer it wanted to hear. In any case, it was satisfying to have a powerful caster like Niggaruth on the team.


    With his help,pleting the 91st Floor was a breeze.


    The Elixir he was making was the key to the whole quest, and by using the immense Life Force within it, I was able to restore all the undead people in the vige back to regr folks.


    Niggaruth was a great find, and his facility had tons of goodies in them, so I took the liberty of clearing out all the valuables.


    With the cooperative ghost as a guide, I was able to efficiently take everything useful.


    Once I was done plundering, instead of blowing the facility to kingdome¡ªsince it was the source of the town¡¯s troubles¡ªI used [Subspace] to keep it.


    It was a good fort. I had no idea when it would end up being useful. Though it left a gaping hole in the center of the town, no one seemed to mind. After all, if I burned it to the ground, it would have yielded the same results.


    No, in fact, this was an even better oue.


    I was able toplete all the Quests, even the additional one. By not harming any native of the Undead Town, I received additional rewards and got a ton of stuff.


    Of course, the freeloaders with me also seemed happy concerning whatever meager reward they were able to amass. I wasn¡¯tining, though. They were necessary.


    Since we were done with the 91st Floor, the next objective was naturally the 92nd. It had twists simr to the previous one.


    We were ced in a haunted house and had to solve a mystery. I wondered how people who couldn¡¯t use their brains would clear the quest. But, being fair, if one didn¡¯t have what it took to pass a lower Floor, it would be impossible to get very far on a higher one. That was how the Towers were designed.


    I was able to solve the mystery and encountered the ghost of a Serial Killer. Needless to say, I beat the shit out of it and enved it.


    Adding minions to my collection became something I looked forward to, even as I climbed the higher floors.


    I got several abilities too¡ªincluding the ability to turn into a ghost myself. It made mepletely resistant to physical damage, so I considered it great. Unlike the


    Skill from the Tutorial, which could be deactivated once a Mana-infused attack was used, <Ghost Transformation> negated all physical damage¡ªeven if they were imbued with Mana.


    Even Skills and Spells could be resisted.


    Holy Magic was a weakness, though, as well as Purification Skills. Plus, attacks that dealt directly with the soul were problematic.


    All in all, though, it was a good ability to have.


    I grinned in delight, satisfied by all I had achieved so far as I made my way to the most difficult Floor yet.


    It was the 99th Floor!


    ¡®Huu¡­ I¡¯m so close now¡­¡¯

 Chapter 319 The Temple Of Death

    Passing through the Floors in the 90s, I was facing Demons with high levels of difficulty.


    Thanks to the <Interpretation> Skill I had, I was able tomunicate with Niggaruth, as well as the others I captured. They told me how they were the close aides and generals of the Pale Rider.


    They worshipped him as their master.


    Of course, they already swore fealty to me and had switched ships, but their words made me anticipate my encounter with the Demon they so highly revered.


    But, before that, I needed to beat the 99th Floor.


    Usually, I would have information on all these Demons with me, since I knew the future, but there were gaps in my memory. It could have been due to the fact that I was human and I couldn¡¯t possibly remember everything. Still, I felt uneasy about it.


    Like it was something else entirely.


    Once I raised the question of the identity of my foe on the 99th Floor, all 7 of the Death Generals said the same thing.


    ¡°Helios.¡±


    Apparently, none of them knew which Floors they had been stationed in. However, by deducing the remaining member of their ranks that wasn¡¯t present¡ªas well as the most powerful of them¡ªonly the Helios guy fit the bill.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± I asked.


    Obtaining information on the enemy prior to an encounter was a strategy that the wise employed.


    ¡°He¡¯s the lead general of Death.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s incredibly powerful.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s immune to all attacks.¡±


    ¡°He could be stronger than all of usbined.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ he is the Mighty Helios.¡±


    ¡°They say he is the greatest undead besides Death.¡±


    They kept singing the guy¡¯s praises, but I simply rolled my eyes.


    ¡°What Grade?¡±


    ¡°Five.¡± They said unanimously.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Demon races had their cap. While races like Dragons could go as far as the 9th Grade, Undead were different. The limit was Grade 6, but that was plenty strong. No human would be capable of defeating such monsters until probably the 3rd Scenario.


    Still, every other General present was Grade 4. Since they had been nerfed after their death, it was only natural. I intended to feed them with Souls until they were properly nourished, though, so it was fine.


    Even among Grades, there existed a vast difference in power. This was made evident in Levels and Races. So, even two beings of the same Grade could have power differences as vast as heaven and earth.


    The Generals spoke highly of Helios because even when they were all Grade 5 Demons, Helios could trump them easily¡ªpossibly even beat all of them at once.


    I was intrigued by this prospect.


    ¡®How far can a Level 535 go against him?¡¯


    Still, there was no need to be impatient. Unlike in the past, I had more resources and subordinates. It was important to utilize them properly.


    As soon as I made up my mind, I turned in the direction of my fellow Gifteds. As expected, they awaited mymand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They nodded and drew closer to me¡ªthen we entered the swirling portal before us.


    The scenery waspletely different from the other ces, enough for me to break into a wry smile.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked Niggaruth.


    Of every General in my possession, I somehow preferred him. Perhaps it was due to his wealth of knowledge or his enthusiasm, but it seemed like he was being the most cooperative.


    That made me feel like he was more reliable than the rest.


    ¡®He¡¯s too clingy, though¡­¡¯


    ¡°This is the Temple Of Death. As you know, Death is a deity we undead worship. This is basically the area dedicated to that worship.¡±


    ¡®Oh? I see¡­ makes sense.¡¯ I nodded slightly, looking around.


    Since we were transported within the Temple, I had no idea what the exterior looked like, but the interior was incredibly huge.


    As big as a ser field¡ªno, evenrger.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t an open area, as a massive ceiling spread across the top area, having beautiful murals of darkness spread across.


    The walls and surroundings were painted in shiny ck and grey¡ªlike marbles, and I could even see my reflection on the tiles beneath me.


    Light was sent throughout the hall thanks to crystals bung across the walls and chandeliers above.


    An altar was erected at the center of therge hall¡ªhaving a lovely threshing floor meant for a sacrifice. It was so religious-looking that I almostughed at the cringe-worthy scene.


    One would consider this sight beautiful, if not downright transient if not for the unimaginably evil aura that the surroundings emanated.


    ¡°Damn¡­ all to worship Death, uh?¡± I murmured.


    ¡°You are correct.¡± A deep, dark voice echoed across the room, causing my eyes to bulge and my position to switch instantly.


    Someone just replied to my inquisition¡­ and I knew who.


    ¡°I was wondering when you would show up¡­ Helios.¡±


    The Demon known as Helios began materializing. His hooded form, shrouded in darkness, manifested.


    Dark wings aided in its flight, and it slowly descended to the area in front of the elevated altar.


    I couldn¡¯t see its face, or any part of its body for that matter¡ªexcept for the hands¡ªthanks to the long robe it wore, and the hood that covered its face.


    Still, the aura of malevolence that this being was exuding was phenomenal. I truly hadn¡¯t felt anything to this degree since climbing the Tower. Truly, this Helios character was worthy of being the ¡®Final Boss¡¯ of the Tower.


    I saw its glowing eyes fixated on me. One was colored bright crimson, and the other was brimming with purple light.


    He stretched both hands, as though greeting us.


    ¡°Wee, people of the living, to the Temple Of Death.¡±


    His voice was surprisinglycking malice, but I couldn¡¯t let my guard down. The most amazing part was¡­ his choice ofnguage.


    ¡°You¡¯re not using your Demon tongue?¡± I asked with a rueful smile.


    ¡°You know Demon Tongue? No matter¡­ my choice innguage is simply because I wish to have a conversation with you humans.¡±


    I was surprised. This would be the first time a monster would do that. But that only made it all the more dangerous.


    ¡°Oh? What is it about?¡±


    From the corner of my eyes, I also observed the group behind me. They were equally shaken and curious about Helios¡¯ offer.


    ¡°It is simple¡­¡± His deep voice started, sounding as amicable as possible.


    ¡°¡­ Sacrifice one of your members, kneel, and swear fealty to the god known as Death. Do that, and not only will you survive this ordeal, but your reward shall be great.¡±

 Chapter 320 Helios Offer

    [SYSTEM UPDATE]


    [The Grand General Of Death Helios Has Made An Offer]


    <Quest>


    [The Proposal Of Death]


    <Conditions>


    ~Sacrifice one of your own to prove your loyalty~


    ~Kneel~


    ~Swear fealty to the Lord Of The Undead, Death~


    <Rewards>


    ~One Grade 4 Item For Each Member~


    ~50,000 Karma Points Each~


    ~3 Special Skills~


    ~5 Level-Ups~


    ~Mark Of Death~


    [END OF INFORMATION]


    ¡°So, what do you say? Not a bad offer, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Silence washed through the room.


    I could hear thebored breaths of the Gifteds behind me, and I looked behind me to check out their expressions.


    FEAR!


    Their faces depicted fear¡ªutter fright beyond description.


    ¡®I had a feeling this would happen¡­¡¯


    The source of their frightful state wasn¡¯t the Demon before us all, but me. Their eyes were fixated in my direction, and I was certain they were all probably thinking the same thing.


    ¡®He¡¯ll sacrifice us, won¡¯t he?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to be the scapegoat! Pick someone else, please!¡¯


    ¡®We can use the Return Stone, right? We¡¯ll be fine!¡¯


    ¡®S¡ªSir Masked Hero won¡¯t do it! I¡¯m sure of it!¡¯


    Thanks to my Mind Reading ability, I could hear their inner thoughts. Though I had to resort to simr tricks as I did with the Tia girl, it allowed me ess to their mind.


    Usually, I would have no interest in whatever they thought, but curiosity could be quite convincing.


    ¡®So, this is what they really think, eh?¡¯


    Sure, for someone of my caliber, sacrificing one¡ªeven all of them¡ªwould be no problem. If the situation called for it, I would do so without hesitation. These were simply receable mobs, so I really didn¡¯t care about their wellbeing.


    ¡®He¡¯s looking at me¡­ EEK!!!¡¯


    ¡®I¡ªis this why he made us tag along with him?¡¯


    ¡®M-maybe¡­ if I take the initiative, I can take down one of these guys instead. That way the sacrifice won¡¯t be me!¡¯


    ¡®Sir Masked Hero won¡¯t do it! I¡¯m sure of it!¡¯


    While I found Tia¡¯s thoughts about me to be hrious, she was the most correct of the group.


    I wasn¡¯t going to do it¡­ but not for the wed reason she had in mind.


    PROFIT.


    It was simply because I would have less to profit if I went down the route of sacrificing one of them.


    The Rewards for following Helios¡¯ Offer would be given to everyone, and as a Hoarder, that was uneptable. Extras were meant to serve only as extras and feed on the leftovers.


    Secondly, his offer was incredibly suspicious.


    If he was willing to offer so much just for sacrificing one worthless person swearing fealty, then the consequences were bound to be devastating. It would also mean we would be forfeiting an even bigger reward if we fought and won against him.


    Best case scenario; everyone ended up with their rewards, but we would miss a much betterpensation.


    Worst case scenario; this offer was a trap, and if we took it, we could end up being servants of Death¡­ most likely turning into Undead.


    The logic of thetter seemed more usible.


    Thirdly¡­ and most importantly¡­ we would be forfeiting the Hidden Floor.


    It wasmon knowledge that each Tower had 99 Floors, but there were actually 100 of them in total. Thest Floor¡ªthe Hidden Floor, only appeared to those who had never lost in a single Floor or had to use a Return Stone¡ªin essence, me.


    This Hidden Floor could be said to be the whole point of the Tower, and conquering it would result in unimaginable power.


    If I fell for this Helios guy¡¯s trap here, I was never going to reach the Hidden Floor. Compared to what awaited me there, his offer was chump change.


    ¡°No, thanks. I decline.¡± My voice radiated across the hall.


    ¡°Oh? I see. How disappointing¡­¡±


    Helios¡¯ voice showed a hint of surprise. He must have surmised that most people would jump at the offer, and normally, he would be right.


    After climbing the Floors, anyone would be exhausted. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to take the easy way out, rather than suffer through another grueling match¡ªespecially one that would most likely lead to death?


    Ny percent¡ªmaybe even more¡ªwould choose the most convenient way out. The only ones who would choose to fight were either idiots who trusted too much in their own strength¡­ or the truly powerful.


    ¡°What about the rest of you?¡± Helios voice addressed the four Gifteds behind me.


    As expected, they followed my lead and shook their head vehemently.


    ¡°I see. Disappointing. Truly disappointing!¡± His voice was already showing signs of harshness, and the goodwill that previously existed in his tone was fading fast.


    ¡°May I ask why you chose the foolish choice?¡± Helios seemed to re at me¡ªmost likely ming everyone¡¯s actions on the influence of my decision.


    I shrugged while offering a confident smile.


    ¡°I wonder which decision was actually the foolish one.¡±


    ¡°What are you implying?¡± The Grand General growled.


    ¡°Offering us those meager rewards, when there is something better awaiting us? How foolish would one be to ept that? Besides¡­ that Mark Of Death reward is pretty shady. It turns us into Undead, does it not?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Helios was silent, proving I was right all along.


    The Gifteds behind me gave gasps of surprise. Apparently, they never expected that twist. I could hear Tia squealing behind me in delight. A sigh nearly escaped my lips as I felt a bit bad for her.


    ¡°¡­ And what is so bad about that?¡± Helios finally spoke up.


    ¡®Oh boy¡­ here ites¡­¡¯


    ¡°You gain an immortal body and serve as being as wonderful as the Lord Of The Dead! Isn¡¯t that simply amazing? You gain immense power, you gain HIS recognition. You be strong enough to trample on the weak! Failing to choose such an option¡­ is that not the height of foolishness?!¡±


    What did I expect from a Zealot?


    Of course, a General would hold his master in high regard, especially since he was the one in charge of this super-cringe temple. Speaking of cringe, I just thought of something wonderful to say.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure Tia will squeal again.¡¯


    ¡°Strength isn¡¯t for trampling on the weak¡­ it¡¯s for saving them! If your corrupted strength is all you have to offer¡­ then I don¡¯t want it!¡±


    ¡®Yep! Nailed it!¡¯


    And as expected, a cheer came from my fangirl behind me.


    ¡°Kyahhhh! He¡¯s so cool!!!¡±


    ¡®Pfft. This is so funny!¡¯


    Still, I basked in the delight. It wasn¡¯t every day you got to see a girl so enthralled by your charms.


    ¡°Foolish human. You are foolish indeed.¡±


    ¡®Yeah, yeah.¡¯ I rolled my eyes, and then a brilliant gleam of excitement appeared in my eyes.


    My lips curled up in a smile, and I prepared myself for a good show.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this party started already.¡±

 Chapter 321 Flustered

    My current Level was 535.


    While this seemed like plenty, I wascking in many aspects. As a result, I was only confident in directly fighting with Grade 4 Demons and below. Anything beyond that would be risky.


    Which was why, even with Helios floating right before me, I couldn¡¯t make any careless movements.


    I used the <Appraisal> Skill, which I got from Niggaruth afterpleting the 91st Floor, and found out a bunch of things.


    Helios was strong, sure, but not impossibly so.


    The issue was his equipment.


    He was donning a robe that fully covered his body. The Robe¡ªMantle Of Death¡ªhad a pesky ability of Damage nullification. In essence, no matter how much damage I dealt to the bastard, it wouldn¡¯t shave off his Hp.


    MP, on the other hand, had to go down. Still, powerful beings like Helios had to have auto-recovery abilities. So, even if the robe used his MP to block all attacks, he could recover.


    That practically made him invincible, no?


    Well, not really.


    ¡®Attacks on the Soul should still work, and if the damage received on the robe is more than his rate of recovery, then it would be pointless to rely on it.¡¯


    The problem was¡­ did I have enough power to push things that far? Well, maybe, but that depended on whether Helios would stay still and let me hit him. He had higher Stats, after all.


    In the end, there was no need to overthink things. Victory was mine from the start.


    >SHUUUUUU¡­<


    Instantly, something like purple-ck mist surged from me as several beings appeared. First were the twelve champions I had.


    A Fallen Dragon¡ªBarbados.


    A Legendary Heroic Soul¡ªLegion.


    A High-Tier Living Corpse¡ªBahumat.


    An Elder Hydra¡ªZetsu.


    An Elder Kraken¡ªKahn.


    A Desert Serpent¡ªLuci


    A Sultry Siren¡ªDel


    A Nightmare Manticore¡ªDevan


    A Grand Wyvern¡ªResios


    A Hell Pegasus¡ªSerio


    A Frost Giant King¡ªGu


    An Elder Chimera¡ªKazzen


    They were all decent Grade 4 Demons, and while working together it wasn¡¯t impossible to defeat a Grade 5. Still, this was Helios I was facing.


    Since the other Death Generals praised him so highly, I figured he had to be strong enough to warrant it. Plus, after seeing him for myself¡­ I had to agree.


    So, with that as my rationale, I summoned all seven Generals to the stage.


    The Ancient Vampire¡ªNiggaruth


    The Ghost Queen¡ªLeah


    The Puppet Master¡ªPinhio


    The Duhan King¡ªDulham


    The Lord Of Rot¡ªZebdal


    Master Of Graves¡ªGrundy


    Elder Lich¡ªIkaris


    And, I was about to add one more to my collection. How neat was that?


    Soon, I would have The Grand General¡ªHelios¡ªunder my wing.


    And so, with 19 of my strongest monsters all lined up before the Boss of the 99th Floor, I grinned sadistically at the robed figure.


    ¡°You¡­ how could you betray our master?!¡± Helios bellowed out in fury, ring at the Generals¡ªno, basically all my minions.


    They all shrugged.


    ¡®Pfft¡­¡¯


    ¡°Human, you have enraged me! How dare you?!¡± He growled.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Start fighting already. Oh, but first¡­¡±


    A smile appeared on my face as I eyed his pretty gear.


    Not only did he have the Mantle Of Death, but I could also see a ne and also a bracelet which were well hidden with him.


    Plus, Helios summoned a staff as he readied to fight¡ªmaking four gear. And the best part was that they were all Grade 5!


    ¡®Sweet! Don¡¯t mind if I do!¡¯ I grinned.


    In an instant, I used the <Retrieve> Function of [Subspace] and stole all the equipment my dear Boss had.


    A wave of shock filled the air as he was stripped naked, revealing his true self. Even I was surprised. After all¡­


    ¡°YOU¡¯RE A GIRL?!!¡±


    ¡°KYAHHHHH!!!¡±


    ¡°The fvck?!¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you guys tell me Helios was a chick?¡±


    ¡°W¡ªwe didn¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°He¡ªI mean she¡ªwas always in that cloak.¡±


    ¡°Wow, she¡¯s even prettier than Leah!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Holy shit! I didn¡¯t know things would end like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Eeek! What have you done?!¡±


    This whole exchange was enough to fluster me, but after mustering all my willpower, I regainedposure. This whole thing had me stunned for a second, but¡­


    ¡°Whoah, I still can¡¯t believe this¡­¡±


    Standing before me was a naked, pale-skinned girl. She didn¡¯t even look twenty, but considering the nature of undead, I wasn¡¯t really using that to determine her age.


    She had pointy ears, white hair, and pretty eyes¡ªbright red and purple were the color of her respective retinas. Her body had nice curves, to be honest. The way her wings emanated from her back made her look all the more glorious.


    With her whole package disyed in front of me, it was a shame not to look, right? Plus, my mind was currently being sharpened by the [Merciless] Title, so I was fine.


    Still¡­


    ¡°You have a great body.¡± I said with a lecherous look on my face.


    ¡®¡­ It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen a girl naked, after all¡­¡¯


    Grinding nonstop gave me no time to indulge in my urges. Could anyone me me? I was a growing boy, after all.


    ¡°Eeek! You filthy human!¡± Helios covered her goods with her two wings and tightened her legs to hide whatever was locked between them¡ªof course, that meant she had to descend from her heights.


    ¡®What good would that do? Pfft!¡¯


    If I wanted to, I could easily rip both wings by taking them into [Subspace] and gain a good view, but¡­ I wasn¡¯t going to ruin the fun. Even as she tried to cover her shameful self, the girl was still quite attractive.


    ¡°M¡ªMasked Hero!!!¡± I heard a voice from behind me, causing my skin to jump.


    A chilly gaze was set on me from behind, and I slightly gulped¡ªwell, not really.


    It wasn¡¯t out of fear, but slight worry.


    My fangirl, Tia, was ring at the Demon before us, and also staring at me with a disappointed face. What if I were to lose her trust after this?


    ¡®Urgh! I don¡¯t want to look for other people.¡¯


    I could mind control her, but I was certain the Tower System would figure that out. Threatening her would be efficient to, but that meant I would need to silence herter on.


    That would be bad for my Alignment.


    That meant I had to y nice¡­ for now.


    ¡°Rx, Tia¡­¡± I used myposed, heroic voice.


    Her cheeks flushed bright red the moment I turned in her direction. My next statement was critical¡ªit would decide my future with Tia. If I scored extra points with her, then all the better.


    ¡®Girls lovepliments, right? In that case¡­¡¯


    ¡°You have a much better body!¡±

 Chapter 322 Gang Up

    ¡°Fuahhhh!!!¡± Tia made an unintelligible sound and seemed to short-circuit the moment I said that.


    ¡®Bingo!¡¯ I smirked underneath my mask.


    Unfortunately, even though I managed to strike Tia where it meant the most, I received more weird gazes¡ªfrom the other Party Members¡­ and also my subordinates.


    It seemed I was getting too carried away, so I decided to leave things at that and quickly change topics.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough messing around¡­¡±


    My eyes returned to the Grand General of Death, Helios. She had already changed to an outfit of pure darkness, so I could no longer see any of her lustrous body.


    No, it was probably for the best this way¡­


    ck miasma shrouded the undead general, serving as some sort of gown to add an extrayer of defense, and also to shield the attractive body she hid underneath from prying eyes.


    ¡°You¡­ you have angered me beyond measure!¡± Helios growled as she took to the air.


    Her ck wings stretched wide and the dark energy surrounding her was even more than I had sensed from Niggaruth.


    Judging by her fanged teeth, long ears, and pale skin, I assumed she was a vampire. She had no horns like Nigggaruth, but it wasn¡¯t like conventional Vampires required those.


    Her deep re kind of stung me, as she must have viewed me as scum¡ªthe lowest of the low. Even though she wasn¡¯tpletely wrong, I was still human.


    ¡®Let¡¯s teach her a lesson¡­¡¯


    Hopefully, after this whole thing was over, her opinion of me would change a little.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a shame to damage that pretty body of yours, but¡­¡± I murmured, making sure no one heard me speak.


    A new body could always be madeter on. This wasn¡¯t a time for hesitating. Even without her gear, Helios was still a Grade 5 Monster. I couldn¡¯t be careless.


    That said, I wondered how she would fare against neen fully armed Grade 4s. A wide grin formed on my face as I imagined them viting the stern-faced beauty. How long would it take for her to break?


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯re ready. Well, then¡­ let us begin.¡±


    ***********


    >BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    As expected, Helios was strong.


    Even without her equipment, she was able to somewhat hold her own. Her adept use of Magic allowed her to deal damage at a far distance, and she could render herself incorporeal, making her nigh immune to physical attacks.


    Her agility was crazy as well, and the way she spammed her Spells and Skills made it seem like she was a bottomless pit of power.


    However¡­ it was still overkill for her to battle neen of my strongest minions.


    The Generals had told me that Helios was possibly stronger than they werebined¡ªbut that was with her equipment. Without them¡ªwhile she was stronger than two or three of them¡ªsix of the Generals evenly matched her. Seven of them were enough to defeat her.


    Add that to the 12 Elites I had in store, and it was basically a gang-up.


    If she tried to create some distance, some would approach from her rear, and then they surrounded the demonic beauty from both nks.


    She was outnumbered, but I had to admit¡­ Helios put up a good fight.


    ¡®This is quality entertainment!¡¯


    Watching a girl try her best despite the odds¡­ only to be smashed down by an overwhelming strength of someone superior¡­ how amusing was that?


    While I didn¡¯t have any qualms with most people, this was a Demon who had been unting her power and superiority just earlier. She lorded over us and considered us worms.


    ¡®Who¡¯s the maggot now?¡¯


    Her face was disheveled, and I could see numerous wounds on her body. She healed, thanks to her racial ability, but¡­ they inflicted even more injuries on her. Her screams could cause someone to have pity on her, but I felt no such thing.


    This was too much fun!


    ¡®If I had epted her deal, would I have been able to witness this?¡¯


    To be honest, I hadn¡¯t had the chance to have this much fun in so long since I was diligently grinding and nning for so long. The monsters on the Lower Floors were also too weak to provide proper stress relief.


    It was ironic that I would be able to rx on the 99th Floor, facing ¡®The Boss¡¯ herself.


    ¡®Welp, let me use this chance to check out my spoils¡­¡¯ I grinned and looked into [Subspace].


    I collected four major items from Helios.


    The Mantle Of Death


    The Staff Of Horror


    The Ne Of Undeath


    The Bracelet Of Supplication.


    These four were all Grade 5 Treasures, and while they were currently unfit for me since I simply yanked it out of a Boss before defeating it, I could use <System Correction> to rectify that.


    Once I did so, the items were retrofitted to an ideal state.


    As I exined earlier, the Mantle Of Death nullified all damage in exchange for MP. It also heightened Stats, so that was a good bonus.


    The Staff Of Horror boosted any Undead-Rted Magic or Skill by 500 Percent. It also had an innate Skill that inflicted Nightmares and Mind breaking abilities on targets.


    The Ne of Undeath allowed resurrection as long as one¡¯s MP was above 30 Percent. That was its only function, but it was freaking OP! There was also no limit to its usage, but it took 25 percent of the user¡¯s MP as a cost for resurrection.


    Therefore, using such an item in session was highly unlikely.


    Finally, the Bracelet Of Supplication was a buff item that granted temporary Stat increase¡ªincluding HP and MP. It basically borrowed the power of Death, allowing one to increase their abilities nigh unlimitedly as long as death essence was present.


    In short, it converted Maisma/Negative Energy into additional Stats¡ªthough temporarily.


    As someone who had lots of Miasma in stock, as well as a Skill that generated the stuff, the bracelet was a gold mine.


    ¡®That sly bitch, Helios! She was going to let us pass up all these amazing items!¡¯ I looked in her direction.


    She was already so beat up that she could no longer even fly.


    The girl¡¯s body throbbed, and I saw her injuries were barely closing. Her wings had been forcefully ripped out, and it looked like she was in a lot of pain.


    ¡®Looks like I missed out on a lot, but¡­¡¯ I began walking forward, keeping my eyes on the powerless Grand General.


    ¡°¡­ Well done, everyone!¡±

 Chapter 323 The Hidden Floor

    Helios coughed and groaned painfully as I approached her.


    Her bruised and battered body was a far cry from the smooth and clear skin she used to have.


    Her pathetic self was surrounded by my subordinates as they parted their close circle to allow me to enter. Once they dispersed, I got a better look at her.


    ¡°Looks like this is the end.¡± I smiled at the girl.


    ¡°Cheh! Nng!¡±


    I could see her gritting her teeth and ring hatefully at me. She would tear me into pieces if given the opportunity, so I was cautious enough not to be careless around her.


    Her body shouldn¡¯t have been able to move, and I saw that her HP was just at its limit. Without her Gear, and with her MP already at rock bottom, there was no way she could make aeback.


    Still¡­ experience had thought me not to underestimate anyone


    ¡°I¡¯ll be collecting your Soul now.¡±


    By me basically announcing this, she must have known what would being after I was done. If she wanted to counterattack, now would be her chance.


    But, she did no such thing.


    She simply had no strength left.


    ¡®Well, I guess I was being paranoid this time around¡­¡¯


    ¡°<Soul Reaping>,¡±


    And so, with that Spell, I ended the life of the Boss¡­ and cleared the 99th Floor.


    [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]


    [Congrattions!]


    <You Have Defeated The Boss: Helios>


    <You Have Cleared The Tower Of Death>


    <You Are The First To Achieve This Feat In This Tower>


    <This is the first Tower that Has been Cleared>


    [Additional Rewards Will Be Given]


    [Do You Want To Receive Your Rewards Now?]


    [Yes]. [No]


    Helios¡¯ corpse remained on the ground, but I was certain she would vanish over time.


    ¡®Once the next challengers of the Towere, the Helios that will appear will basically be an artificial one. Not only will the other Gifteds receive inferior rewardspared to me, but they also won¡¯t get the privilege that has now surfaced.¡¯


    The System gave me two options. Why?


    Usually, it would just dispense the rewards, wouldn¡¯t it? Instead, it asked if I would collect my rewards ¡®now¡¯. That meant I could collect itter.


    This indicated that the Tower¡¯s trials weren¡¯tplete.


    No, that wasn¡¯t quite it.


    The Tower¡¯s Trials had beenpleted, but what remained was some kind of Bonus Stage. The only difference between the event that was to ur and an actual Bonus Round would be that the whole purpose of the Tower revolved around this stage.


    I looked at the people behind me, and they had already chosen to ept their Rewards.


    Good for them!


    After all, only one person could challenge the Final Stage¡ªthe 100th Floor.


    And that person was going to be me!


    ¡°Looks like this is it, uh?¡± I said to the people.


    A return portal had already opened up behind them, and it would seem that they were going to be leaving.


    ¡°M-Masked Hero! You did it! You truly cleared the Tower!¡± Tia gushed at me like a faithful fangirl.


    I nodded, maintaining my cool vibe.


    ¡°Yeah. To be honest¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t think you would be able to do it, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You really saved us back there, and you brought us this far, even though we were only burdens¡­ we even doubted you¡­¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m truly grateful for all you¡¯ve done for us!¡±


    And so, in unison, they all bowed their heads to make one deration.


    ¡°THANK YOU SO MUCH!¡±


    ¡®Hehehe¡­ hehehehe¡­ hahahaha¡­ hahahaha!!!¡¯


    I contained my internalughter as I watched the simpletons bow in respect and gratitude.


    They weren¡¯t aware that I used them more than they used me.


    I even swapped all the Items in their Inventory, and then returned them. That way, everything they had was registered as ¡®MY¡¯ Property.


    I could take their spoils whenever I wanted, and I could also teleport to their location thanks to my [Hoarder] ability.


    They only received scraps from this whole ordeal, yet they were happy. Was this the life of mobs?


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. If it doesn¡¯t trouble you, people¡­ I was wondering if we could work together some other time.¡±


    ¡°YES! LET¡¯S ADD EACH OTHER AS FRIENDS!!!¡±


    It was Tia who burst out saying that, but I quickly had to decline.


    ¡°N-no, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary.¡±


    Being friends meant that they would be able to see my Status Introduction despite our Level Difference.


    They would figure out that I had the Neutral Evil Alignment, and I couldn¡¯t have that.


    ¡°Let us meet again tomorrow¡­ at the Tower of War,¡± I told the three.


    ¡°What? You n on clearing that one too?!¡± Darwin was the one who spoke now.


    ¡°Yes. Is that a problem?¡± I asked.


    ¡°N-no¡­ wow. You¡¯re truly amazing, uh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Feel free to discuss among yourselves if you want to be my aides, just as you did this time.¡±


    That way, they would understand that I could simply just choose another set of people to apany me on my adventure.


    ¡°A-Alright, then. We¡¯ll give it some thought!¡± Darwin nodded, and the rest agreed with him.


    Though, I knew this was only ceremonious. Their minds already agreed with my proposal, but they must have not wanted to appear shameless in front of me.


    ¡°So, what will you be doing now? The Tower has been cleared has it not?¡± Tia asked me with curious eyes.


    The rest also had the same expressions. After all, there was nothing left for me to do, yet I didn¡¯t seem to be nning to leave.


    ¡°Ah, I want to run more experiments on my Summoned soldiers. Surely, you understand. It¡¯s best I do it in a secluded ce like the Tower.¡±


    Once they heard my reason, the group had no other choice but to ept it.


    They offered their heartfelt gratitude once again, and I received it. This simply made them feel more indebted to me.


    After all the ceremonious farewells, they left through the wide gate that led to the outside world. They would get transported to theirst location before they chose to climb the Towers.


    Since the Tower allowed anyone from any part of the world, one only needed to use the System interface to enter. Once exiting the Tower, they would reappear in their previous positions outside.


    ¡°Huu, looks like they¡¯re finally gone.¡±


    Once they left, I looked at the persistent System Window in front of me. It still disyed the options, and the pings kept getting louder.


    It was like the Tower urged me to make my choice.


    Of course, I chose [No]


    [SYSTEM UPDATE]


    [You Have Chosen To Remain In The Tower]


    ~All The Requirements Have Been Met~


    <The Final Floor Will Now Be Opened To You>


    A grin formed on my face as I felt a surge of energy flow around the room.


    The altar at the center of the massive cathedral began glimmering with darkness, and something seemed to emerge from the threshing floor.


    It was a wormhole¡ªa gateway leading to the final floor.


    ¡®Perfect!¡¯ My thought rang in excitement.


    The portal radiated an intense aura that sent shivers down my spine. ckish purple fog leaked out, corroding everything around it, and the aura of death permeated the room.


    I could tell that whatever was behind the gateway was very strong.


    Well, if they weren¡¯t powerful, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered with the Final Stage. The stronger an opponent was, the higher the returns¡ªthat remained the rule of this world.


    I licked my lips, waiting until the whole thing stabilized.


    It looked ominous, yet beautiful¡ªthe distorted portal before me. I wanted to enter and get the journey over with, but¡­ only a fool would charge in blind.


    First, I needed adequate preparations.


    I looked at my Spirit Ring and summoned the recent addition to my collection¡ªthe Soul of the Grand General, Helios.


    I had everyone else stand by as they witnessed the envement of their newest member, So far, I had 19 powerful subordinates, as well as a few hundred fairly strong Undead. Adding the Demons¡ªGrade 3 and below¡ªin my collection, one could say the number neared fifty thousand.


    Finally, the Undead army I had been stocking in [Subspace] for some time now were in the hundreds of thousands.


    I wasn¡¯tcking in manpower, but one could never have too many allies right? Though in my case, they would be ves.


    Looking at Helios¡¯ hovering Soul, I wondered how much she would resist. A few Generals gave me problems, but they weren¡¯t too tough. However, considering this one¡¯s fanatic loyalty to her master, she could prove the most troublesome.


    ¡®Though if she transfers that loyalty to serving me¡­ that would be good.¡¯


    With that in mind, I began using my Ghost Magic.


    ¡°<Soul Envement>


    ***********


    As expected, she gave me the most trouble. However, with the buffs I received and the Miasma essence flowing through me, I was able to suppress her will. In addition to that, I had the [Dominator] Title that made me even more adept at subduing the will of others.


    Ultimately, Helios bent to my will and swore allegiance to me. There was one issue with that, though¡­


    ¡°Hiyaaaahh!!! I¡¯m naked! Have you no shame, master? You pervert!¡±


    Welp, let¡¯s just say that our rtionship wasn¡¯t strictly master/servant. Divulging any more would be too much.

 Chapter 324 The Pale Rider [Pt 1]

    Mantle of Death?


    Check


    Staff of Horrors?


    Double Check.


    All the other useful gear I had?


    Triple check.


    I donned myself with my equipment, relishing in the fact that I was overgeared. Still, allowing myself to be conceited would only warrant trouble.


    Which was why I remained cautious and level-headed.


    Once I prepared my personal array of equipment, I also shared some valuable spoils with my subordinates to buff them. They weren¡¯t much, but Grade 3 equipment would still assist in some ways.


    Of course, I was the most equipped since I had more value. I could easily retrieve my Enved Souls if they were in any danger, but¡­ I only had one life.


    Or did I?


    Once all the preparations wereplete, my eyes fell on the warbling portal in front of me.


    It leaked out corruption and dense Miasma, but, after making my decision, it was toote to turn back now.


    Having my subordinates wait for me in the Spirit Ring, I ventured into the gaping abyss.


    >FWUUUUSSHHH<


    I felt everything around me distort, and my surroundings began changing drastically.


    I was warping to the most secret portion of the Tower, the most powerful ce.


    The transition took longer than expected, but that was probably just my imagination. Once the portal spat me out, I emerged into an entirely different setting.


    This looked like a vast expanse of darkness.


    No light could be seen anywhere.


    Of course, since I could see in the dark, I had n major issues. Even with my sharp vision, the Miasma around was so thick that I had to activate <Miasma Essence> to adapt.


    Once I did that, my sight and perception became much better. I could see my surroundings properly.


    >CRUNCH<


    My feet stepped on something.


    It was unavoidable, considering this entire ce was littered with the same thing¡ªbones.


    Skeletal parts of several races spread across the expanse¡ªas far as my eyes could see. It was horrific, but also quite beautiful. This was andscape that was full of bones, like endless sand in a desert.


    One entity, however, stood before me¡ªa great distance from my location.


    Other than the being and me, no one else seemed to dwell in this area. We were alone.


    I watched it, and it slowly turned in my direction. At this point, I had already been noticed.


    It began to approach.


    This entity was a horseman, riding on a very horrifying creature¡ªa bicorn.


    The bicorn had plumes of purple mes and smoke emanating from it. Its body was a mix of skeletal armor that glistened, and its grey skin. Purple marks, like tattoos, glowed on its pale body, and it moved majestically.


    I could tell that this was a very powerful Demon.


    ¡°Grade 5¡­¡± My lips gave out a sound.


    The major issue was the rider himself. He had ck armor covering his entire body. Glowing purple eyes watched me with precision as he rode.


    Purple lines of warbling energy could be seen in the chinks of his armor, and a huge concentration of Miasma swirled around his vicinity.


    No one needed to be a genius to figure out who this person was.


    ¡°The Pale Rider, eh?¡±


    His horse had a paleplexion, so that had to be the cause of the title. This was without a doubt, the master of Helios and the others¡ªDeath himself.


    His approach was not hurried, but it didn¡¯t take the horse to close our distance. I felt unimaginable pressure close in on me the closer this monster got.


    I was already Level 540 thanks to Helios, but¡­ that amount of power didn¡¯t mean much in the presence of my adversary.


    ¡®So, this is a Grade 6 Demon¡­ uh?¡¯


    I forced myself not to gulp, instead looking sharply at my adversary.


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]


    [Wee To The Final Floor]


    <Description>


    Death himself has been imprisoned here, waiting for the time he would be released and wreak havoc on humanity.


    Once the allotted time of grace has passed, humanity will be invaded by Death, as well as the other Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Until that timees, he can not leave this ce.


    <Quest 1>


    Weaken Death so he doesn¡¯t wreak havoc on humanity


    <Quest 2>


    Take out his mount


    <Additional Quest>


    Defeat Death


    [END OF INFORMATION]


    ¡°Aye, aye, System!¡± I grinned.


    Even if I wasn¡¯t told to, this would be the path I had to take.


    Many people were of the assumption that the Towers were meant to prepare them for the appearance of the Horsemen.


    While they were partly right, their reasoning was wed.


    ¡®I me this on the System, though¡­¡¯


    Once the time limit psed, and the Horsemen appeared, many Gifteds would die. Four Grade 6 Demons, mounting Grade 5 Horses would be overkill.


    Of course, the gear the Tower gave Gifteds, as well as items from SHOP would help to even out the odds a bit, and the sheer number of Gifteds would ultimately lead them to victory.


    But, how many would have died by then?


    To prevent such deaths, it was best to clear all the Towers and challenge the Final Floor where the Horsemen resided.


    Weakening them before they could wreak havoc was a wise decision. Eliminating their mounts was also a prudent choice.


    Doing so would ensure more people would survive.


    However¡­ those two weren¡¯t my goal.


    I was a person many people would define as obsessive. Once I started something, it was only natural that I saw it through to the end. It was the reason I could go to unimaginable lengths to achieve what I wanted.


    It was the reason I became a hoarder.


    I didn¡¯t like settling for less.


    If I wanted to get something, I would go all the way.


    Which was why, aftering this far, nothing but fulfilling all the Quests¡ªincluding the Additional one¡ªwould satisfy me.


    Many would think of it as an act of madness, but¡­ not me! I was going to kill Death himself!


    ¡®Hehe¡­ hehehe¡­ hahahaha!¡¯


    I could feel excitement surging through me as I raised my head to meet the gaze of the pale rider¡ªone who seemed to be twice my height.


    ¡°Human, this is a surprise¡­ to think someone would visit me here in my¡ª¡±


    ¡°Zip it, zombie! Let¡¯s fight!¡±


    [A/N]


    ATTENTION TO ALL READERS!!!


    I have a new book called Rise Of Evil Santa.


    Please endeavor to check it out, read it, and add it to your library.


    I promise it¡¯ll be worth your while.


    I¡¯ll be Mass Releasing once the new book gains 1k Collections. Don¡¯t miss out!!!

 Chapter 325 The Pale Rider [Pt 2]

    ¡°Wha¡ª?!¡±


    Before my target could say any more words, I activated [Subspace] and stole his mount, causing the rider to fall from Midair.


    ¡®That¡¯s kinda hrious!¡¯ I mused as I watched the glorified Death himselfnd on his buttocks atop the crunching bones.


    ¡°Y¡ªyou¡­?!¡±


    Before he said anything, I took him into [Subspace] as well.


    [SYSTEM ALERT!!!]


    [CONNECTION LOST!?!]


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    [!!!]


    The glitch in the System started urring again. Of course, the pings were endless, and it disturbed me to no end. I endured it, though, deciding to hurry things up before I couldn¡¯t take any more.


    ¡®This is why I dislike resorting to tactics like this¡­¡¯


    ¡°You guys¡­¡± I murmured, summoning my twenty elite subordinates.


    They appeared in their glorious forms, each outfitted for battle. I felt a swell of pride surge in my chest, but controlled myself.


    I could see the surprise on a few of their faces.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the enemy? Where is Death?¡± Helios spoke up.


    She was outfitted with my previous most powerful gear. Of course, I took hers so it was only natural I gave her the next best thing.


    ¡°Oh? He¡¯ll be arriving shortly. But, first¡­ let¡¯s take care of his mount first.¡±


    They cocked their heads in confusion the moment I said that.


    It wasmon sense that the Pale Rider would never leave his horse. The reason for that wasn¡¯t simple affinity, but also buff-rted. A Rider would obviously be buffed if they equipped a Mount.


    I figured it was the same with Death.


    To weaken him considerably, as well as choose the safest means of killing the guy, I separated the two.


    ¡®We¡¯ll deal with the Bicorn first¡­ then Death is next.¡¯


    ¡°Alright guys, look sharp! The enemy is going to arrive in three¡­¡±


    I would simply let my subordinates fight the Bicorn.


    ¡°¡­ two¡­¡±


    Since it was a Grade 5, it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult with their numbers and gear.


    ¡°¡­ one¡­¡±


    This was practically cheating since my allies were prepared, but the Bicorn would clearly be confused by the time it appeared.


    ¡°¡­ Now!¡±


    >WHUUUUSSSHHH!!!<


    The creature of malevolence appeared, disying its majesty. It looked confused, wondering where its master went.


    Unfortunately for our target, my subordinates had already prepared powerful Skills and Spells while waiting for its appearance.


    Before the poor creature could wrap its head around what was happening, their sts surged andpletely enveloped it.


    ¡°NIHIIIIHHHHH!!!¡±


    It neighed in pain andplete shock.


    The Demon didn¡¯t have the time to use any Skills or cast any Spells.


    Simply by bombarding it with attacks from multiple angles, it was helpless and could only scream.


    I watched the HP of a supposedly powerful foe plummet so easily, and in a few seconds¡­ it died.


    ¡°Welp, looks like we won!¡±


    I stole nces at my subordinates, and they were all surprised.


    ¡°J¡ªjust like that?¡± One of them spoke in surprise.


    It was Helios.


    She probably couldn¡¯t believe we had just bested such a creature without any hassle. Based on the Horse¡¯s Stats, it was stronger than Helios. But, with her previous gear, I was certain she would ultimately win against it.


    After their initial shock wore out, the expressions of my Enved Souls began to morph into varying disys of emotions.


    Niggaruth seemed proud, beaming happily at me. Many other subordinates of mine¡ªmy first twelve especially¡ªwere all nodding in satisfaction.


    In contrast to that, the Generals¡ªother than the Ancient Vampire¡ªwere all viewing me with horror and great reverence.


    ¡°Y¡ªyou truly are worthy of being my master¡­¡± Helios gave a flustered mutter.


    Apparently, I gained more of their respect after bringing about such a drastic victory.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m ttered, Helios.¡± I smiled.


    She sharply turned her face from me and gave a ¡°Hmph!¡±


    ¡®Bashful, are we?¡¯


    [SYSTEM ALERT!!!]


    [CONNECTION LOST!?!]


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    <ERROR!>


    ~Boss Monster Not Found~


    [!!!]


    ¡°Urgh! I know already!¡± I groaned, seeing so many red icons pop up around me.


    It was better we got things over with quickly.


    ¡°Our next opponent is Death. His buffs will be removed since he¡¯s not going to be with his mount. Plus, I¡¯ll be taking away his armor, so he will be further weakened.¡±


    I said that, but it was still a fact that we were up against a Grade 6 entity. The most powerful of my wide array of subordinates was Helios¡­ and she was currently only Grade 4.


    The Mount would make for a good subordinate too, but, since I didn¡¯t reap its soul before it died, I would have to wait for the mission to be over before I received my Rewards¡ªone of which would be his soul.


    ¡°You will all be fighting Death at his weakest, and I¡¯ll also join the fight, so we should be able to achieve overwhelming victory.¡±


    This was an efficient tactic I developed.


    Usually, once a Boss Monster was defeated, the armor and spoils they had would be given to the Gifted who achieved this feat.


    However, by stripping a Boss Monster of those things before killing them, the System would see this as an error and attempt to correct it. The System would pay Karma Points of equivalent value to the items that were missing.


    It was a win on double ends for me.


    Plus, I had <System Correction>, so the gear I stole could be used by and for me.


    ¡°Take formation and prepare your strongest attacks. Fire them at me.¡±


    My subordinates were confused, but I just told them to do it.


    Once they fired their assaults, I used [Subspace] to absorb everything.


    ¡°Again!¡±


    Skills required cooldowns, and the more powerful ones had a longer cooldown rate in exchange for their effectiveness. So, I either had to wait for the cooldowns, or¡­


    ¡°Fire all the attacks at your disposal! Bombard me with your assaults.¡±


    They obeyed immediately.


    Once they hadunched several powerful moves¡ªenough to kill the bicorn over and over again¡ªI absorbed them all.


    Next, I replenished them with Miasma, restoring their MP and also granting them buffs.


    ¡°Alright. I would have loved to keep this up for longer, but¡­ these pings are getting annoying.¡±


    My subordinates cocked their head, indicating they didn¡¯t understand.


    It was only natural, though, since only I would see the annoying System notifications.


    ¡°Take formation, prepare to strike!¡± I ordered, also readying myself.


    With this much prep time, flopping the subjugation would be a miracle.


    [A/N]


    ATTENTION TO ALL READERS!!!


    I have a new book called Rise Of Evil Santa.


    Please endeavor to check it out, read it, and add it to your library.


    I promise it¡¯ll be worth your while.


    I¡¯ll be Mass Releasing once the new book gains 1k Collections. Don¡¯t miss out!!!

 Chapter 326 Deaths Match

    ¡°NOW!¡±


    I instantly released the Pale Rider from [Subspace], weing him with the flurry of attacks waiting to bombard him.


    Since I could edit whatever was within [Subspace], I made sure to spit him out without any gear.


    He was just a naked, pale being.


    It seemed like his body was coated in purple me-like energy which exuded a vast amount of negative pressure. Still, he wasn¡¯t as tall as before. The being called Death was just a bit taller than I was, having a bald head and gleaming purple eyes.


    ¡®So, this is how he looks like without the armor, uh?¡¯ I sneered internally.


    He was on the ground¡ªstill recoiling from shock¡ªwhen my subordinates¡¯ attacks shed with him.


    >BOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    ¡°Uh?¡± My eyes were met with a peculiar strike.


    The multiple attacks did not connect with him! Rather, some form of invisible barrier blocked them fromnding any blow on him.


    ¡®An automatic defense function, even without his gear?¡¯


    For it to have been capable of shielding Death from all those attacks, just how durable was it? I was amazed¡ªno, intrigued¡ªby the barrier, so I took it.


    ¡°WHU¡ª?!¡±


    Death let out a surprised sound, and then the attacks connected to him.


    Large clouds of smoke and destruction ascended to the pitch ck sky, and I simply watched from my distance.


    ¡°YOUUUUUU!!!¡±


    With that loud, intimidating cry, the smoke around cleared, and Death was floating at the center of the destruction. His eyes contained fury and rage unimaginable.


    ¡°HOW DARE YOUUUUU!!!¡±


    He stretched out his hand and prepare a st that seemed to be capable of obliterating me..


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we been over this already?¡±


    ¡°DIE FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!!!¡±


    >VWUUUSSHHHHH<


    The st wasunched at me, ready to destroy mepletely. I simply stood in my position¡ªeven my subordinates didn¡¯t bother attempting to defend me.


    After all¡­ I had <Auto Retrieve>.


    The attack vanished the moment it entered my range, and I was left unscathed.


    ¡°W¡ªWHAT?!¡± Death¡¯s loud voice echoed through the dark, barrennd.


    ¡°Surprised? Well¡­ I suppose you should be.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°You bastard! You enved my subordinates, you took away my horse, and you dare allow me to suffer such humiliation? Me? The Lord Of Death?!¡±


    I rolled my eyes at his words.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah! Let¡¯s continue!¡±


    Instantly, I poured out all the attacks that my subordinates had thrown at me¡ªdirecting everything at the enemy.


    ¡°W¡ªWHAT? Y¡ªYOU¡ª?!¡±


    In preparation for his pesky barrier, I absorbed any form of resistance that surrounded him, allowing all the attacks to hit him.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!<


    ¡°GUARRKKKKKKK!!!¡± I heard his screams from within the explosion.


    Usually, this level of power would be enough to kill any other Boss¡ªeven Helios¡ªbut this guy¡¯s Vitality and HP were too damn high.


    The st radius seemed to extend to a mile, and the intensity was too great.


    Death could turn incorporeal, but I mixed Soul-based attacks into the explosion and gave each assault the astral inflicting attribute, so he couldn¡¯t escape.


    Once the bright explosion calmed, Death remained at the center¡ªfloating¡ªbut he didn¡¯t budge an inch.


    I understood what that was.


    It was the Status Condition: Stun.


    Dealing so much damage to the monster had stunned it. Even though his health was well above thirty percent, I was still d that he had been pushed to this extent.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s my turn now!¡± I grinned,unching myself high into the sky.


    >VWUUUUSHHHH!!!<


    My body was full of so many buffs thanks to Helios¡¯ Items especially, but the one I was currently the most grateful for was the Bracelet of Supplication. My body was surging with power.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with thisssss!!!¡±


    I strengthened my body to the limit and filled myself with Miasma, brandishing my fist. As soon as I reached Death¡¯s floating gait, I gave him my finest right hook¡­


    >BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!<


    ¡­ Sending him crashing to the ground.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!<


    The earth split, and for as far as I could see, the ground quaked and trembled.


    Such was my power!


    ¡°Hoo. This is crazy good!¡± I beamed.


    I caught a glimpse of Death¡¯s HP by the time I struck him. It got reduced to 25 percent in a single stroke. If that wasn¡¯t crazy, then I had no idea what was.


    ¡°Looks like with this my physical abilities have increased quite well.¡±


    I pondered on whether I should try the Mantle Of Death¡¯s effects or the Ne of Undeath¡¯s abilities, but I was bing a bit excited that I just decided to finish things.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    I kicked the air behind me and charged at the monster who was on the shattered ground.


    Before it could recover from my hit, Iunched another blow, and then another, sending multiple attacks at it.


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!<


    Everything became devastated as I pounded the monster.


    However, I noticed something as soon as its HP got to 10 Percent.


    ¡®The number stopped moving! It¡¯s not taking damage?!¡¯ I was surprised.


    It had to be a Passive Skill or something, considering the fact that my foe was in no shape to resist. Since his name was literally Death, it was expected that he would be able to pull something like this off.


    ¡®Since it hase to this, then¡ª¡¯


    Before I couldplete my thought, the enemy beneath me regained consciousness and red hatefully at me.


    ¡°Ooops!¡±


    ¡°ROARRRRRRR!!!¡± It sent shockwaves flying, and I was forced back by the pressure.


    An incredible surge of Miasma filled the area, more than anything I could dream of producing. I was beginning to have a bad feeling about it, seeing as the purple smoke-like energy ascended to the sky.


    Not only was he not taking damage anymore, but he also received an incredible power boost that screamed of danger. I saw my subordinates shrink back. This realm was well beyond them, so I couldn¡¯t me the lot.


    Currently, with my build, I was equal to¡ªno, slightly superior to¡ªa Grade 5 Demon, so I wasn¡¯t going to be capable of overpowering the monster with sheer physical abilities as well.


    The bracelet granted me indescribable power, but it wasn¡¯t like I had infinite Miasma.


    If I couldn¡¯t find another alternative, then this battle was going to take a drastic turn.


    Death snickered from his distance, and then his malevolent pressure intensified.


    ¡°YOU¡­ THIS CHARADE ENDS HERE. I WILL SHOW YOU WHY I AM CALLED DEATH!¡±

 Chapter 327 Death Mode

    The transformation was drastic¡ªno, monstrous.


    From the pale, nearly human form that Death had, he changed to the most grotesque physique.


    Now standing, about sixty meters in height, his body was covered in ck scales and six horns emerged from his head. Purple glows warbled all around it, and it had three tails.


    Why three tails? I had no idea.


    In short, it looked like a bizarre dragon and was coated with dense evil energy.


    Compared to it, I might as well have been an ant.


    I saw that most of his Stats had doubled, his Strength had tripled, and his Vitality had quadrupled.


    Such monstrous build, even without any equipment¡ªit was a miracle that humanity beat this terrifying thing. And there were four of them.


    ¡®If all four came at once, everyone would have perished. It¡¯s a good thing they would attack turn by turn. Isn¡¯t Death the second or third? I can¡¯t remember¡­¡¯


    Rather than having distracting thoughts, it was best I focused on the challenge at hand.


    My life wasn¡¯t in any immediate danger, but I simply racked my brain on what would be effective against my adversary. It didn¡¯t take very long before I figured it out, though.


    ¡°[Subspace].¡±


    Death gave a mighty roar, but I shielded myself with the same dense barrier he used to protect himself the first time.


    Now having some time bought for myself, I looked into thetest gear in my collection¡ªDeath¡¯s plundered items.


    Quickly skimming through their contents, I decided they would do, and used <System Correction> to make them equipable.


    >SHUUUU<


    My body had a vibrating hum as soon as I began putting on the armor.


    I felt energized with immense power, and the feeling of being invincible enveloped me. It was like nothing could stop me¡ªor kill me.


    My form became just like Death¡¯s when I firstid eyes on him. I was taller, buffier, and the immense energy of the armor shrouded me.


    The ck and purple glow of death warbled around me, and his de¡­ the Death de, was equipped in its sheath by my waist.


    ¡®I call this¡­ DEATH MODE! Hehe


    Jokes aside, the Stats of these items was out of this world. I couldn¡¯t even begin to define how many functions it had. But one of them was¡­ Damage nullification and redirection.


    >VWWWWWOOOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    Deathunched his first attack at me¡ªa purple fireball that had condensed dark energy mixed in.


    Usually, I would just let [Subspace] handle it, but¡­


    ¡®Let¡¯s see what this baby can do!¡¯


    Deactivating my <Auto Retrieve> Skill, I dashed to the attack and took it head-on.


    >BOOOMMM!!!<


    Once it connected, I felt absolutely nothing, and the suit absorbed the impact.


    Of course, this wasn¡¯t without repercussions. Anytime the armor took damage, its durability fell. The good news about that was¡­ I could simply fix it with <System Correction> and return it to its original state.


    That way, I would never run out of durability!


    ¡°Redirect!¡±


    The fireball that was lunged at me fired back at the enemy who gave a shocked cry as he received damage.


    ¡®Oh? So it can be hurt now? Maybe that was only temporary¡­¡¯


    d within my heart that the enemy could now be killed, I unsheathed the Death de from my waist and wielded it with absolute precision.


    I had many Skills that supported me as a warrior and even got a [Dark Knight] Title, so handling the sword wasn¡¯t difficult.


    ¡°YOU¡­ HOW DARE YOU WAR MY ARMOR? YOU VERMIN!¡± The massive monster bellowed.


    ¡°Finders keepers!¡±


    Brandishing my de, I lunged at my foe.


    Even though his Stats had gone up, my Agility far surpassed anything it was capable of producing. Adding the items I had on, as well as my Skills, I was basically moving faster than his thoughts could even process.


    >WHUUUSSSHHHH!!!<


    One of the Death de¡¯s abilities was ¡®Killing Anything¡¯


    It applied to both living and non-living things. By killing the air, it could no longer serve its purpose. If I killed oxygen, it no longer existed. So, what would happen if I killed Death himself? A being rumored to be unable to taste such a fate?


    I was excited to find out!


    ¡®I know this is gonna be cringe, but¡­ I¡¯mma say it¡­¡¯


    My grin became wide as the monster desperately tried tounch an attack at its slow pace.


    ¡°¡­ DEATH SLASH!¡±


    With a vertical sh imbued with massive power, I sliced the monstrous figure of death into half¡ªcutting through anything in the way and killing it in an instant.


    >SWIIIIIISSSHHHHH!!!<


    ¡°GUAARRRGHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    I saw Death¡¯s HP plummet rapidly until¡­ itpletely went out.


    ¡°NOOOOOOOOO!!!!¡± He cried, but nothing could save the Demon now.


    ¡°Rot in hell for your trespasses, vile beast!¡± I said, brushing away the imaginary blood on my de and sheathing it.


    ¡®So cool! I¡¯ve always wanted to say that!¡¯


    It was a shame I didn¡¯t have an audience to witness my greatness except for my elite subordinates. Moments like this made me wish I had Tia with me.


    ¡®Welp, that¡¯s fine¡­ I guess¡­¡¯


    The Demon¡¯s cry of agony seemed to reach the heavens as it gave its final bellow before vanishing into oblivion.


    Tower Demons had no Core since the System gave out rewards, but I was surprised that Death dropped an item before fading away entirely.


    <Mine Alone> took effect and automatically transported my spoils into [Subspace]. A wave of exuberance washed over me as I mulled over my aplishment.


    It may have looked somewhat easy for me, but this was no mean feat.


    I defeated one of the Four Horsemen myself¡­ a Grade 6 Demon!


    Of course, this would not have been possible without [Subspace], so I had to give it to the geezer who granted me this Gift. He did incredibly well.


    I unequipped the Armor, and as such, came out of DEATH MODE.


    Alighting from the lofty heights where I was in the sky, I looked down and saw the chaos our battle had wrought.


    If this was a state, it would have beenpletely obliterated by now.


    A wry smile formed on my face and looked in the direction of my subordinates beneath me. They had looks of wonder, dear, and respect as they saw me.


    The twenty all bowed before me and dered their allegiance once more.


    ¡°WE HAIL THE BEING WHO HAS SURPASSED EVEN DEATH! THE UNDYING MASTER AND HOARDER OF THE DEAD¡ªLORD JEREMY LEWIS!¡±


    It was a bit cringe, but¡­


    ¡®I like it!¡¯

 Chapter 328 Tower Cleared

    [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]


    [Congrattions!]


    <You havepleted all the quests!>


    [Additional Rewards will be given]


    [Previous unallocated rewards will be added]


    <You will receive a Grand Prize>


    [SEE MORE INFORMATION]


    ¡°Oho?!¡± I beamed, marveling at the System Window.


    My achievements were nothing to scoff at, so it was clear that I would be rewarded handsomely. Still, who would have thought I would receive a Grand Prize?


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s see what I¡¯ve got!¡±


    **********


    In short, I received both the reward of the 99th Floor and this Hidden one.


    The Gear and Soul of Helios could not be retrieved by the System, so I was given additional Karma Points.


    As for the other rewards gotten from the 99th Floor, I gained the Title: Grand General Of Death, as well as a single Skill allowing me to Summon Undead Of The Highest Tier possible.


    Grade 4 Undead!


    That was incredible, since most of my elites belonged to this Grade already.


    I received more Potions as Items, including a Resurrection Elixir that coulde in handy.


    Of course, since I already had Helios¡¯ Mantle, I didn¡¯t really need it. Still, it coulde in handyter on.


    The Elixir had a total of three uses, so I had to be careful about it.


    The haul on the 99th Floor was quite something, but it was iparable to the stuff I gained from the Hidden one.


    [SYSTEM REWARDS]


    ~You Have Done The Impossible~


    <Skill: Probability Correction has been granted>


    ~You Have Defeated Death Itself~


    <Title: Conqueror Of Death has been granted>


    ~You Have Completed The Trials Of The Tower Of Death~


    <Title: Tower¡¯s Champion has been granted>


    ~You Have Beaten One Of The Four Horsemen~


    <Title: Harbinger has been granted>


    <You have been given 300,000 Karma Points>


    <An Additional 100,000 Karma Points have been given>


    <An Additional 50 Karma Points have been given>


    <You have received the Soul of Death¡¯s Bicorn: Ash>


    <You have received the Soul of Death himself>


    <You have been granted Ghost Magic: Manifestation>


    <You have been given the Skill: Immortal>


    <You have been given the Skill: Demonization>


    <You have been given the Skill: Death Touch>


    <Ghost Magic has improved to Death Magic>


    <Death Domain has been Added to Death Magic>


    <Resurrection Elixir (x3) has been granted>


    <You Have Been Given a Return Stone>


    [Unable To Retrieve Personal Items Of Death]


    [A Million Karma Points have been given aspensation]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    ************


    ¡°This is¡­ amazing¡­¡±


    Now Level 571, having a great deal of Skills and Titles at my disposal¡­ it truly was incredible.


    ¡°Haa¡­ this journey has been worth it.¡±


    I copsed on the ground, heaving a sigh of relief.


    It was so hard, grinding with all I had, just to get to this point. Finally, I was able to conquer one of the Towers.


    Still, there were three more to go.


    Fortunately, one of my Titles, ¡®Tower¡¯s Champion¡¯ granted me the special privilege of climbing the Tower alone. In essence, I didn¡¯t need those chumps anymore.


    ¡®Should I plunder all they have and kill them?¡¯


    No. That would be bad.


    The problem with those actions was my Alignment.


    From the Third Scenario onward, some restrictions would be ced on those with Evil Alignments. Plus, there would be times when forming connections was necessary.


    I couldn¡¯t let this Alignment weigh me down forever.


    Fortunately, Alignment changed based on actions.


    I saved those guys earlier, canceling out what I did to put them in danger. I also carried them this far, and I had their gratitude. This had to count for a lot.


    However¡­


    [.]


    Alignment: Neutral Evil


    [.]


    ¡­ My Alignment remained the same.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I had no time to be worrying about this¡­


    The Third Scenario could wait.


    For now, I just needed to focus on doing what I could. I had been helping so many people, yet it hardly made a dent in my Alignment.


    There was nothing more to do than simply give my all to the other Towers and get stronger.


    Many victims existed in the Towers, right? I would be able to score some more goodwill from people.


    ¡®For now, let¡¯s get out of here¡­¡¯


    I put all my Enved Souls into the Spirit Ring, determined to experiment some more once I got out of the Tower.


    For now, I wanted fresh air¡­ and the view of the dystopianndscape that covered the world.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. That Death guy dropped something!¡± My mind rang, and I checked [Subspace] to see what I had.


    I saw the icon.


    The image looked like a misshapen ck stone. It had some sort of purple glow at the center. And the name?


    ¡°Death Essence Core, huh?¡±


    My thoughts began to consider certain possibilities, and slowly, I changed my mind.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I stick around for much longer? Let¡¯s get this over with!¡±


    All my Rewards¡ªthe Items, Skills, Titles, and Magic¡ªcould just be experimented on here.


    Once I was done, I would simply make my exit.


    ¡°Alright, then¡­ let us begin.¡±


    ****************


    It took a great deal of time to sort through everything, but¡­ finally¡­ I was able to finalize all I had in store.


    As stressful as the process was, I found it extremely fun¡ªespecially considering the fact that I was now much stronger than before.


    Not to brag, but¡­ I was most definitely the strongest in the world.


    No gate opened up for me to exit the dark ce, so I had to utilize a Return Stone. The Item took me to the 99th Floor, and from there, I boarded a gate back to the regr world¡ªoutside the Tower.


    >SHIIIIINNNGGGG!!!<


    I was met with light and the space around me began to contort. Soon, I arrived at my Shelter. Bright lights made from cores illuminated the invisible fortress.


    It was a mansion I created for myself using [Subspace]. Not only was it mobile, but I could also customize it whenever I wanted. I made sure to add features to it asionally, making it evolve as time went on.


    The defense was enough to ward away even low-level Grade 4 Demons, but I nned on strengthening it even further.


    ¡°Huu¡­ time to rx on my bed!¡±


    I made my way to the bed¡ªsince I was directly transported to my wide bedroom from the Tower.


    It was a massive King Size structure that boasted greatfort and durability. Once I sank in its goodness, I grinned at myself with satisfaction.


    ¡°Leaderboard,¡± I called out.


    Instantly, a Panel appeared in front of myid-back body and I saw the Rankings. As expected, I was still at the top.


    ~1st ce: The Hoarder~


    ¡®Hehehe¡¯


    [SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT!]


    <The Tower Of Death Has Been Cleared!>


    My grin widened once I saw this.


    It was fun seeing the System announce my achievements. This Announcement was going to be broadcast to every Gifted on the globe. As a result, many people would be plunged into chaos and confusion.


    I could already imagine their faces.


    ¡°Welp, I¡¯ll be clearing the other three soon¡­¡± Iughed.


    ¡®I should sell some more Items on the Auction too¡­ especially those Return Stones.¡¯


    It would be a waste to keep the things that I didn¡¯t need. Especially if they were considered valuable.


    ¡®I¡¯ll put them on the Auction Section and jack up the price. Hehehe¡­¡¯


    Usually, a person could only purchase one Return Stone from the SHOP. Not only were they expensive, but they were also limited to one per Gifted. This was another reason Gifteds traveled as a Party.


    That way, they had more people with Return Stones.


    Since many System functions, like SHOP, were not functional in the Towers, many Gifteds liked to stock up before entering the Tower.


    Another critical factor was that certain Items in the SHOP got ¡®Sold Out¡¯ at some point, and it took some time before they got restocked. The Return Stone was one of those.


    But, in Auctions, none of the General SHOP policies were present. As long as Gifteds could pay, they would get their goods.


    That was why, even if I raised the price of the Return Stones, people would still patronize me.


    It was good business!


    Of course, I had other trash items I wanted to sell¡ªthe things I obtained from the Lower Floors of the Tower wouldn¡¯t really do me much good at this point. Of course, to some people, those Items would be blessings.


    ¡®Pfft¡­¡¯


    I already had over two million Karma Points¡ªno, close to three¡ªbut I wasn¡¯t satisfied in the slightest.


    More. More. More. I wanted even more!


    With that in mind, nothing would satisfy me now.


    ¡®Okay, let¡¯s see what junks I can Auction off¡­¡¯


    As I was rummaging through my [Subspace], a System ping rang out, startling me a bit.


    ¡®Urgh, what now?¡¯ I rolled my eyes as I looked at the Window in front of me.


    Instantly, my eyes popped wide open and my jaws dropped.


    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes.


    ¡°No¡­ this can¡¯t be¡­¡± My quivering lips muttered.


    It was crazy! It had to be impossible!


    No one but me should have been able to do something like this yet.


    [SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT!]


    <The Tower Of War Has Been Cleared!>

 Chapter 329 Confusion

    [SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT!]


    <The Tower Of War Has Been Cleared!>


    Torrents of thoughts flowed in my mind as I looked at the System Window disyed in front of me.


    ¡®What the hell¡­?¡¯


    Why?


    How?


    Who?


    It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    The average Level for the current denizens of the world was 50. The strong ones were about to reach Level 100, but I didn¡¯t expect anyone to have attained Level 150 talkless of 200.


    The Levels and Grades of the monsters climbed as one advanced through the Floors, and since the Towers had simr difficulty, I expected others to receive the same treatment I experienced.


    No one could have seeded in that venture, but me. It wasn¡¯t pride¡­ but reality!


    However¡­


    ¡®Could it be.¡ª?!¡¯


    Perhaps it was something I failed to consider. I had always suspected it, but after the Tutorial ended and I kept a watchful eye on the Leaderboard, Auction, Tower Updates, and several other elements of this new world, my doubts were cleared.


    There shouldn¡¯t have been anyone else who was granted something ¡®special¡¯ except me. If they had memories from the Sacred Hall¡ªfuture knowledge concerning the uing scenarios, they would have acted differently.


    I got the highest achievement in the Tutorials and won by arge Margin.


    No one came close.


    If someone else had future knowledge, wouldn¡¯t they have put up more of a fight? That was my rationale.


    But, what if they were just biding their time?


    ¡®The Tutorial is important, but¡­ can it really bepared to the other Scenarios in terms of anything?¡¯


    In the end, I let my guard down and had my prize snatched away from me.


    ¡°But, who could have done that¡­?¡±


    There was only one way to find out¡ª The Leaderboard.


    Also known as Rankings, The Leaderboard basically graded Gifteds based on performance.


    Of course, with billions of people in the world, it couldn¡¯t contain everyone, so it was streamlined to only amodate a hundred people.


    These people got the title of ¡®Rankers¡¯ and were known to be the most powerful in the apocalyptic world.


    Most of these Rankers banded together, forming various Parties to make their journey easier, while a few went Solo, or even created Parties of less-powerful individuals.


    While thetter could be considered unwise, having weaker members in a Party established a clear hierarchy. This usually made the Rankers absolute leaders while the rest were obedient followers.


    Rankers who banded together often had issues in terms of leadership. However, since the rule of the world never changed, the strongest always stood at the top.


    Solo Rankers like me were rare, since it was clear that it would be hard to achieve much by oneself.


    In fact, I would call anyone who was a solo Gifted stupid, considering the current circumstances.


    Though that perception would change if I figured out that person was like me¡ªand knew the future!


    [LEADERBOARD]


    <Rank 1>


    The Hoarder: [Achievement Point: 41]


    It was a relief I remained at the top, and my Achievement Point was the highest by far.


    Achievement Points¡ªAP for short¡ªbasically measured how far a Gifted was inpleting a Scenario.


    This first Scenario that consisted of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse had major Points attributed to every action and task.


    Conquering a Tower granted one 20 Points. If you includedpleting the Hidden Floor, that was an additional 10 Points.


    Killing monsters outside the Tower didn¡¯t really count as an achievement unless you killed arge amount or fulfilled a particr quest¡ªfor example, saving a bunch of people who were going to die, or taking out a whole nest of monsters.


    I took part in these quests because I wanted to prepare as much as possible for climbing the Towers.


    If a person cleared all the Towers, gaining 20 Points each, that was a total of 80 Points. Of course, this didn¡¯t include the Hidden Floor Achievement Bonus.


    Adding those would make it a total of 120 Achievement Points, but the cap of Achievement for each scenario was 100, and it was practically impossible for anyone¡ªor, at least, almost anyone¡ªto get that high.


    Gaining an Achievement Point of 50 at the end of a Scenario already guaranteed a person some pretty nice rewards.


    But, I wanted it all!


    I wanted to get 100 Points and beyond!


    So far, I had 41 Points¡ªa total of 30 from the Tower, and 11 from several Quests outside it.


    ¡®If I conquer the remaining two and get to the hidden Floor, that¡¯s 30 Points each¡­ I should still be able to get there¡ª100 Points!¡¯


    My ns had been greatly hindered, but there was nothing I could do about it. Unless¡­


    <Rank 2>


    Pariah: [Achievement Point: 31]


    ¡°This guy, uh¡­?¡± A mumble escaped my lips.


    There was no way I could forget this name, considering how he had been in second ce since the end of the Tutorial.


    Of course, I knew whoever he/she was, they had to be skilled. However, they were never on my level, to begin with¡­


    ¡­ Until now¡­


    ¡¯31?! Does that mean this guy also got to the Hidden Floor?!¡¯ My eyes bulged.


    No, no, I was overreacting.


    It could be that some of the Points were obtained from other Quests, like mine. I couldn¡¯t be too certain, though.


    In any case, I had to make a decision.


    ¡®Should I investigate the Tower of War to see if the Hidden Floor is still present, or¡­?¡¯


    ¡°Na! I¡¯ll just go to another Tower!¡±


    Making up my mind, I jumped to my feet and shook off whatever fatigue was left within me. Having seen something like this, there was no way I could take a break.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be overtaken again! If I lose another Tower, it will mean the end!¡±


    Getting Quests outside the Tower¡ªand fulfilling them¡ªwasn¡¯t easy. Even though I spent 3 months on it, I could only amass 11 meager Points.


    There was no way I could rely on those to reach an AP of 100. The Towers were my only choice to achieve my goals.


    ¡®Once I¡¯m done with the other two Towers, I¡¯ll simply return to War and check if the Hidden Floor is still present¡­¡¯


    My reward for clearing the other Floors would be diminished, considering I wasn¡¯t the first to conquer them, so I simply couldn¡¯t afford to waste time on the Tower Of War any longer.


    ¡°Time to head out once again¡­ to the Tower of¡ª¡±

 Chapter 330 Partners

    >SHUUUUUU!!!<


    A swirling pool of light enveloped a dark area, and then two beings emerged from the portal.


    Their silhouettes were entuated by the brimming bluish glow of the portal behind them.


    One of the two resembled an adult male, ad the other was a young girl.


    Soon, the portal vanished, and the two were left in the silent, dark room¡ªall alone.


    ¡°Keukk!!¡±


    The man knelt abruptly, gripping his chest tightly as he made an agonizing sound.


    ¡°Paul!¡± The girl cried out, quickly kneeling by his side and showing immense concern.


    Even in the darkness, her innocent eyes pleaded with him to be alright.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Lily¡­ I just need some rest¡­¡± He wheezed heavily.


    Though he said that, the man¡¯s pale face and sweaty skin told his concerned partner that he was lying.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to put up a front with me. I know you¡¯re going through a lot of pain. You overexerted yourself back there¡­¡±


    Her voice trailed, and the girl¡¯s crimson eyes seemed to hide some form of pain.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t¡­ we wouldn¡¯t have been able to win. Still, it wasn¡¯t enough¡­ Nng!¡±


    The man¡ªPaul¡ªraised himself, until he stood. Still clutching his chest tightly, he made for a sofa by the corner of the room.


    Lily, his partner, followed suit and sat on another chair opposite him.


    Both their eyes shone in the darkness.


    ¡°Ah, I nearly forgot. Light.¡±


    Instantly, the room became enveloped in light and the features of both of them came into view.


    Their outfits were a mess, and their bodies had bruises all over. It was as though they had just survived some terrible ident, but both of them gave each other knowing smiles.


    These wounds would soon heal on their own, anyway.


    ¡°¡­ It was tougher than I thought.¡± Paul resumed.


    His white hair swerved as he coughed some more, and his eyes narrowed in both anger and determination.


    ¡°You did great, Paul! We were able to get the Boss.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough!¡± He snapped.


    Lily, the girl, was taken aback by this, and then kept quiet.


    She had only intended tofort him, but aggravated the man instead. She knew the reason why he was so angry even though they had conquered a whole Tower by themselves.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t get the Hidden Floor¡­ shit!¡±


    The Rule was that they had toplete every single quest in the Tower without failing a single one or using a Return Stone.


    They had a pretty good run and managed to surpass all the challenges until they arrived at the 91st Floor.


    Due to the sudden change in the Tower¡¯s challenge, they lost the first time and had to challenge it again.


    As a result, even though the two had adapted and managed to give their all into facing the other Floors¡ªreaching and defeating the Boss¡ªno Hidden Floor appeared.


    ¡°We used up a great deal of our assets, and it¡¯ll take some time to restock them¡­ yet, I couldn¡¯t get it!¡±


    Lily bit her lip.


    She felt guilty.


    Despite how hard they both worked, the girl felt inadequatepared to Paul. He was their leader, as well as her everything. She would do anything for his sake and even throw her life away for him, yet¡­


    ¡­ Even she was too useless to help him achieve his goals.


    She was too weak!


    ¡°Are you having those thoughts again? You should stop.¡±


    Lily, upon hearing Paul¡¯s gentle voice, bobbed hair hung hear and gazed upon him.


    ¡°A¡ªah¡­¡±


    He had already stripped halfway, revealing his well-toned skin and perfect muscles. He had wounds all over, but they were already healing.


    ¡°You should clean up in the other room too¡­ we can¡¯t remain like this forever, can we?¡± He mumbled with a slight smile.


    Lily¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Paul, despite his obsession with the goals he had set for himself, was still so kind to her. Even after suffering so much and pushing himself for her sake, he still gave her his smile.


    All her negative thoughts were immediately washed away by the young man, and just seeing his deep crimson eyes gave her strength.


    ¡°Okay!¡± The innocent girl beamed and charged in the direction of her room.


    There were lots of spare clothes there, so she could change into something morefortable while they rested in the meantime.


    Well, only one of them would rest.


    ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Paul heaved a sigh and looked around the room.


    It was clean and tidy, all thanks to Lily¡¯s efforts.


    His eyes darted in the direction of a door. He knew what was beyond it.


    ¡°I should start soon¡­¡± He mumbled as he walked there.


    What was beyond the door was a storage room. It was a ce where he kept so many tools and materials.


    Of course, the most important items were in his INVENTORY, but the Slots he had was limited.


    Even though his current Level was iparably higher than anyone in the world, he still had limited INVENTORY Slots.


    There was nothing he could do about that, so this Safehouse served as a ce to stash his other important items and raw materials.


    ¡°¡­ It will take some time to regain our strength¡­¡± He mumbled, entering the room.


    Once Paul dered light, the entire ce shimmered with illumination.


    He found a ce to sit among so many poles of ores and jewels.


    From items that resembled Gold, Diamonds, Rubies, and several others, to even rarer objects that could only be found in legends¡ªPaul had them all.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll also have to restock on all the items we expended thest time, and make new ones too¡­¡±


    Thankfully he had gotten quite a deal of items, Skills, and Titles, from the Tower of War¡ªa majority being Items.


    With those Items, he would be able to create even more powerful tools for himself and his partner.


    His red eyes eyed a shimmering board in front of him, and the t surface offered Paul a reflection of himself.


    So much had changed ever since that day.


    To survive, he had done so many unspeakable things.


    He wed his way out of the hellhole where he was trapped, and by using his [Smithing] Gift¡ªas well as a little guidance¡ªhe was able to reach this point.


    Throughout his journey, there was one factor that pushed him above all others¡­ one critical drive that drove him to the point of obsession.


    ¡ªRevenge.


    ¡°¡­ Jeremy should have already seen the System Notification of the Tower being cleared. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll hurriedly raid the other Towers.¡±


    That was why he couldn¡¯t waste any time. In his current state, he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive the ordeals of another Tower, but if he hurried and prepared for what was toe, then¡­


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long now, Jeremy¡­ you just wait!¡±


    ¡­ Paul wasn¡¯t going to let the enemy have his way!

 Chapter 331 Tower Of Lack

    There were four Towers erected for the first scenario.


    The Tower Of Death.


    The Tower Of War


    The Tower Of Lack


    The Tower Of Conquerors


    These were dubbed after the Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse, each having 99 Floors as well as a Hidden Floor that housed their respective Horseman.


    Conquering the Towers was the preupation of Gifteds at this point. The rewards they received from ascending each Level, as well as the EXP obtained, were essential in defeating the enemies that would surface in a few months¡¯ time.


    At least, that was supposed to be the general narrative.


    *************


    >FWOOOSSSHHHH<


    I appeared out of a warbling ck portal¡ªmurky and ominous as the Tower I just exited.


    Upon returning to my room, I copsed on the ground and sighed¡ªwatching the ck portal fade away.


    ¡°Sons of bitches¡­¡±


    The reason for cursing, despite the beads of sweat on my face and the heaving breaths I let out, was due to the experiences I just endured in the Tower I came out of.


    The Tower of Lack!


    ¡°Shit¡­ who would have known¡­¡±


    Even though each Tower¡¯s difficulty was bnced, they had their respective themes and unique traits.


    For Death, that would be the Undead and the loads of Miasma that choked the whole ce. It was also easy to imagine the major theme of the Tower Of War. But, how could I have expected what I faced in the Tower Of Lack?


    The inability to use Items!


    I couldn¡¯t even resort to [Subspace], or call on my army, or utilize the special effects of my tools. How crazy was that?!


    The Tower expected the Gifteds to utilize only their Skills, Titles, Gifts, and General Stats throughout the adventure. Unfortunately, my Gift relied heavily on the use of Items, so I was restricted by far.


    If one used Skills to summon more allies or weapons to fight, the Skill would be rendered invalid¡­ and a penalty was also given.


    How annoying was that?


    If this had happened in the Tower Of Death, I would have had an extremely difficult time. Heck, I could have even lost!


    Fortunately, the Towers were well-bnced, so the heavy restrictions given by the Tower Of Lack were mitigated by the quality and quantity of opponents one faced.


    Unlike the other Towers, the Tower Of Lack mostly dealt with adventures such as interaction with the denizens of the Tower, searching for lost treasures, uncovering mysteries, etc.


    At the end of each Floor, a Boss appeared.


    The Tower Of Lack didn¡¯t ce much emphasis on mobs. A Floor had one big bad. The Boss was either a mastermind of misfortune, the guardian of a treasure, a tyrannical ruler, etc.


    Still, it was too time-consuming.


    The Tower resembled a game where I couldn¡¯t skip the cutscenes because of important information and clues that could be found in every nook and cranny. It required brainpower and meticulousness.


    It was due to this very reason that so many weak Gifteds swarmed this Tower. Unlike the others, the difficulty of ¡®Lack¡¯ was lower. Plus, since they didn¡¯t have many items and good gear, the restrictions of the Tower never really affected them.


    Only Return Stones could be used¡ªbut I didn¡¯t even bother about it.


    By the time I arrived at the 99th Floor, I was plenty exhausted. Not only physically, but also mentally. Fortunately, I had amassed lots of Skills, else I would have been in serious trouble.


    The Boss was dubbed ¡®Lord Of The Flies,¡¯ and was basically swarmed with annoying little insects.


    He resembled a mummified human, but with his face exposed¡ªalong with other parts of his body.


    He was so thin andnky that his flesh clung close to his bones. The bloodshot expression he had depicted hunger¡­ and a thirst for blood.


    With a scythe as his weapon, his garb like a farmer, and the venue a vast wastnd, our battlemenced.


    Of course, I won, since it was only a Grade 4 Demon, but it was increasingly annoying how the guy evaded my attacks.


    His scythe¡¯s effect kept depleting my HP after a single hit, and the annoying flies that attacked were also quite troublesome.


    I won only because of my superior abilities.


    Finally, I confronted the Boss of the Hidden Floor¡ªLack himself.


    He sat atop a ck horse.


    The horseman was clothed in all-ck, having a faded tone to it. On his hand was a scale, and his other unupied hand beckoned to me.


    Thanks to the patience I gathered from the 99 Floors before this one, I was able to listen to his first statement¡­


    ¡°Human, I am surprised you made it this far. You will make a fine addition to my collection.¡±


    ¡­ And then obliterated him.


    I first dealt with the horse, then dealt with the rider.


    Lack¡¯s ability was quite tricky, as his Scale Of Imbnce gave him the advantage inbat. No matter what I threw at him, something of greater proportion would instantly proceed from his Item.


    I mean, how fair was it that he could use his Item and I couldn¡¯t? That made no sense!


    His attire reversed any damage dealt to him, and he restored himself with my vitality and HP.


    His Skills were not as powerful as Death¡¯s, but they were incredibly annoying. He mostly used Debuffs that made my powerful strikes seem like a baby¡¯s punch. The bastard also had the annoying ability of increasing my Mana Cost, lengthening my Cooldown Period, forcibly canceling out my Skills, etc.


    I figured it was more disadvantageous to me because I was a solo yer. If a Party challenged him, they had a pretty good chance of winning.


    Even though he was a Grade 6 Demon, his base Stats were akin to a Grade 5. He was physically weak, and simply wore me down topensate. In short, he brought me down to his level.


    I found that annoying, but having no other choice, I persisted.


    Fortunately, I had a wider array of Skills than he did, and after a terrible back and forth, I finally emerged victorious.


    ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­ that was the worst match of my life¡­¡±


    It seemed like true power wasn¡¯t simply restricted to brute force, but also sly abilities like the ones I faced.


    Now, though, those abilities were mine.


    ¡®I just need to rest for a bit¡­ and then the final Tower will be mine!¡¯

 Chapter 332 Preparation For The Final Tower

    [Time Remaining Until The Arrival Of The Horsemen: 3 Months, 6 Weeks, 2 Days]


    ¡°Haa¡­ looks like I took too long while resting.¡±


    Rising from my bed, I jumped to my feet while stretching every muscle of my body. Nothing ached, nothing was stiff¡­ I was feeling perfectly refreshed.


    ¡°Good! LEADERBOARD.¡±


    A System Window appeared in front of me and I observed what it disyed.


    As usual, I was in first ce¡ªhaving a total of 71 Achievement Points.


    The second position was still held by Pariah. He remained at 31 Points, thankfully. That meant he hadn¡¯t conquered the Tower Of Conquerors yet.


    With a sigh of relief, I made for the bathroom to refresh myself.


    The position beneath Pariah was Lilith. He/She had 23 APs, a surprise to me. That meant they had also cleared a Tower.


    ¡®It has to be one of the Towers that have already been conquered¡­¡¯


    Since there was no announcement that another Tower was cleared, I made that assumption myself.


    The other positions beneath third ce belonged to Tia¡¯s team members. They each had 20 APs each¡ªthough Tia had 21. Even though they were simply extras in my Quests, the System still recognized them as one of the people who cleared a Tower¡ªhence their Points.


    Seeing their names on the list made me wonder how the group was. I remembered suggesting that we raided the Tower Of War together before the whole Pariah mess.


    ¡®Well, I don¡¯t really need them anymore. I can climb the Tower solo now¡­¡¯


    The others beneath Tia and friends were those who hadn¡¯t even reached 10 AP, so they weren¡¯t worth my time.


    ¡®I should hurry up¡­¡¯


    ***************


    Tia was standing, resting her back on the wall, while waiting for her colleagues.


    A troubled expression yed on her face, and anyone could tell that she felt uneasy. It didn¡¯t have anything to do with her physical well-being. No, it was purely emotional.


    There was something on her mind¡ªor, rather, someone.


    ¡°We¡¯re all set!¡± A voice called out to her.


    She looked in the direction of the energetic sound and saw Darwin. Beside him were Terry and Sara.


    The Party members were all outfitted in gear that made it clear what they were nning to do.


    ¡°Whew! I still can¡¯t believe three Towers have been conquered already¡­¡± Terry spoke excitedly.


    Even though this was hardly news to everyone present, he said it to get rid of the silence that permeated them. Whether or not they spoke about it, Terry still felt awkward amid everyone else.


    It was true that he abandoned them for his own safety¡ªhe betrayed everyone¡¯s trust and left them to die. If not for the intervention of their savior, they would have all died¡ªTerry included.


    Still, after the whole ordeal, when they returned from the Tower, a decision had to be made concerning his betrayal.


    He had expected to be kicked out of the team and branded a traitor. Surprisingly, they only requested a fine and a sincere apology¡ªwhich he dly gave.


    Usually, the punishment of a traitor would have been more severe than the price he paid, so Terry was grateful¡ªnot just to them, but also to the Masked Man. It was because of the immense profits everyone raked in that made them more amodating to Terry¡¯s treachery.


    The Party, now having Darwin as their leader, gathered up their spoils, and sold the ones they wanted to. The profits were immense, though thanks to the rewards of the Tower, Karma Points wasn¡¯t their problem.


    They were rich!


    Their names were even ced high on the Leaderboard, and they had top-tier gears and items.


    Even with average Levels¡ªthanks to their equipment¡ªthey rivaled the Rankers! No, they were Rankers themselves.


    It was all thanks to one man¡ªThe Masked Hero.


    ¡°Hm? Something on your mind, Tia?¡± Darwin asked the sulking girl.


    He had a good idea of what was bothering her, but still decided to address the matter before they began their mission. It wouldn¡¯t do well for their scout¡ªand also the most powerful member of their team¡ªto be in poor spirits.


    ¡°O¡ªoh¡­ I was just thinking about the Masked Hero¡­ or should we call him The Hoarder¡­?¡±


    The top spot on the Leaderboard was unquestionably the domain of The Hoarder. The fact that they had met the Masked Hero and experienced his greatness, who else could they attribute his identity with?


    ¡°What about him?¡± Darwin asked, nearly sighing.


    He knew what wasing next.


    ¡°W¡ªwell¡­ why hasn¡¯t he reached out to us? We were supposed to raid the Towers together, right?¡±


    Darwin didn¡¯t know what to say to the girl.


    It was true that their benefactor had told them that they should attack the Tower Of War the next day after they parted ways. However, hours after they exited the Tower, a System Announcement dered that the Tower had been conquered.


    Then, two days after, the Tower Of Lack waspleted as well.


    Who else could have pulled off such a feat except for the Masked Hero?


    ¡°You should know by now, Tia¡­ he already cleared those other Towers by himself. He doesn¡¯t¡­ need us¡­¡±


    It was painful to admit, but Darwin¡ªno, even Sara and Terry¡ªknew it was the truth. Only Tia was in denial.


    ¡°He has done so much for us already. He saved our lives and allowed us to apany him¡ªgaining free rewards in return¡­¡± Darwin mumbled.


    The Party was probably a burden to him, so he decided to head over to the Tower Of War and Lack by himself. Ultimately, they were only dead weightpared to The Hoarder¡¯s powers.


    ¡°B¡ªbut¡­ he told us to meet¡­¡± Tia still mumbled.


    Darwin smiled.


    He had never seen this girl as emotionally fixated on anyone or anything besides the Masked Man.


    ¡®I suppose she¡¯s at that age, uh¡­?¡¯ The older man made a wry grin.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re heading for the Tower Of Conquerors. If we¡¯re lucky, we can meet up with him.¡±


    Upon hearing Darwin¡¯s words, Tia¡¯s eyes sparkled with life and her clouded expression brightened up.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡®Good grief¡­¡¯ The older man gave a sigh.


    What could he do about this girl¡¯s obsession with their benefactor?


    ¡°Yeah. Really!¡±

 Chapter 333 The Tower Of Conquerors [Pt 1]

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Paul was already done on his end.


    With him was a small backpack¡ªa special item¡ªthat allowed him to store way more than its size indicated.


    His inventory was also chock-full of Items and very useful tools. In short, he was well-prepared for the travails thaty ahead.


    The question he asked was directed at his partner who was already walking toward him.


    One would think they were siblings since they both had crimson eyes and white hair.


    She too was carrying a backpack simr to his, and her outfit indicated she was well-prepared for the trials they were about to face.


    Once she reached his location, the girl nodded.


    ¡°Good, Lily¡­¡± Paul smiled at the girl and she returned the favor.


    They both understood each other, and also how critical this mission was.


    ¡®This is the first time Paul has ever taken so many items¡­¡¯ Lily thought to herself.


    She didn¡¯t know much about everything else, but the girl had studied Paul to a veryrge extent.


    In all their missions, he never utilized over fifty percent of his stockpile. Yet, he was currently donning about ny percent of the most powerful items he had.


    Of course, Lily knew the reason behind his actions.


    ¡°Jeremy will be there as well, knowing him¡­¡± The young man interrupted her thoughts, causing her to sharply bob her head to indicate that she understood.


    ¡°We need to get to the goal before he does.¡±


    Lily bobbed her head again.


    ¡°Now, then¡­ Let¡¯s not waste any time. There¡¯s also no need to panic. After all¡­¡±


    Paul¡¯s smile grew wider as he passionately locked eyes with his partner.


    ¡°¡­ The gods are on our side.¡±


    *****************


    A bright light shone from under me and I could feel the space around me get distorted.


    I had experienced this feeling twice already¡ªwhen I entered the Tower of Death, and then the Tower of Lack.


    Exiting was a different feeling, but going in made me exhrated.


    ¡®The Top yers must be gathered at the Tower Of Conquerors since it¡¯s thest one to be conquered¡­¡¯ I reasoned.


    No one in their right mind would make an already conquered Tower their priority. It was clear that those who wanted more rewards would tilt in the direction of the only Tower that still stood undefeated.


    ¡®Annoying pests will swarm the area¡­ jeez¡­¡¯


    Since I would have to begin from the Starting Point, I would be behind a lot of people, but that didn¡¯t matter to me.


    I would overtake most of them in a jiffy.


    The issue was the difficulty of the Tower Of Conquerors.


    Using the Information Brokers¡¯ Manual Item I got from SHOP, I discovered that the Tower Of Conquerors had the highest level of difficulty in terms ofbat.


    While other Towers focused on other things¡ªconspiracies, no items, debuffs, strategy, etc.¡ªthe Tower Of Conquerors was based on pure power.


    The one with the greatest force would seed.


    That made things simple enough, and I already considered it my favorite of the four.


    The bright light had already taken me to another space, and so I was already taking in the ambiance of the structure¡¯s interior.


    ¡°Alright¡­ let us begin.¡± A whisper leaked out as the light vanished.


    Once I blinked and opened my eyes, a new world was spread out before me. I couldn¡¯t believe what I saw.


    ¡®This is¡­ the Tower¡­?¡¯


    Bright white paint was spread out all over therge hall used as the entrance area, and golden chandeliers hung on the ceiling.


    It was mesmerizing how the golden designs blended so well with the surreal white colors of the surrounding area.


    The tiled grounds were white, and everything around was so beautiful.


    This was by far the grandest entrance I had seen so far.


    It was luxurious beyond imagination.


    Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t the only one present.


    Many light beams shot out throughout the room as several people gathered.


    I saw Gifteds of various nationalities gather about. Some were in Parties, while a few seemed to be Solo¡ªor waiting for their other members to arrive.


    I could see at least a few thousand humans scattered about the hall, yet it didn¡¯t even seem to be the tiniest bit full.


    At the end of the Hall, I noticed seven golden doors¡ªeach separated byrge spaces in-between.


    As I surmised, they were all entrances.


    ¡®The problem is¡­ are all of them correct choices? Or, is there only one valid option?¡¯


    Was it even worth considering?


    The Tower existed to help Gifteds grow in preparation for the arrival of the Four Horsemen. There was no way Gifteds would be forced to choose out of seven choices when six would be wrong.


    In the end, I had to assume that they were all correct choices. The paths would intersect at some point, or there were probably seven different routes in the Tower Of Conquerors.


    ¡®I¡¯m getting excited! This will be¡ª¡¯


    ¡°Masked Hero!!!¡± A voice interrupted my thoughts, making me sharply turn in the direction of the owner.


    It was a familiar tone, one I had heard quite recently.


    Since I hardly interacted with a lot of people, only a few individuals registered in my brain¡ªof which this one was a part.


    ¡°Y¡ªyou¡­!¡±


    My eyes widened a bit as I saw a familiar group advance toward me.


    One woman, in particr, was faster than the others as she charged in my direction.


    ¡®Tia?!¡¯


    Her body wasunched in my direction and she buried herself in an embrace with me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy we got to see you here!¡± She sobbed.


    ¡®Seriously?! This girl? These guys¡­?!¡¯


    I was surprised.


    Very surprised!


    ¡°U-Uh, it¡¯s good to see you here too¡­¡±


    ¡®What the heck are you guys doing here?¡¯


    Since I didn¡¯t need any team members, I was nning on making my journey as fast as possible. Why did these people have to bother me now?!


    ¡°What a fortunate coincidence, sir.¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you again¡­¡±


    ¡°So nice of us to meet again. Please forgive the behavior of our friend, Tia.¡±


    The other three members of their Party approached me with smiles on their faces.


    I rolled my eyes behind my mask at the bunch of mobs.


    ¡®Tch¡­ I should get rid of them¡­¡¯

 Chapter 334 The Tower Of Conquerors [Pt 2]

    ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure I stood these guys up. Shouldn¡¯t that have given them the hint that I want nothing to do with them again¡­?¡¯


    I red from behind my mask and saw nothing but human baggage trying to get closer to me.


    ¡°Did you really conquer the Tower Of War yourself?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really amazing!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we had the privilege of witnessing you in action.¡±


    ¡°You are the Hoarder, right?¡±


    Multiple questions were thrown at me as I stared at them. Not only were these guys wasting my time, but I also couldn¡¯t even do anything to harm them since that would seriously worsen the terrible state of my Alignment.


    ¡®And then, there are so many witnesses¡­¡¯ I looked around and watched as attention was being drawn to me.


    It truly was a bother.


    ¡°You came to clear the Tower too, right? I have a proposition. Want to hear me out?¡±


    Once I said that, their questions ceased and the curious eyes they gave suddenly gleamed with some other emotion.


    Greed!


    ¡°Yes! Absolutely!¡±


    ¡®As expected of them¡­¡¯ I mused.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for those who had gotten a taste of greatness to resist another bite. It was the same with the Gifteds before me.


    All I had to do was bait them with more incentives and they would obediently fall under my leash.


    ¡®Now, then¡­ let¡¯s use this strategy instead¡­¡¯


    Some of the Gifteds around had already begun going to the seven doors that were spread out in the hall, but others loitered about.


    I could sense multiple gazes on me, but ignoring them was probably for the best.


    Activating [Subspace], I brought an Item called ¡®Silencer¡¯.


    As its name implied, it shut off all sound within a specified perimeter.


    Within the perimeter¡ªthat included the members of Tia¡¯s party and me¡ªI made my proposition.


    ¡°What do you say about splitting up in groups? I n on exploring all seven doors of this Tower. By splitting up our forces, we can be able to achieve that. What do you think?¡±


    The Party seemed shell-shocked upon hearing what I had to say. Who wouldn¡¯t be?


    A group was formed with the intention of teamwork, to begin with. Telling such a team to split while exploring a dangerous area was nothing short of madness.


    However¡­


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know about the rest, but¡­ I will trust you and agree to your n!¡± Tia spoke first.


    I smiled behind my mask.


    She really was infatuated with me. I wondered how that was possible when the woman had no idea how I even looked like¡ªnot that it was that big a deal.


    ¡°Well, considering all that has happened in the past, I too will trust your words,¡± Darwinmented, stroking his chin.


    ¡°What do you guys think?¡±


    The older man looked at the remaining two who hadn¡¯t made up their minds.


    ¡°Will you be able to guarantee our safety?¡± Terry blurted out.


    ¡®Tch!¡¯


    ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s the Masked Hero we¡¯re talking about here!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a bit rude, Terry? Didn¡¯t he prove himself well enough thest time?¡±


    The young manughed ufortably as he received the bashing of Tia and Darwin. Even after they were done with his tongueshing, the two profusely apologized on his behalf.


    It went to show how much they held me in high regard.


    ¡®That guy, Terry¡­ how did he¡­¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my impudence. It¡¯s just¡­ I won¡¯t feel safe otherwise¡­¡± His tone was respectful, but also full of caution.


    ¡®¡­ His intuition is good.¡¯


    It was either that or he was too paranoid. Either way, out of everyone present, he made the best call.


    ¡®I was nning on making sure they got involved in some ident¡ªsomething that has no implication with me, but¡­ if he makes me promise to protect them, then¡­¡¯


    It was a bother, but I had to cater to them to a certain extent with my abilities.


    ¡°I¡¯ll guarantee that my subordinates will do their utmost to guarantee your safety¡­¡± I addressed them all, focusing my gaze on Terry.


    Their facial muscles rxed and a smile formed on their faces.


    These people had all seen what my Enved Demons were capable of, after all.


    ¡°¡­ Will that be enough?¡±


    Terry seemed to shiver once I asked him and he nodded vehemently. Not only that, but he also thanked me profusely and apologized once again for his forward question.


    Sara, the final member of the team, nodded in agreement.


    With that being settled, I decided to take all four of them under my wings to confirm a theory of mine.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be split into separate teams. I will summon two of my Demons each to escort you all, so you should be safe. Once it gets too dangerous, use a return stone to transport everyone to this Starting Area.¡±


    They nodded, liking the n so far. As expected, none of them had objections.


    ¡°Since there are seven doors and only five of us are here, we¡¯ll have to give up on two doors. Or, if there¡¯s enough time, we¡¯ll check it outter. For those who encounter overpowering opponents in your door, you may retreat and select a new door to investigate.¡±


    Once again, they bobbed their heads in affirmation.


    ¡®My goal is just to separate them from me as soon as possible. They¡¯ll only slow down my advance!¡¯


    I already basically knew they each door was nearly identical¡ªand it probably intersected at some point. But, by giving them this task, it was an excuse to leave them in the dust while I advanced.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame we don¡¯t have enough members, and Demon summons don¡¯t count as Challengers of the tower. If only¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I join in on this conversation?¡± A voice interrupted my halfhearted speech to my highly excited group.


    The tone and timing of the sound startled me enough to sharply look in the direction of the voice.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but overhear your conversation¡­¡± The one who spoke drew closer.


    He was previously located on my far left, but he had lessened the distance in a short while. Not only that, but he was also not alone.


    Beside him was a young girl, not looking more than sixteen, and they were outfitted in simr gear¡ªeven donning the same model of the ¡®Spacial Backpack¡¯.


    Judging by the color of their eyes and hair, as well as their oddly matching outfits, I had to assume they were rted.


    Still, what surprised me the most was hisst statement.


    ¡°¡­ You¡­ overheard?¡±

 Chapter 335 Pariah And Lilith

    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¡ªat 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 ufortable 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¡ªor 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 ce 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 ce 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.¡± Heughed 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 neer¡¯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 ce 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 loseposure.


    ¡°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 ce. Was this coincidence, or¡ª?!


    ¡°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 youe here for?¡± I asked, working out some details in my head.


    ¡°Out of curiosity, I eavesdropped. But after hearing your n, 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 beplete 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 topletely decide.


    To be honest, it benefitted me if he would go through a different door, and my curiosity was at its peak, but¡­ epting 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 ce.


    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 ess his INVENTORY to view or steal any Items there.


    This guy was like a living exception to my abilities!

 Chapter 336 Traversing The Tower [Pt 1]

    This was tricky.r


    Whoever this Pariah truly was, I didn¡¯t expect someone of his caliber to exist.r


    I thought he was the only exception, but after trying the same thing with Lilith, it was the same thing that happened.r


    ¡®I can¡¯t ess anything¡­ why?¡¯r


    ording to my Hoarder Skill, I had ess to everyone¡¯s Inventory. Why were these guys an exception?r


    Are their Levels higher than mine? No, that¡¯s impossible¡­ right?r


    The fact they could solo the Tower Of War meant they were very strong¡ªfar more powerful than the other chumps around, but¡­ how powerful were they?r


    ¡®Shit¡­ I don¡¯t have enough information¡­¡¯r


    Perhaps I was overreacting, but this wasn¡¯t normal. I had gotten veryfortable with my new abilities that it bothered me so much now that they weren¡¯t working on my targets.r


    No item I knew of could block by Hoarder abilities. Was it an exclusive stuff they got from the Tower Of War?r


    ¡®Damnit¡­ why can¡¯t I¡ª¡¯r


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Pariah interrupted my thoughts with his calm voice. r


    He was so cordial and gentlemanly that it was downright suspicious. Of course, I couldn¡¯t fault someone for being nice. Still¡­r


    ¡°N¡ªno, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± I replied, grateful that my mask blocked any expression I made.r


    I still had to give him my answer, though.r


    It was certain he had a motive for approaching me, but what could it be? The fact that he offered to use his drones also made it clear that he wanted to keep an eye on me.r


    Of course, if I refused that would probably be the end of it, but¡­ did I really want to do that?r


    ¡®It¡¯s risky, but¡­¡¯r


    ¡°Fine. Thanks for volunteering. Now that our formation isplete, there¡¯ll be no excess gates to cover. Plus your automatons will provide extra security, like you said.¡±r


    Pariah smiled, and when Lilith looked at his face, she smiled too. Something about her reminded me of a child, but I ignored it.r


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect, then. When do you want to start?¡±r


    ¡°How about¡­ now?¡±r


    With that said, I summoned several elites of mine using my Spirit Ring.r


    I brought out twelve in total¡ªensuring two would apany each participant.r


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s my turn now¡­¡±r


    A ring from Pariah¡¯s ring shone brightly, and a few structures began appearing. r


    They had silver-like bodies and resembled the drones I was familiar with. The seven drones hovered around him¡ªas big as a person¡¯s head¡ªand he smiled.r


    ¡°They may be small, but I can guarantee their efficiency.¡±r


    I nodded.r


    We were a total of seven, but he didn¡¯t need a drone, did he? Why did he summon seven? I had a fair idear


    ¡®He will keep an eye out for the Demons apanying him by letting his drone hover behind them. Smart.¡¯r


    The only thing I was curious about was whether that single drone was stronger than my Enved Minions.r


    I used the weakest of my elites¡ªA Mummy Couple, from the Tower Of Lack¡ªto follow him.r


    While they weren¡¯t up to par with the more powerful ones, the husband and wife were Grade 4 Demons. Would a single drone be enough to keep them at bay?r


    ¡®I guess I¡¯ll find out¡­¡¯r


    ¡°I have to say, Hoarder, this army of yours is impressive. You must have obtained them after you cleared the Tower Of Death¡­ or was it Lack?¡±r


    ¡®Nice try.¡¯ I smiled.r


    ¡°Your drones don¡¯t seem like theye from the Tower Of War. Did you make them yourself?¡±r


    ¡°A¡ªah, of course, not. I made them.¡±r


    ¡®Bingo!¡¯r


    I got my first clue.r


    ¡®This guy has a crafting Skill¡­¡¯r


    It was either that, or he had a Gift more attuned to that. It sort of reminded me of a particr someone who died by my hands. r


    ¡®Did this guy nab Paul¡¯s Skill from SHOP before I had the chance to?¡¯r


    That made sense, considering he also managed to clear the Tower Of War. r


    Also, the fact that my Hoarder ability didn¡¯t work on them made it even more suspicious. After umting the limited information so far, I arrived at a theory¡­r


    ¡®They must have received some help from god too!¡¯r


    If that was the case, then everything made sense. No, it made more sense this way. It wasn¡¯t like I was a special protagonist in a novel or anime with a cheat-like ability.r


    If there were others like me, then it was more realistic. So¡­ why¡­?!r


    Why was I feeling so bad about it?r


    Had I been so used to feeling special that I was threatened by the appearance of others like me? r


    ¡®Calm yourself, Jeremy¡­¡¯r


    One thing mattered above all else¡ªclearing this Tower and getting to the Hidden Floor.r


    ¡°Let us begin, then¡­¡±r


    With this, everyone nodded and parted ways.r


    I caught Tia stealing multiple nces in my direction, but Ipletely ignored her. A few others around were also astonished by the Enved Souls I summoned¡ªhow they walked behind every member of the alliance.r


    I sighed and moved in the direction of my specified door.r


    I took the one to the far left, while Pariah chose the one to the far right. The Lilith girl chose the one closest to his, while the rest also went their way.r


    Now before my door, I stared at the drone hovering behind me, and then returned my gaze to my front.r


    ¡®Whatever¡­ let¡¯s get this over with¡­¡¯r


    ************r


    The Tower Of Conquerors lived up to its name and infamy.r


    It was a ce that boasted a higher rate of difficultypared to the others I experienced.r


    From the first Floor, I was assailed by a single Golem¡ªwhich was Grade 2!r


    It was very weak by my standard, but¡­pared to everyone else, this was a strong obstacle.r


    Many weaklings would be forced to surrender based on the difficulty of this monster alone, while others would give up when they considered how powerful the opponents on higher Floors would be.r


    I understood their logic, but that didn¡¯t mean I had to empathize with it.r


    ¡®Since the drone is watching, I better limit my abilities¡­¡¯r


    Because of that, I brought out a de from my [Subspace] and drew it in the direction of the Golem.r


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll use this today, since that guy reminded me of someone I used to know¡­ the one who made the original version.¡± I grinned.r


    Gripping my katana well, Iunched myself in the direction of the construct.r

 Chapter 337 Traversing The Tower [Pt 2]

    >WHOOOOSSSHHHH!!!<r


    In one clean hit, I sliced through the Demon construct and defeated the opponent.r


    It was easy.r


    I wasn¡¯t even using any Skill.r


    My base abilities had long surpassed this state. The items I currently had equipped were about Grade 4 Level, so they weren¡¯t too powerful.r


    ¡®Now, then¡­¡¯r


    My eyes moved quickly as I stole a nce at the machine behind me. As expected, it was fixated on me.r


    ¡®Didn¡¯t he say he wanted to learn more about the doors? Pfft.¡¯r


    The other drones in the other areas were most likely monitoring my summoned monsters to gauge their capabilities too.r


    ¡®It¡¯s all in vain, though. I only summoned Grade 4 Demons¡­¡¯r


    None were even of the High-Tier, so it was fine.r


    ¡°I¡¯ll save the likes of Helios and Niggaruth forter¡­¡± A whisper escaped my breath.r


    Continuing my climb, I encountered several monsters.r


    It was fun in a way¡ªpummeling weak ass beings. For real, it helped me think more clearly.r


    As I diced them with my Katana, my mind became clearer. But, as expected, this feeling didn¡¯tst very long. I advanced very quickly, reaching the Levels in the 30s in only a few minutes.r


    Once I arrived there, it got boring. r


    To alleviate the monotonous activity, and also for another purpose, I summoned a ¡®Trump Card.¡¯r


    ¡®Niggaruth said it was now under my control, but I¡¯ve never used it before¡­¡¯r


    ¡ªThe Goliath.r


    Once I brought it out of [Subspace], it looked quite intimidating. Perhaps it was due to the kind of enemies I was currently facing.r


    ¡®Welp¡­ I should give it amand.¡¯r


    Goliath was Niggaruth¡¯s Trump Card¡ªa construct that exceeded his offensive abilities back when I met the Ancient Vampire.r


    Of course, the current Niggaruth would wipe the floor with this thing, but¡­ this was something that a Grade 4 Demon praised. It had to be at the peak of its Grade.r


    ¡®Let¡¯s take it out for a spin.¡¯r


    And that was how I began my new journey. By allowing Goliath¡ªa Boss-Level being that belonged in the Floors of the 90s¡ªto defeat all the weaklings in my path.r


    We finally passed the 39th Floor, when I noticed something peculiar about the 40th Floor.r


    ¡°Oh? These guys are¡­?¡±r


    Before me were a group of 41 individuals.r


    They all seemed to have decent gear, and their Inventories seemed nicely stacked too¡ªthough it seemed to be running empty.r


    ¡®Level 150+, uh? There¡¯s no doubt about it. These guys¡­¡¯r


    They were Rankers!r


    The fact they were on the 40th Floor, and were gathered while fighting a monster meant that they were the strongest humans currently.r


    Their Inventory were full of items and rewards from the lower Floors, and they seemed a bit disheveled¡ªno, that was probably being generous.r


    ¡®Are they struggling to beat¡­ that¡­?¡¯r


    I looked at the opponent they all ganged up on and saw why.r


    It was a Grade 3 Demon.r


    The fact that such a beast appeared in the 40th Floor spoke volumes of the difficulty.r


    Unlike the Tower Of Death that employed the use of multiple Mobs, the Tower Of Conquerors had fewer enemies around.r


    The Boss being pushed back seemed to be in the middle to upper tier of Grade 3.r


    ¡®Sigh, I¡¯ve gotten rusty in estimating the abilities of weaklings¡­¡¯r


    I pondered on what to do.r


    ¡®Should I rescue them?¡¯r


    If I did that, then I would get a plus in terms of my Alignment. Plus, the subjugation rewards would go to me¡ªnot them.r


    Unfortunately, thetter meant they could end up resenting me for butting in. Once that happened, it could negatively affect my Alignment.r


    ¡®The System may consider it as interference or something¡­ or maybe I¡¯m just being paranoid?¡¯r


    Well, I wasn¡¯t desperate enough to risk anything, especially when the rewards weren¡¯t exactly worth it.r


    ¡®I¡¯ll just see how it goes¡­¡¯r


    If these guys died, I could simply loot them without having to worry about my Alignment.r


    ¡®Oh, wait¡­ what if¡ª?!¡¯r


    My lips curled up to form a malevolent grin. I had just the perfect n.r


    ¡®Hehehehehe!!!!¡¯r


    ******************r


    ¡°Huu¡­ this isn¡¯t too difficult.¡± Pariah murmured to himself.r


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Someone else rang out.r


    That was the voice of Lilith. She wasn¡¯t with him currently, but her every sound was being transmitted by the drone Pariah left with her.r


    ¡°As expected, you cleared the 25th Floor with no difficulty.¡± He smiled at a Panel beside him.r


    Lily¡¯s face was disyed on the screen¡ªalso thanks to his Automaton¡¯s high-spec function.r


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s a bit lonely without you, though.¡±r


    Pariahughed a little.r


    He knew Lilith only tried her hardest when he was with her. Though he had made sure they both preserved a great deal of their abilities for the task ahead, it seemed Lily was holding back too much.r


    ¡°You better hurry¡­ or you¡¯ll be left behind.¡±r


    ¡°Ahhh? Jeez, no fair! You¡¯re on the 35th Floor already! That¡¯s cheating!¡±r


    Pariah chuckled as Lilith attempted being cute.r


    If she was beside him, he could try patting her, but¡­ r


    ¡®Well, it¡¯s necessary for the n¡­¡¯r


    ¡°Just focus on climbing the Floors and catch up to me quickly. It seems out target has caught up to the other Rankers.¡±r


    ¡°Oh? Already? He¡¯s fast!¡±r


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s what I would expect of him. He still has that impatient attitude of his. He even summoned a Golem with higher physical specs than him to fight. He must really want to get to the higher Floors as soon as possible.¡±r


    ¡°Really? How strong is the Golem?¡±r


    A moment of silence filled the room where Pariah stood. A shimmering portal waited for him to proceed to a higher Floor, but he paused to answer Lilith¡¯s question.r


    ¡°To be frank, it¡¯s stronger than I am. But, with my equipment, I should have no issues winning. Still, to think he had something like that up his sleeve.¡±r


    Pariah had thought that these Enved Souls were the strongest Demons he had in his arsenal, but who would have thought that he had an even bigger gun.r


    The possibility that the Hoarder¡ªJeremy¡ªwas hiding something even more powerful existed, but Pariah doubted it.r


    The Jeremy he knew would stop at nothing to achieve what he wanted. He would use all he had in an attempt to w to victory.r


    That Golem was a tool he was using to reach the top as fast as possible.r


    Still, Pariah wasn¡¯t very worried. So far, all was falling within expectations. Besides¡­ it wasn¡¯t like he nned on having a direct confrontation with the enemy¡ªat least not at this point.r


    ¡®Unlike Jeremy, I know how to prioritize the goal above all else¡­ and that¡¯s what I will do!¡¯r


    Ultimately, the one who would be losing it all¡­ was the Hoarder himself!r

 Chapter 338 Rankers [Pt 1]

    ¡°GUARRRKKKK!!!¡± The Grade 3 Demon let out a deafening cry.


    It had neared the end of its life, so this was the only resistance it could cut up as ast-ditch struggle to survive.


    Unfortunately for the beast¡­


    >SWISH!<


    >SWOOOSHH!<


    >BOOOOMMM!!!<


    ¡­ Its adversaries didn¡¯t give it any room to fight with what little strength it had left.


    Right there and then¡­ the monster died.


    ¡®It was stronger than them individually, but by working together, even mere insects can take down a massive giant¡­ how unfair is that?¡¯ I thought to myself as I observed the scene.


    After deliberating internally, I had decided to simply watch how the fight would y out. Somehow the group managed to win, but I wasn¡¯t fazed.


    It wasn¡¯t really a loss.


    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­¡±


    ¡°Arh! I¡¯m beat!¡±


    ¡°That was a bit tough¡­¡±


    The Rankers all fell to the ground and sat in exhaustion.


    Clearly, they needed a break after exerting themselves so much. A total number of forty-one of them were journeying together¡­ that was quite a surprise.


    ¡°I wonder¡­¡±


    My mumble was loud enough for one of them¡ªmost likely a Thief¡ªto notice. He swiftly moved his head and nced in my direction.


    It wasn¡¯t like I was trying to hide, so I didn¡¯t bother concealing myself. Once the man¡¯s eyes met mine, I stepped forward and revealed myself to the group.


    ¡°Someone else was here?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°That guy¡­ is he¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Who the hell? How long has he been standing there?¡±


    ¡°That thing behind him¡­ what the heck is it?¡±


    ¡°He must be a Tamer¡­¡±


    Multiplements were made, but I ignored their murmurs and closed our distance.


    Since they were mostly tired, all the members of the group were unmotivated to fight. However, they must have seen the Level and Stats of my Golem, because they all sprang to their feet and readied themselves before Ipletely reached them.


    ¡®Oh, please¡­¡¯ I nearly rolled my eyes.


    While I didn¡¯t particrly dislike acts of caution toward me, this time was a bit excessive. They were all ring murderously at me.


    ¡°Oi, who are you?¡±


    ¡°How long have you been there?¡±


    ¡°He must have been waiting for us to be exhausted¡­ then he would attack us with that thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Who is he? I can¡¯t see his System Introduction. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ is his Level¡­?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible, right? It¡¯s probably the effect of an item¡ªprobably that mask¡­¡±


    They made spections, but Ipletely ignored them regardless.


    ¡®At times like this, you have to wait for the perfect moment!¡¯


    ¡°Excuse me, sir. Can you state your business?¡±


    Once I heard the voice, I stopped dead in my tracks.


    Standing before me was a woman. She had blond hair, and her physique wasn¡¯t bad either. Judging her age, she could be in her early thirties, though she was plenty attractive.


    Her gaze was sharp, and the grip on her de was strong as well. However, unlike the others who had unsheathed their weapons, and were emitting intense bloodlust, she seemed more collected.


    Her hand was on her sheathed de, but she had a cool expression.


    ¡®Looks like I found the one in charge.¡¯


    Answering everyone else would reduce my prestige. To handle this sort of matter,manding an interaction with the head of a group was the best route to take.


    ¡°I am simply a challenger of the Tower, just like you. Since you all seemed to be busy, I waited for you to be done with your business before interrupting.¡±


    Thedy¡ªVivian Mayers, from her System Introduction¡ªsighed a bit and looked around, signaling the group to lower their guard. Her guard also seemed to lessen since I answered her question.


    ¡®Does she have a truth-seeking skill? That would make sense¡­¡¯


    Perhaps she belonged to the Schr Job?


    In any case, I was d to have received some degree of their trust. I wasn¡¯t out of the woods yet, though.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like any Low-level Skill will be able to urately see through my lies, but¡­ I should avoid speaking any direct lies.¡¯


    Yes, that would be for the best.


    ¡°You just watched as we fought that thing, and you expect to climb the Tower after we cleared this ce? Heh, what a freeloader.¡± One dunce spoke from among the group.


    ¡®What a bother¡­¡¯


    It seemed I had been too lenient with these people. Sometimes, a person needed to speak out a bit.


    ¡°Stop that Garfield. If he had interfered in the fight, he would have gotten some of the Reward. I¡¯m sure none of you would want that, right?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s words shut the mouth of the lousy fellow¡ªlucky for him.


    ¡°It seems you all here are Rankers. I¡¯m curious as to how there are so many of you working together.¡±


    My question was¡ªof course¡ªdirected at Vivian. She seemed like the one with the mostmon sense.


    Usually, most Rankers had their respective Parties, and it was rare to see them working together like this. This begged the question¡ªwhy?


    ¡°We n on clearing the Floors ourselves. That¡¯s why we decided to band together as Rankers.¡±


    I understood their logic.


    Adding other Party Members would only serve as dead weight in their quest to ascend.


    Still, wasn¡¯t this a conflict of interest? I mean¡­ the Rewards would be evenly spread among the Rankerspetitors!


    ¡®Do they really want that?¡¯


    While it indeed made more sense to conquer the Tower this way, human nature made a lot of people terribly shortsighted. They would rather have little to themselves than share plentiful with others.


    There was no way forty-one of the most powerful Gifteds simply decided to work together from the good of their heart and in the spirit ofradeship. There had to be a catch.


    ¡°I see¡­ in that case¡­ can I join your group?¡±


    My question raised lots of gs among the people present.


    Even Vivian¡ªwho wasposed just moments ago¡ªbecame ufortable.


    ¡°Ahh, I don¡¯t know. We¡¯d like to discuss this with one another first¡­¡±


    I cocked my head to the side in order to act oblivious.


    ¡°We don¡¯t doubt your strength, so don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s just something we need to agree on as a team.¡± Vivian gave me a quick reply.


    ¡°Is that so? Fine, then¡­¡±


    ¡®Bullshit! You idiots are so predictable. Hehehehe¡­¡¯

 Chapter 339 Rankers [Pt 2]

    What happens when a person keeps climbing the Tower?


    Yes, with each Level Up, wounds heal and the body is restored. However, mental fatigue is something that piles up. The strain a person has is something that gathers over time.


    The Rankers knew this quite well, so they all agreed to climb together. It was very obvious what they were nning on doing.


    ¡ªLetting the other person die!


    In this world, there were many ways to get stronger. It was also possible to use certain loopholes in the System¡ªespecially if one wasn¡¯t an Evil Aligned yet.


    Since the Rankers were in a Party, they must have been very certain of their Alignments, making thempletely ¡®trust¡¯ one another.


    But, these things could be deceptive.


    Just as I managed to kill a bunch of people without a change in my Chaotic Neutral Alignment, the same applied to a lot of people¡ªespecially in a dangerous ce like the Tower.


    As they fought monsters, it was certain that Rankers would get weakened. Then¡­ if, by chance, some ¡®ident¡¯ urred¡­ some of them would inadvertently die.


    Once a Party Member died, their property got evenly distributed to the members of the Party¡ªexcept in certain rare cases. Still, the general rule was applied in nearly every scenario.


    So, if the Rankers kept dying off one after the other, the others would benefit even more. So, it was simply like the strong riding a bus full of other strong ones.


    There was no risk as long as a person was certain that they could oust the other. That was why¡­


    ¡®They¡¯re saving their strength¡­¡¯


    It was no wonder I saw so much good stuff in their Inventory. They were probably just bidding time and waiting for the other members to go down first.


    ¡®Such idiots.¡¯


    They all thought alike, so nearly all of them were going tost for very long.


    Their preparations were so simr that it would seem that none was going to die while they had their items.


    So¡­ as I watched them discuss whether or not to add me to their ranks¡­ I decided to help them a little.


    ¡®Let¡¯s rob some Inventories.¡¯


    Usually, using my abilities to Steal from others didn¡¯t impact my Alignment. After all, it was a power given by the System. If I used it, there was really no penalty for it.


    However, when I used it in critical times¡ªfor malevolent reasons¡ªit counted against me.


    That was why I didn¡¯t use this ability when the Rankers were battling their monster. However, now that they were at ease¡­ I could strike!


    ¡®There. And there. Oh, that too!¡¯


    All the backup power they had in stock would be taken by me, and duds would be used to rece them instead.


    I had a special Skill that helped me with that, and it was pretty convincing.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t my first Rodeo, you know? Hehehe!¡¯


    I could also steal their Stats, but these were perceptive bastards. It was best not to step on their toes too much.


    ¡®So, with the special items they have gone, a lot of them will get wiped out sooner orter..¡¯


    My goal was for all of them to die. If I left a single Party Member live, the properties would transfer to them¡ªincluding Karma Points.


    If I let them all die, I could just rob their corpses.


    ¡®Stealing Karma Points is illegal, so that will cost me my Alignment. It was different if I piged it from corpses, though¡­¡¯


    Wasn¡¯t that just perfect?


    In any case, I knew what their response to my offer would be. I just had to let things y out.


    ************


    ¡°We would like it if you apanied us. But, only on one condition.¡±


    ¡®As I thought¡­¡¯


    ¡°We want you not to interfere in our battle unless we say so. You should have no problem with that, since we¡¯ll basically be ¡®carrying¡¯ you, right?¡±


    I could have eavesdropped on their conversation, but these guys were so predictable that there was no need for that.


    There were two major choices they could have made.


    One would be to let me fight¡ªgiving me the burden of attack¡ªin order to wear me out first. Once they did that, they would be able to get my gear since we were a Party.


    This option came with too many uncertainties and risks.


    The first was that I never specified that I wanted to join a Party¡ªand I really didn¡¯t want to.


    The second was the Golem in mymand. It was strong. If I utilized it well, there was no need for me to engage in anybat on my own. That way, I wasn¡¯t even going to get exhausted¡ªtalkless of dying.


    Thirdly, I was an unknown variable. It was better to keep me out of the loop so they could carry out their original n.


    Which was why¡­ they chose the second route instead.


    I wasn¡¯t going to interfere, and they would take all the rewards will offering to ¡®carry¡¯ me to the higher Floors.


    They must have figured that there was no need to include me in their ns.


    Of course, there was also the possibility of refusing me outright. However, if they did that and I decided to fight solo, there was a chance I would reap the benefits they wanted for themselves.


    In any case, this was the best¡ªthough, not perfect¡ªsolution to the dilemma they faced.


    ¡°Alright, then. I also have a condition.¡±


    Vivian bobbed her head¡ªindicating that I should speak.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be affiliated with a Party, so is it alright if I remain an independent group?¡±


    After a moment of silence, they all agreed to my proposal.


    ¡®Bunch of idiots. They¡¯re too blinded by greed.¡¯


    Didn¡¯t any of them consider the possibility of me being an Evil Aligned?


    No, they probably did.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure they hope I can cause a bit of a mess so they can get the most profit out of this raid. These guys are really confident in their Items and their ability to survive.¡¯


    The jokes were on them, though.


    While the Items of all the Rankers were iparable to mine, I still had uses for them.


    ¡®At the end of this little game¡­ it¡¯ll be my win.¡¯

 Chapter 340 Neutral Evil

    ¡°Rahhhhh!!!!¡±


    ¡°Hiyaaa!¡±


    ¡°Haaa!¡±


    The Rankersbined their efforts and took down the enemies with their respective abilities.


    No matter how tough the enemy was, no matter how much trouble they faced, after taking their time in battle¡­ the Rankers always emerged victorious.


    We were done with the 44th Floor and a Gate to the 45th Area was in sight. Looking at the tired Rankers, I couldn¡¯t help but smile underneath my mask.


    I caught a few staring at me with dissatisfied expressions, but those weren¡¯t relevant.


    ¡®You told me not to interfere, so I won¡¯t¡­¡¯


    Despite the short while I stayed with the group, I was able to get a good read on their capabilities. There was onlyment to be made about them.


    ¡ªWeak.


    They were all below my expectations.


    At this rate, would they be able to make it past the 50th Floor?


    Vivian¡ªthe leader of the Rankers¡ªhad tried to confirm my identity as the Hoarder, but I handled her well.


    Since none of them told me their Rank and Leaderboard names, it was only fair that I hid mine too. Once Vivian saw that she couldn¡¯t get the information she desired, the woman began to create some distance between us.


    ¡®Not like I care¡­¡¯


    The most interesting individual other than Vivian¡ªalso the second strongest in the group¡ªwas a Ranker who possessed the Necromancer¡¯s Scroll and Undead Summoning Ring.


    His name was John Leinhart, and he was the one who reached the highest level in the Tower Of Death before I came by.


    The most interesting thing about him was that he was a Solo Gifted.


    His Level was also higher than everyone else¡ªexcept Vivian.


    ¡®Based on his Items¡­ maybe he could stand a chance¡­¡¯


    He had the Ring and Scroll equipped, but hardly utilized them in battle. Since others weren¡¯t going full throttle, he did the same.


    ¡®Let¡¯s see how much longer you can handle it¡­¡¯


    **************


    [THE 50TH FLOOR]


    ¡°Guarrkkkk!!!¡±


    Finally, the Rankers were met with despair¡­


    ¡°ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    ¡­ One of them fell in battle.


    Usually, this would be a cause for celebration, but¡­ it all happened so fast¡ªand the enemy was too powerful.


    Having three heads, a tough scale, and two pairs of wings¡ªthis creature was at the peak of Grade 3¡ªsomething none of them could defeat.


    They had thought they could manage, but after the tail of the creature loped off the head of arade, their optimism dwindled.


    This instantly drove all the Rankers into a panic.


    ¡°M¡ªmy Items!¡± I heard bellows filling the air.


    ¡®Oh? So it¡¯s finally happening¡­¡¯


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t my Mana Restoring?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m meant to be healing!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not being buffed?!¡±


    ¡°My force field won¡¯t activate!


    ¡°R¡ªReturn Stone¡­ WHY ISN¡¯T IT WORKING?!¡±


    The answer to their desperate inquisition was simple.


    ¡®I took them all!¡¯


    All that was left for these retards were counterfeits.


    They were flustered beyond belief that their Items¡ªthe backup n they had devised was ineffective.


    I simply watched from my corner as the Rankers were confused and conflicted on what to do. Amid the chaos, two more lost their lives¡ªleaving only 38 of them.


    Usually, they would be happy, right? More deaths meant more loot! This was exactly what they wanted. However, a simple problem prevented none of them from rejoicing¡­.


    ¡­ The fact that they were all equally trapped!


    ¡°M¡ªmasked one¡­ it¡¯s your turn! Help us!¡± Vivian sharply looked at me.


    The moment she said this, everyone else who had forgotten about me looked in my direction.


    Their eyes screamed of desperation.


    I could see it¡ªthey wanted me to save them.


    ¡®I could earn points for my Alignment if I do that, but¡­¡¯


    I had been saving people for so long, yet my Evil Alignment remained the same. It was time to switch tactics.


    After all¡­


    ¡°NO.¡±


    ¡­ The system never penalized anyone for not rescuing another!


    This wasn¡¯t my fault!


    I was not obligated to help anyone.


    Once I dered my refusal toe to their aid, the hopeful expressions of the Gifteds morphed into ugly anger and disgust.


    ¡°YOU BASTAARRRD!¡±


    ¡°WE HAD A DEAL!¡±


    ¡°SAVE US, GODDAMNIT!¡±


    Who would have thought that the Rankers would be so pathetic?


    Well, not all of them were entirely useless.


    Folks like John Lienhartpletely abandoned any semnce of dependency and fought in earnest.


    He must have realized that no good woulde out of arguing with me, so he took matters into his hands¡­ and fought!


    It was all in vain, though.


    ¡°GUARRRKKKK!!!¡±


    ¡°ARGHHHHH!!!¡±


    ¡°N¡ªNOOOOO!!!¡±


    ¡°S¡ªSAVE M¡ªM¡ªMEEEE!!!!¡±


    They met tragic ends at the hands of the Floor 50 Demon.


    Escape would have been possible if they had used Return Stones, but I took even those.


    ¡°They¡¯re all dead now, yeah?¡± I said to myself with a smile.


    Normally, I would be worried about the Drone that Pariah was using to spy on me. If he got implicating footage of me abandoning these people, it coulde to bite me in the buttter.


    Which was why I sent it to [Subspace]¡ªat least in the meantime.


    Pariah wouldn¡¯t be able to get a visual of me if his precious drone was in my storage, but I could always make excuses for that.


    ¡°Now, then¡­ let¡¯s see what we have here¡­¡±


    Dead men told no tales¡ªthe same applied in this world as well.


    I plundered the Karma Points of these Corpses, stripped them naked of their gear, and confiscated anything I found to be useful.


    Of course, Goliath handled the monster while I was busy with the loot. Once we were both done, I made a happy sigh¡ªsatisfied with how that all went down.


    The world had lost its most powerful fighters, but no one needed to worry.


    ¡®You don¡¯t need more than one hero!¡¯


    The Masked Hero was to be the only relevant Ranker. Not only would that mean I would have lesspetition, but it also meant I could hoard the stronger Demons under the guise of protecting everyone.


    ¡®This is perfect!¡¯


    I was truly happy that I got to meet these Rankers,


    ¡®Now, then¡­¡¯


    There was one final thing I needed to do.


    ¡®Let¡¯s hope this works!¡¯

 Chapter 341 Cold Blooded

    Chapter 341 Cold Blooded


    I had been trying so hard to change my Alignment, but it didn¡¯t seem to be working properly.


    After some time, I arrived at a theory.


    ¡°It¡¯s just like Leveling Up!¡±


    The higher a person¡¯s Level was, the more difficult it would be to achieve a Level Up. What umted to give anyone a Level Up was EXP.


    Bringing that same scenario to this case, I surmised that I was simply high-up in the Evil category.


    Or, at least, the ¡®EXP¡¯ I needed for my Alignment was something that required a great deal of achievements or good deeds on my end.


    Which was why¡­


    ¡°I hope this works.¡±


    ¡­ I decided to create a scenario where those good deeds would be appreciated.


    ********


    Looking at the multiple dead bodies, I finally spotted the one I was looking for¡ªVivian.


    As expected, even in death, she was still hot.


    ¡®Welp, her severed limbs and pierced chest doesn¡¯t seem like a good way to die, though¡­¡¯


    She was one of thest to die, though that only meant that she suffered even more. Looking at her anguished face made me sigh a bit.


    ¡®I certainly hope this won¡¯t be a waste¡­¡¯


    essing my storage space, I called for one of the most coveted items that would make anyone move heaven and earth to achieve.


    ¡ªResurrection Elixir!


    I had three of them in [Subspace], but based on my calctions, I would need only one.


    During my days as a Chaotic Neutral Gifted, I indirectly killed a lot of people, but, ever since I turned ¡®Evil¡¯, I had saved even more¡ªenough to make me revert to Chaotic Neutral at least.


    Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t work out that way. Why?


    Because despite how many people I saved, none were already dead. I simply prevented them from dying. Perhaps things would have changed if I racked up enough good achievements or if I truly had a change of heart, but I didn¡¯t have the time for that.


    I needed a loophole!


    ¡°What if I resurrect someone that has already died?¡±


    I wondered what the reaction would be.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out¡­¡±


    I brought out the glimmering gold potion from [Subspace] and poured it on the dead woman¡¯s corpse.


    Her body turned bright golden and sparkled.


    I felt a surge of power concentrating on her, and her life force being restored. It was actually working! With this Elixir, I could raise someone from the dead!


    All of Vivian¡¯s wounds got restored. Her cold corpse regained its warmth, and her lost beauty reappeared.


    ¡°PUAH!!!¡±


    She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.


    I could sense confusion in Vivian¡¯s face, but there was something more important than her for now. Once I saw that she woke up, I felt something shift within me.


    Hopefully, it was what I wanted.


    ¡°Status Window!¡±


    Instantly, a golden board shone before me¡ªrevealing its wonderful contents.


    Alignment: Neutral


    The moment I saw this, a grin appeared on my face.


    ¡®IT WORKED!¡¯


    Once I saw this, I was so happy that I jumped to my feet, abandoning Vivian who sat atop the pile of other corpses.


    ¡°W¡ªwhy¡­ why didn¡¯t you help us? Did you¡­ were you the one who resurrected me?¡±


    Her voice hinted confusion, and I could see remnant pain in her eyes.


    ¡®Poordy¡­¡¯ I smiled.


    She had probably thought things would turn out differently, but ended up losing everything instead.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t heartless enough to revive her while she was naked, so I sought some clothes and covered her corpse before she awoke.


    ¡®I figured that would help my chances even more, but it turns out I was overthinking it¡­¡¯


    In any case, I was now a Neutral Aligned Gifted.


    It basically existed at the center of good and evil, and had no penalties or benefits.


    Of course, the same applied to Chaotic Neutral, but¡ªconsidering the fact that Chaotic Neutral was one step away from an Evil Alignment¡ªI preferred my current Alignment.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I had to exhaust one Resurrection Elixir because of this. Well, it was totally worth it!¡± I beamed, partly answering Viviana¡¯s question.


    She appeared shocked after I said this, then a look of difort showed in her eyes.


    ¡°B¡ªbut, why me¡­? Why didn¡¯t you just save me sooner rather than having the monster kill¡ª¡±


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re misunderstanding something here¡­¡±


    She stopped in her speech and looked at me with surprise.


    ¡°You see¡­ I needed to resurrect someone to get something. It has nothing to do with saving you or not.¡± I tly told her, now walking in the direction of the portal leading to the 51st Floor.


    ¡°B¡ªbut, why me?!¡±


    Her tone indicated confusion. She simply couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind my choice.


    Most people would consider themselves important for receiving special treatment¡­ and they would be right¡ªmostly.


    ¡°Because of your Level. You had the highest Level.¡±


    ¡°U¡ªuh¡­?¡± Vivian disyed even more confusion.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t it ironic that a younger guy is exining stuff to you? Are you this dense?¡¯


    Nah, she most likely didn¡¯t understand what I implied. Most people wouldn¡¯t. Those who could, were already dead.


    ¡°You see, I needed to get rid of a pesky Alignment. Once I did, it would be possible to continue acting the way I used to.¡±


    I used to kill those who stood in my way without hesitation. As long as I used the loophole, I was safe. However, after passing the threshold of Evil, indirect killing would onlypound my Evil points.


    But, now that I had crossed over to the green side¡­ I could continue my previous lifestyle.


    ¡°You see¡­¡±


    [Subspace] was activated and a Grade 3 Demon came out.


    ¡°¡­ Since your Level is quite high, it¡¯ll give more EXP¡­¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes widened as soon as she saw the Grade 3 Demon.


    She must have instinctively known what wasing¡ªand that she couldn¡¯t win.


    ¡°N¡ªno¡­ don¡¯t do this! Why are you¡ª? You just revived me, you know?¡± Her cries rang in the air.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m trying to raise the monsters in my collection well. A Demon grows proportional to the Level of its target. In essence, you¡¯re the optimal choice.¡±


    Even if her EXP was inconsequential, it was better than someone with a lower Level. That was all there was to it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve served your purpose so¡­¡±


    ¡°PLEASE! DON¡¯T DO THIS! I¡ªI CAN BE USEFUL! PLEASEEE!¡± Thedy pleaded.


    However¡­ it was all pointless.


    ¡°¡­ Just die, or whatever.¡±

 Chapter 342 The Big Reveal [Pt 1]

    Chapter 342 The Big Reveal [Pt 1]


    I advanced through the Floors by myself, returning the Automaton to watch over me¡ªor whatever.


    I could give a million excuses as to why it could not record for some time, but personally, I didn¡¯t care any longer.


    Since my Alignment had be Neutral¡ªcorrection, Chaotic Neutral¡ªI could do whatever I wanted as long as it wasn¡¯t direct.


    ¡®Who would have thought indirectly killing that Viviandy would make me turn Chaotic, though¡­ wow.¡¯


    This was a sleepy slope, but as long as I stuck by the rules, I would be fine.


    Currently, I was on the 60th Floor and my Golem was fighting the Boss monster.


    The Golem was going to win, obviously, so I simply took my time to sort through all I got.


    They were mostly junk, so I would be selling most of them.


    Hoarding was only nice if the item was powerful or rare.


    Of course, most of these were unique treasures, but they would be trash in the uing scenarios.


    Selling them now that they were in high demand was the wisest choice.


    While the Automaton/Drone was within my [Subspace], I used my Control Function over the interface to check it out.


    I found out some pretty interesting stuff.


    ¡®Well, let¡¯s leave that for now¡­¡¯


    It was pretty weird that the paths hadn¡¯t crossed yet, or¡­ was it that I was way ahead of everyone else?


    One of my abilities allowed me to know the exact location of my properties.


    So, by checking the Map, I realized that they were on lower Floors.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ they¡¯re slower than I expected¡­¡±


    What was going on?


    I thought the ¡®Pariah¡¯ guy was up to something, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was nning on taking action anytime soon.


    ¡®Well, let¡¯s just keep this up¡­¡¯


    My initial goal was to get to the Hidden Floor. Anything that got in the way of that would be cut down.


    Even if it was a formerrade.


    My grin grew wider underneath my mask. It was getting hard to control my impulse, but I held it in.


    ¡®He¡¯lle to me¡­ I simply have to wait. Hehehehe.¡¯


    *******************


    >SWISH!<


    Pariah dealt the final blow to the Boss on the 50th Floor, gaining victory.


    A screen was disyed by his side. Lily¡¯s figure as she defeated a Boss of the 49th Floor came into view, making the white-haired man leak out a smile.


    ¡°Good one. See? You can do it if you just try.¡±


    ¡°But, I want to do it with you!¡±


    Once she said this, the smile of Pariah widened a bit.


    ¡°Well, I suppose we can get to that now. I have a pretty good grasp of everything now.¡±


    ¡°So, you confirmed it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s the same Jeremy I know, alright. He even has that annoying [Subspace] ability.¡±


    Pariah knew how that worked as well.


    It could store items in a special space.


    He needed physical contact with the object, though, so Pariah felt he was fine.


    Besides¡­ even if Jeremy tried that on him, it wouldn¡¯t work.


    ¡°He¡¯s not the only one with the backing of the Gods, after all¡­¡±


    After being tossed to die, Paul received a little assistance from some unknown entities. With that, he had been able to win against the Kobolds back then.


    Even now, he was receiving their assistance.


    The best part was that this unknown entity, known as God, was also interested in seeing Jeremy getting killed.


    ¡°Alright, Lilith. It¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s wrap things up.¡±


    The girl on the other end of the screen nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll use the Bypass Stones. You already have your locked location, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I do.¡±


    ¡°Great. You should go speak to the others he has deceived. Let them know the truth about their Masked Hero. As for me, I suppose it¡¯s time to reintroduce myself to our dear Hoarder.¡±


    The girl behind the screen gave a smile that showed both confidence and worry¡ªif that was even possible.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I will. Once you¡¯re done on your end¡­e join me. We¡¯ll advance together.¡±


    Lilith/Lily nodded to her everything¡¯s words.


    ¡°Okay. See you soon!¡±


    She understood her mission.


    She was supposed to singlehandedly dispose of all the Hoarder¡¯s minions who weretched on to all the other members of the group.


    The innocent Gifteds weren¡¯t even aware that they were disposable hostages.


    By releasing them from their bondage and showing all of them footage of Paul¡¯s confrontation with Jeremy, she would be able to reveal the truth to them.


    That was her role to y.


    It was a bit hectic but,pared to her partner, she had it easy.


    ¡®Paul is going to face that monster again¡­ the one who made him nearly lose everything!¡¯


    She knew how much he agonized over his enemy¡ªto the point of obsession.


    If Lily had her way, she wanted to be there with him while he confronted the monster known as Jeremy.


    However¡­ Paul needed her for this! And so, that was what she would do!


    ***************


    ¡®Now, then¡­ I should begin on my end¡­¡¯


    Paul brought an item from his Cache Ring, an item that stored certain ores indefinitely.


    Once he opened his palm, the item appeared atop it.


    The Bypass Stone!


    Just as there were Return Stones that allowed someone to prevent further danger by sending them to the starting point, this one served the function of sending Gifteds to various Floors within the tower.


    One could be transported to a marked area on any Floor of the tower¡ªso long as it was a Lower Floor.


    It could also take its user to higher Floors.


    However, unlike the former, Bypass Stones could only take a Gifted past 10 Floors per use.


    And they were even rarer and more expensive than their counterpart.


    The most disadvantageous thing about it was that it made Gifteds miss the EXP and Reward waiting for them in the Floors they bypassed.


    However, Paul didn¡¯t care about any of that now.


    He could simply return to clear these Floors¡ªafter he had conquered the Hidden one.


    For now, he had to focus on a single thing¡­ his target.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for a reunion, Jeremy!¡±

 Chapter 343 The Big Reveal [Pt 2]

    Chapter 343 The Big Reveal [Pt 2]


    It was dark.r


    Only one person¡ªone human¡ªwas in the enclosed space.r


    Arge hole existed overhead and he was underground. r


    Surrounding him were terrifying creatures¡ªDemons¡ªwho looked like they were about to tear him to pieces.r


    His body ached, he trembled unceasingly. r


    ¡°H¡­ Eeek¡­¡±r


    The Demons closed in on the single, pathetic human. r


    He couldn¡¯t resist. He was weak. He was powerless. He was¡­r


    ¡­ LEVEL 1!r


    Someone like him, with nobat ability whatsoever, how could he even dream of fighting back?r


    There was no doubt about it¡­ this man was going to die here.r


    ¡®I¡ªI don¡¯t¡­ want to¡­¡¯ His thoughts trailed in misery and despondency.r


    In fact, he was still plenty confused as to how and why this had to happen to him.r


    He had been good.r


    He had been obedient.r


    He had been useful.r


    Even when his ¡®partner¡¯ was down here ying the enemy, he had been working hard to gather the Cores and even managed to form another high-grade weapon. r


    Then¡­ why?r


    ¡®Why did Jeremy do this?¡¯ r


    The lone figure could not understand. r


    Even as the monsters approached, he couldn¡¯t solve the riddle. Perhaps this was a means of distraction, so he wouldn¡¯t fear the dangers around him¡­ as well as his impending death.r


    Yes, he was going to die here¡ªlike a dog.r


    Once the young man realized this, a myriad of emotions coursed through his body.r


    Fear. Confusion. Anger. Hatred. Rage¡­ And finally¡­r


    ¡­ DESPERATION!r


    ¡®I won¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡¯r


    There was no way he would die here!r


    Once he made this resolve, a bright light shone within him and it seemed like he was being enveloped with something warm.r


    His body stopped quivering. All indecisiveness vanished¡ªreced by a firm resolve to survive.r


    He suddenly felt energized, as if the pain he felt from his wounds didn¡¯t exist.r


    Only one thought coursed through his mind.r


    SURVIVE!r


    ¡®I MUST SURVIVE!¡¯r


    With the Gun he had made secretly, as well as the enhanced bullets manufactured by adding Demon Cores to the mix, the young man managed to y his first Demon.r


    [YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!]r


    He felt much better¡ªinvigorated, even.r


    Proceeding, he further killed more Demons.r


    [YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!]r


    [YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!]r


    [YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!]r


    He kept killing¡ªnot missing his mark for a second.r


    The Demons were faster than he was, but for some reason, he could read them well. r


    He didn¡¯t falter for even a second.r


    His hands were on the trigger throughout. r


    And so¡­ after a grueling life and death session¡­ this lone human managed to kill hisst prey.r


    And, with that¡­ he was reborn anew¡ªno longer the innocent pushover Gifted. Now¡­ he was an avenger!r


    And on his mind was only one thought.r


    ¡ªJeremy Lewis!r


    **************r


    ¡®Looks like I remembered something unpleasant¡­¡¯ Paul smiled.r


    His eyes were on the gem in his grasp.r


    With this, he would finally be able to deal his first strike¡ªat longst!r


    ¡®Let¡¯s do this.¡¯r


    >SHIIIIIIINNNNGGG!!!<r< p=""></r<>


    A brilliant glow surged around Paul and he was taken away from his location.r


    The young man felt space warp as he was moved upward¡ªignoring the Floors he was meant to have passed to arrive at his destination.r


    It was a waste, but¡­ for the n he had in mind, sacrifices had to be made.r


    >VWUUUUUSSSSHHHH!!!<r< p=""></r<>


    In a gust of wind, and surrounded by brilliant light, Paul made his entrance.r


    ¡®So¡­ this is the 60th Floor, uh¡­?¡¯ His thoughts trailed as the illumination spread across began to dissipate.r


    There were no monsters around, and the ce seemed awfully quiet for a higher floor. Most importantly, his target¡ªJeremy Lewis. A.K.A. The Hoarder¡ªwas right in front of him.r


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you came¡­¡± The man in the mask muttered.r


    He was seated atop some sort of chair¡ªit looked more like a throne. It was wooden and a bit primitive, but Paul could sense some energy from it.r


    ¡®A Grade 2 Item¡­?¡¯r


    His major concern was the one who sat atop the seat like a glorified king.r


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve been expecting you¡­¡±r


    The Masked individual began moving his hand, bringing it closer to his face¡ªor, rather, mask.r


    Slowly, he removed the thing, revealing the face that was hidden underneath. The well-chiseled face, handsome features, cleanly cut bangs¡­ and well-defined eyes.r


    Paul felt shocked beyond words. This wasn¡¯t the face he was expecting to see.r


    ¡®I¡ªis that¡­ really¡­ him¡­?¡¯r


    The mask vanished into thin air the moment it got off, a sign that the being before him and transported it into a special space.r


    ¡®SUBSPACE¡­ or wait¡­ it could be INVENTORY¡­¡¯r


    ¡°What¡¯s with that face?¡± The man before Paul smiled.r


    The condescending look on his face, and how hefortably sat on the throne, pissed the white-haired young man off to no end.r


    He gritted his teeth and, at that very moment, knew that hesitating would be useless. There was no mistaking it.r


    This was the one and only¡­r


    ¡°¡­ Jeremy Lewis. We meet again.¡± r


    This time, Paul gave a rueful smile.r


    His eyes narrowed and he shook off any distraction in his mind. Shamefully, he had lost hisposure for a moment, but¡­ right now, he was fine.r


    ¡°Oh? I don¡¯t believe I ever told you that name, Pariah¡­¡±r


    The Automaton that Paul had used to watch Jeremy was nowhere to be seen¡ªmeaning it was already in Jeremy¡¯s [Subspace].r


    ¡®Fine. You can have it, for now. It served no use than observing your actions, after all¡­¡¯r


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you did.¡± Paul smiled at Jeremy¡¯s remarks.r


    ¡®He suspects me somewhat, but he still doesn¡¯t know who I am, uh? As expected¡­¡¯r


    This was the moment he had been waiting for ever since he was thrown into that ditch and survived. The moment he would resurface before Jeremy Lewis and confront him.r


    It was finally time that he¡ªthe betrayed protagonist¡ªwould appear to the surprise of his betrayer.r


    A face-pping scene of satisfaction!r


    Paul had finally arrived at this juncture, standing before a partner that ended up trying to kill him for his own ends. r


    A smile formed on Paul¡¯s face. He looked cool as heck, and with his hands in his pockets, he spoke;r


    ¡°We meet again. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten alre¡ª¡±r


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re Paul, right? I have to say¡­ it¡¯s been a while.¡±

 Chapter 344 Jeremy vs Paul [Pt 1]

    Chapter 344 Jeremy vs Paul [Pt 1]


    ¡®WHAT?!¡¯


    Paul¡¯s eyes bulged wide open. This wasn¡¯t how things were supposed to go.


    The Masked Man¨CJeremy Lewis¨Chad already surmised his identity, even though he wasn¡¯t counting on that!


    ¡®How did he find out? Does that mean he also¨C!!!¡¯


    ¡°You seem surprised. Don¡¯t be.¡± The man before him smiled with amusement written on his face.


    There was a twinkle in his eyes that rang of danger, but his expression was mostly casual.


    ¡®I can¡¯t lose grip yet! No now, after so long!¡¯


    Things weren¡¯t moving how he wanted, but Paul knew he had the upper hand.


    As long as he enacted his n, everything would end up well.


    ¡°Whether you know of my identity or not doesn¡¯t matter¨Cat least not at this point¡­¡± Paul replied in a cool manner.


    He had regained hisposure, and now his smile curled up calmly.


    ¡°The fact that you survived is a mystery to me. But, I suppose, that means you had what it takes to survive. Looks like I made the right call to toughen you up.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Do you even have any remorse for what you did?¡±


    Jeremy Lewis shrugged. He couldn¡¯t be concerned any less.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I see. In the end, I was right. You¡¯ve not changed at all, Jeremy Lewis!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve actually changed a bit¡­ and so have you! What¡¯s with that white hair and new handsome features?¡±


    The Paul he used to know was not as attractive as the one confronting him.


    His red eyes were different¨Chair color, skin tone, body build, voice, and even his aura¨Cso even by normal observation, it would be impossible to conclude that the man before Jeremy was Paul.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    This time, it was Paul who shrugged. It was as if he said ¡°None of your business!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Interesting¡­¡± Jeremy rubbed his chin as he spoke.


    ¡°In essence, this is the end. Not only have I cornered all the hostages you intend to use for your means, but I also have the means to destroy all the summons you gave to them. In essence¨C¡°


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    The look on Jeremy¡¯s face was of slight confusion. Paul didn¡¯t know whether he was happy or slightly disappointed to see that he had been worried for nothing.


    Jeremy wasn¡¯t as bright as he thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s over now.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you think you can beat me?¡± The previously masked fellow smiled.


    With a broad smile and a prepared stance, the white-haired man gazed sharply at his opponent.


    ¡°Oh? Then let us¨C¡°


    Before Jeremy couldplete his words, Paul was right in front of him, bringing a gloved fist close to his face.


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!<


    The heavy noise showed that it came in contact with something.


    A bright pink barrier shone, protecting Jeremy from the adverse effects of Paul¡¯s earlier punch.


    ¡°A shield won¡¯t help you!¡±


    Instantly, Paul brought out two items from his Inventory.


    They had the shapes of distinct guns, and their design could make anyone who saw them think of any Mecha or Sci-Fi weapon.


    Having these two handguns in both hands, he aimed at Jeremy with pinpoint uracy.


    ¡°How will those even¨C¡°


    Before the target couldplete his words, the trigger was pulled.


    >KIRIKIKIKIKIKIAKAKAKAKAA!!!<


    Several bullets wereunched from both his hands.


    The barrier that was supposed to deflect attacks suddenly became powerless in the presence of the bullets that passed through it.


    Jeremy, upon realizing this, knew he had to instantly flee from the immediate vicinity.


    However, before he could go very far, several drones surrounded him.


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    They prepared their sters¨Cwhich were sure to also have the same bypass effect as Paul¡¯s guns.


    ¡°Nice try!¡±


    Suddenly, the Golem Jeremy possessed¨CGoliath¨Csprang out of nowhere and began offering a counterattack to Paul¡¯s flurry of opposition.


    By devastating the drones while Jeremy dodged the bullets, it would take a few moments for all of them to be silenced.


    ¡°Tch, you¡¯re annoying!¡± Paul clicked his tongue.


    Once again, he brought out something else from his Inventory.


    This time, it was an orb. The little sphere warbled within Paul¡¯s clutches, ready to serve its purpose.


    ¡®It¡¯s strong¨Cbut I can take it. But, wasting time here instead of going to a higher floor would be a waste. Tch!¡¯


    He threw the bomb in his hand, targeting none other than the massive construct that was wreaking havoc around.


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    Once the orb hit the enemy, it instantly froze¨Cnot making a single movement after.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Jeremy asked.


    But before his questionnded, Paul had already brought another gun¨Ca bigger one¨Cand pointed it in Jeremy¡¯s direction.


    Multiple drones also surrounded the previously masked enemy. They numbered at least thirty, and all their artilleries could bypass the shield.


    ¡°You¡¯re surrounded and outssed.¡± Paul smiled at Jeremy.


    Of course, the white-haired man was making a bluff, and he knew that.


    ¡®Jeremy is stronger, but¡­¡¯


    Power wasn¡¯t everything in this world.


    For Paul, he bnced the concept of power and intelligence. That was true ability.


    ¡°Hoh? So this is your n? I have to say, I was expecting something better. It¡¯s been a reunion after a while, after all¡­¡±


    Paul felt very annoyed by the mere sound of Jeremy¡¯s voice.


    He felt like tearing him from limb to limb¨Clike charging at him and engaging in savagebat like a primal beast.


    If Paul had things his way, he would settle for his ultimate revenge, right there and then! However¡­


    ¡®Now is not the time¡­¡¯


    These things were better off not rushed.


    The Hallmark of his strategy needed to be aplished, and being rash would only injure his interests


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to y with you any longer.¡±


    Paul had to be stronger¨Cand fast! Maybe he could win against Jeremy if he went all out and unleashed the items and resources in his arsenal, but that would be too inefficient.


    After storing them for so long, why would he want to use them on Jeremy?


    As much as revenge was his goal¡­. he chose the path of pragmatism even more.


    ¡®Jeremy isn¡¯t the true threat¨Cthe Demons are!¡¯


    Once Paul realized this, he knew that all he needed to do was to take the Hoarder off the list of participants¡­ so that Armageddon would run smoothly once more.


    As long as the Demons were vanquished, then humanity would win.


    However, could such a thing be possible with someone as evil as Jeremy around?


    ¡®Time to wrap things up! Jeremy Lewis¡­ this is the end!¡¯

 Chapter 345 Jeremy Vs Paul [Pt 2]

    Chapter 345 Jeremy Vs Paul [Pt 2]


    Jeremy Lewis¡ªThe Hoarder¡ªwas currently surrounded.


    He was standing at the center of the enemy¡¯s trap. Having drones epassing his lone figure¡ªwith artilleries that could bypass his defenses.


    However, those weren¡¯t the bulk of his problems.


    His Trump Card¡ªthe Goliath¡ªwas frozen by a special bomb. It wasn¡¯t a permanent solution, but its duration would suffice.


    ¡®All that¡¯s left¡­¡¯ The Mastermind smiled, looking at his prey.


    ¡®¡­ Is to end this!¡¯


    ****************


    ¡®Everything has been for this moment!¡¯


    Paul¡¯s fingers rubbed the trigger with absolute determination.


    His resolve was as firm as a rock, and with the intention of achieving his first victory against the monster before him, the shot was fired.


    >VWOOOOOOSSSSHHHHHH!!!<


    The bullet was fired, generating a sonic leap as it whirred at its target.


    Jeremy Lewis was certainly fast. However, now that he was surrounded by several enemies who could hurt him, his reaction time would be greatly shared among them.


    Which was why¡ª


    >PRAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA!!!<


    ¡ªThe Drones opened fire.


    With the whirring bullet from Paul in transit, and the other projectiles aimed at the single target, Jeremy was sorely trapped!


    ¡°Shit!¡± The previously smug guy clicked his tongue.


    He moved as fast as he could to evade the attacks that were a distance off, using Skills to deflect others; and finally closing the distance between himself and the source of the crisis.


    ¡®Ah, I see¡­¡¯ Paul¡¯s eyes widened a bit, watching as his target neared him.


    The Drones would recognize the fact that Paul¡ªtheir creator¡ªwas in their line of fire¡ªand cease their attacks, allowing Jeremy to reduce the number of enemies to watch out for.


    Plus, running away in such a situation would do the Hoarder no good. The best way out of such a situation was through the eye of the storm.


    That is¡ªto the origin!


    ¡®¡­ As expected!¡¯ Paul¡¯s lips curled up in a smile.


    He had anticipated this move. And it was because Jeremy moved exactly as he predicted that things had turned out so favorably.


    ¡®CHECKMATE!¡¯


    Jeremy reached for Paul, but¡­ as soon as he did that¡­ all he could touch was air.


    ¡°W¡ªwha¡ª?!¡±


    Before he could realize what had happened, a downpour of enchanted bullets descended upon Jeremy. Hundreds of projectiles sped toward him, chipping down the HP he possessed.


    >FWUUUUSSSHHHH!<


    Paul appeared a great distance from Jeremy, smiling in absolute confidence.


    ¡°Cheh, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is farewell, at least for now¡­¡± Paul gave a condescending response.


    Before Jeremy could leak out another statement, he noticed the adversary pointing at something that began manifesting on the ground beneath him.


    It was a crystal, and it shone with a brilliant glow.


    Any experienced Gifted would instantly recognize what it was.


    ¡°A¡ªA RETURN STONE?!¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Goodbye¡­ ¡®partner.''¡±


    With a broad smile ying out on his face, Paul watched the brilliant light shine, covering the area where Jeremy stood. And then¡ª


    ¡°NOOOOOOO!!!¡±


    ¡ªitpletely enveloped Jeremy¡¯s body.


    >SHIIIINNNNNGGGGG!!!!<


    In a sh of sharp illumination, the aggrieved Hoarder vanished from sight.


    The air cleared afterward, and the Drones stopped their bombardment.


    ¡°Huu¡­¡± A heavy exhtion escaped from Paul¡¯s lips.


    He began walking to thest position where Jeremy stood. His stride was gentle and slow.


    ¡°Finally¡­ it¡¯s done¡­¡±


    A bead of sweat fell from the side of his face as his smile grewrger.


    ¡°I did it¡­ I beat him¡­¡±


    It seemed unbelievable, but that was what had just yed out.


    The several months of preparation and efforts finally paid off in the little exchange he had with his nemesis.


    Paul felt absolutely ecstatic.


    ¡®I¡­ won!¡¯


    He had been a bit doubtful about hispetence, but he didn¡¯t falter or hesitate in the moment of truth. With this, he had struck the first blow on his enemy.


    ¡°Even if he starts climbing the Tower, judging his speed, it will take about an hour before he catches up to me. Before that happens, I¡¯ll increase my speed and clear the Tower before he does.¡±


    Plus, even if Jeremy wanted to climb the Tower now, thanks to using a Return stone, he could no longer challenge the Hidden Floor within the Tower Of Conquerors.


    In essence, it was already a loss for the Hoarder.


    ¡®I¡¯ll obtain the power of this Hidden Floor, and continue with my ns to crush him!¡¯


    Paul relished his thoughts. It felt good to simply imagine how he would emerge victorious in theing challenges.


    ¡®Lily should be nearly done with her tasks¡­¡¯


    With Jeremy gone, his summons would automatically vanish from the Tower Floors, so they would pose no problem.


    That meant Lily was going to arrive at his location after taking the hostages to a safe location and showing them the footage of Jeremy¡¯s ugly side.


    Everything worked out perfectly.


    ¡®She¡¯ll catch up with me¡­ so¡­¡¯ Paul grinned, staring at the gaping Gate in front of him.


    It was time to keep ascending the Tower. He needed to make optimal use of the moment, after all.


    ¡°Now, then¡­ I should start getting serious, right no¡ª¡±


    ¡°That should be my line, though¡­¡±


    Paul froze in his tracks upon hearing a voice he didn¡¯t expect.


    ¡®U¡ªuh¡­?!¡¯


    Out of the blue, a silhouette made its appearance, taking on the form of a human. Not just any human, but the person Paul despised the most.


    ¡®H¡ªhow is this¡­?!¡¯


    The sweat that had vanished from Paul¡¯s face began to reappear.


    His eyeballs widened excessively to capture the sight of the person who manifested.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all¡­ still stuck in those fantasies of yours.¡± The person before him smiled.


    He had a dark cloak that seemed like the very essence of darkness, and he was adorned in several items that seemed to put Paul¡¯s equipment to shame.


    Just by looking¡ªnot even using the Appraisal Skill¡ªPaul could easily surmise that the difference in power between him and the manifested being was heaven and earth.


    It was that profound.


    ¡°Y¡ªyou¡­ h¡ªhow did you¡­? I just¡­?¡±


    The man smiled at Paul¡¯s ignorant confusion.


    ¡°That was simply a clone. A duplicate made to imitate less than half of my base stats, with only five usable Skills.¡±


    The revtion was shocking¡ªno, overwhelming!


    ¡°I ced it there because I was curious about what kind of scheme you devised.¡±


    A shiver ran down Paul¡¯s spine as he stared at the cool smile and condescending eyes of the clearly superior being.


    ¡°I have to say, though¡­¡±


    A moment of silence swallowed the area, and then, as though waiting for the moment that the tension was at its peak, Jeremy Lewis gave his verdict.


    ¡°¡­ You disappointed me.¡±

 Chapter 346 [Bonus chapter] Overestimation

    Chapter 346 [Bonus chapter] Overestimation


    It took me a while to realize that Pariah was simply Paul in disguise.


    If I didn¡¯t have [Subspace], I probably wouldn¡¯t have known.


    One of the features of my Gift was the ability tobel the properties of anything I ced within it. It would also tell me a brief summary of it.


    For example, if I ced a random rock in [Subspace], it would tell me the name,position, brief history, etc.


    So, when I ced Paul¡¯s Automaton into [Subspace], I was able to view itsposition.


    I initially thought investigating the drone would give me a clue concerning Pariah¡¯s capabilities. However, I never expected to see a familiar name pop up.


    [Item Information]


    Name: Spy-Automaton Drone (Num. 089)


    Type: Construct


    Maker: Paul


    Grade: 1


    Special Features: Spying. Camouge. Missile Launch. Projectile Launch. Energy Conduction. Flight. Quick Maneuvering.


    Brief History:


    Made with the Gift of ¡®Smithing¡¯, it is useful for reconnaissance, and dealing with a wide variety of enemies using long-ranged attacks. It has weak durability and low firepower, but its maker can conduct energy to it, giving it additional properties.


    [See Stats]


    With the name and the ¡®Gift¡¯ factor, it was pretty easy to deduce who the culprit was.


    Still¡­ knowing who Pariah was, anding to terms with it, werepletely different matters.


    ¡°Paul is alive? Well, damn¡­¡±


    That was my reaction when I found out.


    How was that even possible?


    I mean, he had next to zero offensive capabilities as a Level 1. Sure, the Demons I left behind were already half-defeated, but he was too much of a pushover to fight back, even if he wanted to.


    Plus, he had no means of fighting¡­ right?


    Suddenly, I remembered a conversation we had while still figuring out a way out of the apartment.


    ¡®He talked about using a gun. Then¡­ did he?!¡¯


    I understood at that moment.


    ¡®He must have made one in secret¡­¡¯


    The fact that he had the galls to do something like that behind my back, as well as survive against all odds, proved that he was a far more formidable person than I had thought.


    I underestimated so many things and people in the past, nearly causing me to lose my life. I wasn¡¯t nning on repeating those mistakes any longer.


    Which was why¡­ I made sure to prepare very well before he arrived.


    Once I figured out Pariah¡¯s identity, piecing together his ns ¡ªat least the general gist of it ¡ª wasn¡¯t very difficult


    ¡®He wants revenge!¡¯


    If he simply wanted to defeat me, Paul wouldn¡¯t have used such a roundabout way. If his goal was to utterly ruin me, he would use my supposed weaknesses against me.


    ¡®I¡¯m relieved I didn¡¯t reveal all my cards¡­¡¯


    My brain began getting to work, and then I nned countermeasures for everything I could think of.


    Since he had a partner, there was the possibility that he would use her to take care of Tia and the rest, while he directly confronted me.


    ¡®He doesn¡¯t know about my [Subspace] abilities, then¡­¡¯


    While I had no idea how he got such a makeover, and why I couldn¡¯t use my ¡®Hoarder¡¯ abilities on him, he didn¡¯t seempletely aware of my own capabilities.


    I had to capitalize on that.


    Tia and the others were already my property ever since I took them into [Subspace] once before. I could retrieve them anytime I wished.


    The same applied to the guards I gave them.


    I could also monitor their status remotely ¡ªthanks to an additional Skill, so I was in no tight spot.


    The problem was Paul himself.


    He had changed too much, and I wasn¡¯t very keen on unknown variables. Plus, he was capable of beating the Tower Of War, making him quite formidable.


    Out of all the Gifteds around, he was most likely the most powerful around. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, he had a keen desire to kill me.


    That motive was dangerous.


    Since the full extent of his capabilities was a mystery, the best means to employ was the safe route.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have a clone fight him!¡¯


    In order to be conservative with my resources, I used a low-costing duplicate to challenge him ¡ªgauging the battle from a distance.


    And so, the moment of truth arrived.


    My duplicate fought Paul earnestly¡­ and lost.


    Normally, that would make me more cautious, but¡­ it was the nature of the battle that surprised me.


    Sure, he had employed some tactics that were quite brilliant, but I could see through all of them even before they were made.


    ¡®His intentions are too obvious!¡¯


    I wasn¡¯t sure if he was doing it intentionally, or was relying on some sort of predetermined idea of howbat worked, but things got too predictable at a point.


    The only thing I probably didn¡¯t seeing was the Return Stone.


    ¡®I thought he would just use an ultimate ability to blitz the clone, or something like that¡­¡¯


    The fact that he didn¡¯t use any super powerful abilities told me two things.


    Either he was saving his strength for the challenge ahead¡­


    ¡­ Or he was simply weak.


    Either way, they both meant the same thing.


    Whether by intelligence or power, Paul was still inferior to me.


    Once I realized this, it was time to make my entrance.


    *********************


    ¡°¡­ You disappointed me, Paul.¡±


    The boy appeared genuinely shocked by my presence.


    He must have thought I was returned to the Starting Point thanks to the Stone. Who could fault his logic?


    ¡®If I was in that situation, it would have been easy to escape the Return Stone, though¡­¡¯


    But the flustered guy didn¡¯t know about that, did he?


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we get a bit serious, Paul?¡±


    His shocked expression made me happy for some reason. How he went from overjoyed topletely stupefied.


    ¡®I also feel kind of dumb¡­ for overestimating this loser.¡¯


    ¡°Kneel.¡±


    >VWUUUMMM!!!<


    Instantly, Paul heeded my words and fell to his knees.


    ¡®Hmm, I see¡­ My Hoarder Skill didn¡¯t work, but Command functions just fine¡­¡¯


    That meant the problem wasn¡¯t a result of Level Difference. I was of a higher Level. Then what caused the interference?


    While watching his battle with my Clone, I tried using [Subspace] on him, but it didn¡¯t work as well.


    It was strange, no matter how hard I thought of it. However, there was one exnation I could think of.


    Drawing closer to the confused boy, I looked him in the eye and decided to find out the truth.


    ¡°What do you know about (G) Essence?¡±

 Chapter 347 Answers

    Chapter 347 Answers


    ¡°What do you know about (G) Essence?¡±


    The moment I asked this, Paul¡¯s body throbbed. His eyes widened, and he seemed shell-shocked.


    ¡®Ah, so he knows something!¡¯


    That was reassuring as well as dangerous.


    In all honesty, I was still in the dark about the full nature of the (G) Element in my Status Window. However, there was one thing I knew to be certain.


    ¡®It has helped me greatly!¡¯


    With (G) Karma Points, I could upgrade my Gift. Without it, I never would havee this far.


    The (G) Factor ensured I was alive, despite being in many hairy situations. It served as the popr ¡®plot armor¡¯ I usually noticed in novels or anime.


    Back then, I despised the fact that the main character had some sort of cheat, but now I was rethinking my position.


    Thanks to these two factors¡ªalong with [Subspace], I was able to transform myself from the weakling to my current self. It was no understatement to say that without them I would have died back in my apartment.


    Even my knowledge of the future yed a huge role in my survival after leaving the apartment.


    But, it seemed I had grown conceited thanks to these privileges.


    ¡®What if I¡¯m not the only one?¡¯


    That thought finally popped into my mind at some point.


    It didn¡¯t make sense that only I would have such abilities. However, I had taken them in stride¡ªas though they were only natural.


    All of that arrogance was shattered now, though.


    ¡°You have it too¡­ don¡¯t you? (G) Karma and (G) Factor¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Paul¡¯s expression changed the moment I mentioned those two. His expression twisted a bit.


    It was subtle, but I could read it quite well.


    ¡®He doesn¡¯t know them? Really?¡¯


    I didn¡¯t believe him, so I decided to resort to my ¡®Command¡¯ Skill. Using it to control his will, I demanded an answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t have them¡­¡± Paul spat out.


    ¡®Oh? Is he resistant to mind control?¡¯


    Either way, he couldn¡¯t resist it. That meant he was telling the truth.


    Did that mean he had another version of a (G) stuff?


    ¡®Guess I¡¯ll have to ask¡­¡¯


    I drew closer to him and decided to try something else.


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed quite a bit. What could have caused this transformation?¡¯ I spoke as I stroked his white hair, gazing at his kneeling posture.


    ¡®Bodily contact will allow me to read his thoughts. That way, I¡¯ll be able to reconfirm all he says as the truth.¡¯


    Once the link was established, I asked my question.


    ¡°What¡¯s your connection with (G) Essence?¡± My eyes narrowed as I stared intensely at my target.


    ~Shit! How did this happen? I¡¯m¡­ under his control¡­ I can¡¯t even resist! Shiiitttt!!!~


    ¡°I¡­ the gods¡­ are on my¡­ side¡­¡± Was his response.


    ¡°Gods? You mean the Supreme Being that gave us Gifts?¡±


    ¡°N-no¡­ there are¡­ others¡­¡±


    ¡®WHAT?!¡¯


    ¡°Who are they? What¡¯s your connection with them?¡±


    I was already getting a bad feeling about this.


    My thoughts trailed to the closest encounter I had with certain death. The Angel that nearly killed me! If she was an Angel, then¡­


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡­ was saved¡­ by them.¡± Paul blurted out.


    ~DAMNIT! I said it! I have to resist! Why won¡¯t you shut up, body! I have to¡­ escape¡­.!!! I have to stop this!~


    Hearing his thoughts and speech, I had to assume that I was hearing the truth. But, that made me even all the more confused.


    ¡®So, the gods saved Paul? That¡¯s probably why he didn¡¯t die back then. Is it kind of like how (G) Factor protects me? No, he said he doesn¡¯t have (G) Factor.¡¯


    ¡°Why did they save you? How did they do it? What (G) ability do you have?¡±


    ¡°G-GUH¡­ Gr¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    The guy¡¯s resistance surged forth; his willpower deepened.


    ¡®Hmmm, this is¡­¡¯


    To think he could keep himself out of my influence this much. He had to be quite strong.


    ¡®After finding out the necessary information, I¡¯ll have to kill him.¡¯


    It was the only way to avoid future problems.


    ¡®In any case, I¡¯ll strengthen my control over him¡­¡¯


    Buffing myself with an additional skill, I asked Paul the same question.


    ¡®What is their intention? Why Paul? What was their motive?¡¯


    If there were other (G) abilities out there, that meant I needed to watch out for a lot of things.


    ¡°¡­ Kill¡­ you¡­ I¡¯m meant to¡­ be the one¡­ to¡­ de-defeat¡­ you¡­¡±


    My eyes bulged.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    The reason he was saved was to kill me?


    My mind brought up the image of the strange angel that also nearly seeded in the act. Dots began connecting, and I was arriving at a scary conclusion.


    However, with more knowledge came the surge of a greater wave of questions.


    ¡®Me? Why me?¡¯


    Sure, I had done some rtively awful things, but¡­


    ¡®I¡¯ve seen the future. There are worse things toe. And I didn¡¯t really break any rules, right?¡¯


    Was it because I had the ¡®Singrity¡¯ Title? Were they trying to purge me because of my bnce-breaking existence?


    There was only one person I could ask that question.


    ¡°Paul, why are they ¡ª?!¡±


    Before I could finish, a bright glow shone from underneath him, and I sensed someone appearing behind me.


    ¡®T-this is ¡ª!¡¯


    Bloodlust! They were going to strike me down.


    >FSHUUUUUUU¡­.<


    I slipped past the person and also leaped away from the light that was shining.


    ¡®If it¡¯s a Return Function, I¡¯m screwed!¡¯


    As I flipped in the air, I noticed the one who appeared behind me. It was Paul¡¯s partner¡ªLilith.


    ¡®Tch! When did she get here?!¡¯


    I wanted to approach her, but she had already reached the light that shone underneath Paul, and she was also holding a gem that resembled a Return Stone.


    ¡®NO!¡¯


    My hesitation made me falter for a fraction of a moment, allowing the stone to activate.


    >SHIIIIIINNNNNNGGGG!!!<


    ¡°SHIT!¡±


    If I went after them, I would be transported to the beginning point. That meant I would forfeit the rewards of the Hidden Floor.


    Could I afford to do that?


    Sure, if I considered the threat Paul posed to me, as well as the information I needed, it would be worth the risk. However¡­


    ¡®I can¡¯t give up on the Hidden Floor!¡¯


    I tried absorbing the Return Stone with [Subspace], but their strange ability interfered.


    And so, with gritted teeth¡­


    >SHWUUUUSSHHHH!!!<


    ¡­ I watched my prey get away!

 Chapter 348 Close Call

    Chapter 348 Close Call


    ¡°SHIIIITT!!!¡±


    I was furious.


    >BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    The ground shattered apart as I stomped it withplete annoyance.


    How could I let him get away like that? Just because I was being too cautious, I allowed Paul to escape my grasp.


    The danger his existence posed to me was by no means small.


    While he was weaker than me now, how long would thatst?


    He had certainly grown beyond my wildest imagination. there was no telling how much of a threat he would be the next time we met.


    Yet¡­ Yet¡­


    ¡°Fuck! Shit! Damn it!!¡±


    I cursed some more, feeling anger and frustration consume me.


    Fortunately, the emotions didn¡¯tst very long. Thanks to my [Merciless] Title, I got over my unstable emotions pretty quickly and retained my rational mind.


    However, the moment I could think logically, a new emotion began lurking deep within me.


    ¡ªFEAR!


    The intensity multiplied, but was quickly suppressed by my Title.


    My throat suddenly felt dry, my body shivered, and I trembled slightly.


    The words of Paul sharply gued my mind.


    ¡°They¡¯re after me¡­ they want to kill me¡­?¡±


    The more I thought of it, the less sense it made.


    The gods, most likely other Supreme Beings¡ªor could it be the same one I knew?


    Why would such a superior persona be concerned with someone like me?


    ording to my memories of the Sacred Hall, it didn¡¯t seem like the guy actually had any ill will toward me.


    ¡°Is he still mad about themotion I made when I was still there?¡±


    But, did that really warrant sending a bunch of killers after me?


    ¡®Scary¡­ I¡¯m actually¡­ scared¡­?!¡¯


    A supreme beinging after me was something I could never have predicted.


    God, or rather, gods, were the ones behind this catastrophe¡­ right?


    I was ying the game fair and square, wasn¡¯t I?


    Or was I a bug that had grown beyond their expectations?


    True, my abilities were pretty much cheats at this point, but¡­ I never asked for this Gift!


    ¡®Shit! Shit! Shit!¡¯


    Could I really handle enemies like them?


    They gave Gifts so freely, watched the world beyond the boundaries of space and time, and were basically omnipotent ording to all standards.


    How could I measure up to that?


    The Angel was hard enough to beat, and I wasn¡¯t even confident in fighting that thing in my current state.


    That thing was close to a Grade 10 Demon ording to what I knew¡­ and something told me she was still holding back.


    If it wasn¡¯t for my ability¡­ I would have died.


    Then, there was Paul.


    He was rtively weaker, but¡­ he actually nearly got me good.


    Who would be next?


    Was I even safe anymore?


    Was there any point in striving so hard for survival?


    If they wanted¡­ if they actually wanted to, then they could just end me like that!


    ¡­ Right?!


    Once more, my emotions began to plummet as a result of my Title.


    ¡®But¡­¡¯


    My rational mind began working.


    ¡®¡­ If they want me dead¡­¡¯


    The gears in my head were turning.


    ¡®¡­ And they could easily achieve it¡­¡¯


    My eyes widened as my pursed lips parted.


    ¡°¡­ Why haven¡¯t they done so already?¡±


    It was an impudent question.


    I was basically questioning God, but¡­


    ¡°They¡¯re omnipotent, so why¡­?!¡±


    Sending an Angel, and now a loser like Paul¡­ Why didn¡¯t they just do the job themselves?


    Could it be that they couldn¡¯t?


    Was the whole System designed for that purpose? Could they not interfere with me?


    ¡®Is it because of my (G) abilities, or¡­?!¡¯


    There were so many things that confused me. Why me?!


    However, no matter how much I agonized over these matters, it was all pointless.


    I was never going to get any answers¡­ at least not correct ones.


    Guessing incorrectly would only be more detrimental to me.


    The best I could do was ensure I had countermeasures in ce.


    If I faced an opponent like the Angel, I could absorb them into [Subspace], assuming that was still an option.


    Since it didn¡¯t work for Paul, I had to prepare for situations where [Subspace] couldn¡¯t save me.


    Bing too dependent on my Gift would prove fatal in an emergency fight.


    Then¡­ what would happen if I happened to face a more powerful opponent?


    I needed to prepare more countermeasures. The whole Apocalypse had be something of a joke to me at some point, considering I was already so overpowered.


    For a moment, I actually thought it would be smooth sailing.


    However, with a threat like this at the corner, I could no longer be at ease.


    I had to get stronger¡­ and fast!


    If I was right, then the so-called ¡®gods¡¯ could only send adversaries to end me.


    The solution was simply to get stronger than anyone else and reach the pinnacle.


    That way, they wouldn¡¯t be able to meddle with me any longer.


    Until then, I simply had to stay one step ahead.


    Even with my fear and caution, I couldn¡¯t help but feel let down that they would employ the aid of someone like Paul to kill me.


    Was there something special about him that I didn¡¯t know of? Or were they simply out of options?


    Either way¡­


    ¡®¡­ For beings who are called gods¡­ they¡¯re pretty disappointing.¡¯


    ********************


    ¡°No. No. No. No. No. No!!! Nooooo!!!¡± Paul howled as he appeared in his shelter.


    His gritted teeth and bloodshot eyes were enough to tell anyone who saw him that he was extremely furious.


    ¡°No!!!¡± He growled even more.


    Behind him was a smaller person¡ªa girl¡ªhis partner.


    She simply stood in a corner, looking at him with sad eyes.


    A troubled and disappointed expression permeated her face.


    Those emotions weren¡¯t directed at Paul, but at herself.


    While her partner was in a frenzy of rage and frustration, she simply med her powerlessness.


    She was so useless.


    ¡®I couldn¡¯t even do anything¡­¡¯


    Thanks to her, Paul could no longer have ess to the Hidden Floor within the Tower Of Conquerors.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯


    Because she panicked after seeing Paul kneeling and trembling before the enemy, the girl had quickly chosen the most effective means of escape.


    Fortunately, they had escaped.


    Unfortunately, they missed the mark.


    Even if she wanted to apologize to the frustrated man¡­ she couldn¡¯t.


    Still¡­ even though she felt guilty about it¡­ Lily was relieved.


    At least, Paul was still alive.


    Even though he was on the verge of breaking down¡­ he still drew breath.


    Their ns had been thrown into shambles, but at least Paul was not fatally harmed.


    ¡®¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯


    At times like this¡­ all she could do was silently watch and profusely render apologies within her thoughts.


    And so, Lily kept watching as Paul wailed in anger, bitterness, frustration, anger, disappointment, weakness¡­ and immense hatred.


    ¡®¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡¯

 Chapter 349 The White Rider

    Chapter 349 The White Rider


    ¡°Oh well, there¡¯s nothing else I can do¡­¡±


    Even if I was annoyed about the whole thing with Paul, it was still a fact that he lost.


    Thanks to their emergency escape, the Pariah party missed their chance to challenge the Hidden Floor of the Tower Of Conquerors.


    Not only that, but their n to use Tia and the others as hostages didn¡¯t work. They were in my [Subspace].


    ¡®It¡¯s not like they matter to me at this point¡­¡¯


    I could simply keep them as (G) Karma Point banks.


    Now that I could once again resort to farming (G) Karma from people, wasn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity to gain as many points as I could?


    ¡®Ah, but I need quite the number of Points to advance to B Rank¡­¡¯


    My Gift was currently in C Rank. While the abilities were pretty broken at this point, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what awaited me if I could get a higher Rank.


    ¡®With this whole gods business, I need to get as strong as possible¡­¡¯


    With a smile, I gazed upon the warbling portal in front of me.


    ¡°Speaking of stronger¡­ I should keep ascending the floors!¡±


    With no more opposition, ascending the Tower would be a cinch.


    *************************


    As expected, I was able to ascend to the Floors in the 90s without any standstill.


    Using my full power to decimate the foes that stood in my way, I cleared the path pretty easily.


    Of course, I used the chance to obtain as many subordinates as I could.


    While I couldn¡¯t count how many mob soldiers I now had in my possession, the Elites among them were forty-nine


    Considering the fact that I had started with a mere twelve, the number was actually pretty good.


    The Death Core Essence I got from defeating The Pale Rider was still in my [Subspace], alongside the Lack Core Essence I got in the other Tower.


    At the moment, they were useless, but I presumed they would work better as a set.


    ¡®All that¡¯s left is the Conqueror¡¯s Core and War¡¯s Core¨Cthat is, if that bastard Paul hasn¡¯t gotten his hands on it already¡­¡¯


    I encountered powerful prey from the 91st Floor and above, but they still didn¡¯t pose much of a threat to me.


    Still, after learning about how I couldn¡¯t rely on [Subspace], I had no choice but to use my primary abilities and Skills in order to ovee my adversaries.


    Floor 91: Cleared!


    Floor 92: Cleared!


    Floor 99: Cleared!


    ***************************


    Sixty Elite subordinates.


    A nearly unlimited array of weapons and stockpile of treasures.


    An immeasurable number ofbinations based on multiple Skills and Titles.


    I entered the ominously bright doorway to the Hidden Floor with these at my disposal.


    Even without the aid of [Subspace]¡­ I wasn¡¯t feeling like losing!


    *****************************


    The Hidden Floor was a vast in.


    It was filled with absolutely nothing.


    The skies were nonexistent¨Cthe same as the ground. It was nothing more than a nk canvas with nothing in sight¡­ except the approaching figure.


    A smile leaked from my face as I stared at the being with determination and excitement in my heart.


    A white horse, d in gold, moved regally as it neared me.


    Seated atop it was a being d in white and gold armor. A magnificent crown floated above his head, and he had an air of absolute authority.


    Even in the full-t armor¨Cwith me unable to even see his face¨Cit was clear that this being was sneering at me.


    His eyes stared condescendingly at my smaller figure, and he neared me majestically.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve finallye¡­¡± His voice was deep, deserving of someone of royal heritage.


    Usually, I would be in a hurry to end the battle, but¡­ perhaps I was a bit curious about this whole setup.


    ¡°You were expecting me?¡±


    ¡°Filthy Mongrel! Who permitted you to speak to me?¡±


    Somehow, his reaction reminded me of a character in a book I once read. The whole getup was to disy that my opponent was royalty¨Ceven the crown gave it away.


    That meant he was most likely going to underestimate me.


    ¡°I have conquered everything in thesends. There is nothing left to steal, kill, or destroy. Why would I not expect another foolish challenger?¡±


    I nearly rolled my eyes at the boring monologue I was receiving.


    ¡°This will prove to be a decent appetizer¡­ before Iy waste to the world beyond this prison.¡±


    The white and gold man in regal armor seemed ready to fight as he brandished his de atop his horse.


    ¡®I could just take them on one after the other, but¡­¡¯


    I had already resolved within myself not to rely too much on the chest abilities that my Gift had.


    To prepare for the worst, I had to handle some things myself.


    The glittering horse readied itself, surging with immense energy that made it quite intimidating.


    Its rider was even scarier.


    The golden weapon it had was filled with the greatest amount of energy I had noticed since climbing any Tower.


    ¡®I have to make it mine!¡¯ My mind rang out as I licked my lips.


    ¡°Come!¡± The glorified Demon dered.


    >VWOOOSSSHHHH<


    Obeying ¡®his Majesty¡¯, I dashed at full speed and sped across the nk area that divided our paths.


    My speed sent vibrations through the air, and everything around me parted for my assault.


    With a perfectbination of Death¡¯s Armor, and Lack¡¯s essories, Iunched my first strike.


    ¡°What?!¡± The Conqueror gave a surprised yelp as soon as I raised my dark de and descended upon him.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    Echoes of our sh reverberated the seemingly endless expanse.


    I felt a slight recoil, but, from the looks of things, my adversary was feeling even more pushed back.


    ¡®Even though he should be buffed since he¡¯s riding the horse¡­ I¡¯m superior!¡¯


    That was how superior I currently was!


    >VWOOOOOOOSSSSSSHHHHH!!!<


    Generating a clean arc, I increased my speed and broke through the enemy¡¯s pathetic defense.


    ¡°Guark!!¡± It bitterly cried out.


    However, I wasn¡¯t done.


    ¡°Come on! We¡¯re just getting started!¡±


    Making more clean arcs before he could recoil, I used my superior speed tosh out at the opponent until it was unable to lift a finger in retaliation.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­!!!¡± He cried out in exasperation and pain.


    Feeling the tables suddenly turn on him in a sh¨CI was certain a Conqueror such as himself never expected it.

 Chapter 350 Unprecedented Twist [Pt 1]

    Chapter 350 Unprecedented Twist [Pt 1]


    After having my way with the White Rider¡ªthough it was pretty disappointing¡ªI finally subjugated him.


    I first got rid of his horse, who¡ªfor some funny reason¡ªwas called Lackey.


    That just went to show how much of a narcissist my opponent was.


    Still, I showed the pure white creature no mercy as I killed it.


    The way the horse screeched in both surprise and fear made me derive at least some form of satisfaction before it finally faded into nonexistence.


    Afterward, I turned my attention to its master.


    Using Death¡¯s de, which had the ability to afflict ¡®death¡¯ to anything, I was able to kill The Conqueror.


    I had initially thought it wouldn¡¯t work, because one of the Conqueror¡¯s abilities was to rule over anything that afflicted him.


    It also had an especially annoying trait of evolving the moment it was afflicted with a particr attack.


    That way, one could say that if it survived death, it would be able to evolve past it.


    Fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]


    [Congrattions!]


    <you have=""pleted="" all="" the="" quests!=""></you>


    [Additional Rewards will be given]


    [Previous unallocated rewards will be added]


    <you will="" receive="" a="" grand="" prize=""></you>


    [SEE MORE INFORMATION]


    ¡°As expected,¡± I murmured.


    It was the same as the Tower of Death and Lack.


    I would probably have the same experience with the Tower of War.


    After my exchange with Paul, it was pretty obvious that he didn¡¯t have the special item from the Tower of War.


    ¡®After I¡¯m done here, I¡¯m heading straight for the Tower Of War!¡¯


    And so, I checked my rewards from the 99th Floor first.


    As expected, I got some decent artifacts, and even received a Skill that granted me the ability to control a limited aspect of my surroundings.


    ¡°Domain Control, eh? Not bad¡­¡± I smiled.


    Of course, there were restrictions, but with this, I had another way to defeat Mobs.


    Titles and Items were a must, but they wereparable to the ones I had already, so I wasn¡¯t very excited about them.


    ¡°Most of them will go to my subordinates anyway.¡±


    My attention was on the prize for defeating The Conqueror himself.


    [SYSTEM REWARDS]


    ~You Have Done The Impossible~


    <skill: probability="" correction="" is="" in="" effect=""></skill:>


    ~You Have Defeated The Conqueror Itself~


    <title: conqueror="" of="" conquerors="" has="" been="" granted=""></title:>


    ~You Have Completed The Trials Of The Tower Of Conquerors~


    <title: tower¡¯s="" dominator="" has="" been="" granted=""></title:>


    ~You Have Now Beaten Three Of The Four Horsemen~


    <title: harbinger="" has="" turned="" into="" of="" chaos=""></title:>


    <you have="" been="" given="" 300,000="" karma="" points=""></you>


    </an>


    </an>


    <you have="" received="" the="" soul="" of="" conqueror¡¯s="" steed:=""ckey=""></you>


    <you have="" received="" the="" soul="" of="" conqueror="" himself=""></you>


    <you have="" been="" granted="" domination="" magic:="" expansion=""></you>


    <you have="" been="" given="" the="" skill:="" evolution=""></you>


    <you have="" been="" given="" the="" skill:="" absolute="" control=""></you>


    <you have="" been="" given="" the="" skill:="" invincible=""></you>


    <domination magic="" has="" improved="" to="" conqueror=""></domination>


    <conquerors domain="" has="" been="" added="" to="" conqueror="" magic=""></conquerors>


    <resurrection elixir="" (x3)="" has="" been="" granted=""></resurrection>


    <you have="" been="" given="" a="" return="" stone=""></you>


    [Conqeuror¡¯s Personal Effects Cannot Be Obtained]


    [A Million Karma Points have been given aspensation]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    ************


    My grin widened as I looked at the results of my effort.


    I was currently Level 800. It was a heavy jump from my previous state, but this was one of the bonuses of the Tower Of Conquerors.


    ¡°Extra EXP!¡± I grinned


    In addition to my Tower Champion¡ªnow Tower Dominator¡ªTitle, I Leveled Up faster in a Tower.


    ¡°Never had Leveling Up been this easy.¡±


    At my current strength, facing the second and third waves of the Apocalypse wasn¡¯t even going to be a problem.


    Still, being cocky at this point would be a bad move.


    After all, my enemies weren¡¯t simply Demons any longer.


    Gods, whose Levels I couldn¡¯t even begin to guess¡ªthat is, if they even had such a thing, to begin with¡ªwere my actual enemies.


    Still, I was probably safe¡ªfor now.


    If I kept amassing strength at my current pace, it wouldn¡¯t be long before nothing on Earth could stop me.


    Since they couldn¡¯t directly interfere, then I would be able to live in some semnce of peace.


    ¡°Time to head back.¡± I smiled, saying goodbye to the nk area that was already crumbling.


    >VWUUUMMM<


    In that instant, a warp in space appeared, and I found myself in my apartment¡ªjust as I left it.


    Beforeing, I had already armed myself, preparing for some sort of ambush or attack. However, after arriving and actively observing my surroundings for miles, I didn¡¯t spot any threat.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m overreacting¡­¡± I murmured.


    My dark room brightened up, and I found myself in the luxurious apartment that I built for myself.


    Once I had spare time, I nned on refurbishing the building with more Treasures to increase its security, durability, Nd general abilities.


    If I could make a house that could fight on my behalf, that would also be pretty neat.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a problem for another day.¡± I smiled.


    Something more important came first.


    ¡°I should get the Towers over with¡­¡±


    That¡¯s right, it was finally time to challenge the Tower Of War.


    >PIIIIINNNNGGG<


    As expected, a System Ping arrived.


    It was most likely to alert everyone about the recently conquered Tower¡ªthat is, my Achievement.


    Even though it was a waste of time to check, I decided to check what the fuss was about.


    ¡°Uh¡­?!¡±


    To my surprise, there were two [System Notice] tabs.


    One was indeed about my achievement, but¡­ The second one waspletely unexpected.


    ¡°H¡ªhow is this happening¡­?!¡±


    Instantly, a dark thought crept into my mind.


    My body shivered as a horrible sense of foreboding afflicted me.


    It was the same bad feeling I felt before everything came crashing down thest time.


    ¡°Why¡­?!¡±


    What I was currently looking at had ruined everything I had worked for so much.


    Somehow, I knew the perpetrators, but¡­ To what end?


    ¡°A new System Patch? Bullshit!¡± I growled, staring at the information disyed in front of me.


    ¡®If this is how it¡¯s going to be, then¡­¡¯


    I had to hurry!

 Chapter 351 Unprecedented Twist [Pt 2]

    [SYSTEM PATCH UPDATE]


    <First Scenario: The Horsemen Of The Apocalypse>


    [Patch Information]


    As a result of the quick and precise means of elimination and Subjugation of the enemies, the System will not implement a stricter protocol topensate.


    ~The Towers will now be closed, and the remaining Floors that haven''t beenpletely cleared will manifest in reality.~


    ~The Hidden Floor that has not been conquered will also manifest in reality.~


    ~The Final Event has been shifted and willmence in approximately ten minutes~


    [Quest Update]


    <Quest 1>


    Survive The Manifestation Of The Unconquered Floors Until The Final Event Has Been Cleared.


    <Quest 2>


    Complete The Final Quest And Defeat The Remaining Horseman Of the Apocalypse.


    <Additional Quest>


    Assist A ''Hero'' To Defeat The Remaining Horseman.


    [Additional Information]


    The ''Hero'' Will Be The Most Powerful Gifted At The Scene Of The Quest. Assist Him To Obtain Rewards.


    [Rewards Such As Karma Points, Skill, Titles, And Items Will Be Given For Each Quest Aplished]


    [END OF PATCH INFORMATION]


    "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"


    Even without thinking too hard, I understood what this meant.


    "Is this what they''re up to now?"


    I knew they couldn''t kill me directly, but why would they resort to this instead?


    "Tch, how annoying!"


    Basically, this meant that the prize I wanted to hoard for myself had been distributed all around the world.


    The whole point of the tower was that anyone and everyone could ess it.


    Now that the Floors had spilled to reality, that meant that there would obviously be bias as to the location of the final Horseman.


    "World Map!"


    I shouted, calling for one of the special items I purchased from SHOP.


    As expected, a Map popped up, and I could see the location of the Danger Spots all around me.


    Fortunately, the position of the Horsemen wasn''t too far from my vicinity.


    ''Fortunately, uh? Why though...?''


    If this was the work of the Gods, as I suspected, they would have made sure I was the furthest away from my target.


    That way, someone else could steal my prize.


    However, the way things stood, I could get to the scene within a minute andplete the job as fast as possible.


    I wouldn''t even require anyone''s assistance.


    "So, why...?"


    I quickly decided to ignore my worries and simply got myself prepared for the journey.


    It was a slight change in ns, but all I had to do was get the Red Rider.


    Once I was done with him, I could then focus on the other Floors that spilled over.


    Even though they would give me fewer rewards, Floors in the higher Level promised me better offerings.


    "Hold on... Unconquered Floors...?!"


    Before I couldplete my words, I felt something fast and powerful descend from the sky.


    "W-wha¡ª?!"


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!<


    I felt the st devastate everything around me, causing me to scream in immense pain.


    In a sh, I utilized every defensive item and Skill at my disposal, shrouding myself in everything I could to protect myself from the immense destruction that urred around me.


    My house, everything within it, got destroyed in an instant.


    It was as if my surroundings were being vaporized and immersed in blue, yellow, and red light.


    I closed my eyes, braced myself... And felt everything around me get utterly diminished.


    ******************************


    "Haa... Haa..."<sub> </sub>


    At this point, my breathing was heavy.


    I had used too many Skills, Title Effects, and Items at the same time.


    Even though I was Level 800, the strain of utilizing a great deal of power at once ate at me.


    My body was partially damaged, so it was undergoing repair as well.


    ''Regeneration is too slow... what the hell...?''


    The speed of my recovery, however, was the least of my worries.


    All around me, I could see nothing but a massive crater filled with nothing.


    No debris could be seen for at least a mile.


    Everything hadpletely cleared.


    The whole area was vaporized, and I was standing on darkened ground.


    Thanks to my resistance, the heat didn''t really bother me¡ªthough my body stung a bit.


    Still... even with such a level of destruction around me... that wasn''t what caught my attention the most.


    "Singrity..." A sharp voice came from above me.


    It was as deep and vast as the ocean.


    I was forced to look above me despite the overwhelming dread that was enveloping my body.


    The feeling that currently assailed every ounce of my being... was awfully familiar.


    "... Your time of judgment hase." Yet another voice spoke.


    This time, it was like the rumbling of the earth. As though the ground was splitting apart, ready to swallow me whole.


    I was forced to once again feel the might of a presence that far exceeded my own.


    "... You will perish here."


    This time, it was like fiery mes roared and a raging storm of destruction bellowed.


    I shivered in the presence of these three contradicting sounds.


    "No... not this again..." I murmured with my quivering lips.


    Even though my injured body trembled violently, I still managed to look up.


    Far above me were three Angels that spread their spectacr wings.


    They were all dressed in luxurious armor¡ªhaving distinctive features.


    One was adorned in ruby, another sapphire, another topaz.


    I was at a loss for words once Iid eyes on them. The feeling was so simr...


    "A¡ªAngel...!"


    Yes, I had an encounter with one in the past as well.


    My heart raced and my head hurt the moment I recollected my experience with that terrifying being¡ªand how I nearly died.


    My body shivered once again at the thought.


    Now, right above me were three beings who were the same as the one I foughtst.


    There was no need to check their Status, but I attempted to.


    [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!]


    [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!]


    [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!]


    [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!]¡­


    [SYSTEM ERROR]


    <Level Of Threat Is Unquantifiable>


    <Status Information Can Not Be Viewed>


    <You Are Advised To Flee If Possible>


    ~Goodluck!~


    [End Of Information]


    As expected, it was impossible!


    I was foolish enough to imagine that I stood a better chance now than before.


    ''No... no, I expected this!'' I clenched my teeth and looked above me.


    Even though they were currently above me in virtually every aspect, now was the best time to rely on the only thing that could help.


    "[Subspace]!"

 Chapter 352 Desperation Of Gods

    [The Corridor]


    "The pawn failed."


    The Supreme Beings, Monarchs of worlds, had gathered in an assembly.


    They all looked the same, having pure white bodies, but something about their brilliant facade seemed gloomy.


    It was because their strategy had dipped.


    "It seems the Singrity is indeed more powerful than we anticipated."


    It would have been simpler if they could just deal with the matter themselves, but there were protocols to be followed.


    Such was the nature of the intricate System they had designed.


    "We need the pawn to grow even further." One of the Supreme Beings rmended.


    They were one and all, so clearly the rest must have thought of it too.


    However, there was one fatal w with that strategy.


    "Time is of the essence. The Singrity will grow stronger too."


    That was the issue!


    If given enough time, their problem would keep festering until it ruined everything. To ensure that never happened, the Supreme Beings had to nip it in the bud...


    ... And fast!


    "Then... should we send another Archangel?"


    For a moment, there was silence.


    Archangels were the highest-ranked Executioners.


    Singrities and Loose Ends were taken care of by them. However, one problem made it extremely difficult to dispatch these string forces.


    "He got rid of Sariel, didn''t he? What''s to ensure he doesn''t do the same to the other three?"


    Sariel was without a doubt the most effective Executioner.


    While each had their strengths and weaknesses, Sariel was the most efficient in her duties.


    In terms of purebat ability, she was also the highest.


    Yet... somehow someone of that caliber was done in.


    "How much of (G) Essence do you think he possesses?"


    That was the major issue of contention, wasn''t it?


    Depending on his authority, even they would no longer be able to interfere in his world. Still, considering the fact that they were able to do this much, it showed that their prey was still very weak.


    All the more reason why they had to get rid of him quickly.


    "He could not eradicate the Pawn, though. It seemed like he had the chance, but he didn''t."


    Once this objection was made, yet another silence pervaded the vast Corridor.


    Comparing the pawn, Paul, and the Archangel Sariel, thetter was phenomenally superior in every way.


    Archangels were higher than Humans in the Dimensional Ladder.


    They were two Dimensions higher than Gifteds.


    No matter how powerful a Gifted became, they could not measure up to one.


    It didn''t matter how many Skills or Titles or Stats.


    They were all meaningless in the presence of someone of a higher Dimension.


    Compared to Paul, who was a being of the 3rd Dimensional Layer, Sariel was invincible.


    So why did the Singrity have a problem dealing with Paul?


    "(G) Essence" The Supreme Beings spoke in unison.


    That''s right!<sub> </sub>


    They figured the only way to properly care for their pawn was to grant him the same kind of advantage the Singrity had.


    Of course, they weren''t so generous as to grant him the threeponents of the (G) Essence, so they simply blessed him with a Skill called (G) Essence.


    It basically granted him a boost¡ªimproving his EXP collection rate, overall ability, and protection from many things.


    Of course, they were restricted by the System, so the Skill could only grow ording to the Pawn''s Level.


    It was due to this very Skill that Paul had been able to grow as much as he did.


    The Supreme Beings raised him with one simple goal in mind.


    ¡ªExtinguish The Singrity!


    "Honestly, it''s a shame that he still wasn''t strong enough to beat the Singrity despite all the help we gave him."


    It showed the limits of human capabilities.


    The Supreme Beings thought of throwing him away, but the efforts and investment they had ced on his growth¡ªeven if it was little¡ªwas too considerable for them to let him go at this point.


    They would simply have topromise.


    And so, after much deliberation... The Supreme Beings arrived at a consideration.


    "The (G) Essence Skill shall be implemented on the Archangels as well."


    That way, they would be granted the same immunity Paul had against the Singrity''s absurd ability.


    With that resolved, the issue of what to do with Paul arose.


    "The First Scenario. Why don''t we add a System Patch?"


    There had to be a considerably good reason for a System Patch, which meant they couldn''t do it whenever they wanted.


    Fortunately, the Singrity had been going crazy in the Towers, causing the System''s estimated difficulty to be nearly non-existent.


    "War has yet to be beaten, right? So, why don''t we do something about that?"


    If they left Jeremy Lewis¡ªtheir target¡ªalone, he would inadvertently defeat thest Horsemen.


    Since they could see the stream of time¡ªat least without the interference the Singrity brought¡ªand so they knew that War would be defeated very soon.


    With that in mind, they jointly agreed on the patch.


    By releasing War and some Tower Floors to the real world, it would allow Gifteds to actively challenge the Floors, irrespective of their Levels in the Tower.


    And...


    ... It was going to work in Paul''s favor.


    "He should be able to challenge the Hidden Floor if it manifests in reality, and obtain War''s piece."


    Even though they knew the Archangels would take care of Jeremy Lewis in the meantime, the Gods decided to keep using Paul as their centerpiece.


    If they controlled him well, they could ensure that this world was controlled ording to the intended way.


    And, if he proved to be yet another obstacle...


    "... He too shall be eliminated!"


    With their decisions all made, the Supreme Beings summoned the Archangels.


    Blue, Red, and Yellow light shine at the center of the Order, and the Assembly weed the three bowing beings.


    Their pure wings glowed with their respective colors, and the armor they also donned had glimmering aspects apanying them.


    These were the epitome of all Executioners.


    "Sariel failed in her mission. I trust you won''t disappoint us..."


    The three Archangels bowed even deeper, showing their devotion.


    "Lemuel. Uriel. Raphael."


    Each with their names, they were thest cards the Supreme Beings could currently y against the bothersome Singrity.


    "Eliminate Jeremy Lewis."

 Chapter 353 Powerlessness

    "My name is Lemuel." The one coated with blue light spoke first.


    "My name is Uriel." The yellow one followed.


    "My name is Raphael." The final one who brimmed with red stated.


    Their eyes were all fixated on me¡ªfilled with nothing but condescending arrogance.


    It was no different from how a human would look at an ant.


    No, it was even worse.


    "To think you were the one who beat Sariel. Unthinkable..." Lemuel, the blue Angel spoke.


    Even as I heard them speak, I could rid myself of my body''s trembling.


    Once again confronted with forces behind my capabilities, I had no choice but to rely on my Trump Card.


    ''[Subspace]!''


    A bright smile appeared on my face as I stared at my targets¡ªhoping they would get absorbed into my special storage space.


    Unfortunately... things didn''t go as nned!


    "It''s useless." Uriel stared, smiling a little as he stared at me.


    It was as though he was looking at me with both eyes of pity and mockery.


    Could it have been both?


    "Your petty life ends now, Jeremy Lewis." The one called Raphael uttered.


    Instantly, they stretched out their hands at me, preparing sts that would be enough to decimate the area once again.


    This time, I could feel their energies gathering¡ªfocusing on me.


    "Shi¡ª!!!"


    Before I could think, the st approached.


    It may have been foolish of me, but I attempted to absorb everything through the use of [Subspace].


    Nil!


    ''I-its not working¡ª?!''


    And so, the st cascaded upon me, sending a reverberating echo traveling a great distance.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    The entire area was once again brought into devastation.


    "Huff... Huff..." I came out of the pirs of smoke.


    Fortunately, I used up a great deal of my Skills and multiple Items to defend myself.


    Unfortunately, the Items expired, and my Skills were in the red.


    If I took a couple more hits like this, I was a goner.


    "Why are you people doing this?" I growled hatefully, ring at my adversaries.


    They were sofortable in their unreachable height, enjoying every moment of my humiliation.


    "Why do we have to converse with the likes of you? Die."


    Another surge of phenomenal energy rained down.


    "Tch!"


    This time, I decided to dodge¡ªteleporting far from the st area.


    "Oh? We can''t have that, can we?"


    >BZZZZZTTTZZZ<


    [SYSTEM ERROR]


    My eyes bulged as I saw this.


    A red alert showed right in front of me, and... my Teleport Skill wouldn''t work!


    "N¡ªno...!!!"


    Once again, I was forced to receive the sts.


    Even though I felt like the beings above me weren''t even trying, the damage I was receiving¡ªeven with max defense¡ªmade it seem like I was fighting a life and death battle with someone.


    It was as simple as an ant struggling against three grown men who were merely toying with it.


    I could think of no way out!


    Absolutely nothing came to mind.


    Even when I was equipped with my best gear¡ªhaving multiple effects and stacked Stats, nothing seemed to be effective.


    ''Shit... SHIT!''


    I was fucking Level 800! How was I losing like a Level 1 Noob?


    This wasn''t even a fight. It was as simple as a beatdown.


    "[Subspace] do something! (G) Factor do something!"


    It was pathetic of me, but I cried with all I had, trying as much as possible to live a second longer.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!<<sub> </sub>


    Desperation yed on my face, and a crazy idea sparked in my head.


    ''Physical contact could work!''


    Even if I couldn''t utilize long-range absorption, what if I could reach them?


    It could actually work!


    ''I''m Level 800! It should be possible for me!''


    Perhaps it was simply because I was trying to find a way to survive, but I believed that naive logic and abandoned defense.


    A lot of my defensive items had been rendered to nothing thanks to their attacks.


    If I didn''t strike, it would only take a short while before I died.


    ''I have lots of Skills and Titles! It''s time to put it to good use!'' I red at them, gritting my teeth.


    Using [Subspace], I summoned several of my arms and prepared myself for my final struggle.


    Whether or not I could actually win depended on this next move.


    ''I''ll pump myself to the breaking point with all my Skills and Titles. My Items also had Buff effects. If Ibined everything, then perhaps I could stand a¡ª''


    "Break."


    >KRANAGGGG!!!<


    Just one word... it only took one word, and all my items shattered to pieces.


    "Nullify."


    All my Skills¡ªtheir Buff effects and additional abilities¡ªsuddenly froze.


    I could no longer ess them.


    "Fade."


    My Titles became obsolete in an instant.


    "... E¡ªeh...?"


    My body froze, unable to move a single muscle.


    [SYSTEM NOTICE]


    <Gifted''s ount Has Been Temporarily Disabled>


    [It Will Take Some Time To Be Corrected]


    [Apologies For The Inconvenience]


    "...."


    I couldn''t utter a single word.


    Was I embarrassed? YES!


    Was I frightened? YES!


    What could I do anything about it? The answer was staring right in front of me.


    Absolutely Nothing!


    I waspletely powerless.


    "Do you understand now? There was never a chance from the start."


    My lips trembled.


    My head hurt like crazy. I was searching deep within for any possibility.


    Any solution at all!


    "So, just ept your death."


    They stretched their hands out tounch another volley.


    Clearly, without any buff from my Skills, Items, and Titles... I wouldn''t survive.


    I didn''t even have ess to my Gifted Profile at this point.


    This was the true definition of powerlessness.


    As I wallowed in despondency, [Subspace] reacted to my plea.


    [Automatic Summon Activated]


    Instantly, all my subordinates appeared. Both elite and mobs.


    In their hundreds of thousands, they swarmed the area.


    Far beyond what my eye could see, I witnessed my army gather.


    I had kept so many Demons and Summons within my special Space, and now they had finallye to my aid.


    I saw Niggaruth, Legion, Helios, and several others gather around me.


    They shed me their loyal gaze and red at the enemy.


    Somewhere deep within myself, I was happy to have so much backup.


    However, I knew... the fate that awaited all of them.

 Chapter 354 Utter Destruction

    "Attention troops! Support our master at all cost!!!" Three deafening voices rang out.


    I shuddered and looked at the ones who spoke.


    Death, Lack, and Conqueror emerged, all atop their horses.


    I had no idea how, but they had all appeared before me.


    ''Is this the effect of the (G) Factor?''


    Somehow, an unbelievable plot armor had manifested, and it seemed like I was going to win this round again.


    I knew it was a mistake, but somewhere... I prayed and hoped that they would win.


    Even against Angels... was there ever a time when Demons prevailed?


    ''Still... it has never failed me before, has it?''


    I was referring to the power of the (G) Factor.


    It had always somehow saved me from all my near-death experiences.


    This time, it wouldn''t be any different... right?


    I looked at the three Angels, hoping to see some sort of fearful look in their eyes¡ªexpressions that told me that I was right.


    If I could see some form of danger written on their faces, I would be assured.


    No, even the slightest bit of hesitation would do.


    However...


    "Haa, looks like more trash have gathered," Lemuel said.


    There was not a single change in his expression.


    "Let''s get this over with," Uriel murmured with disinterest.


    "Farewell," Raphael said.


    No emotion was attached to his tone.


    ''N-no... No way...''


    Did they not feel anything even after staring at an army this powerful?


    Even a Grade 7, 8, or 9 Demon would flinch if they saw something as grand as this.


    I wasn''t all-powerful, but... this force was enough to conquer almost everything up to the 5th Wave of the Apocalypse.


    I was certain.


    Yet... They weren''t even moved.


    No surprise or anything of the sort was on their face.


    In fact... The Angels actually looked bored.


    I knew their emotions quite well. After all... I was the same a while back.


    The boredom that came with unbelievable strength.


    Not too long ago, I was also basking in its delight. But, now... only certain fear assailed me.


    "I can''t lose. I won''t lose..." Murmuring those words, I managed to muster enough courage to re at the Angels.


    "It''s over... For you guys." Clenching my fist, I looked at my army.


    Many of them were weak¡ªall of them weren''t at my level.


    But, without [Subspace] assisting me, it was guaranteed that I would lose to all of them.


    Since that was the case, then...


    "I''m giving you guys your old gear!" I yelled, summoning the highest Grade Treasures that remained in [Subspace] and equipped them with it.


    Even though most of my weapons had been destroyed, I still had quite a few with me.


    ''With this, they should be able to bring out the set effects of the Treasures, right?''


    I couldn''t utilize any Skill, Title Effect, Stat, or even Magic.<sub> </sub>


    My System was currently in maintenance, so I knew I was basically cannon fodder.


    No, even worse...


    ''My current state is... ordinary.''


    ... I was a base human.


    No special features at all.


    Fortunately, my Army was on my side. With their support, I could probably turn this whole thing around.


    With that in mind, I gave the order with a loud bellow.


    "CHAAAARRRGGGGEEEEE!!!"


    Upon hearing my voice, everyone leaped into action.


    Nigharuth and other Mages among my subordinates cast Flying Spells on those who couldn''t fly, while the ones who could dive into the sky.


    Like a swarm of monstrous bees charging at a single target, these hundreds of thousands¡ªmost likely over a million¡ªsoldiers of mine moved swiftly.


    They seemed more powerful than I expected. Their speed, power, abilities, appearances¡ªeverything was overwhelming for me.


    ''Is it because my Stats have been suspended?!''


    Watching them now, my heart raced, and hope reignited in my soul.


    I thought to myself that there was no way they would lose.


    ''They''re strong! YES! THEY''RE STRONG!'' With this single thought, I watched my flying army ascend to the heights of the Angels.


    They summoned their greatest abilities, used the best Magic at their disposal, and conjured the greatest resistance they could.


    I felt like shitting my pants just watching the phenomenal disy urring above me.


    It was enough to level arge country¡ªno, probably even an entire continent¡ª if you asked me.


    There was no way I could have been able to offer so great a resistance myself Perhaps it was because I was plenty strong myself, but... I never realized just how impressive my subordinates were.


    Now that the whole thing unfolded before my eyes, I could only watch with a drooping jaw.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!<


    The crackles and explosions in the sky seemed to shatter whatever concept of reality I had in my head.


    My eardrums felt like they would erupt as a result of the sheer noise of the colorful st, and the pressure was enough to tear every flesh from my skin.


    Fortunately, Niggaruth and many other Mages among my subordinates had cast protection Magic on me, so I suffered no harm.


    The same didn''t apply to my surroundings, though.


    I felt the earth rumble.


    The quake was violent enough to send me crashing on my buttocks.


    Yet, the quake never ceased.


    I watched the ground split apart, many debris flew in multiple directions thanks to the impact urring in the sky.


    The destruction spread as far as my eyes could see, dying the sky in multiple colors.


    Honestly... I had only ever seen such a level of destruction in the Sacred Hall.


    Even then...


    "It''s over, uh?" My lips managed to give way for words toe out.


    The Angels had been buried in the sea of countless shing energies. I could no longer see or hear them.


    If only I had my Skills, I would have been able to sense their presence¡ªif they were still alive amid such destruction¡ªbut that was most likely not possible.


    Even I... with all my power... would not have suffered such a heavy bombardment.


    I would have probably been able to react in time and use [Subspace] to save myself¡ªor my Gift could automatically absorb the st too.


    Still, even with double¡ªeven triple my Stats¡ªI didn''t see myself tanking anything like that.


    "They should be dead, right? They''re dead!"

 Chapter 355 Despairing Misery

    As I stared at the devastated skies like a man who had fallen to the depths of insanity, I noticed three faint lights.


    My widened eyes took some to trante what I was seeing into my brain.


    But, the moment the image finally registered... I realized a despairing truth.


    ''They... they''re not... dead...?!''


    It was downright impossible, but I couldn''t argue with what I was seeing.


    "Looks like this is ultimately what trash can deliver."


    "Well, the best among them still belongs to the 4th Dimensional Layer. Isn''t it only natural?"


    "Shall we just end this now?"


    My body throbbed with fear, sharply looking at my troops with desperation ying on my face.


    ''DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING!'' I wanted to scream out, but my lips wouldn''t move.


    "Die, trash."


    Instantly, I saw the vaporizing glow of the three of them¡ªtheir jointly colored lights were sent in the direction of my army that littered the sky.


    And then¡ª


    Before they could react.


    Before I could react.


    Before anything could be said, done, or even perceived.


    ¡ªIt was over!


    >WHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!<


    The colors of the st reflected on my face as I witnessed everyone I was counting on vaporize into nothing but ash.


    It didn''t matter who they were.


    Even the Horsemen of the Apocalypse met the same fate.


    Every single one of my Subordinates was consumed by the multicolored light that swallowed the sky whole.


    And so, just like that, I was alone once more.


    >SHUUUUUUUUU<


    The air hissed, and the three beings lowered themselves from their heights a little bit¡ªprobably to get a closer look at my whimpering form.


    Not even a vestige of my previous confidence could be seen.


    All the haughtiness that came with my strength was nowhere to be seen. Now a weakling with no form of hope or assistance, I reverted to my pathetic self.


    "Now, then, let us finish this..."


    Their arms were all pointed at me, ready to st me to oblivion.


    ''I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die! I don''t want to die!''


    Myriads of thoughts bearing the same meaning pounded into my brain, but I knew it was all meaningless.


    I was going to die.


    That was certain!


    [[G] System Update]


    ''... Uh...?''


    [Searching For Alternative Routes For Survival]


    "A-ahh..."


    How could I have forgotten about my almighty (G) Factor?


    Definitely, something was going to intervene! Even if my armies couldn''t stop these Angels, this situation would work itself out.


    [Unable To Find Any Possible Route]


    ''No....no...'' I wanted to cry out loud.


    Even with all the (G) Factor Points I had, couldn''t anything be done?!


    [(G) Factor Bnce = 30]


    [Not enough Bnce To Resolve This Challenge]


    How had my Points fallen so low? I clearly remembered it was still about 90 not long ago!<sub> </sub>


    Did the useless army that was one-shotted take so much of my points? Even though they couldn''t do shit!


    [Searching for alternate ways topensate]


    >WHUUUUUSSSHHHHH<


    The blinding light was ready to beunched, and I was anxiously waiting for a miracle.


    [No Alternate ways found. Apologies. This situation is impossible]


    That was thest straw that broke me.


    So, after all my struggles... this was truly it?


    Even though I did everything I could to stay alive, things were simply going to end here.


    >FWWUUUUSSSSSSSHUUUU<


    *********************


    I didn''t see anything after that.


    The entire area went pure white, and I felt my body get consumed.


    It was like I was being pulled¡ªno, immersed into something.


    The feeling was oddly familiar¡ªyet it was apletely new experience.


    And so, silence reigned for what seemed like an eternity.


    It felt like time had be meaningless as I floated in an endless sea of white.


    I was going to spend forever like this... or so I thought.


    "Hey! Wake up!"


    A strange voice roused me. For some reason, hearing it gave me shivers.


    It was like my body couldn''t forget the impression that voice had on it.


    "Open your eyes!" My body trembled once again as I heard the sound


    I was a coward by nature, so hearing a voice thatmanded fear made me all the more determined to keep my eyes shut.


    The voice called out to me at intervals, refusing to give up.


    I wondered why they were so determined to make me open my eyes, but thebined trauma of death made me fear doing anything of the sort.


    Rather than struggling with life or death, just peacefully drifting into a seemingly endless world was better.


    However...


    "Don''t you want to know what happened to you?"


    ? ... Once I heard that, even before I could control myself, my eyes popped wide open.


    "A-ahhh...?!"


    I was expecting to see a horrid sight, or at least some being standing before me.


    But, I saw nothing.


    Literally an empty space.


    It was covered in white throughout, and nothing could be seen for miles.


    While being here, it felt like everything was meaningless. Somehow, being in this ce felt familiar.


    "Finally." The voice sounded, causing my skin to jump up.


    It was a feminine voice, but I couldn''t help but feel afraid when I heard it.


    "Where are you? Who are you?" W-where am I?" My tone was impudent, but I surmised that if the person in question wanted to kill me, they would have done so already.


    "Look above you."


    Everything was pure white for as far as my eyes could see, but this voice suddenly told me to raise my face to the ceiling.


    Obviously, it would be white as well¡ªor so I thought.


    Floating above me were multiple cubes, all having certain objects within them.


    These cubes were in various shapes and sizes, all containing objects I was quite familiar with.


    Houses, weapons, clothes, appliances, tools... people!


    It was beginning to dawn on me. These boxes resembled 3D Models of what Subspace would look like.

 Chapter 356 Reuniting With An Old Enemy

    I was mesmerized by the sights surrounding me¡ªespecially the boxes that floated above me.


    ''What the...''


    The items within the various transparent cubes were suspended¡ªdevoid of any motion or activity.


    It was as though they were stuck in time.


    I could also see information about them by the side¡ªlike System stats.


    This feeling felt awfully familiar.


    And so, as I witnessed a seemingly unlimited array of cubes floating in the air¡ªlike stars in the night sky¡ªI had fleeting thoughts.


    These items that were fixed within the endless cubes dominating the boundless ceiling called for me, yet I could not exin it.


    I could only stare with my mouth agape.


    "Can you see me?" The voice from earlier called out to me.


    What a useless question.


    How could I see a single person among an unlimited cluster of cubes?


    However... just as I was having these thoughts, one of the transparent infinite boxes descended from above.


    It glimmered white, and a certain entity was within. As I stared at the being inside, my heart raced and my body froze.


    ''Y-you are¡ª?!''


    Thedy within gave an observant gaze. Her silver-like eyes pierced my every being and I shuddered in her presence.


    "It seems you still remember me."


    How could I forget?


    She was a major source of my trauma. Her clear skin and beautiful face¡ªher silver armor and devastating power.


    And, the most distinguishing aspect... her pure white wings.


    Yes, this was without a doubt the Angel that nearly ended my life back then.


    "Why... why aren''t you suspended like the others?"


    Even though I was utterly confused about what was going on, my sharp mind had been able to pick up a few things.


    ''It seems I''m inside [Subspace]... I think...''


    The Items littering the ceiling were all ced into [Subspace] by me. Plus, the fact that I could see their information further confirmed my suspicion.


    ''But why here? How can I be here?''


    I was just about to be killed by the other Angels when I felt a strange sensation of being pulled.


    ''Could it be... did the (G) Factor pull through at thest minute?''


    As I was still in deep thought, I returned my gaze to the Angel.


    "Why am I not frozen, uh? That''s an odd question."


    I couldn''tprehend it. There was a lot I didn''t know, but the Angel seemed to have everything all figured out.


    ''At the very least she isn''t attacking me...''


    No, it was probably that she couldn''t. After all, she was still stuck in the cube¡ªan item within [Subspace].


    "So, you really don''t know anything. This whole situation is strange." The Angel kept muttering to herself.


    As much as I was scared of the being before me, I had to eventually figure out what was going on. That meant I needed to confront her.


    ''Rx, Jeremy. She''s in a Cube. She can''t hurt you.'' An image of the other three Angels that nearly killed me¡ªperhaps they even seeded¡ªpopped into my head.


    This one, unlike them, still seemed more reasonable. However, there was no guarantee about that.


    ''Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained!'' With my eyes lit with resolve, I forced myself to speak.


    "Who are you? Where is this ce? Why am I here? Why does your kind want to kill me? What the heck is going on?"


    I didn''t know when I began making more inquisitions than I initially intended.<sub> </sub>


    Fortunately, the Angeldy did not respond in anger. I probably would have wet myself if she did.


    She simply looked at me with a face of total calm. My multitude of questions did nothing to faze her in the slightest.


    "Haa... Haa..." After exhausting myself from speaking in such a rushed manner, I paused to catch my breath.


    "Are you done?" The Angel asked me, staring as though she was bored.


    ''I know this is kind of how she usually looks, but...''


    The fact that I was desperate for answers and she was simply staring with disinterest was getting on my nerves.


    I had no idea when my fear transformed into anger. But...


    "Yeah. I''m done."


    ... There was no way I could act on it.


    ''Even if she''s trapped there, it''s not like I can do anything either.''


    I could feel my body''s current state clearly. I was back to my initial height, and my stats had been reset to normal.


    No, it was more urate to say that I didn''t have any Stats, to begin with.


    I was no longer a Gifted, most likely. I was simply just an ordinary person¡ªin old Jeremy Lewis.


    "You want answers. I can understand that, Singrity."


    "Why do you call me that?"


    "Because that is what you are... though even that is sketchy now. What would you prefer I call you?"


    "Jeremy. Jeremy Lewis."


    The Angel bobbed her head in a slight nod and sighed.


    "Very well. That is fair enough, Jeremy Lewis."


    I heaved a little, surprised I was able toplete a back and forth with a being of mass destruction.


    Images of how she totally schooled me back then shed in my mind.


    "My name is Sariel. I am an Archangel¡ªExecutioner of Sector A-67."


    Of course, none of those things made sense to me in the slightest.


    "I see..." I was forced to say.


    "I can tell that you do not understand."


    My cheeks flushed with embarrassment, causing me to stiffen up.


    "Jeremy Lewis, you seek answers, do you not?"


    I nodded in response, gulping as her lovely eyes locked with mine.


    ''She''s pretty...'' I had no idea why that thought popped into my head, but it did.


    "I also want the same thing."


    I kept nodding like a fool.


    "So, I have a proposal for you." The Angel called Sariel spoke with the grace and poise expected from someone of her caliber.


    I listened in silence, waiting for what she would say.


    ording to Sariel, she too required answers. While she knew some things I didn''t, she didn''t know enough.


    We were both stuck in a weird situation.


    "Release me from my confines. Once you do, we will both learn what we desire."


    For a moment, there was silence.


    I stared at her, and she stared back.


    An Angel was offering a proposal, but why did it feel like a deal from the devil?

 Chapter 357 The Gift Called Subspace

    "W-what?!"


    Did I just hear correctly?


    "You heard me well. Release me from my confines. Once you do, we will both learn what we desire."


    This Angel chick was crazy if she thought I would do as she said. in the first ce, the cube she was trapped in was the only thing keeping her from absolutely blitzing me.


    "Y-you... I can''t do that..." I murmured, looking away from her stoic eyes.


    The Angel''s silvery white retinas seemed to follow me wherever I went, causing even more difort for me.


    "Why not?"


    ''Is she crazy?''


    "I can''t trust you! You nearly killed me a while back, you know? And then those other Angels almost killed me a few seconds ago too. Do you really think I''d free you from your confines?!"


    I hadn''t exactly believed in the existence of God before the world went to shit. After all, despite all the sufferings I went through, not one answer of salvation came through.


    But, when the Apocalypse was initiated, I was forced to ept his existence.


    Apanying the validity of a being called God were also Angels. However, unlike the kind and gentle souls I often heard about, these guys were ruthless.


    Even behind her cool outlook, I knew Sariel¡ªthis Angel before me¡ªwas a cold-blooded killer who wouldn''t hesitate to send me to the grave.


    ''I''m currently powerless... I can''t do anything. If she gets free...''


    I shuddered at the very thought.


    "I understand your apprehension. But, you should trust my words. I, Archangel Sariel, never tell lies." The beautiful, white-winged Angel, softly said.


    Her hand was ced on her chest, and her gaze was unwavering. It almost made me believe her.


    But...


    "I can''t trust your words."


    ... Ultimately, my fear of death kept me from taking the offer.


    "I see. That is regrettable."


    Silence enveloped the room, and the both of us simply stared at each other for some time. I, for one, didn''t know what more to say.


    It was obvious that Sariel knew more than I did, so I wanted ess to her information. Even if it was shameless of me to do so, especially after refusing her emancipation, I had to ask.


    "Tell me everything you know. If you do, I''ll consider releasing you from your confines."


    "No."


    Her reply was sharp and concise. I could tell from her gaze that she absolutely meant every word.


    "Why won''t you answer? You could regain your freedom, you know?"


    Sariel stared nkly at me. For a moment, I thought she was confused by my choice of words.


    "Freedom? Have I ever had such a thing? I do not desire it, so your offer is of no value."


    I was beginning to twitch, but I calmly assessed the Angel''s words.


    ording to her, she never had freedom and didn''t even want it. If that was the case, why did she want me to release her?


    "At least tell me something that''ll cause me to trust you. Anything." I looked at her desperately


    "You have already determined in your heart that you can''t trust me. It doesn''t matter what I say. You won''t ever feel safe enough to fulfill your end of the bargain."


    With that, Sariel fell silent again.


    "Tch!"


    She wasn''t wrong.


    I was very big on traumas, and I hated the feeling of helplessness.


    Currently, not only was I stuck with someone who gave me an unforgettable experience of defeat, but I had no special abilities at my disposal.


    "Then, never mind. I''ll find the answers on my own!"


    I left the presence of the Archangel, who didn''t speak afterward, and began exploring the nk expanse on my own.


    I searched for answers, but found nothing.


    Everything was the same¡ªa nk canvas.


    It was almost as though I was walking in circles.


    I nearly went mad because of the seemingly meaningless venture I was so desperately engaged in.


    Whether or not it was good news, I had no idea, but Sariel¡ªin her cube prison¡ªalways apanied me.


    Her box simply floated wherever I went, so I always hadpany¡ªif I could call it that.


    We would often venture everywhere in silence. She never spoke any word to me, and I grew tired of asking her for responses.<sub> </sub>


    And so, an indefinite period psed.


    Every man had a breaking point... mine finally approached.


    "Arghhhh!!! I don''t know anything anymore. What''s going on?!" I screamed.


    My voice was disturbingly loud, but only Sariel was present, so I didn''t care.


    As usual, her unfazed expression was locked on me.


    "You really won''t say anything, uh? We''ve been together for so long, yet you won''t say anything?"


    Here in this nk world¡ªdetermined to be Subspace¡ªI had no desire to eat, sleep, or drink. Exhaustion and sleep were alsopletely nonexistent.


    In essence, I could keep up everything I was doing for an eternity.


    ''Even then... I feel like I''m slowly losing my sanity!''


    My confusion slowly morphed into maddening curiosity... and then anger.


    "Just open your mouth and say something! I can''t keep doing this forever!" I growled at the Angel Lady.


    She remained silent and looked at me with her apathetic eyes.


    As usual, I was the first to look away.


    "At least... just tell me where we are... I don''t know anything..."


    After Sariel stopped speaking, I had no one to talk to in this nk world. Even if she was annoying, having her by my side alone was enough to keep me going.


    But... I currently yearned to speak to someone¡ªanyone!


    "You do not know where this ce is?"


    Finally, I heard her angelic voice ring in my ears. Sariel finally spoke!


    My heart leaped with joy, and I grinned stupidly upon hearing her words. I didn''t know I had grown so desperate to hear a voice other than mine.


    "E-erm... we''re in [Subspace], right?"


    Sariel sighed and shrugged a bit.


    "What do you know about [Subspace]?"


    What the heck was she talking about? How was that important right now?


    "It''s my Gift... thest Gift," I murmured, remembering how a certain individual forced it on me and returned me to Earth against my will.


    "Hmm... I see. So that''s what ''He'' told you. That''s truly what you think."


    The more Sariel spoke, the less sense she made.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Look around you, Jeremy. Does this not bring back any memory?"


    I did as Sariel said and took a good nce around me. There was nothing to see but an infinite white expanse.


    An endless area where time and reality seemed meaningless... where had I seen that before?


    "H-hold on! D-don''t tell me!!!" My eyes bulged as I finally arrived at the realization.


    Sweet fell from my face and I wondered why I never thought of it before.


    "Have you finally realized it?"


    With my widened eyes and quivering lips, I spoke.


    "[Subspace]... is linked to the Sacred Hall...?"


    This white expanse was exactly like what I experienced in that ce.


    The thought had crossed my mind before, but I didn''t see any ''God'' or ''Golden Screen'', so I simply thought they were identical.


    But, now...?


    ''If that''s true, then...!''


    "You''re not entirely correct, but you''re not wrong either," Sariel spoke, drawing her cube closer to me.


    "W-what do you mean?"


    I felt as though the truth was getting closer and closer by the minute.


    "The Gift you call [Subspace] isn''t just ''linked'' to the Sacred Hall..."


    I gulped and braced myself for impact.


    "... It IS the Sacred Hall."

 Chapter 358 Hidden Secrets [Pt 1]

    "T-The Sacred Hall?!"


    "That''s right. We are currently in the Sacred Hall..."


    To say1 I was confused would be an understatement.


    Sa11riel''s world confounded me beyond words. In the first ce, it didn''t make sense.


    "How can that be? The Sacred Hall...?" I looked around me.


    How could a mere Gift be the entirety of ''God''s'' realm? It just... didn''t add up.


    "That''s because the Gift you call [Subspace] isn''t a Gift at all. It''s not registered in the Central Celestial Records."


    "What?!"


    I always knew [Subspace] was a cheat-like ability, but what Sariel was saying basically implied that it wasn''t even supposed to exist.


    "B-but, why...? That guy definitely called it one... thest Gift. I missed my chance to obtain a Gift because I overslept, and¡ª"


    "How stupid can you be?" A sharp response emanated from her lips, piercing through my heart in an instant.


    ''Ouch...''


    "Every single human is registered in the records as a potential Gifted. Even those inatose states, or those who have terminal illnesses¡ªeven unborn children¡ªare given Gifts. Did you really think yourck of consciousness during that period would have warranted yourck of a Gift?"


    ''A-ah... when she puts it that way...''


    "I don''t know why ''He'' decided to do this. That is what I intend to find out."


    Sariel''s gaze sharpened, even more, transforming into a slight re. Her expression seemed scary as she stared at me fixedly.


    "Why do you have ess to the Sacred Hall? Why were you given ess to (G) Essence? Why did ''He'' choose you? I don''t understand any of it."


    I finally realized that I wasn''t the only one who was confused about what was going on. This Angel also had a lot of things on her mind.


    "If you answer this one question... then I''ll let you out." My lips parted and I spoke, staring at my former adversary with summoned courage.


    "What is it, Jeremy?"


    "Why... did you try to kill me back then? How am I so certain you won''t do the same thing again?"


    "Those are two questions, though."


    "A-ah! Whatever, just answer!"


    For a moment, there was an ufortable silence, and the Angel seemed to be in mild thought. Her expression was deadpan, but that only made her appear cuter.


    "It was an order from the other Supreme Beings. Besides, I wasn''t ''trying'' to kill you. If I was, you would have died long before you realized it."


    Despite how much her words hurt, I couldn''t deny any of it. I always felt Sariel was going easy on me back then.


    To think I was right, though...


    "I am the strongest Archangel. Surely, you don''t think a mere human couldst a second in a battle with me." Her gaze upon me was as though she was staring at filth.


    Surprisingly, it didn''t feel too unpleasant.


    "As for why I went easy on you. It''s because I was curious. A Singrity like you urring is something that shouldn''t be. Certainly, ''He'' must have known about it. That was what I thought, so I observed you. That Special Ability of yours... what you call [Subspace]... it intrigued me. To think it ended up facilitating my defeat, though..."


    Perhaps it was just me, but wasn''t Sariel getting more talkative by the minute?


    Sure, it seemed like she was nonchnt about everything¡ªand her stoic expression have an air of disinterest¡ªbut it seemed like she was also enjoying our conversation.


    ''Can I use this... maybe?''


    "The only reason I have even the slightest bit of interest is because of ''His'' interest in you..." Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized me even further.


    I felt like a lump of meat in her presence.


    "... That''s all there is to it."


    "A-ah, I see..."


    To be on the safe side, it was best not to make any active moves. I was powerless anyway.


    ''Let''s just go with the flow.''


    "Do not worry. I won''t kill you¡ªat least, not until we meet in a lower realm. Depending on the answers I receive here, I''ll take my next action with that in mind."


    I didn''t know whether to feel happy or worried about her response.


    Still, it did seem like she could be trusted¡ªat least at the moment. Since I had run out of options, it was best to simply rely on her aid.


    "How will we be getting the answers?"


    "I answered your questions. Release me."<sub> </sub>


    "Just thisst o¡ª"


    "Release me."


    "B-but¡ª"


    "Release me."


    Watching her silvery eyes, I couldn''t argue with her. Her stubborn expression told me that arguing was pointless.


    "Fine..." With dropped shoulders, I murmured, stretching my hand at the cube while saying the magic words.


    "Shazam!"


    ... Silence...


    No reaction whatsoever urred.


    "What are you doing?" Sariel''s words rang in my ears, and the condescending gaze she gave made me realize how stupid I looked.


    "U-uh, how do I release you again?"


    The Angel sighed, causing me tough awkwardly.


    My current position was ironic, considering how much power I wielded before. Among humans, I could be considered an existence akin to a god.


    But... when Angels like Sariel got involved, why did I be nothing more than melting butter.


    "Are you stupid?" Her question sent another arrow darting my way.


    "Ngh!" I clutched my chest, feeling burned.


    "How do you retrieve items from your [Subspace]?"


    "A-ah... Okay..."


    I looked at Sariel and desired that she appeared out of the cube.


    Instantly, the box around her popped¡ªlike a balloon¡ªand she was sessfully freed from her confines.


    "Haaa..." The Angel gave a deep exhtion, flexing her wings as she stretched.


    Once again, I felt overwhelmed by her presence.


    Not only was she too pretty, but her power was otherworldly as well.


    I felt like crumbling in her presence, but my pride wouldn''t let me.


    ''Can I return her to a cube? I probably could...'' As I thought of this while staring at her, she gave me a sharp re.


    The expression on her face told me one simple thing.


    "Don''t even think about it."


    I gulped and nodded, leaving everything up to the Angel.


    ''Let''s just y the part of the fool... for now, at least.''


    Sariel began walking toward me, having a light smile on her face. She seemed pleased with me, causing my heart to race as she approached.


    Her warm hands touched my shoulder, causing a sharp jolt to course through my body.


    Even though she was much taller than me, and her Majesty was nearly overwhelming, the feeling she gave off as our eyes were locked and she was so close made me feel ted beyond words.


    ''I think...''


    "You have done well, Jeremy. Now, then, let us get the answers we crave."


    ''... I think... I''m in love.''


    *******************************


    [A/N]


    We''vee to an important juncture in this story.


    We''re about to learn the real truth behind what the heck has been going on in this story, and also some questions you all might be having.


    Now, I want to ask you all... do you want a Jeremy and Sariel ship?


    That''s the direction this book is going to, and I''d really like yourments early on about what you all think.


    [Don''t mind Jeremy''s idiotic behavior, okay? It doesn''tst.]

 Chapter 359 Hidden Secrets [Pt 2]

    "Shall we begin?"


    I didn''t know what was supposed to start, so I simply went with the flow and watched the Archangel do her thing.


    She walked past me, moving forward in a dignified manner.


    Her wings fluttered and her hips swayed with each movement.


    Even though she still donned her silver and white armor, it didn''t diminish her feminine aspects.


    ''Focus, Jeremy!''


    "Sacred Hall Protocol: Archangel Sariel ess." Sariel spoke, causing my thoughts to instantly focus in her direction.


    >BZZZTTTTZZZZZ<


    A sudden buzz emanated out of nowhere, causing me to look around in meaningless observation. After all, everything I saw was still nk.


    The silence was stifling, and I wasn''tpletely sure if this was the desired effect or not.


    "How exactly do you intend to gain ess to the truth?" After waiting for a while, I finally spoke up.


    Sariel, who was standing in front of me, didn''t say anything. I couldn''t see her face since I was behind, but something didn''t seem right.


    ''Is this supposed to happen? Or...?''


    "Sacred Hall Protocol: Archangel Sariel ess." The Angel repeated, clearly indicating that the stuff didn''t workst time.


    Once again, a buzz echoed across the vast room and nothing else happened.


    I wasn''t sure before, but it would be stupidity on my part if I didn''t get the hint at this point.


    "Um, Sariel... I''m not sure if your protocol stuff is working..." I blurted out.


    "Tch!" A sharp sound of dissatisfaction emerged from her, causing me to instantly shrink back.


    As much as I wanted to say the honest truth, it was still pretty much established that Sariel knew more than I did.


    Perhaps this was all part of the process--though I somewhat doubted it.


    ''Let''s just trust her...''


    "What now, Sariel?" I mumbled, looking at the Angel hopefully.


    "....I don''t...I don''t know."


    For a moment, my brain froze.


    "Eh?"


    The same Sariel who was so confident about providing me with answers currently ''didn''t know'' about how to get them?


    "The fuck...?"


    "Language!" She sharply replied, causing me to also explode within.


    "Shouldn''t you be more concerned about more important things? Like finding out the truth?"


    "Hey!" Sariel turned at me, revealing her lovely face.


    Unlike before, it was clouded with surprise and confusion.


    "I honestly don''t know! It should have worked!" She snapped.


    "Don''t take out your failure on me, then!" I replied instantly.


    Something about her current state, even though she seemed quote angry, made it easier for me to talk back.


    "What did you just say to me?" Her voice was seething, but I was determined to speak my mind.


    "I mean, the whole point of releasing you was so I could get answers. What happened to ''I never tell a lie'' and all that junk?"


    "You would dare speak that way to an Archangel?"


    "Hmph! Big talk for someone who can''t even figure out how to find answers. What makes you different from me?"


    At this point, Sariel was speechless.


    She heaved a sigh and shook her head while holding her head. It almost appeared as though she was having a headache.


    "I..." Her eyes seemed to be slowly losing the confidence and luster they once had.


    Her dignified persona was breaking apart.


    "I don''t know what to do, okay? I''ve tried essing the Sacred Hall Interface to get the information I require, but I can''t..."


    "Why can''t that ''God'' guy do it instead?"


    Once I said this, the Angel''s face seemed to fall for some reason. Before I could understand why, she spoke.


    "I suppose you don''t know... he is no more."


    "No more?" Sariel''s words were a bombshell to me.


    I had no idea that God could die. Was that even possible?<sub> </sub>


    ''With the existence of other Gods, then maybe. Still...''


    "I don''t know the details, so it is best if we find out the truth. But, how...?" Sariel''s eyes rested on me, and then her gaze intensified.


    I suddenly felt naked and ufortable. What could be worse? The fact that such a beauty was staring at me with her clear eyes, or that I was also feeling some new emotion swirling within me.


    ''Shit. I wish I had that [Merciless] Title right now.''


    Unfortunately, I didn''t have the luxury of dulling my teenage, hormonal emotions.


    "Jeremy. Why don''t you try gaining ess?" Sariel finally spoke up after a moment of ufortable silence.


    "Eh? Me?"


    "Yes. I somehow don''t have any ess to the interface. You, however, could be different. I want to know just how well you are able to influence the sacred Hall."


    What she said indeed made sense.


    If [Subspace] was the Sacred Hall all along, then I had to have some form of authority within it, didn''t I? If that was the case, then...


    "Um, so... what should I say?"


    "I am unsure. Just try anything." She said.


    Her words were a bit irresponsible, but what choice did we have at this point?


    "Okay then..." Deciding to copy her, I continued.


    "Sacred Hall Protocol: Jeremy ess."


    >BRRRZZZZZZZZZZZZ<


    A different kind of buzz burst forth--this time, followed by yet another spectacr sign.


    In a sh, something familiar popped up, spreading wide so both the Angel and I could clearly see.


    "The Golden Screen!" I eximed.


    It had been quite some time. I clearly remembered how much fun I had with it back when the Sacred Hall was my home.


    And then--


    "Looks like things turned out just as expected."


    --A voice boomed.


    The moment the sound emerged, Sariel knelt and bowed her head.


    Her movement was so sudden and robotic that it seemed instinctive. Even though I remained standing, the voice also had an effect on me.


    I felt a sense of nostalgia, yet warmth while listening to the tone. Also, it was very familiar to me.


    After all...


    "Jeremy, and Sariel no doubt. Both of you must have made it this far. Well done."


    ... The person who was appearing on the Golden Screen was none other than the Supreme Being known as God.


    "You''ve ovee the initial hurdles and made it here on your own. This was kept as a failsafe, just in case you encountered a danger higher than your current condition can handle."


    ''Hold on... this is progressing too fast.'' My mind raced as I was assailed with several thoughts.


    "As expected, you couldn''t win against them on your own, could you?"


    ''Why...? I don''t understand anything...'' My thoughts tried toprehend why such a being was speaking in such a way.


    Was I supposed to rte with his words?


    "Yeah, I know you must be confused about a lot of things, Jeremy Lewis. The major question on your mind must be ''why?''"


    Yes! He was finally getting it.


    "You must have been going crazy with those altered memories of yours, and the limited things you remembered. All the crazy stuff about your Stats and the crazy adventures you went through. A lot of them didn''t make sense, did they?"


    ''Just spit it out already!''


    "The obvious answer, as you''vee to realize, is that I took a special interest in you and made you an exception among the other Gifteds."


    I figured out that much already. The only issue was why!


    Why go so far for a human like me?!


    "The reason is quite simple, Jeremy Lewis..."


    I braced myself to hear the truth, and even Sariel''s eyes sparked with curiosity as she continued her position of reverence.


    It was finally the moment I had been waiting for--an exnation that would finally end my ignorance.


    As the white being in the screen spoke, I readied my ears and strained my eyes to catch on to his every word.


    "I ... was bored."

 Chapter 360 A Supreme Beings Melancholy

    What does one call a being who can see the past, present, and future?


    An existence that is omniscient and omnipotent¡ªoutside the boundaries of space and time.


    There is only one name for such a perfect entity.


    GOD!


    However, the life of someone like that¡ªwho can do and undo at will¡ªis not as morous as people would think.


    Humans only desire power because of their weaknesses.


    They chase immortality because of their limited lifespan.


    They seek after wealth because of the unfairness of society.


    They wish for peace because of the looming dangers present.


    But, for a being that transcends those petty concepts... those ideals that mankind chases are all his to possess.


    However, those possessions have no meaning if there is no desire.


    Imperfection births the desire to grow¡ªto evolve.


    So, for an already perfect entity whose existence is already the epitome of everything one wishes to attain, those possessions lose their luster.


    As such, even God can get bored.


    This was the very thing that assailed a particr entity in a Sector among a constetion of universes.


    Within Sector A-67, a Supreme Being battled these ideals endlessly.


    No matter what he thought of, nothing stimted him¡ªnot even the humans who were kept under his watch.


    Even the other inferior species on several others did not entertain him.


    "I see everything. Past. Present. Future... I see everything."


    Nothing surprised him in the slightest.


    He questioned the meaning of his existence and did not find an answer.


    And so, after battling these emotions for a long period, the Supreme Being reached a conclusion.


    "Stimtion. I need stimtion."


    That was when he consulted the Oculus¡ªthe System that bound all the infinite realities in existence.


    As a Supreme Being, he had exclusive ess to the System as pertaining to his world, as well as general permission for other worlds.


    The stimtion he sought was something beyond what had ever been done.


    ¡ªA Singrity!


    This God, who was supposed to be against the concept of disturbances, now desired one.


    And not just any kind of singrity... one that could not be resolved by a single sleight of hand.


    Unfortunately, none could be found.


    That meant one thing.


    "I have to create one¡ªa Singrity of my own making."


    It would be ording to his taste, but not aplete replica of his desires. If the Singrity was entirely designed by him, that would make things too boring.


    Of what use would an idea so predictable be?


    As he had these thoughts, while exploring the several infinite worlds that existed, the Supreme Being of Sector A-67 found something oddly fascinating.


    "He always dies..."


    A certain human caught his eye.


    Now, there was nothing spectacr about the human he saw.


    He was an ordinary joe who did not live a fascinating life. Everything about him was ordinary¡ªexcept for one thing.


    "Even here too. How is this even...?"


    No matter the world, no matter the timeline, this human''s Steam Of Fate was something that had a central course.


    ¡ªDEATH!


    Throughout the infinite collection of realities, the entirety of the multiverse, this particr human managed to die in every single one of them.


    "That... shouldn''t be..."


    The multiverse existed thanks to infinite possibilities.


    For everything that exists, there is a world where it doesn''t.


    Every decision one makes has a world where that action is never taken.


    As a result, an unlimited number of realities exist.<sub> </sub>


    But, for every reality this Supreme Being saw, this human never survived the catastrophic event known as Armageddon.


    He always wound up dying.


    "There should at least be one where he lives, right?"


    Before the Supreme Being knew it, that slight notice turned into an obsession that gnawed at him.


    He had to get to the bottom of things!


    And finally, he did.


    He reached the root of existence, yet found not a single world where the human lived.


    The Supreme Being came to a conclusion.


    "He is an exception... a Singrity yet to be discovered."


    You see, the System operates like a simtion.


    One could say it is a program


    Another can call it a game¡ªperhaps a finely tuned machine?


    There are many ways to describe the concept, but one thing was certain.


    Programs were bound to have certain bugs. Machines sometimes became clogged.


    Even the System that held together the Multiverse in its web of intricacy had something it overlooked.


    No, it wasn''t exactly overlooked. It was simply... unavoidable.


    "For every rule, there is an exception."


    That was a rule that was as old as existence¡ªno, even before then.


    And the result of that concept was the human the Supreme Being chanced upon.


    "Jeremy Lewis. He sometimes goes by other names, depending on the universes, but that is his identity in my world..."


    He was the exception to the rule of the multiverse itself.


    For everything that happens, there should exist a world where it doesn''t. Yet, Jeremy Lewis was a loser in every single reality.


    That meant he was the very thing this Supreme Being was looking for.


    "The Ultimate Singrity!" A bright smile formed on God''s face as he looked down at his own world.


    "I wonder what will happen if someone like him, who has nothing... wounds up possessing everything."


    A certain feeling of exhration washed through the body of the Supreme Being as he had this thought.


    It felt strange initially, but there was no doubt about it.


    It was excitement¡ªthe very stimtion he sought.


    "This is a future that had never existed. A brand new reality..."


    It defied the veryws that held the world he was meant to watch over, but the Supreme Being no longer cared for order.


    He simply craved adventure.


    "I have decided!" He essed the Golden Screen and upon the miserable human in his world.


    There was no way such an insignificant entity could end up achieving anything his whole life.


    He was simply one of those people who would keep wishing, yet have nothing to show for it.


    However, that was only because no power was given to them.


    God smiled and made up his mind.


    "Jeremy Lewis... I will give you everything."


    The results of defying his predetermined fate and attaining the very pinnacle of power... God wanted to see.


    And that was because he had no idea of the oue.


    "I want to see what will happen next!"


    [A/N]


    There you have it, folks.


    That''s the petty reason.


    Lol


    I certainly hope you enjoyed the chapter.


    Some might feel a bit let down after all that buildup, but I personally like things this way. It also shows the possibility of more.


    Cheers!

 Chapter 361 Singularity Point

    Handling the rest wasn''t very difficult.


    As an entity who had ess to all events in the past, present, and future¡ªpertaining to his sector¡ªthe Supreme Being set the perfect stage to carry out his grand n.


    During Christmas, the calling point, he summoned every human and granted them respective Gifts.


    Of course, he excluded Jeremy Lewis intentionally, ensuring the whole thing seemed like a blunder on his part.


    Fortunately, the human wasn''t very quick-witted, and so easily believed such a silly excuse.


    Upon epting the logic, the human''s path already began changing from its supposed one.


    At that moment, God changed the causality of Jeremy Lewis'' life.


    Whatever happened next was not predetermined. No, it was a brand new experience for him to enjoy.


    And, that was when...


    "I don''t want to go back. I''m staying here¡­ with you! After all, I don''t have a Gift¡­ Right?"


    ... The Human, Jeremy Lewis, took the first step toward a new reality.


    The time they spent together was boundless, and they both witnessed the beginning¡ªuntil the end¡ªof the world.


    Over and over.


    They discussed.


    They argued.


    They conversed more.


    It was a brand new, refreshing experience for the Supreme Being.


    He came to the discovery of something... different.


    Truly, even though Jeremy Lewis wasn''t the perfect example of a decent human, they had fun together.


    However, even an eternity of fun would soon lose its luster.


    It would soon be time to say goodbye.


    "I''ll alter your memories, so you''ll have a different idea of what actually went on here." The Supreme Being addressed his human friend¡ªJeremy Lewis.


    "Ah, yeah. I get it. It''s funny how we''ve often discussed this, and it''s finally happening."


    "Are you confident? You won''t have a majority of your memories, you know?"


    After everything they had been through, it wasn''t just the Supreme Being who had changed.


    The human known as Jeremy Lewis had also transformed into something else entirely.


    "You just watch. Besides, I have (G) Factor and (G) Karma, right? Though I think I''ll have to consciously start off with 90, instead of 100 points for the former..."


    There was a Grade 2 Demon that was meant to devour Jeremy not long after he would return to Earth.


    Altering the casualty of that death would take 10 points from his (G) Factor.


    "Your Intelligence Stat will also be absurdly high. The System willpensate by slowly returning your past memories. But, you probably won''t get everything until after a long while."


    That was to be expected since Jeremy''s memory was too vast.


    His Intelligence Stat would only reflect the bulk amount of information being stored and slowly restored by the System.


    "Well, I''ll somehow find my way. Knowing my tendencies, I''ll survive as long as I have this power." Jeremy spoke with unhindered confidence.


    "You sound so certain. Even I can''t see the definite stream of your fate."


    Despite this, the human never ceased to make his usual smile.


    "I know myself enough. I''m definitely going to cause a stir and gain the attention of the other Gods, but with the groundwork you''ve already put in ce... I''m certain of it. I won''t die!"


    The Supreme Being could notpletely understand. How could a human, who wasn''t totally certain of his destiny, be so sure of his survival?<sub> </sub>


    Any small error would lead to his demise.


    "I won''t be able to help you too much, though."


    Jeremy Lewis let out another smile.


    "You worry too much. I''ll be fine. Besides... what you''ve given me is plenty."


    He was referring to the artificial Gift he made¡ªSubspace¡ªas well as the (G) Essence.


    Memories from the Sacred Hall would also slowly return, so there was also that factor to consider.


    "Back in my world, this would be considered a cheat, you know? If I still manage to fail despite everything, then... that would just be sad."


    "You''ve lost in every reality. That wouldn''t surprise me."


    "H-hey! Have some faith in me. I guess I''ll have to prove you wrong."


    "I suppose."


    Both individuals chuckled in the nk room.


    The white entity known as God looked at the man who had kept himpany for so long. This would be thest time they met in such a way.


    However, there was no regret in the Supreme Being''s heart.


    Only anticipation!


    "Show me, Jeremy Lewis. Show me how you''ll achieve your desire. How you will obtain everything!"


    That was all there was to it.


    The path of the Hoarder that he had chosen... God wanted to see the end of it.


    ************************


    "W-wha...?"


    I was beyond astonished when I heard all that the guy on the Golden Screen uttered.


    His words sounded so unreal, yet I couldn''t refute any of them. I was simply stuck, trying to ept what he said to be the truth.


    "Y-you mean... you and I were.... and we spent all that time together?"


    My memories told me differently, and there was also the fact that we supposedly spent enough time witnessing the beginning to the end of the Apocalypse together.


    If that was the case, then...


    "T-then, show me! I want to see everything! I want to remember everything!"


    "Hahahaha! I''m sure you want to. That''s how you''ve always been¡ªso greedy." The white being on the screenughed.


    "Don''t worry. That time wille. That was the n, anyway."


    "n, uh..." I murmured.


    The Archangel beside me fidgeted, causing me to look in her direction.


    She had been kneeling since the Supreme Being began his conversation, and while she didn''t seem to be tired, her body kept shaking ufortably.


    It definitely showed that something was ering somewhere.


    "Do you have something you''d like toment on, Sariel?" The Supreme Being asked before I could part my lips.


    Her body spasmed the moment his voice permeated the air.


    I could tell from her attitude that she undoubtedly respected and worshipped the being who spoke.


    It was no mystery, considering the fact that he was supposed to be God, and she was an Angel. Still...


    ... Something else burned within her at this point.

 Chapter 362 Room For Growth

    "M-my Lord... I..." Sariel''s voice shook with each word that came forth.


    "Sariel. You''re still conflicted, aren''t you? You''re confused about why I made such a decision, right? Come on. Speak. That is an order."


    "T-then tell me why!" Her voice was surprisingly loud, almost enough to cause the entire area to tremble in response.


    I shuddered a bit, terrified by the aura she exhumed.


    To see someone who was usually so calm express such intense emotion... it went to show just how immense her bottled-up feelings were.


    "The thing is, Sariel... I was tired of it all."


    The bombshell seemed to shatter Sariel''s whole existence. I watched as any semnce of calm left her face.


    The Archangel''s face was raised and she stared at the screen with immense shock.


    "This is just my selfishness, but... I couldn''t take it any longer."


    The Supreme Being, also referred to as God, continued speaking about how predictable everything was.


    To be honest, I sort of understood his point of view. Once he shared his narrative, I wondered why none of the other Supreme Beings didn''t get it.


    Why didn''t they also get bored of everything?


    "The answer is simple. Just as Jeremy Lewis is a Singrity among humans, I am also one among the Supreme Beings."


    For everything that ''is'', there exists a world where it ''isn''t''.


    If that logic applied to Gods as well, then the one before me was the only one among hisrades who had enough self-awareness to feel such despair.


    "Sariel, I know you''ve always been content with your duties. You do not see any meaning outside your responsibilities and the justice which you must dispense. That is simply because it is the reason for your existence."


    I nced at the Archangel, who was still staring in the same way since the monologue started.


    "You are the greatest of the Archangels, but even you have a w. You are unable to grow beyond your narrow perspective... just like every other Archangel."


    The whole thing made a bit of sense, but... it didn''tpletely ring true.


    Wasn''t there ever a time when Sariel disyed emotions? She was capable of feelings, wasn''t she?


    Even when she was told to kill me, she took the initiative to investigate my abilities. She got incredibly flustered when I killed Lara, and her reaction when she couldn''t figure out a way to learn the truth was... humanlike.


    Despite the supposed coding that had gone into the Angel, I couldn''tpletely agree that she was bound by her duties.


    "I refuse to ept that." I red at the being on the screen.


    I had no idea when I started being so considerable for someone.


    No, was it that I was never actually considerable?


    When I thought of things more, the reasons behind my actions were driven by two major things¡ªsurvival and power.


    Initially, I crossed any line to achieve my goals.


    Then, as I grew more powerful than anyone else¡ªeliminating most challenges in my oath¡ªI viewed everyone and everything as less than worthwhile.


    Perhaps my numbed emotions also had something to do with it.


    However, now that I was feeling everythinge upon me at once, I had to decide... what exactly I was going to do.


    "Jeremy Lewis... I leave Sariel to you. You seem to believe that there''s a potential for growth in her. If so... then I would also like to see that as well."


    Sariel did not move from her location, but her head tilted, and she slowly stared in my direction.


    Her clear eyes seemed so full. What upied them, though? I couldn''t tell.


    "I understand. But, it''s kind of hard to do that when I''m powerless and stuck here. Can you do anything about that?" I asked, scratching my head.


    Bottom line was that, while knowing the truth of the universe and whatnot was important, I had to get on with my life.<sub> </sub>


    Whether that meant remaining in the Sacred Hall¡ªwhere it was supposedly safe¡ªor obtaining enough power to challenge my opponents... I needed a path.


    "I''m quite powerless right now. My main body was integrated with the System, so I actually don''t have any (G) Essence to utilize. I can''t interact with the principles of this world or anything like that.


    "What? Why?" Sariel beat me to the punch, but I wanted to scream too.


    "It''s boring being omnipotent and stuff. I thought we already went through this."


    His point stood, but still...


    "Doesn''t that mean you''re useless right now?" I found myself blurting out.


    A God without (G) Essence couldn''t assist me in any way.


    "I might as well just spend the rest of my life here."


    Murmuring to myself, my body plopped to the ground and I stared at the Golden Screen with an expectant face.


    "Calling me useless, ouch... even though I''ve been with you every step of the way..."


    "Eh?"


    The Supreme Being''s words shocked me, but before I could process more, a System Window appeared before me.


    [Subspace Notice]


    [Who''s useless, human?]


    [That''s Right!]


    It took a moment for it to sink in, but when it did, I eximed.


    "You''re the Subspace Interface?!"


    My voice was unbelievably loud, so I instantly recoiled after blurting out my words unconsciously.


    "Somewhat. I simply used the already existing System as a model and designed my own. I''m the Administrator, though, so I can do cool stuff with it."


    "Consider me shocked."


    "How do you think I monitor your actions? I embedded myself into your abilities."


    That made sense... though it sounded weird.


    "You got me, uh? Very well... what now, then?"


    The question hadn''t changed.


    There was a lot I didn''t understand, and Sariel didn''t exactly seem to have any answers at this point.


    While I understood the reason behind the Supreme Being''s actions, as well as the cause of my being chosen among everyone else, it didn''t exactly tell me how to move forward.


    "Your full memories are still here. Once you get them, it''s a problem half solved."


    I smiled upon hearing this.


    "How do we solve the other half?"


    The white being on the screen smiled.


    "Well, we grant you your reward for making it this far..."


    My heart thumped fast, and I could already guess what wasing.


    There was only one reward the (G) System blessed me with.


    "... I''ll be granting you my (G) Essence."

 Chapter 363 Restoration

    Memories washed upon me as I closed my eyes.


    As I felt myself drifting into an endless abyss,yers uponyers of experiences stacked up within me--releaded bit by bit, like downloaded data.


    I could understand why this wasn''t possible back on Earth.


    The transfer of the absurd amount of knowledge took too long. It felt like an eternity, simply gaining all the memories I had lost.


    Time was nonexistent here, so it was of no consequence--the perfect ce for me to regain everything.


    And so, as I was plunged into the depths of turbulent memories, I returned to the very beginning... the dawn of creation.


    *************************


    In the beginning, God created the Heavens and Earth.


    But, the Earth was without form and Void.


    And then the Spirit hovered over the face of the Deep.


    And God said...


    "Let there be Light."


    And there was Light.


    But, apanying that light was something else... something different.


    --Darkness!


    And God separated the Light from the Darkness.


    Light represents existence. Creation in itself, and the wonders it brings forth.


    But... hidden from the light and lurking in separation is Darkness.


    And within that Darkness are the beings who are deemed abominations--who are the very antithesis of creation.


    These beings are known as Demons.


    Do you understand now?


    Demons are simply products of Darkness--belonging to a separate dimension.


    They are separated from the Light--from creation.


    However...


    "Let the beginning of the end begin."


    ... Armageddon changes everything.


    Project Armageddon is a point in time where the veil between the two dimensions is slowly lifted.


    Just as there is a cycle of the Earth''s rotation around the sun, and the moon''s rotation as well, the clock for Armageddon ticks.


    And, once it begins, slowly, Demons will walk upon the Earth.


    From Grade 1... to 2.... and ultimately, to 10.


    Once the world is filled with despair, the special ones will descend and rise to devour all.


    And once their work is done, the one who shouldn''t be--The Demon God--will consume everything.


    That is the fate of the world... the world of Armageddon.


    "Fight. If you want to live, fight."


    The only path to salvation is to challenge the invaders and struggle.


    Some worlds may be lost, but some will not be.


    This is all for bnce.


    To diminish the power of both sides, and also to strengthen it.


    A necessary culling measure for the future.


    Worlds that are devoured will be lost.


    Worlds that are saved will evolve.


    As a result, everything has a cycle.


    That is the truth behind the beginning... and the end.


    ************************


    "U-urgh..."


    Still stirring from my very tired state, I opened my eyes.


    The bright rays of nothingness surrounded me. I was in a nk room.


    "Supreme Being? Sariel?" I called out.


    My eyes darted in all directions, but I saw and noticed no one.


    Then--


    [(G) Integration Process will now begin]


    --an overpowering sensation coursed through me.


    I was forced to once again lose consciousness. After all, the power I felt was well beyond anything I couldprehend.


    At least, at that moment.


    **********************


    [(G) Integration Process Has Been Completed]


    <Several Changes Have Been Made To The Inheritor>


    <Race Has Been Changed>


    <Stats Have Been Altered>


    <Skills Have Been Altered>


    <Titles Have Been Altered><sub> </sub>


    <(G) Layer Has Been Given>


    <(G) Essence Has Been Completely Dispensed>


    [Subject: Jeremy Lewis, haspletely achieved Integration]


    I woke up to find a white screen in front of me. The moment I saw it, I instantly understood the implications.


    "So, it worked, uh?"


    Having memories of the past, as well as a newfound power flowing through me made everythingpletely clear.


    My white and ck hair shook as I stood, rising from the nk spot in which I was ced in the Sacred Hall.


    No one was in sight, except--


    "Sariel," I spoke, looking beside me.


    The Archangel was standing, looking at me dutifully.


    Her task was to watch over me while I went through my transformation.


    "Good work." I smiled, now standing upright.


    It feltpletely different, my new body.


    Every sensation was different.


    My eyes saw differently, the same with every other sense of mine.


    I could understand and feel things that were inconceivable in the past.


    For example...


    "Essence, uh?" I looked at Sariel.


    Currently, she possessed quite a considerable amount of Essence. Comparing her to the other Archangels, she was indeed superior.


    However...


    "Not as much as I do, uh?" A smile crept up on my face.


    I stared at both hands and noticed their fairness.


    I felt my ck and white hair flutter, and my purple eyes gleam.


    My current build was that of a young adult, and my height was quitenky.


    My well-endowed, fit body, was good enough for a sculpted masterpiece, and it was veryfortable.


    "This is the design I wanted. I understand now."


    "Wee back, Jeremy," Sariel spoke to me, bowing slightly.


    "There''s no need for that, Sariel. Address me as you normally would."


    I was currently more powerful than the Angel before me. Plus, she was now assigned as my vassal.


    In essence, I owned her.


    "It seems he has returned to the (G) System, uh?" I smiled, looking at the nk Golden Screen.


    "He said he''ll watch from where he is. That you should give him an interesting show."


    I chuckled a bit.


    "Of course. That was our promise, after all."


    A new perspective came upon me, and I realized that everything I had thought about before now--when I was still a human--was petty.


    Not just me, but everyone as well.


    Both Humans and Demons.


    Angels, as well as Gods.


    Their narrow perspectives made them operate in certain ways that made me resent it--this current world I lived in.


    Which was why...


    "We''re returning to Earth, Sariel."


    "I understand."


    "We''ll encounter the Three Archangels when we get there."


    "I understand."


    "They have been blessed with (G) Essence from other Gods, but... that won''t be enough."


    Staring at her confidently, I walked toward Sariel while raising my hand a little.


    When I was now directly opposite her, realizing how much taller I waspared to the Archangel, I ced my hand on her silver-ted shoulder.


    "I''ll be lending you some of mine. So, when we get there... let''s teach those guys a lesson."


    For a brief moment, I saw Sariel''s stiff, cold expression change.


    Her clear blue eyes sharpened, and her face quickly returned to its hardened state.


    "Understood." Her voice tickled my ears.


    ''She still has a long way to go, uh?'' I thought to myself, removing my hand.


    Now that things hade to this, I also had to take responsibility for the Archangel.


    She was mine, after all.


    "Alright, then. Let''s begin."


    [A/N]


    It''s time... for the showdown to continue.


    I just want everyone to know that this Arc is almost over.


    After this, we have one Arc left before the conclusion.

 Chapter 364 Reversed Roles

    Lemuel, Uriel, and Raphael stared at the destruction that spread for miles.


    The culprits for the mess in sight were none other than the three Archangels.


    Afterpletely blitzing the Singrity''s¡ªJeremy Lewis''s¡ªcrew, they had proceeded to disintegrate him as well.


    The task seemed like overkill considering even one of them would have been enough to do what the three had achieved.


    Still, they knew better than to question the will of the Supreme Beings.


    "They aren''t the ones in charge of this domain, but we are to abide by the Celestial Statute," Lemuel spoke with a shrug.


    "Singrities must be purged. it''s a shame Sariel lost to that... thing." Uriel uttered, showing slight repulsion.


    "Let''s restore thendscape¡ªand everything else we devastated¡ªso we can return."


    Realizing that their task was yet to beplete, the three Archangelsbined their powers and began rewinding the effects of the excessive use of their abilities.


    The environment had suffered as a result of their one-sided victory over Jeremy Lewis, so it was up to them to repair the damage.


    "The System shouldn''t permit our presence. If not for the recent patch that was infused, we wouldn''t have gotten this much leeway."


    "The window of opportunity ising to an end, so let us hurry."


    "Yeah."


    All threebined their red, blue, and yellow colors, and spread a beam of glittering light flying around.


    Instantly, the area was enveloped in otherworldly energy. The damaged ground slowly restored itself, and the parted clouds reconfigured.


    Everything that was devastated for miles slowly regained its previouslyplete form¡ªand in a matter of seconds, the world was back to normal.


    Well, almost.


    "Haa... I''m exhausted. Restoration on this scale while utilizing the (G) Essence of another Sector is tiring."


    "Yeah. Converting it to suit this reality''s frequency is tedious."


    "In any case, we were given a sheer amount, so it was enough to handle business. The (G) Essence is almost used up, though."


    The Archangels weren''t bothered, though. Their tasks had beenpleted, so there was no longer any need to stick around.


    They gave ast nce in a particr direction, watching a particr human fight thest of the Four Horsemen.


    "Seems like the pawn will emerge victorious."


    "Just as the Supreme Beings desire."


    "This should conclude this event."


    The Archangels were pleased.


    While their Supreme Being betrayed the Order, and went against the System''s protocols, they were not designed to follow suit.


    They simply obeyed their orders and derived pleasure in doing so.


    "Let''s head back."


    >VWUUUUUSHHHH<


    A warp in space appeared before the three, and a multicolored light burst from the wormhole.


    It was simply a gateway that connected the reality they currently we''re to their destination¡ªThe Corridor.


    "The work is done."


    "Indeed."


    "Let us depart."


    >BZZZZZZZTTTTT<


    As soon as they jointly approached the wide wormhole, a sudden buzz echoed across the area.


    The multicolored portal suddenly faded in color, as though frozen in a monopigmented world.


    The Archangels also felt an invisible wall preventing them from drawing closer to their ticket out of the world they were in.


    The field was too strong for the three, causing them to exchange perplexed expressions.


    "What in the¡ª?!"<sub> </sub>


    Just as they jointly questioned the strange phenomenon, another gateway opened up behind them.


    The sudden warp in space, and the white light sharplying from the new hole, made the Archangels turn in the direction of the strange phenomenon.


    From within the brimming white warp point, a certain being emerged.


    No, it wasn''t just one entity. They were actually two who came forth.


    One looked like a young adult, having ck and white hair, a confident and attractive look, as well as an immense amount of power bursting from him.


    The second looked more familiar. It was Sariel, an Archangel¡ªa former acquaintance of the three gawking audiences.


    "T-this is...!"


    "No, it can not be!"


    "H-how¡ª?!"


    The white portal closed once the two beings were fully out,pletely majestic in there appearances.


    The man had a slick ck jacket, matching dark pants, white inner apparel, and nice-looking sneakers¡ªordinary garb for a cool human.


    If it wasn''t for the great amount of energy pouring out of each of the outfits he wore¡ªas well as the man himself¡ªthe Archangels would have simply taken him as a person with good drip.


    The Archangel, on the other hand, was armed with her silver armor, and her nk expression depicted that she meant business.


    "Sariel! You''re here? How?" Uriel was the first to speak out.


    "Who is the one with you? Why does he have that much power?" Lemuel looked cautious.


    "What kind of entity... what kind of existence is that?!"


    The Archangel Sariel did not respond to the inquisitions of her former allies.


    Her eyes simply turned to the one whom they were all wary of.


    Why, though?


    What brought about the widening of eyes and the slight trembling of body parts?


    The one floating before them looked like a human. Sure, he appeared strangely calm amid all the trouble, and he had great power¡ªsince he did not flinch in the presence of their pressure¡ªbut he was still a human, right?


    No!


    The answer was that he wasn''t a human¡ªat least not ording to the judgment of those who watched him.


    "You can''t see my Status Window, can you?" The young man''s voice finally came forth.


    It was calm and soothing to the ear.


    The graceful sound humbled the three Archangels who still struggled to understand what was urring.


    "Now you know how it feels. Haa, it feels strange not knowing, right? I totally understand."


    The Archangels watched as he chuckled slightly, wondering what was so funny about the current situation.


    "I understand that you don''t recognize me because of my current state. Well, how about this?"


    Instantly, the being''s form was altered, transcending the bounds ofmon sense, and a familiar entity stood before them.


    "Y-you¡ª?!"


    "The Singrity!"


    "Jeremy Lewis!"


    Their voices ovepped, causing the human tough even more.


    "Hahaha, you should see your expressions. ssic."


    The Archangels felt mocked, but just as they were recoiling from their shock and switching gear to the defensive, the human spoke once again.


    "Why don''t we continue where we left off? It seems I''m still outnumbered, but... surely, you guys can tell, right?"


    Widening his sneering grin, the human''s energy flickered before their very eyes.


    "Our positions have been reversed."

 Chapter 365 Jeremy Versus The Archangels [Pt 1]

    It''s funny how a change in perspective can make everything so different.


    Even without saying a word¡ªwithout needing to think about it¡ªthe Status Window of the Archangels manifested before me.


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    - Name: Lemuel


    - D/L: 5


    - Level: 100 - Exp: 100.00


    - Race: Executioner - ss: Archangel


    - Age: NIL


    - Sex: Male


    - Alignment: Lawful Good


    - Karma Points: 5 ¡Á (Input)


    [Stats]


    - HP: 5


    - MP: 5


    - Strength: 3


    - Agility: 4


    - Vitality: 3


    - Intelligence: 5


    - (G) Essence: 500


    - Items Equipped: Archangel Robe


    - Allies: (The Archangels)


    [Additional Information]


    Executioners Of The Highest Caliber Sent By The Supreme Beings.


    [End Of Information]


    The others had matching Status Windows, so I simply nced at them and ignored the unnecessary details.


    ''D/L'' stood for their position in the Dimensional Ladder, and as expected it was in the 5th point¡ªsame as Sariel.


    Regr Executioners operated on the 4th Layer, but Archangels were quite special. Humans were on the 3rd Layer, by the way.


    As a result, humans could by no means threaten the existence of these higher beings as a result of their difference in status.


    Even, with all my power, was only at the 4th Dimensional Layer, in the past¡ªthough barely.


    As a result, the Archangels could bully me no matter what I threw at them.


    They could also interfere with my powers since I operated at a lower level.


    ''But, now...'' I smiled, slowly moving in their direction.


    "It''s funny how your Stats look abysmally emptypared to those of a lower Dimensional Layer."


    Their Stats had single digits, unlike every other human.


    Many would think this was poor, and if any human saw this, they would think the Archangels were weak.


    However, no matter how humans struggled, they would never be able to attain a single figure ''1'' from the Stats of these entities.


    That was how profound they were.


    "Jeremy Lewis... how are you still here?"


    "How can you see our Status Information?"


    "Why can''t we see yours?"


    These idiots... I thought they were smarter than that.


    "Isn''t it obvious? Or can''t you sense it? It''s because you are all currently inferior to me."


    My current capacity was different from the past, and not by a small margin. Still, giving a show was better than simple exnations.


    "Like so." I pointed my finger in the direction of Lemuel, the closest to me.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM<


    It was a simple ray of light that proceeded from my fingertips, but it contained enough force topletely blow the Archangel away before he could notice.


    Thendscape that was already fixed ruptured as the Archangel crashed into it.


    The debris that followed did not reach where I floated, but I saw how they parted to form a glorious crater.


    "Sariel, you handle Lemuel. I''ll take care of the remaining two. You know what you should do, right?"


    The Archangel by my side nodded, descending to the ground where her previous colleague was without even batting an eye.<sub> </sub>


    "H-hey, Sariel, what are you doing?!"


    "This guy is¡ª!"


    Before they couldplete their words, I already made my way to their midst.


    "WHA¡ª?!"


    In a sh, my hands clutched their necks, strangling their throats.


    "Gark!" They let out choked coughs, but I didn''t let go.


    Their skins felt awfully soft¡ªlike a baby''s¡ªalmost as though they had never been touched in their life.


    "I remember how you guys had fun with me not too long ago. It was a fun party, was it not?"


    "Gurk... You..." The one called Raphael red at me with a fierce expression.


    ? ".... How... Urk..." Uriel seemed more docile, but what did it matter?


    They were both nothing but sniveling children in my grasp.


    "It''s almost ridiculous that I struggled so much against the both of you." A chuckle escaped my lips.


    "... L-let gooooo!!!"


    Instantly, brimming light escaped the two Archangels, causing the environment to be enveloped in their destructive radiation.


    Another wave of explosion erupted, sending everything around to nothing but dust.


    However¡ª


    "Are you done throwing your tantrums?"


    "U-uh?!" They both blurted out, watching as I emerged from the smoke unscathed.


    My hands were still tightly glued to their necks too.


    I thought these Archangels would understand, but they were acting like idiots. Could it be because this was the first time they had been ced in this situation?


    Or maybe...


    "Do you really think you can win?"


    In any case, they needed a bit more disy to understand their predicament.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM<


    Creating my own explosion, the Angels were assailed by great pain. I knew this because of the way they screamed.


    Their melodious tunes contained unspeakable agony, and they writhed¡ªstruggling to escape my grasp.


    "You know, you guys stripped me of everything. My Stats, my Titles, my Skills¡ªeverything."


    Once the smoke cleared, their previously wless skins now appeared charred and burned.


    It almost made me feel bad for the two.


    "I couldn''t do anything as you even wiped out my army. I simply watched powerlessly."


    They both coughed, smoke emanating from their mouths.


    Was this the first time they had felt pain? Their expressions and the way they shuddered told me that was indeed the case.


    "The despair I felt, and the helpless state I endured..."


    One would think that everything I encountered, and even the new memories in my head would make me abandon my base nature, but how could I do that?


    "... It''s your turn!"


    I was always going to be Jeremy Lewis¡ªand there was no way in hell I wouldn''t have sweet revenge.


    "Clench your teeth!" I yelled releasing the angels from my grasp.


    "Ack!"


    Before they could recoil from their state, I gave both of them clean hits to their jaw, causing the air to echo, and the surrounding wind to part.


    >WHOOOOSSHHHH<


    The Archangels swiftly ascended to the sky¡ªno, even beyond¡ªas a result of the impact.


    "Hahaha, let''s go!" I instantly flew to catch up to them.


    It didn''t take me long to overtake the two, reaching a height above them and then kicking the two to push them back to the ground.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    Like unstoppable meteors, theynded on the ground, vomiting what I could only describe as their blood.


    Even as I watched from my height¡ªfeeling my heart race with excitement¡ªI knew it wasn''t enough.


    I still wanted to do more.


    "Come on! Show me what you''ve got!"

 Chapter 366 Jeremy Versus The Archangels [Pt 2]

    >WHOOOOOSSSSHHHH<


    An electrifying surge coursed through my body as I sharply descended from the sky.


    Rushing to my targets in a blur, I stretched both hands and covered their faces with my palms.


    "Mmph!"


    "Heuk!"


    I ignored their stifled expressions of protest and forcefully grasped their heads with my hand.


    Since they were still recoiling from the damage dealt to them, the Archangels couldn''t resist my strong grip... and what came after.


    >GRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUU<


    Dragging their bodies on the earth, I flew at top speed.


    Their heads remained rooted to the ground, and their helpless¡ªpreviously pure flesh¡ªbecame one with dirt and debris.


    "Hahahahahaha! Struggle some more!"


    It was insanity, but I didn''t care.


    Drowning myself in the rush of power I felt, though childish, was necessary to let out the frustrated energy that was pent up within me.


    >WHOOOOSSHHHH<


    Once again, I took to the sky, lifting the two Archangels from the rubble.


    In a fast twirl, we left Earth''s atmosphere, which, of course, did not bother me in the slightest.


    ''Down we go!''


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM<


    Causing a seismic storm in my wake, I returned to earth, still strongly gripping the two struggling Executioners.


    "Hup!"


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM<


    Another round of destruction spread across the area.


    I could have sworn that the entire area¡ªasrge as a city too¡ªwas done for with the amount of destruction caused.


    And, it was glorious.


    "Haa... isn''t this the stuff?" I smiled at the two Archangels who looked like shit.


    "Uriel and Raphael... you guys don''t look too good."


    Only groans could escape their twisted jaws and ruptured lips.


    They indeed looked terrible.


    "You know, I can guess you guys think you have it bad. But, I''m honestly just having fun here."


    Yep, I was scum.


    When powerless, I was nothing more than a pathetic coward who would do anything to survive¡ªthough that apparently didn''t get me anywhere.


    But, once power came into y, the coward known as Jeremy Lewis would grow fangs and be a sadistic maniac.


    "I''m a hypocrite, but who cares! I just want what I want."


    My perspective was now much broader, so my goal had naturally transcended the limits of simple survival.


    "Y-you... Guark..." Raphael coughed, writhing in pain.


    A lot of his bones had been broken, after all. He was also covered in burns and blood.


    "Don''t look at me that way. I mean, you did worse to me."


    The army that I painstakingly made with a great amount of pain and effort¡ªall of them whom I could have had fun adventures with¡ªwas turned to dust.


    That was unfair.


    "Compared to this, what you did was far worse. But, I''m already bored of beating you guys."


    Once I let out my pent-up frustration, it was basically meaningless to do anything further. Besides, the System would soon interfere since the whole Patch Update stuff would stabilize any moment now.<sub> </sub>


    "Sariel, return to me¡ªpreferably with the other one," I murmured.


    Of course, I was using our telepathic link tomunicate. I probably wasn''t used to speaking to her with my mind, so I simply blurted it out.


    "URGHH..." Using the groans of my vanquished opponents as music to my ears while witnessing the devastatedndscape around us, I waited for my dear partner.


    And then¡ª


    >WHOOOOSSHHHH<


    ¡ªShe arrived before even ten seconds psed.


    With a heavy thud, Lemuel copsed on the ground, even more beaten up than my opponents.


    To be honest, even though I roughened them up quite a bit, it seemed the one who fought Sariel had been worse off.


    He couldn''t even speak. Unintelligible sounds simply emanated from his swollen body parts, and his naked body throbbed in what I could only imagine to be unimaginable pain.


    I took my eyes off his miserable body and stared at the beautiful face of the one who was responsible for such merciless torture.


    "Hm?" Sariel gave me an innocent look, as though she wasn''t aware of her cruelty.


    Despite her calm demeanor, she was able to wreak this much damage on her former colleague...


    ''Makes me happy she went easy on me that time.'' Iughed awkwardly.


    Still, despite how gruesomely it was done, the work wasplete. All Four Archangels were present.


    "What now?" Sariel''s voice gently filled the air.


    Shrugging, I looked at the three half-dead angelic entities on the ground.


    "They no longer have any definite use, and it''s going to be stressful trying to bring them over to my side."


    If the Supreme Being was around to speak to the three, it would be helpful, but the guy had gone off.


    I also didn''t want the hassle of having to deal with three extra subordinates.


    "I''ll take them to Subspace and merge their Essence with yours."


    "W-wha...?! You mean¡ª?"


    "Yep. You''ll be the amalgamation of the three. Got any problem with that?" My eyebrows were raised as I stared at the stoic-faced Angel.


    She looked away for a moment, appearing hesitant.


    And then¡ª


    "N-no... it''s nothing."


    "Yeah, right. I know what this is about, but don''t worry. I won''t erase your consciousness, neither will I merge that aspect. You''ll remain yourself."


    "A-ah!" Sariel appeared surprised that I had figured out the reason for her hesitation.


    Despite appearing emotionless, I could tell that the Archangel was slowly developing as an individual.


    It would suck if I forcefully made her a collective instead.


    Besides...


    "I like you the way you are, Sariel. It would be weird adding the minds of three other guys... don''t you think?"


    "A-ah, I see..."


    For a moment, an air of awkwardness swept the devastated area.


    There was something left unspoken, but I wasn''t going to be the one to bring it out in the open.


    ''I really wish I could numb these rabid feelings right now...''


    Unfortunately, none of my past stuff was going to be of any use to me¡ªeven if I had them.


    I still didn''t have my Skills and Titles. Most of my Items were lost as well, and my Stats were in their base form.


    ''I''ll be needing specific Items that go well with my current state. I''ll also need to craft my Skills and Titles myself.''


    To do that, though, I needed more (G) Essence.

 Chapter 367 The (G) Human

    Even though the Supreme Being gave me all he had left, it wasn''t anywhere close to the full package.


    ''After this is over, I''ll need to start looking for the other candidates...''


    For now, though, it was best to focus on what was truly important.


    Just by looking at the three fallen Archangels, I was able to override the meager (G) Essence in their possession, causing them to enter my [Subspace] without any resistance.


    Their bodies instantly vanished, and only Sariel was left with me.


    "I''ll be taking you to [Subspace] too... or should I say, see you in no time?"


    The whole time rtivity thing was a bit weird.


    Sariel nodded, and I also took her to [Subspace].


    Once that was done, I opened the System Interface and saw the four Archangels well-ced in their respective cubes.


    "Alright... shall we begin?"


    The first thing I did was strip every one of them of their equipment.


    Unlike before, I had no useful item in my possession. The only stuff remaining in my arsenal was junk that wasn''t going to be useful in my earlier fight with the Archangels.


    To move forward, I had to have a few decent Items, no?


    Once I isted the items from their respective owners, I utilized one of the new [Subspace] Functions I got ever since it got promoted to A-ss.


    "<Management>"


    The ability to construct anything, allocate properties, and basically alter whatever I desired when it came to Items and Abilities within [Subspace].


    All Items within my storage space could be crafted by me, and I had full control over them.


    The other effects of [Subspace] remained, but my Skills and Titles were all gone.


    Even my very useful job, [Hoarder] was gone.


    The good news was that I could restructure my Skills by using (G) Karma Points, and also affect my domain using (G) Factor.


    The final element, (G) Layer, allowed me to be beyond the maniption and interference of pesky individuals¡ªlike the Archangels I just beat.


    It also gave me authority over this world''s management, but since it was currently limited, so was my control.


    "Ah, looks like I got carried away a bit...'' I shook my thoughts away from other things and focused on Sariel''s transformation.


    By turning the other three into Essence, not possessing egos or personalities, I merged their abilities with Sariel''s, granting her theirbined capacity.


    In simple terms, she became the very personification of the Four Archangels.


    ''Most of her powers will be restricted once the System resumes administration, but it isn''t bad to be prepared.''


    [(G) SYSTEM NOTICE]


    <Alteration Sessful>


    [Archangel Sariel has now evolved and be Celestial Archangel Sariel]


    "Interesting..." I wondered if other Gods had tried this, but it was doubtful.


    They all followed the same pattern, something that made me a bit ufortable.


    I made a few more adjustments to Sariel¡ªincluding a change of outfit, as well as a forced restriction that made her unable to go beyond a certain amount of power.


    "Alright, I guess it''s about time."


    Sariel reappeared before me, now a changed woman.


    Her deadpan expression hadn''t changed in the slightest, and her white hair still dazzled me. Still, a few things were different.


    For one, she now dommed a ck hoodie jacket with a white inner shirt. Her pants were also ck, but I got her white sneakers to go with them.


    "This is much better." I smiled, looking at her casual outfit.


    Even though she was meant to fit in among people by having casual wear, it was still a fact that her glistening beauty and odd behavior would draw attention.


    ''I might have to leave her in [Subspace] at certain points...''


    More interesting than her external appearance was her Status Window.


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    - Name: Sariel


    - D/L: 5


    - Level: 1 - Exp: 00.00


    - Race: Celestial - ss: Archangel


    - Age: NIL


    - Sex: Female


    - Alignment: Lawful Neutral


    - Karma Points: NIL


    [Stats]


    - HP: 30


    - MP: 35


    - Strength: 30


    - Agility: 25


    - Vitality: 20


    - Intelligence: 20


    - (G) Essence: 10,000


    - Items Equipped: Casual Outfit (Perishable)


    - Allies: Jeremy Lewis<sub> </sub>


    - Status Condition: <Sealed>


    [Additional Information]


    A transcended Archangel who is the vassal of Jeremy Lewis.


    [End Of Information]


    ''Double digits! That''s insane!''


    Just when I thought I had surpassed Sariel, she became this badass.


    Her current Stats were higher than mine. Fortunately, she was my Ally... and also my property.


    From what I saw, it also seemed like she could grow.


    ''Archangels are already at Max Level. They can''t grow beyond their current state.''


    Fortunately, that didn''t apply to my lovely partner.


    In any case, it seemed like the future was looking up.


    [You Have Leveled Up]


    Once I saw this alert, I smiled. It was a bit nostalgic seeing this, considering the state I had reached.


    ''So, this is your final gift to me, uh? Very well..."


    Celestial Being A-67 probably designed this in the scenario where I cleared the first hurdle.


    Just how many Easter Eggs awaited me?


    "Status Window."


    [STATUS INFORMATION]


    - Name: Jeremy Lewis


    - (G) Layer: 2


    - Level: 2- Exp: 00.00


    - Race: (G) Human- ss: Unidentified


    - Age: NIL


    - Sex: Male


    - Alignment: Chaotic Neutral


    - Karma Points: 0 ¡Á (G) = ?!


    [Stats]


    - HP: 10


    - MP: 15


    - Strength: 10


    - Agility: 15


    - Vitality: 10


    - Intelligence: 50


    - (G) Karma: 100,000


    - (G) Factor: 1,000


    - Items Equipped: Causal Outfit (Enhanced)


    - Allies: Celestial Archangel Sariel


    [Additional Information]


    Transcended Being who desires to consume everything and be God


    [End Of Information]


    There were a few things I had to resolve, such as my (G) Layer and (G) Karma... among other things.


    I currently had no Skills, and everything I used to defeat the Archangels was by simply utilizing my Stats and a bit of my authority.


    That wouldn''t be possible next time thanks to the System''s interference.


    ''Even Gods are subject to it. Demons too.''


    If I wanted to act, it would have to be smart.


    "Jeremy, there seems to be amotion some miles from here... in that direction." Sariel interrupted my thoughts, pointing eastward.


    I instantly knew what she meant.


    "Ah, you mean Paul and Lily? Meh, there''s no need to disturb them. Let them have this win." I smiled.


    There was no use fighting for something as petty as a First Scenario Boss.


    "They''re necessary pawns... I''m sure even the Gods see that."


    "What should we do then?" Sariel asked nkly.


    "Good question."


    There were a bunch of things I wanted to do, but there was no need to rush at the moment. The Scenario was about to end, too.


    "Let''s just find a ce to rest as we watch the next phase begin."


    My previous home was wrecked, so I would have to build a new one.


    ''I don''t have enough materials in my [Subspace] to make an borate one likest time, but a regr one should do...''


    First, we had to get out of here though.

 Chapter 368 Calamity To Come

    "Haa... Haa..."


    Paul''s eyes were heavy, his vision was blurred as well.


    Even though his senses were heightened, he couldn''tbat the effects of exerting himself for so long.


    His body shook, but he maintained his stance. It would all be over soon. That was the only thing keeping him standing¡ªin addition to the numerous cheers of the people counting on him.


    "Haaa... Not yet!" He gripped his trusted weapons with resolve.


    In his right hand was a de, and his left hand wielded a gun.


    They stayed remained him as others ran out of durability.


    Even his numerous Automatons had been decimated, and only a few were left.


    The only reliable backup he had was Lily, and she too was at her limit.


    ''I can''t give up now... not yet!'' Exhaling sharply, he utilized his Gift onest time,bining the weapons he had in one fell swoop.


    He also poured in all the Demon Cores currently in his possession, aiming to enhance the object beyond its current limits.


    >SHIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG<


    It worked!


    Thebination of his strongest gun and sharpest de, along with other vtile materials, gave birth to the immensely powerful de he had in his grasp.


    "Huuuu..." Once again breathing heavily, Paul strengthened his muscles and kept his gaze on the enemy.


    "Crimson Riderrrrr!!!" He roared, causing the air around him to undte.


    The one known as the Crimson Rider¡ªWar¡ªthe only surviving Horseman also responded with a battle cry.


    His steed had already met its demise, leaving him to battle his opponents alone.


    Several Gifteds had tried, but failed, to evennd a hit on the powerful being.


    The only thing they could do was face the underlings that War conjured as a result of his authority.


    And so, as the Gifteds fought War''s apparitions, Paul and Lily fought the Boss himself.


    ''We''ve handled the horse. His HP is also low. I can do this! They''re all counting on me! I have to do this!'' Paul growled internally, his white hair fluttering with the wind.


    As the stench of death and violence tickled his nose, he made a rushing leap for the opponent.


    "HAAAAAAAAA!!!"


    War also lunged at the Gifted, and their sh caused everything around to disperse in shock and destruction.


    "Lily!" Paul screamed.


    "Got it!"


    Her duty was to provide support, and she did.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    Her job as a Mage was useful in scenarios like this.


    Bombarding the enemy with her Skills and the most destructive Spells at her disposal, War could not help but let out shrieks of pain.


    "<Deconstruct>!!!" Paul roared, pouring all his energy as he touched War''s armor.


    Instantly, lightning sparked and the whole thing broke apart.


    ''It worked! It finally worked!''


    One of his Skills was <Deconstruct>, which allowed him to break down materials.


    Of course, the effects were not 100 percentguaranteed.


    If the said item was equipped, it would take a 50 percent chance.


    And, if the object in question was equipped by someone stronger than him, the chances of sess were 10 percent or lower, depending on their level of strength.


    ''It took so long, but the armor is down!''


    Thanks to that, the Demon Boss was now more vulnerable, and its enhancements had gone down a great deal.


    "Let''s do thissss!!!" Another roar peaked into the air as Paul brandished his weapon.


    This was a battle for humanity''s survival. He was not going to lose.


    ***************************


    "Haaa... Haaa..." A heavy breath escaped Paul''s mouth.


    He currently stood above the dissipating carcass of the enemy.


    "D-do you see that?"


    "H-he beat that thing! That impossibly monstrous thing."


    "He saved us! He saved all of us."


    Paul descended the Crimson Horseman, utterly spent and exhausted. His de fell from his grip, and he would have copsed if not for the support of Lily who remained by his side.


    A soft smile appeared on his face and he struggled to raise one of his hands to the sky.


    "W-we... We won..."


    It began as a whisper, so many people didn''t hear him.


    However... his body began regenerating thanks to the Level Up and he gained enough strength to say what was bursting from within him.


    "WE WON!!!"


    The audience¡ªthose who survived the evil assault of the Demon Boss¡ªall cheered and raised their hands in a joint sense ofradeship.


    Their eyes were alit with both gratitude and awe toward the white-haired man who was smiling broadly before all of them.


    "Everyone! We won!"


    "WOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" They all cheered, watching as their champion ascended high above everyone else.


    The people raised their heads so they could witness his Majesty.


    Without a doubt, this man had achieved the impossible.


    He was their Hero, an imprable wall and unbreakable de that defended humanity from the scourge of Demons.


    "Today, we have cleared the first scenario! We have made a step closer to ending this hell, and we did it together."


    Even though everyone knew who did the bulk of the work, they were happy to be included in thebined efforts to dispel the evil that was wrought.


    After War was beaten, all his apparitions vanished, but that didn''t mean the ones who fought those small fries didn''t count.


    Everyone was so touched that their champion acknowledged their deeds.


    As Paul still gave his speech, encouraging the hearts of everyone who watched, several System Windows appeared all around¡ªthe sky especially.


    Just as when the Tutorial ended, the System gave the appropriate report.


    [SYSTEM ALERT!]


    ~First Wave Of Armageddon Has Ended~


    ~All Four Horsemen Have Been Extinguished~


    <Congrattions! You Have Survived The First Scenario>


    As the Gifteds viewed this, their eyes were wet with tears, and their bodies shook in relief and happiness.


    "DO NOT WAVER, EVERYONE!"


    Upon hearing the loud voice of their hero, the hundreds of thousands of humans looked at him once more.


    He was shining gloriously, glowing white as he looked at them with both confidence andpassion.


    "The next scenarios will be even worse. Tobat them, let us allbine forces. Let us form a joint front and fight the Demons together."


    At this point, no one could refuse.


    They could see the effects of working as a team, and if they had the strongest man around suggest it, then the Gifteds knew they were in capable hands.


    "I make this vow to you... I will never leave nor forsake you. We will face this disaster together... and we will all survive."


    After witnessing his overwhelming strength, no one could argue with him.


    They simply wanted to follow his lead.


    "My name is Paul, and I promise to lead you all into paradise."


    More cheers resounded.


    Paul smiled at everyone, and they returned his goodwill to him.


    His smile especially rested on Lily, who was actually tearing up as she witnessed her partner''s charisma.<sub> </sub>


    Upon seeing the girl, Paul was reminded of just how lucky he was to have her... as well as the person responsible for both their sufferings.


    A wider smile formed on his face as he looked at the audienceid out before him.


    "Humanity needs to stand as one to fight against the Demons. However, there exists a deviant among us... the one responsible for a lot of our misfortunes, as well as the same person who hoards all the necessary materials needed for survival."


    Paul could see anger develop on the faces of the people he spoke to as he continued.


    "He calls himself the Hoarder, and indeed he takes everything for himself, not caring for humanity as a collective."


    More dissatisfied faces developed, until everyone was visibly upset with the one Paul spoke of.


    "For the kind of world we desire, we need all the help we can get. We need to grow as a people, and use ourbined efforts to defeat the enemies."


    Nods proceeded from the audience.


    "But, this man refuses that obvious logic. He selfishly wishes only for his survival, and he would rather condemn everyone else to death."


    Annoyed roars echoed from the people, forming music in Paul''s ears.


    "And so, there is only one thing we can do to this deviant among us... and that is to purge him."


    Silence. Unquestionable silence pervaded the people.


    "We will remove the tumor that is forcing humanity to remain stagnant. By doing that, we will grow to be more powerful. We will survive, and we will thrive."


    Still, the silence continued.


    "It''s him or the rest of us. I pick thetter. What say you?!"


    After a second¡ªno, even less¡ªof remaining silent, the multitude of people burst out with the same words.


    "WE PICK THE LATTER!"


    This caused Paul''s grin to widen even further. Everything wasing into ce.


    ''Humanity is unified under me... and together we will work together to rid this world of you...''


    "Very well. I ept your resolve."


    Everyone kept their gazes on Paul as his curled lips parted and uttered the words they were all waiting for.


    "His name is Jeremy Lewis, the Hoarder, and enemy of mankind..."


    Raising his hands to the sky, Paul gave one final shout of resolve.


    "... And we will bring him down. For the sake of humanity... for the sake of the world!"


    Roars of approval rang from everyone, and Paul basked in the noise that was showered on him.


    In his mind, he couldn''t be more pleased.


    ''I lost to you that time, Jeremy... but not again.''


    He underestimated his power, but Paul now understood what needed to be done.


    ''I''ll turn the whole world against you, Jeremy... let''s see how you handle that!''


    That''s right, Paul now represented the will of humanity¡ªhe was on the side of good.


    ''And you, Jeremy... you''re evil.''


    It was also a tritew which had existed since the dawn of time... that when good and evil shed...


    ''... Good will always prevail!''


    That was it¡ªthe only way to win against the absolute evil known as Jeremy Lewis.


    This would be the downfall of the Hoarder.


    *****************


    [SYSTEM UPDATE]


    ~The Second Wave Of ARMAGEDDON Will Commence One Week From Now~


    [Details On The Second Wave Will Be Given Below]


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]


    <Second Scenario: Let The Sky Fall>


    [Scenario Information]


    <Week 1>


    There will be a great earthquake.


    <Week 2>


    The sun will turn ck like sackcloth made of goat hair


    <Week 3>


    The whole moon will turn blood red


    <Week 4>


    The stars in the sky will fall to earth as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.


    <Week 5>


    The heavens will recede like a scroll being rolled up and every mountain and ind was removed from its ce.


    [Quest Update]


    ~Quests Have Been Received!~


    <Quest 1>


    Survive The Five Weeks Of The Second Scenario


    <Quest 2>


    Challenge The Five Mysteries Of The Five Miseries And Solve Them


    <Quest 3>


    Defeat The Boss And End The Scenario


    [Rewards Such As Karma Points And Items Will Be Given For Each Quest Aplished]


    ~BEST OF LUCK!~


    ********************


    [Image Of Jeremy Lewis as a (G) Human]


    *


    *


    *


    *


    *


    [End Of The Third Arc]


    [Fourth Arc: ''Hoarder On The Run'' will resume after a hiatus]


    Thank you all for your support, and for reading.


    I honestly appreciate it.


    If you''ve made it this far, all I can say is that you have my respect and thanks.


    A lot of things have happened since I started writing this book (Since December, I think), and I really want to continue it.


    Don''t worry, I will.


    But, life has a way of making ns seem obsolete.


    I have to take a break to deal with stuff irl. Once it''s settled, I''ll resume uploading.


    I''m very excited to start the next arc, and I hope you are too.


    Once again, thank you all for your support.


    Till then, everyone.


    Cheers.

 Chapter 369 [Bonus ] Prelude To The Second Wave

    [STORY SO FAR]


    On Christmas Day, God summoned all humans and granted them gifts. Unfortunately, with these gifts came the evil known as Demons. Now stuck in a war known as Armageddon, these humans known as the Gifted must find a way to survive the Seven Waves of Armageddon.


    With the Tutorial and First Wave behind them, humanity has now banded together to face the remaining six cmities that threaten them. Now under the leadership of Pariah and hispanion, Lilith, humanity seeks to defeat the Demons¡­ as well as one other entity.


    The being who has done nothing but bring chaos upon the world, and who serves as an even bigger threat than the Demon Scourge. He goes by many names; the Masked Hero, the Evil One¡­ Jeremy Lewis.


    Among these names, however, there is one name that resonates with everyone when they seek to conjure the image of this hated enemy of humanity.


    ¡­ The Hoarder.


    And now¡­


    ¡­ The time hase for good to finally prevail!


    *


    *


    *


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]


    <Second Scenario: Let The Sky Fall>


    [Scenario Information]


    <Week 1>


    There will be a great earthquake.


    <Week 2>


    The sun will turn ck like sackcloth made of goat hair


    <Week 3>


    The moon will turn blood red


    <Week 4>


    The stars in the sky will fall to earth as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.


    <Week 5>


    The heavens will recede like a scroll being rolled up and every mountain and ind was removed from its ce.


    [Quest Update]


    ~Quests Have Been Received!~


    <Quest 1>


    Survive The Five Weeks Of The Second Scenario


    <Quest 2>


    Challenge The Five Mysteries Of The Five Miseries And Solve Them


    <Quest 3>


    Defeat The Boss And End The Scenario


    [Rewards Such As Karma Points And Items Will Be Given For Each Quest Aplished]


    ~BEST OF LUCK!~


    *


    *


    *


    [COUNTDOWN TO THE SECOND WAVE¡­. 1D, 09H, 22M, 03S]


    *


    *


    *


    "Haa¡­"


    The barely audible breath of a human evaporated into the air.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Her amber eyes scoured left and right, taking full cognizance of her environment. Her breasts inted and deted as she filled her lungs with air and released it back into the atmosphere.


    Tension spread across her body, and her head ached just from how much she worried and the constant amount of information she stored in her head. At every moment, without rest, she was on guard¡ªwatching, waiting, searching.


    If she had been alone, perhaps she could have had the liberty of being more careless, but she wasn''t.


    Behind her were her teammates¡ªnine other people who looked just as careful and nervous as her.


    "I''m certain¡­ that''s the only one here." Her dark hair fluttered slightly as she whispered to them.


    They were currently hiding behind debris¡ªcaused by lots of rocks flying around and settling in one spot. This debris had piled and made something simr to a mountain¡ªallowing them to hide and watch from there.


    Of course, they couldn''t be as foolish as to rely on the mere covering of concrete to hide them, so these brave humans also had equipment that had special functions of camouge. As long as they expended their MP, it would make them invisible.


    They had taken all the precautions necessary, yet worry did not escape their faces.


    With a total number of ten, this squad seemed like quite a crowd¡ªconsidering the scale of this operation was only limited to the building that stood in front of them.


    Nothing more, nothing less.


    It was a single operation, with only a single target as their adversary. One would consider it overkill that the Gamma team¡ªthe third-strongest unit in the entire Gifted Alliance¡ªwould converge to eliminate a single target.


    However, this was a matter of utmost urgency.


    "Remember¡­ our target is keeping a whole lot of supplies hostage. This ce has beenbeled a Danger Zone because of the target, but we''ve confirmed that it''s home to a lot of resources that''ll allow a lot of camps under the Alliance to gain relief."


    There had been scarcity as ofte, but once they eradicated this monster, they would finally have a chance to solve their problem¡ªat least, in part.


    "Remember. This is not like the others. It''s highly dangerous and intelligent. While our entire Gamma force consists of fifty members, only ten of us areing on this mission to prevent any further casualties. Please, be careful."


    She felt she was nagging her team members a bit too much, but she couldn''t help it. They had only a bit over one day left until the second wave. That was also one of the reasons behind them trying as much as possible to save up a lot of resources while trying to obtain more.


    Their stockpile hadn''t reached the level they wanted it to be, hence the scarcity.


    ''If the Alliance is to survive this imminent gue, we must do our best here. And we must all survive¡­''


    "We understand, leader." A bright-looking young man smiled at her, and the rest of the team responded likewise.


    ''Leader'' was what they called her, but her real name was Tia. In the past, she had been a low-level Thief who lost her friends to the onught of a certain ''monster.''


    Thankfully, she was saved by the Gifted Alliance Guildmaster. She became strong thanks to him, and found her new purpose¡­ to save humanity alongside her new allies.


    "Thanks, everyone," Tia whispered to her team.


    Their hushed conversation couldn''t be heard thanks to one of her Skills [Zero Noise], something she gained after obtaining her Secondary Job of ''Assasin''.


    With the team now on the same page, they headed out.


    ''We only have one shot. The lives of many people hinge on this mission¡­''


    No one knew how dangerous this iing wave would be, but she was sure that they would survive under the leadership of their leader. She knew he had a n, and he was going to lead them to the prosperity of humanity.


    Till then, she would keep trying her best in the hopes that one day¡­ she would finally see the death of the very monster that caused the death of herrades.


    This monster from her dark past was different from the Grade 3 Demon they were currently going to hunt.


    He was human¡ªonly in appearance, at least.


    ''Hoarder¡­ your day of judgment wille!'' Tia gritted her teeth and stared at the massive theater where their target currently resided.


    She cleared her mind from the thoughts of Jeremy Lewis, the Hoarder, and focused on what she could do at the moment¡ªthe people she could save with her powers.


    "Let''s move out, everyone!"


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    I wee you to Arc 4 of this book. Did you all miss me? Did you miss this novel?


    If so, I''d like to hear you all in thements. I''ve honestly missed writing this book, as much as I''ve missed you all.


    I wanna know if you haven''t left yet, and if you want to see me continue this work. If you do¡­ I await your words, okay?


    Once I get a good amount ofments, I''ll release more chapters. If not, then¡­ well¡­


    Cheers! This is gonna be one exciting Arc.

 Chapter 370 Pushed To The Brink

    Ever since the world turned out this way, Demons now had the upper hand.


    One could call them the dominant species on Earth¡ªthe ones who dominated the top of the food chain. However, just as there were various kinds of beasts, different cadres of Demons existed.


    They were ssified by Grades.


    And the monster Tia was about to fight, alongside her teammates, belonged to one of the most dangerous ssifications.


    Grade 3!


    >WHOOOSSSHHH!!!<


    Her team swept through the area like the wind¡ªall influenced by the camouge Skill she utilized to hide them. Coupled with their other gear, which practically made them imperceptible, they carefully closed in on the devastated structure in front of them.


    ''Once we begin¡­ there''ll be no chance to hold up¡­'' Tia''s thoughts trailed as she looked at her teammates once more.


    Deciding to trust in their skills, and in the n, she readied herself.


    ''Let''s go!''


    Thus, they stormed the building.


    *


    *


    *


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!<


    Debris scattered all over the area, spreading destruction far and wide.


    It only took a matter of seconds, and the building was already in ruins¡­ all because of their lone target.


    "GRRRRRRR¡­"


    Their opponent was a Beserk Minotaur, an incredibly powerful Grade 3 Demon. Even those withmon sense knew about how dangerous Minotaurs were¡ªwhether through myths or merely by how they looked like.


    Standing five meters tall, the Minotaur before them had a giant ax. It had ck fur for skin, and its horns twisted ominously¡ªsame as its crimson eyes. Smoke emanated from its darkened nostrils and the monster''s mouth seemed to crave blood.


    This intimidating beast stood right in front of Tia and her group, and they had no choice but to face it. After all¡­


    ''Right there!'' Tia could spot the underground storage door located near where the Minotaur stood.


    To get to the supplies located there, they had to defeat this monstrosity.


    ''The first stage has beenpleted. We drew its aggro, causing it toy waste to its surroundings!''


    As a result, Tia and her team now had more space to work with. Plus, the debris would be good for hiding.


    Unfortunately, this also gave their opponent a benefit.


    ''Herees the first volley!''


    The enraged Minotaur snorted, using the dull center of its axe tounch the debris around it in the direction of Tia and her teammates.


    >BOOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    Massive chunks of rocks were sent flying by the roaring monster, and they caused the ground to quake very violently as Tia and her teammates fled for safety.


    ''As expected, even my camouge Skill isn''t enough.'' She clicked her tongue.


    They still had their other items, but that only didn''t grant them absolute invisibility. The Minotaur''s senses were still able to pick up their general location, even if it didn''t have precise knowledge of their location.


    As a result, the group of ten had to keep moving to survive.


    ''We''ve sealed off its long-range st attack, so it can only rely on a limited set of Skills¡­'' Tia swiftly closed the distance between her and the Minotaur, getting ready to clear a path for the rest of her teammates.


    However¡ª


    "ROOOOAAAARRRRR!!!"


    The Minotaur''s roar sent her flying back¡ªa fine bnce between offense and defense.


    "Guh!" Clenching her chest, Tia recoiled from the impact, feeling her body go numb for a moment.


    The Minotaur used this chance to charge at her, crushing every single thing that stood in its path. All the debris around was cleared, and the beast closed their distance in no time at all.


    In terms of strength and speed, she was no match for this Demon, so Tia could only rely on something beyond that.


    ''


    ''


    Tia timed it so well that the Minotaur passed through her the moment it was about to make short work of her. It was a close call, and her means of escape was one she could not use anytime soon.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Not that she would be needing it any longer.


    "Now!"


    In a sh, five of her teammates revealed their positions¡ªall surrounding the Minotaur. Theybined their Gifts¡ª[Quicksand], [Starlight], [Echo], [Shatter], [Pressure]¡ªsessfully immobilizing the Grade 3 Demon.


    This was only a temporary solution, though.


    ''My turn!'' Tia thought to herself, bringing out a katana from her Inventory.


    It was short¡ªalmost the size of a dagger¡ªand it was known as a wakizashi. Tia brandished this weapon, which was already glowing bright purple.


    It had a special Skill imbued in it¡ªone she could use once a day.


    "[Phantom Death]"


    In a sh, she closed her distance from the Minotaur and leaped to its head, stabbing it right in its temple.


    "GUUUAAAARRGHHHHH!!!"


    The Demon''s screech this time was that of pain. It roared as it swayed helplessly, unable to resist the paralyzing effect of the false death spreading through its body.


    [Phantom Death] was a Skill that put the targets in a fake state of death. The effects varied, depending on the level of the target¡ªand where they were struck.


    ''It''s Grade 3, so it won''tst long. Thanks to everyone''s efforts, I was able to get it at the temple. That''ll buy more time¡­''


    She wouldn''t have scored such a critical hit without their help, and Tia knew this very well.


    "We''re back! We''ve taken everything!" The remaining four members of the team¡ªwho had been absent so far¡ªsuddenly appeared.


    Thy undid their cloaking effect, smiling at the rest of the crew.


    ''They have the goods, huh?'' Tia nodded back.


    While she and five members of their team were doing their best to hold off the Minotaur¡ªusing all the buffs they had just to avoid being hit¡ªthest four had snuck into the storehouse and made away with the goods they wanted to take.


    ''Their inventory must be chock full!'' Tia smiled.


    But, this wasn''t the time to dawdle. After all¡ª


    "ROAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!"


    ¡ªThe monster was already free.


    With its devastating roar, all ten members were sent crashing to the ground.


    ''Shit! It regained all its Skills too!''


    They were really in a pickle now. Not only had the Grade 3 Demon returned to full strength, but from the look in its eyes alone, it was incredibly pissed off.


    ''It seems we''ll have to sacrifice a few men here¡­'' Tia thought in regret.


    It seemed, despite her thorough preparations, they couldn''t defeat a Grade 3 Monster on their own.


    So far, Grade 6 was the highest they had ever seen¡ªand that was in the First Wave of the Apocalypse.


    Even the Grand Leader¡ªPaul¡ªcould not defeat the Demon alone. Everyone had to wear it out, plus it was under a lot of penalties, for the victory to be barely achieved.


    Grade 5 Demons could be defeated by Paul, though. Not only had he gotten far stronger since then, but he wasn''t simply restricted by the strength that came with Levels. As a powerful inventor, and a Hero blessed by the heavens, he was unstoppable.


    A Grade 4 Demon required the joint efforts of the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma teams to subdue.


    And then, there was this Grade 3¡ªone she thought the best in her team could handle if they prepared properly.


    ''I¡­ can''t even move¡­'' Tia groaned, feeling hopeless as she tried to reach for a Vanishing Stone.


    In the end, they were stuck!


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    I''ve decided to release a chapter per week. You''re free to try to change my mind.


    Thank you all for your love and support.

 Chapter 371 Return Of The Hoarder

    ''J-just a few more seconds, and¡­ if I can just buy a few more seconds¡­!''


    She had a failsafe, just in case something like this happened¡ªan item that would activate ten seconds after a negative status condition was inflicted on her.


    One would that was a short time to wait, but in the presence of a Grade 3 Demon, a ten-second window was plenty. Tia could only imagine how much damage the Demon could wreak¡ªhow many lives it could take¡ªin that short interval.


    It could wipe them out!


    ''The moment it takes its eyes off me, I''ll use my Gift!''


    Tia''s Gift [Immobilize] allowed her to halt anyone she looked at, as long as she kept a constant watch on the target. A condition for this to work was that she couldn''t be in the line of sight of the target.


    In essence, she could see the Demon, but the Demon couldn''t see her.


    If this was all, however, she would have applied her strategy a little differently. By simply staying somewhere far away, she could have ensured even greater sess.


    Unfortunately, there was another condition.


    ¡­ Range!


    She needed to be close to the target for this Gift to be activated.


    Despite these limitations, her Gift had been very helpful in tricky situations. She utilized it to the fullest with her Thief Job and her very convenient Skill-sets.


    It was too bad that the current situation couldn''t allow her power to shine.


    The Minotaur''s range of vision was broad, and it was ring at everyone.


    It could have been her imagination, but Tia even felt its attention more on her. If that was the case, then she was most likely going to be the first to die.


    This shouldn''t have been too surprising, considering Grade 3 Demons were more intelligent than normal ones. The Minotaur most likely sensed Tia to be the strongest and moved to deal with her first¡ªnothing tooplicated.


    ''N-no¡­ no way!'' She thought to herself.


    ''Not yet!''


    "ROAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!!!" The Minotaur roared in triumph as it closed their distance in a sh.


    Grabbing her by the throat, the massive beast choked her with its enormous hands. A depraved expression formed all over its face as its crimson eyes glowed brightly.


    Whatever this Demon was thinking, it was definitely enjoying the situation¡ªsavoring how the human girl was too powerless to stop it.


    ''S-shit! I won''t¡­ make it¡­ in time¡­''


    She could feel her bones crack, and her body was about to be destroyed in a moment. She couldn''t do anything to stop it, and the thought of what would happen to her teammates once she was gone also filled her with dread.


    It hurt so much, merely thinking about it.


    Plus¡­


    ''I haven''t yet¡­ fulfilled¡­ my revenge¡­'' Tears would havee out of her eyes if they could, but her physical state couldn''t allow that.


    At the moment, she was done for.


    "ROOOOOOAAAAAA¡ª!!!"


    >WHOOOOOOOSSSSSSHHHHH!!!<


    Before the Minotaur concluded its next roar, a swift object¡ªfaster than anyone''s eyes could process instantly zoomed in.


    Its movement was too quick for anyone to see what exactly the object was. It appeared more like a sh of light than an actual item. However¡­


    "G-guuuuuerrrrrrr¡­."


    The Minotaur''s voice fell into a slow slur, and its head fell from its body in what could only be said to be a shocking turn of events.


    Its tight grip loosened, and Tia swiftly detached herself from the standing corpse.


    She phased through it,unching herself toward her recovering allies, still stunned by what had just urred.


    Was the swift gust of wind a de? How fast must it have been moving, and how strong, for it to have cleanly sliced off a Grade 3 Demon''s head without anyone noticing what happened?


    These questions were all very important.


    However, there seemed to be an even bigger question that was undoubtedly the most pertinent to these people. They were still recoiling from the fading paralysis, and sticky sweat still clung to their skin, yet the question pounded in their heads.


    "Who¡­ what could have caused that?" They must have all thought within themselves.


    Before any of them could speak the words and utter the most puzzling piece of the shocking incident, however, the answer presented itself.


    "Haaa¡­ too noisy. Trying to have a nap here, you know?" Out of the blue, a floating young man appeared from underneath the ground.


    Yes, right from under all the rubble and debris!


    The young man had clean ck hair, and his physical features resembled that of a peak human. His muscles, biceps, abs, and practically everything about him, screamed of manliness and sexy perfection.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Still, he wasn''t too bulky. He had just the right bnce.


    His blue eyes glowed brightly, and a yawn formed on his handsome face.


    "Now, I''m up¡­ damn¡­" He stretched in front of his dumbstruck audience, hardly paying them any mind.


    If he cared the slightest bit about those who were in front of him¡ªa majority of whom were women¡ªhe would have been more careful about exposing his nakedness.


    That''s right! This shameless person was utterly, buck-ass naked!


    "Finally, after stretching for a bit in front of the people, he began to float high into the air¡ªalmost as if nothing had just happened.


    He didn''t even notice the scowl especially etched on the face of one of the girls who looked upon him.


    "Jeremy Lewis¡­ YOU¡­!!!"


    >WHOOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHH!!!<


    des instantly lunged in the girl''s direction, stopping barely a hair''s breadth short of ending her life.


    "I told you already¡­ so noisy." The young man muttered, shaking his head.


    Tia was trembling in fear, now on the floor as she felt how close she was to death. If she had said one more word, the de would have pierced her before she even realized it.


    That was how dangerous it was.


    "Well¡­ter. And you''re wee." Without even sparing them a nce, the one called Jeremy Lewis flew off¡ªleaving only dust behind him.


    Even as he left, the people who watched still kept wondering what just happened.


    "T-that''s him? The Hoarder¡­?"


    "He¡­ looks different from what I expected."


    "He acts different too. I mean¡­ what kind of Hoarder saves our lives and leaves the spoils for us?"


    "He didn''t even take anything from our Inventory¡­"


    Confusion was amok in Team Gamma, and everyone discussed how the man they saw was theplete opposite of what they were led to believe about the monster known as Jeremy Lewis.


    However¡­ that was what their leader just called him, wasn''t it?


    Thus, everyone stared at Tia, who was now utterly silent.


    Unlike everyone else, she could not utter a word.


    ''He didn''t even spare me a nce. Does he not remember me at all? Has he forgotten what he did to me? To my friends?'' She could only grit her teeth in silent frustration.


    She cursed her weakness.


    She cursed her meeting with him.


    She cursed the very day she lived in.


    Painful memories flooded her brain, and she was stuck in a whirlpool of thoughts. It was at this point that she heard her teammates discussing the topic of the Hoarder, and how he was generous enough to the spoils behind for them.


    How he wasn''t as they had heard.


    ''These idiots¡­'' Tia thought to herself, sighing.


    ''Nothing we have is of any value to him. That''s most likely the reason.''


    After all, she knew, better than anyone, of his benevolence¡­ and the cruelty that came along with it. These people just weren''t aware of it yet.


    They hadn''t experienced the ugly truth about this bastard.


    ''The Hoarder cares about no one but himself!''


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    I felt a bit generous, so here.


    I''m not uploading anything until next week. You can check out my other works if you want to read more. I''d rmend my newest book: Chuunibyou Challenge!!


    Please support me. Thanksss

 Chapter 372 The Gifted Alliance

    The Gamma Force returned to the Human Alliance Headquarters, their spoils in tow.


    The journey back was not particrly difficult, considering they had a teleportation stone that allowed them to get transported directly to their destination.


    The effects of the stone indiscriminately covered the immediate surroundings, so if they had used it earlier, it would have brought the Grade 3 Demon with them. However, with all safe and sound, and with the resources all collected, they could utilize it.


    Tia, as the leader, stood in front of the other nine members as the light shed all around them. One second, they were in the devastated environment, and the next, they were right in front of the hallowed grounds standing before them.


    The massive headquarters of Gifteds¡ªthe only stronghold of such magnitude¡ªstood tall and imposing amidst the ruins of what was once a bustling city.


    In this dystopian world, the only way to survive was to be skilled¡ªnot only inbat and strategy¡ªbut also in creating the perfect abode for a functional society.


    Their leader, Paul, understood thispletely well. That was why he built such an amazing ce for Gifteds to gather and work together.


    The headquarters, a towering structure made of enchanted metal and reinforced concrete, was the hub for those seeking adventure, danger, and the chance for a better life.


    Not every human joined the association, but a majority did. Other than the headquarters, a total of ny other buildings were situated all over the world¡ªall under the banner of the Unified Gifted Association.


    Thanks to the steady supply of Transportation Stones, they could transport people, resources, and information among one another. Within six days, this intricatework had been conceived and managed by Paul.


    That was what made him such a great leader.


    "Let''s go," Tia spoke to her fellows, and they nodded instantly.


    *


    *


    *


    Inside, the atmosphere was bustling with activity. People of all shapes and sizes could be seen milling about, some sharpening weapons while others discussing their recent exploits.


    The walls were lined with maps of the surrounding areas, disying the various territories controlled by them, and the ones where dangerous creatures lurked.


    As one ventured deeper into the headquarters, the sounds of nging metal and explosions grew louder. In the central chamber, a group of Gifted was gathered around a massive holographic disy, strategizing for their next mission.


    A hulking brute of a man, covered in scars and carrying a massive axe, barked out orders to his team. A young woman with a sniper rifle slung over her shoulder nodded in agreement, while a sleek, roboticpanion hovered silently beside her.


    ''Looks like they''re heading out too¡­'' Tia noticed, returning the nod they gave her.


    Even though they had just arrived from a very dangerous mission, everyone was too busy to grant them the appropriate wee. They were either resting from their missions, or preparing to go on another one.


    The rest of the Gamma Force was most likely on patrol, while the Alpha and Beta teams had gone out to more dangerous areas to secure more resources for the impending crisis. It was a busy day.


    Tia left the ground floor and climbed the stairs to the upper floors. In the adjacent room, a group of scientists and engineers were hard at work on theirtest inventions¡ªmost likely based on Paul''s specifications.


    Not everyone was suited for battle, and these engineers had fine Jobs and Skills that allowed them to develop tools that the Gifted needed in their war against Demons. They were just as important as the fighters.


    Tia granted them a wave before walking past the room, seeking the next flight of stairs that would take her even higher.


    Her team had to report to Paul directly, considering they were among the top 3 in the Alliance. Smaller, less skilled teams had a hierarchy to follow, but Alpha, Beta, Gamma¡­ and Omega, all skipped that process and had direct ess to the very zenith.


    The Grandmaster himself!


    *


    *


    *


    "You maye in."


    Upon arriving right in front of the massive golden gate that separated their leader''s office from the massive hallway, Tia and her teammates heard the voice call from within.


    They didn''t even need to knock, and neither had they made their presence known, yet the man inside had been so perceptive of their presence.


    Tia was convinced that even her strongest <Assassin> Skill would do no good in face of his sharp mind.


    "Yes. Right away." She said, proceeding to open therge gate before her.


    The moment the ten members of Gamma Force stepped in, they were brought into another world entirely.


    The luxurious office of the powerful Grandmaster was a sight to behold. Located on the top floor of a grand headquarter building, it hadrge windows that offered breathtaking views of the city skyline. The walls were lined with rich mahogany paneling, ented by ornate gold fixtures and plush crimson carpets.


    All of these designs were made by the man himself.


    At the back corner of the room sat a massive oak desk, polished to a high shine and adorned with a gilded namete. Behind the desk sat a high-backed leather chair, facing the entrance with an air of authority. The chair looked plush andfortable, perfectly suited to be upied by someone as great as the owner.


    However, this wasn''t where the Grandmaster was.


    "Wee, Tia¡­ everyone." Paul''s words echoed within the massive room.


    His hands were behind him and his back was facing the group. He was currently in a still state, looking out of his massive windows to see the devastated world that covered the view.


    "It''s good to be back, Lord Pariah." Tia smiled, bowing in his presence.


    The rest of her teammates did the same.


    "Haha, please don''t. I do not deserve such a title." Paul removed his face from the distractingndscape and looked at the group with a warm smile.


    His white hair danced atop his head and his perfectly crimson eyes shone with such elegance that it was breathtaking. His audience took in this sight, in awe of his pristine beauty and impable charisma.


    "No, Lord Pariah¡­" Tia smiled as she and herrades bowed even further.


    "... It is only fitting."

 Chapter 373 [Bonus ] The Grandmasters Desires

    "Hmmm¡­ I see. So that''s what happened."


    Paul was currently behind his luxurious desk, interlocking his fingers as he rested his chin on them.


    His creased elbow gently rested on the furniture before him, and a stern expression was glued to his face.


    Tia and her team members stood before the Grandmaster of their great Alliance¡ªPariah, the number one Gifted in the world.


    As the leader of Team Gamma, she had just told him of their recent escapade. He was informed about the sess of their mission¡­ but more importantly, about the horror they encountered.


    "The Hoarder¡­" He whispered, his eyes narrowing in extreme seriousness.


    Everyone in the Gifted Alliance knew who the Hoarder was. However, no one had really ever fought with him, neither did they have a firsthand experience against him.


    The only person who could im such a right was Pariah.


    And even he was wary of the Hoarder.


    "I''m d he didn''t harm you. He must have thought you were too insignificant to bother about."


    "A-ah, yes. I thought the same." Tia responded to Pariah''s sudden smile with a slight bow.


    Perhaps she had a weakness for handsome, strong men. The charming face of their leader, and his firm personality, always made her more reverent in his presence.


    "The Second Wave is happening soon. We can''t allow that person to affect our ns. Since we have our first sighting in weeks, it''s best we take active steps to prevent any disaster from happening."


    Tia didn''tpletely understand what Pariah was saying. She wanted to ask, but wondered if it was in her ce to do so.


    "I''ll be recalling every member of the Alliance who has gone to search for resources, as well as the scouts. It''s too dangerous to have them out at this time." He suddenly added.


    Tia''s eyes bulged. She knew the repercussions of that action, causing her to be unable to keep silent for much longer.


    "B-but, what of the quota? We haven''t yet reached our required amount to pull through the iing wave."


    ording to the details provided by the System, the wave wouldst for at least five weeks. In that period, it was highly improbable that they would be able to get supplies easily¡ªor even at all.


    "I understand your concerns, but the risk is too great. If the Hoarder chooses to interfere with our chain of activities, it would spell doom for the Alliance. I can''t allow him to harm any one of you."


    Tears nearly fell from Tia''s eyes as she heard the heartwarming speech given by her dear leader. Her heart raced as well, and she struggled to keep a straight face.


    "At least, not until we are prepared to deal with him." He added.


    "But¡­ what are we going to do about the deficit supplies?"


    For a brief moment, silence enveloped the entire room, and tension took over. Tia knew Pariah always had a n, so she knew he wouldn''t let her down.


    "It seems I''ll have to utilize some of my Karma Points to handle theck of enough goods. If we buy from the <Shop>, we should be able to make up for our loss."


    That was true. You could get anything with Karma Points.


    Pariah was currently the top Ranker in the world. His Karma Points were more than she could even imagine, so it wasn''t impossible for him to take care of their shortage problem with his Points.


    However, that brought about another problem.


    "B-but aren''t you supposed to use them for emergencies? And also to deal a devastating blow to the Hoarder when the timees."


    "Yes, but this takes priority. Once the Wave begins, I can always earn more Karma Points. For now, though¡­ we have to consider everyone in this Camp, and then beyond."


    Tia''s heart fluttered even more as she watched her leader''s elegant smile. He was just too good to be true.


    "U-understood!"


    "Thank you for understanding, and thank you all for your hard work." Pariah bowed his head to everyone who stood before him.


    It moved all the members of Team Gamma, almost to the point of tears. Here was a man who was far stronger and smarter than them, yet he constantly praised them.


    "I''m relying on you all." He said, despite the fact that they were the ones relying on him.


    They knew it within their hearts, after all. No matter how hard they tried, and how much they contributed¡­


    "We are unworthy."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ¡­ They could not bepared to Pariah!


    *


    *


    *


    Tia and her team eventually left Paul''s office, and he sighed the moment thest of them departed and closed the door.


    Closing his eyes to enjoy the brief moment of silence he could enjoy, he rested his head on his chair.


    "Are you really going to use your Karma Points for the resources?" A voice suddenly echoed from behind him.


    Emerging from the shadows was his dear partner and closest friend¡ªLily (Code name: Lilith).


    Her small stature was well entuated by her cute face and flowing white hair. Her crimson eyes matched Paul''s, and they appeared to be twins at this point.


    Lily sat on Paul''s desk, a small distance from him, and a smile was on her face. Her question still hanging in the air, waiting for Paul''s response.


    "No. You should know already¡­ we have enough supplies tost us five weeks."


    That''s right! The Alliance had gathered enough to keep them fed and thirstless for five weeks. Thanks to theirbined efforts and hard work, everything was already prepared for their group.


    "Then why did you¡ª"


    "Why else? To garner more gratitude and respect. If I choose to sacrifice my Karma Points for them, they''ll be more willing to listen to me and obey mymands."


    Selflessness was the key to the hearts of these people; Paul had figured that out a long time ago. Everyone loved a charismatic leader who would do anything for the people.


    That was how he was able to climb to this position and get everyone''s adtion as a Hero.


    "But, do you really need to resort to that? Lying and maniption¡­ isn''t really like you." Lily spoke, showing a little concern for him.


    He was her everything, so she cared about him more than anyone. Seeing him slowly devolve into his current state troubled her.


    "Why not? It''s the most efficient way." He responded, as usual, showing conviction in his tone.


    It seemed he truly believed that manipting everyone was the best way to get the job done.


    "After suffering defeat at the hands of Jeremy that day¡­ you know what I realized? I was too weak¡ªnot only physically, but mentally as well."


    Paul could only say these things because she was Lily. She would always remain by his side, no matter what.


    "To beat that monster, I need to abandon all the virtues that held me back. Even if it means resorting to petty tricks like maniption¡­ I have to stop him."


    Paul''s eyes widened with desperation, and his lips broadened to form a smile that represented insanity. No longer did he resemble the virtuous Grandmaster that everyone adored.


    Something was different about him.


    "I have to win¡­ no matter what!"


    Something darker.


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    Okay, now that I''ve set the stage¡­ we''ll be delving into the wave in the next chapter.


    Sorry for the dy in releasing this chapter. I''ve been upied with tests and other stuff.


    Pleasement if you want to see what happens next.

 Chapter 374 [Bonus ] Let The Sky Fall [Pt 1]

    "The time is upon us!"


    In a massive hall, simr to an auditorium meant to house a million people, the sound of someone charismatic boomed.


    The man who stood at the center of the stage, surrounded by an overflowing multitude of people, was none other than Paul¡ªor perhaps Pariah, as he was called by most.


    He was the Grandmaster, the Hero, the true leader of the humans who had banded together to take care of the threat that had befallen them.


    It wasn''t going to be long before the second wave started, so the people were in an especially excited, agitated, and fearful state. It was Paul''s job, as the leader, to address his subjects.


    The hall he currently upied was just one of the many ces he had to visit. Once he was done stirring up these people, he would go to the other ces and do the same there.


    ''My presence is required to give everyone courage. I''ll speak to the masses, granting them the ability to fight against the Demons, no matter the cost.''


    With enough words, he could create the perfect subordinates who would do anything for him.


    From the corner of his eyes, Paul could see Lilith. She was smiling at him, gently nodding. He knew she was having doubts about him, but that didn''t really matter.


    ''She''ll always be by my side¡­ same as these people!''


    Together, they would eliminate the threat of the Demons, and help him create a new world.


    A world without evil.


    A world without weakness.


    A world without Jeremy.


    *


    *


    *


    [Hours Later]


    Paul sat behind his office desk, awaiting the final meeting he would be having before the wave began.


    Based on the System''s Timer, they barely had three more hours before it began.


    He had already given hismands to their footsoldiers, as well as to the other roles performed by the people in their Alliance. Everything was in ce¡ªwell, almost everything.


    "You all maye in." He spoke, not even waiting before he heard a knock on his door.


    Thanks to his immensely high level, he could already sense them.


    A few seconds after he spoke, the door opened, and a group of people trooped in. They were four in number.


    Nye, leader of the Alpha Team


    Lisa, leader of the Beta Team


    Tia, leader of the Gamma Team.


    And finally¡­


    Luke, leader of the Omega Team.


    These four were his most elite in the entire Alliance. They possessed Levels over two hundred, and they had Secondary Jobs.


    They all had areas of specialization as well, though if he had to count onbat, then Tia was the weakest.


    Still, they were his most powerful members. Which meant he had to address them specially.


    "Greetings, Grandmaster." They all bowed before him in reverence.


    The feeling of being respected by even those older than him never got old. Paul had grown to relish the sight the more he experienced it.


    "Wee. As you know, I have been going to the major halls in our respective zones to address the people there. I also trust you''ve spoken to your team members.


    "Yes sir." They all responded.


    "Good. We''ll be having a crisis on our hands, and it''s satisfactory that everyone is in ce."


    Weapons. Food. Water. Supplies, etc. All the resources they needed were already present. They had already prepared for this crisis long before now.


    "All we have to do is move ording to the n, and we''ll be fine."


    The Gods were on his side. They assured him of his sess. In return for being their dog, he would eliminate Jeremy Lewis.


    It was a fair bargain, one which even he couldn''t wait to savor.


    "Well then, back to your stations. I simply wanted to see you all one final time before we begin the second wave."


    Paul could see how their faces formed various emotions tantamount to awe and reverence. As expected, they were all wrapped around his finger.


    "You are dismissed."


    They all bowed and left, muttering words of praise as they exited his office.


    "Haa¡­" He sighed, cing a hand on his head as he closed his eyes to think for a second.


    "Are you ready, Paul?" A voice interrupted his thoughts.


    It was, as expected, Lily.


    "Yes. Everything is ready. A good amount of people are going to die in thei wave, but if I y my cards right, all the me should fall on Jeremy."


    "I¡­ see¡­."


    "And then, once we are done with this round, we''ll finally be strong enough to confront him. And this time, I don''t intend to lose."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Okay. I''ll help you as much as I can." She nodded gently, smiling like a doll.


    "Thank you, Lily." He also broke into a smile.


    "This time around, we''re the ones who will win."


    *


    *


    *


    "... And after he said that, we left. That is all I have to report."


    As I watched the man named Luke, leader of the Omega Division, divulge all the new secrets of the Human Alliance, I leaked out a smile.


    "Good job."


    Luke was currently on his knees, but he made sure to prostrate before me once again. Even though we were in a quiet and dark room, I could pretty much see everything.


    "Should I continue to observe and report as usual?" He asked, causing me to stroke my chin a little.


    We had been doing this for some time now, but considering the second wave was upon us, I thought it was time to end everything.


    "There''s no need." With the snap of my fingers, I caused Luke to vanish. Wherever he went to was left to anyone''s imagination. "I think I''ll take it from here."


    Rising to my feet, I slowly began to alter my appearance. The man named Luke had jet-ck hair, with red eyes, and a serious demeanor¡ªnothing that was too difficult to replicate.


    "How long are you going to stay quiet, Sariel?" I smiled, ncing at the sparkle of light that was rapidly changing into a fairy-like woman.


    Even after I addressed her, she remained mute, folding her hands as she red at me.


    "Don''t tell me you''re still mad at me."


    "You said you''d take action, yet for the past one week, you''ve not really done much. Isn''t it better to clear the second wave and move on with the mission?"


    I understood where she wasing from. Frankly, the n could continue without me needing to go on this charade.


    However¡­


    "There''s still something I need to do. For that, I''m willing to go down this route."


    "Whatever¡­" She murmured, most likely still not convinced.


    Well, it didn''t matter to me. By the time I was done, she was going to understand.


    "There''s no need to rush things. All will happen in due time¡­"


    *


    *


    *


    [SYSTEM ALERT]


    ~The Second Wave Of ARMAGEDDON Will Now Commence!~


    <The Second Scenario: Let The Sky Fall, Will Now Be Initiated>


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]


    <Second Scenario: Let The Sky Fall>


    [Scenario Information]


    <Week 1>


    There will be a great earthquake.


    [Quest Update]


    <Quest 1>


    Survive The First Week


    <Quest 2>


    Challenge The First Mystery Of The Five Miseries And Solve It


    <Quest 3>


    Defeat The Boss And End The Scenario


    [Rewards Such As Karma Points And Items Will Be Given For Each Quest Aplished]


    ~BEST OF LUCK!~


    ******


    [A/N]


    Sorry for the dy.


    Pleasement and send Power Stones if you want quicker releases. Thanks to those already doing that.


    Thanks for reading.


    Cheers.

 Chapter 375 [Bonus ] The Great Earthquake

    ?


    [SYSTEM ALERT]


    ~The Second Wave Of ARMAGEDDON Will Now Commence!~


    <The Second Scenario: Let The Sky Fall, Will Now Be Initiated>


    [SYSTEM INFORMATION]


    <Second Scenario: Let The Sky Fall>


    [Scenario Information]


    <Week 1>


    There will be a great earthquake.


    [Quest Update]


    <Quest 1>


    Survive The First Week


    <Quest 2>


    Challenge The First Mystery Of The Five Miseries And Solve It


    <Quest 3>


    Defeat The Boss And End The Scenario


    [Rewards Such As Karma Points And Items Will Be Given For Each Quest Aplished]


    ~BEST OF LUCK!~


    *


    *


    *


    >RUMBLE!<


    >RUMBLE!<


    >RUMBLE!<


    As was prophesied by the System, the moment the Second Scenario began, the earth began to tremble.


    No, perhaps that was too tame an exnation.


    It cracked and crumbled, vibrated and rumbled, creaked and swayed¡ªbreaking apart like old furniture.


    This urred all over the world, all without prejudice.


    Anyone who had remotely any contact withnd was bound to suffer for it, most dying in the process.


    Fortunately, the Alliance had already prepared for this.


    As people hurriedly sought shelter, seeking safety from the unpredictable tremors that threatened their very foundations, those who had fallen under the banner of the Alliance had no need for worry.


    Rather, excitement awaited them. Amidst the chaos, several bases all over the world whirred into action. These buildings, unmistakably belonging to the esteemed ''Gifted Alliance,'' started to defy gravity.


    As the tremors grew more violent, the structures housing the Gifted Alliance, responded in a way that showcased their unique capabilities. Slowly, steadily, the buildings started to levitate, defying the pull of the quaking earth.


    People on the devastating gasped in awe and disbelief as the buildings gently detached from the ground, their foundations seemingly irrelevant in the face of this unprecedented crisis. The Gifted Alliance had prepared for such a cataclysmic event, harnessing their extraordinary abilities to safeguard their precious knowledge, resources, and the people within their care.


    With a seamless coordination that spoke of intricate attention to detail for the synchronization, the buildings rose higher and higher into the air.


    Architects and engineers with exceptional spatial maniption talents skillfully guided the levitation process, carefully maintaining the structural integrity of the floating structures. However, they all had to give honor to whom it was due.


    The grand visionary of this entire project was none other than Pariah, their Grandmaster.


    Cheers of victory and sighs of relief echoed from the Gifteds who took sce in their sheltered haven of safety. Even as they watched the few foolish ones perish, they were simply d to be alive.


    It almost felt like the time of Noah from the stories of the Holy Books. However, instead of a Great Flood, an earth-shattering Earthquake riddled the world. Instead of an Ark, there were multiple bases.


    ¡­ And instead of Noah, there was the Pariah.


    The Gifted Alliance had be a beacon of hope, their defiance against the destructive earthquakes instilling a sense of wonder and reassurance among the members.


    Once again, cementing the position of their ''Noah''


    *


    *<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    *


    ''What idiots.'' I thought to myself as I watched the bright eyes of the members of the Omega Team.


    I had taken the ce of their leader, Luke, so I needed to act the part. However, seeing the starry-eyed expressions of the innocent people before made it almostical to me.


    ''Whether this is a floating castle or not, a lot of people are going to die.''


    And that was because this global earthquake was simply a prelude. Something akin to a warning sign, or a signal of what was toe.


    ''Like how Towers suddenly appeared in the sky as a result of the Four Horsemen Scenario.'' My thoughts flowed.''


    The major concern for this Second Scenario was toplete the Quests. However, this Second Phase was particrly wicked because it was nearly impossible toplete one Quest without the other.


    ''There are currently three Quests¡­''


    One was to Survive


    The Second was to ''Solve'' the Mystery of the Misery


    The Third was to defeat the ''Boss''.


    All three of them were connected.


    Of course, I didn''t mean that everyone had to find the Boss or solve the mystery. However, the simple implication was that someone had to do it.


    If not, the cmity would be so severe that a lot of people would find even the first Quest utterly impossible.


    ''Something doesn''t seem right, though. Paul should know about this, yet these people seem so blissfully unaware. Is he keeping them in the dark?''


    I nearly chuckled out loud once I imagined the prospect of that being the case.


    ''To think Paul would resort to doing something I would do. Looks like he''s grown quite a bit¡­ unlike someone else I know.''


    Sariel was busy with certain matters, so she wasn''t here with me. Still, during times like these, I missed herpany.


    My eyes narrowed as I watched the cracked and shattered earth, spreading across as far as my eyes could see. The holes and cracks were already glowing crimson, and seeing it made my lips subconsciously curl into a smile.


    ''For all those who think they are safe, look closely¡­'' My grin widened.


    ''... And think again!''


    ******


    Across continents and oceans, from the highest mountains to the deepest valleys, thend quivered as if in the throes of an immense and vengeful beast. No corner of the globe was spared from this rampant devastation.


    Massive cracks and fissures spiderwebbed across the terrain, splitting open the once-solid ground with an eerie precision. These fractures, like deep wounds in the earth''s flesh, seethed with an otherworldly energy. From within these rifts, me-like glows emerged, casting an ominous light upon the crumblingndscape.


    The glimmers of fiery luminescence pulsated and danced, creating an ethereal disy that sent shivers down the spines of those unfortunate enough to witness it. The vibrant hues of crimson, orange, and deep violet flickered and swirled, casting distorted shadows on the trembling ground.


    As the earthquakes continued to rend the earth, the cracks widened, birthing an unholy legion. From the depths of the infernal abyss, demons wed their way through the jagged crevices, their malevolence radiating with each emerged entity. They were beings of twisted form and grotesque visage, their features contorted by centuries of darkness and malefic intent.


    With razor-sharp talons and fiery eyes, the demons spilled forth onto the tremblingnd. Their presence exuded an aura of dread, their very essence steeped in chaos and destruction. Some crawled on all fours, their sinewy bodies contorting with an unnerving fluidity, while others towered with hulking frames that defied humanprehension.


    Their skin, tinged with a sickly pallor, bore intricate patterns that seemed to writhe and shift, echoing the swirling glows from the depths of the fissures. Malevolentughter and guttural growls filled the air, a cacophony of unholy voices that echoed the terror and torment they intended to unleash upon the world.


    As the demons emerged, their eyes, aglow with an infernal fire, scanned their surroundings with a hunger for chaos and souls. With gnarled ws and serrated teeth, they sought to rend and tear, reveling in the imminent chaos that was at hand.


    The war that had to emerge.


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    I have a new novel ongoing, and I would really appreciate your support.


    The title is "Only I Can See The End"


    If you like Rise Of The Hoarder, I can guarantee that you''ll very much enjoy this one even more. It has a simr, yet distinct premise from this novel.


    Please support me by checking it out. Thank you all.


    Join the Discord Server for character arts, interactions with the author, asional giveaways, and many more.


    Here''s the link.


    https://discord.gg/yMPNRURZJh

 Chapter 376 The Battle Of The Skies

    ?


    The pandemonium of the besieged world was deafening, an orchestra of chaos that threatened to tear apart the very fabric of civilization.


    Yet amidst the discord, in the sanctuary of the floating bases, another form of chaos was brewing, one fueled by desperation, determination, and resolve.


    Paul stood on the control deck of the primary base, his gaze firmly fixed on the apocalyptic spectacle unfolding beneath them.


    The once steadfast leader of the Gifted Alliance seemed stoic, his face set in a hardened grimace that belied the storm of emotions swirling within him.


    Around him, a flurry of activity was in motion as members of the Alliance scrambled to respond to the unfolding cmity.


    "We can''t just watch this happen!" Lisa, the leader of Beta Team, protested, her voice echoing across the control deck.


    Her hands were clenched into fists, knuckles whitening in her intensity.


    "We won''t," Paul replied, his voice a calm contrast to the prevailing tension. "We''re already in motion. The relief units are on standby, ready to deploy the moment a feasible window opens up. But right now, the priority is to protect this ship."


    "Protecting ourselves while the world is falling apart around us. I know it''s the safest alternative, but... I worry about those who couldn''t get on board..." She murmured.


    Of everyone here, Lisa had always been the kindest.


    "They chose their path when they refused to join the Gifted Alliance... remember that." Nye, the Alpha Team Leader spoke, his tone firm.


    Everyone had to agree with him.


    In this world, those who were outside the safety of their floating fortresses all over the world were simply sinners who didn''t believe in their leader.


    They more or less deserved such a fate.


    "Our priority is survival," Paul stated firmly, "The world depends on us. If we don''t survive, there will be no one left to protect those who remain. This ship is not just our sanctuary, but also our weapon. And we must use it wisely."


    Everyone fell silent at Paul''s words, his anger simmering down into a frustrated resignation.


    Tia and Luke weren''t present in the room, but even if they were, they would have had to agree with their leader''s words.


    Paul turned away, his gaze returning to the scene of destruction below them.


    The deck went silent, save for the hum of the ship''s engines and the murmurs of the crew.


    Everyone was on edge, a taut string strummed too tight.


    Yet amidst the tense silence, Paul''s words resounded in their minds, a stark reminder of the heavy burden they all bore.


    Suddenly, the ship''s rm red into life, a harsh siren that sliced through the tense quiet.


    Red lights shed across the control panels, and the crew immediately sprang into action.


    "Iing enemy units from the south!" shouted Gamma team''s leader, Tia. Her fingers danced across her console, pulling up images of the demonic legion on the main screen.


    "Defensive units, prepare forbat!" Paulmanded, his tone brooking no argument.


    "This is what you''ve trained for. Let''s protect our ship and survive."


    ***********


    Under the looming threat of the monstrous horde, the Gifted Alliance snapped into action, the charged atmosphere within their floating fortress bing a hive of determined activity.


    On the bridge, Paul''s stern voice barked out orders that cut through the tension like a de.


    The Gifteds sprang into action, their faces set in grim determination as they readied their skills for the imminent onught.


    Their first line of defense, a sophisticated energy shield, flickered to life.


    It was a manifestation of countless Gifteds working in tandem, their abilities blending to form an impervious bulwark that enshrouded the entire fortress.


    There were those with the skill to manipte elements, feeding power into the shield, bolstered by the efforts of those with spatial maniption skills, bending the very fabric of reality to augment the shield''s durability.


    As the demonic swarm surged closer, the fortress''s offensive measures activated. Massive energy cannons, manipted by the psychokics and energy maniptors, roared to life, bathing the rapidly darkening sky with brilliant, destructive beams of raw power.


    Each shotnced through the air, striking true against the demons, disintegrating dozens in each sweep.


    The sky ignited with explosions, a disy of human resilience and defiance against the demonic horde.


    Amidst the bridge''s frenzy, Nye, the one who took charge of this situation, stood, his gaze unwavering, directing their resistance with an iron will.


    His fists clenched, the glimmer of his ability - a mastery over time - shimmered around him, allowing him to anticipate movements, coordinate attacks, and adapt strategies in split seconds.


    "Follow mymands precisely!"


    "YESSSIRRRR!!!"


    However, the swarm was vast, an unending tide of demonic entities hell-bent on their destruction.


    The energy shield flickered under the relentless assault, the Gifteds bolstering it grunting with the exertion of countering the unending barrage.


    Their offensive measures, though efficient, were like a storm against a mountain, eroding the horde but not halting its advance.


    ~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!~


    ~WHOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!~


    ~BWOOOOOOOOOSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!~


    The battle raged on, the fortress a beacon amidst the chaos, casting intense beams of light against the shadowy horde.


    Each demon they annihted was immediately reced by another, a macabre dance of death and destruction that seemed to be leaning towards the favor of their monstrous adversaries.


    Still, as long as they were in the skies, having their barrier erected around them, they would be safe for the most part... right?


    ~RUMBLE!~


    Suddenly, a massive quake shook the world beneath them.


    From the cracked and torn earth, a gargantuan demon emerged, a monstrous entity that dwarfed those that came before.


    Its eyes glowed with an unholy light, and a thunderous roar echoed from its maw, shaking the fortress in the sky.


    This sudden emergence marked a dreadful shift in the battle. The energy shield flickered more noticeably, struggling under the onught of the augmented demonic forces.


    The giant demon began to channel a dark, destructive energy, a building cataclysm that threatened to shatter their defensive measures and leave them bare against the relentless horde.


    Nye''s gaze hardened at this development.


    He knew they had to adapt swiftly or perish under this insurmountable foe. But the Gifted Alliance was nothing if not resilient, and they would not go down without a fight.


    "The real battle begins now!" Paul suddenly bellowed over themotion, rallying his Alliance. "We are thest bastion of humanity, and we will not falter!"


    Despite the grim situation, his words ignited a spark of renewed determination in the hearts of the Gifted Alliance, steeling them for the monumental challenge thaty ahead.


    He whispered under his breath, a fervent plea to the uncertain future. "We will survive this... we must."


    Despite the tremors of uncertainty, there was a glimmer of hope, a spark of defiance that refused to be extinguished.


    It was the relentless determination of the Gifted Alliance, their unyielding spirit that would light the way in this era of Armageddon.


    "Alliance Leaders... it''s our turn to shine." Paul turned to them with a smile.


    Nye of Alpha Team.


    Lisa of Beta Team


    Tia of Gamma Team


    And Luke of Omega Team.


    These were the elite of the Gifted Alliance Headquarters.


    "Now that that horrid creature threatens the security we''ve painstakingly built for so long, it''s up to us," Paul spoke, his voice carrying as much charisma as it carried power.


    He also moved from his position, ready to prove his mantle as the leader... the Grandmaster.


    "Don''t let me down."


    "YES SIR!"


    ******


    [A/N]


    Sorry for the dy.


    Pleasement and send Power Stones if you want quicker releases. Thanks to those already doing that.


    Thanks for reading.


    Cheers.

 Chapter 377 The Fight Of Leaders

    ?


    The floating fortress descended slightly, just enough to let the four team leaders soar into the fray.


    Backlit by the fortress''s radiance, the four figures descended, each exuding an aura of resolute determination that contrasted against the monstrous horde below.


    They were the Leaders of the Gifted Alliance Headquarters.


    "Let''s go!"


    Enveloped in specialized energy barriers, products of high-grade Items forged by Paul, they descended upon the monstrous horde like divine beings of war, their radiant forms stark against the churning darkness beneath.


    The Item had two functions: Defense... and flight!


    "Kill ''em all!"


    Nye, leader of the Alpha Team, was the first to engage.


    His ability to control time gifted him with an edge in battles. As he dove, he invoked his power, the world around him slowing to a crawl as he effortlessly wove through the airborne mass of demons.


    His Skills came alive, his hands glowing with an intense, destructive force.


    "<Big Bang st>" He unleashed a wave of energy, shattering the demonic swarm in its path.


    ~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!~


    His time maniption ability coupled with his destructive Skills allowed him to slice through the enemy ranks, each stroke eliminating a swath of demons.


    Close behind Nye, Lisa of the Beta Team brought her Gift to the forefront.


    Energy surged around her, solidifying into a myriad of constructs.


    Glowing swords, spears, shields, and more manifested, dancing around her as she descended.


    ~WHOOOOOSSSHHHHH!!!~


    Her constructs collided with the demons, severing wings and impaling bodies.


    At the same time, her support Skills came into y, casting protective barriers and strength enhancements on herpanions, bolstering their defense and offense.


    Tia, the Gamma Team leader, engaged next. A master of stealth and assassination, she zipped through the demonic ranks, virtually invisible to their eyes.


    Her Gift was potent, rendering her targets immobile as long as they couldn''t see her.


    One by one, demons suddenly froze in mid-air, unable to move as Tia''s gaze fell upon them.


    ~FWISH!~


    ~SWOOOSH!~


    ~WHOOOSSH!~


    A quick sh, a swift stab, and the immobilized demons fell, cleared from the path of the leaders.


    Finally, Luke, the leader of the Omega Team, entered the battlefield.


    His Gift, a force of attraction and repulsion, pushed away the demonic swarm as he descended.


    It was as if an invisible shield was deflecting their advance. With a thought, Luke reversed his power, pulling a group of demons towards him.


    "Uh... <Energy Slice>...?"


    His Skills activated, his hands lighting up with a violent energy that he released in a devastating arc, obliterating the attracted demons.


    ~BOOOOOOMMMM!!!~


    As the leaders bravely fought, Paul, the leader of the Gifted Alliance, made his move.


    His gaze locked onto the towering demon wreaking havoc on the battlefield. With a powerful leap, Paul shot through the sky, a trail of light marking his path.


    "Hmph!"


    Despite the chaos around them, the leaders managed to carve a path through the monstrous horde, theirbined abilities and Skills holding the demon swarm at bay.


    Their courage and unwavering will were testament to their roles, the strength of the Gifted Alliance personified in their relentless advance.


    ~WHOOOOSSSHHHH!!!~


    He descended, a meteor zing against the darkened sky.


    The battle was far from over, but with theirbined might, they had managed to prate the monstrous swarm, buying themselves precious time.


    Now, all eyes turned to Paul, their leader, who was locked in an aerial collision course with the towering demon.


    The battle for humanity had truly begun.


    ********


    ~WHOOOOOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHH!!!~


    Paul soared through the sky, his form a zinget against the dark horde below.


    His eyes were set on the gargantuan demon wreathed in mes that had just emerged. Its size was monstrous, and the heat radiating off its body could be felt even from a distance.


    Its strength and power were terrifying. But it was this very terror that Paul was prepared to face.


    ''Now that they''ve all experienced the horrors of this Scenario with their eyes, all that''s left is for the leaders and I to make short work of them, and they''ll understand...''


    In the end, no one would be able to defy him. Not with the fear of being destroyed by monsters such as this one.


    ''I am their only hope of survival in this world. I am their Savior!''


    As he closed the distance, he activated his <G> Authority skill, a halo of bright light enveloping him as his stats boosted significantly.


    His strength, agility, vitality and intelligence climbed to monstrous levels.


    "ROOOOAAAARRRHHHHH!!!" The demonshed out with a massive, ming fist.


    Its sheer size made the attack difficult to evade, but Paul was quicker.


    ~WHOOOOSSHHH!~


    His agility enhanced, he dodged the fiery punch, feeling the heat grazing his cheek.


    Activating his Absolute Focus skill, his eyes locked onto the demon, studying its movements, its strengths, and weaknesses.


    His


    hummed with power as he summoned the <71 Weapons of War>, materializing them around him.


    Each weapon carried a distinct aura, a testament to Paul''s impable craftsmanship.


    ''I evolved them even further after beating the Tower of War. Haha..."


    With a swift motion, hemanded the weapons to attack, and they lunged forward, shing against the demon''s me-wreathed form.


    "GUAAARRRHHHHH!"


    The demon roared, its mes barely repelling the weapons. But this was part of Paul''s n.


    He activated his <Warlord''s Tactics> and <Battle Supremacy> skills, analyzing the demon''s defenses and its reactions.


    A calcted grin formed on his face.


    He wielded a grand hammer, the head glowing brightly.


    The Gift of Smithing merged with his Perfect Warrior skill, each strike perfectly timed and aimed.


    The hammer shed against the demon, and the shockwave rocked the battlefield.


    ~BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!~


    The demon retaliated with a swipe, intending to crush Paul.


    However, Paul''s Fortitude skill hardened his resolve, his will unyielding against the immense force.


    The demon''s massive ws met Paul''s


    skill, and for the first time, the demon recoiled, taken aback by the force that Paul wielded.


    The Crown of Victory on his head glowed, signifying the nearing end of this battle.


    He activated his Skill Interference, disrupting the demon''s fiery armor, rendering it vulnerable for a brief moment.


    "Haa... you stand no chance."


    Paul made his move, all his skills working together, his stats enhanced by his <G> Authority, his weapons armed and ready.


    Hemanded the 71 Weapons of War to charge, and they struck the demon all at once, piercing its me barrier.


    ~WHOOOOOOOSHHHH!!!~


    In the same instant, Paul leapt forward, his grand hammer raised high, and he brought it crashing down onto the demon with the full force of his Gift, his skills, and his boosted stats.


    "ROOAAAA--!!" The demon''s roar was drowned out by the thunderous impact.


    ~BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!~


    The mes extinguishing in an instant, the demon crashed into the ground, a massive crater forming around its fallen form.


    Paulnded gracefully, the glow of his victory reflected in his eyes.


    "Hmph..." Despite the terrifying power and immense strength of the demon, he had triumphed, subduing the beast with his formidable prowess and the many powerful items that he wielded.


    The battlefield fell silent for a moment, all eyes on the victorious Hero of the Human Race.


    The savior of the world!


    ''This should be more than enough.'' Paul smirked to himself as he began to hear the thunderous echoes of praise from his subordinates.


    They absolutely revered him.


    ''Are you watching, Lily? In the end... this is all that matters.''


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    I have a new novel ongoing, and I would really appreciate your support.


    The title is "Only I Can See The End"


    If you like Rise Of The Hoarder, I can guarantee that you''ll very much enjoy this one even more. It has a simr, yet distinct premise from this novel.


    Please support me by checking it out. Thank you all.


    Join the Discord Server for character arts, interactions with the author, asional giveaways, and many more.


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 Chapter 378 [Bonus ] Intruder

    ?


    As the dust settled around the defeated demon, the battlefield was enveloped in an eerie silence, broken only by the faint echoes of Paul''s subordinates'' apuse and cheers.


    The savior of the world had proven his worth once again.


    Paul stood amidst the wreckage, his grand hammer still glowing with the residual energy of the battle. He looked around at the faces of his loyal team leaders¡ªNye, Lisa, Tia, and Luke. Each of them wore expressions of awe and admiration, their faith in their leader reaffirmed.


    Nye, still manipting time, began to restore the flow of seconds and minutes around them, allowing the world to return to its normal pace. Lisa''s energy constructs dissipated, leaving the battlefield cleansed of demonic remnants.


    Tia, with her stealthy prowess, moved through the aftermath, ensuring that no straggling demons remained. Luke adjusted his power of attraction and repulsion to clear the area of debris, allowing their floating fortress to descend further and provide aid where it was needed.


    Paul''s gaze turned to the fortress, which had remained vignt and ready throughout the battle.


    He knew that the war was far from over. The monstrous horde might have suffered a significant blow, but the real challengey ahead.


    The Scenario was still unfolding, and the Gifted Alliance Headquarters needed to protect what remained of humanity.


    With a calm yet determined demeanor, Paul addressed his team leaders, "We''ve won this battle, but the war continues. We must regroup and assess the situation. Our goal remains the same: to ensure the survival of humanity and protect our world from the encroaching darkness."


    Nye nodded in agreement, his control over time fully restored. "Right, Paul. We''ll coordinate with the other teams and secure the area. We won''t let the demons regroup."


    Lisa chimed in, her eyes still aze with the energy of battle. "And we''ll keep enhancing our defenses. With your leadership and the power of the Items, we''re unstoppable."


    Tia''s voice, though soft, carried a sense of determination. "I''ll scout ahead and gather information. Knowledge is our greatest weapon."


    Luke, with a smile, added, "And I''ll make sure the fortress is ready for whateveres next."


    Paul nodded in appreciation of his team''s unwaveringmitment.


    "Thank you, my friends. Together, we will face whatever challenges lie ahead. Humanity''s survival depends on the Gifted Alliance Headquarters."


    As the team leaders dispersed to carry out their tasks, Paul couldn''t help but think of Lily... as well as his benefactors


    He had vowed to protect humanity, to be their savior. And with every battle won, he felt he was one step closer to fulfilling that promise.


    The floating fortress ascended further, its radiance casting a beacon of hope in the dark world below.


    Paul and his leaders prepared to return to their monolith of greatness, towering above the debris of the ruined world.


    ******


    [Meanwhile]


    A hooded intruder slipped through the shadows like a phantom, navigating thebyrinthine corridors of the Gifted Alliance Headquarters with eerie ease.


    His presence was masked by a cloak of darkness, but his eyes glinted with sinister intent beneath the hood.


    He had managed to bypass the guards, avoiding their watchful gaze. His destination was clear: the Guildmaster''s office.


    This audacious intruder hade to seek something, something thaty hidden within the heart of this fortress.


    As he approached the office, a sense of anticipation danced in his eyes, and a faint, ominous smile curled at the corner of his lips.


    He couldn''t help but marvel at how far Paul hade, from a mere participant in the Scenario to the leader of this formidable alliance.


    Pushing the door to the Guildmaster''s office open, the intruder stepped inside, the dimly lit room revealing an assortment of intricate relics, powerful Items, and maps depicting the ongoing battle against the demon horde.


    The shelves were lined with tomes, each containing knowledge of the gifted abilities that had emerged in the new world.


    The intruder muttered to himself in a low, raspy voice, "Impressive, Paul. Seems like you''ve developed quite a taste..."


    His gloved hand reached for a small, unassuming drawer, and just as his fingers brushed against it, a presence enveloped the room like a shroud of foreboding.


    A voice, calm yet filled with authority, echoed through the office, "Who are you, and what brings you here?"


    Startled, the intruder froze. His heart seemed to race as he turned to face the source of the voice.


    There, standing in the shadows, was a short figure with stark white hair cascading down her shoulders. Her eyes burned like crimson embers in the darkness, radiating an aura of immense power.


    She stepped forward, her gaze unyielding as she scrutinized the intruder.


    It was Lilith, the partner of Guildmaster Pariah¡ªor Paul, his normal name¡ªherself known to be an enigma of strength.


    The intruder remained silent, his face hidden in the depths of his hood, but his eyes darted around the room, assessing his options.


    Lilith''s patience wore thin, her voice taking on an edge of warning. "I''ll ask you one more time. Who are you, and what are you looking for?"


    Still, the intruder didn''t respond. As it appeared, he had underestimated the power that resided within this fortress.


    ¡­ He had underestimated Lilith.


    With a swift and graceful motion, Lilith moved closer to the intruder. In the blink of an eye, she closed the remaining distance, her hand gripping his shoulder with a grip that radiated authority.


    "Speak," she demanded, her voice like steel.


    The intruder gasped as a force he couldn''tprehend coursed through his body. His resistance waned, and he finally relented.


    "I... I seek information, about Paul. I need to know his vulnerabilities, his weaknesses."


    Lilith''s red eyes bore into his soul, her presence unrelenting. "And why would you need such information?"


    The intruder hesitated for a moment, then revealed, "Because he''s the key to everything. To the future. To the Scenario."


    Lilith''s expression hardened. She tightened her grip, her voice a whisper of a threat. "You tread on dangerous ground, seeking to harm Paul. Know this: if you pose a threat to him or the Gifted Alliance, I will eliminate you without hesitation. Now, tell me your name and your purpose."


    The intruder swallowed hard, as if realizing the dire situation he was in.


    Tension spread throughout the room, and it weighed heavily on the two parties within it. And so, once the pressure reached its climax, the disadvantaged intruder had to give in.


    With a defeated sigh, he finally spoke.


    "Pfft! you''ve really changed a lot, haven''t you¡­ Lily."


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    Thanks for reading!


    Sorry for thete upload. If you want more chapters¡­ I''m only ament away!

 Chapter 379 Liliths Power

    ?


    "Pfft! you''ve really changed a lot, haven''t you¡­ Lily."


    The moment Lilith heard that name, and the voice that apanied it, she felt a sharp sensation course through her brain, causing her to stumble backwards almost instantly.


    She grabbed her face, gasping as her blurry vision slowly began to regain its focus.


    Unfortunately, that was already enough for the intruder to be free of her grasp.


    "Y-you¡­ what do you know about me?!"


    Her calm demeanor instantly flipped, and a deep re was now stered on her face as she focused on the now-free intruder.


    He seemed to snicker under his mask and hood, and that pissed Lilith off.


    "TALK!"


    Silence enveloped the room as both stared at each other, until the intruder finally spoke up in the most condescending manner possible.


    "... Or what?"


    ~VWUUUUUMMMM!!!~


    An instant wave of energy suddenly burst from Lilith as she red deeply at the man, who seemed to be stretching his body, preparing for the inevitable sh to ur.


    "I''ll MAKE you!" With a deep growl that betrayed her cute demeanor, the power that emerged from her reached a height unlike earlier in their fight.


    The atmosphere crackled with tension as they prepared forbat.


    Lilith wasted no time. She summoned her most effective Skill, given the situation.


    ''[Infinite Projectiles].''


    It was a formidable power that granted her control over the very essence of energy itself, allowing her to generate andunch a seemingly infinite amount of projectiles.


    With a flick of her wrist, sheunched a barrage of energy projectiles toward the intruder, who deftly dodged, disying agility that hinted at his own remarkable abilities.


    The intruder retaliated, his hands emitting an eerie, violet glow as he unleashed a wave of dark energy.


    Lilith countered with a protective barrier, deflecting the attack effortlessly.


    Their battle was a spectacle of power and skill, the room shaking with each sh of their abilities.


    Lilith called upon her Skill of [Elemental Maniption], conjuring streams of water, torrents of fire, gusts of wind, and shards of earth to assail her opponent.


    The intruder held his ground, his movements fluid and precise.


    He utilized his own abilities with calcted precision, countering Lilith''s elemental onught with his shadowy powers.


    It frustrated her, the way he kept avoiding or countering her assaults. It almost felt like this individual was toying with her.


    However, her curiosity and frustration only prompted her further to attack.


    The battle between Lilith and the hooded intruder raged even further as they both released respective clouds of energy to sh.


    Their distinct energies crackled in the air, and the room seemed to warp and shift with each exchange of power.


    ''Is he copying me now?'' She thought to herself as she narrowed her gaze on him.


    Still, he seemed inferior to her when it came tobat. She only needed on decisive hit against him, while also minimally damaging the office, and the entire building by extension.


    The stranger found himself on the defensive as Lilith pressed her advantage.


    She brandished a gleaming sword conjured from pure energy, and with a graceful flourish, she sent a series of shes slicing through the space toward him.


    Once again, the intruder''s movements were swift, barely avoiding the deadly strikes. He retaliated with tendrils of shadow thatshed out like serpents.


    Lilith twirled, her form illuminated by a radiant aura, and the shadows disintegrated upon contact with her protective field.


    "This is futile, intruder," Lilith dered with unwavering resolve. "You cannot win."


    The man remained silent, his face obscured by the hood, but his eyes burned with determination.


    For a moment, no one spoke or moved.


    Then¡­


    ~WHOOOOOOSSSHHH!!!~


    In a sudden burst of speed, the stranger dashed forward, closing the distance between them with blinding agility.


    He unleashed a flurry of punches, each strike a manifestation of raw energy.


    ~WHUUUM!~


    Lilith parried and dodged with remarkable grace. She summoned a crystalline shield from an Item at her side, deflecting his blows.


    As he pressed the attack, she countered byunching a barrage of energy bolts from her fingertips.


    Their powers shed in a dazzling disy of light and shadow, creating a surreal dance ofbat within the office.


    Lilith''s red eyes gleamed with determination. "You''re persistent, I''ll give you that."


    The stranger finally spoke, his voice indicating a light chuckle.


    "I have to be."


    Hisckadaisical demeanor irked Lilith once more as she gritted her teeth and pushed herself forward.


    That was her mistake.


    With a sudden surge of power, he unleashed a shockwave of energy that shattered the room''s windows and sent debris flying.


    ~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!~


    Lilith soared into the air, using her Skill of Flight to evade the destructive force barely in time.


    "Oh? That''s impressive!" She heard from the stranger as she huffed lightly.


    Her eyes narrowed on him, but once again, she encountered interference.


    Who would have thought that her own Gift would be useless in this fight due to the strange power the intruder exuded?


    ''He''s getting more and more destructive. I can''t hold back too much now!''


    As she hovered above the chaos, Lilith''s form became an embodiment of the elements.


    She summoned a tornado that swirled around her, lifting her higher into the air. From above, she unleashed a torrent of icy spears that rained down upon her prey.


    He responded with a barrier of darkness, deflecting the ice spears. The room was now a battlefield of shing elements, but it seemed as though Lilith had the upper hand.


    "Hehehe¡­"


    The stranger chuckled, appearing to have a final trick up his sleeve.


    He conjured a sphere of shadowy energy, expanding it until it enveloped the entire room. Darkness swallowed everything, and Lilith''s vision was obscured.


    In the midst of the darkness, his voice echoed, cold and determined. "You underestimate me, Lilith."


    ~WHIIIISSSSHHHH!!!~


    Suddenly, tendrils of shadow surged forth, seeking to entangle Lilith. She reacted swiftly, her crystalline shield forming once more to block the shadows. But the relentless darkness pressed on, threatening to consume her.


    ''It seems I have no choice but to go all-out¡­''


    She wasn''t equipping her full gear, so this was most certainly not her full strength. However, the time had arrived for her to get serious even in this base form.


    "[Illumina]" With a final, desperate effort, Lilith called upon one of her most potent Skills.


    A blinding burst of radiant energy erupted from her, dispelling the darkness and sending the stranger crashing backward.


    ~BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!~


    Gasping for breath, the stranger stumbled to his feet, his hood and mask barely clinging to his body as he staggered.


    As he stood there, battered, yet rising to his feet, Lilith''s red eyes widened in shock.


    "You¡­ how can you be so persistent?" Lilith muttered.


    However, it seemed he was already at the end of his rope. That was perhaps the only thing that let her keep herposure.


    Lilith seized the opportunity that now presented itself before her, summoned yet another one of her most devastating Skills.


    "[Eternal me]."


    ~BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!~


    A zing inferno that roared to life, engulfing the intruder in searing mes. It consumed his clothing, and his mask began to melt away.


    If not for the enchantment all around the office, her attack would have certainly destroyed everything within it and even leaked out to the otherpartments in their floating fortress.


    Fortunately, her partner had built this ce tost.


    As the mes subsided, the intruder stood exposed amid the smoke, his identity revealed.


    The moment she saw him, however, Lilith''s eyes widened in shock as she stared at the face before her.


    "N-no¡­" Everything within her seemed to shatter as she looked at the face presented before her.


    "Y-you are...?!"


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    Who do you think she saw?


    Comment below!


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    Thanks for reading.


    Cheers!


    Link: https://discord.gg/yMPNRURZJh

 Chapter 380 Ominous Unknowns

    <h4>Chapter 380 Ominous Unknowns</h4>


    [Moments Later]


    Guildmaster Paul, known to his allies as Pariah, returned to his office within the Gifted Alliance Headquarters.


    The room was a testament to his meticulous nature, each Item carefully arranged, and each piece of knowledge organized with precision.


    Paul entered, his steps measured and deliberate. His presence filled the room with an air of authority and determination.


    His gaze swept over the pristine office, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.


    Despite the chaos that often reigned outside, this was his sanctuary.


    Inside, along with him, were his team leaders.


    Nye, Lisa, Tia, and Luke were all giving him the same looks of awe as always.


    It never got old for him, and he embraced the vibe while moving behind his desk in his office.


    "Good work, everyone," Paul said as he sat, his sincere gaze meeting his team leaders. "We''ve dealt a significant blow to the demons, and your efforts are invaluable in maintaining our defenses. Keep up the good work, and ensure that our members are well-informed and prepared for any situation."


    Nye nodded, his eyes reflecting the fatigue of battle but also a sense of aplishment.


    "Of course, Guildmaster. We''ll make sure the Gifted Alliance stands strong."


    Lisa chimed in, "And our Items are in perfect condition, ready to support us in the next battle."


    Tia''s voice, soft but determined, added, "I''ll continue to gather intelligence and ensure we''re never caught off guard."


    Luke grinned, "The fortress is as secure as ever, Guildmaster. Nothing''s getting past us."


    Paul''s eyes shone with pride as he addressed his team.


    "Thank you, my friends. Now, you may all take a well-deserved break. Be on standby and reassure our members that we''re ready for whateveres next."


    With nods of acknowledgment, the team leaders began to file out of the office, leaving Paul alone.


    "Haaaa¡­"


    He waited until thest of them had left, and then he called out in a calm yetmanding tone;


    "Lilith."


    In an instant, a shimmering distortion appeared in the air before him, and Lilith materialized into existence.


    Her stark white hair and red eyes were a striking contrast to the room''s subdued colors. Her presence, as always, was formidable.


    "How was the battle?" Her voice echoed in the room.


    "Not too difficult. Those were mere dregs¡­ nothing to worry about."


    "I see¡­"


    Paul regarded her with a mixture of curiosity and concern.


    She seemed a little too dull for his tastes.


    "Lily, has anything happened in my absence? Did anyone intrude into my office?"


    Lilith met his gaze, her crimson eyes unwavering. "No, Guildmaster," she replied, her voice steady andposed.


    "Your office remained undisturbed."


    Then why was she acting up so much? It wasn''t like her to keep secrets from him.


    Especially with how she saw him.


    ''Maybe she''s still not used to my decision on how we are going to move forward from now on.''


    Still, he knew it was only going to be a matter of time before she would return to normal.


    Plus, since she would always be by his side, there was nothing to fear.


    Paul nodded, though a hint of tension remained in his expression. He trusted Lilith implicitly, of course, but recent events had put him on edge.


    "Very well. Thank you for your vignce, Lilith. We must remain prepared for anything."


    Lilith''s gaze softened as she regarded Paul.


    "Always. I''ll be by your side, ready to protect you and the Gifted Alliance."


    ''Attagirl!'' He grinned.


    With a nod of gratitude, Paul turned his attention back to the room, his thoughts returning to the ongoing battle and the challenges thaty ahead.


    The fate of humanity rested on their shoulders, and they were determined to face whatever came their way.


    ''Whatever it takes!''


    ******


    Deep underground, in the heart of a cavern shrouded in eternal darkness, a sinister presence stirred.


    The air was thick with an otherworldly chill, and the atmosphere was stifling, as if the very earth itself recoiled from the malevolence that emanated from the cavern''s depths.


    From the depths of a swirling portal that appeared like a tear in reality, a demon emerged.


    But this was no ordinary demon; this was a figure that wore a suit of darkest obsidian, a stark contrast to the cavern''s shadows.


    His body, covered in a light ebonyplexion, exuded an aura of unnerving sophistication.


    With long, white hair cascading around his shoulders, the demon stepped forward into the cavern.


    His red eyes glowed with malevolent intelligence as he surveyed his surroundings.


    This demon was different; he possessed a mind sharper than any de, and his ambitions transcended the mere savagery of his kin.


    His lips curled into a malicious smile as he whispered to himself,


    "It actually worked!" His voice, dripping with malice, echoed ominously in the cavern''s depths.


    His arrival seemed to be no mere ident; it was the result of a carefully orchestrated n.


    The demon knew that the time was not yet ripe for the full-scale invasion of the human world by his demonic brethren.


    But he had a role to y, a crucial part in the unfolding of the Scenario.


    He needed to ensure that the way was paved for his kind to descend upon the unsuspecting humans.


    As he continued to mutter in hushed tones, his red eyes gleamed with anticipation.


    "It seems it''s only just the second wave, yet I arrived early. Thankfully, the administrators aren''t present. I still don''t know how father knew of that¡­"


    With deliberate steps, the demon moved deeper into the cavern.


    The walls seemed to writhe and whisper, acknowledging his presence.


    He knew that the humans had better brace themselves, for the darkness was rising, and their world was on the brink of a cataclysmic change.


    In a final whisper, barely audible even in the oppressive silence of the cavern, the demon vowed, "Prepare yourselves, mortals."


    And with that, he vanished from his position, leaving behind only the lingering feeling of impending doom.


    After all, this one that just appeared belonged to thest batch of cmities to befall the world.


    The final wave that was yet toe!


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    Check out my new book "Only I Can See The End"


    I promise you all will enjoy it!


    Join My Discord if you''re interested in seeing Character Arts, and also for interactions with me and other readers


    Thanks for reading.


    Cheers!


    Link: https://discord.gg/yMPNRURZJh

 Chapter 381 The Scenario Mission Begins!

    ?


    [2 Days Later]


    "Wee, everyone."


    In the days following the first devastating earthquake that shook their underground sanctuary, Guildmaster Pariah finally called his team leaders to his office for the official meeting.


    Thus far, there had been no special incidents following the first earthquake, but Demons had been spawning at a massive rate all over the globe.


    Fortunately, thanks to their high fortress, no member of the Gifted Alliance had been affected too much.


    They had food and water, as well as shelter, so they didn''t suffer the fate that those on the surface would be experiencing at the moment.


    A literal hell on Earth.


    The Guildmaster''s Office remained as meticulously organized as ever, with relics and Items adorning the shelves, while maps and charts disyed the chaotic state of the world above.


    As his team leaders assembled, Paul sat behind his desk, his expression a mix of determination and concern.


    He knew that the time hade to take action against the demonic forces that now gued the surface world.


    Nye, the leader of the Alpha Team, was the first to speak. "Guildmaster, our subordinates are ready. They''ve been training relentlessly, and we''ve reinforced their Items to withstand the demonic onught."


    Lisa, leader of the Beta Team, nodded in agreement. "Our defenses are at their peak. We''re ready to engage the enemy and protect humanity."


    Tia, the leader of the Gamma Team, added, "Scouts have been gathering valuable intel on the demon forces. We know their weaknesses, and we''re prepared to strike when the time is right."


    Luke, the Omega Team leader, spoke up with confidence. "The fortress is fully operational, and our security protocols are top-notch. We canunch a raid on the surface world at yourmand."


    Paul looked at each of them, his eyes reflecting his trust in their abilities. "Good work, everyone. We''ve faced numerous challenges, and it''s time to take the fight to the demons. Our goal is humanity''s ultimate victory in this second scenario."


    The first week was all about the theme of the ''Great Earthquake'' and even though they only had to survive the week to pass the Quest, there was more to it than that.


    "We need to solve the first mystery of the first misery. There''s also bound to be a Boss in this round."


    Currently, they had spent three whole days out of the whole week in preparation for their raid.


    However, now was the time to strike.


    With a shared determination, the team leaders nodded in unison.


    Paul continued, "Prepare your teams and ensure they are equipped with the best Items we have. We''ll coordinate our efforts to strike at the heart of the demonic forces and weaken their hold on the surface."


    The room was filled with a sense of urgency as the team leaders stood and saluted their Guildmaster.


    "Understood, Guildmaster Pariah. We won''t let you down," they chorused.


    Paul rose from his seat, his expression resolute. "Get in gear and make the necessary preparations. The fate of humanity rests on our shoulders. This is the first step toward our ultimate victory."


    With those words, the team leaders exited the office, leaving Paul alone to contemte the daunting task ahead.


    The battle for humanity''s survival was about to escte, and the Gifted Alliance was ready to face it head-on.


    "I''m sure you''ll once again stand in my way¡­ Jeremy. But this time, I''ll be ready for you."


    Nothing was going to mess up this moment.


    Nothing!


    *******


    As the Gifted Alliance gathered within their flying fortress, the air was thick with anticipation.


    Hundreds of various individuals, each led by their respective team leader, stood in formation before a grand teleportation circle.


    The hum of energy filled the chamber as the circle began to glow with an intense light.


    Guildmaster Pariah stood at the forefront, his gaze unwavering.


    Beside him, Nye, Lisa, Tia, and Luke, the team leaders, were ready to lead their respective teams into the chaos that awaited them on the surface.


    The entire alliance was a force to be reckoned with, and their determination was palpable.


    "Let us begin¡­"


    ~VWUUUUUUUMMMM!!!~


    As the teleportation circle zed to life, the world outside their fortress came into view. It was a scene of ruin and devastation.


    Skyscrapersy in shattered ruins, and fires burned unchecked across thendscape. The air was thick with the acrid scent of destruction, and the distant roars of demons echoed through the smoky haze.


    Paul turned to address hisrades, his voice ringing with resolve.


    "We stand on the precipice of humanity''s salvation. Our mission is clear: push back the demonic horde, secure vital areas, and prepare for the arrival of our people. We are thest line of defense, and we will not falter."


    His words were met with a chorus of determined nods and resolute expressions. Each member of the Gifted Alliance understood the gravity of their task.


    "As exined prior, our groups will be split into two: the elite and general ranks. The General Ranks will hold off the demon horde and gather as many resources as possible in the surface, while the Elite will venture within the Earthquake''s crevices to find the Boss and hopefully put an end to this scenario early."


    Thanks to the investigations performed by the scouting team, the Gifted Alliance was not running in blind.


    They all knew what they were doing.


    As proof of this, Pariah turned to his leaders and nodded to them so they could also get their words in.


    Nye, with his ability to control time, stepped forward. "We have the advantage of surprise. Time is on our side. Let us make every second count."


    Lisa, the master of energy constructs, added, "Our Items are at their peak. They''ll be our greatest assets in this battle. Let''s show these demons what we''re made of."


    Tia, the master of stealth and assassination, chimed in, "We''ll infiltrate their ranks, disrupt theirmand, and strike fear into their hearts. They won''t see using."


    Luke, with his power of attraction and repulsion, spoke with confidence, "I''ll clear a path for us, and I promise, not a demon will touch you as long as you are by my side."


    With their preparationsplete and their resolve steeled, the Gifted Alliance stepped onto the teleportation circle. In a blinding sh of light, they were whisked away from the safety of their fortress and onto the ravaged surface.


    The scene that greeted them was chaos incarnate.


    Demons of all shapes and sizes roamed the shattered streets, wreaking havoc upon the once-thriving world. But the Gifted Alliance stood undaunted, ready to face the relentless tide of darkness.


    Paul raised his voice, his words carrying over the cacophony of battle. "This is a part of humanity''sst stand! For our loved ones, for our world, for our future! Charge!"


    With a resounding battle cry, the Gifted Alliance surged forward, each team led by their formidable leaders.


    They were thest bastion of hope in a world on the brink of annihtion, and they were determined to reim it from the clutches of darkness.


    All for the sess of the mission!


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    Check out my new book "Only I Can See The End"


    I promise you all will enjoy it!


    Join My Discord if you''re interested in seeing Character Arts, and also for interactions with me and other readers


    Thanks for reading.


    Cheers!


    Link: https://discord.gg/yMPNRURZJh

 Chapter 382 All Out Attack!

    <h4>Chapter 382 All Out Attack!</h4>


    "Take formation¡­ BEGIN!"


    The Gifted Alliance, under the guidance of their team leaders, engaged the demonic horde with remarkable coordination and unmatched skill.


    Each team moved like a precisely tuned machine, their powersplementing one another in seamless harmony.


    ~WHOOOOSH!~


    Nye and his Alpha Team harnessed the power of his time maniption abilities to slow the world''s movements around them.


    As they weaved through the demonic ranks, time-frozen demons became easy prey.


    Surges of energy emanated from Nye''s hands, shattering the demons in their path. The Gifteds under hismand exhibited grace and finesse, their Skills carving a path of destruction through the enemy ranks.


    Lisa''s Beta Team manifested a breathtaking array of energy constructs ¨C glowing swords, spears, shields, and more.


    These ethereal creations danced through the air, their razor-sharp edges slicing through demon wings and piercing their grotesque bodies.


    Lisa''s support Skills came into y, generating protective barriers that deflected demonic attacks and enhancing her teammates'' strength and endurance.


    The Gifteds of Beta Team fought as a united front, their constructs a testament to their collective power.


    "On me!"


    Tia, the master of stealth, moved through the demonic ranks like a phantom.


    Her targets froze in ce as her gaze fell upon them, rendering them immobile. Swift and precise, she dispatched demon after demon with silent, deadly strikes.


    The demons never saw hering, and the path cleared by her actions allowed her team to advance further.


    Luke''s Omega Team disyed finesse with his force of attraction and repulsion. Demons were repelled as if an invisible shield deflected their advances.


    With a mere thought, Luke reversed his power, drawing groups of demons towards him. His teammates seized upon these opportunities, unleashing a barrage of Skills to eliminate the attracted demons.


    ~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!~


    The battle was a mesmerizing disy of powers ¨C elemental maniption, energy sts, telekinesis, and more filled the air.


    ~VWUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!~


    The Gifted Alliance functioned as one cohesive unit, expertly exploiting the demons'' weaknesses and overwhelming their defenses.


    ~WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!~


    Though the demonic horde was fierce and numerous, they struggled to withstand the relentless assault. The Gifted Alliance steadily reduced their ranks, and the air crackled with energy while the ground shook under the force of their attacks.


    With each passing moment, the Gifted Alliance carved a path through the demonic swarm, their unwavering determination evident.


    The leaders and their teams fought tirelessly, theirbined might holding the demons at bay and driving them back, one hard-fought step at a time.


    As the battle raged on, colossal demons began to emerge from the depths of the horde, their grotesque forms casting ominous shadows on the battlefield.


    Themon members of the Gifted Alliance, well-trained and coordinated, stood ready to face this new threat.


    In perfect harmony, they worked together to confront these colossal demons. Teamwork was their greatest asset, and their unity remained unwavering.


    A group from Nye''s Alpha Team focused their efforts on a towering demon with hulking limbs.


    With Nye''s time maniption slowing the monster''s movements, Gifteds armed with powerful Items encircled the beast.


    One by one, they unleashed their devastating Skills, though most relied on their Gifts since using them hardly required any MP, creating a barrage of energy attacks that targeted the demon''s vulnerable joints and vital organs.


    "ROOOOOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!" The demon roared in agony as it crumbled under the relentless assault.


    Lisa''s Beta Team took on a massive, fire-breathing demon. Gifteds equipped with energy shields formed a protective barrier around their teammates, deflecting the searing mes.


    ~WHUUUUUSSSHHHH!!!~


    Others summoned towering energy constructs that reached high above the demon, diverting its fiery breath away from the group. Working together, they closed in on the demon''s head, striking it from all sides until it finally fell.


    Tia''s Gamma Team employed their stealth abilities to infiltrate a group of gigantic demons.


    Gifteds with exceptional agility scaled the demons'' massive bodies, targeting their eyes and vulnerable spots.


    From within the demons'' ranks, they created chaos, rendering the behemoths disoriented and unable to coordinate.


    Their synchronized efforts proved effective as the massive demons stumbled and fell, overwhelmed by the agile Gifteds.


    Luke''s Omega Team confronted a colossal demon with imprable skin.


    Gifteds with powerful Items and Skills focused their attacks on its limbs, attempting to immobilize it.


    With Luke''s power of attraction and repulsion, they pulled the demon''s limbs apart, creating openings for theirrades to strike.


    Together, they weakened the demon''s defenses until it sumbed to their relentless assault.


    Throughout the battlefield, Gifteds demonstrated exceptional teamwork, their Skills and Itemsbining in powerful ways.


    Their unity allowed them to take on even the most formidable foes.


    As the massive demons fell one by one, the Gifted Alliance pressed forward, determined to reim the surface world from the clutches of the demonic horde.


    However, even as they achieved their fair share of victories, the demonic horde continued to churn, unleashing even more massive demons onto the battlefield.


    These new monstrosities were the stuff of nightmares, their immense size and grotesque forms striking terror into the hearts of even the bravest Gifteds.


    "Haaaa¡­" A certain man heaved a light sigh as he looked onward.


    Guildmaster Pariah, Paul, stood at the forefront of the Gifted Alliance, his gaze fixed on the approaching horrors.


    His expression remained resolute, and an air of confidence surrounded him. The team leaders and theirrades watched in awe as the Guildmaster stepped forward.


    Paul raised his hand, and a brilliant, blinding light enveloped it.


    A hushed murmur of anticipation swept through the ranks of the Gifted Alliance as they realized what was about to happen.


    "I can handle this alone," he dered, his voice carrying over the battlefield with unwavering authority.


    As the massive demons closed in, their malevolent roars filling the air, Paul unleashed his devastating Skill, a power that transcended imagination.


    "<Absolute Chaos>"


    ~WHUUUUUMMMM!!!~


    A torrent of raw energy surged from his hand, forming into a colossal, swirling vortex of destruction.


    It pulsed with incalcble force, drawing in the demons like moths to a me. The sky darkened as the vortex expanded, and the ground trembled beneath its overwhelming power.


    The demons, unable to resist the irresistible pull, were drawn helplessly into the heart of the vortex.


    "UWAAAOOOOHHHH!!!" Their agonized screams filled the air as they were torn apart, their grotesque forms disintegrating into nothingness.


    The spectacle was awe-inspiring and terrifying in equal measure. The Gifted Alliance watched in stunned silence as Paul''s power annihted the massive demons with ease.


    The once-unstoppable foes were reduced to mere dust and echoes of their roars.


    When the dust finally settled, the battlefield was strewn with the remnants of the demonic horde. Paul stood unscathed, his power radiating like a beacon of hope in the midst of chaos.


    His team leaders and the Gifteds could only gaze at him with a newfound reverence, understanding the true extent of his formidable abilities.


    With a sense of renewed determination, Paul turned to hisrades.


    "We press on. Humanity''s victory is within our reach. Let this be a testament to our strength and unity."


    The Gifted Alliance, inspired by their Guildmaster''s incredible disy of power, rallied once more.


    With their unshakable leader at the helm, they charged forward, ready to face whatever challengesy ahead in their mission.


    Just a little further, and they would reach their goal.


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    Check out my new book "Only I Can See The End"


    I promise you all will enjoy it!


    Join My Discord if you''re interested in seeing Character Arts, and also for interactions with me and other readers


    Thanks for reading.


    Cheers!


    Link: https://discord.gg/yMPNRURZJh

 Chapter 383 [Bonus ] The Chasm

    ?


    [Moments Later]


    As thest demon fell under the relentless onught of the Gifted Alliance, the battlefield fell silent, save for the panting breaths of the exhausted warriors.


    Their battle-worn faces were etched with a mixture of fatigue and determination, their bodies covered in dirt, sweat, and the remnants of their formidable foes.


    The ground, once a chaotic battleground, was now clear of demons, and they stood victorious.


    The Gifteds gathered in front of a yawning chasm that seemed to lead into the very depths of the earth. The chasm''s depths were shrouded in darkness, an ominous void that held untold mysteries and dangers.


    Paul, Guildmaster Pariah, stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the gaping maw of the chasm. His voice, as always, carried an air of authority and determination.


    "We''ve cleared the path this far, but our mission is far from over. Gather ''round, everyone."


    The team leaders, Nye, Lisa, Tia, and Luke, along with the enigmatic Lilith, assembled before Paul, their faces reflecting the same mixture of fatigue and resolve.


    They awaited his next orders with bated breath.


    Paul began toy out the next phase of their mission. "We''re going to divide into two teams: the Elite Team and the General Team."


    "The Elite Team," he continued, "will consist of myself, Lilith, and all the team leaders except Luke." Paul''s gaze shifted to Luke, who nodded in understanding.


    "Luke has volunteered to remain on the surface to ensure our safety and act as a contingency in case we encounter a threat from above."


    The team leaders nodded in agreement, their trust in their leader unwavering.


    Everyone stood in solidarity, all having absolute trust in their leader. This could have been due to his sheer disy of power before all of them, reminding everybody of his strength, or the fact that they had suffered no casualty thus far.


    Ironic as it seemed, a wholesome feeling filled the area.


    Paul''s eyes glittered with purpose as he revealed the n. "Our objective is to venture into the depths of the chasm and conclude this week''s scenario once and for all. We need to uncover the source of this invasion and put an end to it. Lilith, with her immense power, will be our guardian. The team leaders, each with their unique Gifts and expertise, will be the vanguard. We must be prepared for anything."


    Luke, the leader of Omega Team, chimed in, "And what about the General Team, Guildmaster?"


    Paul''s voice held a note of gravity as he continued, "The General Team will be responsible for looting the fallen demons for any valuable Items, resources, or information. Additionally, they will guard the entrance of the chasm, ensuring our retreat remains secure. This mission will require the utmost vignce and coordination."


    "Understood. We''ll make sure the entrance is secure." Luke, as well as everyone else who remained, nodded at his words.


    Paul turned his attention to the entire assembly, his eyes sweeping over the faces of his loyalrades.


    "We''vee a long way, and the path ahead is treacherous. But together, we will prevail. Our unity is our strength, and our resolve is unwavering."


    The tension in the air was palpable, but it was matched by a sense of determination that radiated from the Gifted Alliance. They had faced countless trials and tribtions, and they were ready to face whatever challenges the chasm held.


    With their n in ce and their roles defined, the Gifted Alliance prepared to descend into the dark abyss.


    The Elite Team and the General Team would move forward, each with their own vital role to y in the ultimate mission to secure humanity''s future.


    *******


    [Meanwhile¡­]


    Deep within the chasm, a sight both awe-inspiring and dread-inducing awaited those who ventured beyond its molten threshold.


    Before themy a colossal gate, its surface an undting mass of moltenva that flowed and writhed like a living entity.


    The intense heat radiating from the gate seemed unbearable, and its fiery glow cast a blood-red hue across the cavernous chamber.


    Behind the gate, seated upon a grotesque throne adorned with the remains of his fallen adversaries, was a massive Demon of monstrous proportions.


    His skin, a grotesque blend of crimson and ck, seemed to absorb the very light around him. His eyes burned with malevolence, and his maw of jagged, obsidian teeth curled into a cruel grin.


    This Demon, a lord of the abyss, had been waiting, his patience unwavering, for those who would dare challenge him.


    He relished the thought of facing the foolish Gifted ones who woulde his way, savoring the opportunity to crush them beneath his malevolent might.


    But as the gate of moltenva shifted and groaned, a feeling of unease washed over him.


    He sensed an intruder, someone who had passed through the scorching threshold and now approached his throne room.


    "Hm?" He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing with anticipation, eager toy eyes on the fool who had dared to enter his domain.


    And then, she emerged from the fiery gate.


    A woman with hair as silver as the moonlight, d in pure white armor that radiated an otherworldly purity, stood before him.


    Her presence was ethereal, and her aura spoke of power beyond measure. Her face was expressionless, her eyes pools of icy resolve.


    "Who are yo¡ª??!"


    ~BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!~


    Before the crimson and ck Demon could react, a cataclysmic explosion rocked the chamber, a blinding burst of light and heat that consumed him entirely.


    His monstrous form disintegrated into nothingness, vanishing in an inferno of destruction.


    As thest remnants of the Demon dissolved into smoke and ash, the woman with silver hair remained unmoved, her expression unchanged.


    ''E-eh¡­?''


    She hade, she had conquered, and she had obliterated the lord of the abyss with a power that defiedprehension.


    ''W-who¡­ is this?''


    "They should be on their way already¡­" He heard her murmur to herself.


    What in the world was she saying? Who was this woman who had just easily defeated him, the Boss of the first week''s scenario in a sh?


    He didn''t think he would ever get his answer!


    The throne room fell into a stunned silence, the mes of the molten gate flickering and wavering in the aftermath of the cataclysmic explosion.


    The woman with silver hair remained a solitary figure in the midst of the chaos, her enigmatic presence a testament to the unstoppable force that she represented.


    The chamber that had once been the Demon''s domain nowy empty and devoid of life, its tyrannical ruler reduced to nothingness.


    Whatever forces had conspired to unleash this woman upon the abyss had wrought the end of a malevolent reign.


    With her missionplete, the woman turned and began to make her way back through the molten gate, leaving behind a chamber of silence and destion.


    "I''m done with my part, Jeremy¡­" Herst words echoed as she vanished from the room.


    "¡­ The rest is up to you."


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    Check out my new book "Only I Can See The End"


    I promise you all will enjoy it!


    Join My Discord if you''re interested in seeing Character Arts, and also for interactions with me and other readers


    Thanks for reading.


    Cheers!


    Link: https://discord.gg/yMPNRURZJh

 Chapter 384 The Surprising Horde

    ?


    Within the chasm''s ominous depths, the Elite Team of the Gifted Alliance navigated the eerie, subterranean world that awaited them.


    The oppressive darkness clung to every surface, as if the shadows themselves conspired to hide the secrets buried within. A palpable tension weighed on each member of the team as they ventured further into the abyss.


    Nye, the leader of Alpha Team, took the lead, his eyes glowing with an inner light. With a simple gesture, he summoned his powerful light-based Skill, and a radiant sphere of illumination sprang to life.


    The chamber around them was suddenly bathed in a brilliant, golden glow, revealing the jagged, rocky walls of the chasm. Shadows fled from Nye''s powerful light, unable to withstand its radiance.


    Lisa, leader of Beta Team, raised her hand, and shimmering energy constructs manifested around the team.


    Layers of translucent barriers formed a protective cocoon, surrounding them. Her Energy Construct Gift offered both defense and an assurance that they wouldn''t be taken by surprise.


    Lilith was at the forefront. Her keen senses, honed through countless battles, and reinforced by her Gift, were their first line of defense against any lurking threats.


    Her red eyes darted and scanned the dark corners, ever watchful for any signs of danger. Lilith''s presence, an embodiment of controlled power, was a reassuring beacon of vignce for everyone present.


    After all, she was the one closest in strength to their dear Guildmaster.


    At the rear of the group, Tia, leader of Gamma Team, moved with the fluid grace of a shadow. Her mastery of stealth and assassination was theirst line of defense against surprise attacks.


    Her eyes darted back and forth, and her senses remained alert, ready to spring into action at a moment''s notice.


    Pariah, the Guildmaster and the pir of the Gifted Alliance, stood right behind Lilith. His determination was palpable, his resolve unshakable.


    The team leaders followed closely, their expressions reflecting their unwavering loyalty and their readiness to confront whatevery ahead.


    The tension in the air was undeniable as they ventured deeper into the chasm, their steps echoing through the rocky chamber.


    The glow of Nye''s light danced across the walls, revealing strange carvings and ancient, hieroglyphic markings etched into the stone.


    This felt like a different realm entirely¡­ as if something else had intruded the sanctity of Earth. The presence of an unimaginable power seemed to resonate within the very walls of the chasm, and it made them all on edge.


    Pariah''s voice broke the silence, his words carrying weight and purpose.


    "Stay vignt, everyone. We must move swiftly and put an end to this scenario as soon as possible. The General Team is counting on us to secure the depths of the chasm."


    The team nodded in understanding, their resolve deepening.


    They moved forward as one, navigating the darkness and the unknown with a determination that would see them through any challenge that the abyss had to offer.


    The Elite Team was unwavering in their quest to bring an end to the malevolent scenario and reim the surface world for humanity.


    ¡­ Unaware of what was happening on the surface, and whatever awaited them beyond.


    ******


    The General Team of the Gifted Alliance, stationed at the entrance of the chasm, continued their diligent efforts to secure the area and search for valuable resources amidst the remains of fallen demons.


    They worked systematically, each member well-practiced in the task at hand.


    The air was thick with the scent of ash and sulfur, and the ground beneath their feet was littered with the gruesome remnants of the demonic horde.


    But in the blink of an eye, the tranquility shattered.


    "ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!"


    The air vibrated as everyone shivered in response to the horrific screeches that filled the expanse around and beyond them.


    And then¡­


    ~RUMBLE!~


    ~RUMBLE!~


    ~RUMBLE!~


    ¡­ It happened!


    A horde of Grade 3 Demons, formidable and numerous, surged forward, their grotesque forms descending upon the General Team like a relentless tide.


    "G-Grade 3?!"


    "S-so many¡­?!"


    "S-stand your ground!"


    "R-run!"


    "Arrghhhhhh!!!"


    The Gifteds at the entrance found themselves caught off guard, their surprise mirrored in their widened eyes and frantic movements.


    Panic washed over the General Team as the formidable demons attacked with unmatched ferocity.


    The Demons, their skin a sickly shade of gray and their features twisted into horrifying visages, were relentless in their assault. Their speed and power far exceeded any previous adversaries the Gifted Alliance had faced.


    Screams and shouts filled the air as the General Team fought back.


    Their skills and items, honed through countless battles, were formidable, but the sheer numbers and strength of the Grade 3 Demons overwhelmed them.


    They were both outnumbered¡­ and outmatched!


    The once-ordered battle formation disintegrated into chaos as the Gifteds fought to hold their ground.


    Despite their valiant efforts, it quickly became evident that the General Team was at a significant disadvantage.


    The Grade 3 Demons wed through the barriers with ease, their jagged teeth sinking into flesh and armor. Gifteds were thrown aside with brutal force, and the chamber resounded with the guttural roars of the demons.


    "Uarrghhhhh!!"


    "N-no¡­ please no¡­"


    "S-save me! S-SAVE M¡ª!"


    "Guarrgghhh!"


    "U-uuu¡­"


    Team Leader Luke, who had volunteered to remain on the surface to safeguard their retreat, was nowhere to be found. His absence added to the growing desperation of the situation, and the Gifteds felt the weight of their leader''s absence keenly.


    The fight was one-sided, a massacre of epic proportions.


    The General Team, now struggling to stay alive, fought with every ounce of strength they could muster. But their efforts seemed futile as the Grade 3 Demons closed in, their overwhelming presence bearing down on the Gifted Alliance.


    A scene of mangled corpses, a sea of blood, and scampering remnants of those who would soon be devoured painted the entrance of the Chasm.


    All urring within the span of a few minutes¡­


    ¡­ The General Team was wiped out.


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    Check out my new book "Only I Can See The End"


    I promise you all will enjoy it!


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 Chapter 385 Moment Of Loss

    ?


    "Haha¡­"


    I observed the relentless demise of the Gifted Alliance''s General Team with a malevolent smile, savoring the sight of their ultimate defeat.


    The open field, once a ce of organized defense, had transformed into a chaotic battleground. The air was thick with the echoes of desperatebat and the sickening crunch of bones breaking.


    "Look at them," I muttered under my breath, "powerless and defeated."


    My careful nning had paid off, and my decision to don the guise of Luke, one of the team leaders, had proven to be a masterstroke.


    The absence of the Gifted Alliance''s strongest members, aside from the Elite Team, was a testament to the sess of my cunning subterfuge.


    ''Well, it''s not like their presence would matter much, but still¡­''


    The only problem was Paul, and that was due to his rtionship with those so-called Administrators.


    ''In due time, I guess¡­''


    As the General Team was systematically eradicated, one member after another, I couldn''t help but wonder how Paul, their revered Guildmaster, would react when he discovered the extent of the betrayal.


    How would he face the grim reality of his loyalrades'' annihtion? The thought brought a wicked grin to my face.


    "Paul," I whispered, "I suppose it''ll soon be time for another reunion."


    My uncontrobleughter echoed through the chamber, mingling with the mangled noises of battle and the Demons'' cruel roars.


    As I witnessed the final struggles of the humans beneath me, I received a notification in the form of a System Window.


    [Notice!]


    <I Am Done On My End>


    I instantly knew what that meant.


    "Ah, Sariel," I mused, "It seems she is done with her task already. It''s almost time to proceed to the next phase of the n."


    Currently, the Elite Team was attempting to solve the first mystery of the first misery¡ªthat is, defeat the Boss of this week.


    It wasn''t all thatplicated, especially if you were in a Party.


    ''And, of course, there''s a good chance that they seed¡­'' Despite that possibility, I was grinning from ear to ear.


    Perhaps it was because I knew what awaited them at the end of their arduous journey.


    The surroundings added to the sinister atmosphere, bathed in the dim, eerie light of the chasm. The debris of battle and the grotesque remains of both Demons and Gifteds littered the world, a fitting backdrop to my malevolent scheme.


    As I continued to watch the aftermath of the battle, a sense of satisfaction welled up within me.


    The first strike had been executed wlessly, and the Gifted Alliance''s hope was slowly but surely being extinguished.


    This was only the beginning, and there was no turning back now.


    ''I suppose they now understand what it feels like¡­ for the rest of humanity that didn''t follow Paul.''


    In the end, whether they belonged to the Alliance or not¡­ humans were disposable resources for the Demons anyway.


    ''I just have to use them in a way that works for me.''


    ********


    The Elite Team, led by Paul, cautiously ventured deeper into the ominous underground cavern, the faint glow of the molten rock casting eerie shadows on the rough, uneven walls.


    The air was thick with the acrid scent of sulfur, and the distant echoes of their footsteps reverberated through the chamber, creating an unsettling symphony of unease.


    As they continued their descent, Paul''s senses suddenly seized upon a wave of devastation that rippled through his consciousness.


    "Keuk!" He let out in shock, halting instantly.


    Thepanions with him stopped instantly, all looking at their reliable Guildmaster who appeared to be in some sort of pain.


    They did not know what to say, since it was rare¡ªif not impossible¡ªto see him this way.


    "G-Guildmaster?!" Were the only words they could let out.


    Unfortunately, their voices were drowned by the overwhelming sensations that currently gued Paul.


    It was a visceral blow, as if the ground had crumbled beneath his feet, leaving him reeling in the chasm of despair.


    The life signals of the General Team, one after another, flickered and then vanished into the abyss of silence.


    A strangled gasp escaped Paul''s lips as he staggered backward, his hands instinctively grasping at the jagged rock wall for support.


    The realization of the loss crashed over him like a tsunami, threatening to drown him in an ocean of grief and fury. His mind raced, trying to grasp the enormity of the betrayal and the sheer magnitude of the tragedy.


    "How could this have happened?" he whispered, his voice barely audible against the rumbling of the cavern.


    "We nned meticulously, we scouted the terrain, and yet..." His words faltered, his anguish palpable in the air.


    He still couldn''t believe it, his hands now covering his mouth as he croaked.


    Lisa, her brow furrowed with concern, stepped forward, her hand outstretched as if to steady him.


    "Guildmaster, what''s wrong?" she asked, her voiceced with worry and confusion.


    Paul straightened himself, his jaw clenched with determination.


    "We''ve been yed," he dered, his voice resonating with a steely resolve.


    At this point, he had to tell everyone else what happened.


    As one would expect, none of their reactions were positive. A good number of members of the General Team were friends of the Team Leaders.


    Not only were they reliable and powerful, but they were also very kind.


    It pained him to see his subordinates show such sad emotions, but Paul also recognized he could use this to his advantage.


    And so he did!


    "Jeremy has to be the one behind this. He''s close, and we need to reach the Boss before he does. We owe it to those who have fallen by his treacherous hands."


    Nye''s eyes narrowed with a simmering rage, his fists tightening at his sides.


    "He''ll pay for this," he vowed, his voice low and intense. "We won''t let him get away with such treachery."


    Tia''s gaze zed with a fierce determination as she nodded in agreement. "For our fallenrades, we''ll make sure justice is served."


    The surroundings, though ethereally captivating with their fiery luminescence and ominous shadows, seemed to mirror the turmoil within the hearts of the Elite Team.


    The cavern, with its molten rivers and jagged rock formations, became an ever-present reminder of the daunting path ahead, filled with the weight of vengeance and the need to confront the source of their anguish.


    With that in mind, all the members of the Elite Team quickened their pace to reach their target destination.


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    Check out my new book "Only I Can See The End"


    I promise you all will enjoy it!


    Join My Discord if you''re interested in seeing Character Arts, and also for interactions with me and other readers


    Thanks for reading.


    Cheers!


    Link: https://discord.gg/yMPNRURZJh


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 386 Aggravating Revelation

    Chapter 386 Aggravating Revtion


    As Paul marched on with the rest of the Elite team in tow, he couldn''t control the growing unease he felt.


    It wasn''t for nothing though; Jeremy had proven to be a wily opponent in the past. He shuddered to imagine what else the boy had up his sleeve.


    His initial emotion of fear had now given way to anger. How was he supposed to win against an opponent that was ready to sacrifice anything for victory?


    Unlike Jeremy, he was constrained by his Lawful Good alignment. Due to his new status in the world and with the blessings of the gods, he had to abide by a moral code.


    The Pariah could do no wrong.


    "Jeremy, for your sake, I hope you are strong enough to battle me when we meet," He mused within him.


    He felt a hand squeezing his infort and he looked down to see Lillith besides him.


    There was no need for words as a look of understanding passed between them.


    Out of everyone, she understood his moods best and was the only one bold enough to be informal with him.


    The sight of Lillith and all his team leaders with him was a reassuring sight to behold, they were currently the strongest people in the world at the moment.


    Based on his sheer strength alone, if it came to an open duel, Jeremy just didn''t stand a chance against them. He had the numbers on his side and the backing of the gods. Victory was certain.


    After some minutes of walking in silence, he noticed a change in the atmosphere and knew that they were close to their destination. For one, the darkness was more intense where they were. The darkness wasn''t because of absence of light, the darkness was an entity on its own that fought the light. It only reinforced the idea of how powerful the boss behind the gate would be.


    "Be ready, we are almost at the gate."


    At his words, the rest of the team were instantly on alert. They understood the importance of the battle and had absolute trust in their Guild master.


    Their powers thrummed into action as they got ready for confrontation. The Pariah was the only one that walked on confidently without any extra preparation. His confidence was based on the fact that he was currently over geared.


    He didn''t feel fear. If anything, he felt adrenaline coursing through his body, he wanted to take out all his pent-up frustration on the boss.


    "Damn, it''s so hot in here," Tia winced in pain as they got closer to the gate. The heat level of the ce was intense.


    As the weakest on the team, Tia felt it much more than the others. She wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead and shuddered as she imagined how fighting in such a condition would feel like. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The Guildmaster''s mind was far removed from his team around him. Something didn''t feel right to him. There was a nagging thought in his mind that proved elusive whenever he tried to put a finger on it so he dismissed it after a while.


    He was focused on the task that awaited him. He was the trump card of the team after all and the bulk of the work fell naturally on him.


    The red outline of a gate gradually came into view in the flickering light.


    As her duty as the guardian on the mission, Lillith led the way and released white orbs of light from her hands so they could see the ce better. The Pariah''s heart skipped a beat as he saw a charredndscape and the colossal gate wide open. He now knew what had been bothering him since he got closer to the gate.


    He hadn''t sensed the presence of the Boss at all which was unusual.


    Powerful demons didn''t have stealth skills like Tia''s own which masked their presence.


    You could always feel their presence from a mile away and even further than that especially if you were as powerful as Paul was.


    It dawned on him that someone might have gotten to the boss first and defeated him.


    It sounded impossible to him and he rushed forward through the gate to confirm for himself. He was confronted with the sight of an empty burnt throne.


    He lost hisposure as his knees felt weak and he fell to the ground still staring at the throne in disbelief.


    Behind him, the rest of the team were equally shocked to see the vacant throne. The loss was reinforced in their minds by the image of the Pariah on his knees.


    Lisa wanted to rush to the aid of the Guildmaster but Lillith held her back. As his closest confidant, she knew that it was something he had to process on his own first and that he would address them in his own time.


    As they looked on, he activated his <G> Authority skill and his stats grew to monstrous heights as a bright halo enveloped him.


    A glowing grand hammer appeared in his hand and he took out his anger on the throne room and the ce in general.


    ~BAMM! ~


    ~BAAMMM!!~


    ~BAAAMMMM!!!~


    The throne shattered on the first impact of the blow and debris was sent flying across the room. Large fissures spread across the room and the sturdy structure of the walls copsed.


    The team hurriedly retreated out of the gate as moltenva brought out by the disturbance flowed freely and the smell of burning sulfur hung thickly in the air.


    It was terrifying to the team leaders to see their Guildmaster continuously hacking at the structure with his hammer as he screamed in frustration.


    It was the first time they saw him lost his cool since they knew him and it wasn''t a pretty sight.


    They shuffled nervously as they all looked at Lillith to do something since she knew him best.


    She ignored them and looked straight ahead at the carnage; she was determined to let him work out his anger as it would be foolhardy to confront him in the state he was in.


    For one, they couldn''t see anything going on in the throne room as the ce had now gone up in mes but they knew that he would be safe.


    The sound of the blows soon faded and then died out. After a while, they saw the figure of the Pariahing out slowly amidst the mes still wielding the hammer. The sight ddened them but also made a few uneasy.


    The Angel of the Alliance advanced toward them like a demon from hell.

 Chapter 387 Stench Of Defeat

    Chapter 387 Stench Of Defeat


    Paul strode towards the team leaders showing no sign of exertion or hurt which was surprising given the carnage he had caused.


    His eyes were zing as bright as the fire behind him though and they all avoided his gaze as it swept over them.


    There was silence among them amidst the flickering mes and the only noise came from the burning building behind the Pariah.


    Only Lilith looked on impassively and even she was forced to look away after a few seconds.


    His eyes were absolutely murderous.


    She has never seen him this worked up before. Sure enough, his primary goal since they met had been to exterminate Jeremy but and she hoped for his sake that he was still able to exert control in front of the team leaders.


    Around the same time she thought of it, Paul seemed to remember that he wasn''t alone He forced himself to regainposure the only way he knew how. His mind ran over all the skills he had in his possession.


    Gradually he calmed down as he reflected on them and how far he had grown.


    That was his trIed and trusted method before he could trust himself to speak.


    "We are going back to the headquarters. We will exterminate the Hoarder on our way back if wee across him."


    They all agreed on it but he could see that they were scared of him and he knew that he had to address the elephant in the room.


    Getting into character seemed bothersome to him given that he was the most powerful and they owed him a lot. He was their savior after all and the one who could lead them safely through the horrors of the Apocalypse.


    He knew that for their absolute loyalty, he had to be the perfect Pariah with a heart of gold.


    What they had witnessed was far removed from the calm Guildmaster they had always known, he knew that Lilith would address the issue when they got back to his office.


    "I''m sorry that I lost my cool and did this. It was especially frustrating to They all exchanged nervous looks among themselves as they had something bothering them. The Pariah had to control himself from shouting. He didn''t know why they were still dawdling around when they could move past it.


    His beautiful words scored points with the team leaders. Here was the most powerful man in the world apologizing to them even when he didn''t need to do so.


    They all exchanged nervous looks among themselves as they had something bothering them. The Pariah had to control himself from shouting. He didn''t know why they were still dawdling around when they could move past it.


    "You all clearly have something to say about it so, speak. Are you still mad at this?" He said, pointing to the smoldering building behind him.


    Nye, the leader of the Alpha team cleared his throat and stepped forward to speak.


    "No, not that Guildmaster. No one is mad at that. You were just letting out your anger. It''s about the Hoarder. Uhmm...there is no way he could have gotten here before us though and defeated the boss on his own. There is no sign of him too."


    Nye''s head was bowed in reverence as he spoke so they couldn''t see his face. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Also, it would be impossible for him to be at different locations at once. If we suspected that he took out the General team, he couldn''t have also been fighting the boss at the same time," Tia said, speaking out in support of Nye.


    The Guildmaster looked around to see that the rest of the team leaders shared the same sentiment.


    He couldn''t me them as it seemed hard to believe that the boy had easily bested a high ranking demon and disappeared without a trace but he knew Jeremy more than the others.


    He had seen that the boy was extremely resourceful and had many tricks. He couldn''t exin it to them but he was sure that it was the Hoarder behind it.


    He cringed inwardly as he realized that he was now forced to exin himself to his team when they easily took him at his word without any questions in the past.


    "I know it seems hard to believe but I am as sure as anything that it was the Hoarder behind this. We can''t be sure of how he went about it but all you should know is that he is extremely tricky and we have to be cautious on our way back. Of course, I''ll do my best to see that no onees to harm under my watch. Lilith, lead the way back to the base."


    They all got into formation at his words and turned back the way they came.


    The feeling of defeat left a sour taste in Paul''s mouth and he took onest look at the empty throne room behind him before he joined the rest of the team leaders.


    He knew that it would be some time before they openly doubted him again. He had instilled the fear of the Hoarder on them and they realized that they all depended on him.


    Based on their theory, if the Hoarder could single handedly destroy the General team and the Boss of the round in a short interval, then his strength was monstrous.


    Their only hope was the leader of the Alliance who had guided them this far without letting them down.


    An idea urred to him and he wondered why he hadn''t thought of it at first. He had been too blinded by sentiments instead of following the next logical step.


    Hunt the Hoarder while the trail was still fresh.


    "Tia, you''reing with me to track down the Hoarder. The rest of you would be on your way. We would meet up at the baseter" Tia was the best person among the team leaders for the job. Her stealth skills as an Assassin made her extremely useful in tracking down people.


    The idea of the Hoarder somehow eluding them to eliminate the team leaders shed across his mind which was why he didn''t want to bring Lilith along with him.


    He was confident that nothing would happen to them as long as they had her. She was extremely strong after all and would buy them more time before he could rejoin them if it ever came to that.


    *


    *


    *


    After a long and fruitless search, Paul and Tia were forced to give up. There was no trace of Jeremy anywhere in sight.


    Minutes back, they had stumbled on the bodies of the General team and from their carcasses, their deaths were caused by demons.


    It had been a gruesome sight to see and Tia had to look away quickly to stop herself from crying.


    Their only choice was to go back empty-handed. There was no trace of demons around for them to avenge their fallenrades.


    The stench of death and defeat hung heavy in the air and for the second time that day, Paul lost his temper.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!