God-Tier Extraction Talent: Reincarnated in a Game-like World! Chapter 600: The Pope

From the cracks between the wooden floorboards, three thin vines slowly emerged. They were nothing like the violent, greedy golden vines from the Tomb that had devoured the High Cardinal.

Instead, they were tender green vines with a gentle glow, each tipped with tiny golden leaves.

They gently wrapped around Sophie’s wrist and the edge of the bed, almost as if they possessed consciousness. Their leaves trembled softly, as though they were comforting her anxiety.

Sophie stared blankly at them.

...They were comforting her.

She hesitated before reaching out with her other hand and gently touching one of the vines.

The vine immediately curled around her finger like a small animal seeking affection. Warmth and vitality flowed from her fingertips into her body, gradually calming her trembling.

Tears welled up in her eyes again, but this time, they were not born of fear.

"They’re... mine," Sophie whispered. "They’re not just power... they’re alive. They’re protecting me."

The atmosphere in the room gradually softened.

Gabriel watched the vines, a complicated emotion flashing across his eyes.

Sophie fell silent for a moment before suddenly looking up.

"Gabriel... tell me the truth. What happened after the Tomb? How is the camp? Does everyone know I’ve... become like this?"

Gabriel shook his head.

"Only a few of us know the complete truth. Everyone else only knows that you were injured and fell into a coma. Anna has already ordered everyone not to discuss your situation."

Sophie let out a sigh of relief, only to frown again a moment later.

"I can’t keep hiding like this forever," she said softly. "I can’t let everyone continue believing I’m still the same veiled princess. The girl who hid behind that veil... is already dead."

She looked out the window. The sunlight streamed in, shining upon the golden leaves and reflecting countless tiny glimmers.

"I want..." Sophie suddenly said. "I want to find the World Tree."

The three others immediately looked at her.

Though her voice was still weak, it carried a determination unlike anything he had seen before. In fact, this was the most determined he had ever seen her since he had known her.

In the same serious tone, she continued. "I want to know why it chose me and why it made me become this way... I felt its will. It isn’t simply a monster. It has a purpose."

She tightened her grip on the vines. The vines gently responded by curling more tightly around her hand.

"I want to understand it myself. I want to find its source. Maybe... only then can I truly control it instead of being controlled by it. Perhaps the World Tree itself is somewhere out there, waiting for me."

Gabriel quietly looked at her. Only after a long silence did he speak.

"Are you sure?"

Sophie nodded. The tear stains on her face had not yet dried, but a faint smile filled with determination appeared on her lips.

"I’m sure. I’m no longer the Sophie I used to be. Then, at the very least, I need to know what the current me... truly exists for."

Cassie and Bunny exchanged glances but said nothing.

Gabriel reached out and gently placed his hand over hers, the one holding the vine.

The vine trembled lightly at his touch, but instead of rejecting him, it seemed to recognize him as an ally and not a foe.

It gently wrapped around his finger and intertwined it with Sophie’s.

"All right," he said softly. "Then we’ll go find it together."

Sophie looked at him, a gleam of hope flashing across her eyes.

"You know where it is?"

"I have an idea."

...

Stellar City. Inside the largest church, which also served as the headquarters of the Holy Church, a man wearing a light robe with white hair and a wrinkled face calmly ate alone from a plate.

His movements were slow, deliberate, and filled with the elegance of someone who had been trained in proper etiquette since birth.

This man was none other than Pope Valen D’Mond the supreme leader of the Holy Church, an institution that had existed for thousands of years. It was as old as the Valerian Kingdom, perhaps even older.

However, all of this was merely surface information. What people didn’t know was that the church’s relationship with the royal family ran far deeper than it appeared.

The level of respect the pope commanded was almost equal to that of the king. Not only that, but his strength was also on par with the king’s. As the leader of countless believers, the Lord title had naturally also been awarded to the pope. It had been passed down through generations.

Apart from cultivators, almost every human was a believer in the church and its god. With such a vast number of believers, one could only imagine the number of stats the pope had accumulated.

At a glance, no one would imagine that this seemingly ordinary man, who didn’t emit even the slightest wisp of aura, was as powerful as, or perhaps even more powerful than, the King of the Valerian Kingdom.

The pope raised his head and looked toward the door. A few seconds later, a soft knock came.

"Your Eminence," a voice called from outside. "An envoy has returned from the Dead God’s Tomb."

"No one survived?"

The pope’s voice, strangely calm and pleasant to listen to, echoed through the room. The person outside fell silent for a few seconds before replying,

"Yes, Your Eminence... the two Cardinals both died inside."

The pope remained silent for a brief moment. The other person didn’t speak either. Having served the pope for over a hundred years, he had come to understand that this was his way of mourning the fallen devotees of the Holy Church.

Some time later, the pope spoke.

"So who... is this envoy that managed to survive?"

...

Thanks to all those who support this novel. Apologies for the lack of Chapters in the recent days. I’ll try to update as regularly as I can.