Endless Extraction in a Game-Like World

Chapter 288: Troublemakers and Bait

Caelus quietly looked at the gathering crowd, his expression calm as he observed the scene unfolding before him.

Several players were shouting while others complained loudly, their voices rising above the normal bustle of Genesis Town.

At first glance it looked like a normal protest.

But after watching for only a few seconds Caelus noticed something strange, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied their movements.

Their anger looked rehearsed, several people repeated almost identical complaints as though reading from the same script.

A few glanced toward each other before speaking, almost as though waiting for their turn to perform.

Some weren’t even looking at Caelus.

Instead they constantly glanced toward people recording nearby, their eyes flicking between the crowd and the devices held at various angles around the plaza.

At that moment Freya’s earlier warning resurfaced inside his mind, the memory of her voice carrying genuine concern through the phone.

People were moving against Genesis.

Someone or some people wanted this town to fall.

His eyes quietly swept across the surroundings, taking in every detail without letting his expression change. Sure enough there were several players holding recording devices from different angles, positioned too perfectly to be coincidental.

"They’re waiting for a reaction," Caelus thought calmly while watching the performance continue. "If I lose my temper they’ll have exactly what they came for."

Beside him Sylvia narrowed her beautiful crimson eyes, her gaze cold as she observed the same details he had noticed.

She quietly leaned closer and whispered, "They’re doing it on purpose."

Caelus nodded slightly. "I know."

Caelus slowly walked toward the group, his footsteps unhurried as the crowd’s attention shifted entirely onto him.

The shouting gradually stopped as everyone realized the Town Lord himself had appeared, a tense silence spreading through the gathered players.

One of the players immediately stepped forward, his voice deliberately loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

"So it’s you, Caelus Kross." A mocking grin spread across his face as he looked Caelus up and down. "What, are you going to beat us up too? Just like everyone else that disagreed with you?"

Several nearby players immediately raised their recording devices, the lenses catching every angle of the confrontation.

The crowd collectively held its breath.

Everyone waited for Caelus to explode.

Instead Caelus smiled, a calm and friendly smile that threw everyone completely off balance.

"No, I don’t have any reason to do that."

The man visibly froze, his prepared speech dying in his throat. That wasn’t the answer he had prepared for.

Caelus slowly looked around at everyone recording, his gaze moving across each device without a hint of concern.

Then he spoke loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear.

"If anyone genuinely wishes to leave Genesis you are free to do so, I won’t stop you."

The crowd murmured in confusion, even the provocateurs looked surprised by his words.

Caelus continued without pause.

"Genesis isn’t a prison and no one is forced to stay, but if you leave don’t expect to come back. I will never allow you to come back, I consider stuff like this as betrayal and my poor heart can’t take it." His smile remained unchanged as he spread his hands casually. "I’ll respect your decision, so please think carefully."

The provocateurs looked at one another with barely concealed frustration, that wasn’t how this was supposed to go.

One finally gritted his teeth, his face twisted with poorly hidden anger.

"Fine, we’re leaving."

One after another several of them dramatically turned around and walked toward the town exit, their movements stiff with frustration at the failed provocation.

Caelus never stopped them.

He simply watched with that same calm smile.

After they left he slowly shifted his gaze toward the people still recording, his expression remaining perfectly relaxed.

"And you, are you leaving too?"

The people holding recording devices visibly stiffened, caught off guard by the direct attention.

One immediately recovered and forced a frown onto his face. "What, you want to chase us out too? So you can keep Genesis all to yourself?"

Caelus chuckled softly at the accusation. "I don’t know, you tell me. If my goal was keeping everything to myself why would I merge ten different towns together?"

"You just did it so o you could become an Elite Rank." The recorder immediately replied with confidence

A few nearby people nodded in agreement.

Caelus simply smiled again, his tone remaining completely relaxed.

"No, I think you’ve misunderstood me." He tilted his head slightly as he continued. "I became stronger first and the town came afterwards, if all I wanted was Rank I wouldn’t waste my time managing thousands of people. I do it because I care about my fellow players."

He spread his hands casually with an amused expression.

"You might have negative IQ to think like that."

A few spectators couldn’t help laughing at his words, the tension in the air beginning to dissolve.

The recorder’s confidence noticeably dropped, his prepared arguments crumbling against Caelus’s calm demeanor.

He tried speaking again. "But—"

Caelus politely interrupted before he could continue.

"If you truly believe Genesis is terrible you’re free to leave too, I won’t stop you." His smile remained warm despite the dismissal. "But if you’re staying I hope you’ll work on improving your IQ instead."

Silence fell over the plaza.

Nobody replied, the recorders looking at each other with uncertain expressions.

One quietly muttered to his companions, "Let’s go."

Without another word they turned around and left, their footsteps quick as they disappeared into the crowd.

Caelus watched them disappear into the distance, his expression thoughtful as he considered what had just happened.

Internally he couldn’t help laughing at the absurdity of it all.

"So that’s how they see me, a violent brute who solves everything with force." He shook his head slightly. "It seems beating David Wilson caused quite the misunderstanding."

He wasn’t offended by the assumption.

If anything that misunderstanding had just exposed several rats hiding inside Genesis, their failed provocation revealing exactly who had been working against the town.

His gaze remained fixed on the direction they left, the smile on his face slowly fading as his thoughts turned more serious.

"Should I follow them?" he murmured quietly.