"I need you to create more of these." Gabriel said.
Logan nodded firmly. "You got it, sir! I’ll start right away!"
Gabriel then retrieved his card and handed it over to him. There were more than enough Valerian Dollars in there for Logan to get all the materials he needed.
After taking the card, he didn’t waste any time and sprinted toward the exit of the dungeon.
When Logan vanished beyond the glowing trees, the jungle fell silent again.
Gabriel took a deep breath and looked at the remaining monkeys that had begun to surround him, their eyes glowing with anger.
One monkey howled and leapt forward, hurling a fireball. Gabriel sidestepped easily and fired once. The creature’s chest exploded, and it slammed into a tree.
Three more came from the side, but he crouched and swung the turret like a club, smashing two of them before finishing the last one with a burst shot.
As he moved deeper, the monkey attacks intensified. Dozens appeared from the treetops, all howling and screeching. Gabriel crouched low, eyes gleaming coldly. He poured a larger amount of mana into the weapon.
"Let’s see how far you can go."
The barrel began to glow white-hot, vibrating under his grip. When he pulled the trigger, the entire jungle lit up.
BOOM!
A fiery explosion spread outward, incinerating everything in a ten-meter radius. The air shimmered with heat, and smoke rose up.
Naturally, the kills were not enough to level him up, but they gave decent experience points.
He wasn’t really doing it for the experience points — he was simply trying to test the weapon’s limit before distributing them to the gunslingers back at his camp.
"Because of their class, it would be more powerful and effective in their hands," he mumbled to himself.
As he turned to leave the area, faint voices approached.
"Hey, you see that light just now?"
"Yeah, sounded like an explosion!"
A small group of five players emerged from the brush. Their armor gleamed silver, and their usernames floated above their heads in bright blue.
They spotted Gabriel standing casually amid the smoking remains of monkeys and exchanged puzzled looks.
"Wait... threat level zero?" the archer muttered. "How the hell is he in here?"
The swordsman beside him sneered. "Must be some noob NPC. Look at that weapon he’s holding — that thing looks expensive as hell."
"Think we can sell it?" another asked, licking his lips.
"Easily. Maybe to the ChaosKnight Guild or at the auction. Bet it’s worth a few thousand."
Gabriel’s expression didn’t change. He could already tell what they were thinking.
They began spreading out, surrounding him slowly.
The leader stepped forward, flashing a fake smile. "Hey, buddy. Nice toy you’ve got there. Mind if we take a look?" he asked.
Gabriel remained silent.
"C’mon, don’t be shy," the archer said, drawing his bow halfway. "We just wanna inspect it."
One of them laughed crudely. "Maybe the NPC will even thank us when we sell it for him."
They took another step forward.
Gabriel finally lifted his head. His voice was calm, almost gentle. "You shouldn’t have done that."
"Huh?"
Before they could react, the turret gun hummed again. A crimson glow built up along the barrel, the mana compression reaching its limit.
RATATATATAT!
Bullets ripped through the clearing. The archer went down instantly, chest perforated. The swordsman tried to charge, but his blade melted in midair as a fiery round hit his hand. Another player screamed as his shoulder exploded, his body scattering and turning into glowing fragments.
The leader froze in terror. "W-wait! Stop! We’re players! You can’t—"
Gabriel pulled the trigger once more.
BOOM!
The explosion swallowed him whole. When the smoke cleared, the only thing left was glowing data fragments.
[You have killed Player: NeoBlade]
[You have killed Player: Arvis]
[You have killed Player: Roach]
[You have killed Player: Rinah]
[You have killed Player: Teal]
[You gained: 5 Chaos Essence Fragments]
Gabriel lowered the weapon but didn’t leave immediately. He deliberately waited on that spot. He planned to hunt down more before leaving the dungeon. He was sure the players would definitely try to challenge him again, so he decided to deal with them once and for all.
Some time later, five blue silhouettes blinked into existence one after another between the trees — the same players from moments ago. Rage twisted their faces.
"Found him!" the archer snarled the instant his body solidified. "He’s still here!"
The swordsman’s eyes were bloodshot. "Kill him. Take the gun."
They charged without thinking.
Gabriel didn’t bother answering. He tilted the barrel slightly and pulled the trigger.
RATATATAT!
[You have killed Player: NeoBlade]
[You have killed Player: Rinah]
[You have killed Player: Roach]
[You have killed Player: Arvis]
[You have killed Player: Teal]
A new sound rose almost immediately — angry voices overlapping like a bad chorus.
"Again! Where is he?—this way!"
"He’s camping us—report! Report!"
Blue light flickered again a little farther back. More respawns. Same faces. Same rage.
They came back with the same plan.
They died with the same result.
The forest’s rhythm settled into a strange loop — rustle, respawn, rush, burst-fire, silence.
By the fifth wipe, their shouts were hoarse and panicked.
"This isn’t normal—he’s cheating—"
"He’s an NPC, right? Why is he allowed to—"
"Shut up and spread out! Go wide!"
They tried going wide. They tried smoke bombs. The archer tried a flash arrow. The healer tried a cleanse aura mid-charge.
RATATATAT. BOOM!
After the sixth wipe, Gabriel received a message through his system. It was from Logan, whom he had earlier exchanged contacts with during the ride in the Kelsa truck.
Because his system was both that of an NPC and a player, he could add players as friends — though he rarely used it.
[Logan]: Sir Broken! I’m out. Materials secured. I found all the materials. Prices were brutal, but I used the card like you said.
[Gabriel]: Good. How many units can you craft today?
[Logan]: Five rifles like the one you’re holding — maybe three if I push — and one turret.
[Gabriel]: Alright. Get to work quickly.
[Logan]: Got it. I’ll set up at Edgar’s. Wish me luck!
As soon as the message ended, respawn lights flashed again, and the same five faces appeared once more, their eyes clouded with intense hatred.
Gabriel raised a brow; he sensed more presences emerging from the forest.
’It seems they’ve called more of their friends.’ A sharp gleam flashed across his eyes.