CHAPTER 55: A MONSTER IN HUMAN FLESH [1]

Inside the luxurious mansion, two men stood by the window, looking at the night sky.

The first, known as Neon, was a bald-headed man with piercing green eyes that seemed to hold a touch of madness. He wore a tunic that hugged his slim frame, and in his arms was a staff that gave off a powerful aura.

"How is the situation outside?" Neon spoke.

"We have deployed more men to the front, but..." The servant hesitated.

"But what?"

"It’s unkillable. The monster keeps popping up. Our archers will soon run out of arrows and ammunition," the servant explained. "However, the good thing is that casualties on our side are fewer."

"Deploy more forces to the gate. We must make sure the auction continues uninterrupted," Neon ordered.

"Yes, sir—"

Suddenly, heavy explosions rocked the mansion. The ground trembled, and dust rained from the ceiling as the chandeliers swayed violently.

Just a moment later, a guard rushed into the room, panic written all over his face. "Sir! There’s been a breach! Someone is attacking everyone and advancing toward the auction hall!"

A spark of annoyance flickered in Neon’s eyes.

"First that strange beast attack, now this... this is definitely not a coincidence!" He growled. "Send the special combat unit. If he gets past the main hall, I’ll deal with him myself."

"Understood!" The guard nodded with a smirk as he sprinted out.

After the guard left, Neon quickly departed, descending a flight of stairs toward the underground auction hall.

No matter what, he had to ensure the auction proceeded smoothly.

Meanwhile, outside, the battle had become brutal. The ground was dyed red with blood, and a single masked man stood at the center of it all.

Shing! Shing!

Gabriel’s Crimson Judgement flashed in the night sky, and whenever it did, one or two men were cut down in halves.

The guards posed little to no threat, and if he wasn’t constantly reviving Grizzlenaught to keep the defenders on the walls distracted, he would have long since gotten rid of them.

In his eyes, they were nothing but ants.

"You fucking bastard!" a beautiful swordswoman shouted in rage. "That’s my husband you killed like th—"

Shing!

Gabriel didn’t let her finish before cutting her apart. "You both would make a perfect couple in the afterlife."

"Dammit, guys, be careful! He doesn’t have any compassion for human life!" a man warned loudly as he stepped back.

It felt like fighting a monster. Gabriel killed without hesitation and in the most gruesome manner. Even the man—who had killed many before—felt shaken.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Suddenly, from the rear, a series of loud gunshots echoed. Gabriel had no choice but to activate Carapace Skin on his wrist to block the bullets while running in a zigzag.

CLANG!

Each time he parried a bullet, a sharp clang echoed, irritating the gunslinger. His opponent was as slippery as a fish in water.

The gunslinger profession was rare; few had access to it, but those who did were capable of killing several Awakened if they had high-tier guns.

Gabriel knew this. Even he wasn’t completely safe. Fortunately, he already had a plan. Mid-run, he suddenly stopped and activated Burrow Shift.

"Huh? Where did he go?" The gunslinger frowned.

The next moment, Gabriel popped out just a few meters in front of him.

"Shit!" He tried to pull the trigger.

Shing!

The gunslinger saw his own head flying in the air before thudding to the ground, his disbelieving eyes still shining.

After dealing with the guards, Gabriel walked toward the gunslinger’s corpse.

"Extract!"

[Ding! You have extracted +2 Perception]

Finished with that corpse, Gabriel moved to the others.

[Ding! You have extracted Blue Flower]

[Ding! You have extracted Stamina Herb]

After completing the extractions, Gabriel stepped into the mansion’s hallway.

He had barely taken a few steps when he heard footsteps ahead. Three individuals appeared—two men and a girl wielding thick chains.

One of the men carried a greatsword, while the other had a staff in his arms.

"And I thought Neon summoned me for someone actually important," the woman with the chains said with a smirk.

"Tsk, stay back. Let me handle this clown." The man with the greatsword smirked. "If I get rid of him in five seconds, you’re mine for the night, Anna!"

"Tsk, you wish!" The chain-wielding beauty smirked.

"Guys, be careful," the mage warned. There was something about this opponent that sent alarm bells ringing in his head.

"Bastard, quit looking at me like that!" The warrior shouted, stomping forward as his body shot forward in a blur.

"Tsk." Gabriel clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Let’s see how strong you really are, bandit."

At the same time, he moved from his spot.

BANG!

The mage’s eyes widened as a spiderweb-like crater spread out from where Gabriel had been standing.

"Damn, they underestimated him!" He panicked inwardly, but it was too late.

The two clashed in the middle, sending an unspeakable shockwave rippling through the hall.

Gabriel’s sword was already pressing down on the warrior’s greatsword, the impact cracking the floor beneath them.

But it didn’t stop there.

"Ghhk—!!" The warrior’s eyes trembled violently. His body began to twitch unnaturally as if something inside him was breaking.

It wasn’t just the force of the attack—it felt like his insides were twisting apart.

His bones creaked. His muscles spasmed.

"Urgh... Wh-what the hell is this strength?!" He tried to push Gabriel back, but it was like pushing against a mountain. His breath hitched, his grip loosened—and then—

BANG!!

His body was sent flying, slamming violently into the wall like a ragdoll.

CRACK!

The wall split from the impact, web-like cracks spreading instantly.

Dust rained from the ceiling.

The mage’s face went pale. He rushed over, his staff clattering to the floor as he dropped to his knees beside the collapsed warrior.

"Hey! Hey! Are you alright?!" He shook him, but there was no response.

Suddenly, the warrior’s body convulsed, and his eyes rolled back.

"Damn it, he’s paralyzed! He can’t move!" The mage gritted his teeth, panic rising in his chest.

"What...?" Anna’s playful expression froze, her grip tightening around her chains.

’He paralyzed him with a single exchange?’

The mage looked up at Gabriel in disbelief, his lips trembling. "He... he crushed his nerves with raw force... how is that even possible?"

Gabriel casually dusted his shoulder and sighed, as if what just happened was trivial. He then said coldly, "One down."