God-Tier Extraction Talent: Reincarnated in a Game-like World! Chapter 532: Memory Fragment

By the dawn of the following day, Stellar City was already abuzz with a torrent of rumors. The name Black Star had consistently held significant influence, particularly among the gaming populace. The instant the news broke that their covert stronghold had been obliterated, every corner of the city erupted in conversation. Animated discussions filled the streets with conjecture, while online forums overflowed with rapidly multiplying threads as players, information merchants, and the utterly uninformed alike attempted to project an air of certainty.

Before departing their sanctuary, Gabriel had impressed one crucial directive upon ChaosKnight:absolute silence was to be maintained regarding the events that transpired. Consequently, no word escaped their lips, which only served to deepen the enigma. While White Phantom’s presence within the city was confirmed, no concrete details emerged thereafter. No names were divulged, no witnesses bravely stepped forward, and no guild stepped up to claim the notorious accolade. This very silence compelled individuals to engage in even more fervent speculation. The location of the Black Star base had remained unrevealed prior to this incident. It was the act of its destruction that brought it to public attention. Once the dilapidated structure crumbled and the concealed complex beneath it gave way, onlookers were unavoidable drawn to the spectacle. The city guards were the first on the scene. Following them came the investigators from the Adventurer Guild, and before long, the entire vicinity was cordoned off as casualties were extracted one by one from the shattered stone and scorched passageways below.

These grim discoveries only exacerbated the situation. The demise of Black Star’s second-in-command was verified amongst the fallen, and several other recognized operatives were identified shortly thereafter. However, the body of their leader, Torin Black Star, was conspicuously absent. Some individuals posited that he had managed to escape. Others maintained that the collapse had either incinerated him or buried him too deeply for recovery. In the public sphere, a consensus began to form around the simpler explanation: he was presumed dead.

The most startling revelation, however, arrived with the identification of another corpse.

General Aston.

The instant this news surfaced, the entire city’s clamor intensified exponentially. His son had vanished only a few days prior, and now the general himself had been discovered deceased within the stronghold of a notorious assassin organization infamous for targeting players. Such details were potent enough to lend a more sinister hue to every unfolding narrative. Some theorized he had ventured there with the intent to eliminate Black Star and had met with failure. Others suspected he had been complicit with their clandestine activities all along, either turning against them or falling victim to betrayal. A select few took their theories even further, asserting that the Aston family had been operating in the shadows for years.

Nevertheless, at the conclusion of the day, all of these developments amounted to nothing more than conjecture.

...

Safely ensconced within his chambers, Gabriel remained oblivious to the escalating commotion outside. He had, for the time being, detached himself from external affairs, dedicating his focus entirely elsewhere. Given his uncertainty about the duration of his stay in Stellar City, he resolved to attend to the sole significant spoil he had secured from the ruined base before any other matters could intervene.

He summoned Grizzlenaught first.

The floor beneath him seemed to undulate, and the colossal spectral bear materialized silently within the room, its electric blue eyes emanating a faint glow in the subdued illumination. The moment its form fully coalesced, its sheer presence imbued the space with a quiet intensity that fostered a heightened sense of security.

"Stand guard," Gabriel commanded.

Grizzlenaught responded with a low growl and advanced towards the side of the room, requiring no further prompting. It settled there, a formidable bulwark of sinew and spirit, its head slightly bowed, its gaze fixed intently on the door and window.

Only then did Gabriel retrieve the memory fragment.

The luminescent orb rested in the palm of his hand, emitting a gentle, rhythmic pulse of soft light. Memory fragments were not artifacts of conventional value. They were, in essence, fragmented remnants of an individual’s existence. When utilized, they possessed the capacity to draw the user into fleeting glimpses of a deceased person’s recollections, allowing them to witness moments that once belonged to another. Occasionally, these fragments proved insightful; at other times, they were inconsequential, failing to yield accurate recollections.

Gabriel cast a single glance at the orb and wasted no further moments.

He reclined, grasped it firmly, and activated its power, intending to glean knowledge from its contents. His physical form remained motionless upon the bed, yet his consciousness began a descent, as if being pulled into the depths of a vast ocean. The room, the ceiling above, and the faint medicinal aroma all dissolved in a blur. Before long, the final sensation he registered was the tactile pressure of the orb within his grasp and the silent, reassuring presence of Grizzlenaught nearby.

As the encompassing darkness dissipated, Gabriel found himself no longer within his room.

He stood transposed to an entirely different locale, observing events unfold from a perspective that was not his own. The ground beneath his feet felt coarse and uneven, compacted with dirt and rubble, while the air carried the pungent scent of blood and exertion. The sky overhead appeared overcast, and the surroundings evoked the impression of a desolate battlefield or a remote training ground, far removed from any semblance of civilization.

Not far ahead, two youthful figures were visible.

Gabriel recognized them almost instantaneously.

One of them was Torin, significantly younger and nowhere near as collected as the man he had previously eliminated within the base. His facial features were more slender, his physique not yet fully formed. Although a certain sharpness was already discernible in his gaze, he hadn't yet attained the chilling composure he would later possess as an adult.

Standing beside him was another young man, also a teenager.

General Aston.

Or, to be precise, the individual who would eventually ascend to the esteemed position of General Aston.

He too was younger, yet even at this stage, his bearing exuded a more upright and disciplined aura compared to Torin's. Both youths faced forward, their bodies taut and their weapons drawn. Observing the rhythm of their breathing, Gabriel could discern that they were under considerable duress.

Directly before them loomed a colossal monster.

Its sheer mass was so immense that, even from this vantage point, it appeared overwhelmingly imposing. The muscles rippling beneath its frame shifted restlessly, and the palpable pressure emanating from it rendered the very air around the two boys heavy and constricted. However, this overwhelming creature was not the sole focus of Gabriel's attention.

There was another presence.

Further off, positioned directly in front of the gargantuan beast, stood a third figure. This individual seemed to be roughly the same age as the other two youths.

Gabriel couldn't quite make out the figure's face clearly. The distance was too great, and a subtle distortion in the visual field surrounding that individual made discerning their features a difficult task. Nevertheless, one aspect was undeniably impossible to overlook.

...The sheer presence.

The intensity of the pressure radiating from this child dwarfed that of the monster, surpassed the combined force of the two boys, and bore an eerie resemblance to the formidable aura Gabriel had once experienced from the king of the Valerian Kingdom.

Abruptly, a startling thought materialized in his mind, causing his eyes to widen in disbelief.

"You don't mean..."