Building My Empire in the Frozen Apocalypse (Riley Carter) novel Chapter 121

Chapter 121 The Pack Mule

Chapter 121 The Pack Mule

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When the dust settled, a man bundled in a heavy winter coat was straining to climb over the shattered debris into what remained of the hall. On his back was an absurdly oversized gray duffel–a bag so large it nearly doubled his height, looking less like luggage and more like a small mountain crushing him down. With every labored step, he wheezed heavily, struggling for air.

The scene inside clearly stunned him.

Yet he didn’t seem to grasp what had actually taken place.

Then his eyes landed on Riley and PineappleBeer, standing amid the wreckage.

Covered in monster gore and soot, dimly lit by the flickering emergency lights, the two didn’t immediately register as threats.

“Hey! You two!”

The man heaved the massive duffel off his shoulders and dropped it with a solid thud. Straightening up, he jabbed a finger toward them.

“What’re you just standing around for? Can’t you see this place is torn to hell? Get moving!

“What the hell happened here? Did the freaks break loose again? How’d the hall get wrecked like this?”

Still muttering curses, he wiped sweat from his forehead./”Where’s the boss? I just got back from supply runs out in the rich neighborhoods–I’m beat. Someone go grab a few guys to help unload this. It’s a huge haul… those idiots had piles of good stuff saved up.”

Riley and PineappleBeer exchanged a glance.

Riley didn’t strike immediately. Instead, she turned slowly, eyes fixed on the man, and replied in a flat, icy tone, “The boss?

“You mean the guy who turned into a meatball and just went off like a firework?”

The man blinked, uncomprehending. “What’re you talking about? The boss‘ skills were unbeatable–”

“He’s dead.”

Riley cut him off, raising the Storm Splitter Dual Axes. Firelight glinted off the blades. “He’s already part of that minced meat on the floor. Deader than dead.”

“Wh… what?”

The man froze.

Only then did he get a clear look at the weapons in Riley’s hands.

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12:43 pm P P W

Chapter 121 The Pack Mule

+20 Free Coins

And at the woman beside him–missing a hand, gripping a black combat knife, radiating a vibe that screamed killer.

“You… you’re… who are you people?”

His pupils dilated, voice trembling. “SpicyBger? And… PineappleBeer?!”

He stumbled backward, caught his heel on the duffel behind him, and landed hard on his backside.

“No way… how could you take down the boss? He was unstoppable!”

“Unstoppable my ass.”

Riley let out a scornful laugh and closed the distance between them, step by step. “Just a cheap necromancer playing god. Now it’s your turn.”

Riley stopped in front of him, pulled up the trade window, and finally saw the ID: InvincibleWarrior.

Well, talk about a small world.

That loudmouth who’d been running his mouth in the regional chat–acting all high and mighty, guilt–tripping folks, riding the guild’s coattails–turned out to be nothing but a pack mule.

“Don’t! Please don’t kill me!”

Seeing the murderous intent in Riley’s eyes, InvincibleWarrior completely broke down.

The arrogant, bossy attitude from earlier vanished, replaced by raw panic.

He scrambled backward on his hands and knees, pleading as he moved, “Boss! Ma’am! It’s a misunderstanding! All a big misunderstanding!

“I… I was forced! That bastard Nightshade made me do everything He said he’d ice me if I didn’t join up!

“All that stuff I said in the chat… Nightshade told me to say it! He wanted to mess with people’s heads. I was just the messenger! Deep down, I was always on your side!

“Seriously! I support you! Taking out Nightshade—you did everyone a favor! I was undercover! I was gathering intel from the inside!”

Riley paused, looking down at the sniveling man.

“Undercover?”

Her voice dripped with disdain. “I remember you guilt–tripping people in regional chat way before you ever joined Nightfall. Who was forcing you back then?

“Back then, you called me a greedy hustler. Then you told everyone to bow to the guild. And just minutes ago at the entrance, you were still barking orders.

2/3

12:43 pm P P W

Chapter 121 The Pack Mule

+20 Free Coins

“So what–when Nightshade was alive, you rode his coattails and acted tough. Now that he’s dead, you’re dumping all the blame on a corpse and wiping your hands clean?

“If you’d shown even a little backbone just now–pulled a blade, tried to fight might’ve respected you as someone with guts.”

Riley shook her head, disgust plain in her eyes. “But no. You’re just a whining, spineless coward. A useless dog.”

“No… it’s not like that…”

InvincibleWarrior’s face went ashen as he tried to form a reply.

But Riley’s attention had shifted to the oversized duffel behind him.

All that stuff–it was the last belongings of survivors who’d died when monsters overran their camps.

“How much blood is soaked into that bag?”

Riley’s voice turned frigid. “Your job was ‘supply runs‘? So that means you walked over the corpses of your own people and hauled away everything they had left.”