God-Tier Extraction Talent: Reincarnated in a Game-like World! Chapter 599: Sophie’s Regret

Slowly, Sophie’s consciousness returned.

The first thing she felt was her breathing, a strange heaviness accompanying each rise and fall of her chest. The air carried the faint scent of medicinal herbs mixed with pinewood, along with the freshness unique to the break of dawn.

Her eyelids felt heavy, as though something invisible was pressing them down.

"Sophie...?"

A trembling voice sounded beside her ear, so familiar that her heart suddenly skipped a beat when she heard it.

Sophie struggled to open her eyes. Morning light slipped through the gaps in the blinds, forcing her to squint slightly. The first thing she saw was Cassie’s face, bloodshot yet filled with joy. Cassie tightly held her hand, her knuckles pale from gripping too hard, her palm covered in sweat.

"Cassie..." Sophie’s voice was so hoarse it barely sounded like her own. It felt like a different person talking.

"Oh my God, you’re finally awake." Cassie’s voice immediately choked with emotion as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You’ve been asleep for so long. We... we were beginning to become worried."

Another face appeared at the foot of the bed.

It was Bunny, the otherworlder who had become the second closest person to her after Cassie, her maidservant and childhood friend.

She folded her arms, trying to remain composed, but her swollen eyes and trembling lips betrayed her excitement.

"Welcome back, Princess," Bunny said softly, unable to hide the joy in her voice. "You scared us to death."

Sophie blinked and tried to sit up. Her arms felt boneless, her muscles aching as though everything had been drained from them. She could only lean against the pillow and slowly scan the room.

This was indeed Broken Dawn’s medical building.

The familiar wooden walls, medicine shelves, cabinet in the corner, and sunlight streaming through the window all felt familiar.

Yet she herself felt completely unfamiliar.

Memories surged back like a tidal wave.

The tomb.

Alfonso’s proud yet terrified face.

Countless golden vines emerging from every direction, tearing, devouring, evolving...

Those sacred energies were swallowed mouthful by mouthful, becoming part of her.

Then came the command she had given herself, that whisper filled with strange satisfaction:

"Eat him."

Sophie’s breathing abruptly stopped.

She lowered her head and saw faint green veins lingering beneath her collarbone, pulsing gently beneath her skin like delicate leaf veins. In the morning light, they carried a faint golden glow, as if they were living things slowly breathing.

"I... I ate Alfonso."

She murmured the words so softly they were almost inaudible.

The room instantly fell silent.

Cassie tightened her grip on Sophie’s hand but did not know what to say.

Bunny’s smile froze as well.

Sophie’s eyes slowly grew moist. She raised her hand and stared at her palm, which had become sweaty all of a sudden.

"What have I become...?" she asked herself softly, her voice trembling. "Did I really... eat a high ranking Cardinal Archbishop?"

Tears finally slid uncontrollably down her cheeks, soaking her transparent veil.

She was not crying for Alfonso. She was crying for herself.

Once, she had been the Second Princess hidden behind a veil, carefully protected by the royal family.

She had feared losing control of her power.

She had feared becoming a monster.

And now...

She truly had become one.

Those vines were not some external force. They were now part of her.

She had watched them devour a living Cardinal Archbishop with her own eyes.

She had heard his screams.

But all she could think was that the vines were evolving, and she was becoming stronger.

"Sophie."

A deep, firm voice suddenly sounded.

Gabriel stepped out from the back of the room. He had been sitting quietly in the corner the entire time.

He walked to the bedside and looked at her with calm, serious eyes.

He did not immediately comfort her. Nor did he avoid her gaze. He simply stood there silently, like an unmoving mountain, giving off an inexplicable sense of security.

"I know what you’re thinking right now," Gabriel said. "You’re wondering whether you’re still human. You’re wondering whether those vines have completely changed you."

Sophie looked at him through tear filled eyes.

Gabriel continued. "Yes, you’ve changed. But you haven’t lost yourself. You saved everyone. Alfonso would have killed everybody, including you. You simply... made the choice first. That wasn’t a monster acting. It was you protecting the people you wanted to protect."

"But I..." Sophie’s lips trembled. "I heard his voice. I heard him screaming. And yet... it felt good. The vines were evolving. They were happy... and I was happy too. That feeling... it was like something inside me had awakened. It was eating. It was growing stronger... and I didn’t stop it."

She covered her face as her shoulders shook slightly.

"Am I already... no longer Sophie?"

Gabriel sat down beside her, close enough to be comforting but without touching her.

Cassie and Bunny quietly stepped aside, giving them space.

"You’re still Sophie," he finally said, his voice low but firm. "The only difference is that Sophie now possesses another power. A power that can devour, evolve, and awaken the World Tree Fragment within you."

Sophie slowly lowered her hands and looked at Gabriel. After a brief moment of silence, she asked,

"You’ve been here this whole time?"

"The whole time." Gabriel nodded. "Since the moment you were brought back to camp. I hardly left this room."

Cassie quietly wiped her eyes.

"We took turns watching over you. Gabriel barely slept. He came every day to ask about your condition."

Something gently struck Sophie’s heart.

She looked into Gabriel’s eyes.

As always, they were calm.

But beneath that calmness lay exhaustion and worry that only she could understand.

"Gabriel..." she softly called his name.

At that moment, a faint rustling sound suddenly came from the floor.

....

I want to apologise for the lack of Chapters in recent days. I’ll upload more Chapters from now on. Thanks for your support and understanding all this while. Another Chapter will be uploaded in a few hours.