Extra's Magic

Everything around was shrouded in darkness, as if the very sun in the sky had been devoured by a malevolent force.

The shadows seemed to cling to everything, twisting and contorting the shapes of the trees and buildings, and the air felt heavy and oppressive.

The wide streets that were typically bustling with vendors and pedestrians were completely empty. The town was eerily silent.

Not even a single soul could be seen, despite the fact that it was the middle of the day and the town had a population of several thousand.

Ding... Dong...

The sudden, loud sound of the bell ringing out from the marble church in the center of the village shattered the silence. Its echoes reverberated through the empty streets, seeming to awaken something in the darkness.

The shadows thickened, becoming almost tangible, and a putrid, sickly sweet scent filled the air - the unmistakable odor of decay.

Tap...

Out of the shadows stumbled a woman, her eyes brimming with tears. Her skin was a sickly pale color, almost translucent, and her body was covered in deep scratches and bite marks.

Strangely, there was no blood flowing from her wounds.

Tap...

Step by step, the woman moved closer to the church, but the shadows moved with her, seeming to stalk her every move.

Her legs trembled with each faltering step, until she finally collapsed just before the gate of the marble church.

"Pl...ease, God, h...ave mercy!"

She whimpered, clasping her arms together in a desperate prayer. But there was no answer, only the sound of her ragged breaths and the eerie silence of the empty town.

One of the shadows seemed to detach itself from the darkness and slinked closer to the woman, taking on a shape that was both terrifying and familiar. As it drew nearer, the shape began to morph into that of a massive humanoid figure with skin as pale as the woman's. Two massive horns protruded from its forehead, and it unfurled massive bat-like wings that spanned several meters.

The woman gasped in terror as she stared at the creature, frozen in place with fear. The creature's eyes glinted with a sinister intelligence, and its sharp teeth glimmered in the dim light. The air seemed to grow colder around it, and the scent of decay intensified, as if the creature itself were a harbinger of death.

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The creature took a step closer, looming over the woman with its massive form. Its wings rustled ominously, and its clawed hands flexed.

"G...od have m-"

The woman's prayer was cut short as the monstrous creature moved with lightning speed, its claws slashing through the air and separating her head from her shoulders in a single swift motion.

Thud...

Her head, adorned with black hair, rolled several feet away from the demon's feet, coming to a stop with a sickening thud.

However, the creature showed no emotion at the sight of the woman's grisly fate. Its eyes remained cold and unfeeling.

The demon's face was devoid of any trace of pleasure or delight upon taking the life of a human, as is customary for creatures of its kind.

"Waaa!"

A distant cry caught the demon's attention. Its head snapped in the direction of the sound, and its nostrils flared as it caught a faint scent in the air.

Without hesitation, the creature stepped into the shadows, its massive form slipping effortlessly through the darkness.

Swish...

It somehow emerged inside a wooden house, its windows and doors covered with planks in a desperate attempt to keep out the horrors that stalked the night.

The demon's eyes roamed over the room, taking in the abandoned furniture and the dusty cobwebs that hung from the ceiling.

After a few moments, its gaze came to rest on a wooden cradle, its sides carved with intricate patterns and designs.

Beneath the blanket, something was wriggling and squirming, its tiny form barely visible in the dim light.

"..."

The demon approached the cradle, its massive clawed hand reaching out to pull back the blanket and reveal the tiny bundle within.

"Waaa!"

As the demon pulled back the blanket, its eyes locked onto the newborn human within the cradle. The infant stared up at the creature with wide, uncomprehending eyes, its tiny chest rising and falling with each shallow breath.

For a long moment, the demon and the child stared at each other, their gazes locked in an unspoken exchange. The demon's golden eyes seemed to shimmer in the darkness, casting an eerie light on the small, fragile form before it.

***

Gasp...

I jolted out of bed, clutching my aching head.

The pain was bearable, but it made me want to vomit up yesterday's dinner.

It had already been a week since I tried to peer into Aiden's memories, and ever since, I had been plagued by the same nightmare.

Each night, the dream became more detailed and vivid until it felt almost real.

"Shit..."

I stood up from my bed and quickly headed to the shower, hoping to wash away the sweat and the remnants of the nightmare.

Today was the day Class A would venture into the Wild Lands.

Over the past week, I had managed to find an Alchemist who helped me concoct a solution using Vampiric Plant Leaves to enchant my Mana Control.

The potion had boosted my Mana Attribute by a minor realm, and I had also managed to improve my proficiency in the Silent Shadow Weapon Style to the level of an Apprentice.

Rose was still absent, so she would probably miss the outing, which was unfortunate because it was a crucial event for the protagonists to benefit from.

Although I planned to destroy the bridge, some abominations would still try to cross the river. While many of them would fail, a significant number would still manage to get through.

Robbin would likely be able to take care of that number with ease, but I doubted that he would interfere. He would probably see this as an opportunity for the seeds of humanity to gain practical experience and grow.

Puff...

Sighing, I scratched the skin of my forearm where the tattoo of the serpent was. The snake's eyes were still gleaming with a red light, indicating that it was detecting pain.

Honestly, it felt more like a passive skill than an artifact. The serpent provided me with a permanent boost to my agility.

I had tried to find another tattoo with a similar effect, but none had been found that would give a boost based on the user's pain.

There was an S Rank artifact that would grant the user strength depending on how much pain they were feeling, but it was far too expensive for me to purchase.

"I should get going..." I muttered to myself.

As I closed the door of my apartment, I descended the stone stairs and made my way straight to the classroom.

Unknowingly, I began to rub my hands together. I was nervous, despite having spent an entire week preparing for this outing.

I knew that there was no way the plan would go smoothly without any hindrances. What if the abominations reached the bridge faster than expected? Or what if the bridge didn't fall as planned?

The fact that I had to keep everything I did in secrecy didn't make things any easier. In fact, it was the hardest part of it all.

How was I going to slip away from Robbin unnoticed?

My ingenious idea was to ask for a toilet break, but there was a possibility that he would reprimand me and insist I hold it in like a man.

"This'll be hard."

As I pushed open the classroom door, I saw many students dressed in battle-ready clothes rather than picnic attire. It was good to know that at least some of them had their priorities straight.

Although Robbin had only mentioned that we were going on a picnic in the Wild Lands, the students had picked up on the potential danger and had come prepared for battle.

Clap... Clap...

After all the students had gathered, Robbin appeared at the front of the room and clapped his hands to grab our attention.

"Good morning, everyone! Looking good, looking good!"

He greeted us before scanning our attire. His face morphed into a grin upon seeing that most of us were dressed in battle-ready clothes.

"As you know, today we will be traveling to the Wild Lands... a territory that is dangerous even for people like me..."

Robbin said, pointing at himself.

"As the Academy Director has ordered, we are not going to have a normal outing where I just lead you around and show you the view... we are going to have a competition!" He announced.

Upon hearing his words, I paled. There was no such thing in the game.

As far as I could recall, there had never been a competition during my entire time of playing the game while on an outing in the Wild Lands.

This was something I had not predicted!