Building My Empire in the Frozen Apocalypse (Riley Carter) novel Chapter 84

Chapter 84 Squad Elimination

Chapter 84 Squad Elimination

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Necko, still in her bear form, settled beside him, one massive paw suspended just above his head. One solid swing was all it would take to knock him out cold–like smashing a ripe watermelon.

It wasn’t long before the sound came.

“Tap… tap… tap…”

Quick, sharp footsteps echoed from the mine entrance.

Here they come.

Riley’s grip tightened around her twin axes. Her eyes turned ice–cold in an instant.

Four of them in total.

Flashlight beams cut erratically through the darkness, sweeping across the rough walls of the cave.

Leading the way was a burly man carrying a glowing two–handed greatsword–looked like a Green–tier weapon, from the faint aura it gave off

Behind him followed a broad–shouldered guy with a large round shield, a lanky archer holding a shortbow, and a woman wrapped in a fur–lined robe.

So this was the elite squad Rat had talked about.

“Rat!”

The leader with the greatsword spotted him immediately–tied up on the ground, right next to the giant

bear.

“Mmph! Mmph-!”

Rat thrashed wildly, a desperate, pleading gleam in his eyes.

He wanted to scream, “Help!” and “She’s waiting in ambush!“, but the rag stuffed in his mouth muffled

every attempt.

“What’s this? A bear?” The leader didn’t charge forward. Instead, he halted, raising his greatsword cautiously as his gaze swept the shadowy surroundings. “What’s the situation here?”

“Captain, look at Rat,” the archer behind him said with a cold snicker. “Someone’s using him as bait to reel

us in.”

“I see that.”

“But you’re not telling me it’s the bear running the show, are you?”

The leader stared flatly at Rat’s squirming form, a flicker of disgust in his eyes.

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Chapter 84 Squad Elimination

What happened next even made Riley–hidden in the shadows–raise an eyebrow.

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Instead of moving to help Rat, the leader spoke coldly over his shoulder to the archer.

“Rat’s finished. Even if we cut him loose now, he’d just be dead weight. They’re clearly using him to trap us, and whoever’s behind this is still hiding nearby.

“Simon, keep watch.

“Zach, put an arrow through Rat. End him. Then deal with the bear. We can’t leave loose ends.”

“Mmph-?!” Rat’s eyes went wide. He stared in disbelief at the squad leader he’d called friend all this time.

“Got it.” The archer didn’t hesitate. He drew an arrow and nocked it.

“Thwack-”

The arrow cut through the darkness and struck Rat square in the throat.

Rat’s body convulsed briefly. The light in his eyes dimmed fast, fading into a dull, lifeless gray. Even in death, he couldn’t believe he’d been taken out by his own crew.

“Damn… talk about loyalty.” A cool voice drifted from the shadows.

Almost simultaneously, an axe flew through the air–straight toward the archer named Zach.

And then a figure burst into motion.

It was Riley.

She glanced at the body on the ground, her expression thick with sarcasm. “And here I thought you were coming to rescue him. I even saved him a nice spot. What a shame. Really touching display of brotherhood.”

When Riley stepped into the light, all four across from her tensed at once.

She moved too fast. Before they could fully react, she’d already closed the distance and swung her other axe straight at Zach.

Zach barely twisted aside, the thrown axe grazing his neck before embedding into the cave wall behind him.

Riley followed up with another slash, this time catching his arm.

Blood sprayed. The pain hit hard, and Zach’s bow clattered to the ground.

Riley pressed forward, aiming to take out the squad’s shooter first–but Simon, the shield–bearer, had already reacted, hefting his shield to slam into her.

Wary of them pulling out any potions or tricks, Riley didn’t push it. She kicked the bow toward where her first axe was stuck and swiftly retreated in the same direction.

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Chapter 84 Squad Elimination

Either way, she’d accomplished her goal–their ranged threat was neutralized.

It all happened in a matter of seconds.

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Zach’s pained groans filled the cave, but the others didn’t dare look his way. Their attention was locked on Riley.

Sure, the person facing them was a woman, and she didn’t look especially large or imposing.

But out here in the frozen wasteland, where only the strong survived, anyone who’d set up an ambush for four people solo–with only a bear for backup–was clearly not someone to underestimate.

The squad leader’s eyes, in particular, fixed on the twin axes in Riley’s hands. The blue glow shimmering along the blades was even brighter than the aura around his own greatsword.

“Hey now,” the leader said, the killing intent from moments before melting into a strained, conciliatory tone. He forced a stiff smile. “Let’s talk this through. Big misunderstanding here, all of it.”

He gestured toward Rat’s corpse. “This guy was trouble. Stole from guild supplies. We were going to handle him sooner or later anyway. What just happened was just… internal cleanup. Nothing to do with

you.

“Actually, we should thank you for helping us corner him. Hand back the bow, and we’ll be on our way. Come to think of it–your camp’s around here, right? We’ve got time. We can swing by later, share some supplies as a thank–you.”

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