NOVEL NEXT Chapter 103: The City Lord's Offer
The announcement was visible to all players present at the scene, and for a moment there was silence. But when the weight of victory settled in, players and NPCs alike erupted into cheers!
"We did it! We killed the boss monster!"
"You stupid fool—Sir Broken killed it!"
"He actually killed a monster 20 levels higher than him!"
Cries and shouts of disbelief echoed from every corner of the battlefield.
On the forums, things were even more heated.
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HolyBlade777: Bro bro bro broooooo!
DeadEyeMage: Hahahaha! For a moment there I thought the Whitebridge players were cooked.
KnightCrashX: That was hella intense! The boss didn't even land a single hit!
ZenZetta: If I were ChaosKnight, I'd cancel that bounty... this man is clearly beyond human.
NeekoSniper: I want to bear his children, no cap!
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Back on the battlefield, Gabriel ignored the sounds of celebration behind him, his eyes fixed on the boss monster's corpse.
He wasn't really looking at the body, though—his focus was on his system screen, which was calculating his rewards for completing the limited-time event.
[Ding! Due to your 73% contribution, you have earned a massive number of experience points!]
[Ding! You have leveled up ×3]
[Ding! You have received +15 Free Stat Points]
Three level-ups in under an hour!
This was the fastest he'd ever leveled in such a short span. It was all thanks to the bonus EXP from assigning quests to players and participating in the event.
'I recall I only leveled up three times after killing the Ant Queen,' he thought.
He was well aware that if he had only killed the slime himself, he wouldn't have gained enough experience to even level up twice.
Behind him, the other players also received large amounts of EXP based on their contribution.
Though minimal compared to his, many low-level players jumped up multiple levels.
As such, the official level rankings were now reshuffled, with most Whitebridge players occupying the top twenty. However, there were no changes in the top five and Ragnarok99 still led.
"Thank you, Sir Broken!"
"Thank you! Without you, we wouldn't have made it!"
Players shouted from afar, but none dared to approach the red-haired man after witnessing what happened to those caught in his shockwave.
Gabriel was satisfied with his gains. He hadn't expected much from this trip.
"Now that I'm 39... just 11 more levels and I'll reach my first class advancement," he mumbled to himself, a small grin forming on his face.
Suddenly, he remembered something, and his gaze settled on the corpse of the Slime Emperor.
Of course, he wasn't planning to leave without using Extraction on it.
But...
'All these eyes.' He frowned.
Anna figured out what her master was thinking with just a glance. She was about to start chasing the players away—until she noticed the soldiers and watchers on the city wall.
In the end, Gabriel decided to discreetly stash fragments of the slime's body in his inventory, planning to extract it somewhere more secluded.
Just then, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw a short, chubby man with a round belly, followed by several knights.
From the man's ornate clothing alone, it was clear he was a noble.
"Thank you, adventurer, for your help," the city lord said, bowing respectfully.
The knights behind him followed suit, showing their gratitude.
Gabriel nodded and responded humbly. "I'm glad I could be of help."
"Please, adventurer, if you don't mind me asking… what guild are you from?" the city lord inquired.
"I'm from the Adventurer Guild—but I'm currently off duty."
"Y-you were off duty and still chose to help, even though you're not a citizen of this town?" The city lord became visibly emotional.
Gabriel resisted the urge to facepalm. How was he supposed to tell this man that he only did it because it was beneficial?
Well… he didn't really need to know the truth.
"It's nothing. As Awakened, we should always help those in need."
Hearing that line, the city lord and his knights looked at Gabriel with newfound admiration.
Even some players nearby who heard him couldn't help but cry inwardly.
'So benevolent!'
'He's perfect!'
'Sigh… why doesn't he have a guild or something?!'
"Please, it would be cruel of me to let you leave just like that. If you don't mind, follow me," the city lord suggested. "I have a reward for you."
A reward?
That was something he'd never turn down.
Gabriel and Anna followed the city lord into Whitebridge City. The city was in even worse condition than Red Fang.
It was the main reason why the soldiers had struggled against a Level 55 boss monster.
If the monster had appeared somewhere like the capital, one or two high-ranking adventurers would've easily taken it down.
'Still, boss monsters were usually more troublesome and had higher HP,' he thought.
That wasn't just a random design choice—it was part of the system's hierarchy.
Boss monsters weren't your average enemies. Even if they shared the same level as standard mobs, their stats were heavily inflated.
A Level 55 Slime Boss might have twenty times the health and triple the damage output of a normal Level 55 monster. Not to mention, they came with complex skill sets, resistances, area-of-effect attacks, and often had multiple phases.
Despite the town's declining state, the city lord's mansion was grand, with numerous workers bustling about.
Gabriel was led to the city lord's office.
The office was large but oddly quiet.
A few nervous maids lingered in the corners. Anna kept a watchful eye—just in case—but Gabriel simply sat calmly on the ornate chair he'd been offered.
The city lord poured him a drink that smelled expensive before clearing his throat.
"I've sent word to prepare a banquet in your honor," Garfield said, now more formal. "But… that's not the real reward I want to offer you."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Garfield hesitated. His eyes flicked toward the door before calling out, "Aurelia… come in."
The doors opened—and in stepped the jade-skinned beauty from earlier. Long flowing hair, modest armor, and flushed cheeks.
She lowered her head slightly, clearly embarrassed.
Gabriel observed her with an unreadable stare.
"I present to you… my daughter, Aurelia," the city lord said with pride. "A noble lady trained in both magic and swordsmanship. She is a virgin, has never been betrothed, and… I wish to offer her hand in marriage to you, Sir Broken."
"…"
"…"
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