Rise Of The Hoarder
Chapter 176 Looming Darkness

“So, Larry’s dead, uh?” A deep voice whispered in the darkness.

More smoke came from his mouth as his absent-minded eyes stared at the ceiling. The expression on his face was impossible to tell. Did he feel angry, vengeful, or relieved?

Suddenly, a knock interrupted the man’s melancholy. The knock sounded three times, each resounding in loud rhythms.

After the knocks sounded, without so much as a word from the man who dwelled alone in the darkness, the door leading to his office opened.

>CREAK!<

Slowly, light was let into his private space, brightening up the area while also letting in fresh air.

“Urgh!” Came the voice of the person who entered the office.

His face looked rough and his brows were furrowed with disgust. Walking into the office, he crinkled his nose to withstand the horrid smell that invaded his senses._.

“Boss… I’m here about the report you ordered.” The man spoke after walking a good distance from the entrance.

He had left the only visible entrance/exit to the office open to allow for the escape of the putrid smell of a combination of various unsavory things— at least until he left.

“Ah, I see…” The one addressed as the boss, also the one who had been smoking a couple of seconds ago, spoke in a gruff tone.

He dropped the cigarettes on his table, not batting an eye about it. The man now dropped his face and looked at the one who entered his office with a glare— an expression that was constantly worn on his face.

“… And? What did you replace out?” The Boss asked.

A nearly invisible cloud of shite mist came out of the man’s mouth, the final vestiges of the smoke that remained in his lungs. Now purged of all the smoke in his lungs, he took in a whiff of the air and calmed his nerves.

The underling, perhaps better known as his subordinate nodded and began speaking.

“After watching their camp for two days now, we’ve noticed significant changes. For one, it appears scanty— barely any activity at all is evident there. James also used his [Detective] Gift, and so far there are less than fifty Camp Members in their building.”

The Boss nodded, taking in all the information he was gaining. What was being reported was unexpected, but it only confirmed the fact that something strange was going on in Charles’ Camp.

“Did anything strange happen within the span of a few hours since you checked?” The Boss asked.

“You mean, stranger than the fact that their base is nearly abandoned? Well, one of their major Subjugation parties arrived. The one led by Anabelle.”

The Boss smiled, remembering that name quite well. He gestured for his subordinate to continue.

“As for signs of our ally… we didn’t get anything of the sort. Larry, whom we sent to infiltrate their Camp isn’t currently there… as well as several others. We are not sure why they-“

“Larry is dead.” The Boss interrupted his subordinate’s report.

This shocked the adult man. He fought to regain his composure and stared at his leader in shock. Their boss wasn’t one to joke about something like that… so it had to be true.

“W-when…?” The subordinate asked.

“I received the notification a few minutes ago… so it had to be within the last hour or so. Maybe a little longer.”

The Boss didn’t have any tone of remorse or loss. A subordinate of his had just been confirmed dead, yet he showed little to no emotion.

“Is this connected to the reason you told us to watch Charles’ Camp, even though Larry was already stationed there?” The subordinate asked with curiosity.

It was hard reading his superior, but… if only he had more information— then maybe…

“I lost connection with Larry a few days ago. He wasn’t dead, but I just couldn’t get his wavelength. After that, I became curious. After waiting and still sensing nothing, I sent your team to observe their Camp.”

The subordinate listened carefully.

“Yesterday, in your absence, I sensed his presence again… for a short while. But, after an hour or so, I couldn’t sense him again.”

The words of his boss sounded strange, but he knew everything had to be the truth.

“Then, I sensed his existence not too long ago… only for him to be registered dead some minutes after. I have now confirmed Larry’s death.” The Boss spoke sternly.

It wasn’t impossible for someone like Larry to die, but the inconsistencies that occurred before his death were what was more puzzling.

“For them to have killed him, they probably know of our existence…” The subordinate spoke, trying to analyze things calmly.

Their group had intended to raid Charles’ Camp after spying on it considerably well. Not only did the Camp have more resources than they currently possessed, but it was also chock full of humans that could serve as EXP. Now that the mole they had sent there was dead, it complicated their plan.

“You said their numbers have reduced, no? No one other than Ana’s team has ventured within. There’s only one possibility— and it must be that they’ve mobilized their forces for a mission.”

The Boss didn’t know why Charles had taken out a great deal of his members, but this was the perfect opportunity for their group. Now that Larry was compromised, their plans had to be enacted much faster before the likelihood of failure increased.

“They currently don’t have many people in their Camp so it’s the best time for a raid. Is that what you’re saying, Boss?” The subordinate asked, thinking about the plan— it was spot-on!

“Of course. Besides, other than for the sake of strategy…” The Boss finally arose from his seat.

He was tall, no, huge. He appeared to be over seven feet tall— taking on the appearance of a menacing silhouette. Having a brimming expression in his eyes, the man had a wide grin on his face.

“…. They took out one of our own… its time to return the favor!”

Despite his calm facade, the boss of the ‘Slayers’ was not the one who remained calm after noticing such news like this. Bloodlust raged throughout his body as the strong emotions of vengeance coursed through his veins.

“They’ll pay for killing one of my men, I— Kevin Smith, swear it!”