Path of the Extra

"Ah, shit! What the fuck was I thinking, proposing to do this willingly?"

The wind howled against Azriel's face as he clung to the jagged rock, his fingers desperately searching for cracks or edges to grip.

Each gust felt like a punch, the cold air gnawing at his exposed skin, and every step down felt like a reckless gamble with death.

On any other day, he might have laughed at himself, knowing that even with a blade pressed against his neck, he wouldn't have done what he was doing right now.

But...

Here he was.

Doing the one thing he swore he'd never do.

Heights were, without a doubt, his worst enemy.

One wrong move, one slip, and he'd plummet into the black sand below.

A quick, brutal end.

"How the fuck are the others supposed to climb down this cliff like me?"

Unlike Azriel, most cadets weren't this strong.

Though he prided himself more on his speed, he knew he was stronger than most first-years.

All except Lumine, perhaps.

He still wasn't sure if he could beat Lumine in a fight—not with all that Lumine was capable of.

"Unbalanced... yes, this entire floor is unbalanced!"

Azriel shifted his weight cautiously, feeling for stability with every foothold. The rocks were uneven, crumbling beneath his boots, sending loose gravel tumbling into the darkness. Each time it happened, his heart leaped in his chest, and his grip tightened instinctively.

The starry sky above him seemed like a swirling, oppressive void, pressing down on him, making the vast, open descent feel claustrophobic. It was as though the darkness itself was watching, waiting for him to make a mistake.

Gritting his teeth, Azriel pressed on, inching down the cliff without any protection—no one knew he was doing this, except maybe Celestina. Even she wouldn't have expected him to climb down like this.

Step by careful step, he descended.

At one point, the rock beneath his foot gave way, crumbling into loose gravel and sending his leg sliding out from under him.

His heart lurched as, for a terrifying moment, his fingers barely held onto the jagged edges of the cliff.

But he didn't fall.

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Azriel kept going.

*****

"Hoo... hoo..."

Azriel exhaled heavily as he collapsed onto the black sand, finally reaching the bottom. Sweat dripped down his face, and he wiped it away with a trembling hand.

The heat was stifling—not just from the climb, but from the unnaturally warm black desert beneath him.

There was no sun in sight, yet it felt as though he was standing directly under its relentless glare.

The climb had taken more than four hours, leaving him with just 20 hours to return as he had promised Celestina.

The way he descended was reckless—too reckless. He doubted even Celestina had expected him to attempt something so dangerous, but he'd had no choice.

He couldn't afford to be seen.

And... he needed to be alone on this floor.

There was something he had to do here, and bringing others along would only complicate things.

A sense of dread crept into him as he thought about climbing back up later.

He shook his head.

'I'll leave that to the me twenty hours from now.'

Azriel glanced down at his hands.

They were bruised, scraped, and bloody.

With a quick tap on his storage ring, a health potion appeared in his palm. Just as he was about to drink it—

"I wouldn't recommend that. Sometimes it's better to let your body heal on its own for smaller wounds."

A voice cut through the silence.

Azriel jolted, dropping the potion into the black sand. In an instant, Void Eater was in his bloody hands, raised in front of him defensively.

His eyes narrowed as he searched for the source of the voice.

Then they widened in recognition.

Standing before him was a familiar figure, a small smile playing on his lips, hands casually behind his back.

"Instructor Kevin..."

'How did he get here...?'

Azriel was certain no one had seen him descend the cliff, and no one had followed.

So how had he appeared?

"Seriously? Climbing down that cliff without any equipment... Aren't you afraid of death?"

Instructor Kevin stepped closer, his tone almost teasing.

Azriel's eyes narrowed again, causing Kevin to raise his hands with a wry smile.

"Calm down, my prince. I'm here to make sure you don't die. Sure, we could've sent a drone, but we can't afford to take any risks when it comes to you—or any of the Great Children."

"...."

Seeing no deception in the instructor's words, Azriel lowered Void Eater, relaxing slightly, though he didn't dismiss the weapon entirely.

It seemed the instructors were more concerned about the consequences of anything happening to him, especially considering his connection to the Crimson Clan.

Even though cadets were told they could die on this trip, and no one would intervene if their actions led to death, that rule clearly didn't apply to Azriel or any of the Great Clans' children.

"You don't need to worry with me around," Kevin continued with a grin. "I'm a great travel companion. Besides, between me, Alicia, and Benson, I'm the strongest and the most fun."

Azriel stared at him blankly for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Well, you're the instructor. It's not like I can go against you."

Kevin's smile brightened.

"I'm grateful for your cooperation, my prince."

Finding the heat unbearable, Azriel rolled up the sleeves of his academy uniform.

Though it was made from a material designed for flexibility and combat, it did little to shield him from the oppressive warmth of the black desert.

Instructor Kevin blinked, his eyes falling on Azriel's left arm, which was wrapped tightly in bandages, concealing any skin.

"You have another injury, my prince?"

Azriel followed his gaze and realized his mistake.

"Oh..." he muttered, realizing he'd forgotten to keep his mark hidden.

'What's done is done...'

Shrugging, he dismissed it casually.

"It's an injury I got during my time in the Void Realm. Unfortunately, no health potion can heal it."

Instructor Kevin's expression grew complicated, a flicker of sadness crossing his face.

"I see... I'm sorry to hear that. No child should have gone through what you did."

Azriel felt a certain amusement at his words. It wasn't as though Kevin truly knew what happened, and Azriel had never told anyone the story.

Waving his hand dismissively, he brushed off the concern.

"It's fine. I'm not the only one who's suffered. Everyone in this world has their burdens."

Kevin nodded in agreement, then smiled again.

"I suppose that's true, my prince."

Azriel didn't bother pulling his sleeve back down.

Nodding toward the distance, he spoke.

"I'll have to return to the top soon. After I get a general overview of the area up to that rock over there, we will head back."

He pointed at a large, jagged spike-like rock jutting out, standing oddly apart from the rest of the landscape.

Instructor Kevin nodded.

"Of course. I'll follow you, but don't worry—I won't interfere in any fights, my prince." There was a hint of excitement in his voice.

Azriel could understand why.

As the academy's first year apex student, he hadn't shown much of his true strength yet, only revealing his lightning and ice affinity and dispatching a few prowlers in the first floor.

With so many rumors circulating about him online, it was natural for people to have high expectations.

'No pressure at all...'

Without another word, Azriel began walking, with Instructor Kevin falling into step beside him.

The two moved in silence, the crunch of their boots the only sound in the otherwise quiet desert.

The heat still clung to Azriel, but he found it more bearable now, his body gradually adjusting to the oppressive warmth.

The heat radiated off the black sand in shimmering waves, distorting the horizon.

Despite Kevin's typically talkative nature, he remained respectfully silent, occasionally glancing at Azriel as if trying to gauge what was going through his mind.

Azriel appreciated the quiet.

His feet sank into the black sand with each step, the grains shifting beneath his weight. Scattered around him were bleached bones, some massive and ancient, others small and fragile, like remnants of creatures long forgotten.

Occasionally, he would step on one, hearing the brittle snap beneath his boots, though he paid little attention to it.

The vast expanse of black sand stretched endlessly around them, giving him a moment of strange peace, even if it was short-lived.