CHAPTER 188: ARISE!

Lina pressed her lips into a tight frown before continuing.

"The boss said I wasn’t working hard enough. One day I spilled a pot of stew by accident, and the cook hit me. After that... I ran away and hid over here at the edge of camp. They don’t really care what happens to one little girl, I guess, as long as I don’t steal their food. So I keep my head down. I do odd jobs when I can, for some of the nicer folks here, just to get scraps."

Ragnarok99 cursed under his breath, while BrawlerX looked like he wanted to punch something again.

Anna and Bunny trembled, barely able to contain the anger boiling within them.

A child like Lina should have been in school or playing with friends, not struggling to survive under the thumb of thugs.

"I’m sorry about your parents," Gabriel said quietly. "You deserved better than this."

Lina gave a little shrug, though her eyes shone with emotions she tried to suppress.

"Lots of us lost our families. The world ended for everyone, not just me." She looked down, fiddling with a loose thread on the blanket. "At least I’m still alive. Some kids got taken by the bandits to... to work in other places, or worse. I heard rumors that the boss..." She trailed off, her small hands trembling slightly.

Gabriel reached out and gently placed a hand over hers to still the shaking.

"You don’t have to say any more if you don’t want to. It’s okay," he assured her. He kept his voice calm, but inside he was boiling. Whatever the boss of this camp had done—whatever "worse" meant for those children—Gabriel feared the answer. It only solidified his resolve to put an end to this place and the man at its helm.

After a few moments of heavy silence, broken only by the distant crackle of fires and the muffled chaos of the camp beyond, Bunny cleared her throat. She reached inside her jacket and pulled out a small, wrapped object.

"Hey, Lina," she said, almost embarrassed by her own kindness. "I, uh, have something. It’s not a big deal, but... here."

She handed over the object. Lina took it curiously, peeling back the waxed paper wrapping. Her eyes widened when she saw what was inside—a slightly squashed but perfectly good chocolate bar.

"Chocolate...," she breathed, scarcely above a whisper. It had clearly been a long time since she’d seen such a treat. "Where did you...?"

Bunny flashed a sheepish smile, avoiding her astonished gaze. "Heh, I have a bit of a sweet tooth. I always carry one or two. Figured now’s a good time to share." She glanced at Gabriel, who gave her an approving nod—breaking cover to share a luxury like this was worth it.

"Go on, take a bite," BrawlerX encouraged with a smile. "You earned a treat for helping us."

Lina didn’t need to be told twice. She carefully broke the bar into pieces. Instead of devouring it all herself, as one might expect a starving child to do, she held out pieces to each of them.

"We share, remember?" she said, echoing Gabriel’s words from earlier.

A lump formed in Gabriel’s throat at her generosity. They each took a small piece and popped it into their mouths, but he watched Lina as she nibbled on hers. The way her eyes lit up and a genuine smile spread across her dirty face was like seeing a tiny ray of light in a world of darkness—a brief moment of pure joy amid the misery.

"That’s the best thing I’ve tasted in... forever," Lina sighed happily.

By now, the roasted yams were done. She carefully pulled them from the coals with a scrap of cloth to protect her fingers. The tubers were small, each about the size of a child’s fist, and slightly burnt.

She cracked one open, and a thin wisp of steam escaped. Dividing the meager portions, she gave each of the men one and kept one for herself. There were only a few yams in total, and Gabriel suspected she had planned to save some for the next day. Yet she offered them freely.

Despite the spices, the yam was tough and bland, but to Gabriel it might as well have been a feast given how long it had been since their last proper meal. They ate in relative silence, mindful that speaking too loudly could attract unwanted attention.

Outside the lean-to, the sounds of the settlement continued unabated. Drunken shouts and coarse laughter echoed from the bandits’ central bonfire. Closer by, someone was retching—perhaps a sick refugee, or maybe just someone who had eaten spoiled rations. A baby wailed briefly before being hushed by a panicked mother. Every sound told a story of suffering.

As they finished eating, Gabriel insisted Lina take the last piece of yam left in the communal bowl.

"For tomorrow," he said, pressing it into her small hands. "Never start the day on an empty stomach if you can help it."

She nodded and tucked it away for later, gratitude shining in her eyes.

The hour had grown late; smoky twilight had given way to full dark. Only the faint glow of scattered fires and the pale light of a crescent moon illuminated the camp now.

Gabriel shifted, feeling the exhaustion in his limbs. It had been an ordeal just reaching this place and getting inside. Now they had to rest and gather strength for what was to come.

"You all can sleep here," Lina offered softly. It was clear that a good night’s sleep was a scarce luxury for her. "I’ll keep watch for a bit. Sometimes the drunk ones wander and... it’s better if someone is awake."

Gabriel shook his head. "No, Lina. You should rest. We’ll take turns keeping watch, alright? We’re... used to standing guard," he added with a reassuring smile.

She looked relieved. Truthfully, she seemed ready to drop—her eyelids heavy and her thin shoulders sagging now that she was fed and in the relative safety of her little sanctuary.

"Okay," she relented quietly.

She curled up on the reed mat without even unfolding her blanket, likely intending to let them use it if they needed. In a gentle motion, Anna took the blanket and draped it over Lina’s small form instead. The girl was already half-asleep, murmuring a drowsy "...thank you..." before exhaustion claimed her fully. In seconds, she was out, breathing softly in the quiet of the hut.

The group sat in silence for a minute, listening to the little girl’s steady breathing. The playful banter and smiles from earlier had vanished from Gabriel’s face, his eyes now burning with anger.

The others turned to him, as if wanting to ask what the next course of action was.

"You all heard what she said. This place... the things they’ve done..." Gabriel’s voice was low, trembling with rage. "They deserve to suffer a fate far worse than death itself."

BrawlerX’s eyes glinted. "Just say the word, boss. Whether we do it stealthy or loud, I’m ready. I want to make them pay tonight."

Gabriel glanced at the two girls and saw the same determination and fury reflected in their eyes.

He then looked toward the hut entrance, where the voices of bandits arguing carried through the night air. Storming out now in blind fury might satisfy their immediate anger, but it could also get a lot of innocent people killed in the crossfire or any retaliation afterward. They needed a plan, and preferably the element of surprise.

"Not yet," Gabriel murmured. "We will end them, every last one. But we have to be smart. Dawn is only a few hours off. Many of the bandits will be passed out drunk by then. We move at first light, when they’re groggy and least organized."

He had already made up his mind: he would conquer this camp alongside the nearby ones and build his base here, officially starting his guild.

The refugees would play an instrumental part. It was one of the reasons he was so concerned about them being caught in the crossfire.

He looked down at Lina’s sleeping form. The girl was resting more peacefully now than perhaps any time in recent memory, comforted by the presence of people she instinctively felt were good. It was a heavy trust she had placed in them. Gabriel intended to prove her instincts right.

He reached over and gently adjusted the blanket around her shoulder, tucking it snugly to shield her from the night chill. She snuggled unconsciously into the fabric, a tiny, content sigh escaping her lips.

Gabriel proceeded to use the rest of the night to strategize on what to do when dawn arrived.

Time flew by quickly, and before he knew it, the horizon was already blushing with the first streaks of dawn.

He grabbed Crimson Judgement and called out, "Arise, it’s time."

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