Chronicles of Forgotten Extra

Damn it.

Alden took a deep breath as he pushed his frustration down.

The trial had a timer of one week, but he wasn't going to attempt the trial immediately.

He was going to wait until the last possible moment.

If everything followed the novel's timeline, he had three weeks before the major event.

So there was still time for him to complete the trial.

But for now, there were other things he needed to focus on.

Alden got back up on his feet.

With his breakthrough done, it was now the time to check the footwork technique his mother had left him.

His mother had told him something before she vanished—

She clearly told him that the technique has a hidden potential which is related to the dance Gretta had taught him.

Previously he had thought Gretta's dance was just a ridiculous set of movements without any use.

But it seems he was wrong

It wasn't just a random series of movements after all.

It was a footwork technique.

He still felt confused about how his mother knew of Gretta and what their relationship was.

Was my mother not from this world?

Did she know Gretta?

Or was she perhaps also one of the inheritors of Chaos Weapon Art?

But he quickly dismissed it.

They were just adding to his already long list of mysteries and he didn't have time to waste on useless questions without any answers.

He decided to focus on footwork technique instead.

Alden pulled up his status window and navigated to the new technique he had acquired from the black market.

[Eternally Flowing Steps]

[Rank - Ancient Rank.]

[Description – A footwork technique created for precision and swift movement.]

That was it.

There was no detailed explanation.

No flashy descriptions.

Alden frowned.

That's way too vague.

Hmm, so how do I unlock the hidden technique?

He had a theory. But before testing it out, he just decided to give this technique a try as it is.

He took a deep breath, circulating mana according to the technique's instructions.

Then he moved.

His speed increased slightly, but that was it. No hidden effects. No surge of power.

Just… normal footwork with an effect of boosting speed.

Alden clicked his tongue.

That's not enough.

If there was a hidden technique within this, then combining it with the Chaos Dance should reveal it.

Right?

Well, let's give it a try.

After his breakthrough, his mana and his energy had already reached a peak state, so he wasn't exhausted.

If anything, he was brimming with energy.

He tried again, this time he did his ridiculous dance instead of the set of movements provided in the footwork technique.

At the same time he activated the mana circulation of the technique.

Still nothing happened, except for the embarrassment he felt.

He tried the process again and again.

Two hours passed.

His leg muscles ached. His ankles were also in pain.

His body was covered in sweat.

Still nothing.

What am I missing?

He replayed everything in his head.

Gretta's dance lessons.

The absurd dance drills that had felt more like a joke than anything.

He felt an urge to just give up and be happy with this technique of eternal flowing steps as it was already at Ancient Rank.

Should I just give up?

No.

That wasn't an option.

Greed is a tricky emotion. When he knew he had a chance to unlock a higher rank technique, he wasn't satisfied with mere Ancient rank footwork.

Let's think about it again.

He thought as he calmed his mind to the utmost. He just revised the details.

The mana circulation of this technique was straightforward: he had to burst out his mana through the mana receptors in his legs at certain intervals.

Every burst gave him amplified speed.

Too much at once, and he'd overload his muscles. Too little, and he'd barely move faster than normal.

The technique had rules—strict and unyielding ones.

But the Chaos Dance was built on the opposite principle. Unpredictability and Instinctual.

Alden paused for a moment.

Could that be it?

Am I trying to force two opposing concepts together instead of letting them merge naturally?

He exhaled slowly.

One more time.

This time, he didn't try to control everything.

He let his body move instinctively while allowing the mana circulation to adapt rather than follow a specific pattern.

Then—he stepped forward.

And then—

Something clicked.

The world around him blurred for a moment.

Alden barely had time to process what was happening before he saw something at the edge of his vision.

It was his own afterimage.

A surge of excitement rushed through him.

I did—

BAM.

But before he could celebrate his success, his movements turned unstable as he slammed into the training room wall.

For a moment, everything was spinning in his vision.

He cursed as he lifted his body. The impact had nearly broken his bones.

The walls of the training room were made with a material that could absorb the punch of anyone below Grandmaster rank with ease.

And Alden had collided with that wall with all his speed.

He looked at his body, which had been perfectly fine just moments ago, and was now covered in blood.

His legs, in particular, were a mess.

He immediately pulled out a healing potion from his storage ring and gulped it down.

The injuries started to heal.

But he didn't care about his injuries.

No.

His heart was pounding with excitement.

For just a moment—barely even a fraction of a second—his body had blurred.

That wasn't just speed. It was something else.

He had only caught a glimpse of it.

This was the true technique hidden beneath Eternally Flowing Steps.

This was the real art.

A name instinctively popped into his mind as if it had always been there –

Dance of Chaos.

As soon as he understood the name, a new system window popped up in front of him.

[Eternal Flowing Steps have been modified.]

[New technique Dance of Chaos is unlocked.]

He clenched his fists.

He was still far from using this technique in a proper battle.

The technique seemed useful but it was a bit chaotic.He needed practice to get this technique under control so he could use it practically.

He decided to check the information on the new technique first.

[Displaying the information of Dance of Chaos.]

[Dance of Chaos]

[Rank: Primordial] (Evolvable)

[A footwork technique that defies common movement principles. Unlike structured techniques, it depends on unpredictability, using instinct and momentum to create erratic yet precise movement.

[Effects:

1) Unpredictable Flow: Allows the user to transition between stillness and explosive movement. The longer it is used in battle, the more erratic and effective it becomes.

2) Flicker Steps: Uses mana bursts to shift positions instantly, leaving behind misleading afterimages. At higher mastery, these afterimages can distort enemy perception, making them react to false movements.

3) Adaptive Momentum: The user manipulates inertia mid-movement, accelerating or decelerating unnaturally.

[Current Mastery: Beginner]

Alden's mind was flooded with information.

The information was already present within the knowledge he had inherited when he got the Eternal Flowing Steps.

It was just that this trigger was needed for that information to unlock.

As soon as Alden managed to move using the technique for a moment, all the information hidden within his mind was unlocked.

Alden took a deep breath as he processed the newly unlocked knowledge.

Now, it was time to test it properly.

His body was still not fully recovered, but it was enough for him to move properly.

Without hesitation, he got up from his position.

He channelled the mana according to technique.

The mana passed through his legs, spreading a cool sensation within.

He tried to activate one of the effects of the technique.

Flicker Steps.

He moved forward one step.

In an instant, the world around him blurred.

Then suddenly his body shifted to the side, appearing two metres away from his original position.

For a brief moment, it felt easy as a grin appeared on his face.

Then—

BAM.

His foot slipped onto the floor as he fell to the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop.

The Flicker Steps had worked—but only partially. His control was still very unstable and needed refining.

He couldn't control the direction of movement yet and the sudden shift in momentum had thrown him off the balance.

He exhaled.

Again.

This time, he adjusted.

He moved forward—

Step.

His form blurred for an instant before stabilising.

His momentum increased, but this time, he adjusted his weight in the direction he wanted to move.

He didn't fall this time.

It was bizarre.

His body didn't feel like it was moving in a straight line anymore.

The technique was working.

A smirk was present on his face.

He repeated the process again and again.

He was gradually getting used to the strange footwork.

With each attempt, his movements was becoming smoother, his random movements more controlled

And then—he stopped.

Not because he had lost control, but because he chose to.

His body was at its limits.

His breathing was rough.

Sweat was dripping from his forehead, but his eyes held a spark of excitement.

He didn't try any other effects except for Flicker Steps.

He didn't want to overwhelm his body. So he just repeated the flicker steps again and again.

He had gotten a small control over his movements.

It was still far from perfection

But now, he understood.

This wasn't just a footwork technique.

It was a dance of instinct and chaos.

And he was going to master it.