CHAPTER 160: EMPOWERING MINIONS

A few minutes before the start of the event...

Gabriel hadn’t had a night’s sleep. However, he didn’t sleep to feel refreshed or regenerate his mana points. Just staying idle already did the trick.

Rising from his seated position, he stretched, the sound of his bones cracking as a result of maintaining the same posture for too long.

Afterwards, he slowly made his way to where the others were.

The members of the Adventurer group were already gearing up and preparing to head further into the wilderness.

"Tsk."

Gabriel heard someone click their tongue and looked toward the sound, only to find Brunt glaring at him.

He didn’t know the reason for the animosity, and he didn’t care. As long as they didn’t hinder his goal or cross his path, everyone was free to hate and be jealous.

Just then, he looked to the side and noticed that the players were slowly materializing back into the game world.

Ragnarok99 was the first to appear, followed by BrawlerX, Bunny, and Sniperbowlegend.

They were the only ones who had registered to be part of the Adventurer Guild.

Because of their contributions so far, most guild members were already familiar with them and had integrated with them more easily.

"Good day, Sir Broken!" All four of them arrived before Gabriel and made a low bow, their eyes glinting with respect and reverence.

He felt a look of envy come from the side once more. Gabriel didn’t need to look to know who it was.

He shifted his gaze back to the players, gave a simple nod, and then proceeded to use his treasure on them.

Ragnarok99 was now level 33, Sniperbowlegend level 30, BrawlerX level 29, and Bunny level 27.

Gabriel was impressed with their progress. They were leveling up at a fast pace.

He had thought his leveling speed was impressive enough, however the four...

Quickly, he took a look at the player rankings.

[Level Ranking update]

1. Ragnarok99 (LV.33)

2. IceQueen (LV. 32)

3. Sniperbowlegend (LV.30)

4. ChaosCleric (LV.30)

5. BrawlerX (LV. 29)

Seeing IceQueen at number two despite dying several times in his hands and losing levels, he wasn’t really surprised.

’In the past life, she and Ragnarok99 were the ones competing for the top spot,’ he recalled.

She was powerful and made a good guild leader, her only major flaw being that she had chosen to go against Gabriel—whose very existence didn’t make sense.

Thinking about this, Gabriel suddenly remembered he had some treasures gathering dust in his inventory.

’Initially, I planned on giving these treasures away, but with how serious the competition is about to get, I need to arm them properly.’ His gaze swept across the four.

It was time to make it official.

With a serious gleam in his eyes, he held the gazes of all four players. They immediately gulped, feeling an invisible pressure press down on them.

’Why is he looking at us like this?’ BrawlerX thought, feeling his legs wobble.

Being a tanker, his strength stat was one of the highest here, but he felt like an ant before a mountain.

Sweat glistened on Bunny’s face, her eyes filled with confusion. It was only Ragnarok99 and Sniperbowlegend who maintained a calm, serious look.

Right then, Gabriel’s lips slowly parted.

"Do you four wish to follow me from now on?" he asked. "Do note, the path I wish to take isn’t one of comfort and riches, but one of conquest and bloodshed. Your lives would be in constant danger. However, in return, I’ll bring out the best in you and make you as strong as you can be."

This moment felt monumental for all four of them. They had been waiting for this—waiting for Sir Broken to officially announce them as his subordinates.

A wide smile appeared on each of their faces.

Ragnarok99 slammed his fist into his chest and went down on one knee. "I, Ragnarok99, pledge myself to you, Sir Broken! No matter the danger, I’ll fight at your side!" he declared.

"I’m not really good with speeches, but me too," Sniperbowlegend added, smiling calmly.

"Count me in too!" Bunny nodded.

"I’ll shield your path with my life!" BrawlerX said passionately.

Bunny couldn’t help but roll her eyes at how cringe he sounded.

Gabriel had already expected this outcome. From the beginning of the game, he had strategically built himself up as a charismatic, powerful, and benevolent figure—and now he was reaping the benefits of his hard work.

"I have something for you." He retrieved a couple of treasures from his inventory.

Instantly, the eyes of all four lit up.

Gabriel gestured to Sniperbowlegend, who stepped forward. He handed the archer a sleek longbow.

[Phantomshade Longbow (Silver)]

[Description: A sleek longbow that allows the user to fire mana-based arrows infinitely, consuming only a small amount of mana per shot. No physical arrows are needed. It naturally boosts the user’s accuracy and arrow speed.]

[Chapter reference: Chapter 71]

As for Ragnarok99, he gave him his [Synthetic Alloy Knuckles].

When worn, the knuckles were capable of increasing the damage of unarmed strikes by 10%.

With Gabriel’s current strength, they were no longer useful and wouldn’t make a significant difference. Rather, they would be more beneficial for a warrior like Ragnarok99.

As for Bunny, she was given [Shadowstep Lv.1].

[Shadowstep Lv.1]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Description: Enhances movement speed by 10% for 10 seconds and grants +15 Agility during the duration. Cost: 35 MP | Cooldown: 15 seconds]

Gabriel already had [Vicious Pounce] and [Burrow Shift]. Besides, he was confident he could obtain more movement-type skills in the near future.

Last but not least, he gave the sturdy [Beastbone Plate] to BrawlerX, completing his build as a tanker.

The four of them held their new treasures like sacred relics. Their expressions shifted from awe to burning determination in seconds.

Sniperbowlegend’s hands trembled slightly as he aimed the Phantomshade Longbow into the air. A faint shimmer of mana gathered, condensing into a glowing arrow. With a twang, it shot forward, piercing a tree trunk and leaving a clean hole through the bark.

Gabriel left his Minions, ahm...subordinates to play with their new toys while he went to find Scarlet.

Right at that moment, when everyone was engrossed with preparations, an announcement blasted through the air.

Booming voices echoed across the wilderness.

"Welcome to the FINAL DAY of the Inter-Guild Display Event! For two days, you have fought, bled, and clawed for supremacy... but today decides the victor!"

The voices roared so loud that even those in the wilderness could hear.

"FINALS START NOW!"