God-Tier Extraction Talent: Reincarnated in a Game-like World!

Chapter 595: The World Tree

After he went to look for the Soul Key in the Valerian Kingdom, he had already come to the conclusion that Sophie was associated with the royal family, so he wasn’t really surprised. What he was more curious to learn was how Sophie had been possessed by the World Tree.

The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence as Cassie stepped forward.

Gabriel stood perfectly still, his blue eyes staring at her from beneath his dark hair. He did not speak, his face remaining completely calm and unreadable. He simply waited, letting the silence stretch until Cassie finally took a deep, heavy breath to steady her shaking voice.

“A few years ago, everything changed,” Cassie began. She looked down at the sleeping, pale Sophie. “Sophie was just a normal princess back then. But one afternoon, while walking through the royal gardens in the Capital, the ground beneath her feet collapsed.”

Ragnarok99 and Bunny looked up, listening intently. Even though they were her guild mates, they had never heard the full story of Sophie’s past. As such, they were all curious.

“She fell into an ancient, sealed chamber buried deep underground,” Cassie continued. “And inside that dark chamber… lay a buried, living fragment of the World Tree.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“The fragment didn’t kill her,” Cassie said. “Instead, the moment she touched it, the ancient wood reacted to her Vermilion blood. It bonded with her body, fusing directly into her bloodline. From that day on, she became one with the ancient World Tree.”

The ancient tree…

Gabriel’s expression remained calm, but his heart stirred slightly.

In his previous life, the World Tree had been one of the most terrifying existences in the entire Realm of Ascendency.

It was not merely a divine plant. It was a world class lifeform capable of nurturing civilizations, creating entire forests overnight, and devouring continents to fuel its own growth. At its peak, its roots could span nations, its branches could blot out the sky, and every leaf contained enough life force to turn barren wastelands into fertile paradise.

More frighteningly, the World Tree possessed an endless evolutionary ability. It could absorb the traits of anything it consumed, continuously perfecting itself over countless years. In the later stages of the game, even legendary guilds and kingdom level forces would avoid provoking a mature World Tree whenever possible.

Yet according to Cassie’s story, Sophie was carrying a fragment of that very existence inside her body.

‘This is far more troublesome than I thought,’ Gabriel silently concluded.

“The power of the World Tree is not a blessing; it is an uncontrollable force. When the Holy Church heard rumors of her condition, the royal family panicked. To protect their throne and hide the truth, they denied all the rumors and quietly banished Sophie from the Capital, sending her far away to this outpost.”

“I see,” Gabriel murmured, his mind cool and analytical. “And Alfonso… what were his last words?”

Cassie nodded, her eyes flashing with a cold, fearful memory. “Alfonso’s last words… I will never forget them. Before Sophie ordered the vines to devour him, he stared at her and said: ‘A few years ago, there were rumors circulating that the second princess of the Vermilion Kingdom was possessed by the World Tree… but we never believed it. I should have known… it is only the World Tree that is capable of devouring things and evolving.ʼ”

Cassie looked up at Gabriel, her voice trembling slightly.

“Alfonso died knowing the truth. He realized that the royal family had been harboring a literal calamity beneath the Capital this entire time. And now that he is dead, the Holy Church is going to investigate. They will stop at nothing to hunt down this secret.”

A heavy weight of danger seemed to descend upon the quiet room.

The stakes were now astronomically high. If the Holy Church, the capital nobles, and the other kingdoms found out that a princess possessed the devouring power of the World Tree inside their own camp, they would send their entire armies to wipe them out.

Gabriel’s mind worked with lightning speed, instantly analyzing the situation.

“From this moment on, this secret dies in this room,” Gabriel commanded, his flat, cold voice carrying an authority that made everyone in the room straighten up.

He turned his gaze directly to Ragnarok99.

“There will be absolute, total silence,” Gabriel ordered. “I want zero talk about this. No discussions, no rumors, and absolutely no forum posts from the players. If a single word about Sophie’s World Tree power leaks onto the otherworlder forums, the entire camp will be destroyed.”

“I’ll make sure the players keep their mouths shut,” Ragnarok99 nodded, his face dead serious. “Anyone who leaks this will be kicked from the guild and hunted down. I’ll make the game unplayable for them.”

“Good,” Gabriel said. He then looked at Cassie. “Post double guards outside this medical building immediately. No visitors are allowed inside without my direct approval. Not even our closest allies.”

“I’ll set up the guard rotation right now,” Bunny replied, nodding in relief.

Gabriel looked at Cassie for a long, quiet second. “You should have told me about this sooner.”

Cassie lowered her eyes, a faint, apologetic look on her face. “I’m sorry, I… I wanted to tell you. But the secret was too dangerous, and I had to protect her. I was waiting for the right moment.”

“The right moment has passed,” Gabriel said, his tone flat but not angry. “But we will handle what comes next.”

Without another word, Gabriel turned around and walked out of the medical room, his quiet footsteps fading down the corridor.

Outside the building, the sound of loud, thunderous cheers and laughter echoed through the night.

The players and NPCs of the camp were still drinking, eating, and loudly celebrating Gabriel’s return. Bright torches lit up the night sky, and the sound of music drifted through the air.

They were happy, relaxed, and completely at peace.

They had absolutely no idea of the dark, terrifying storm that was slowly gathering over their home, or how incredibly dangerous this hidden truth was about to become.

‘So many things to do…’ Gabriel thought with a soft sigh. There was the pending Overlord quest, the Dead God Heart in his inventory, and now a World Tree.

Worst of all, Gabriel hadn’t even included all his numerous enemies on this list.

Thinking about all this was beginning to make Gabriel’s mood grow worse.

Suddenly, at that moment, a voice came from behind him.

“I finally meet you.”