Rise Of The Hoarder

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 place!" 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 platform of the third floor's hallway. The bent hind limb resembled that of a wild beast, with extremely large 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 no larger 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, large 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, displaying its sharp teeth as grimy saliva dripped from its large mouth.r

[System Alert]r

<Danger>r

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

[System Information]r

-tName: Hell Kobold Spawnr

-tLevel: 2r

-tRace: Demon (Lesser) – Grade: 1r

-tAge: 29 daysr

[Stats]r

-tHP: 12/30r

-tMP: - -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

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 could complete my sentence, the monster lunged its claws 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 claws 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 its large 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 glared 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

"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 were coming 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 as last 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 flames, 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 – Exp: 70.00r

-tRace: Human – Job: Noner

-tAge: 16 Yearsr

-tSex: Maler

-tHeight: 5" 3. – Weight: 115 poundsr

-tAlignment: Chaotic Neutralr

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

[Stats]r

-tHP: 89/100r

-tMP: - -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 the last 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're coming!"r

With a nervous smile, I formulated my next plan. After my first kill, there can only be more to come!r