God-Tier Extraction Talent: Reincarnated in a Game-like World! Chapter 512 512: Questioning [1]

Various possibilities surged through his thoughts, yet none brought him any comfort. Perhaps the king lacked the will to end his life. Or maybe curiosity gripped him. Or it could have been pity. That final notion grated on Gabriel the hardest.

He loathed the sensation of vulnerability. He abhorred it completely.

Within that chamber, facing the hushed figure, every ounce of strength he'd built felt utterly pointless. No schemes held weight. No self-assurance counted. Power exceeding five hundred still rendered him immobile.

"That will not happen again," he murmured softly, eyes blazing with fierce resolve.

He clutched the key tightly as those notions churned within. Gradually, the rage faded into a sharper, icy determination. The king's reason for sparing him stayed elusive. No hypothesis rang true.

Ultimately, he latched onto the most basic explanation for the moment.

The king had shown him mercy.

Gabriel despised this truth, but lacking a stronger one, it would have to do. With that settled, he gripped the Soul Key firmly, placed it beside the pillow, and at last shut his eyes.

Time slipped by, and when his eyes reopened, Scarlet had returned to the chamber.

Arms folded by the table, she eyed him in her customary fashion. Her features betrayed scant feeling, though her gaze swept quickly over his frame before locking onto his face.

"You healed faster than I expected," she remarked.

Gabriel eased himself up a touch. "How long was I out?"

"Long enough."

She drew nearer and examined the bandages anew.

"All your external injuries are mostly healed. Your internal injuries will take longer. You should spend some time resting instead of pretending you can leave immediately."

Gabriel nodded faintly.

He grasped this reality clearly. This world's potions and restorative arts proved effective, but no enchanted remedy could mend it all instantly. Outer gashes sealed. Tissue knit back. Yet deeper bodily harm lingered longer, particularly after such crushing force and collisions.

"I understand," he replied.

Scarlet pivoted toward the exit. "I have work to attend to. I will be gone for a while."

Before departing, her eyes flicked back to him.

"Do not step outside."

Gabriel met her stare briefly and stayed silent.

Scarlet accepted his quiet as agreement. She exited the room once more, the door latching shut behind her.

Several minutes ticked by in hush.

Gabriel lay still until the space felt utterly calm again. He strained his ears and paused longer before lifting a hand.

"Grizzlenaught."

The floor beside the bed wavered.

The enormous ghostly bear ascended without a sound, its azure eyes subdued amid the room's warmth. In one massive paw, it held a man.

The blindfolded Black Star summoner.

He appeared starkly changed.

His composure had vanished.

Garments soiled, breaths ragged, his frame quivered far beyond wounds alone. Grizzlenaught's underworld visions had etched deep scars. Blindfold secure, yet his visage shed all prior poise.

Gabriel observed him from the bed, holding his tongue initially.

Without a word, the spectacle revealed plenty. A figure once steady amid four slain summons and a fallen comrade now resembled one dragged from private terrors.

---

Beyond the door, Scarlet entered a lengthy gleaming hallway. This section belonged to the Adventurer Guild structure, not the castle as Gabriel initially believed.

Her steps echoed faintly.

Soon, another rush of footfalls approached her.

Lilly emerged from the hallway's distant end. Her breaths came a bit faster than normal, and spotting Scarlet, she drew herself up straight.

"Vice Leader," Lilly greeted.

Scarlet halted.

Lilly advanced, voice dropped low. "There is a problem. Darius Aston has gone missing."

Lilly pressed on, "A body was found outside the castle grounds not long ago. It was badly damaged, but the timing is suspicious. I believe it is connected to his disappearance."

Her gaze probed Scarlet's expression, finding nothing decipherable as ever.

"General Aston is furious," Lilly noted. "He is already pressuring people to move faster."

Scarlet paused in silence briefly.

Outwardly, she remained her usual self. Serene. Icy. Detached.

Within her mind, though, the issue ballooned rapidly.

Should this unfold poorly, Broken Dawn wouldn't bear the fallout alone. The Adventurer Guild faced risks too. Bound to the Valerian Kingdom, any revelation of sheltering a link to Darius Aston's vanishing—even briefly—would bring harsh penalties.

Scarlet continued forward.

Lilly trailed a step behind.

A few moments passed before Scarlet finally spoke up.

"Keep everyone out of my room," she instructed. "That includes Alice."

Surprise flickered across Lilly's face for just an instant, but she regained her composure fast and gave a nod.

"Yes, Vice Leader."

After Scarlet brushed past, Lilly lingered in place briefly, her eyebrows knitting together just a touch.

A strange feeling nagged at her.

Scarlet was known throughout the guild for her strict nature. No one entered her room without reason, and she despised needless disruptions. However, she had never barred entry so utterly before, not even to her closest companions.

"Not even Alice…" Lilly whispered to herself, obvious confusion in her voice.

She paused, then tilted her head faintly toward Scarlet's room.

"What are you really hiding?" she murmured softly, though no one was there to respond.

Yet she followed orders without question. Lilly let out a breath, squared her shoulders, and headed off to deal with the chaos over Darius's disappearance.

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