The Extra's Supremacy-Chapter 42: Demonic Wyvern [2]

Bob’s thoughts spiraled as his gaze remained locked on the wyvern. When,

A dagger whistled through the air, descending from above.

’W-what? Who threw that?!’

The blade struck the wyvern’s side. Though it did no damage, the beast’s head snapped toward them, its glowing eyes narrowing.

It moved.

Bob’s breath hitched.

’Is this it? Am I just going to die, just like this?’

But before the wyvern could attack them,

BOOM!

A pillar of earth erupted from the ground, slamming into the beast’s jaw.

Cracks spiderwebbed through the rock before broking into pieces.

SHATTER!

The pillar crumbled into debris, barely even making the wyvern flinch.

Bob’s head whipped around to see the Butler of the Vaelcrest family, standing firm, his hand still raised from casting the spell.

The wyvern’s gaze locked onto Robert.

With a sudden, violent motion, it swung its tail at him.

Robert reacted instantly, raising multiple earthen walls to block the strike.

But it was useless.

CRASH!

The wyvern’s tail obliterated the barriers with ease. Though its momentum slowed, it still reached Robert.

He barely managed to roll away in time, shouting, "GET OUT OF HERE!"

But the students couldn’t move.

Not because they didn’t want to, because they physically couldn’t.

The sheer presence of a Tier-5 monster bore down on them like an invisible weight, freezing them in place.

Then suddenly,

SPLAT!

A body fell directly into the wyvern’s path.

The beast’s massive claws crashed down, reducing it to an unrecognizable pulp of blood and torn flesh.

The wyvern paused, glancing down at its own feet, momentarily distracted.

Bob’s eyes widened.

His innate gift stirred, something deep, cold.

A surge of emotion, unlike anything he’d ever felt before.

Not fear. Not panic. Not despair.

Something primal.

Something indifferent.

An innate pride, an emotion that looked down on all things.

Bob’s head turned instinctively, searching for the source,

And then he saw her.

A black-haired girl, casually walking away.

Not running. Not even looking back.

Just walking.

Lily, following Bob’s gaze, saw her too.

Bob’s heartbeat quickened, pounding in his chest like a drum.

His instincts screamed,

Call her,

Ask her,

Beg her,

She’s the group’s only lifeline.

Bob took a shaky breath,

And then he called out to the unknown girl.

"H-Hey! You!"

"P-Please help us!"

The girl didn’t stop. She kept walking, as if their cries meant nothing.

Bob gritted his teeth and shouted,

"YOU BLACK-HAIRED WITCH!"

"ARE YOU REALLY JUST GOING TO RUN AWAY? YOU COWARD!"

"THIS IS THE DOORWAY BACK TO THE REAL WORLD!"

The girl suddenly paused.

Bob’s eyes lit up.

’Is it working?’

He opened his mouth to say more—

But she vanished.

’W-What?!’

A sharp sting flared on his neck.

Bob froze. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

She was right beside him.

Her dagger rested lightly against his throat, a tiny line of blood forming from a shallow cut.

Two drops slid down his neck.

Her gaze met his. They are calm, cold, curious.

Then, in a flat voice, she asked,

"You’re sure? That wyvern’s the final obstacle back to the real world?"

Lily answered quickly, panic in her voice,

"Yes! Yes, that’s what we were told!"

Lesley’s eyes turned to the wyvern.

She pulled back her dagger.

A small, amused smile curled her lips.

"Thanks for the info," she said.

"But tell me... why should I help you?"

"I can wait. Strike when it drops its guard.

Why should I risk my life for a bunch of strangers?"

Bob lowered his eyes.

"You’re right. We are just strangers."

He looked up again, voice quiet but steady.

"And I know it’s shameless of me to even ask."

"But... you have the power to do it."

Lesley’s expression shifted. Her eyes widened slightly, not because the words were persuasive, but

because they echoed something.

Something from a decade ago.

She exhaled sharply.

"Damn it," she muttered.

Scratching her head, she said,

"Fine. I’m not doing this out of kindness."

"You all owe me. Remember that."

With that, Lesley turned and began walking toward the wyvern.

Lily stared at her back in disbelief.

"Wait... she’s just a Late-Stage Expert. How can she help us?"

Bob kept his eyes on Lesley as he replied,

"Remember Henry?"

"He’s a Mid-Stage Expert like me, but he killed a Tier-4 Aberration in four strikes."

"If I’m right... she might be one of his party members."

"And she’s stronger than him."

Lily thought back to Henry’s overwhelming strength. Her lips parted slightly. She nodded.

Her eyes followed the black-haired girl as a quiet thought passed through her mind—

’I... I’m just too weak.’

***

Inside the Space Point...

Alvida and Alvin stood face to face, silence stretched between them like the final chord of a fading song.

Alvin broke it.

"Won’t he find out that you told me all this after I leave the ruin?"

Alvida shook her head.

"He doesn’t have mind-reading abilities."

Alvin let out a breath.

"That’s good. But... what about my memories?"

Alvida’s lips curled slightly.

"Ah, right. Almost forgot about those."

"Think of your memories as a gift."

Alvin blinked.

’Gift?’

’My memories as Henry Croft... how much of it was even real?’

"A gift?" he asked.

Alvida nodded.

"You want to find the Lost One, don’t you?"

"Your real twin. Those memories are the key."

Alvin’s eyes widened as he muttered "My real twin... and these memories..."

"Exactly." She said as she continued,

"The Lost One may have turned us into puppets, forced us to carry out his will..."

"But he won’t let his puppets die."

Her gaze drifted upward, as if watching something far beyond the veil of space.

"When it’s all over, you’ll get your freedom back."

"You can fight against the impossible, Alvin. But you can’t fight against time."

Her voice softened.

"Let go of revenge. The Lost One might not be as cruel as you believe."

She turned.

"Anyway, it’s time for me, Alvida Vaelcrest, the puppet, to take my leave."

A swirling portal opened behind her, crackling with strange energy.

She began to walk toward it, glancing back with a faint smile.

"This is a Seeker’s ability, granted upon entering into the Third Primordial Step: Portal."

Alvin stepped forward.

"W-Wait! I still have so many questions—"

She raised a hand, stopping him with a look.

"I’ve already answered more than the agreed three."

"And besides... if you don’t go meet your little group of friends soon, they might all be dead."

She turned toward the portal. As she stepped through, her final words echoed behind her,

"A word of advice: don’t rely too much on your sigil."

"It’s not yours to begin with."

"Borrowed things always find their way back to the original owner."

Her voice dipped, one last truth slipping through the closing rift,

"But sadly, in this world... nothing is truly yours."

"Everything you have, your sigil, your name... even that body—"

"They’re all borrowed things."

A ghost of a smile lingered in the air.

"So that makes you, Henry Croft... an extra."