The Extra's Supremacy-Chapter 40: Lost one [3]

"Lost One," Alvin muttered.

His eyes locked onto Alvida as he asked his second question.

"What’s his goal?"

Alvida shook her head. "I don’t know."

"Why did he choose me?"

"I don’t know."

"Where is he?"

"I don’t know."

"Who is he?"

"I don’t know."

Alvin’s fists clenched, frustration leaking into his voice. "Then what the hell do you know?"

Alvida smiled faintly. "I know many things... but not much about him."

Alvin’s gaze sharpened. "Then how were you able to meet him?"

Alvida looked away briefly, then answered, "To be honest, I can’t contact him. He contacts me."

She turned back, eyes steady.

"He appears in my reflections—water, mirrors... anything that shows me."

Her tone dropped slightly.

"His entire body was like a shadow. But his eyes... his eyes were golden."

Alvin’s breath caught as a memory surfaced—two and a half years ago, during his stay in the Black Forest.

He had entered a memory... and in that memory, he saw a shadow with golden eyes staring at him from the reflection.

"...Ha..." A low chuckle escaped him.

Then he burst out laughing.

"Ha... ha-ha... ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"To think I saw him already—two years ago at that!"

Alvida’s eyes widened. "You saw him? Then you must’ve experienced time disorientation."

Alvin nodded slowly, piecing it all together.

’So... the time disorientation was because of him too.’

"Yeah. Five months of my life vanished. Just like that."

Alvida raised her hand. The crystals surrounding them cracked and fell like shattered glass. Her arm began to turn into pure crystal.

She tossed her sword aside. Her other arm crystalized as well.

"If you can block my punch this time," she said calmly, "I’ll answer three more questions."

Alvin tightened his grip on Rhizome. Mana surged through his veins, fast and wild.

Alvida took a single step.

Then vanished.

Alvin turned, instincts blazing—he brought his sword up,

BANG!

Rhizome shattered instantly.

The impact sent a shockwave ripping through his body.

He was launched like a missile, smashing straight into the middle of the black spire.

BOOM!

Alvin hit hard. Hard enough that he couldn’t move anymore. Pain flooded every nerve.

He could feel it—multiple bones were broken. His grip on Rhizome had loosened. The shattered blade clattered to the ground below.

’How the hell was I supposed to block that...?’

His blurred vision cleared just in time to see her.

Alvida.

Floating in the air before him, calm and composed.

"Fascinating, isn’t it?" she said. "Your bones are broken... but there’s not a single scratch on your skin."

"Let’s bring out all the capabilities of those cursed veins."

Then her fist drove into his gut.

BOOM!

Alvin was blasted straight through the spire, coming out the other side.

He crashed to the ground like a meteor.

Blood sprayed from his mouth.

"Your blood’s still red. So, that didn’t change," a voice said beside him.

Alvin’s eyes widened in horror.

Alvida was already standing next to him.

She kicked him again.

Alvin rolled across the ground for another twenty meters.

’What do I do...?’

’She’s too strong.’

’She’s just... toying with me.’

Alvida looked down at him, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"Why aren’t you using your shadow element? It’s quite compatible with cursed veins."

She tilted her head slightly. "Is it because you haven’t learned any shadow techniques yet?"

Her eyes swept over him.

"Come on, stand up. This is getting boring."

"You know I’m only targeting your back... and you still can’t block it?"

She sighed, then added, "Let me tell you something. You think too much during battle. Instead of thinking, just will it into existence."

Her words spun inside Alvin’s mind like a vortex.

’Instead of thinking... just will it.’

He gritted his teeth and slowly began to rise to his feet.

Alvida took a step forward. Her voice grew sharper.

"Let’s do it again. But this time, I’ll come from the front."

And just like that, she vanished again.

Alvin’s instincts flared.

His mind screamed, ’If this hits me, I’m dead.’

Horror flashed in his eyes.

Alvida appeared before him, her crystalized hand driving straight toward his chest.

’Just will it.’

The words echoed louder in his mind.

Alvin raised his right arm.

Their hands met, flesh against crystal.

BOOM.

Dust exploded around them. A pulse of shockwave blasted outward, clearing a 200-meter radius.

Inside the epicenter, Alvin and Alvida remained motionless, locked in position.

Between Alvin’s palm and her crystal hand, a glowing golden energy pulsed—a thin shield, radiating raw power.

Alvin’s legs gave out as he collapsed to the ground, breath short and ragged.

The golden energy followed him, circling around his hand like a loyal guardian.

His mind raced. ’This energy... I’ve seen it before. I thought it was Rhizome’s doing...’

Alvida’s eyes remained fixed on the golden glow.

"So... that’s your half-step power."

"You used it before, but back then you didn’t will it, so it was half-assed."

She crossed her arms.

"As I said—no two Seeker powers are ever the same. One might control it. Another might command it. And some..."

Her gaze met his.

"...some have to will it."

"In your case, it’s the last one. You ’will’ your power into being."

She stepped back slightly.

"But thanks to this battle... you’ll finally learn where your real combat ability lies."

Alvin gave a short nod, breath still uneven—but his eyes were steady now.

Alvin asked, "When did you realize I used that power unknowingly?"

Alvida answered without hesitation, "The moment I laid eyes on that dark marble of yours."

Alvin nodded to himself. "So that’s why you caught it—and kept observing it?"

Alvida turned to the side again. "Yes."

’Why does she keep turning that way?’ Alvin wondered. ’Is there something there I can’t see?’

’No—focus. I need to ask something that helps me now.’

He lifted his gaze and asked, "Tell me everything you know. That’s my first question."

Alvida’s eyes widened slightly before a smile touched her lips.

"I’ll tell you everything."

"I manipulated Crandell into planting false information about me... and made sure he’d request help from the Twilight Crown."

"Of course, even then, the odds of you being sent were low. But knowing them, they wouldn’t send you to complete the task... they’d send you to test your emotional stability."

She raised a finger.

"There are three keys needed to unlock this domain. The first is easy to find. The second—difficult. The third? Nearly impossible. Each unlock increases the ruin’s energy."

"But using information passed to me through the Lost One’s words, I located the second key."

"I opened the door. The ruin changed. I assume you experienced that shift. Now that you’ve unlocked the first key, it will change again—this time, even more sinister."

She stepped closer.

"The Lost One wants to unlock Lumina Obscura. But only you can find the third key and locate the path through this Crimson Domain. That’s the only reason he made you, his puppet."

She paused.

"But... the ruin was too strong for you to handle alone. That’s why I, another puppet, was sent to help you clear the obstacles."

"Originally, you weren’t supposed to enter half-step until three years from now. That’s what the Lost One foresaw."

"But seeing you here today... I’ve realized something."

She checked his eyes—making sure he was following.

"The future he predicts... it may change if someone enters a ruin."

"I always suspected it. But now, you’ve confirmed it."

She met his eyes again. "That’s everything I know about his plan."

Alvin stood up and asked calmly, "Then who are you, really?"

The moment the question left his lips, a shadowy chain appeared around Alvida’s neck—and began to crack.

The chain shattered.

Alvin blinked. "What just happened?"

Alvida placed a hand on her neck, expression unreadable. ’Just as I expected...’

Looking into his eyes, she said, "It was a condition. If I could get you to ask me that question, I’d be free from the Lost One’s control. I’m no longer his puppet."

Alvin’s eyes widened. "But you said he wanted you to help me find the third key. Why would he risk losing you?"

Alvida gave a faint smile. "Isn’t it obvious? This proves he can’t fully predict what happens inside ruins."

"But forgive me—I can’t reveal my true identity. From now on I won’t be Alvida anymore. I just want to live the rest of my life quietly... away from all of this."

Alvin gave her a respectful nod. "Now that you’re free, won’t he come after you?"

She shook her head. "No. He’s a man of his word."

Alvin hesitated, then asked, "You said I almost killed you?"

She nodded. "It was because of an ability Seekers gain after entering the Second Primordial Step—it’s called Precognition."

"I don’t know what happened in that timeline... but I’ve changed it now."

"How?" Alvin asked.

She answered simply, "By not helping you find the third key."

Hearing that puzzle pieces fit on board, he finally understood the game Alvida played.

A smirk touched Alvin’s lips. "I get it now. If you’d followed the Lost One’s orders, maybe I would’ve come looking for you in the future. Maybe I would’ve tried to kill you."

"But you couldn’t kill me—because doing so might have angered the Lost One."

"So instead... we played this game of questions. You baited me into asking the one that would set you free."

"In doing that, you broke the chain—and gave me no reason to come after you."

"Am I right?"

For the first time, Alvida’s eyes widened.

Her heart thudded—not from fear, but from something deeper. A rare emotion stirred by the mere sight of a half-step Seeker... a glimpse of something that could change everything.

Perhaps it was what she saw in her vision.

She nodded slowly.

"Yes."