Transmigrating as an Extra, But the Heroine Has Regressed?!

Sylvia lifted one hand, and her aura expanded outward. The ground cracked faintly beneath her boots.

"Now," she said calmly, her voice sharpened like a blade, "step back. I will handle this."

The Shadow Leech screeched in rage, its tendrils whipping forward in a frenzy. The earth quaked as they slammed down, breaking stone and shattering trees.

But Sylvia did not move.

She stood rooted, her expression unchanging, her eyes like frozen steel. With a flick of her wrist, silver mana surged, coalescing into radiant patterns of runes that floated around her like stars.

The students could only watch, their battered bodies unable to rise. Yet awe replaced fear in their hearts.

Ronan whispered hoarsely, "She… she's on another level entirely."

Mira's tears spilled down her cheeks. "She came… finally we're safe…"

Edwin, on his knees, clenched his jaw. His vision swam, but he couldn't look away. He had fought until his last breath, and yet Sylvia stood there, unwavering, her presence alone enough to make the Shadow Leech hesitate.

The true battle was about to begin.

And for the first time since the nightmare began, the students felt hope.

The Shadow Leech's blood-red eyes glowed faintly through the mist, its long tendrils swaying like the arms of some deep-sea monster dragged onto land.

The forest floor was littered with broken branches, churned soil, and the groans of Edwin's fallen group.

Sylvia exhaled slowly, her breath steady despite the danger. Her silver hair drifted with the night breeze, reflecting a faint shimmer of moonlight.

Raising her gloved hand, she summoned a soft golden aura that wrapped around her like a protective veil.

"Stay down," she ordered, her voice calm but sharp like steel. "If you move, you die."

The students froze. Even in their pain, they felt the weight of her command. Edwin, barely conscious, managed to nod. His vision blurred, but he forced his eyes open, determined to witness the strength of a high-ranking professor.

It was a clash on an entirely different level.

The Shadow Leech moved first.

A dozen tendrils lashed out at once, striking with the force of falling trees. The air whistled as they cut through it, the sheer pressure cracking nearby branches.

Sylvia moved.

She was like a phantom in the mist, gliding effortlessly between the attacks. Each tendril struck only the empty space where she had stood a heartbeat earlier, carving deep furrows into the soil.

Leaves and dirt exploded upward, but not a single strand of her hair was touched.

"Fast…" she murmured, eyes narrowing. This beast wasn't ordinary—it was nearly as quick as she was.

With a single fluid motion, she drew her rapier. The slender silver blade hummed softly, resonating with the mana she poured into it.

A thin light traced along the weapon's edge until it gleamed like a shard of dawn in the dark forest.

"Pierce."

Her wrist flicked.

The rapier shot forward, releasing a concentrated beam of golden energy. It cut through the night like a streak of lightning and struck true, punching straight through one of the Shadow Leech's thrashing tendrils.

A spray of black ichor burst forth, splattering across the ground and leaves. The liquid hissed on contact, burning holes through bark and soil as though it were acid.

The Shadow Leech let out a screech—a raw, bone-chilling sound that rattled the trees and made the ground itself tremble.

The wounded tendril writhed violently, recoiling from the golden light.

But even as it staggered back, the other tendrils were already surging forward again.

And Sylvia's eyes only grew sharper.

The ground shuddered violently, shaking leaves from the trees as the Shadow Leech's body swelled. Its mass doubled in the span of a heartbeat, its monstrous frame spreading across the clearing like a growing shadow.

New eyes split open across its skin—glossy, red, and unblinking.

Each one swiveled and locked onto Sylvia, tracking her every movement like a predator that had finally decided to get serious.

Its maw opened wide. No sound came out, yet the force of the roar was felt rather than heard. The trees bent from the pressure, and the very air seemed to vibrate with malice.

Then, with a sickening rip, dozens of smaller tendrils burst from its body. They whipped outward in every direction, fast and relentless, turning the clearing into a storm of writhing blades.

Sylvia didn't hesitate. Her rapier flashed into motion, cutting arcs of silver light through the chaos. Each swing left a streak of mana in the air, forming a shimmering shield around her as she spun gracefully, deflecting and slicing tendrils aside.

Snap!

Snap!

Snap!

One after another, the black appendages were severed. The forest echoed with the sharp cracks of her blade meeting flesh, followed by the wet splatter of ichor spraying across the ground.

But the beast's strength was overwhelming. Each strike of its tendrils carried the weight of falling boulders.

The earth split apart under the impact, craters forming where they struck. Broken trees collapsed, and dirt exploded like cannon fire.

Sylvia weaved through it all, but even perfection had limits.

One tendril slipped past her guard. It slashed across her left arm, tearing through her sleeve. A burst of pain seared her nerves, sharp and electric, making her fingers tremble for the briefest second.

She hissed through clenched teeth.

"Tch… this isn't just a normal Dread-rank…"

Her eyes narrowed, her expression sharpening like the edge of her rapier.

"…It's borderline Mythic."

Her body twisted as she narrowly evaded another volley, her boots skidding across the torn ground. Sweat trickled down her temple, but her gaze stayed locked on the monstrosity.

And then the thought struck her, cold and heavy.

(Who released this thing here?)

She knew the truth—Dread-rank beasts didn't simply wander into training forests. They were too dangerous, too unstable, and their appearance alone could destabilize entire regions.

But this one… its aura was different. It wasn't just a Dread. Its strength was pressing against the boundary of a Mythic-rank monster, the kind of existence that required entire battalions of elites to bring down.

If it had broken free into the academy grounds… if the first-years had faced it before she arrived—

Her heart sank. A chill ran through her spine, sharper than the pain in her arm. For the first time in years, Sylvia felt the weight of genuine fear.

And yet, she could not falter.

The students behind her depended on her strength.