CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31 "VICTOR BARAD"

The crowd ahead dispersed, making way for the man. He was a middle-aged man, with white hair and a matching beard.

His eyes were fixed on the cars as he came with six guards protecting him. When he was close to Ray, he extended his hand, "I’m Victor Barad." He introduced himself with a mysterious aura around him.

Ray nodded and extended his hand, then he moved back, "You can try." Instead of wasting his time, he chose to let the man verify the durability of the car.

However, the man had other things planned, he said, "I’m not here to test or verify." This shocked everyone, including Ray.

"I can confirm the durability of the cars." As the man continued, someone from the crowd recognized the man.

"Wait! Isn’t he one of the Vice-guild masters of the Seven Wonders Guild?"

"Victor Barad! Yes, it’s the name of the Vice-guild master of the Seven Wonders Guild. Is he the same guy?" Someone confirmed the name but was still skeptical about the identity of the man.

Suddenly this became a hot topic of discussion, while Victor offered Ray a deal, "I won’t go around."

Then after a silence, "When I heard about the cars, I was doubtful about such skills. However, now I can confirm it with my own eyes."

"So, work for me. I’ll give you the right treatment and help you develop your skills."

Ray subtly looked at his eyes, which had mysterious irises. He thought, ’This must be his skill!’ but when he heard Victor’s offer, Ray turned his focus towards him.

Seeing Ray’s expressions, the man added, "I know you have your doubts, but this isn’t just an offer from my side; this is an offer to join one of the top 5 guilds in the ruined city, the Seven Wonders Guild."

Victor himself cleared the clouds of doubt about his identity and offered a deal on behalf of the Seven Wonders Guild.

However, without even giving a thought, Ray answered, "In the future, I might think about this, but right now, I don’t wish to join anyone."

With this, he not only made it clear that he might join one of the powers one day but also cleared his current wish not to affiliate with any guilds.

"He rejected!"

The crowd had another topic to waste their time on. They were shocked to see that Ray, the mysterious car dealer, has rejected the offer from one of the five big guilds.

Victor’s eyes remained fixed on Ray, a faint smile playing on his lips. The crowd buzzed with speculation, they whispering in a low voice.

Tusk, Tori, Shawn, and the fourth member of their group exchanged uneasy glances. Their previous death by the hands of Raven guild in brutal encounter after meeting Ray, was still fresh in their memories.

They hadn’t had the chance to ask him about it, and how things ended in his end after they all died but now, another potentially dangerous situation was in front of them.

A single, chilling thought went through all their minds. "Are we going to die again?"

Ray, however, didn’t flinch. From behind his Ony mask, his eyes met Victor’s mysterious ones, silently waiting for Victor to react.

The crowd also held its breath, waiting for Victor’s next move. The silence stretched, longer than anyone expected, until Victor finally let out a small chuckle.

"You know, Ray, this is the first time I’ve met someone like you."

He paused again, a long, drawn-out moment that made the public, and especially Tusk and his group, even more anxious.

Ray didn’t say anything; he just waited for the man to go on.

Then Victor continued, "Well, not that I could force you to join, but don’t you think you and your small team might not be able to handle so much pressure?" His voice got a bit more serious.

"You’re just like other new players who haven’t seen what this world is really like. Do you think you can survive Apex Survival?" His words felt strange, a mix of advice and a hidden threat.

Ray answered, not taking Victor’s hidden threat seriously. "Only the future knows what’s there for me, or whether I’ll survive or quit. But whatever it is, I wish to live my life on my own terms."

The crowd went silent, stunned that the mysterious masked man could still stand strong against the Vice-Guild Master of the Seven Wonders Guild.

Victor smiled, as if he had expected that, but before he could continue, another voice echoed from outside. The newcomer was late, but when he spoke, the public went crazy.

"Thompson Harry!"

"That’s Thompson Harry?"

"No way! The number one player according to the survival reports! Wasn’t he on the outskirts of the ruined city?"

The crowd’s murmur was intense as a young man with a tall build and his team, consisting of three beautiful females and only one other male, entered inside.

Thompson Harry had an athletic frame, with sharp, intelligent eyes.

He wore light, durable armor that hinted at both speed and protection, and a large, intricately designed bow was slung casually across his back.

His team members, equally well-equipped, moved with a practiced ease that spoke of countless battles and shared dangers.

One of the women, with vibrant red hair, carried a staff that pulsed with a faint energy, while another, clad in dark leather, had a collection of gleaming daggers at her hip.

The other male member of their team, bulky and strong, had a massive shield strapped to his back. While the last woman had a crown with pointy ears, which surprised others.

Thompson Harry’s presence was magnetic, instantly drawing attention away from Victor and Ray.

However, he wasn’t the only one attracting attention. The woman beside him with pointy ears also attracted attention.

A wave of shocked murmurs rippled through the crowd. The whispers that had been about Thompson Harry now shifted, filled with a mix of awe and disbelief.

"An Elf?" "Is that really... an Elf?" people whispered, their voices hushed.

Victor, however, was even more stunned. His eyes were wide as he stared at the woman with the pointy ears.

A thoughts raced through his mind "She’s an NPC and an Elf! Did he bring her from the wilderness? But how did he even meet her?"

The rarity of an Elf, in the ruined city was almost beyond comprehension, and only thing he can think of Thompson using his unique skill.