God-Tier Extraction Talent: Reincarnated in a Game-like World! Chapter 533: Caught by the Young King

Gabriel’s eyes remained fixed on the figure of the boy in the distance. He couldn't make out the features clearly, yet it wasn't necessary. The oppressive aura felt familiar, less potent than what he’d sensed in the king's chamber, but uncannily similar. It was the same quiet power, just younger and less refined.

There was a significant likelihood this was the king in his younger days.

Gabriel hesitated to approach immediately. As this was merely a fragment of memory, no one present should have been able to perceive or sense him. This allowed for safer observation, and for the moment, his priority was to decipher the past relationship between these three individuals.

The way young Torin and young Aston positioned themselves around the boy suggested more than mere acquaintances or subordinates. Their gazes naturally drifted towards him, and their postures relaxed subtly when he moved forward. They appeared to be friends, with the boy, whose face remained obscured to Gabriel, evidently being the central figure.

A low growl emanated from the monstrous entity before them as it shifted its immense frame. It boasted four thick arms, a broad chest covered in dark, leathery hide, and a head resembling a bull’s, albeit with a wider jaw filled with jagged teeth. One of its arms was already wounded and bleeding, yet Torin and Aston were in no better condition.

Young Torin's attire was ripped near his shoulder, and blood trickled down one side of his face. Aston, fighting barehanded, was barely able to remain upright beside him.

Only the young boy appeared unharmed.

He stood before them, saber in hand, maintaining a composed stance and a tranquil aura. The creature charged first, its two massive arms swinging down with enough force to splinter the ground. However, the boy moved preemptively, before the impact could connect.

His footwork was agile and precise.

He weaved between the monster's limbs, evading its grasp, and delivered a swift cut across its wrist. The saber flashed once more, striking the beast's knee. The monster bellowed and writhed, but the boy had already repositioned himself behind it, executing another strike with a fluid turn of his body.

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. For someone of that age, his combat instincts were astounding. The boy wasted no movement. Each step placed him in a superior position, and every slash targeted the monster's weakest points.

The colossal beast attempted to crush him with a simultaneous assault from all four arms.

*BANG! BANG!*

The earth vibrated with the sheer power of its strike.

The boy ducked slightly, sliding beneath the initial swing, then stepped onto the monster's lowered arm before plunging his saber into its neck. A torrent of blood erupted, and the beast staggered back with a pained roar.

Aston and Torin observed with weary expressions.

The boy effortlessly retrieved his saber and landed lightly a short distance away. As the monster struggled to rise again, he advanced, severing its throat with a single, clean movement.

Its massive body collapsed.

*Boom!*

Dust billowed as the ground trembled from its fall.

Torin finally exhaled and lowered his weapon. "You took your sweet time."

Aston leaned on his knee, his breathing heavy. "Had you arrived sooner, we wouldn't be this worn out."

The young boy turned towards them. His features remained indistinct to Gabriel, but his voice was chillingly calm, causing both Aston and Torin to straighten slightly.

"I won't be around to shield you always."

Neither of them responded immediately.

The boy approached Aston and tossed the saber back. Aston caught it one-handed, his expression shifting to one of mild awkwardness as he regarded the weapon.

"So you borrowed my saber just to finish it faster than I could," Aston mumbled.

Torin wiped a smear of blood from his lip and chuckled wearily. "That stings more than the monster did."

The boy showed no reaction to the jest. His gaze shifted towards the direction of Stellar City, now faintly visible to Gabriel beyond ruined trees and lingering smoke.

"It attacked the outskirts," the boy stated. "You two should have held back."

Aston's grip tightened around the saber. "We couldn't. If it had reached the lower districts, people would have perished."

Torin leaned back slightly, letting out a sigh. "We figured we could hold it off until reinforcements arrived."

The young boy's head tilted slightly towards them. "Your assumption was flawed. The city guards would have handled it with ease. Without my intervention, you both would have ended up dead."

Though no direct words were spoken, Gabriel sensed the underlying current. The young boy wasn't merely powerful; he was being groomed for a higher purpose, a fact acknowledged by both Torin and Aston. It was evident he would one day surpass them, perhaps everyone.

Aston briefly lowered his gaze before nodding. "I understand."

Gabriel watched silently. This wasn't the memory he sought. He had been searching for information regarding the developer, Torin's patron, or how that individual traversed between worlds. Instead, he found himself witnessing a recollection from their youth.

Despite this, he felt drawn into the unfolding scene.

Something significant was revealed. Torin, Aston, and the young monarch had once been united. They were not adversaries at that point, nor were they even loosely associated. A connection existed between them, and understanding this fact made subsequent occurrences feel significantly more intricate.

After exchanging a few more words, the young boy turned his back on Torin and Aston and commenced his departure.

Gabriel positioned himself directly in the boy's way.

This action should have held no consequence.

It was merely a recollection. Gabriel was but an observer. He wasn't truly present, and no one within the memory shard ought to have perceived him.

However, as the young boy passed by, he abruptly halted his movement.

Gabriel's body froze in place.

The boy pivoted his head.

For a fleeting instant, the indistinct countenance sharpened just enough for Gabriel to discern the color of his eyes.

Shades of blue.

Eyes that bore an uncanny resemblance to his own.

The young boy directed his gaze squarely at Gabriel.

A chilling sensation crept over Gabriel's skin, and his hands clenched at his sides. The boy uttered no words. He simply maintained his stare for another second, his expression serene and inscrutable, before turning away and proceeding onward as though nothing out of the ordinary had transpired.

Gabriel stayed rooted to his spot.

This was an impossibility.

It was only a fragment of a memory.

No individual within it should have possessed the ability to see him.

Therefore, how had that boy managed to look directly at him?