NOVEL NEXT Chapter 207: Familiar Faces
Gabriel saw through what his opponent was trying to do. Although he was confident in defeating Crane, he decided to stop playing around and end the fight.
Meanwhile, Crane's aura exploded outward like a storm, causing refugees on the wall to stagger backward from the sheer force of it. Even Ragnarok99 and BrawlerX felt their knees weaken.
However, whatever this was, it had no effect on Gabriel as he remained standing.
At that moment, he kicked the ground with a thunderous stomp and his body blurred forward.
FWOOOSH! Crane swung his enhanced fist down like a hammer, but Gabriel caught it in one hand. The ground beneath them exploded like shards of stone flying outward.
Then Gabriel lifted him effortlessly, twisting his arm until the bones snapped like dry twigs.
"Aghhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Crane roared at the top of his voice, unable to bear the pain anymore.
Gabriel slammed him into the dirt with such force that a crater formed. The dust rose, and when it cleared, Crane lay broken, his arm twisted unnaturally, his red coat torn to shreds.
Gabriel looked down coldly and spat out, "You're not even worth my blade."
He pressed a foot on Crane's chest. The scar-faced man's eyes widened in terror as Gabriel's weight pressed down. His ribs creaked, threatening to shatter.
"Leave… leave me…" Crane gasped, blood bubbling from his lips. "I… I can serve you…"
Gabriel's eyes narrowed, a glint of ruthlessness flashing through his electric-blue gaze.
"You had your chance the moment you stepped here," he said, then stomped down fiercely, killing the bandit leader.
BANG! CRACK!
The remaining militants froze, their weapons slipping from their hands. The courage drained from their faces as they dropped to their knees one by one.
"Spare us!"
"We surrender!"
"Please, don't kill us!"
Gabriel swept his gaze across them, expression icy cold. The sheer dominance in his eyes made them shudder.
Finally, he spoke. "Throw down your weapons. Join the camp, or leave and never return. The next time I see you, there will be no mercy."
The men scrambled to obey, tossing away their blades, rifles, and mana cannons. Not one dared to argue.
On the walls, the refugees erupted in cheers, letting out a breath of relief as excited whispers erupted from their midst.
"Phew… They're all dead! Hahahaha!"
"He crushed them like insects!"
"We're safe!"
The faith of the survivors in Gabriel solidified once again, and the way they looked at him changed. They had seen his strength before, but tonight, Gabriel wasn't just strong. He was terrifying, domineering, and untouchable.
A few even felt bad that they had doubted him before.
However, they were human—there would always be doubt.
The rest of the night passed without any exciting events, and the next day quickly arrived. Refugees in the camp continued their lives as if nothing had happened.
Inside the mansion, in the large room that once served as the surveillance chamber where Kairos used to watch over the camp, Gabriel sat with Bunny, Sniperbowlegend, Ragnarok99, Amelia, and Anna.
Gabriel lounged lazily on the large center chair reserved for the lord of the camp, quietly observing everything going on.
Finally, he raised his head and looked at his subordinates.
"There are two days left before the completion of the mission," he said. "Afterward, we can officially cloak the camp as ours and make plans for expansion."
Ragnarok99 lifted a hand, and after a subtle nod of approval from Gabriel, he spoke. "Sir Broken, the camp… wouldn't it fall under the Adventurer Guild's control since they're the ones who issued the quest?"
Ragnarok99 wasn't the only one who had thought about this. The others—except Amelia—had the same concern.
Calmly, Gabriel's lips parted as he replied. "The Adventurer Guild has no plans for this camp. It's far from their jurisdiction, which is the Valerian Kingdom. This place is so insignificant that Kairos didn't even bother naming it. The objective was to eliminate the boss of the camp and hold it for seventy-two hours. That's the mission."
"What would happen after seventy-two hours?" Bunny frowned.
"Most likely relocation of all the refugees to the Valerian Kingdom." Gabriel's eyes flashed as he recalled the special effects of the Lord Title. This influx of refugees would certainly increase the strength of the Valerian Kingdom.
After a pause, he added, "As far as they're concerned, this is just wilderness territory. No one will waste resources trying to govern it. That makes it mine. Besides, I'm sure my relationship with the Adventurer Guild is good enough for them to let me claim it."
"Yes, Sir Broken helped them win the Inter-Guild Display Event!" BrawlerX reminded. "If they can't even let him have this camp, then they're just a bunch of ungrateful bastards!"
Sniperbowlegend, usually silent, nodded in agreement. "The vice leader has a good head on her shoulders. I'm sure she knows what to do."
"How is the situation with storage? How long will the food last us?" Gabriel suddenly asked.
"A few days," Amelia replied grimly. "If it were still under Kairos, the food would've lasted two weeks. But now that each refugee has access to two meals a day, the storage is depleting at an alarming rate."
Gabriel leaned back slightly, tapping the armrest of his chair and creating a sharp sound. The atmosphere in the room tightened. Everyone knew food was one of the biggest challenges. A starving camp could crumble faster than any enemy assault.
Amelia quickly raised her hand. "Sir Broken, we could raid supply routes from other camps. When Kairos was in charge, he had convoys running back and forth. Those convoys should still be active, right? If we take them over, we'll have a steady stream."
Gabriel thought about it. These supplies were probably heading toward the Eastern or Northern camps, maybe even a larger settlement in the wilderness.
Targeting them would, without a doubt, make him an enemy. But no ruler was a saint. Gabriel was anything but—if it favored him, he wouldn't mind slaughtering anyone in his path.
"When I return, we'll consider this," Gabriel said suddenly, standing up.
"Return? Is Master going somewhere?" Anna asked, voicing the unspoken question on everyone's mind.
Where could he possibly be heading? What if there was another attack on the camp while he was gone?
"I'm heading to Stellar City. There are still things I need to handle there before leaving the city for good."
Though they wanted to ask what exactly he planned to do, they knew it wasn't appropriate. If he wanted them to know, he would have told them.
"Before I leave," Gabriel paused and looked at the otherworlders, "I have a quest for you."
The moment he said "Quest," wide grins appeared on their faces. Simultaneously, green messages flashed through their retinas.
[Ding! You have received a quest!]
[Title: Protect the Camp!]
[Difficulty: Mid]
[Description: Protect the camp till Sir Broken returns]
[Rewards: Random]
After reading through the description and rewards, Ragnarok99 slammed his chest hard and vowed, "You need not worry. We'll make sure the camp is in perfect condition until you return."
With a nod, Gabriel quickly left the room, Anna rushing after him.
"M-Master!" she called out.
"Stay here with them, Anna. I won't take too long." He replied emotionlessly, not even slowing his stride.
"B-but—" Anna tried to speak.
"I need you to keep those otherworlders in check," he stated. "With you here, I'm sure nothing will happen."
"I…" Anna felt speechless and somewhat emotional hearing this. A gleam of determination flickered through her eyes. "I'll make sure to keep everyone safe until you return."
Hearing this, Gabriel felt puzzled. Why were they all taking this so seriously? He was only leaving for a short time and would be back.
Lost in his thoughts, he arrived at the garage and picked up the Kesla truck they had used earlier.
Hopping inside the vehicle, designed to traverse the wilderness, he started the engine and it roared to life.
Some time later, Gabriel was out in the wilderness. He didn't stop to rest and drove without pause for hours.
He came across a few monsters but never bothered to fight them. Thanks to his treasure, he saw they were only mob-level creatures.
After traveling for a while, Gabriel arrived at the city entrance. Because he had traveled this route frequently and due to his growing popularity, the guards were already familiar with him.
As soon as they sighted him, they opened the gates without demanding the usual fees, granting him easy passage.
Gabriel's first location was the Adventurer Guild, and when he arrived, he spotted strange faces standing in front of the building. The moment they saw him, they began approaching his vehicle… almost as if they knew he was coming.
"These guys…" Gabriel's mind spun. "I remember them… but why are they here this early?"
***
Thanks so much to everyone supporting Extraction Talent with your valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones—I truly appreciate it. Unfortunately, I caught a cold, so there will only be one long chapter today.