NOVEL NEXT Chapter 197: All Hail Lord Gabriel!
"Aghhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Kairos's painful screams echoed across the entire bandit settlement. His eyes were bloodshot, and intense agony tore through him.
The refugees found a strange pleasure in watching him like this. Instead of pity, they doubled their beating until his body was covered in blood, his HP bar hanging by a thread.
"All of you... my brothers will kill every single o—" he tried to roar, but a violent kick from a large man broke his jaw, leaving him whimpering in pain.
"This is what you deserve for making us suffer!"
"You bastard, you forced yourself on my wife despite her pleading. Eat my fist!"
BrawlerX made some exaggerated 'ouch' expressions, but Ragnarok99, Bunny, and Anna only watched with cold faces.
While observing, Gabriel felt a light tug on his arm. Glancing down, he saw the petite figure of Lina staring up at him.
"You… you saved us," she said in a tiny but clear voice. "Thank you… thank you, mister." She gave a little curtsy, as if he were a noble. It was perhaps the only way she knew to show respect and gratitude.
Gabriel's hardened expression softened for the first time that day. He went down on one knee to look Lina in the eyes, bringing himself to her level. With a calloused but gentle hand, he wiped a tear and a streak of dirt from her cheek.
"I told you that you were right about me, didn't I?" he said quietly, giving her a small, warm smile. "Your gut knew I wasn't like those bad men."
Lina nodded vigorously, a few more tears spilling forth – but these were happy tears. Impulsively, she threw her thin arms around his neck and hugged him.
He remained like this for a while, and his mind couldn't help but briefly wander to his brother, who had yet to log into the game.
Some time later, Gabriel pulled back. Noticing that things were becoming more violent and degrading by the second, he pulled Lina close and covered her eyes.
"No! I want to see him!" she protested, trying to pry open his arms.
"There's nothing left for you to see. The big man has been dealt with," Gabriel advised.
"B-but he—"
"Shhh." He whispered softly, stroking her head.
Sooner or later, she would be exposed to the cruel world, but for now, he still wanted to preserve her innocence.
Minutes later, he raised a hand, signaling the refugees to stop. They obeyed immediately, spitting on Kairos before stepping back.
"Take care of her," Gabriel said, gesturing to Anna standing on his left.
"Yes, master." She nodded and took the little girl away from the camp square.
Once Lina was gone, Gabriel approached Kairos. As he drew closer, he heard the bandit muttering under his breath, still pleading.
Without another word, Gabriel placed a hand on his head. The bandit's eyes widened as flashbacks of Bai Young's fate rushed through his mind.
Even if he wanted to, he couldn't escape from this red-haired demon. The only thing he could hope for was for his brothers to find this man and slaughter him.
Before the stunned and angry gazes of the refugees, Kairos's body began to harden and crack.
The decay spread at an alarming pace, unlike the slow death Bai Young had endured. This was because Kairos was a relatively low level.
In a matter of minutes, the former bandit lord was reduced to dust.
There was no need to attempt an extraction—Gabriel was certain the man wouldn't yield any groundbreaking treasures or skills.
If anything, he felt satisfied to have gotten rid of trash that was only occupying space in the world.
The square fell silent, everyone simply watching him.
Now that the boss was gone, what would happen to them?
Gabriel didn't address the crowd immediately. Instead, his attention shifted to the screen.
[Ding! You have completed the first stage of Quest: Territory Control!]
He wasn't the only one to receive the notification—the four players received the same message.
[Successfully hold this territory for seventy-two hours to fully gain territorial control rights.]
"72 hours, huh." He muttered under his breath. That was roughly three days.
What was the worst that could happen in three days? He smirked. Of course, he knew plenty could happen, but he doubted another bandit group would attack so soon.
Although Kairos was a weakling, thanks to Bai Young's efforts, they had already cleared out the surrounding bandits.
The Eastern camp was far from here. It would take several hours to reach, and he was sure they wouldn't make a move anytime soon.
Regardless, he kept his guard up. Confident, arrogant, and prideful though he was, Gabriel was also cautious.
He turned to the crowd, who were staring at him with eager expressions, as if asking what came next.
Clearing his throat, he swept his gaze over them.
"My name is Gabriel Reyes," he began. "As you can see, the tyrannical bandits are no more. You'll no longer be hurt or mistreated. This place is now under my control! It will serve as the base for my new guild!"
"That means it will no longer be a bandit camp, but a safe haven. I intend to rebuild it. Those who have suffered here will have a home, under my protection."
A stunned silence fell before, one by one, voices rose until they all spoke at once.
"We will follow you, Lord Gabriel!"
"You've given us our lives back. If you'll have us, we'll work this land for you, fight for you—whatever you need."
"All hail Lord Gabriel!"
"Long live Lord Gabriel!"
"We'll fight for you!"
Soon the scattered shouts merged into a thunderous chant.
"Lord Gabriel! Lord Gabriel! Lord Gabriel!"
Ragnarok99, Bunny, SniperBowLegend, BrawlerX, and Anna smiled as they watched the scene unfold.
Despite hearing so many people chant his name, Gabriel's expression remained indifferent. There was no need to get excited just yet—there was still work to do.
At that moment, a chime echoed in his head, and a blue screen popped up before him.
[You have successfully completed a hidden quest.]
"A hidden quest?"
***
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