Reborn as a Doomed Extra

Outside, the night air intensified on the surface of a slightly elevated hill that held an abandoned church in its center.

My body shivered naturally upon encountering the intense cold. But it was good at the same time. It helped to calm the marathon of emotions and thoughts in my head.

The smoke of the cold air leaked from my mouth as I left the church, heading towards the village in front of me.

Thinking about that statue, I could only guess that it was a former evil entity.

I felt danger from just being there. Not to mention that Selas was dead when the actual events of the game began.

Did I die while offering myself as a sacrifice to an evil entity?

That didn't make sense. He was supposed to die in the opening event of the game…

Either way, it was a very stupid death.

Whether it was by offering himself to an evil entity or by dying like the filler character he was.

However, I couldn't deny the weakness of this body. Maybe he did that in an attempt to gain some kind of power?

Although the act was twisted, if I looked at it from his perspective, I could understand it a little. How was he able to live with this thing he calls a body?

"Hmm."

During the painful walk, I kept thinking of ways that might strengthen my body until I reached the outskirts of the village.

It was night now, so the torches lit the small streets inside.

I could see the children playing from my spot. The parents watched them with heartfelt laughter, enjoying seeing them play.

I stopped and watched them from afar in silence.

After a period of staring, I felt a strong hand grab my shoulder before I heard a scream that pierced my eardrum. "Finally found you! Do you know how worried you made me?!"

The perpetrator of the indecent act of screaming in the ear of a person who doesn't like to be yelled at near his ear was a boy who looked to be my age.

Unlike me, who possesses dark black hair and eyes like deep pools containing the darkness of the world within them, the one standing in front of me was a perfect opposite of me.

From his physical features to the way he carried himself and even the aura surrounding him.

His hair was bright with the color of gold, while his eyes, which carried a gentle warmth, reflected the color of his golden hair. His skin was flawless but carried a healthy glow.

His body was very strong, while mine was very fragile.

Literally my perfect opposite.

"Solon."

His name slipped from my mouth as I stared at him.

Just his presence made others smile and the children approached him, wanting him to play with them.

This was… my brother.

My blood brother.

And my twin.

It was strange how we were so opposite. If I hadn't known my parents from the memories, I would have thought that our being twins was just a lie and that one of us was actually adopted.

"Where were you?" Solon grabbed my shoulders as if he were holding something fragile.

Before I could answer, one of the children near us intervened and threw me under the bus with his childish voice, "I saw him coming from that scary church!" he finished, pointing towards the church.

Ah, damn it…

"What?!"

Solon exploded in a clamor with the adults surrounding us.

"Selas, haven't we warned you not to go to that church?" Mother scolded me with a displeased expression. As if I were really her child.

"Yes, that place is very dangerous!"

"And yet, the priests of the Holy Church of Light think we're lying when we report that cursed place. Humph!"

I felt a headache coming on from the villagers' constant complaints. Our parents having died at a young age didn't help in alleviating the complaints pouring down on my head.

This village was our home, and since childhood, we were raised by these people after our parents died, so we waited for their complaints to empty before Solon dragged me home for more privacy.

Our house was very simple. It consisted of two bedrooms, a small living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen.

Previously, my parents slept in one room and Solon and I in the other. Now that they were dead, each of us slept separately.

"Now, tell me why you went there?" Solon sat on a wooden chair and looked like a detective ready to extract information from a child.

'I'm the older brother here!'

I wanted to scream that, but well, my position all these years didn't really help to say it.

I still remember the moments when he would carry me on his back when I got tired and walk around with me. Or when he would beat up the other children when they tried to bully me. He becomes completely different when it comes to the people closest to his heart.

That was the kind of brother Solon was.

Thinking about this, a warm smile slipped onto my lips as I answered, "It was nothing really, Solon. I was curious about all the rumors surrounding the place, so I went to take a look."

Solon froze in place. His look, which was like a deer caught in headlights, was hilarious. After a moment, he snapped out of his daze, smiling brightly and saying, "Let's go back to that church now!"

I tilted my head in confusion at his sudden enthusiasm. "And why would we do that?"

"You just smiled! By the gods, what kind of magic was there to make you smile again?!" With eyes sparkling brightly, he shouted excitedly, hurting my ears.

I covered my ears from his loud shout and thought about what he said. It was true that I hadn't smiled before.

Although I don't know the thoughts that went through the mind of the previous Selas, I can guess why he didn't smile much in the past.

He was dying.

This body was undoubtedly flawed.

Since his birth, Selas possessed a weak and fragile body. His parents tried to find a cure for their son's illness, but no matter how hard they tried, they ended up with severe disappointment.

Also, their status as villagers didn't help them get treatment or an examination from a priest or a magician, which made their son continue to suffer.

So, instead of worrying his bright brother and making him sink into a spiral of anxiety that could lead to depression, Selas preferred to keep what was happening to his body to himself and continued to fight his weakness alone.

Perhaps this was what Selas was most proud of as his older brother.

Not extinguishing the light of his younger brother.

'An older brother, huh…'

Anyway, I think Solon noticed that I was brighter than Selas was before, so he's over the moon right now.

I shook my head as I looked at his exaggerated enthusiasm. "You'd better focus on forming your mana core instead of wasting your time like this."

"Oh, right! I forgot about that. Just wait a little while, and I swear I'll get a cure for you! I won't let you suffer anymore." He spoke like a knight giving an oath to the princess he was guarding.

Seriously?

Stop that!

He was just too stupid and bright!

I wanted to shout that, but again, my position didn't allow me to do so.

I sighed and entered my room.

There was a neatly made bed with a small table next to it. On the left side of the bed, there was an open window, letting the cold seep into the room.

I walked on the floor, gently passing the scattered books, and pulled the two glass doors of the window and closed them.

This is really bad… Did this window just resist my weak bones and try to break them?

I curse you!

Just wait until I awaken, you bitch.

After all, I didn't push Solon to go awaken his core without doing anything.

I wanted to awaken my own core too… that's if I could do it with this body.

This was the fastest way if I wanted to get rid of the weakness of this body.

After a person awakens themselves, they become stronger, faster, more resilient, and even more beautiful.

Wait, can I become even more beautiful than I am now?

It's not like I'm narcissistic, but this face… no, this whole body, wars would be fought for it, to be honest.

Thinking about that, an arrogant smile spread across my mouth unintentionally.

Yes, I am the most beautiful…

So what if I was born with a weak body?

I was very beautiful, and as far as I know, beauty was a terrifying power as well. Okay, maybe not to the same extent, but it's still a terrifying weapon.

Who knows, maybe one day, I'll go and marry a powerful and famous lady who will appreciate my body…

Slap!

Focus, Selas! Focus!

I lightly slapped my cheek, removing the ominous thoughts from my head.

Damn, what am I thinking…

I better try to absorb mana while I'm just silent.

Very soon, Solon will form his own core with insane magical affinities. This was something crazy even for nobles from inside the cities.

For a moment, I felt envy. Just for a moment!

Solon will awaken three elements… making the holy knights of the Holy Church of Light come and knock on his door with their feet when he settles in Utopia City.

After all, among his three elements, he awakened the element of light. An element that nominates you for the position of Saint of the Holy Church of Light directly.

That was cheating…

And speaking of cheating, where is my system?!

Wasn't I supposed to get a system? Then, I take the place of the protagonist in secret.

Should I try…?

"System," I whispered.

No response.

"System!"

I shouted louder this time.

And nothing.

"Okay, this was embarrassing… Will you lose anything if you just appear?" I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment from what I was doing.

After a while of continuing to say nonsense like a madman while keeping my voice as controlled as possible so Solon wouldn't hear me, I decided that it was time to meditate and try to draw mana to my body.

I didn't want my little brother to beat me to it. This was a matter of pride!

But will I really be able to awaken before my dear little brother?

Even when he is the protagonist of the game?