Endless Extraction in a Game-Like World-Chapter 28: Beast Tide Invades the Plaza! Becoming the Town Leader
[Event Quest: Safeguard the Town Heart]
[Rules: Do not let the beasts attack the Town Heart. Each attack deals a massive 10 damage, which reduces the HP of the heart by 10 out of 100. Once it reaches zero, the town gets destroyed and the quest fails.]
[Town Heart: 100/100 HP]
"Everyone, gather around! We must protect the town!" Several armored guards raised their weapons as they formed a tight, circular formation around the glowing Town Heart atop the stone fountain.
"Oh, great hero from the outer plains, we shall assist you in this noble cause," spoke an armored guard captain who looked significantly more important than the rest.
"Uh-huh," Caelus nodded with a deep frown.
Were they actually strong enough to kill these fierce beasts?
Of course, the real reason he had this specific thought was not because he genuinely cared about their safety. What if these NPCs actually started stealing his kills and precious extraction targets?
"Everyone, just hold the beasts off for me. I will be the one to eliminate them," Caelus instructed with a dignified, fake cough.
Saying that, he did not waste another second. He immediately bolted down the exact same avenue he had initially used to enter the plaza, shooting straight towards the incoming horde of beasts like a streak of blue lightning.
Caelus’s body blurred into a violent streak of blue electricity as he activated Lightning Step.
The moment he closed the distance with the incoming horde, he did not even bother slowing down. His Epic 1-Star Tempest Dagger flashed under the ambient light of the Domain, its greenish blade with black edges leaving a deadly trail in the air.
Swish! Slash!
He effortlessly weaved through the first wave of beasts. The moment his blade cleanly severed a Purple Vicious Rodent’s thick neck, he seamlessly placed his free hand directly onto its falling corpse.
[System: You have received +29 Iron EXP, 15 Origin Credits.]
The horde was massive, but Caelus was incredibly fast. He moved with absolute precision, strictly relying on his C-Rank Dexterity to flawlessly dodge incoming lunges from the Saber-Toothed Tigers.
"Let’s test this out," Caelus shouted.
He stretched his hands forward and activated his newly merged D-Rank Talent. Weapon Light Barrage!
Instantly, 15 Mana drained from his pool. A continuous, devastating barrage of manifested weapon light erupted from his palms. The glowing projectiles perfectly mimicked the physical sharpness of a saber, tearing through the air like a localized storm of blades.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The barrage ruthlessly shredded the frontline of charging beasts. The Saber-Toothed Tigers did not even have time to unleash their own Saber Light before they were completely cut down.
[System: You have killed a Saber-Toothed Tiger.]
[System: You have received +25 Iron EXP, 15 Origin Credits.]
[System: Extraction Successful...]
[System: You have received 10kg of Tiger Meat.]
He smoothly danced through the chaotic battlefield, his dagger constantly finding weak points while his passive Lightning Domain actively kept the smaller rodents completely stunned.
----
Two hours passed by rapidly.
And by now he had already levelled up to level 3.
[System: You have successfully leveled up.]
[Level: 2 -> 3]
[Combat Score: 15.75 -> 17.75]
The once clean cobblestone streets leading to the town plaza were now completely littered with countless beast corpses.
Caelus’s breathing was heavy, and he was entirely drenched in sweat, but a wide, satisfied grin was plastered across his face. He had effectively created a massive chokepoint, utterly preventing any of the beasts from even reaching the central plaza where the guards were heavily stationed.
Slash!
He violently kicked a Saber-Toothed Tiger away and cleanly severed its head with a sharp, terrifying wave of Weapon Manifestation energy.
[System: You have killed a Saber-Toothed Tiger.]
[System: You have received +12 Iron EXP, 15 Origin Credits.]
[System: You have killed a Purple Vicious Rodent.]
[System: You have received +14 Iron EXP, 15 Origin Credits.]
[Level: 3 (281/800)]
"Finally," Caelus exhaled deeply, wiping a thick layer of grime from his forehead.
The experience gained from the Saber-Toothed Tigers and the rodents had severely diminished over the past two hours due to constant grinding, dropping to 12 EXP and 15 EXP respectively. But it was entirely worth it. Reaching Level 3 effectively secured his absolute dominance in Server 513.
Back in the central plaza, the heavily armored guards stood completely dumbfounded. They hadn’t even swung their weapons once.
"Is... is this the true power of a hero from the outer plains?" the guard captain mumbled, his eyes wide as he watched Caelus single-handedly decimate the remaining stragglers with terrifying efficiency.
"He hasn’t taken a single step back," another guard whispered in genuine awe. "His stamina and raw power are incredible."
They simply watched from afar, because at this point, they didn’t even need to do anything.
Not only had the monsters not even come close to the Town Heart, they were chopped down like trees before they could even breach its five-meter radius.
Boom!
With one final Compressed Lightning Shot, Caelus instantly vaporized the last three Purple Vicious Rodents that foolishly tried to flank him.
The heavy, oppressive atmosphere that had choked the town finally dissipated. The chaotic roars of the beasts were completely replaced by the soft crackling of Caelus’s fading Lightning Domain.
The attack had officially ended.
[System: You have successfully defended the Town Heart.]
[System: The siege has been completely repelled.]
Caelus calmly stored his glowing dagger back into his inventory and slowly turned to face the stunned guards.
"It is over." Caelus slumped to the ground, his legs trembling from sheer exhaustion, a completely speechless look on his face.
He had exceeded his limits, quite honestly. He hadn’t gotten a single moment off to take some rest and eat meat to restore his stamina.
Fighting continuously for two hours, he had without a doubt entered the zone.
The heavily armored guard captain walked up to Caelus, his eyes wide and filled with absolute reverence.
"Great hero from the outer plains, your strength is truly unparalleled," the captain who looked extraordinary compared to others said, dropping to one knee on the blood-soaked cobblestone. "You have saved our home and the Town Heart from certain destruction. We, the people of Maple Town, swear our eternal allegiance to you."
[System: Objective 3 Complete. You have gained the trust of an NPC.]
[System: New Area Quest Complete. You have gained the allegiance of the Maple Town NPCs.]
With the required materials he had gathered earlier from the second area and the absolute loyalty of the town secured, the final pieces of the puzzle clicked perfectly into place. Caelus immediately pulled up his interface and confirmed the cabin upgrade.
[System: Objective 2 Complete. Resources consumed. Cabin has been successfully upgraded to Level 2.]
[System: All objectives for the Quest ’Become the Town Leader’ have been fulfilled.]
Suddenly, a massive, golden light erupted from the digital sky, bathing the entire Newbie Plains in its warm, oppressive glow. A server-wide system notification rang out across the entire Domain, echoing loudly in the minds of every single player currently logged in.
[System Announcement: Congratulations to Player 555 for being the first person to complete the Town Foundation Quest in Server 513!]
[System Announcement: Player 555 is now officially branded as the supreme Town Leader of Server 513!]
[System Announcement: The Beginner Safe Zone will now fall under the absolute jurisdiction and laws of the Town Leader.]
[System: Player 555 has received +5 Reputation Points.]
[System: Reputation Leaderboard has been updated.]
Caelus smiled as he read the glowing golden text hovering in his vision. Becoming a Town Leader meant his status had completely changed. His absolute dominance over Server 513 was now completely set in stone.
