Rise Of The Hoarder

“SKURRIIIIIIKKK!!!” A sudden cry echoed in the air, sending chills down the spines of everyone.

The sound didn’t originate from our group, and the high pitch indicated that it certainly wasn’t from a human.

“T-take formation!” Daniel declared, instantly realizing what was happening.

The already tensed people jumbled up their movements since they were extremely flustered. Most hadn’t been in an actual fight with deadly Demons before, and even if they had been, the suddenness of the situation made everything unsettling.

The earth trembled, and more of the blood-curdling cries from earlier rang in the air once again.

Slowly, they began to make their entrance. It was a simply absurd and terrifying sight. Dozens of demons appeared, having the signature slimy green bodies and disgusting features that were associated with their kind. They appeared larger than the ones Ana’s team faced and didn’t seem any less dangerous.

They appeared all around us, closing their distance slowly. By the time what was happening became evident, it was too late.

We were surrounded!

“Shit!” Melissa yelled, quickly activating her Gift._.

A pink force field was generated, covering our entire group. It was a surprising move made by her, surprising me. I didn’t expect her to act so quickly. Perhaps it was her survival instinct.

“Pull yourselves together, everyone!!! Get in formation!” Daniel yelled.

This snapped everyone who was petrified by the sight of way too many Demons back to reality. They quickly assumed their positions as rehearsed.

Clustering closer in a watertight formation, I was stuck in the middle, not seeing much of anything. The vanguards encircled the group, like shieldmen. Every single one of them had Gifts that were effective in close combats, as well as at least a Skill useful for fighting.

Those who were encircled in the second layer were mid-range fighters. They were to take care of enemies who were able to get past the close-range fighters. Hidden deep within the formation were long-range Gifteds or those incapable of fighting in such a situation.

The long-range fighters were to use their Gifts, Skills, or whatever, to launch assaults on the enemies while being protected by the formation.

This ensured a balance in the party play. Of course, I was stuck at the center since I had no use in the ensuing chaos, however, that wasn’t the cause of my annoyance.

It was because the person directly beside me in the formation was none other than Melissa!

“Shit! You better stay a good distance from me, twerp!” She growled, eyeing me ferociously.

I couldn’t go any further from her since the formation was designed in such a way, so I merely tolerated her tantrums. Melissa was in the center for good reason, after all.

As the propagator of the shield field that protected the Gifteds, she needed to remain in the middle so that her Gift would cover everyone. Also, she was a key member, so she needed to be protected dearly. In addition, she had no offensive capabilities.

The conclusion was only inevitable.

“We will commence the first assault now. Prepare yourselves!” Daniel’s voice rang once again.

His fierce eyes were focused on the Demons that now quickened their pace and neared us at an alarming rate. In merely a few seconds they would be in our vicinity.

“Hold….” He raised his hand, waiting for the opportune time to give the signal of attack.

“HAHAHAH!!! SKURRRIIIIK!!!” The Hobgoblins laughed maniacally, lunging themselves at us in a frenzy.

As they poured in their multitudes, Daniel still refused to give a signal of attack. They neared us… closer… closer.

Everyone held their breath and waited until they finally reached our location.

In a coordinated manner, they sent their claws flying at our group in an attempt to fatally wound us. However, as soon as the bodies of the Demons touched Melissa’s barrier, sparks flew and they were instantly repelled by the force generated.

>BOOOOMMMM!!!<

A deafening reverberation echoed across the vast wasteland around us, and that was exactly the moment Daniel decided to give his signal.

“Chargeeeee!!!”

Hearing this, everyone activated their Gifts, launching a heavy barrage of assaults. From flaming fists to sonic bursts. Some could move the very earth itself and create quakes to destabilize the Goblin troops, while others restrained them by using binding Gifts. This made it easier for the vanguard to deal more damage and vanquish their foes.

It was difficult to watch the whole thing, but I caught slight glimpses of their fights. A slight feeling of frustration welled up within me as I wanted to recall how it felt like to kill Demons.

Plus, so much EXP was being taken away from me. Well, the Demons were about 50 in number, so they would have probably made me Level up once.

I gave that all up for the greedy pigs that surrounded me.

Still, it wasn’t so bad watching the entire group struggle against the Hobgoblins. They were doing quite well, even the former civilians. Some had extremely useful skills in combat. It was a shame that they had been wasting away as civilians due to their cowardice.

The tides of the battle slowly began to change, favoring the Hobgoblins. This caused Daniel to make another call.

“Return!” He yelled.

Instantly, the combatants returned to the pink field that offered them solace. As soon as they did this, they caught their breaths a little, regaining stamina.

The Hobgoblins growled, gritting their teeth at the cowardly display the Gifteds showed them, advancing once more to their prey.

As soon as they clashed with the Pink barrier again, they were bounced back, allowing the Gifteds to attack them in their stunned state.

As simple as the strategy was, it was highly efficient.

The vanguards were to leave the barrier for a short while, cutting down the Demons while the middle rangers would remain in the barrier, same with the long-range Gifteds. Once the vanguards were exhausted, they would return to the force field, luting the Demons to the impregnable pink haven.

The Demons would get thrown back by this, giving the team openings to exploit.

Slowly, yet assuredly, the Subjugation squad ate at the numbers of the Hobgoblins, reducing them drastically until the final one was cut down.

Raising his fist high in the air, Daniel made a great victory cry. This was followed by dozens of our troops making the same noise as the Subjugation squad tasted its first victory.

From where I stood, despite the annoying banter of the girl beside me, I smiled.

The fools were satisfied with this level of achievement when the true fight hadn’t even begun.

‘This is merely the beginning…’