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

Chapter 354: A Meeting [2]

Some time later, a meeting was called and all the core members of Broken Dawn gathered in the meeting room.

This time around, even Scarlet, Alice, and Lilly were present.

Currently, they were all seated, waiting for Gabriel, who was yet to arrive.

"What do you think it is about?" Logan leaned toward Damina and whispered.

Alice overheard them and spoke with a light smirk. "It is probably a plan for retaliation."

"You mean he is going to attack the Eastern Camp?" Lilly’s mouth hung open. "Do you have any idea how large and powerful the Eastern Camp is?"

"Hahahaha, when did Sir Broken ever care about the size and strength of his enemies?" Ragnarok99 laughed, his boisterous laughter echoing across the room.

"Let us not jump to conclusions just yet," Sophie spoke calmly. She sat very close to the vacant seat reserved for Gabriel.

Although no official post had been given yet and everyone was simply following orders or acting on their own will, Sophie had somehow become the unofficial vice leader of the guild.

No one complained. In fact, most believed she deserved it. She was hardworking, intelligent, and always thought long term, making her very suitable for the role.

"When is he coming?" Scarlet asked, turning to Sophie. She sat close to the head of the table on the opposite side.

"Soon."

...

Meanwhile, in his room, Gabriel was submerged in the cold pool inside his vast bathroom.

After fighting the blood creatures in the Blood Tower for several days without rest, he decided to allow himself a brief respite.

The maids who used to be Kairos’ slaves had offered to help him clean up, but Gabriel had outright refused.

They did not take it lightly, however, and still insisted. Some even pleaded to bathe him, but Gabriel had no choice but to have Anna chase them away.

This was something they would never dare try with Kairos or Bai Young, but with Gabriel, they were willing to throw themselves at him.

"Women logic. Once you ignore them, they start chasing. Tsk."

"Yeah, they are just like that," Gabriel replied, before his eyes widened.

He hurriedly turned around and saw the Vampire Queen bathing at the other end of the pool.

He had temporarily forgotten that he had bonded with a certain someone, and that she now followed him everywhere.

"Y you..." Gabriel said, the words caught in his throat. "Why are you..."

"Did you forget we are partners now?" the Vampire Queen smirked as she slipped deeper into the water.

"Even then, I still need privacy," Gabriel countered, irritation flashing across his face.

It was at this moment that he truly saw her.

The Vampire Queen was naked.

Or rather, half naked, but to Gabriel there was not much of a difference.

Her long crimson hair floated lazily across the surface of the water, strands clinging to her pale shoulders and collarbone. The faint steam rising from the pool blurred the sharpness of her features, giving her an almost unreal softness he had never associated with her.

She leaned back against the edge, completely unbothered by his stare, red eyes half lidded as she watched him.

Gabriel was momentarily caught by her vampiric charm. It took considerable mental strain for him to force his gaze away.

Then it struck him, his eyes widening slightly.

The Vampire Queen had seen him undress.

Gabriel was flustered for only a moment before he shook his head and relaxed back into the pool, giving up on the situation entirely.

"Can you do me a favor?" he spoke, eyes focused on the ceiling of the luxurious bathroom.

"Depends on what you are asking," the Vampire Queen replied.

"Why did you barge into my bath?"

"You did not lock the door," she countered. "And you did not forbid me."

"That is not how privacy works."

She chuckled softly, the sound low and strangely intimate. "You humans have too many unnecessary rules."

Gabriel exhaled slowly, rubbing his face with one hand. "This is exactly why I needed time alone."

"And yet," she said, shifting closer, "you look far less tense than before."

He froze.

She was right. The constant pressure resting on his shoulders since the Blood Tower felt lighter. Maybe it was the warm water. Maybe it was the absurdity of the situation. Or maybe it was simply because, for once, no one was demanding anything from him.

There was an awkward silence between them. For some reason, Gabriel felt an inexplicable urge to trust the Vampire Queen. He had only ever felt that way around one person, and that was Valery.

Was it because of the bond? Did bonding with her somehow affect his instincts?

She leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her arms. "You are lying again."

Gabriel glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "You are too close."

"Partners do not keep distance," she said calmly. "Especially bonded ones."

"That bond was not—"

"Voluntary?" she finished for him. Her expression softened slightly. "Perhaps. But it is real now."

He said nothing.

For a brief moment, the Vampire Queen studied him in silence, her teasing gaze fading into something quieter.

"You are tired," she said finally.

Gabriel did not deny it. He was exhausted. He had just left the tower and fought a Hero Rank existence, so naturally his body was pushed to its limits.

"I have a way to take away your exhaustion," she suddenly smiled.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes and asked with genuine curiosity, "How?"

"I will show you," she smiled charmingly. Even without activating her charm skill, it felt as if she had. This was simply her natural allure.

Before Gabriel could respond, the water rippled and she moved.

Not fast. Not sudden. Just enough that he felt it before he saw it.

Her presence was suddenly closer, close enough that the cold water between them felt warmer. Gabriel turned his head slightly, ready to speak, but the words died in his throat.

Her hand rested lightly on his shoulder.

"Relax," she said softly. "You trust me. You just do not realize it yet."

Then she leaned in without waiting for his response.

He felt it first. A strange pressure against his neck. Warm breath brushing his skin, followed by a soft, sharp sting.

His body jerked instinctively, muscles tightening, fingers digging into the edge of the pool.

"Tch!"

Her fangs pierced his skin cleanly. Not rough. Not painful in the way he expected. The initial sting faded almost instantly, replaced by something else.

Heat.

It flowed from his neck down his spine, sinking into his limbs, loosening the tight knots buried deep inside his body. The exhaustion he had ignored for days cracked all at once, leaking out of him like air from a punctured seal.

His breathing slowed.

His heartbeat steadied.

And most importantly, his body felt light.

"What..." his voice came out hoarse. "What are you doing to me?"

"Feeding," she replied calmly, lips still against his skin. "And giving back."

The crushing weight in his chest eased. His shoulders dropped. His thoughts, once sharp and restless, softened at the edges.

She pulled back after a moment, licking the last trace of blood away before moving aside.

"Your exhaustion," she said quietly. "I take a portion. In return, I share mine."

"How is that possible?"

"Let us just say it is a unique trait of mine. Whenever you are exhausted, I can ease your burden."

Gabriel was at a loss for words. He did not want to be selfish, but right now, he truly needed this.

"Thank you," he said.

"Do not mention it," she replied.

They sat there, side by side but not touching, the warmth of the water wrapping around them like a fragile truce.

For the first time in a long while, Gabriel allowed himself to simply breathe.