Path of the Extra

At his question, Freya turned her emotionless gaze toward Lumine. When he met her eyes, he had to force himself not to squirm uncomfortably.

For a moment, she simply stared at him, her cold gaze dissecting him layer by layer. It felt as if she were peering directly into his soul—perhaps she was. He couldn't begin to comprehend what a saint was truly capable of.

Then, she spoke. Her voice was quiet, yet it carried an undeniable weight.

"Cadet Celestina and Cadet Azriel were sent on a C-tier mission to investigate one of the containment facilities in CASC. However, the situation was far worse than anyone had predicted. A void creature—a Grade 3 Abyssal—had been illegally purchased from the underground world by the facility's director. When it broke free from its cell, it slaughtered him along with several high-ranking personnel. Rather than reporting the incident, the new director concealed it, keeping the truth buried."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"When the two cadets uncovered the truth, they took it upon themselves to deal with the problem. Alongside a Frost Knight and a handful of facility guards, they eliminated the Grade 3 Abyssal and wiped out all the void creatures on Floor -1. Naturally, the mission escalated from C-tier to A-tier. Each of them was awarded 20 points, giving the Frost Faction a massive lead over the others. However, since Cadet Azriel withdrew from Frost Faction a few days ago, the faction now only holds 20 points in total."

Freya's expression remained unreadable as she gazed at the cracked sky.

"Even 20 points is a substantial reward for an A-tier mission, but considering the number of... unusual events that transpired, which are still under investigation, it was deemed appropriate. As a result, both cadets were granted a three-week absence from classes. Of course, they are free to return earlier if they choose. It's standard protocol—anyone who completes a B-tier mission or higher is given leave, depending on the severity of their experience. In some cases, therapy is even recommended to help cadets cope with trauma."

Lumine listened intently, his expression shifting into one of surprise. Freya, however, remained indifferent, her gaze unwavering as she studied the shattered sky above them.

After hesitating for a moment, Lumine finally spoke.

"A Frost Knight... that means they were personally recognized by the Frost King, right? If that's the case, I guess it makes sense how they managed to defeat a Grade 3 Abyssal..."

At his words, Freya suddenly turned toward him, her sharp eyes narrowing.

Lumine's blood ran cold.

"The Frost Knight was at the Expert rank," she said, her voice dangerously calm. "And even then, he was a poor match against the Grade 3 Abyssal. In fact, the creature was smart—it had a single invisibility skill that fooled everyone. If not for sheer luck, they all would have died.

Cadet Azriel had been separated from the group, fighting off the void creatures on Floor -1 and eliminating a Grade 1 Demon on his own. In the end, the entire floor collapsed, and both his body and the demon's fell directly onto the true form of the Grade 3 Abyssal. Its body was frail—exceptionally weak for a creature of its rank—but the impact was enough to bring it to the brink of death, allowing the others to finish it off."

Lumine's mouth fell open.

"W-wait... so he killed a Grade 1 Demon by himself? H-how is that even possible?"

Freya sighed.

"There are many factors to consider when facing a void creature. Yes, it was of a higher rank. Yes, void creatures are driven by an instinct to slaughter humans. But matchups matter. Affinities, skills, luck, experience, environment, mindset, injuries—everything plays a role.

Not to mention..."

Her gaze darkened.

"Cadet Azriel is from the Crimson Clan—one of the Four Great Clans. They are raised from birth to stain their hands with the blood of these creatures."

"Great Clans, huh..."

Lumine lowered his gaze, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists.

He wanted to reach their level.

The people from the Four Great Clans were simply different. The way they thought, the way they moved, fought, even ate—it was all different.

Lumine looked up at her and asked, "Compared to the children of the Great Clans... do I stand a chance at defeating even one of them—those who are my age?"

Freya surprisingly didn't respond right away. She remained silent for a moment, as if carefully considering his question. Then, she looked at him and answered.

"No."

"Huh?"

"If you were to fight any of the Great Clans' children in this academy, the odds would be overwhelmingly in their favor."

"Why?"

Lumine understood that they were trained from birth, had superior resources, and more experience. But for some reason, he felt there was something else...

And he was right.

"You lack the mindset they possess."

"Mindset?"

"Yes. Have you ever killed before, Cadet?"

At her words, Lumine grimaced. She wasn't talking about void creatures—but humans. Slowly, he shook his head.

"I haven't."

"They have. The Frost Clan and the Crimson Clan may seem peaceful on the surface, never in open conflict, maintaining a strong alliance. Meanwhile, the Nebula Clan and the Dusk Clan are the opposite—constantly scheming, betraying, and despising one another. But regardless of their relationships, each one of them—whether younger or older than you—has killed. And they are prepared to kill again. They would do anything to achieve their goals without a second thought to the cost. Be it a king, a queen, a prince, or a princess, it does not matter."

Lumine fell silent, lost in thought. Then, after a moment, he spoke softly.

"...I don't think I can take a life. Not yet... It doesn't feel right to kill a human."

"...."

Freya looked at him silently.

"Eventually, you will have no choice. Everyone who wishes to become a hero must face this dilemma. I sincerely hope, when the time comes, you are ready to do what must be done—before it is you who gets killed instead."

Lumine said nothing, biting his lip as he lowered his gaze.

Freya sighed, but before she could say anything else, Lumine unexpectedly spoke again.

"In the exams... my greatest obstacle will be the top ten of the first-years, right? Each one of them is growing fast, and honestly, I feel like anyone could take any ranking in the exams. And in the Tournament of the Greats... unless there are dark horses, I'll have to be careful of Princess Jasmine alongside all the other strong opponents. Prince Azriel, Prince Caleus, the third-years, and even those from the other academies across the world... They are all so incredible... How can someone like me even compare?"

"I doubt you can."

"...!"

Lumine looked up, wide-eyed at her cold, merciless words. But her next words shocked him even more.

"All those cadets who will participate are there to win. Underestimate any of them, and you will lose, no matter where they are from or who they are. To defeat Cadet Azriel, you won't just need strength—you will need your mind. A strategy. Something he won't see coming. As for Cadet Jasmine... she is perhaps the greatest threat right now to everyone. If I were still the same rank as her and fought her now... I would undoubtedly lose. The current Dusk Heir, Prince Lioren Dusk, won the previous Tournament of the Greats—but he nearly lost his life fighting Cadet Jasmine. Against all odds, she defeated everyone except him. If they were to fight again today, I doubt the outcome would be the same."

Her talent was so great that she could become a saint.

Lumine's mouth fell open.

'Is she truly that strong...? To receive such praise from the Headmistress herself... And as a first-year, she defeated everyone except the Dusk Heir. No... there's no way she would lose now.'

"That is, of course, if you were to enter the Tournament of the Greats right now."

"Huh?"

"By the time the exams start, when the tournament happens... perhaps you won't be as weak as you are now. But in the end, it depends on how badly you want to win. If you do, there is no time to rest."

At her words, Lumine looked at her intently. This time, when Freya met his gaze, he didn't waver. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

"I... I want to win. I want to prove myself. That I can. And I have to show someone—someone important—that he didn't make the wrong choice."

Freya blinked. Then, without another word, she turned around and began walking away.

Lumine watched her, confused, until she spoke again.

"Ten minutes are up. Ten thousand push-ups. After that, ten thousand reps—one horizontal slash, one vertical slash, and one push. Then, you can leave."

Lumine's mouth fell open once again.

But then... he shut it.

With a groan, he pushed himself up.

...If he wanted to reach those terrifying monsters who stood at the top—

He couldn't afford to stop training!