God-Tier Extraction Talent: Reincarnated in a Game-like World!
Chapter 32: Ruin Exploration [2]

Chapter 32: Ruin Exploration [2]

The atmosphere in the meeting room shifted the moment Gabriel stepped inside.

Conversation halted, eyes turned, and a subtle pressure filled the air as the adventurers took note of the crimson-haired youth.

It seemed he was the last to arrive, and everyone else had been waiting for him.

Gabriel gave a subtle nod to the others and walked toward the vacant seat near the person who had summoned him.

"So we meet again. I didn’t think you were invited to the ruin exploration as well," Sophie said with a light smile beneath her veil.

"Didn’t think so either. Guess beating the vice guild leader in a spar gets you an invite," Gabriel replied as he sat down.

"You did what?" Sophie’s jaw slackened.

All heads in the meeting room snapped toward Gabriel, eyes widening in disbelief.

Some, however, remained skeptical.

The first to sneer was Cassie, seated opposite him.

"You must be joking if you think we’ll buy that load of crap!"

Though Cassie knew Gabriel was powerful for his level, she was visibly unconvinced that he could defeat the Vice leader of the guild.

"The vice guild leader is a Hero-Rank adventurer, and you—a measly low-level runt—dare to claim you defeated her?" a large human, practically a small giant, shouted. He slammed his muscular fist on the table beside his enormous hammer.

BANG!

Despite his strength, there wasn’t even a dent on the table’s surface.

At that moment, Scarlet’s emotionless voice echoed through the room.

"It’s true," she said calmly, her expression unbothered.

"Huh?"

"Impossible!"

"How? Vice Leader, are you only saying this to give him some face?"

"Yes, you didn’t have to give him face, Vice Leader," the hammer-wielding man added. "From his aura alone, I can tell he’s clearly below level 30."

"That’s not the reason," Scarlet said, her tone flat and body language composed. "He defeated me fairly and squarely. That’s why I invited him to join us today."

She paused, her eyes flashing briefly.

’He’s grown stronger again,’ she thought, a trace of disbelief flickering across her gaze—so subtle, no one noticed.

After hearing confirmation from Scarlet herself, everyone began to regard Gabriel in a new light. Their thoughts varied.

Liam, the hammer-wielding man, frowned deeply, glaring at Gabriel with contempt.

"Tch. Must’ve been a fluke," he muttered under his breath.

Gabriel didn’t respond. He simply leaned back in his chair, arms folded, calm and collected. His sharp eyes swept across the room, silently taking note of everyone present.

Nine others sat around the circular table—each one an elite adventurer. Gabriel recognized a few of them by reputation alone from his past life, which made him wonder just how important this ruin truly was.

Aside from Scarlet, Sophie, Cassie, Alice, and Lily, there were others like Liam.

Gabriel recognized Liam well. He was a renowned warrior from the Number 5 guild in StoneHeart City—the second-largest city in the Valerian Kingdom.

Then there was an old man Gabriel distinctly remembered receiving a quest from in his previous life.

Some time later, the meeting officially began.

"A few weeks ago, a ruin appeared roughly three thousand six hundred kilometers from the city—on the Eastern Hills," Scarlet announced. "According to our investigation, it appears to be over a thousand years old and is believed to have been built by the second king of the Valerian Kingdom, King Alverion Gale II."

Scarlet glanced at Sophie, and the two exchanged a look.

The brief contact was all the veiled beauty needed.

Sophie rose from her seat, drawing everyone’s attention as she began, "Most of you don’t know this, but before the appearance of Mutated Monsters on Earth, the entire wilderness used to be inhabited by citizens of the Valerian Kingdom."

Gabriel’s attention sharpened. In his previous life, the Developers had glossed over this information—most likely because they didn’t know much about this parallel Earth.

"In fact, the original capital was built on the Eastern Hills, but due to a monster invasion, King Alverion II was forced to abandon it and relocate to what is now known as Stellar City."

"During the invasion, a few nobles took advantage of the chaos. They carved out territories, betrayed the royal line, and declared independence."

Her voice trembled slightly with anger.

"But it didn’t last. When King Alverion II finally rebuilt the capital, he returned with a vengeance. Their ambitions failed. Their cities were crushed and absorbed into what we now know as the Ten Walled Cities."

"However, after his death, he requested to be buried behind the original capital," Scarlet continued, stepping in when she noticed the subtle emotion in Sophie’s voice.

She tapped a rune onto the table. A glowing map projected above its surface, zooming in on a mountainous region beyond the Eastern Hills.

"This," she said, "is the area where the ruin manifested. We suspect the ruin emerged because a group of monsters somehow tampered with the invisible protective barrier."

"As a result, what remained hidden beneath the earth for over a millennium is now partially exposed."

Everyone leaned forward.

"So... you mean the ruin is the resting place of King Alverion II?" Cassie asked, eyes wide.

Scarlet nodded. "Yes. Legend says he wasn’t just a king... but was blessed by the gods themselves."

"I thought that was a myth, Liam muttered, suddenly quieter.

"No. It’s real," Scarlet affirmed. "That ruin... there are rumors that King Alverion II took treasures with him to the grave. Our mission is to explore the ruins and find those treasures."

Gabriel’s eyes gleamed. ’So that’s why this exploration is important.’

"Are there any questions?" Scarlet asked, scanning the table.

No one spoke.

"What will we get from this exploration?" Gabriel asked.

Though he had been invited, he always kept his priorities clear—he would never work for free.

"Although the ruin belonged to the ancestor of the Valerian Kingdom, due to the monster infestation, it no longer falls under our jurisdiction."

"As we all know, the wilderness is no man’s land, which means the other kingdoms on the human continent could swoop in and lay claim to it if they find out."

"So that means no one owns it?"

"Yes. Any treasure you find individually inside the ruins belongs to you," Scarlet confirmed, and everyone’s eyes lit up.

Some time later, once the meeting concluded, the group began making preparations to depart.

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