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

Chapter 528: Hunting Himself?

The ride back to the ChaosKnight base was quiet in the worst way. Gabriel sat in the rear of the vehicle with one arm resting on the side, while Vv sat opposite him in full armor, unmoving from start to finish. The tension between them stayed thick enough that even the driver in front kept stealing nervous glances through the mirror before quickly looking away.

ChaosCleric had chosen another vehicle.

Maybe it was caution. Maybe it was fear. Gabriel did not care enough to ask. His attention stayed on Vv, and unlike before, he did not bother hiding that interest.

For some reason, this person drew his eyes again and again. It was not the armor alone. It was not the silence either. There was simply something about the figure that made Gabriel feel a strange pull he could not properly explain.

After a while, he asked, "What is your name?"

Vv did not answer immediately. The vehicle rolled through the city streets while the lights outside passed over the red metal of the armor in brief flashes. Only after several more seconds did the figure finally speak.

"Vv."

Gabriel’s eyes flashed faintly. That name touched a small corner of his memory. For one brief moment, he thought of a certain person, but the thought passed just as quickly. The one he knew did not act mute, and more importantly, that person would never bury themselves under heavy armor like this.

In the end, he pushed the thought away.

The vehicle soon turned toward the district where ChaosKnight had made its base. The high-rise building came into view, with glass walls, polished metal, and enough guards and players moving around the entrance to make it clear this was not some small guild trying to look important.

Despite their losing streak against him, Gabriel couldn’t deny the fact that ChaosKnight was the most influential player-based guild.

The moment Gabriel stepped out, whispers started.

Players near the entrance froze. Some pointed openly. Others pulled up their screens and started typing at once. A few looked excited while others looked nervous, but all of them recognized the white-masked figure immediately.

"Is that White Phantom?"

"What is he doing here?"

"He’s entering the building."

"That’s ChaosKnight’s tower."

The noise rose with each passing second.

High above, from one of the upper floors, IceQueen saw him through the wide window of her office. At first, surprise flashed across her face because even she had not expected the contact to happen this quickly. A second later, that surprise turned into clear excitement, and the way her fingers pressed lightly against the edge of the desk gave away how much interest this stirred in her.

She had wanted White Phantom.

Now he was walking into her building by himself.

Gabriel was brought up without delay. The elevators moved quickly, the guards stepped aside the moment they saw who was with him, and soon the office door opened to reveal IceQueen waiting inside with the city lights behind her.

The room was large, modern, and cold in the way expensive places often were. A wide desk stood near the center, and the glass wall behind it gave a full view of Stellar City under the evening light.

ChaosCleric was the first to speak, and once the door shut behind them, he quickly reported everything that mattered. He told her about the ruined Black Star base, the bodies outside, the collapse, and the fact that White Phantom had taken the place down by himself. As he spoke, even he seemed to become more convinced of the value standing right there in front of them.

"He did it alone," ChaosCleric said. "Black Star is no more."

IceQueen’s eyes stayed on Gabriel as she asked, "And the conditions?"

ChaosCleric nodded and glanced his way. Gabriel did not wait for him to repeat them poorly.

"I’ll say it myself," he said.

IceQueen leaned back slightly. "Go on."

Gabriel’s tone remained calm as he spoke. "If I join, I want equal standing with the highest authority under you. I do not want to be treated like a normal subordinate. I also want special privileges, freedom of movement, and the freedom to act without being checked every step."

He paused briefly.

"One more thing. My affiliation with your guild stays secret. Only the people in this room will know."

ChaosCleric looked at him again, while even Vv turned slightly as if paying closer attention. IceQueen said nothing at first. Her fingers tapped once against the armrest, and her gaze stayed fixed on Gabriel as she measured what he was really asking for.

It was not a small request.

He wanted authority almost equal to hers, secrecy, and the freedom to move in and out of ChaosKnight without the guild publicly claiming him. That gave him protection from exposure while giving them the right to use his strength when needed.

It was a hard deal for any leader to accept.

Still, IceQueen had already seen enough. Black Star was not weak. For White Phantom to destroy them alone and walk into her office afterward meant he was worth more than any normal second-in-command.

After a long pause, she nodded.

"Fine, I accept."

ChaosCleric let out a slow breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

IceQueen continued. "If you help us get rid of Broken Heaven once and for all, I’m willing to give you even more than that."

Gabriel heard the words and almost found them amusing. He was being offered rewards to hunt himself, but his face gave nothing away thanks to his mask.

"Good," he said. He looked between them and added, "When you need me, call me. I don’t plan to start moving for your guild openly yet. Doing that too early would be suspicious."

Gabriel turned toward the door, but before he could leave, IceQueen spoke again.

"There is actually something you can help us with."

He stopped and glanced back.

IceQueen’s expression had grown more serious now. "We couldn’t do it on our own. Maybe with you here, we would finally be able to."