Rise Of The Hoarder

The group of people silently walked down the hallway, using their usual formation to ensure they had a semblance of safety in such uncharted territory.

The one at the rear, Tia, had an uncomfortable 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 needed companions… Tia was scared of losing hers.

Of course, there were more options available 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!_.

‘Huu… let’s just hope I’m wrong!’

The group reached the room at the end of the hallway, similar to how the Starting Area was.

This place, the Elevator, connected two floors via Magic.

All they had to do was stand within the massive Magic Circle displayed 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.

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 could come, 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.

“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 play, 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 to come 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!<