The Extra's Rise

Seraphina stepped forward, cautious but curious, the crimson glow of Erebus' Bone Armour fading as she dismissed it.

Her eyes locked onto the blooming lotus, its petals shimmering with an otherworldly light, as if the ice itself had captured the essence of dawn.

"What is that?" she asked, her voice softer than usual.

"Ice Crystal Lotus," I replied, stepping beside her. "It's what you need to step beyond."

Her head tilted slightly. "Step beyond?"

I nodded.

Most elixirs and pills were useful—at least in a marginal sense. They boosted mana flow, aided recovery, refined the body. But nothing transformative.

This, however—this was different.

The Ice Crystal Lotus wasn't just an elixir in solid form. It was something beyond that—a relic of the supernatural, a fragment of nature's own untapped potential.

Like a Gift, it defied conventional understanding.

And for Seraphina, it was perfect.

Her Body Aspect Gift—Ice Crystal Jade Body—was powerful, but incomplete. She had yet to truly grasp the dual nature of it, the balance between freezing and blossoming.

This lotus would change that.

It was the heart of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, a treasure that once symbolized its legacy, offering enlightenment to those worthy enough to receive it.

Now, it belonged to her.

I bent down, carefully plucking it from the frost. The petals pulsed faintly in my grip, almost as if it were alive.

The dungeon groaned around us, cracks spiderwebbing along the frozen walls. It was collapsing.

"Time to go," I muttered.

We stepped through the crumbling gateway, emerging onto the icy plains outside just as the dungeon's entrance sealed itself shut, the structure dissolving into nothing.

Seraphina barely spared it a glance.

Her focus was on the lotus.

"Consume it, Sera," I urged.

She hesitated only for a moment, then reached out, her fingers brushing the petals. The moment she made contact, the lotus dissolved, its essence sinking into her mana circuits like ink spilling into water.

She closed her eyes and sank to the ground, crossing her legs, the snow beneath her untouched by the cold.

Her breathing slowed.

A quiet stillness settled over her, like the calm before an impending storm.

I exhaled, stepping back, giving her space.

But I didn't take my eyes off her.

Not for a second.

Seraphina's mana wouldn't increase immediately, but she was already on the cusp of White-rank.

'Before the Inter-Academy Festival,' I estimated.

By then, she would comfortably step into White-rank, her foundation stronger than ever. I, on the other hand, would be at Integration-rank—if everything went according to plan.

'Starting the Integration process will take time, though,' I sighed internally.

I hated this plateau, even though it was expected. White-rank was strange that way—it wasn't just about accumulating mana anymore. It was about refinement, control, pushing the very limits of what was possible before Integration.

And I was pushing.

I was getting stronger. My mana control had sharpened. My arts were more refined. The Arthur of now was leagues above the Arthur who fought Lucifer at the tournament.

But not by much.

Not enough.

And the problem?

I knew exactly how strong Lucifer was about to become.

Integration-rank Lucifer was an entirely different beast. The current Lucifer was impressive because he reached White-rank so ridiculously early—but Integration-rank Lucifer?

He was a monster.

And now? He was even stronger than he had been in the novel.

His second Gift had awakened earlier than it should have, which meant he would grow even faster than before.

I exhaled slowly. 'Calm down.'

I couldn't let it consume me.

I couldn't let myself spiral.

Seraphina stirred, pulling me from my thoughts. The glow around her had faded, the Ice Crystal Lotus's energy fully absorbed. She blinked slowly as she rose to her feet, flexing her fingers as if testing something unseen.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

She took a breath, tilting her head slightly as she listened to something deep within herself.

"…Better," she murmured. "I'm not fully sure yet, though."

I nodded. She wouldn't feel the full effects yet—not until she reached Integration-rank. That's when the real transformation would begin.

"Let's return?" I suggested.

Seraphina hesitated. Then, she shook her head.

"Let's stay one more night," she said, her voice softer than usual. "I want to spend time with you… here."

I raised an eyebrow, half-smirking. "Do you have a thing for ruined places?"

"Somewhat," she admitted, completely serious, before she reached for my hand.

I blinked.

"And… I like being with you," she added, just as straightforward, fingers intertwining with mine, "so I don't mind where we are."

I stared.

Seraphina wasn't normally like this.

Her actions had always spoken louder than her words—but now, for the first time, her words matched her actions.

And they were bold.

I chuckled, squeezing her hand lightly.

"Lead the way, Sera."

And just like that, we wandered together, two figures against the endless stretch of snow and forgotten ruins.

The wind howled softly through the shattered spires of the once-great palace, sweeping across the landscape in thin, curling wisps.

We walked along broken bridges that led to nowhere, our footsteps crunching against the frost-covered stone. The night sky stretched above us, untouched and endless, stars flickering like distant embers.

She led me through the half-buried remnants of a market square, where ice had consumed the stalls, freezing the past in place. We passed the remains of towering statues, their faces eroded by time, their once-proud forms now shadows of memory.

The silence wasn't haunting.

Not anymore.

It was peaceful.@@novelbin@@

Seraphina's grip on my hand remained steady, her expression unreadable but content.

For the first time in a long while, there was no battle waiting for us. No trial to overcome.

Just us. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

In the ruins of a world that once was.

"This was nice," I said, exhaling as we both sat in the snow. The cold was sharp, but not biting, settling around us like an old companion. The tents were already set up, their high-tech insulation humming faintly, keeping the chill at bay. Night had long since fallen, and soon, it would be time to sleep—one last night here before we left.

"Yeah," Seraphina murmured, her voice softer than usual. She still hadn't let go of my hand.

A comfortable silence settled between us, stretching with the quiet patience of falling snow.

Then, she asked, "What will you do next?"

I leaned back, resting on my elbows, looking up at the stars scattered across the vast, untouched sky. "I need to go to the Tower of Magic first," I said. "Then attend Rachel's and your birthdays. Spend some time with family."

I paused for a second, then added, "And… establish my own guild."

Seraphina turned her head slightly, her silver hair catching the moonlight. "Your own guild?"

"Yeah," I nodded, feeling the weight of it settle in my chest. "I need power. And to do that, I need to build something of my own. A guild—strong, influential—right in the heart of the Slatemark Empire."

She didn't look surprised. If anything, there was something close to pride in her expression, her fingers tightening slightly around mine.

"I'm sure you'll do well," she said simply.

I hesitated.

Then, before I could overthink it, I spoke. "Sera… I'm sorry for lying to you."

Seraphina's grip didn't loosen. But she didn't look at me either.

"I know you noticed," I continued, "I know you've already figured out that I wasn't being completely honest. I'm sorry. But there are things I can't tell you yet. Not because I don't trust you—because I need to deal with them myself."

Seraphina exhaled through her nose, then gave the smallest nod. She wasn't upset. She understood.

But that didn't make it right.

"I'll come clean about what I can," I added. "When I met Luna, she told me something important. That I… exist outside of fate. She couldn't read my destiny. I am fateless."

Seraphina's eyes flickered.

"That's why you lied," she muttered. "Because a qilin didn't choose you to be the Emperor of the World this time."

I nodded.

For the first time, Seraphina let go of my hand—but only so she could face me fully.

"You know what that means, right?" she asked.

I already did.

I wasn't bound to fate.

I wasn't meant to be some predetermined hero or villain.

I was free to choose my own fate.

And by doing so, I could change the destiny of this novel that brought ruin to everything.