Chronicles of Forgotten Extra

Gretta's playful demeanour vanished, replaced by an unusual seriousness which Alden had seen for the first time.

She leaned forward slightly, locking eyes with Alden. "Alright, kid. Let me tell you about the real trial."

Alden straightened.

Gretta exhaled, and with a casual snap of her fingers, a chair appeared out of thin air.

She sat down on it, crossing one leg over the other.

"Listen," she said.

"I can't explain everything about Chaos or what it truly is."

She continued,

"But if you're going to inherit this legacy, the least you should know is the name of the one who started it all."

Alden nodded seriously.

"Lucia…Her name was Lucia" Gretta said softly, hesitation evident in her voice.

"She was a very dear friend of mine. We grew up together, trained together… and she was the one who created this art."

Alden listened calmly.

"There have only ever been seven users of this art in all of history."

She paused.

"And there's a good reason for the low number of users," she said, her gaze turning serious. "There can only ever be one successor at a time."

Alden's brows furrowed.

'What did that mean?'

But before he could ask the question, Gretta explained.

"The Chaos Art is only passed down when its previous wielder dies."

A heavy silence settled between them.

'So Lucia is dead…' He understood the meaning behind it.

But what if somebody decided to pass the Chaos art to others?

What will happen?

"I know what you are thinking, Alden, but don't even think about it… The last successor died doing something stupid like that as well."

He swallowed hard, pushing away the thought as quickly as it came.

"So," Gretta muttered, her voice low. "Are you ready to take on the legacy of my friend, Lucia?"

Alden exhaled slowly.

He had long since decided.

This was no longer just about a technique.

It was a responsibility.

He met Gretta's gaze.

And without any hesitation whatsoever, he answered.

"Yes, Ms Gretta. I promise to honour her legacy."

A small and approving smile appeared on Gretta's lips.

"Good… good."

"Now, let's talk about what you'll be facing."

"You see, you're not the only one participating in this trial."

Her words hit Alden like a storm.

'Not the only one?'

His mind raced with thoughts.

Did that mean I would have to compete with others?

But what if the others were stronger than me?

"Now, now—don't overthink it, Alden." Gretta spoke with her gentle smile still on her face as if she could read his thoughts clearly.

"I know what you're thinking, but don't worry. The trial is designed to give every challenger a fair chance."

"There will be a hundred participants, including you. You'll all be sent into a dungeon, where you must find the Chaos Art manual hidden inside."

A dungeon?

A hundred challengers?

This wasn't just a test of skill and strength.

It was more like a race.

"And that's all I can tell you," Gretta added. "Once you're inside, you'll get more information."

She exhaled slowly before her gaze sharpened.

"But remember this, Alden—never trust anyone inside that dungeon."

Alden's heart pounded in his ribs.

"Don't reveal anything about yourself," she continued. "And above all—don't ever mention the name of your world."

The warning felt ominous to Alden.

What kind of place am I walking into?

Why shouldn't I reveal anything about it myself?

Was there something I was missing?

"You have five months before the trial begins. Use this time wisely and train as much as you can here."

Alden nodded.

The real challenge was just about to begin, and he was going to be well prepared for it.

_

The days blurred past as five months passed quickly.

In these five months, Alden trained his body to the utmost limit, only stopping when he couldn't go on anymore.

And the result?

His strength stat had finally seen an increase of one whole minor rank.

It was a big achievement.

After all, increasing the stat without mana was difficult.

He had also practised his swordsmanship to the limit, and his moves are now flowing more swiftly.

He had not trained his sword art.

Why would he?

He didn't have access to mana, and he was going to get even better weapon art soon.

He dragged his body out of the bed as he made his way towards the shower.

He quickly took a cold shower and made his way towards the wardrobe.

There were many clothes inside the wardrobe.

Perfect.

He picked up all black clothes.

He liked that colour after all.

It was an all-black battle suit, and it looked too advanced.

He quickly got dressed and stood in front of the mirror.

Admiring his handsome self.

Well, at least according to him.

After admiring his looks for a while, he made his way out.

He saw Biribri near the stairs.

"Hey Biribri, what's up?" Alden had gotten fairly close to Biribri in his time here.

Biribri also looked at Alden.

"Hey Alden, ready for the trial?" He asked Alden with a smirk.

Alden had learnt a lot about Biribri in his time here.

Well, mostly general stuff, as Biribri took extra caution to not reveal anything important.

Unlike Gretta, who was a shadow left by her main body, Biribri was not a shadow.

He was a disciple of Gretta.

She had left him here with her shadow to train until he gets strong enough.

Which, apparently, he wasn't yet.

That was the most terrifying part.

When Alden first heard it, he was in disbelief.

He couldn't believe that Biribri, who was probably in Primordial Rank, was considered weak by Gretta.

It was humbling.

But he learnt one thing.

The universe is vast, and he was just a frog in the well. And it made Alden realise just how far he had to go to truly become strong.

"Are you also going to meet Mistress?" Biribri asked, snapping Alden out of his thoughts.

"Yeah." Alden answered.

"Let's go together then." Biribri said cheerfully as they made their way outside.

Today was the day.

He was finally going to meet the other candidates.

He had asked Gretta about how other challengers were selected, but she didn't answer it properly and only said that it was an arrangement made by Lucia.

Something like negotiations with other powerful families and all.

Which went all above his head.

As for why Alden was chosen for the trial?

It was because Lucia was the previous owner of the Sword of Chaos, which Alden now owns.

Which led him to a realisation.

If Lucia had died, then who—or what—had he fought in his trial?

According to Gretta, the sword of chaos was lost after Lucia's death without a wielder until now.

Then how did it end up in my trial?

Was Lucia perhaps the fragment?

No…that can't be.

Gretta clearly said she d–

Alden froze mid-thought.

Something clicked in his mind.

Gretta had left a shadow of herself behind.

What if Lucia had done the same?

And what if that shadow had become… the Fragment of Chaos due to some kind of corruption?

It all seemed like a far-fetched theory for now, but it was still a possibility.

As Alden's mind was lost in thoughts, they finally arrived where Gretta was seated.

She was already waiting for them.

"Hey Alden, ready yet?" Gretta asked directly without even looking at him.

"Yes, Ms Gretta." Alden answered politely.

He felt nervous, but there was an undeniable excitement coursing through him to compare his power with others, moreover probably from some other worlds.

A true test.

Gretta looked at Alden's excited expression as her face darkened.

"Let me warn you again." She said, "Don't trust anyone… no matter how friendly they seem, and don't hesitate to kill."

Her voice was serious.

Alden nodded.

He barely thought about the killing part.

After all, why would I need to kill?

'I'll just find the Chaos Art and be on my way.'

Gretta said nothing.

She knew what kind of naive thoughts he was having.

But she didn't warn him again.

He had to learn the truth for himself after all.

And if he died?

'That would just mean he was not fit to survive.'

She snapped her fingers slightly as a shimmering blue portal appeared near Alden.

"My main body will be waiting for you on the other side," she said. "She will guide all of you further."

Alden looked at the portal.

"Goodbye, Ms Gretta." He said his farewell to Gretta as he looked at Biribri.

Biribri's face looked a bit sad…

Biribri had been trained ever since he was a child wandering with Gretta all over, and after that, he was left alone on this planet to grow stronger.

Alden was the first friend he had made in his life.

"Don't worry, my friend," Alden said with a cheerful smirk. "I'll become strong soon and come to meet you."

"Goodbye, Biribri."

"Yeah, Alden, Goodbye and best of luck for your trial. I know you will be the winner."

Saying goodbye to the friend he made, Alden quickly entered the portal without looking back.