Extra's Ascent-Chapter 129: Arise And Shine Slackers

"Savage, both of you." Dante pouted, though his tone held no trace of remorse. "Regardless, I'm telling you anyway."

The two roommates exchanged suffering glances beneath their breath. This was psychological warfare.

Dante's voice took on a slightly more serious pitch. "Exams are coming up fast. Everyone's grinding harder than ever. The tension in the institute is so thick, you'd need a blade just to breathe through it."

Easy for him to say.

Dante Pendragon, the prodigy blessed from birth, had little need for excessive training. With his innate talents and abundant resources, effort was more of a hobby than a necessity.

What stress could possibly burden a man who had everything handed to him on a golden platter?

"Anyway," he continued, "I figured we've been pushing ourselves too hard. Everyone's so focused on preparing for the exams, they've forgotten how to breathe. So I say, let's ditch training for a day. No books, no drills, no pressure."

"Absolutely not," Aldrich snapped, already seeing where this was going.

But Dante was undeterred. "We're going out. All of us. A full-day joint outing. Clear our heads. Wash away the stress. Recharge before we dive back into the chaos."

Aldrich frowned but hesitated.

For once, this wasn't one of Dante's ridiculous, high-drama schemes. The idea, surprisingly, wasn't awful.

In fact… it almost made sense.

The weeks leading up to the exam had been intense. Everyone, whether they belonged to the upper class or the lower was clawing desperately to keep their position. Students trained day and night, obsessed with one goal: to prove they deserved to be where they were or be taken to a higher class.

Aldrich wasn't the most driven student by conventional standards. He wasn't pushing himself to the brink like some of the others, but he wasn't slacking either.

His focus had been elsewhere, on something more important than the exam.

The two-clover eye.

Ever since Saldrich revealed its existence to him, Aldrich had become consumed with its potential. Unlocking the eye's abilities had become his personal mission. Day after day, he poured his efforts into understanding its power, experimenting, refining.

He'd asked his sister repeatedly if there was more he needed to know, some hidden trick or buried ability the two leaf might hold.

Her answer remained frustratingly consistent.

"It's better if you discover it yourself. True mastery comes from personal revelation."

And maybe… just maybe, she was right.

There was something more exhilarating about uncovering knowledge on your own, an understanding earned rather than handed down. It made each breakthrough feel like a triumph, each step forward a reward carved from effort.

That thought alone sent a chill of excitement down his spine.

Still, maybe a break wouldn't hurt.

"A chance to unwind sounds good to me," Aydin said, already stretching. "What do you think, Aldaman?"

Of course, Aydin would agree without hesitation. That was just who he was.

Aldrich sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I suppose… a day off might not be the worst idea. It could help clear the head."

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'Would it…?' he mused silently.

"Fantastic!" Dante clapped his hands with glee. "Now then, allow me to introduce the rest of the crew joining us."

He stepped aside from the doorway like a ringmaster revealing his star performers.

First to appear, unsurprisingly was Saldrich Aldaman, Aldrich's younger sister and the one person capable of rivaling Dante's bold energy with a calm, composed edge.

Right behind her came Fiona Helmswoth, Aldrich's girlfriend. A soft smile graced her lips, her presence stirring a quiet storm of thoughts in his head.

Fiona. The supposed female lead of this story.

But this wasn't how things were meant to go. Not anymore.

Aldrich had diverted from the expected path long ago. He was never meant to be anything more than a side character, a background name in the legend of Dante Pendragon.

And yet… here he was. With Fiona by his side.

Her role in the story had warped into something unpredictable. No longer tethered to Dante, she had made a choice, one that altered the narrative's flow entirely. Aldrich didn't quite know what that meant for the bigger picture.

But he knew it meant something.

Then came Trevor Noah an unexpected addition.

Of all the people in the institute, Trevor might've been the only one Aldrich considered a true friend. With Dante, the lines were always blurred. One moment, he was a playful companion; the next, he felt like a strategist sizing up a rival.

It was difficult to place him. Sometimes it felt like everything he said and did had a hidden agenda, like Aldrich was a puzzle he couldn't quite solve.

But maybe that was just paranoia talking.

In any case, this was the crew: Dante Pendragon, Saldrich Aldaman, Fiona Helmswoth, Trevor Noah, Aldrich Aldaman, and Aydin Astravon.

A mismatched group, perhaps. But for today, united by one goal to escape the walls of the institute, if only briefly.

All six of them stepped out of the dormitories and into the city beyond, leaving behind the training, exams, and expectations.