The Extra's Rise-Chapter 109: Nimran (4)
As the banquet began to wind down, Nero took the floor once more, his presence commanding enough to cut through the haze of satisfaction that hung over the room like the lingering scent of roasted meats and spiced desserts.
"You’ll receive your beast assignments tomorrow morning," he announced, his voice as crisp as the air in the Southern continent’s twilight. "That’s when the real work begins."
There was an audible shuffle of anticipation from the gathered students. A few glanced at each other, silently calculating potential pair dynamics and wondering just how challenging these evaluations would be.
"In addition to your assignments," Nero continued, "you’re free to explore the city of Nimran as you wish. This city, while not entirely without risk, is far from the frontlines. Treat it with the respect it deserves. But for your safety, you must inform the professors when leaving the mansion. Phones must be kept on at all times, and location sharing with your assigned professor is mandatory. I won’t tolerate negligence."
The room hummed with murmurs of approval—or perhaps resignation. The rules were hardly surprising, but the permission to explore Nimran had a spark of excitement to it. The city beckoned with its blend of ancient spirituality and modern mystique, a playground for curiosity and opportunity alike.
I let the announcement wash over me, my focus already elsewhere. The Black Star. The thought prickled at the edge of my consciousness like an unsolved riddle, refusing to fade even as the other students began to disperse. I needed answers. Or, at the very least, a roadmap to those answers.
As I made my way back to my room, the mansion corridors felt longer, quieter—almost meditative. The plush carpet absorbed the sound of my footsteps, and the faint scent of the evening banquet clung to the air. I passed the occasional painting or ornate vase, all exuding an air of wealth so casual it was almost ostentatious. My thoughts churned, circling around the clues Jin and Rachel had provided.
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Back in my room, I exhaled deeply and sank into the chair by the desk. The smooth, cold surface of the table felt grounding against my palms. I retrieved the book Jin had slipped into my spatial ring. Its cover was unmarked, save for the faint etching of a star—a simple design that belied the weight of the knowledge it might hold.
’Compression and purification,’ I reminded myself. That was the crux of it. To form a Black Star, I would need to condense dark mana into something so dense and potent it would become a singularity within my own body—a beacon for dark mana, a conductor, and a weapon all in one.
Of course, it wasn’t just about stuffing dark mana into a compact space and hoping for the best. The process was as delicate as it was dangerous. Too much compression, and the mana could backlash, damaging me from the inside out. Too little, and it wouldn’t stabilize. The entire concept felt like juggling knives blindfolded while standing on a tightrope above an active volcano.
The Basilisk Heart would simplify the process, Luna had said. But that was still a future problem. For now, I needed to understand the theory. The book, thankfully, didn’t disappoint. Its pages were filled with dense text, diagrams, and what I could only describe as "mana flow maps"—intricate illustrations that charted how mana needed to move within the body during each phase of the Black Star’s creation.
It wasn’t just a question of skill. Rachel had hinted as much. Creating a Black Star required innate talent for dark mana—a quality I didn’t naturally possess. But that was where Lucent Harmony came in. My Gift allowed me to temporarily bridge the gap, to wield dark mana in a way that felt authentic, even if it wasn’t. If I could use it as a crutch to create the Black Star, Luna promised she could stabilize it, making it permanent.
’A cheat code,’ I mused, running a finger along the edge of the book’s pages. ’But one I’ll have to execute perfectly.’
The potion Jin had given me would also play a role, though its exact function wasn’t detailed in the book. Likely, it was some sort of mana suppressant or enhancer—something to smooth over the rough edges of the process. I’d have to test it later, cautiously.
For now, the most I could do was prepare. Understanding the theory was the first step, and from there, I could start visualizing the process. If nothing else, I could make myself familiar with the pitfalls, the variables, the dangers. Knowledge was power, after all.
Leaning back in my chair, I let my eyes drift toward the ceiling. The chandelier’s soft, golden glow filled the room, its light refracting in intricate patterns. I had a lot of work ahead of me, not just on the Black Star but on everything. The Lich, the practical evaluation, the Sovereign’s Tournament, Lucifer—every piece was a thread in a web that felt like it was tightening around me.
But this was what I signed up for, wasn’t it? A challenge. A chance to prove I was more than just some side character in a story I’d already read.
Shutting the book, I exhaled again, a slow, measured breath. Tomorrow would bring new tests, new opportunities, and, undoubtedly, new obstacles. But for now, I’d done what I could. I reached for the light switch, plunging the room into darkness, and let sleep take me.
Nimran’s forests, sprawling and ancient, stretched out beyond the city, painted in hues of frost and silence. While the city itself enjoyed a controlled climate—courtesy of advanced temperature-regulating tech—the wilds surrounding it were left at the mercy of nature, or rather, what little mercy nature had. It was a frozen wasteland out there, a landscape where only the strong survived. And we, of course, were expected to venture out and add ourselves to the food chain, preferably at the top.
Pragmatism won over vanity as I layered myself in thick boots, a sturdy jacket, and gloves designed to resist the kind of cold that made even mana tremble. Using mana to keep warm was an option, sure, but also a waste of concentration and energy better saved for the actual task at hand: hunting a beast with a ranking high enough to consider most students a light snack.
I headed downstairs after breakfast, scanning the room for my partner. It wasn’t long before I spotted her near one of the large bay windows, the morning light catching in her silver hair like frost clinging to moonlight. Seraphina Zenith, the picture of effortless elegance even in the practical winter gear we’d been issued. Her ice-blue eyes, sharp and crystalline, found mine as I approached.
"You saw our assignment?" she asked, her voice as cool and measured as always, though there was a faint edge of irritation to it.
I nodded, hands stuffed in my jacket pockets. "A five-star beast. An alpha, no less. That means a pack."She sighed, her breath visible in the chilly air, even inside. "Exactly. Packs are always a pain. The alpha will be a nightmare on its own, but getting to it without dealing with the rest first? Messy."
I raised an eyebrow. "And let me guess, the alpha’s not the kind that politely steps out for a one-on-one duel?"
Her lips quirked in what could almost be mistaken for amusement. "No. It’s more the kind that lets its underlings soften us up first before it pounces. Efficient, really. Annoying, but efficient."
I hummed in agreement, my thoughts already turning to strategy. "Hopefully, we can wrap this up in two days."
Seraphina’s brow furrowed, and she crossed her arms. "Two days would be optimistic. The terrain alone will slow us down, not to mention tracking the pack in conditions like this."
She wasn’t wrong. The forests beyond Nimran weren’t just cold; they were a labyrinth of frozen trees, uneven ground, and predators waiting for any sign of weakness. The tech-enhanced maps we’d been issued would only go so far. Still, two days was the goal. Not because I was eager to impress Nero or anyone else but because I had other priorities.
’I need to finish this today,’ I thought, a flicker of impatience tugging at my composure. The Basilisk Heart wasn’t going to find itself, and I had a limited window of opportunity to get it. This evaluation was important, yes, but not nearly as important as the long game I was playing. Every moment spent hunting this pack was a moment I couldn’t spend working on my larger plans.
"Do you have a strategy in mind?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her gaze assessing.
"Not yet," I admitted. "But we’ll need to keep it simple. Packs like these are smart; they’ll use the terrain to their advantage. We’ll have to outmaneuver them."
Her eyes flickered with approval, and she nodded. "Agreed. A direct approach will only work if we can isolate the alpha early, but that’ll depend on the pack’s behavior.
"Behavioral patterns. Terrain advantages. The unpredictability of a five-star alpha beast. It wasn’t just a hunt; it was a game of chess where the stakes were your life and the opponent didn’t bother to follow the rules.
The other students were beginning to gather outside, their breath clouding the air as they shuffled about, checking their gear and glancing at their partners. The professors, bundled in their own winter attire, stood near the sleek, mana-powered transports that would take us to the forest’s edge.
Seraphina pulled her gloves tighter and glanced at me. "We’ll need to move quickly once we’re out there. No time to hesitate."
"Agreed," I said, meeting her gaze. Despite her reserved demeanor, there was a steeliness to her—a calm, unshakable resolve that made her an excellent partner for a task like this. If anyone could keep a cool head in the chaos of a pack hunt, it was Seraphina.
The air outside bit at my skin as we stepped into the open, the world around us a stark contrast to the warmth and luxury of Nimran’s city center. The forests loomed in the distance, a jagged wall of white and gray, as forbidding as it was beautiful. Somewhere in there, our target waited. And somewhere beyond that, the treasure I sought for my Lich project.It was going to be a long day.
