How to Survive as a Trash Extra Villain

Chapter 98

“Martin!”

“Here…”

Gilbert and Luri arrived first.

Hearing them call, I turned, and they approached.

Gilbert looked at me like a nervous puppy, but I ignored him.

Luri, with a serious expression, asked,

“It’d be silly to ask if you didn’t set out, right…?”

“It seems the entire structure of this hideout forms a single magic.”

“Direction disruption? Space folding?”

“Well…”

I looked up, activating Know-It-All and Wild Instinct.

Know-It-All (Lv 3) confirms magic envelops the ruins but admits it can’t identify its nature.

Wild Instinct (Lv 3) says directions and spatial awareness are too confused to find the path properly.

This is… serious.

For Know-It-All and Wild Instinct to fail at finding a path.

‘Well, earlier…’

I heard Gilbert and Lina’s voices nearby and saw traces left by Mary.

But now, there was nothing…

Soon, the other teams started arriving.

“Ugh, what’s this?”

“I feel like I’ve been here before.”

“Uh, huh…”

Muller and Shuga’s pair arrived last.

“What’s this, Muller? We’re back where we started.”

“Yeah, I thought going that way would lead somewhere.”

I immediately called Mary and Shuga.

“Yes, yes! Cadet Martin!”

“Y-Yes…!”

Seeing Shuga, who was just boldly yelling at Muller, now approaching cautiously with clasped hands like Mary was quite amusing.

Standing side by side with Mary, they looked alike.

Sisters, indeed.

Sisters from the Deminiyan Family, the greatest magical lineage.

“It seems the entire hideout is under a spell.”

No need for long explanations.

Mary and Shuga began investigating immediately.

But less than a minute later, they returned to me.

“Sorry… I don’t understand it…”

“S-Sorry…”

Are these two useless…?

I stood there for 10 minutes.

While I stood still, the others kept moving.

Gilbert and Lina paired up and headed back into the passage, while Mary and Shuga continued investigating just in case.

The others tapped walls or peeked around in their own ways.

To me, it was futile.

‘No choice.’

The reason I stood still for 10 minutes was that I was deliberating.

What could I do here?

The answer came quickly.

One skill had been warning me since this morning about something ominous, something wrong.

Wild Instinct (Lv 3) strongly senses that raising Know-It-All and Wild Instinct to Lv 4 will reveal the path!

It was shouting again.

But I wasn’t sure if it was right.

Know-It-All (Lv 3) ponders too.

Analyzing a structure spell this complex requires immense knowledge, which costs points.

It concludes that leveling up these versatile skills will be effective in many ways.

So I deliberated for 10 minutes.

‘No choice.’

Learning Know-It-All cost 1,000 points.

Level 2 was 1,500.

Level 3 was 2,500.

‘Now…’

Raising Know-It-All (Lv 3) to Lv 4 requires 5,000 points.

Wild Instinct cost 600 to learn, 900 for Level 2, and 1,500 for Level 3.

Raising Wild Instinct (Lv 3) to Lv 4 requires 3,000 points.

From 30,000 points, I spent 17,000 on Nerjin and Savo’s items in the Extra Privilege Item Shop, leaving 13,000.

Spending another 8,000 would leave 5,000.

It’s tight, but…

‘That’s exactly for times like this.’

I completed the first part of The Fallen Crown Prince of the Cosmos Empire.

After that, I only know the broad strokes, with vague details.

The Defardly Empire Liberation Army falls into that vague memory.

‘But I know Anette isn’t called a princess.’

Tyrant Empress Anette.

A formidable enemy wielding the blood-red dominance of the Defardly Empire’s bloodline and the raven symbol.

I recall she merged with a soul stone containing the power and grudges of past Defardly emperors.

But from the few snippets I overheard on the way here, I know this isn’t the Tyrant Empress Anette of the original story.

‘It’s that now.’

Before Princess Anette becomes Tyrant Empress Anette.

And they said most of the hideout’s functions are paralyzed because so many are at the ‘ritual site.’

‘Of all times.’

The grudges of the Defardly Empire’s tyrannical emperors would obviously target the bloodline of First Emperor Hamerd.

‘No way.’

In the worst case, Kazaks and Adela could die.

If that happens, I can’t even imagine how the story would unfold.

The Emperor appears robust but is old and frail inside.

Losing both heirs here means the two most likely successors are gone.

The chaos that would engulf the Empire is a problem, but so is the opportunity it gives to evil forces.

‘I have to save them.’

With the points I have.

‘Absolutely!’

Even if it means spending everything!

‘I’ll raise Know-It-All and Wild Instinct to Lv 4.’

A massive amount of points vanished in an instant.

With the emptiness of my point balance draining, a surge of exhilaration filled my body.

Know-It-All (Lv 4) achieved!

Existing abilities enhanced, new abilities gained!

Provides Absolute Memory, Information Access (Level 4, Great Library), Enhanced Focus, and Weakness Detection.

New ability: ‘Mental Contamination Immunity’ gained!

I realized Know-It-All’s new ability.

Information Access, Great Library, is literally a great library.

A repository of all books in this world.

I can access that knowledge whenever I focus.

Mental Contamination Immunity protects my mind from magic or external influences.

For example, it prevents incidents like when I fell unconscious from the stun magic earlier.

Wild Instinct (Lv 4) achieved!

Existing abilities enhanced, new abilities gained!

Sensory enhancement upgraded, condition control improved, and Berserk aftereffects reduced.

New senses unlocked!

‘Ugh.’

I closed my eyes and opened them with a tingling sensation.

‘I see it.’

The hideout’s structure formed in my mind.

Wild Instinct, nearing foresight, visualized it.

‘I get it.’

With the structure clear, Know-It-All began accessing knowledge.

I don’t know the hideout’s origin.

Perhaps it was lost, not recorded in books during humanity’s knowledge transmission.

But I know what trick it uses.

‘Mind twisting…’

It wasn’t space.

It tampered with the mind.

If someone didn’t have a clear destination and path in mind, they’d return to the starting point.

‘It’s fine now.’

Know-It-All will block all mental contamination.

‘I know the path too.’

With enhanced Wild Instinct, things normally invisible became visible.

The flow of mana throughout the building.

It’s probably heading toward the ritual site.

At the very least, I could find the hideout’s power source.

‘Done.’

Preparations complete.

I turned to the others, futilely searching in their own ways.

“Everyone, follow me closely from now on.”

“Did you find a way?”

My slightly improved mood cooled instantly.

It was Gilbert, asking with an awkward smile.

“Hah…”

“….”

I sighed involuntarily.

The air grew heavy.

The group started watching me cautiously.

“Hey.”

With the coldest, most contemptuous glare, I snapped,

“Don’t talk to me. You disgust me.”

“….”

Gilbert swallowed hard and lowered his head.

My menacing aura filled the space with silence.

‘Tch… no time for this.’

“Martin, we just follow right behind you?”

Thanks to the smart and brave Luri’s question, I nodded.

“Yes. I’ll figure it out somehow.”

The mood lightened a bit.

Everyone quietly gathered behind me.

It’s awkward for me too.

First Shuga, now Gilbert.

I can’t help getting angry.

“Let’s move.”

I walked forward.

The sound of footsteps followed.

We walked silently, on and on.

No one asked if this was the right path.

I’d proven it.

With the abilities I’d shown so far.

My fierce aura probably helped.

‘Almost…’

I felt the hideout’s mana converging, enveloping the entire group.

Know-It-All (Lv 4) resists mental manipulation magic!

I stopped in place.

Turning around, I saw the group following me turning back to the starting point, unaware of any anomaly.

‘As expected.’

I reached out toward them.

‘I need to be careful not to be noticed.’

This power was best kept hidden.

A white glow extended from my hand.

Stellar Force (Lv 3) answers your call.

Restores manipulated minds to proper order.

It enveloped the group and vanished, but that was enough.

They flinched, then turned to look at me.

Elisha was startled.

“Wh-What? Why are you behind us?”

“Yeah, Cadet Martin, what’s going on?”

Bord looked at me, bewildered.

The others were the same.

But the sharp Mary and Luri gasped.

“C-Cadet Martin found the way!”

“Martin! I don’t know how, but you did it?!”

I nodded calmly and explained.

“A magic is set up in this hideout that manipulates the mind to return you to the starting point if you don’t know the exact destination and path.”

The reason even mages like Mary and Shuga couldn’t detect it was likely because it’s a massive spell spanning the entire hideout, clouding their senses.

No wonder they stayed hidden for 1,000 years.

After finishing, murmurs of ‘Wow,’ ‘That’s it,’ and ‘Impressive’ came, but I ignored them, turned sharply, and ran quickly.

“Everyone, snap out of it. No time for this.”

At my words, the flow broke, and they all started running after me.

“There! A door!”

Elisha shouted.

A massive iron door with a black raven on a red background.

It stood out among the hideout’s many places.

Wild Instinct (Lv 4) confirms!

That’s the ritual site!

Countless human presences and Princess Adela’s scent are detected!

‘N-Now it can sense that too?’

I faintly caught it.

The scent of wine, coffee, and the sweet fragrance of flowing blonde hair.

Like a perfectly made golden pudding.

But more than that… it’s noisy.

“Now it’s my turn!”

I stopped Muller, who was charging with his spear.

“Wait.”

“Ugh, what?”

As my rifle blocked the way, the group slowed down.

“Don’t you hear it?”

Mary, Shuga, and Luri looked puzzled.

But Gilbert, Lina, Elisha, Muller, and Bord focused on the sounds.

Wild Instinct (Lv 4) picks up fierce combat noises.

Everyone slowly approached the door.

Sounds leaked through the thick iron door.

Listening silently with closed mouths…

Clashing swords.

Exploding magic.

Screams and shouts ringing chaotically.

Two opposing beliefs were clashing, evident in the sounds.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Using Princess Anette as a sacrifice for the soul stone?!”

“It’s all for the Defardly Empire! That weak Princess isn’t fit to be an emperor!”

“Using the soul stone on the Princess, you’re insane!”

“You’re the insane ones! Why sacrifice us?! Princess Anette, whose mind may be weak but whose body is perfect, is the ideal vessel for the souls of past emperors!”

“How can you be sure!”

“The demon worshippers said so!”

“You bastards! So you teamed up with those vile creatures and deceived the Princess!”

Know-It-All and Wild Instinct relentlessly analyzed the situation.

I understood at a glance.

‘Civil war.’