CHAPTER 175: WINNERS

"It’s only 20 minutes left until the end of this year’s Inter-Guild Display Event, and the Adventurer Guild is still leading!" The announcer’s voice rang out.

"Will there be a miracle in these dying minutes?"

The countdown ticked away gradually. For the supporters of the Adventurer Guild, every second felt painstakingly slow.

But for their rivals, it was fast—too fast.

Those supporting the Holy Church had already given up, burying their heads in shame.

They knew that with their trump card summon destroyed and the High Cardinal writhing on the ground, there was no way for a comeback!

Naturally, all their anger was directed at one person.

The one watching Alofonso suffer with a bored gaze.

Gabriel didn’t know it, but with his disrespectful words and actions he had successfully triggered every single member of the Holy Church.

Not that he minded though—he was certain their relationship had been heading down the wrong path since their very first encounter.

Back in the wilderness, Gabriel calmly watched the countdown tick by while reflecting on the fight.

It was thanks to his opponent being distracted by the witch—as the players referred to her—that he was able to gain the upper hand.

If it had been one-on-one, Gabriel was confident he would still win, but he knew he wouldn’t have left unscathed.

While he waited, he swept his gaze across the battlefield and noticed Jack Arfield struggling.

Just behind, Anna, Alice, and Sophie were engaging the witch in a fight.

It was clear that even with their combined strength they weren’t enough to contain her, but they managed to keep her occupied for the time being.

On Scarlet’s side, Jack wore a tight frown as he parried with his golden spear. His gaze wavered, and restlessness filled his eyes.

"You got lucky, Scarlet," Jack mumbled under his breath as he distanced himself.

Scarlet used that brief moment to catch her breath.

Right then, the timer reached zero!

And a server-wide announcement blasted through the skies.

[Ding! The Inter-Guild Display Event has officially come to an end!]

Following that, another announcement detailed the final rankings.

[Inter-Guild Display Event Final Ranking]

1. Adventurer Guild - 7,800

2. Martial Palace - 5,000

3. Olympus Guild - 3,000

"Ladies and gentlemen, it’s official—the winners of this year’s Inter-Guild Display Event are the Adventurer Guild!" At those words, all the viewing centers erupted into thunderous roars that shook their cities.

---

"Dammit, dammit!" In the real world, IceQueen crushed the wine glass in her grip when she saw the result.

"Bunch of useless NPCs! He’s just one man, why is it so difficult for them to get rid of him?!"

"Maybe he’s the main character of the game." Jayden, calmly sipping his coffee, commented from the side.

IceQueen didn’t reply, simply staring daggers at the screen—especially at the red-haired youth hogging all the attention.

"Ever heard the phrase ’join them if you can’t beat them’?" Jayden suddenly asked.

"Never," IceQueen retorted coldly. "The game hasn’t even reached a month, and yet I’ve been completely humiliated by him. You think I’ll bury the hatchet just like that?"

"Just saying." Jayden shrugged, as if it didn’t concern him. "It’s your choice anyway, but if I were you, I’d try to get close to someone like him and learn a few things."

Then he added in a barely audible voice, "Especially that movement technique he used against Crimson Star..."

---

Back in the wilderness, the fighting ceased, and Gabriel exhaled in relief.

The members of Olympus Guild and the Holy Church wore twisted frowns, as if they had swallowed bitter pills.

None of them—including the spectators—had expected the Adventurer Guild, a public guild mostly funded by the king, to snatch first place.

If any other guild had won, the anger and shame would have been easier to accept.

Suddenly, no one knew who started it, but chants began to rise from the adventurers present.

"Gabriel Reyes!"

"Gabriel Reyes!"

"Gabriel Reyes!"

The adventurers and players roared in unison, raising their weapons into the air.

Gabriel’s lips twitched when he heard the chants, threatening to break his cold exterior.

"Stop the act, I know you like it." Alice chuckled, stepping up to him.

"Yes, Master," Anna chimed in. "Your contribution to our victory is undeniable!"

Suddenly, while they were speaking, everyone sensed a foreign presence. Their attention snapped toward that direction just in time to see a group of people with Asian features, along with hundreds of otherworlders, approaching.

"I came late to the party. Such a shame," Liang sighed, sweeping his gaze across the battlefield.

He had been confident that Martial Palace would claim the win—until he saw the Adventurer Guild skyrocket past them!

Since there were no more monsters left, he had quickly rushed to where the fighting had been the fiercest.

Liang clenched his fist. "We had been so close."

Beside him, Evelyn sighed as well. "There’s no use thinking about it. Let’s just leave... I’m sure the patriarch will understand."

The vice leader of Martial Palace nodded and was about to depart when he spotted the handsome red-haired youth.

And then he began to approach him with calm, deliberate steps.

"What is he doing?"

"Why is he heading toward Sir Broken?"

Rustle! Rustle!

The wind blew through the wilderness, as if acknowledging the presence of two monstrous beings.

From the side, Jack and Aria watched curiously to see what would happen.

Sensing the tension in the air, Scarlet stepped up beside Gabriel. It was her way of showing that he was a member of her guild and she wouldn’t let Liang touch even a hair on him.

Despite the intense pressure Liang gave off—and his overwhelming level of 150—Gabriel remained calm. So calm that it was almost alarming.

Finally, Liang arrived before him. A brief gleam of surprise flickered across his eyes as he thought secretly, ’Just level 50... he’s not even Hero Rank yet?’

With the feats Gabriel had accomplished, at least from what he had heard from otherworlders, he expected him to be Hero Rank by now.

This only made Liang even more intrigued and fascinated. He displayed a light, harmless smile. "So you’re the one the otherworlders call Sir Broken... My name is Liang Tian. Whenever you come to Tianlan, look me up."

Gabriel nodded at him, not sensing any ill intent. He shook Liang’s outstretched hand. "I’ll keep that in mind," he replied.

And with that, everyone gradually left the scene. Aria shot one last glare at Gabriel before leaving alongside Jack.

Just like that... the Inter-Guild Display Event had come to an end!

...

End of First Volume: Sir Brokenl