God-Tier Extraction Talent: Reincarnated in a Game-like World! Chapter 536: The Masked Deleter

Several figures clad in black armor stood behind the man, their stiff postures and concealed auras causing Gabriel’s gaze to harden.

They were Deleters.

A specialized unit formed to eliminate NPCs who became problematic or disruptive within the game. Gabriel’s past encounters had taught him the lethal nature of these agents. They were neither ordinary players nor denizens of this world.

Torin seemed to perceive the same threat.

His eyes shifted from the bespectacled man to the armored guards behind him. His expression flickered, not with fear, but with a mix of fury and wariness.

"You are not like the otherworlders, but I sense it. You are still one of them."

The spectacled man offered a slight, enigmatic smile. "One could say that."

Flames began to wreathe Torin’s fingertips. "How did you locate this place?"

The man in the suit remained silent for a moment, calmly adjusting his sleeve.

Torin’s temper flared. "You people keep appearing. Players... and now whatever you call yourselves. Do you presume this world is yours to claim?"

The spectacled man regarded him with a detached curiosity. "This world is far more intricate than you comprehend."

"Tsk!" Weary of the man's infuriating composure, Torin launched himself forward.

FWOOSH!

His speed was astonishing. In an instant, he covered the distance, his target the spectacled man's throat.

One of the black armored guards materialized before him precisely then.

BANG!

Torin’s assault was halted by a single, unyielding hand.

Torin’s expression shifted drastically for the first time. The guard rotated his wrist, delivered a powerful palm strike to Torin’s chest, and sent him skidding backward across the ground. Torin managed to regain his footing, but not before blood welled in his mouth.

The assassins behind the guard stiffened. To them, Torin was an almost divine figure, and the only beings capable of defeating him should have been the king or the leaders of the major guilds, not a mere guard.

Torin stared at the guard, utter disbelief etched on his face. He had cultivated enough power to instill fear in players upon login, yet this individual had subdued him with apparent ease.

And the most unsettling part? They were merely subordinates.

A flicker of impressed curiosity crossed Gabriel’s face as he observed the guard, but their features remained hidden behind a black mask, deliberately concealing their identity.

The spectacled man finally stepped forward, his voice calm.

"I did not come here with the intention of killing you."

Torin swiped the blood from his lips, his eyes burning with a mixture of rage and humiliation as he glared at the man.

The man responded with a smile. "I have an proposition for you, Torin of Black Star. One that holds mutual benefit."

Torin remained silent, one hand held lightly against his chest as his breathing steadied. Though anger still simmered in his eyes, he made no move to attack again. The initial confrontation had revealed everything he needed to know.

Whoever these individuals were, they were beyond his current ability to handle through sheer force, and the guard who intercepted him had done so effortlessly.

"You expect me to listen after that display?" he inquired, his voice low yet controlled.

The spectacled man offered a slight shrug. "You already are."

Torin’s fingers twitched subtly at his side, but he offered no denial. He acknowledged the stark disparity in power. A Hero Rank like himself shouldn't have been repelled so easily, yet he had been. The fact that the man before him hadn't even moved underscored the immense gap.

After a brief pause, Torin exhaled through his nose and stood straighter.

"Speak," he commanded. "If this proves to be a waste of my time, I will still attempt to kill you."

The man in the suit nodded once, accepting the condition.

"I require your assistance in eliminating someone… a player known as White Phantom."

Gabriel listened, his expression remaining impassive.

He had encountered this information previously, but hearing it directly from the source caused his eyes to narrow slightly. The developer had personally arrived, bringing along Deleters, all to deal with him.

Somehow, the man in the suit had established a connection between White Phantom and Broken Heaven. The exact method was unknown, but his targeting of Torin with this request made the objective clear. Still, based on Gabriel's observations, IceQueen seemed oblivious, for reasons only the developer could fathom.

Returning to the memory, a quiet scoff escaped Torin.

"So you traveled all this way for a single player? You were incapable of dealing with him yourself?"

The spectacled man offered a faint smile. "I am capable. That is not the issue."

"White Phantom has become a nuisance," the man elaborated. "In the long term, he could evolve into a threat greater than even the otherworlders you pursue."

He gestured slightly with one hand. One of the black armored figures stepped forward and placed a box on the ground. Its lid opened with a soft click, revealing a subtle luminescence from within.

Torin's gaze shifted, a flicker of genuine interest finally appearing in his eyes. The item emanated a potent aura, understated yet carrying a pressure that made the assassins at his back grow uneasy. This was no ordinary treasure; it promised a significant leap in power, something that could elevate one's might by an entire level.

"A gift," the man with spectacles stated, his voice smooth. "Or perhaps an investment. With this, you will ascend to the ranks of the strongest in this world. Eliminate White Phantom, and further rewards will follow."

Torin regarded the box for several moments.

While his anger hadn't dissipated entirely, the man had undeniably captured his full attention.

"You wish for me to kill him," Torin finally spoke, his voice now considerably softer.

"Indeed," the man confirmed with simple finality.

A short silence ensued.

Torin advanced, halting before the box, though he didn't immediately reach for it. His eyes flickered between the treasure and the suited individual, a silent calculation taking place.

At last, he lowered his hand, closing the lid of the box. "I accept."

The spectacled man's smile widened marginally. "Once your task is complete, the remainder will be transferred to you."

As these were Torin's memories, Gabriel could perceive his thoughts.

Torin's acceptance wasn't born of trust, but rather a recognition of a strategic opportunity.

With White Phantom eliminated, once he secured this power and whatever followed, no one would be able to stand in his way. Players, otherworlders, even the figures present before him would eventually become his targets. His ambition was all-encompassing.

With that, the spectacled man turned and departed. Gabriel, however, moved swiftly to follow, but as the subsequent events were not part of Torin's memories, the scene dissolved into a blur.

The following recollections were inconsequential, and soon the chain of memories concluded.

Gabriel rose from his mattress in his room as the morning sun streamed through the window.

"I haven't uncovered precisely what I sought, but I now have a clear direction," he murmured, a determined spark igniting in his eyes.