Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

The scythe boy's vision spun wildly, the world around him dissolving into a dizzying blur of light and shadow. His knees buckled, and the scythe slipped from his grasp, clattering onto the stone floor. The last thing he saw before everything went black was the silhouette of the young man, calm and composed, standing over him like a predator who had just claimed its prey.

The arena fell into stunned silence.

The brown-haired young man straightened, his movements deliberate, as though he had all the time in the world. His calm expression never wavered as he bent down and picked up the fallen scythe. The weapon's once-menacing aura was gone, its blade gleaming innocently in the sunlight.

He examined the scythe for a moment before resting it over his shoulder, his dark brown eyes sweeping across the crowd one after another.

The spectators were frozen, their faces a mix of disbelief and awe.

"Did... did he just

end

the fight without breaking a sweat?"

"He took out that monster so easily..."

"No way. That kid's been 'undefeated' until now!"

As murmurs rippled through the crowd, the young man glanced down at the unconscious scythe boy. For a brief moment, a flicker of something unreadable passed across his face. Then, without a word, he turned and began walking off the platform, the scythe still resting on his right hand.

The air in the colosseum was thick with tension as two instructors ascended the platform, approaching the unconscious scythe boy. Without hesitation, they began tying him up with enchanted restraints designed to suppress magic.

"Hey! What are you doing? Why are you tying him up?" one of the failure examinees shouted, his voice echoing across the arena. Several others joined in, their expressions a mix of confusion and indignation.

"Yeah! What's going on?"

Ren, who had been observing the scene quietly from the edge of the stage, stepped forward. His robe billowed slightly in the wind as he raised his hand, signaling for silence. His authoritative presence immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Enough," Ren said, his voice firm but calm. "That boy is not an examinee."

His words caused a ripple of shock to sweep through the crowd.

"What? Not an examinee? Then who is he?" someone blurted out.

Ren's sharp gaze scanned the crowd, silencing the murmurs. "He's an intruder," he explained. "He disguised himself as one of you to infiltrate the exam. Did none of you notice how abnormally powerful he was for someone who supposedly awakened only three months ago?"

The examinees exchanged uneasy glances. Some nodded slowly, recalling the scythe boy's overwhelming strength and dark aura. Others, however, were still hesitant to accept the explanation.

"But… what about the fights just now?" one examinee who lost to the scythe boy miserably asked, his voice tinged with anticipation. "Were they real or invalid? We fought against someone so strong! We deserve compensation!"

Ren held up his hand again to stop the rising tide of protests. "Calm down," he said, his tone steady. "The matches involving him are naturally invalid. We will restart them, ensuring fairness for everyone."

"What? Restart?!" one of the failure examinees who had barely scraped by with the scythe boy's help yelled. "That's not fair! Why didn't you stop him earlier if he was an intruder? Why allow all this nonsense to happen? No, I won't agree to having my match invalidated!"

"Neither will we!" another failure examinee added, stepping forward with a defiant expression. "You can't just void our results because of your mistakes!"

The tension in the air crackled as more voices rose in agreement. Chaos threatened to erupt.

Then, the brown-haired young man who had defeated the scythe boy stepped forward, his calm and confident demeanor unshaken. His voice cut through the noise like a blade.

"Who are you to argue with the academy?" he asked, his tone as sharp as his daggers had been moments ago. His dark brown eyes swept over the complaining examinees, pinning them in place. "If you're unsatisfied, then challenge again and win fairly. Do you think the academy will accept your petty excuses?"

The crowd fell into an uneasy silence, the young man's words weighing heavily on them. But one of the frustrated failure examinees, emboldened by anger, shot back, "And who are you to give us advice?"

A tense pause followed as the brown-haired young man's expression remained impassive. Before he could respond, Ren stepped forward, clearing his throat loudly. Explore new worlds at empire

"This young man," Ren began, his voice carrying an edge of authority, "is your senior, Adrian Lighthaven—the first ranker of the second years… for now."

Gasps rippled through the crowd. The examinee who had spoken out paled, his mouth snapping shut as realization dawned. Others who hadn't recognized Adrian before now exchanged stunned glances, their expressions a mix of awe and disbelief.

"That's the first ranker?" one of them whispered, their voice barely audible.

"No wonder he beat the scythe boy so easily…" another muttered, their earlier protests fading into awkward silence.

Adrian's gaze remained cold and unwavering as he surveyed the now-subdued examinees. He didn't say another word, letting Ren's announcement speak for itself.

Ren smirked slightly, pleased with the reaction. "Now, if there are no further objections," he said, his tone carrying a hint of finality, "we will proceed with restarting the matches. Remember, this is the academy's examination. It is a privilege to be here, not a right."

No one dared to protest further. The failure examinees who had previously been vocal lowered their heads, their frustration giving way to begrudging acceptance. The atmosphere in the colosseum shifted, the earlier chaos replaced by a sense of order.

Adrian turned and began walking off the platform, the scythe still resting on his shoulder. As he passed Ren, the two exchanged a brief, knowing glance before Adrian continued walking toward the exit of the colosseum, disappearing from the view.

Szzz...

The air in the colosseum, which had just begun to settle, suddenly shifted. A low, ominous hum filled the space, a sound so foreign that it seemed to resonate in the very bones of those present. Before anyone could fully comprehend the source, a violent explosion shook the arena.

"BOOM!"

The two students dragging the unconscious scythe boy were blown away, their bodies skidding across the stone floor like ragdolls. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as a figure emerged from the explosion—a person clad in a dark, tattered hoodie. The edges of the hood obscured their face, but their presence radiated a bone-chilling menace.

The hooded figure crouched beside the unconscious boy, clicking their tongue in irritation. "Tch, you incompetent brat," they muttered, their voice low and grating. "You ended up making me clean up your mess again."

Before anyone could react, the figure stood, their movements fluid yet eerily unnatural. In one swift motion, they reached into their cloak and drew a black, chain-like weapon. The weapon shimmered with black energy, its jagged edges glinting with power.

"Stop!" Ren barked, his voice carrying an edge of urgency. He stepped forward, his hand reaching for the ornate staff strapped to his back. "Who are you, and what are you—"

The figure ignored him. With a flick of their wrist, the chain-like weapon shot upward, coiling and spinning as it soared into the air. It struck the center of the colosseum's dome, embedding itself into the stone ceiling with a deafening

clang

.

A strange, unsettling cracking noise followed, like glass shattering in slow motion. The air around the weapon rippled unnaturally, bending light and sound. The weapon began to pulse, each beat sending shockwaves through the colosseum.

Then it happened.

The sky was torn apart.