Path of the Extra

The Day the Participants Entered the Scenario

"What the hell…"

Lumine muttered, baffled, as he stared at the butler uniform he was wearing. He studied his reflection in the mirror, housed in a cramped room furnished with nothing more than a single bed.

Just moments ago, he'd been somewhere else—somewhere strange. What he assumed was the legendary and enigmatic soul realm everyone spoke of. And now... he was here.

"Royal Revolution…"

That was the name of the scenario.

'Scenario?'

His brows furrowed.

What the hell even was a scenario?

Lumine's face twisted in confusion.

All he remembered was standing at the afterparty of the auction, half-listening while some pompous guild master bombarded him with words he couldn't even begin to understand, trying to convince him to join their guild.

Then, the ground trembled violently—an earthquake?

People began to flee, rushing outside in a panic.

But before he could move, a blinding white light devoured everything.

And now… this.

Lumine stepped back and sank onto the creaking bed, the silence stretching around him like a fog. He lowered his gaze, thoughts spiraling.

'I need to stay alive until the final night… prevent or ensure the fall of the royal family of Ismyr. I can also eliminate key revolutionaries or nobles. The fact that there's an optional condition means… there's a chance to be rewarded beyond mere survival.'

But for how long?

The scenario had no defined duration.

Lumine clutched his head.

'What the hell is all of this…'

He remembered something else—the scenario had mentioned roles.

Then…

'Is my role to be someone's butler?'

As the thought crossed his mind, a sudden notification flashed across his vision.

[New Quest Issued!]

Lumine's eyes widened.

'The system…!'

[QUEST TYPE] → Main Objective

▸ Title: Nightmarish Enemy

▸ Objective(s):

– Defeat the plague

– Do not reveal you are the Son of Life in this scenario

▸ Reward(s):

– Continued survival

– +1 working health potion

– +1,000,000 SP

▸ Penalty for Failure:

– Death.

Lumine swallowed hard.

'O-o-o-one million SP... that's insane..!'

But then again, it reflected just how insane this quest was.

'S-should I accept…?'

Also—

A working health potion?

Wait… did that mean most potions didn't work in this place?

His brows drew closer in concern.

He hesitated, finger twitching toward the invisible "accept" prompt.

But before he could choose—

[QUEST ACCEPTED]

"Huh?" he breathed, startled. His eyes shot wide.

The quest had accepted itself.

At that exact moment, a sharp knock echoed from the door.

Lumine jolted upright, coughed awkwardly, and called out, "Come in."

The door opened immediately.

"Yelena…?"

"Lumine…?" she echoed.

Yelena stood in the doorway, equally stunned, her eyes blinking rapidly as if trying to dispel a hallucination. She wore an elegant green dress, but her posture betrayed her tension.

"I thought… I thought my instincts were leading me to something dangerous," she said finally, exhaling a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Her expression softened with visible relief, and she took a few steps toward him.

Then, Yelena asked the same question that had been echoing in Lumine's mind.

"What the hell is going on?"

Lumine merely shook his head.

"I have no clue... but I did get a main quest."

Yelena blinked in surprise.

"It's been a while since you've gotten a new one, hasn't it? You still have a bunch of quests you haven't even finished. Tell me what it is—maybe it'll give us a hint about where we are."

With a nervous laugh, Lumine scratched his cheek.

"Well, the thing is… all I know is that this quest comes with some crazy rewards."

Yelena narrowed her eyes.

"What kind of rewards?"

Lumine looked away, lowering his voice.

"One million system points..."

Instantly, Yelena's expression shifted—her features hardening like steel.

"Don't accept."

"What?"

"Don't accept it."

Lumine swallowed hard.

That was the problem.

It was already too late.

"…The quest accepted itself."

Her expression didn't just harden this time—it darkened.

"We need to leave. Now."

Lumine stared at her, startled.

"Why?"

"If the quest accepted itself, that means it's inevitable. Something is going to happen—something we can't stop. And I already have a terrible, horrible feeling about this mansion. Our safest option is to run. Right now."

He bit his lip.

She was right.

Yelena was always right.

But still...

'One million SP.'

That kind of reward could let him buy half the shop. Even upgrade the shop itself…

"What if we're overreacting?" he asked hesitantly.

Yelena turned to him with an unreadable expression.

"What's the quest, exactly?"

Lumine hesitated before replying.

"We have to defeat something called 'The Plague.' That's... basically it."

He didn't mention the other condition—not revealing his identity as the Son of Life.

Even though Yelena already knew, something deep inside warned him not to say it aloud. It wasn't logic. It wasn't calculation.

It was instinct.

His wasn't as sharp as hers, but right now it screamed at him: Say it, and something terrible will happen.

"…What if it's not a thing," Yelena murmured, "but a person? If it's someone—and strong enough to warrant that kind of reward—then there's no doubt this 'Plague' will come to us. We stay here, and it'll find us."

She turned without another word.

"Let's go."

Lumine hesitated, then let out a soft sigh and followed. Just as they stepped toward the door of the small room, the sharp sound of frantic footsteps echoed through the hallway, accompanied by shouting.

"Quickly! Find her!"

"Damn it—we don't have much time left!"

"Where did she run off to?!"

Before either of them could react, a maid rounded the corner—one Lumine didn't recognize. Her eyes landed on Yelena and immediately widened with relief.

"My lady!" she cried, rushing toward her. Her grip on Yelena's hands was tight, almost trembling.

"You need to leave immediately! A carriage is ready—we have to go, now!"

"W-What!? Wait—what do you mean leave? What's happening!?"

Yelena resisted her, her face paling, but the maid continued urgently.

"There's no time, my lady! The lord is waiting for you at his estate in the Royal Capital!"

She was scared. That much was obvious.

Lumine could feel it radiating from her—pure fear, desperate and trembling.

The maid turned to him next.

"You too, kid. There's no time. Save yourself. Run!"

"We're not leaving until you tell us what's going on," Lumine said firmly.

Yelena, strangely enough, remained silent, her face lowered, her lips pressed into a thin line.

The maid clenched her fists in frustration.

"The Revolutionary Army has decided to eliminate Count Horvix's entire household. If her lady stays here, she'll die!"

Lumine's eyes narrowed.

'Count? Revolutionary Army?'

His thoughts spun rapidly as pieces started to fall into place.

"Shouldn't we have troops of our own?" he asked.

"We do—but not enough! Nowhere near enough! Even the Royal Knights are only willing to assist with escorting. They won't fight."

His heart began to pound harder in his chest.

"How many did they send?" he asked quietly.

The maid's lips trembled. Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"…Just one."

Lumine blinked. One?

"Who?" Yelena asked, lifting her head at last.

The maid swallowed hard.

"O-One of the Nine High Commanders…"

Her voice cracked.

"The Plague."