Rise Of The Hoarder

“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 played out in front of them.

Blood spurted out of Nate’s corpse, splashing from his neck. However, before the team could even react to this sight, the monster once again used its large mouth to bite off Nate’s upper body, and then his lower body, gulping them all in two rapid successions.

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 particular was screaming. It could have been one or all of them. One fact was evident, though…

… And that was FEAR!_.

“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 displayed 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, displaying it large 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.

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 from coming 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 slamming 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.

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 to completely wear out its integrity, the metal structure became like molten rubber and stretched until it slacked.

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 had come to this…

… They had no choice but to fight, struggle, and survive!

“Rarghhhhhhh!!!”