PATH OF THE EXTRA

A cacophony of thunder echoed through the facility.

The battle against the Grade 3 Abyssal was growing more strenuous by the second.

But only half of their focus remained on the relentless storm of bodiless bones before them. The rest was fixed on the facility itself—groaning, shaking, as if it were alive, as if the very walls were in agony. The floor above them trembled under the weight of something monstrous. Again and again, the deafening roar of impact sent dust and debris trickling down from the cracks above.

Whatever battle was raging overhead had everyone on edge.

It had to be harrowing—something beyond imagination—for it to shake the entire structure. A creeping fear gnawed at them all. If the containment facility collapsed, they would be buried alive beneath tons of rubble.

Whatever Azriel was facing must have been something they hadn’t accounted for—something just as dreadful as the storm of bones before them. Maybe even worse.

And yet, the battle raged on.

Celestina clenched her sword tighter. Azriel was fighting for his life, handling whatever nightmare lurked above all on his own. They needed to finish this fight.

The only time their battle ever wavered was when an explosion tore through the floor above.

For a split second, the world seemed to hold its breath. Even as they fought, they couldn’t ignore it.

Even after the harrowing blast, the battle overhead didn’t stop.

Which was both incredible and terrifying.

Because neither Azriel nor his opponent seemed to know how to quit.

But the same could be said for Celestina and her team. Their battle had become one of endurance, patience, and unwavering focus. One wrong move, and they would be obliterated—ripped apart into nothing more than torn flesh and shattered bone.

And things weren’t looking good.

Sir Henrik’s [Soul Echo] had been defeated. Only one spectral bird remained, and Henrik had no choice but to desummon it before losing his [Soul Echo] entirely. That left them with only one viable strategy.

The Grade 3 Abyssal had to remain focused on Sir Henrik.

Its bones were limited—some used for offense, others for defense. If they could force it to send all its jagged spears toward the Frost Knight, that would be their moment to strike.

But there was one harrowing problem.

The storm of bones still had another card to play.

Whenever one of them got too close, something would awaken within the facility’s passageways. A surge of bones—like a stampede—would come rushing out, flooding the dome in a relentless wave of jagged death. Then, just as suddenly, the storm would vanish into another passage, never stopping, never faltering.

Celestina narrowed her eyes.

It was a strange skill. One she had no way of understanding.

But she didn’t need to understand it. She just needed to kill it before it killed them.

“Your Highness… when can we strike?”

Celestina glanced beside her. Sophia was panting, exhaustion evident in her trembling stance. Next to her, Gavin and Nova stood tense, their expressions tight with unease. Unlike Celestina, they were covered in cuts and blood, their bodies worn down by the battle.

She turned her gaze back to the fight ahead. Henrik was still engaged with the Abyssal.

Even for her, it was difficult to make out what was happening. For the others, it must have been near impossible.

The storm of bones raged, jagged twisting unnaturally as if guided by an unseen will. They came at Henrik relentlessly, but he weaved between them with precision, his rapier flashing as he cut through the onslaught. His wind affinity carried him in elegant, almost effortless movements, the chains around him acting as both weapon and shield.

“Not yet,” Celestina said. “I can still feel it watching us. We strike once its full attention is on Henrik—but only I will get close. The rest of you focus on forming a barrier. The moment the stampede comes, we need a safe retreat.”

She felt them nod in agreement.

Before they moved, she reached into her storage ring.

“I can’t waste any more mana healing you,” she said, pulling out several vials. “Take these health potions.”

Sophia took them without hesitation, quickly distributing them to the others.

Then, they got to work.

Sparks flickered in Celestina’s vision—brief flashes of steel clashing against bone. Henrik’s movements blurred between the chaos, his footwork precise, his rapier cutting through the tide of sharpened bone.

But something else stood out.

The battle was slowing.

Each second dragged longer than the last.

And Henrik—he was slowing down faster. His stamina was draining. His mana thinning.

‘Not yet… not yet…’

The wait was unbearable. Torturous. Holding back when every impulse screamed at her to jump in felt worse than the wounds she had taken so far.

But Henrik was forcing more and more distance between himself and the Abyssal’s mana core. The bones reacted aggressively, surging at him as if aware of what he was trying to do.

Celestina’s eyes locked onto the core.

‘It’s floating… but how?’

Everything about this Abyssal was unnatural.

No wonder the others had died trying to defeat it.

If she was right, there were only three ways to kill it.

Destroying each of its bones one by one. Destroying the mana core—though that would mean no one could consume it. Or ripping the mana core from wherever it floated.

That last option intrigued her.

Something was off. The mana core wasn’t moving. The bones around it shifted constantly, swirling in place, but neither the core nor its defenders advanced or retreated.

If she broke through and tore it free… would everything collapse?

It was just a theory.

One she couldn’t afford to test.

Not under these circumstances.

While Celestina was deep in thought, her focus never wavered from Henrik. But then, another deafening sound echoed above them—like gods clashing in battle. The entire facility trembled, dust trickling down from the ceiling as they all flinched.

Celestina glanced upward. The dome’s ceiling was shrouded in darkness, its details hidden without light.

Then, she shifted her attention back to Henrik.

A considerable distance had formed between him and the Abyssal, and all the attacking bones were converging on him.

‘Now!’

“Your Highness, go!”

At that exact moment, Henrik shouted as well—just before a bone sliced across his cheek. He barely managed to dodge the sharpened fragment meant to impale him.

Celestina didn’t hesitate. She shot forward in a blur.

In seconds, she was in front of the swirling mass of bones acting as a barrier. Raising her sword, now coated in radiant white light, she swung.

For a brief moment, the bones stilled—only to twist and form a circular shield before her strike could land.

Her sword crashed against the barrier. A shockwave ran through her arms, rattling her bones from the impact. Clicking her tongue, she didn’t retreat. Instead, she thrust her left hand forward.

Dozens of white light spears materialized above her and launched toward the wall of bones.

Then the ground rumbled beneath her.

Celestina’s eyes widened.

‘The stampede!’

She had to hurry.

The spears of light clashed against the defensive bones, shattering many on impact. Some withstood the attack, enduring multiple hits before breaking. But none of the spears reached the mana core.

The rumbling intensified. The stampede was closing in.

“Your Highness, please retreat!”

Gavin’s voice rang out behind her, pleading.

But Celestina gritted her teeth.

‘Not yet. Its bones are finite—I need to destroy more.’

She jumped back in, her blade a blur as she cut through the spears of jagged bone that shot toward her. Some she parried. Others grazed her.

A moment later, she leapt back again.

A faint glow spread across her back and armor.

Then—two luminous wings of white feathers erupted behind her.

With a single powerful flap, she shot into the air.

‘Using my light as wings is draining my mana incredibly fast…’

But she had an idea.

The stampede would arrive at any moment.

As she rose, the bones of the barrier followed.

And when they did—Celestina shouted.

“Attack from afar! Now!”

Sophia, the best suited for ranged attacks, didn’t hesitate.

Though she lacked the overwhelming affinity of a Great Child or a prodigy, forming a spear of earth was no problem.

Five? That, too, was within her ability.

The next second, the earthen spears shot toward the nearly unprotected mana core.

At least—that’s what they thought.

A sudden shift.

The storm of bones attacking Henrik twisted, retreating toward the mana core in an instant. Several rushed to intercept the incoming stone spears, colliding with them midair. Both weapons shattered.

Celestina clenched her jaw as she dodged more incoming bone spears, maneuvering through the sky before retreating—only for the bones to chase her.

Then—

A sudden gust.

The wind howled as green-hued arcs slashed past her, cutting the pursuing bones clean in two.

But Celestina didn’t stop.

Because even as the bones fell, they started to rise again—reassembling midair, still locked onto her.

She landed swiftly, the vibration of the approaching stampede shaking her bones.

In front of her stood a small makeshift fort—constructed from earth, wood, and reinforced with water.

Earth from Sophia.

Wood from Gavin.

Water from Nova.

Celestina didn’t hesitate. She rushed inside.

The moment she did, the others sealed the entrance with their affinities, reinforcing the walls as Celestina illuminated the space with floating orbs of light.

The fort trembled as bones slammed against it, trying to break through. Then, without warning, dozens of bones shot out from unseen passageways, swirling chaotically before launching toward the fort like a storm of daggers.

The three poured more mana into the structure, patching each crack as it broke apart piece by piece.

Despite the relentless assault, the fort held.

A quiet sigh escaped Celestina’s lips—brief, but necessary—before she quickly turned to Henrik.

He was sitting on the ground, pale, his face covered in cuts. A deep gash marred his left leg.

Tipping a health potion back in one gulp, he tossed the empty vial aside. Then, in a hoarse, irritated voice, he spoke.

“This is definitely one of the more annoying Abyssals I’ve faced. It’s not even strong or impressive, honestly.” He exhaled sharply, wiping the blood from his cheek. “It’s extremely weak, if anything! I’m just a bad matchup against it. If we had a few more capable men—or someone with overwhelming strength—this thing would already be dead.”

“….”

Pursing her lips, Celestina waited anxiously for the storm of bones to settle.

Eventually, it did.

The shaking stopped. The Abyssal must have ceased its attack.

She glanced back at Henrik. Their expressions darkened as their eyes met. With a small nod, they turned toward the entrance.

Slowly, Celestina stepped outside.

The dome was eerily empty.

The shattered bones that had once littered the ground—gone.

The only thing left was the relentless storm of bones swirling around the mana core, undisturbed.

Only… something was different.

It had absorbed some of the bones from the stampede.

It recovered.

Their entire effort—rendered meaningless.

A battle of attrition.

Who would run out first—the Abyssal’s bones, or their stamina?

Despite their numbers, Celestina couldn’t see them winning against this infuriating foe.

She needed another plan.

Then, a thought surfaced.

‘It doesn’t move.’

Not once. Not ever.

‘What if Henrik and I destroy this entire floor?’

Bury it.

If they collapsed the structure, the Abyssal would be forced to clear the rubble. And while it was occupied—

They could strike the mana core.

It was a gamble.

Sir Henrik and the others emerged from the fort. Just as Celestina turned to share her plan—

A horrifying sound cut through the air.

The very sound they had feared since the beginning of this battle.

“”!!””

Like the dying wail of an ancient void creature.

Or the heavens themselves, screaming in agony.

The facility shook violently—more than ever before.

Chunks of debris and shattered stone rained down from above.

Celestina’s breath hitched as her eyes snapped upward.

The sound of stone breaking apart echoed relentlessly.

“Get back inside! Everyone, reinforce the fort with mana!”

Henrik’s sudden shout jolted them from their shock.

Celestina spun around and rushed in with the others.

Not even seconds after—

The entire floor above them collapsed.

And buried them alive.

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