Rise Of The Hoarder

“Clench your teeth!”

Putting all my strength into my blow, I gave a straight thrust and connected with the hot flesh of the opponent.

>BOOOOOOMMMM!!!<

Shockwaves flew that very instant as well as sparks caused by our colliding energy. The force was enough to push the monster back, but I was also caught in its recoil.

“A-ah… ow!”

My body jerked back in recoil as I flipped in midair and landed safely on the ground.

>RUMBLE!<

Sounds of trembling earth reverberated around me as the monster stumbled a few times before regaining its composure. My eyes were wide open in amazement while I rubbed my slightly aching wrist with my other hand.

‘It’s tough!’ I made a mental assessment._.

Even with a punch made with my full power, I could only cause a few staggers. Not only that, but I had also been affected by the impact which made consecutive hits like that impossible.

The monster didn’t seem to be too hurt by my just concluded attack, but just to be sure, I made a peek at its HP.

My eyes widened more in shock as I saw a more astounding sight.

‘IT’S STILL FULL?!!’

No, that was impossible! There was no way it didn’t suffer even the slightest bit of damage from that attack. My mind was still trying to process the rabid sensations that ran amok within it when the monster sprang into action.

Taking a few steps forward, it hurriedly brandished its staff and poured its demonic red energy into it, causing it to sharply glow—ominous chills ran down my spine.

In a flash, it closed our distance and flung its staff in a horizontal strike, just as it did previously. Once again, I sprang up and dodged the hit that would turn me into mangled meat… only to see another strike coming from above my head.

‘W-wha?!’ My mind rang out.

The horizontal strike that I had successfully evaded vanished, as though it was never there. Replacing the gigantic pressure of the previously visible move, a new attack was nearing me at a remarkable pace. A green hand that tightly gripped the staff, and the crimson-clad weapon came into sight as I raised my head frantically, watching as it approached me in mid-air.

“Shit!” I bit my lip.

Quickly strengthening my arm, I coated it in more power than usual and launched it at the descending staff.

>BOOOOOMMM<

Shockwaves rippled across the area and I could hear dust clouds flying around us. The ground cracked by the mere presence of wind and the intense sound our clash generated.

My enhanced strength versus the monster’s strike—it was already certain which would prevail.

As expected, my body was pushed to the earth like a flash of lightning and I crashed to the ground with a loud thud, breaking apart the already unstable ground.

Fortunately, due to my already calculated efforts, I had realized that my strength wouldn’t be enough to repel the opponent’s move so I prepared adequately for my fall.

“A-ah!” I yelped, barely maintaining my standing posture.

Yes, I had landed on my feet!

As I and the monster crossed hits, I already knew I was on the losing end in a battle of strength so as I was sent flying down, I flipped and ensured my feet touched the ground instead of my back.

It sent chills throughout my body due to the shock I absorbed… fortunately, I could take it!

“You’re very strong, uh? I’m learning quite a bit…” I grinned tiredly at the monster.

I was barely minutes into the fight and I could feel fatigue build up within me. Perhaps it was due to the presence of a more powerful enemy after so long.

The weapons in my arsenal would be ineffective against this monster, just as my previous weapons hardly did much to the Hell Kobold King.

My only hope was to chip away at its EXP using such tactics and there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t finish me off before then.

‘My first attack didn’t do anything to its HP too…’ My mind still mulled over the strange phenomenon that had occurred a while back.

Even if it had healing abilities, it would have shown the damage taken before it healed.

‘Or did it heal faster than I damaged it?’

I highly doubted it. Hobgoblins weren’t all that specialized in healing so its recovery rate—if it had one—shouldn’t have been all that high.

I needed to cross blows with it a few more times to draw my conclusions, but a theory was already springing up in my mind.

Plus, there was another thing that boggled my mind.

‘It seemed like the Hobgoblin Chief went for a horizontal strike, and then a sudden vertical strike rained from above…’ I recounted the blow that just sent me crashing to the ground.

It seemed like an illusion if I was to be frank with myself. If that was the case, I needed to be seriously wary. Opponents who could rely on such tactics were usually small and nimble. If such a large monster had it… the dangers encountered would drastically increase.

A direct confrontation could prove to be fatally dangerous! It would be safer if I just attacked it with ranged assaults that I had prepared beforehand.

‘No, I can’t resort to that!’

There was no way I would take the easy route out now, just because I met a more powerful monster. I had managed to survive in the past even against the odds.

‘Use your head, Jeremy… think!’

Even against a more powerful adversary, it wasn’t impossible to win! I just had to figure out a way around it!

It’s absurd strength. It’s unflinching HP. It’s illusory attack. Everything about this monster needed to be analyzed. A Demon was still a Demon in the end… it wasn’t beyond being killed!

A wave of nostalgia built up within me as I remembered my moments of weakness. Compared to back then, I had achieved an unfathomable height, but was now faced with an even more unfathomable foe.

I could see the monster sneer at me with a confident grin, already assured of its victory. It almost made me laugh deliriously.

“Let’s do this… I’ll show you how the weaker one wins!”