Endless Extraction in a Game-Like World

"Chairman Welt, the actual reason Caelus got expelled was because he was forced into a battle with that guy over there. He clearly showed killing intent when fighting Caelus."

The one who spoke up was Riya. Caelus glanced at her in genuine surprise.

"Is this true? You, the student who just spoke." Welt looked back at Toby, who visibly flinched.

He was not used to being interrogated by such powerful figures. "N-no."

Caelus sighed. He stepped forward with a confident smile. "I have proof."

The instant those words left his mouth, Aron, Toby, and everyone else froze.

"I just so happened to obtain a streaming skill at the Epic tier. It captures everything perfectly in high definition. I have the entire fight saved privately on my OriginTube account."

The streaming skill could easily be used for recording purposes. In fact, he had utilized it when he annihilated the rival towns in the Domain. He projected the video feed for everyone to see. The footage clearly showed Toby charging at him, precisely aiming for his hands with the full intention to sever them.

Welt’s expression immediately turned freezing cold upon seeing the evidence.

Just then, another young man stepped forward. Much to everyone’s surprise, it was Julian Lyster.

"Today as well, Caelus was quietly leaving the dormitory. These people deliberately blocked his path to harass him."

"Oh? Are you not the youngest heir from the Lyster family?" Old Man Welt looked at Julian with genuine interest.

Caelus blinked. Why were so many people coming to his rescue this time around? Was this not usually the part of the story where everyone abandoned the protagonist, forcing him to face-slap the villains all by himself?

But there was a limit to his patience. Since they decided to relentlessly provoke him even after he packed his bags, he had no other choice but to retaliate. He was just a guy from the suburbs. Why was he constantly being dragged into this pointless drama?

"Old Man Welt, these people have been bullying me for a long while. I used to be powerless and could not do anything against them. Today, they cornered me again, and I had no choice but to retaliate."

"You heard the boy, Instructor," Old Man Welt let out a cold chuckle.

With the undeniable video evidence and two top students siding with Caelus, there was no need to hesitate.

"My young friend over here was strictly acting in self-defense. Releasing power under the act of self-defense is entirely permissible by law. Hence, he is proven innocent." Welt swept his heavy gaze across the pale academy staff. "And on that note, since Caelus has been officially expelled, the Player Association will personally sponsor his university examinations."

"Wait. What?" Principal Haris, the surrounding students, and the thousands of people watching the live stream gasped in pure shock.

Now that they thought about it, was the Association Head not being a bit too considerate toward Caelus Kross? He even called the boy his ’young friend’. Did they secretly share some sort of deep background connection?

"Come with me. I have already arranged a proper place for you to stay," Old Man Welt turned toward Caelus with a meaningful smile. He gestured toward the academy gates, where Mr. Brown stood respectfully next to a sleek black limousine.

Everyone was left utterly stunned.

Groaning on the floor, Roland Parker wore an expression of absolute disbelief amidst his pain. He could not process what was happening. He had not even been able to track Caelus’s movement during the fight. Just what sort of terrifying power did this outcast possess?

Under the awe-struck gazes of the entire academy, Caelus entered the luxury limo with Old Man Welt and drove away. Before leaving, he gave an appreciative nod to Julian and Riya. They had been surprisingly supportive of him. Maybe he should treat them well in the future. People who willingly stood up for a nobody from the suburbs were incredibly rare these days.

----

"Someone with a mere E-Rank affinity, yet wielding raw power that easily crosses fifty or even sixty points on the Combat Score index. You truly make me curious, young friend."

Old Man Welt stared at Caelus, who was sitting inside the limo and looking around the plush interior with childish curiosity. This was the very first time he had ever sat in a luxury vehicle, after all.

"I was just lucky," Caelus smiled sheepishly. "But to think you were the actual Association Head of the Player Association. I did not expect that at all."

"You approached me without knowing my identity?" Chairman Welt was genuinely surprised.

"Yes. I just thought you were a struggling old man trying to train his aura."

Chairman Welt burst out laughing, keeping an enthusiastic smile on his face. "When I first received your background file from Mr. Brown, I was pretty shocked myself. You showed zero signs of awakening a high-tier talent. That can only mean you reached this monstrous level of strength entirely through your own hard work."

He slowly patted Caelus’s shoulder. "Determined people like you are very rare in this world."

"For now, we will get you settled in. I have a mansion ready for you in District A, right inside the Dragon Luxury Estate. It is a very fine villa."

"What?!" Caelus was completely stunned.

What the hell was he hearing right now? A luxury villa at the Dragon Luxury Estate. That was the most exclusive district where wealthy entrepreneurs, business moguls, and top-ranked players lived!

"But why?" Caelus was completely dumbfounded. "Why are you going to such great lengths for me?"

The old man chuckled heartily. "My father once taught me a strict rule. You must always repay the kindness given to you."

He looked at Caelus seriously. "You fulfilled my greatest wish. Awakening my aura was a lifelong dream I held since I was a young pioneer in the Domain. Until today, not a single expert in the Solaris Kingdom, or even outside of it, managed to help me cross that threshold. You, my young friend, are my greatest benefactor. If I do not repay this immense kindness, how could I look at myself in the mirror?"

"Not just that. My total lifespan has also drastically increased after awakening the aura," Chairman Welt added with a highly satisfied smile.

"In that case... I actually have something else to discuss with you," Caelus said, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

It was finally time for the patriarch of the Ashborn family, Lloyd Ashborn, to be thrown into a cold cell.

A few minutes of explanation later, Chairman Welt wore a terrifyingly cold expression.

"You have the exact bank account details with you, right?" he asked, his voice dripping with ice.

"I do," Caelus replied, pulling up the digital account records and transferring them over.

"Good. Leave the rest entirely to me," Chairman Welt promised, a powerful, suffocating aura erupting from his core.

Rewarding his benefactor was one thing, but witnessing such disgusting embezzlement of a martyr’s pension and not taking brutal action was simply unacceptable.

---

Inside the Ashborn Family Manor.

"This little bastard!" A middle-aged man with slicked-back black hair and a sharp goatee slammed his fists onto his mahogany desk. His face was twisted in absolute rage.

Hovering right in front of him, a holographic screen displayed the live news feed. Right now, Caelus Kross was the absolute talk of Fortis City. Millions of people were actively speculating about his hidden relationship with the Association Head. Rival guilds were desperately trying to dig up his background. But they all hit a massive dead end because the boy had literally been a nobody until today.

"What am I going to do? What exactly is his relation to Chairman Welt?" The middle-aged patriarch paced frantically back and forth across his lavish office.

"Marco. The Black Lightning Guild. Can they help suppress this?" His eyes were bloodshot as he snatched up his phone with trembling hands.

How did that meek, cowardly brat he had conditioned to be nothing but a loyal dog for his family suddenly turn into this terrifying monster?

The total sum Caelus received as the orphaned son of national martyrs was absolutely astronomical. If the government or the Player Association were to discover that not a single credit was actually used for the boy’s welfare, and instead funneled directly into his own children’s guild fees and luxury items, Lloyd Ashborn would be as good as dead.

And the most terrifying part was that Caelus still had technical access to the master account. Without the boy’s biometric fingerprint, the stolen money pipeline would completely freeze. If Caelus decided to reveal the financial logs to Chairman Welt, Lloyd would be rotting in a maximum-security prison by tomorrow morning.