Rise Of The Hoarder

In a flash, I was done!

None of the people within the Camp noticed my presence, allies and enemies alike. Using my stealth skills in combination with my intense speed, I was practically a ghost that zoomed past the massive structure and got away with tapping every single member of the enemy faction.

They got caught in my Gift, vanishing in what would appear to be an instant for normal people.

“Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!” The voices of the Camp members echoed in fright

The sight of about a dozen enemies vanishing suddenly must have frightened them, but as soon as they recovered from the shock, I was certain they would rejoice.

As for me, immediately after I concluded my business within the building, I zoomed outside and returned to the scene of the just-concluded battle.

All of this was within thirty seconds, maybe even less…

“Y-you’re back already?!” Charles gasped, having barely moved from where he was to his Camp members’ location.

“Yes. Do not worry… they have all been taken care of.”_.

For a moment, there was silence, until my eyes darted to the unconscious man on the ground.

“I would like to interrogate this man. Would it be fine if I took him with me?”

Though my voice was calm and my tone polite, I assumed Charles could tell that this wasn’t a request.

“Y-yeah, sure. I mean… you did beat him, after all.”

“Thank you.” I smiled, though none could see my face as it was hidden.

“Thanks so much for saving this Camp, for saving my people as well! It appears we owe you a great debt once more!” Charles retorted.

I shrugged in response.

“It was only natural. Your Camp members were also quite exemplary. One of the deserters has become my disciple. I assume you have no problem with that.”

Charles turned to see Lara, whom he must have been surprised to notice among everyone else. Her face showed no emotion toward him, but I was certain he judged her strength and made sure to steer clear of any trouble.

“No problem. The moment they chose to leave, they were no longer a part of this Camp.”

“That’s a relief, then.”

Another moment of silence erupted. I could sense unease in the air, mostly emanating from Charles. He must have had millions of thoughts in his mind as to why I faked my death and now put on this charade.

‘You should go mad with the thought, Charles. Pfft.’

I was just about done with this farce, though If I spent another second acting this way, I feared I would lose it. Plus, there were some things I had to settle in the background.

Needless to say, it was time to leave… at least, for now.

“There are some things I need to take care of, so I shall be taking my leave,” I told Charles.

The moment I said this, the Camp members who had grown accustomed to me gasped in surprise. Lara didn’t waste any time detaching herself from the crowd and taking her place by my side.

“A-already? You should take a break inside the—”

I bobbed my head a little and turned to stare at the Camp’s broken-down walls. The property was in terrible shape, and this was no time for anyone to ‘take a break’ or think about resting… not with everything being in dire straits.

“I only tagged along you people to ensure you got to your destination safely. Now that it has been completed, I am needed elsewhere. Do not worry, though… maybe we will see each other some other time. Till then, I wish you good health.”

Raising my hand to bid farewell, I could see the teary eyes of many Camp members. They watched in reverence and gratitude as I raised my hand, following my actions.

“Goodbye Masked Hero.”

“Thank you for everything!”

“We’ll never forget you!”

It was so cheesy that I almost cringed at the sight, but I simply withdrew my hand and nodded slightly.

“Take care of yourselves.”

>WHOOOOOSHHH!!!<

In an instant, every trace of myself vanished as I sped away. Lara followed suit and dashed off to chase after me, most likely wondering what was going on in my head.

We traveled in silence, transversing the devastated plains until we were quite some distance from the Camp. Even from my distance, I could see everyone huddle together and venture into the building.

‘They’ll be occupied for some time, uh?’ I smiled, letting go of my mask.

Now feeling the fresh welcome of the wind on my face, I gave a pleasant sigh. It was refreshing to let go of the air of dominance and tranquility that was associated with my alter ego.

I was now finally Jeremy Lewis again!

**********************

Lara and I settled somewhere quite a distance from the Camp, a place where no one would dare to trespass.

It was the hideout of the scavengers that assaulted our Camp. The rundown building didn’t look like much from the outside, but I could tell that it had been booby-trapped in several areas. Any foreigner who got close would be welcomed by explosives, flying knives, etc.

Of course, we were able to easily avoid the traps and make ourselves welcome in the damp interior of the hideout.

The place looked quite compartmentalized. If not for the dirt around, and how the area reeked of sweat and blood, it would pass as an official structure. This was most likely a company building before the Apocalypse.

I passed by the run-down computers and desks, seeing nothing but emptiness.

‘The scavengers must have temporarily abandoned this Base in order to deal with Charles’ Camp in full force.

With their territory now unoccupied, it made the perfect place to stay… for now.

“I don’t understand something, Jeremy.” Lara finally broke the silence.

I knew she had been disturbed ever since we left the Camp, most likely wondering how I could do something akin to benevolence.

“I know what you’re thinking, Lara. But, do not worry. There is a time for everything…”