CHAPTER 251: MASS PLAYER KILLING INSIDE THE DUNGEON [3]

"Good. That should lure every bounty hunter, PvPer, and wannabe hero we’ve got," the assistant said, rubbing his temples. "Let the players handle it before this turns into a PR disaster."

Someone from the analytics side whispered, "Sir, the dungeon’s population is already spiking. Thousands are teleporting in."

"Perfect," the assistant replied. "Keep the cameras rolling. If we’re lucky, one of them might actually kill him."

---

Monkey Paradise Dungeon.

Gabriel paused when he saw the announcement. His expression was calm and unreadable, though several thoughts raced through his mind.

’Did I just initiate an event?’

That was the first thought that surfaced in his head. A small, almost imperceptible frown appeared on his face.

Yes—he had triggered an event, or at least that was what the game developers wanted it to look like. In reality, it was another one of their ploys to get rid of him.

’Knowing their advanced equipment, I’m sure they somehow found out I’m the one behind the mask.’

It would be laughable to think people capable of transferring a player’s consciousness into a living, breathing alternate world couldn’t remove a simple mask.

While he stood there, a system prompt flashed before his eyes—it had been a long time since one appeared. Gabriel clicked "Yes," and a message unfolded before him.

---

[Ding! You have received a quest!]

Quest Title: Masked Anomaly

Difficulty: Difficult

Description: Survive and Defeat all incoming waves of players.

Rewards: 500 Extraction Points.

---

Gabriel’s current Extraction Reserve was roughly 120. If he earned an additional 500, that would bring the total to a whopping 620!

At first, part of him had thought all this was a huge waste of time. It was only the petty side of him that wanted to send them all back to the beginner village.

However, now that there was a reward involved...

A wide grin broke across his face. He accepted the quest and turned his gaze toward the cluster of players—what remained of Azure Dawn.

They were in a daze, their attention fixed on the sky displaying the bold announcement.

---

"I’m tripping, or did this NPC just trigger an event?!"

"You’re not tripping! Holy moly!"

"Everyone, go all out! Let’s kill him quickly before more people storm the dungeon!"

The knight had respawned again, his face a mask of determination. Even though he had lost a level from his previous death, his heart was filled with greed.

A hundred thousand Valerian Dollars and five skill scrolls were on the line! The rewards would more than make up for the level loss.

The rest of his guild shared the same sentiment. They spread out and began circling Gabriel in a wide formation, their magic attacks humming with energy.

The surrounding area was riddled with deep craters and shattered trees. The shockwaves from earlier battles had cleared the ground into a desolate field.

Raising his shield, the knight roared like a beast, "Azure Dawn—attack!!!"

---

"Did you see the announcement?"

"Hell yeah! A hundred thousand VD!"

"Forget the money, I’m in for the skill scrolls!"

"If we kill that masked guy, we’re rich!"

Within minutes, the capital had turned into a chaotic marketplace of mercenaries and guild banners. Parties were forming rapidly, each claiming they’d be the ones to take the bounty.

The original inhabitants of the world—the NPCs, as players called them—were confused and curious about why the otherworlders were all rushing in the same direction. Most assumed it was just another strange "otherworlders event" and ignored it. Naturally, some curious NPCs decided to follow and watch.

The path leading to the dungeon became crowded and chaotic. Players weren’t the only ones trying to profit; vendors had already set up stalls, shouting at players to buy potions and equipment.

The guards stationed outside exchanged bewildered looks.

"What the hell’s going on?!"

"Could something be happening inside?"

"It’s definitely not the boss. I just received a report," one of them said.

"Well, it’s not in our power to stop them. Let them in!" the head guard ordered.

Within ten minutes, the dungeon’s population hit two thousand players—all with the same goal: kill one man.

Even those outside the capital were rushing over!

The more skills one possessed, the faster they could climb the rankings. That was the mindset everyone shared.

---

Soon, the first wave of players arrived at the clearing—only to witness an open-field massacre in progress.

"Azure Dawn’s already here!" someone shouted. "They’re in a terrible situation!"

"Fools! Stop staring! Spread out! Don’t let Azure Dawn take the kill!" a small guild leader bellowed as he charged in.

Gabriel watched the sea of players pouring toward him from every direction, their weapons raised and spells blazing.

His expression remained calm—no hint of tension, not even a drop of sweat. He calmly lifted the Hellfire Turret again and spat on the ground, forming a faint ring of flame.

Channeling over 200 MP, he unleashed a massive crimson ring of fire. At the same time, he secretly switched to his Demonic Exorcist class and summoned the Hellfire Ring.

Because both the turret’s crimson blasts and his skill-generated flames looked similar, it became almost impossible for the players—or even the audience watching online—to tell which was which.

---

Back at Developer HQ

The live metrics were exploding.

"Server traffic just quadrupled!"

"Active users broke the weekend record!"

"Engagement’s up 600%! Chat threads are blowing up!"

Then another developer paled. "Sir... you need to see this."

On the monitor, Gabriel was surrounded—hundreds of players swarming through the forest, skills flashing, spells detonating. Dozens of fiery bursts carved through the dense vegetation, and the blast radius expanded, turning the once-green forest into a scorched wasteland.

"HE’S USING THE TURRET IN AREA MODE AGAIN!" the observer screamed.

The turret’s muzzle pulsed.

BOOM!

A shockwave erupted.

Hundreds of players were erased instantly. The console flooded with kill logs.

---

[You have killed Player: XenoKnight]

[You have killed Player: PriestessMika]

[You have killed Player: StormMage22]

[You have killed Player: IronWallRik]

---

The assistant lead developer felt his head pound as he staggered back into his chair, watching everything unfold with a pale expression.

Suddenly, something happened that stunned all the players—and even the developers.