There was something oh so satisfying about the feeling of bashing someone's skull in. Something primal… animalistic. A part of the human psyche we thought buried years ago under a false veneer of civility.

Through a repeated action, you obtain the Ability: Power Smash.

Power Smash (Rank *)

With the power of barbarity on your side, bash someone with a blunt object with the force of a pissed off neanderthal.

-Deals 50% more damage

-Costs 10 Stamina

-Can only be used with a blunt weapon

Damage can be increased by using Reiryoku.

Well would ya look at that, daddy has a nice new ability to use. What fortuitous timing. Looking down at the ogre beneath me, barely clinging to life, it seems like I had the perfect target to try it out on.

"Still alive, huh? Let's fix that, shall we?" I said with a grin, inner psychopath on full display. Sure didn't take long for him to come out to play, did it. Just a few instances of unrepentant, untraceable murder, and Bob's your uncle.

I approached the ogre desperately crawling away from me with a confident swagger. I may or may not be having a power trip at the moment. I raised the club I had looted from the first body above my head and activated my new Ability before dropping it down and caving in his skull.

That makes number ten. With that most recent murder I was almost to Level 6. Just a couple more and I would have it. Now I just needed to find them.

After looting the body beneath me, and not getting any disgusting loincloths this time, I looked around me and checked my Map. Where would be a good place to go next? I'd killed off pretty much every enemy in this area, so I guess it was time to head to the next.

Hang on, it looked like there was one in the building next to me. At least, that's what the red dot is supposed to mean. Well, who am I to ignore such an invitation?

Looking closer at my surroundings, I found the door leading inside the building easy enough. But there was an even more important fact about his door that couldn't be ignored.

It was open.

It was like they wanted me to rob them or something. And what was a little breaking and entering compared to the rampant amounts of homicide I've been performing? Not like anyone would arrest me.

Being a gamer was dangerous. Made life seem so insignificant when you could quantify its worth numerically. Oh well, I'm sure I won't be driven off the deep end. This was just the result of accumulated stress, nothing more.

Probably.

Anyway, let us commence with some good old fashioned thievery shall we? Walking through the opened door, the house itself was fairly clean, if a little old fashioned. It was almost like stepping back in time.

Which made sense if you take into account Hiyori's age. I mean, she was over a hundred years old, so it figured her Inner world would reflect that. Not sure how I feel about wanting to bang an old lady, but she looked hot so my penis didn't really care.

And that's what's important. Always take your genitals feelings under consideration before you bang, folks.

Anyway, continuing into the house, I noticed a few more things. One, the stairs, leading to what I assume is the second floor. Second was a door, likely a closet, on the far wall. Third was the kitchen, which means free food. Not that I was exactly hungry at the moment, but I'm sure future me will appreciate my thoughtfulness.

But first, the closet. Because all good things are hidden in the closet. Like good old uncle Machio's .44. Now that I think about it, pretty sure he was a Yakuza. Not that it meant anything now, just an idle thought.

But now I wanted a nice pew pew. My skill set is seriously lacking in the ranged department, and as fun as sneaking up on someone and robbing them of the gift of life is, that won't always be a viable option.

Sometimes, you just need to shoot a guy in the face. Not that I've done that before, but now I really want to. Maybe I could try throwing some rocks at someone? With my Strength Stat, I'm sure it would be pretty deadly. Something to think about.

Tentatively opening the closet door, I was greeted to a sight I did not expect. Like I thought there might be a vacuum in there, or maybe a shrine to Satan, possibly even a blow up doll. But no, what I saw in there was an ogre, who looked just as shocked to see me.

This one was different from the others. Instead of being green, he was completely black, with dark red eyes glowering at me. He was also a bit scrawnier than the others as well, being several inches shorter with muscles half the size of the others.

"Ah, wrong door. Pardon me sir, just looking for the bathroom" I said while gently closing the door. I don't know what he was doing in there, and I don't want to know. Best to just move on and forget the whole thing ever happened.

There's a joke there about coming out of the closet, but I'm above such things.

But of course, the ogre had different thoughts. He bashed through the closet door with an angry, affronted roar. His red eyes focused on me with the intensity of a fat kid who just saw a birthday cake.

Using the Scan Ability revealed him to be a Shadow Ogre. Go figure. He was a higher Level then the others I've fought so far, at Level 9, so that was slightly concerning. His Hp was lower though, so that was good.

However, that joy was mitigated somewhat by the chain sickle he started swinging around. Fuck, don't tell me he was some kind of ninja ogre? That would be just my luck. But what was he doing in the closet?

Questions for later, as I had to duck underneath a sickle flying towards my head. And let me tell you, that thing was fast!

"Hey, come on! Can't we talk about this? I'm sorry for interrupting whatever you were doing in there! I swear, I won't tell anyone!" I shouted at him, but that only seemed to make him angrier.

Did he know I was lying? Because I was definitely going to tell the next ogre I saw. Before, you know, killing him. So it's not like it would even matter if I spilled the beans, right?

The Kusarigama sped towards me once more and I managed to twist my head out of the way again. But this time, instead of just dodging, I grabbed the chain, not allowing the ogre to recall his weapon.

You see, that's the weakness of a weapon like this. As cool as it may be, once someone grabs it, you're up a creek without a paddle. And if that person just so happens to be stronger than you, that creek turns into roaring rapids real damn fast.

With a savage grin on my face I began to pull the ogre towards me, and let me tell you, his face was absolutely priceless. A combination of confused and shocked, as he looked around, as if asking if anyone else could see this.

But unfortunately for him, there was no one else around. Great for me, but for him, well…

Our game of tug of war continued, as I slowly but surely dragged him closer and closer to me. He tried to resist, but he simply lacked the strength to do so. I assume his main Stat was Agility, which would do nothing for him here. Maybe if he caught me in the street and ambushed me, I'd have been in trouble. But here, in this enclosed space?

He was my bitch.

After about 30 seconds or so, we were basically face to face, with him being maybe two feet from me. The whole time I wrestled him towards me, I kept eye contact with him. I wanted him to know who the big dog was, and it sure as shit wasn't him.

Honestly, I don't know why he didn't just let go and run, get some friends and jump my ass in a random alley. It's what I would have done. Except, I have no friends, at least not in this place.

But instead, he tried to overpower me. His Intelligence must have been at an all time low. You'd think the ninja ogre would be a bit smarter than his normal relatives, but apparently not.

Or maybe I just got a stupid one? Who knows.

But as I stared into his eyes, his mouth wide open in shock, I raised my leg, ever so slowly, so he knew what was about to happen, and brought my foot down right on his knee.

All with a smile on my face.

The ogre roared in agony, dropping the other half of the weapon and falling to the floor, his leg bent in the wrong direction. I cringed a little bit at seeing it, my bloodlust dissipating slightly. Not enough to prevent me from executing him, of course, but enough to wipe the grin off my face.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

I don't know if it was simply human nature that was making me act so brutally, my Gamer powers, or even the atmosphere of this place. Hell, it could be a combination of all three. All I know is I would have to watch it once I leave this place.

Anyway, it seems as if I found a new Status Ailment, as well as a new Skill. Let's see…

Crippled

Depending on where the injury is inflicted, several Stats may be halved, such as Agility, Strength, Movement Speed, Hp Regeneration, and Stamina Regeneration. Crippled Status lasts until the injury in question heals.

-Leg Injury: Agility, Movement Speed, and Stamina Regeneration all halved.

Steal (1/100)

Does someone have something that you want? Well just take it then! Why should they have nice things, huh?

-1% chance to rob someone of their possessions without them knowing

-100% to rob someone one if you don't give a shit about them knowing

Allows you to steal drop items from dungeon monsters. The higher the rarity, the lower the chance. Higher levels of Steal Increases odds of getting rarer items.

Common: 60%

Uncommon: 30%

Rare: 15%

Epic: 7.5%

Legendary: 1%

Well now, isn't that interesting. It's not as broken as Stunned seems to be, but Crippled is a pretty dangerous Ailment nonetheless. At least I know this guy wouldn't be getting away anytime soon.

Not that I planned to let him in the first place.

And now I can also rob people systematically. It might be a good idea to Steal from the monsters in here to level it up so I can rob normal people without them knowing about it. I don't care if they know about it in here, since I would just kill them afterward, but I can't get away with that in the real world.

Taking a look at the item I stole from the ogre, I was slightly surprised by its Stats.

Heavy Kusarigama (Rare)

A large and thick Kusarigama used by the Shadow Ogres. Takes great Strength and finesse to wield properly.

-Damage 30

-Durability 9/11

-Special action: Chain Trap

Chain Trap

Wraps the chain around an opponent or an item they wield to prevent movement or use of said item. Wrapped enemies are immobilized unless they can escape the chains.

Requires 25 Strength to wield

Requires 25 Agility to wield

Not bad. Not bad at all. Definitely an upgrade from the clubs I got, though I don't have the Agility to use it properly, at least not in my human form. Thankfully, as I am currently a spirit, I can use it just fine.

Looks like I was going full on rogue build at this point. I doubt anyone would see it coming at the very least. A dude with my body type does not a normal rogue make. A barbarian for sure, but not a rogue.

Anyway, back to the murder at hand. I now have a fancy new weapon that I stole from this asshole. He had it coming in my opinion. I mean, I apologized for interrupting his private time and everything. He brought this on himself.

Kicking the Crippled ogre onto his stomach, which sounds worse than it really is, I stomped on his back to prevent him from moving and proceeded to wrap the chain of the Kusarigama around his neck, just as casual as could be.

I then went ahead and began to strangle him. Oh he tried to resist, grasping at the chain in manic desperation, clawing at his throat in an attempt to remove the object cutting off the flow of oxygen. His nails bit into the flesh of his neck, creating deep wounds leaking a stream of blood that pooled around him.

But unfortunately for him, I was too strong, so his attempts were nothing more than an act of futility. I watched dispassionately as his Health bar trickled lower and lower. It was slow at first, but began to pick up speed the longer I choked him, until eventually, after nearly a minute of struggle…

It hit zero.

He went limp, all fight removed from his lifeless body. He lay there, covered in blood, gouges of his flesh carved from his neck by his own hands, and yet, I felt little in the way of pity.

Because at the end of the day, no matter how they acted, they weren't real. They were merely a simulacrum of life, a pale imitation, and I would not feel sadness over such creatures. Especially when they had no qualms about killing me.

Congratulations! You have gained a Level!

-Hp has increased by 10

-Stamina has increased by 10

-Reiryoku has increased by 10

-You have gained 2 Stat points

Well would you look at that, Level 6. What a nice way to cap off this little experience. Let's just put those points into Spirit shall we, no point in debating it. At this rate, I might even gain another Level before I have to face the Red Ogre.

But before that, I had a body to loot. I already stole his Rare drop, so that was out. His loincloth looked different, but I refused to try and Steal one of those. I did not need to fight a bare assed ogre flopping his dick all over the place.

That was my job!

That being said, I did get a whopping 90 Yen, which was pretty sweet. So far I've gained about 500 Yen from this place, which increased my net worth by about 50%. Sad, I know, but someday, I would have fuck you money, just you wait and see!

But until then, it's the pauper life for me! After looting the corpse of the Shadow Ogre, it dissipated into light particles, just like all the rest. Another reason I didn't feel bad about the murdering of these things, I didn't have to see the bodies afterward. Not for long anyway.

WIth that done, I could now explore the rest of the house, starting with the kitchen. I was a bit surprised at the fact they have a refrigerator, considering how dated the place was, but I wasn't about to look that gift horse in the mouth.

Opening it up, I found a nice selection of meats. A nice, thick ham, some turkey, chicken, and a big old plate of bacon. Not even the tiniest scrap of anything green. It looks like ogres are carnivores, good to know.

I did find some bread though, so maybe not. I can make a sandwich later, at the very least, so I won't complain too much. Could have used a bit of mayo for it though, but whatever.

See, I only complained a little.

With that done, I made my way upstairs, and what I saw there made me question everything I believed in. God, Santa, and everything in between. There was only one room, a bedroom to be more specific, with two large beds and a nightstand in between them.

That's not the weird thing. No, that was reserved for the regular green ogre strapped to it. His hands and feet were tied to the bed posts with rope, a blindfold covered his eyes, and a ball gag was in his mouth.

…What the fuck did I just walk in on? These were some kinky ass ogres. Wait a second, wasn't this in Hiyori's head? Does that mean she's into stuff like this? Because I could see it.

The real question was, does she prefer to do the tying, or being tied? I'm up for either one, if I'm honest. But now is not the time to be thinking about a tied up Hiyori squirming on a bed.

Later, for sure. But not now.

Now the ogre in question could not see me, because of the, you know, blindfold. But what he could do, was hear me. And he must have been looking forward to whatever the hell was about to happen here, because he immediately, upon hearing my footsteps, began to get excited.

If you know what I mean.

Out of everything that had happened today, looking down at a horny ogre panting with need while tied to a bed, had to have been the weirdest of all. And that was saying something.

Luckily I know just how to handle this. Poor guy was about to die before ever coming close to cumming. Ah but such is life.

I placed the tip of the sickle against his chest, lining it up with his heart. He shivered in anticipation, likely thinking this was some sort of sex play. Too bad for him, it was not. I mean, he was about to be penetrated, just not in the way he was probably hoping.

Next I removed one of the clubs from my Inventory. Thankfully I'm strong enough to wield it single handedly, and was thus able to raise it above my head. Hammer, prepare to meet nail.

I swung the club down, using my Power Smash Ability to hit the back of the sickle, sending it straight into his heart. The blade pierced all the way through his body, coming out of his back and impaling the bed.

He let out a confused groan, before throwing up blood. Thankfully, he was wearing that ball gag so it didn't end up all over the place. He would die, thinking he was betrayed by his lover. How sad...

Well, time to loot the body! More money and a brand new club. How nice. But what was more intriguing was the loincloth. Now a filthy ogre's crotch cover might not seem all that impressive, and normally you would be right, but this one was a bit different.

Soiled Loincloth of the Gigachad Ogre (Rare)

A loincloth belonging to a particularly well-endowed ogre. Made from finer materials than other loincloths, this garment reduces Affection loss with women. Affection with women cannot fall below 0. Can only be worn by those who possess Big Dick Energy.

-Increases Defense by 2

-Reduces Affection loss from women by 1

Durability 9/10

*Note*

Soiled clothing cannot be upgraded until they have been cleaned. Try taking it to the laundromat when you get the chance. It may surprise you.

Well what do you know? Looks like Mr. Bondage here was hiding a nice little treat for little old me. I don't like the way I said that, but I did and there's no going back. I'm not sure how comfortable a loincloth is going to be but there's no way I wasn't going to wear it after a good cleaning.

Because I sure as shit wasn't putting it on before a trip to the laundromat. That just wasn't going to happen. I have no idea how these ogres all soiled their britches, but I refused to allow that to touch my fragile undercarriage.

As the ogre disappeared, leaving behind four ropes tied to the bed as the only evidence of him ever existing, I searched the rest of the room, hoping to take whatever valuables they may have remaining.

Nothing. Not a goddamn thing. Cheap bastards. Just because I have a new weapon and fancy underwear that makes women put up with my bullshit, doesn't mean you shouldn't have a safe or something.

Ah whatever, I'll just take my win and leave. I'm sick of this place anyway.

Heading back down the stairs, I made my way towards the exit. But before I could leave this accursed place, I glanced back at the closet, where this all began. My curiosity getting the better of me, I decided to see just what the Shadow Ogre was up to.

I mean, unless he was making a trip to the spank bank, there had to be a reason he was in there right? Although, considering what was in the bedroom upstairs, maybe I don't want to know.

Too late! I'm already here. Looking inside the closet, I could see absolutely nothing. I mean, I might as well be on the corner of diddly and squat. It was just an empty closet. Does that mean the ogre was just trying to jack it private, before heading up to the bedroom and doing god knows what?

That doesn't make any sense. Why would he bother getting off beforehand? No, there had to be another reason he was in here. My gamer senses were tingling.

Maybe there's a secret room or something? But what if it's a creepy sex dungeon? I'm not sure my poor heart could take such a thing. But if it is a dungeon of the sex variety, they may have some kinky loot to find.

I looked around the small space, looking for anything that might tip me off. And wouldn't you know it, there was a smudge mark on the far wall. Like someone placed their dirty little ogre hands all over it.

And now I have to touch it… Gross.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I just had to nut up and fondle the wall. How hard can that be?

"Oh god, why is it moist?" I whined as I touched the smudge spot. With a grimace on my face, I pushed against the spot and lo and behold, it was a secret switch.

Hearing a clicking sound, the wall to my right began to slide open, revealing a hole in the floor with a ladder leading down.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"