Path of the Extra

Instantly, a beautiful sword materialized in Lumine's hands, while a sleek bow appeared in Yelena's grasp. She drew the string taut, and a translucent green arrow shimmered into existence, aimed precisely at the Plague.

The Plague calmly massaged his neck, entirely unfazed.

"It's futile, really. The more you resist, the longer you prolong your deaths—and the more painful it becomes for all three of us. Just surrender."

Lumine gritted his teeth as the Plague continued casually,

"Your teamwork is commendable, but you can't possibly defeat a High Commander. We stand at humanity's pinnacle—skills, affinities, combat arts, strength. At least one aspect of ours is unmatched, rivaled only perhaps by the Supreme Leader himself."

He stepped forward slowly, confidently.

"If you'd fled earlier, there might've been a slim chance of survival. But now? What's done is done."

Yelena released her arrow without hesitation. The Plague chuckled softly, continuing forward—until the single arrow abruptly split into two, then four, then eight, rapidly multiplying. Yet he didn't pause, and just as the arrows reached him, he vanished into a cloud of black mist.

"Lumine, behind you!" Yelena screamed.

Lumine's eyes widened in alarm as he swiftly spun around, swinging his sword in a wide, desperate arc. Effortlessly, the Plague grabbed the blade with one gloved hand, unharmed. Clenching his jaw, Lumine channeled his mana, causing a sharp spike of earth to burst upwards. The spike struck, only for the Plague to again dissolve into shadowy mist.

"Double affinities, huh? Interesting," the voice echoed ominously from a distance.

"Argh!" Yelena's sudden cry of pain pierced Lumine's heart.

"Yelena!" he shouted, spinning around to see the Plague gripping her throat, lifting her effortlessly as she struggled in vain, her bow clattering to the ground.

"Bastard!" Lumine roared, lunging forward. The Plague casually turned his head as Lumine struck fiercely, sword aimed at his enemy's chest. But again, the Plague easily caught the blade, then tightened his grip, shattering the sword into pieces.

Eyes wide with disbelief, Lumine barely had time to react as the Plague delivered a vicious kick, sending him sprawling painfully across the grass. Lumine gasped desperately for breath, his lungs searing with agony. A sudden notification appeared before him:

[Status Update!]

[Your soul weapon 'Clean Sword' has been destroyed.]

Staggering upright, Lumine touched his chest and found blood.

"When did he…?"

Another horrifying cry drew his attention sharply back to Yelena. The Plague now stood over her, his foot pressing cruelly into her back. A sickening crunch echoed, and Lumine felt his stomach churn in dread.

"No…"

A simple knife appeared ominously in the Plague's hand.

'No! No, no, no!' Lumine pleaded internally, desperately commanding his body to move. But he couldn't—the spreading numbness from his chest wound immobilized him.

Frantic, Lumine snatched a health potion from his storage ring, swallowing it quickly. He strained again, gritting his teeth, yet nothing changed.

'Come on!' he screamed internally, helplessly watching as the knife inched closer to Yelena.

Then, realization crashed over him—the quest reward the system had given was "a working health potion."

"No…"

Desperate, Lumine summoned fiery spears and hurled them at the Plague, who casually gestured upward, redirecting the flames harmlessly into the air where they exploded violently, sending heat and vibrations through the atmosphere.

Panicked, Lumine quickly accessed the system shop:

[SYSTEM SHOP — LEVEL 1]

He scrolled rapidly until finding exactly what he needed:

[Skills]

Evolving Limit

▸ Description: Temporarily evolves mana core by 1 level for 5 minutes.

▸ Cost: 150,000 system points

▸ Stock: 1

▸ Cooldown: 1 month

▸ Warning: If the mana core is fragile, there is a risk of shattering.

▸ Side Effect: Unable to use mana core for one week after use

Without even glancing at the warnings or costs, Lumine immediately purchased the skill, indifferent to the consequences. Another panel swiftly flashed into view:

[Status Update!]

[You have acquired the new skill: Evolving Limit.]

Instantly, Lumine activated the skill.

A sudden, sharp pain pierced his chest—not from the plague's inflicted wound, but from the skill itself. A violent surge of mana flooded his body, overwhelming him. The plague halted mid-motion, his blade mere inches from stabbing Yelena, and turned slowly to face Lumine.

"What?" he snarled.

Mana swirled fiercely in the air, pulled toward Lumine like waves drawn inexorably to shore. Whatever immobilizing power the plague had used shattered instantly, and Lumine felt freedom flood back into his limbs. His wound sealed shut in a flash.

"Ah," the plague mused with dark amusement, "an [Unique Skill], hm? Double affinities, an extraordinary unique skill—you truly are an aberration."

Lumine rose unsteadily, eyes burning with fury. The plague studied him carefully, one foot pressed casually against Yelena's paralyzed form, before a low chuckle escaped him.

"But you're not really an Advanced, are you? That [Unique Skill] of yours can't grant you a true Advanced's body; it's merely compensating by saturating you in mana. Futile, really."

'He's right.'

Lumine stared down at his trembling hands. He lacked the formidable physicality of an Advanced, having never undergone [Soul Rebirth]. Yet, it didn't matter. The surge of mana was enough to break free—enough to stop this monster from harming Yelena.

He glanced at her unmoving, unconscious body, and his heart clenched painfully.

'Yelena…'

His anger blazed anew, burning hotter than ever before. Without hesitation, Lumine surged forward, his foot cracking the earth and launching him toward the plague faster than he could comprehend.

'Is this… an Advanced's power?'

The sensation was astonishing.

Yet, unfazed, the plague watched calmly. Lumine's fist hurtled toward him, shrouded in blazing flame, only to be effortlessly halted by the plague's open palm. A deafening shockwave tore apart the ground beneath them, and Yelena coughed violently, blood spilling from her lips.

"No!" Lumine roared desperately, swinging again, fire erupting around his knuckles. Forced to evade this time, the plague leapt back. Lumine instantly summoned a blade of wind, its edges glowing faintly blue, and hurled it after his enemy. As the plague twisted aside, Lumine scooped up Yelena, retreating swiftly.

'I… I'm not used to handling such powerful mana…'

The raw energy was overwhelming, difficult to control. Kneeling, he carefully laid Yelena down, biting his lip as blood trickled from his mouth.

[Status Update!]

[You have transferred the skill: Eir's Blessing]

"Yelena…"

Her face was pale, her breath shallow.

Suddenly, the plague's voice echoed from afar, tauntingly casual.

"Three affinities now? You're extraordinary, kid. Why don't you join us?"

"Huh?"

Lumine jerked up, feeling as if he'd been struck. His eyes widened as he saw the plague gripping a maid by her throat—the same maid who had warned Yelena earlier. Her feet dangled helplessly as she gasped desperately for air.

"What… What are you doing?" Lumine choked out, clutching Yelena protectively.

"Making a deal, obviously," the plague replied.

"A deal?"

"Yes. I'll kill this maid, mutilate her body beyond recognition, and pass her off as the princess, Yelena Horvix. Meanwhile, you'll join me and the revolutionary army. With your talent, you'll easily become a high commander. Once House Aureliath falls, you'll be in a position of power. Just hide your precious little lady."

Lumine stared at him in horror, teeth clenched tight, rage simmering beneath his skin. Carefully, he placed Yelena down again and stood, wiping blood from his chin with a trembling hand.

"No."

"What?" The plague's voice was sharp with disbelief, his grip tightening until the maid's face turned purple.

"No. You can't just take a life like that," Lumine insisted fiercely.

"Are you insane? I'm offering you a way to save your princess, and you're throwing it away?" The plague sounded genuinely baffled.

Lumine's fists clenched tighter. Time was slipping away; the five-minute timer ticking down.

"I won't let either of them die."

"What did you say?"

"I'll save them both," Lumine declared defiantly.

The plague growled, dropping the maid who collapsed, coughing violently. Then, without warning, the plague dissolved into shadowy mist. Lumine spun around in panic—Yelena was gone too.

"You're deluded, kid," a chilling voice whispered suddenly beside him.

A sickening crack filled the air, followed immediately by searing agony. Lumine screamed, stumbling back as he stared in horror at his left arm, twisted grotesquely in the wrong direction. The plague stood casually, hands clasped behind his back.

"A-AGHHHH!" Lumine gasped, overwhelmed by pain.

"Your half-baked [Unique Skill] might've evolved your mana core, but it's fake. You don't have an Advanced's body. And even if you did, an Expert will always be stronger."

Pain consumed Lumine utterly, his mind fraying like shattered glass. The plague's cold laughter was a twisted serenade, filling his ears until dizziness overtook him, forcing him to his knees. The world spun violently.

Then, abruptly, the laughter ceased, replaced by a voice so chillingly devoid of humanity that it seemed to echo from the abyss itself.

"You want to be a hero? Do you truly believe that's possible in this cruel reality? Look at yourself—weak, powerless, insignificant. You're nothing to them, a nobody. Give up this foolish dream of heroism… save the only one who matters."

Hearing those words—being forced to choose between the life of someone dear and someone he didn't even know—made Lumine's blood boil.

No, it wasn't his blood boiling.

Something else ignited deep within him, something beyond flesh and bone, something he couldn't name—something more profound. Something like…his soul.

"No…!" Lumine forced the word from his throat, feeling as if it were stuck, painful and harsh. Standing unsteadily, legs trembling violently beneath him, he stared directly at the plague and repeated firmly:

"No."

With grim determination, Lumine gripped his broken arm, flinching and turning pale as agony ripped through him. Then, with a sickening snap, he straightened it, crying out sharply as tears blurred his vision. The plague watched silently, unfazed, as Lumine blinked the tears away, glaring back fiercely.

"I won't give up!"

Silence stretched between them.

"I won't let anyone here die," Lumine declared, voice shaking but resolute. "Even if it's stupid—even if it kills me—I won't let it happen!"

"...."

"...."

The plague finally sighed wearily.

"Fine. If your stubbornness persists, I have no choice but to dispose of you along with the princess and the maid. At least your corpse will prove useful for my research."