Rise Of The Hoarder

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, displaying the wide jaw he had.r

Judging by his height and appearance, he must be in his late twenties.r

As I contemplated the appearance of the stranger, a golden window suddenly popped above his head.r

[SYSTEM INFORMATION]r_.

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 access 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

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

“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

“Relax, 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, displaying 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 this large 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 place 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 display 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 place.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 place. 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 now compare 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