Rise Of The Hoarder

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—convenient 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 meltdown later 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 us completely.

“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.”_.

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—that of love, affection, and admiration—what 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—”

>BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<

Before I could complete my thoughts, I felt an explosive burst of power emanating from the direction of the Camp.

“Wha—?!”

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 display of power was none as I had ever experienced.

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 flash.

>BOOOOOOMMMMM<

The apparition, taking the form of a human while being shrouded with the overwhelming golden light, charged—completely 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—?!”

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 light completely 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 plagued 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, displaying 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 particular 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—at least not in any condition available to me.

[STATUS INFORMATION]

[.]

Alignment: Neutral Evil (Depraved)

[.]