Extra To Protagonist-Chapter 21: Killing People

Merlin left the training facility at a slow pace. There was no need to rush. In the novel, the attack wouldn't happen until nightfall, so he still had time.

As he stepped outside, he noticed the sky darkening.

'How long were we even training, damn it...'

He shook his head, resisting the urge to bury himself alive out of secondhand embarrassment.

Taking out his phone, he checked his notifications.

{0 new notifications.}

"..."

His grip on the phone tightened as his expression twitched.

'Wow. People really love me, huh? Not even a scam message or anything?'

Sighing, he rubbed his temples and recalled the events of the novel.

'They should be waiting in a sewer near a pizza place... but where the hell is that place?'

The Author never wrote the exact location..that lazy bum.

'Of course they didn't. Guess I'll just have to find it myself...'

Navigating the city was one thing. Sneaking into a sewer without looking like a lunatic? Whole different skill set.

He left the academy and started looking for some hidden manhole covers.

Merlin ducked into a narrow alleyway, brushing past overflowing dumpsters and stray cats. He crouched next to a rusted manhole cover, eyeing the grime-coated metal.

'Why... why the hell did I accept this quest?'

He glanced around, making sure no one was watching.

Then, with a resigned sigh, he pried the cover open and climbed down into the darkness.

The cold, stagnant air hit him like a wall. His boots splashed into ankle-deep filth.

"...Fucking disgusting."

His pants were already soaked in sewage water. Rats scurried around. Garbage floated past him.

'What kind of medieval-ass sewer system is this...?'

With each step, the dim light filtering through cracks in the ceiling faded. Merlin summoned mana to his legs, using the wind affinity to move faster. His phone's GPS flickered in his hand as he followed the rough coordinates of nearby pizzerias.

'I need to move fast.'

—

It took nearly half an hour before he heard it—muffled voices echoing through the tunnels.

After hearing them, he slowed down and stopped moving, staying completely quiet.

"Why do we even need this damn girl?"

A gruff male voice questioned, making Merlin press himself against the filthy water, listening from around the corner.

"Who cares? The boss said we need her, so we take her. End of story."

A female voice cut in, interrupting his thoughts.

'Four of them...? Where's the fifth one?'

Merlin peeked around the corner and saw only four people. His grip tightened around his sword as he waited.

'I... I have to kill them...'

The problem was—he had never killed a person before. Not even animals, really. Unless you counted mice and some bugs. But he had killed the monsters in his training of course...but that was something else.

But people? That was different.

His heart pounded against his ribs as adrenaline flooded his body.

'I can do this.'

"Two minutes until we move."

The woman put down her weapon to adjust her clothes.

'Now.'

Merlin poured mana into his legs, using wind and space to accelerate—blitzing past the corner and appearing before them in an instant.

"You—who the hell—?!"

The woman's question was cut short as her head was cut off, her blood spraying everywhere.

THUD.

The three remaining men froze, their eyes wide—at least, that's how it looked to Merlin in the dim lighting.

"A deviant! He has multiple affinities!" the gruff man shouted, gripping his spear.

'They're just characters, Merlin... just characters...'

Calming himself, he moved again.

As the spearman lunged, an arrow shot toward him at the same time.

Time slowed.

Merlin effortlessly dodged both before dashing forward. The spearman's eyes rolled back as his vision darkened—Merlin's sword had pierced straight through his skull.

The third man stepped forward, his sword trembling in his grip.

Another arrow flew at Merlin.

[Trickster's Reflex]

He dodged, closing in on the archer instantly.

"Unlucky for you... I'm your opponent."

His cold voice echoed in the sewer as he slashed—severing the archer's hands as he tried to retreat.

'Ugh.'

Merlin's stomach churned as the man screamed in agony.

"AUGHHHHH!"

The swordsman moved, but—

[Trickster's Reflex]

Merlin dodged and decapitated him in a single motion.

His body dropped like a sack of potatoes. Lifeless and dull, it was almost like a doll.

THUD.

The screaming archer bit his lips, trying to contain his pain. Flames started forming in his hands, but—

A gust of wind snuffed them out as Merlin reappeared in front of him.

"Wait, wait! I'll tell you everythi—"

His head flew into the air like a soccer ball kicked out of bounds.

"I don't need your information."

Merlin's voice was cold.

Then he puked.

The sheer amount of blood and corpses had scrambled his thoughts.

'Fuck.'

Before he could recover, a sudden pain tore through his side—

A stray arrow had sliced across his torso.

'Fucking hell...'

Gritting his teeth, he looked in the direction it came from.

Footsteps.

Someone was trying to escape.

'Like hell you are running away you fuck'

Dashing forward, he caught up to the woman just as she turned—his sword piercing through her skull before she could react.

THUD.

A loud ringing suddenly echoed in his mind.

[Quest Complete!]

[Quest: Kill all the Nameless!]

[Rewards]

• Choose a new affinity

• Choose a skill

• Unlock training opportunities

• +3 Agility

• +2 Endurance

• +5 Intelligence

[Please select an affinity!]

• Fire

• Water

• Lightning

• Ice

'...'

Merlin collapsed into the filth. His clothes were covered in blood. His wound was still bleeding.

'God fucking damn it...'

Shaking his head, he sighed.

'I choose water.'

[Please select a skill!]

• Blink Step (Teleport up to 5 meters in any direction.)

• #$%#$'s Whisper (Passive: Enhances persuasion, deception, and negotiation skills. Grants the ability to speak and understand all languages. Can send short-range telepathic messages. Strong-willed individuals or those with mental defenses may resist influence.)

• Keen Insight (Briefly slows perception of time when analyzing an opponent's movements. Allows detection of lies, deception, and hidden dangers. Increased chance to predict an enemy's next attack based on body language.)

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• Mana Veil (Slightly reduces incoming damage. Enhances resistance against mental intrusions and illusions.)

'They're all too fucking good...'

Merlin leaned back, staring at the options.

One caught his eye.

'#$%#$'s Whisper? Yeah, no thanks. I might get fucking cursed or some bullshit with my luck.'

He hesitated before making his choice.

'Keen Insight.'

[Keen Insight unlocked.]

Merlin exhaled deeply, still catching his breath.

'...Now how the hell do I get out of here?'

He thought as he looked down on his wound, bloody and dirty clothes..

Merlin exhaled sharply then stood up.

'I don't want to catch some fucking infection..'

He gathered some water in his hand and then used it to clean the wound...that was one stupid fucking idea. It hurt like hell.

'Kill me.'