Endless Extraction in a Game-Like World

Chapter 289: The people behind the Troublemakers and Something hidden within Genesis Town

Caelus considered following them himself but immediately dismissed the idea, his mind racing through the possibilities. If he followed them personally they might notice and alert whoever was behind this, that would only warn the enemy and make future investigations harder.

But if he didn’t follow them at all he’d lose the trail completely.

He needed someone the enemy didn’t know, someone they wouldn’t suspect.

He immediately thought of Chad.

Caelus opened his friend interface and sent a message, the text appearing on Chad’s screen wherever he was.

[Caelus: Where are you right now?]

The reply came within seconds.

[Chad: Regional Lord Territory, helping my guild conquer a town. Why?]

Caelus quickly typed out his explanation.

[Caelus: Genesis is being targeted. Some players just left after trying to provoke me, I need someone to follow them without being noticed. Can you do it?]

[Chad: Already on it, send me their descriptions.]

Caelus smiled seeing the immediate response, Chad had agreed without even asking for more details.

[Caelus: Thanks.]

Almost nobody knew Chad and Caelus were close friends, they had deliberately kept their relationship quiet after everything that happened with David Wilson.

Mason had already been seen with Caelus multiple times, making him unsuitable for this job.

But Chad was perfect.

Chad quietly observed the group of players leaving Genesis Town, his expression neutral as he blended into the crowd.

He wore simple equipment that made him look like any other player, nothing that would attract attention or suggest he was following anyone.

The troublemakers walked through the Region Lord Territory without any caution, clearly believing no one had tailed them.

Chad maintained a careful distance behind them, never getting too close but never letting them out of his sight.

They passed through several towns before finally entering a specific territory, the atmosphere changing noticeably as they crossed the boundary.

Chad’s eyes widened slightly seeing the guild banner hanging above the entrance.

Shadow Halberd Guild.

He immediately sent Caelus a message.

[Chad: They entered Shadow Halberd Guild territory.]

Caelus’s eyes flickered hearing this.

The troublemakers stepped through the town, their tense expressions finally relaxing now that they were back in familiar territory.

Footsteps echoed from the staircase as a guild player descended, his sharp eyes immediately locking onto the returning players.

His name was Marcus Vale and he served as Shadow Halberd’s operation coordinator, a man known for his cunning strategies.

"How did it go?" Marcus asked while crossing his arms.

One of the players stepped forward with visible frustration. "It failed completely, Caelus never got angry once. He just calmly told us we were free to leave Genesis whenever we wanted."

Marcus’s expression darkened hearing this, his jaw tightening as he processed the unexpected outcome.

"That bastard," he muttered. "He didn’t take the bait at all?"

"No, he remained completely calm the entire time." Another player shook his head. "We tried everything but nothing worked."

Marcus cursed under his breath before taking a deep breath, forcing himself to remain composed despite the failed operation.

"Did anyone follow you?" he asked sharply.

The players exchanged glances before answering confidently, "No, we made sure of it."

Marcus nodded slowly, his expression becoming more relaxed.

"It doesn’t matter anyway, you all possess Escape Stones." He gestured toward the door. "Even if someone had been tailing you they couldn’t follow after using those, you’re clear."

Escape Stones were rare teleportation items that allowed players to instantly travel to preset locations, making them perfect for losing pursuers.

Marcus straightened his posture and spoke with authority.

"Report to Crimson Fang Guild immediately, tell them exactly what happened."

The players pulled out small glowing stones from their inventories, the crystals pulsing with spatial energy as they activated them.

Space distorted around each player simultaneously as the Escape Stones took effect.

Within seconds they vanished completely, leaving Marcus standing alone.

The players materialized inside another guild building inside a Town, the transition from Shadow Halberd’s modest headquarters to this place was jarring.

This was Crimson Fang Guild.

Everything here screamed wealth and power, the entrance hall was lined with polished marble and expensive tapestries hung from the walls.

Elite Players stood at attention wearing gleaming armor, their levels visible above their heads showing they were all level 40 and above.

Training grounds visible through massive windows contained equipment worth millions of Origin Credits, advanced weapon racks lined the walls displaying Transcendent and even Divine rank equipment.

A man with striking red hair descended from the upper floor, his crimson eyes sharp as he observed the arriving players.

His name was Reign Bloodfang and he was Crimson Fang Guild’s member, a man feared throughout the Regional Lord Territory. He was also a famous internet celeberity.

"Welcome back," Reign said. "Did everything proceed according to plan?"

The lead player stepped forward nervously, clearly intimidated by Reign’s presence.

"We failed to provoke Caelus, he remained completely calm throughout the entire confrontation."

Silence fell over the hall, the elite guards shifting slightly as they waited for their Guild Master’s reaction.

Surprisingly Reign didn’t become angry, instead he smiled faintly while walking toward a nearby window.

"So he didn’t take the bait," he mused. "Interesting."

One subordinate standing nearby spoke up hesitantly, "Should we simply attack Genesis directly? We have the power to crush them."

Reign immediately shook his head, his expression becoming serious.

"No, that would be foolish." He turned to face his subordinates directly. "The real prize isn’t Genesis itself it’s just the side prize, the real prize is what lies beneath it."

Everyone’s attention focused on him completely.

"Beneath Genesis Town sits an undeveloped Origin Ore Vein, one of the largest discovered in Tier 1 Region Lord Territory." Reign’s eyes gleamed. "But the vein hasn’t completely surfaced yet, if we openly attack Genesis now every major guild will realize the land’s value."

He walked across the hall slowly, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

"Competition would destroy us and attacking a town would damage Crimson Fang’s reputation, we’d be labeled as bandits." He stopped and looked toward the window. "Instead we’ll destroy Genesis from within, cause players to leave, lower the population, create unrest among residents until the town collapses naturally."

The subordinates nodded in understanding, the strategy becoming clear.

"Once Genesis becomes weak enough we’ll legally absorb the town, no one will question it." Reign smiled coldly. "People without backing can never protect valuable resources, that’s just how this world works."

"Genesis is only the beginning," he said with a grin.

Back in Genesis Caelus received Chad’s message, the notification appearing in his vision as he stood with Sylvia near the town square.

[Chad: They entered Shadow Halberd Guild.]

Caelus immediately replied.

[Caelus: Thanks Chad, I owe you one.]

He closed the interface and turned toward Sylvia, his expression thoughtful as he processed this new information.

"We finally know who’s targeting Genesis."

"This is going to be dangerous." Sylvia said with a thoughtful look.

Caelus shook his head slowly. "The real problem isn’t the guild itself, it’s that a guild has already started moving against us. There’s likely something much deeper behind this than simple town ownership."

"There is no way they would move against us like this for small reasons. Freya’s dad was also moving against us. There must be something we are missing."

Sylvia nodded in understanding.

"If things become truly dangerous we still have our trump cards," Caelus continued while looking toward the town around them. "But our immediate priority is stabilizing Genesis, we need to stop worrying about enemies for now and focus on making this a town worth staying in."

Before Sylvia could respond Mason suddenly came running toward them, his usual calm demeanor replaced with visible urgency.

He was out of breath and his face showed unusual seriousness, something clearly had happened.

Mason stopped in front of them and bent over slightly, catching his breath before looking up.