The Cursed Extra: Bloodline of Sacrifice-Chapter 140: Strategy and A Music Lover

(POV: Caspian)

"Bro, what the fuck."

That speech… that damn speech.

He had seen manipulative speeches before. He had read about power-hungry leaders bending words to suit their ideologies.

But this?

"That bastard just manipulated an entire hall of students into turning against their own teammates."

And the worst part?

"He's not even wrong."

The world didn't care about those who worked well with others.

It cared about those who stood at the top.

Bing!

His phone vibrated. Caspian glanced at the screen.

---

[Tournament Notification]

Your group has been decided:

Team Z

Team The Onlookers

Team Dicken

Team Void

Team Saga

---

Caspian's eye twitched.

"Huh… fuck me."

Almost every team in his group was strong.

The Onlookers? That was Oliver's team.

Void? Their captain was a strategist. Calculated, efficient.

And Saga? Those guys were unpredictable. They had a playstyle that could either dominate or crash spectacularly.

"Why is my luck so low?" Caspian muttered, rubbing his temples.

He exhaled. Tomorrow was the weekend.

"I need to train with the team."

---

(Next Day, Team Meeting)

Caspian stood in front of his team, arms crossed.

"Alright. Here's the plan."

"We're running a 2-2-1 formation." Caspian said. "Here's how it works—"

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

Lyrius and Calenthir: One group. Offensive powerhouses. They were fast and relentless, perfect for overwhelming opponents.

Kairos and Vera: Another group. Kairos had a defensive fighting style, while Vera was support and ranged attacks. They complemented each other well.

Caspian: Solo. He'd act as a free-roaming unit, adapting based on the battlefield.

"This way, we stay flexible. You two—" he gestured at Lyrius and Calenthir, "—rush their frontline. Kairos and Vera, you hold back and disrupt their formation."

"What about you?" Lyrius asked, raising a brow.

"I'll be everywhere." Caspian smirked. "Picking off weaknesses, covering blind spots, and adjusting if things go south."

Kairos nodded. "It's a solid plan. But if they target you first—"

"They won't," Caspian cut in. "Because you guys will be making too much noise for them to ignore."

Silence. Then, one by one, they nodded.

"Tomorrow's our first match," Caspian said. "Get some rest."

With that, the team dispersed.

.

As Caspian walked back, he spotted a familiar figure in the distance.

Fianna.

She was heading in the opposite direction, seemingly lost in thought.

Caspian didn't hesitate.

"Hey, Fianna."

She flinched slightly, stopping mid-step. Her blue eyes flicked toward him.

"Caspian?"

"How's your team doing?" Caspian asked, adjusting his gloves.

Fianna hesitated, then nodded. "We're doing great."

There was a slight stiffness in her voice. Guarded.

Caspian noticed.

They walked in silence for a moment before he spoke again.

"Let's grab a meal at the cafeteria."

Fianna blinked, clearly caught off guard.

"A meal? With me?"

Caspian shrugged. "Yeah. Why not?"

A pause. Then, finally—

"…Alright."

.

The cafeteria wasn't too crowded at this hour. Most students were either training or doing homework for Tommorow classes.

Matches will start at 5:00 pm.

Fianna went ahead to grab food while Caspian leaned against the counter, hands in his pockets.

He glanced at his balance points.

"Damn. Still low."

He wasn't exactly starving, but he couldn't afford the better meals.

That's why he suggested eating together. Fianna always had enough points to spare.

A familiar, unwelcome voice rang in his head.

{It's not good, you know.}

Caspian's eyes twitched.

{She cares about you, and here you are—mooching off her kindness.}

Bloodmoon's voice was smooth, amused.

{You don't deserve someone like her.}

Caspian exhaled. Mentally.

"Chill. I'm not using her. I'm just… hungry."

{And broke} Bloodmoon added.

"Shut up."

Fianna returned with two trays, setting one in front of him.

Caspian casually picked up his fork.

"You've been quiet," Fianna said, cutting into her meal.

"Just thinking."

"About?"

"The tournament. The speech." Caspian took a bite, chewing slowly. "That vice principal really turned the whole academy into a battle royale."

Fianna chuckled. "He's intense, isn't he?"

"He's right," Caspian admitted. "But it's going to get messy. A lot of people are going to break."

Fianna nodded. "Not everyone is built to fight alone."

Caspian tapped his fingers against the table.

"What about you?" he asked, watching her reaction. "Are you built for it?"

Fianna paused mid-bite. Then, slowly, she smiled.

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?"

For the first time in a while, Caspian grinned.

"Yeah. We will."

.

The cafeteria had quieted down. Most students had already left.

Caspian leaned back in his chair.

His meal was gone.

Across from him, Fianna was sipping the last of her drink, absentmindedly tapping her fingers against the tray.

A comfortable silence stretched between them.

Then, on impulse, Caspian spoke.

"Fianna, can you suggest me some music?"

She blinked, looking up.

"I've been listening to a few things, but nothing really… sticks. Thought you might know something good."

The change in her expression was instant.

Her eyes lit up.

"Of course!" she said, straightening in her seat. "Wait, wait—you mean any genre? Or do you have a preference?"

Caspian smirked slightly at her sudden enthusiasm.

That was the only invitation she needed.

Fianna launched into an explanation, listing off different artists, albums, and songs—each with a passionate breakdown of what made them unique.

"Okay, so if you want something intense, there's this band called—wait, no, you might like this other one more—ugh, why is this so hard to pick?"

Caspian chuckled, watching as she flipped through her thoughts.

"You really like this stuff, huh?"

Fianna grinned. "Obviously. Music is everything. It can set the mood, change your whole mindset, make you feel like you're in another world."

Caspian hummed, tapping his fingers on the table.

He'd never been that into music. Sure, he listened to it, but he never thought about it like she did.

"What about softer stuff?" he asked. "Something to zone out to."

"Oh! Then you have to listen to—"

And just like that, she was off again.

By the time they left the cafeteria, Fianna was still talking, and Caspian found himself actually enjoying the conversation.

They walked side by side down the dimly lit paths of the academy, the cool night air making Fianna pull her coat a little closer.

The topic had shifted from music to TV shows.

"So, you're telling me," Caspian said, raising an eyebrow, "that this show is about a detective who solves crimes by listening to classical music?"

Fianna rolled her eyes. "It's deeper than that. The music is just part of his process."

Caspian gave her a skeptical look. "Sounds like a gimmick."

"Trust me, it's not."

"You said that about the last show."

"And I was right."

Caspian snorted. "Debatable."

They reached the entrance of the girls' dormitory.

Fianna turned toward him, pulling out her phone.

"I'll just send you my playlist," she said, tapping quickly. "That way, you can go through it at your own pace."

A second later, Caspian's phone buzzed.

[Fianna sent you a playlist: 'Absolute Bangers™']

He raised an eyebrow at the title but smirked.

"Thanks."

"No problem," she said, smiling.

For a moment, they stood there, neither moving to leave.

The soft glow of the dormitory lights framed her face, and Caspian felt a strange warmth settle in his chest.

Then—

His own face felt a little warm.

'Oh, fuck, am I blushing?'

He cleared his throat, shifting slightly.

"O-okay, bye then," he said—too quickly, and definitely not as smooth as he wanted.

Fianna tilted her head, amused. "Bye, Cas."

She turned and walked inside.

Caspian exhaled, rubbing his neck.

Bloodmoon's voice echoed in his head, mockingly amused.

{Oh. My. God. Did you just stutter? This is priceless.}

"Shut up."

Caspian turned away, heading back to his own dorm.

Maybe he'd listen to that playlist after all.