Reborn: Earth Online-Chapter 98 99: Savior! Savior! Savior! Savior!

Rafael did not understand, but Kaden definitely did. "Thanks. That was not necessary, but I appreciate your thoughts and effort. You kept things together and did your part. Now it's time to do mine."

Niera's tense face instantly bloomed with a beautiful smile. She hurriedly walked over and stood on Kaden's side, making no effort to hide whose side she was on.

The next instant, the system notification about the challenge promptly arrived.

[Ding! A challenge has been issued for the ownership of the settlement.]

[Ding! A duel between Kaden and Rafael has been formally initiated.]

[Ding! Victory Conditions: The first to incapacitate or force surrender from the opponent wins.]

Kaden sighed as the system prompts flickered in his vision. "There we go," he muttered. "Finally making it official."

Rafael straightened, gripping his sword tightly. Despite his obvious frustration, he had no choice but to follow through now. His men were watching. His pride was at stake.

The people of the settlement started gathering, murmuring among themselves. Some whispered in hushed voices, others looked torn. Kaden could see doubt creeping into the expressions of those who once stood firmly behind Rafael. They weren't sure who to root for anymore.

One of Rafael's men stepped forward as he tried to rally support. "What are you all looking at? The savior is the one who brought weapons for everyone. The savior is the one who erected the wooden pikes on the border to protect us all. You should be supporting him right now."

Another one shouted. "This guy just randomly created a settlement and disappeared. The savior was the one who finished the system requirements and stabilized the settlement. Without him, we would all be dead right now."

"Don't be fooled by the beast corpses. It is all for pomp and show. This guy probably stole some corpses that were lying around here and there and brought it over to save face in front of everyone. This is our chance to build a safe haven. Let's not ruin everything by staying silent now and letting this madman do as he pleases!"

"Savior! Savior! Come on! Say it with me! Savior! Savior!"

Rafael's anxious face turned calm as his supporters chanted his name. He straightened, tightening his grip on his sword, feeding off their energy.

Kaden, on the other hand, looked bored. He let them chant. Let them scream. Let them rally behind their so-called Savior. Then, once their voices had reached their peak, he clapped.

Once.

Twice.

Slow. Deliberate. Loud enough that it cut through the noise.

Kaden smirked. "That was cute," he said lazily. "Really. The whole 'Savior' bit? The chanting? The blind loyalty? Fantastic showmanship." He took a slow step forward, letting his presence sink in.

"But here's the thing—" His smirk dropped, and in its place was something colder. Sharper. "None of that changes the fact that Rafael is about to get his ass handed to him. I don't have all day for this. Sorry about that."

The next second the ground underneath started to crack as roots once again began to emerge. But not just under Rafael but under everyone's feet, everyone who chanted his name. One by one everyone got tangled with Nature's grasp.

Kaden had more than enough mana to do that, so he did. "You did all this drama so that you can get some support for this fight, did you not? Who is going to run and come to you now?" With a cold smile, he stepped forward and, without any hesitation, drove a spear of thorns into the man's chest before he could even begin to counterattack.

Rafael's face froze in shock. He did not expect Kaden to be so decisive. Blood seeped out of his chest, and his precious sword clattered to the ground.

Their speed, their abilities, everything was on a completely different level. The thorned spear had pierced clean through his armor, embedding itself deep in his body. The world around him slowed down.

His followers, still entangled by the roots, shouted in panic. Some struggled desperately, while others froze in horror. The reality of the situation had just sunk in.

This wasn't some honorable duel. This wasn't a battle where words could turn the tide.

This was war. And Kaden had never played fair.

Kaden tilted his head, watching Rafael with an expression that was almost disappointed. "What? You expected me to wait? To fight you on your terms? Wait for the dozen men to surround you and wait for them to offer their lives instead of yours? You wanted to portray me as a villain who is willing to kill anyone in his path, didn't you? The obvious choice would then be to support you as a leader." He let out a short, humorless chuckle.

"It is all well thought out, but you forgot one thing. In front of real power, politics crap like this is worth nothing. Your sword was good, and your strategy was good, but I am simply more powerful than you."

Kaden walked over and picked up the sword from the ground. "You people still don't get it. This isn't about titles or chants or pretending to be a hero. This isn't about who sits at the lord position or who runs this settlement. This is about survival. It always will be. Work hard to progress in your class and your levels. Otherwise, there is no safe place in this world."

Kaden then casually swung the sword to end the man's life with his own weapon.

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The sword cut clean, swift. Rafael didn't even get the chance to utter another word. His head rolled onto the dirt, eyes frozen in disbelief, while his body crumpled to the ground with a dull thud.

Silence.

The weight of the moment pressed down on the crowd, their earlier chants of Savior! Savior! now nothing but ghosts in the air. The supporters who had moments ago screamed Rafael's name now stood motionless, their faces pale, their voices stolen by the brutal efficiency of what had just happened. They stared at Kaden in horror, as if they were looking at a monster.