Path of the Extra

Yelena was right. The plague wasn't something—it was someone.

A single individual, powerful enough to draw the attention of the royal knights. Lumine didn't know exactly how strong they were, but the very mention of their name implied great authority. If even the knights hesitated to confront the plague, then this individual was undoubtedly dangerous.

Just one person was enough to plunge everything into chaos.

One of the Nine High Commanders.

Lumine didn't fully grasp what that title entailed, but it clearly signified an exceptionally high rank within the revolutionary army.

Lumine hesitated.

Yelena looked at him, clutching her arm anxiously, and whispered, "She isn't lying. Ever since I opened my eyes in this mansion, my [Instinct] has been screaming at me to run. We need to get out of here."

Lumine struggled internally with her words.

"But why would the system give me a quest I can't complete? It doesn't make sense… Defeat the plague. There must be another way, Yelena, besides running. The system must have given it to me because it knows I can win."

Seeing the sudden determination flare in Lumine's eyes, Yelena became visibly anxious. She glanced to her side, only to notice the maid had already fled. Clearly, she had no intention of dying while attempting to convince her lady.

"Yelena."

Yelena turned back to Lumine, who now wore a deeply serious expression.

"Trust me," he said firmly. "We can win."

She remained silent for a few seconds, then exhaled softly.

"…Fine."

Lumine flashed a relieved smile, but before he could speak, Yelena interrupted him, her voice stern.

"But if I sense your greed is going to get us killed, I'm leaving immediately."

His face stiffened instantly, dampening his growing excitement. Reluctantly, he nodded.

Not that Yelena couldn't understand Lumine's greed. One million system points was no trivial reward. In any other situation, she'd suspect she'd misheard, but after being thrown into this bizarre scenario, she had no doubt.

Yelena sighed deeply.

"We should come up with a solid plan to defeat this plague and gather as much information about him as we can. The people who were supposed to escort me to the capital might still be here. If we can find them and get their help—or at least some information—we might stand a chance."

Lumine quickly nodded, scratching his head nervously.

"We should hurry. From what the maid said and the frantic footsteps upstairs, the plague is already on his way to kill you."

His expression darkened further.

"Even if we defeat him, the revolutionary army is likely among the strongest forces in this scenario, and they've already marked you. Our only option now is to prevent the fall of the royal family."

Yelena nodded somberly. Lumine was right. From the moment she had awakened in this world, her path seemed predestined due to the role she had been assigned.

The two of them then started coming up with plans to defeat this so-called nightmarish enemy.

Just as they were about to finalize their plan, a deep, resonant voice suddenly came from behind them, from within the room Yelena had first entered.

"For a pair of young kids, you two are certainly ambitious."

Lumine and Yelena spun around, hearts lurching violently.

There, standing in the shadows, was a figure—at least, Lumine and Yelena presumed it was a man. His attire was peculiar. A black mask obscured his face, shaped like a raven's beak, long and sinister. His eyes were concealed behind reflective glass lenses, rendering his gaze inscrutable. He wore a black leather overcoat reaching down to his ankles, arms crossed casually. His hands and boots were similarly clad in dark leather, reinforcing the sinister impression.

The beaked man tilted his head slightly, his voice laced with curiosity.

"Do tell me how exactly you plan to defeat me."

""!!""

An immediate chill swept through them, hairs standing on end, their breaths abruptly shallow. Their bodies began trembling uncontrollably.

"You are…the plague," Lumine forced the words through his stiffened throat.

The masked figure chuckled softly, amused.

"Quite obvious, isn't it, young butler?"

He leaned forward slightly, his unseen eyes clearly examining Lumine through those glass lenses.

"Oh? A grade-one intermediate, about to evolve. Remarkable talent indeed, especially for a mere butler. Having such a young, capable individual with a mana core…"

He laughed again, genuinely intrigued. Then he turned his attention toward Yelena.

"And even more intriguing is that no one informed me the spoiled young princess of Count Horvix actually possessed a spark of talent herself. Close to becoming intermediate already, are you? Marvelous indeed."

As the plague, this enigmatic figure, stood before them, Lumine and Yelena frantically assessed him in turn—and their every potential plan shattered instantly.

"Lumine…" Yelena's desperate, shaky voice reached his ears, causing Lumine to clench his jaw.

"…I know," he whispered back.

Yelena was right. They should have fled the very second they learned of this quest. Naturally, the higher the reward, the more perilous the mission.

And so, of course, the so-called plague standing calmly before them was, undoubtedly, a Grade-Three expert.

The two of them stood frozen, unable to move. Whether it was the bloodlust emanating from him, his killing intent, his overwhelming mana, or simply his oppressive presence—they couldn't tell. One thing was certain: he was strong.

"So, will you two answer my question?" he repeated calmly. "How exactly do you plan to defeat me?"

Lumine forced his lips into a nervous, polite smile.

"We… we were just joking," he laughed anxiously.

"Of course, we would never dare think about fighting someone as powerful as you."

"Oh? Is that so, young butler? Perhaps your talent has inflated your ego? Did you imagine yourself defeating a High Commander and winning the king's favor?"

"Haha, of course not," Lumine responded weakly, cold sweat trickling down his face. Carefully, he reached out and lightly touched Yelena's arm with his right fingertips, channeling mana through his body. A panel flashed before his eyes alone:

[Status Update!]

[You have transferred the skill: Hot Day]

He felt Yelena stiffen at his touch, but she quickly relaxed, doing her best not to appear suspicious.

"Well, no matter," the Plague said suddenly.

"Since you two seem rather close—perhaps a forbidden romance? A butler and his lady?"

He chuckled, shaking his masked head.

"I'll just kill you both. Don't worry—it will be painless."

The Plague stepped forward, and with each approaching step, Lumine felt his heartbeat quicken painfully in his chest. As their enemy drew closer, Lumine bit the inside of his cheek, repeating to himself:

'Not yet!' 'Not yet!' '…Not yet!'

When the Plague was barely two arm's lengths away, Lumine suddenly shouted,

"Now!"

At that exact moment, Yelena activated the skill Lumine had transferred. She exhaled sharply, releasing a strange yet powerful gust from her mouth. It was strong enough to topple furniture and whip their clothes violently, though it wasn't enough to push their bodies significantly. But this wasn't Lumine's intent.

Alarmed, the Plague stopped in his tracks, bracing himself as the strange gas spread throughout the room. Yelena immediately leaped back, retreating further down the hallway. The Plague was about to chase after her when Lumine raised his right hand, igniting a blazing flame at his fingertips. With a swift gesture, he sent the flames surging forward, igniting the flammable gas.

A thunderous explosion instantly filled the room, a fiery inferno erupting outward in all directions. Lumine turned to run but was thrown forward by the blast, skidding painfully across the ground until he landed near Yelena. With desperation, he summoned an earthen wall behind them, sealing off the hallway and blocking the roaring flames.

The wall trembled violently, but Lumine continued reinforcing it with his mana until the fire subsided. After a few tense seconds, he finally let his hand fall, wiping the trickle of blood from his lips.

He turned to Yelena, breathing heavily.

"You alright?"

She nodded weakly, sweat glistening on her face from the intense heat.

"Yeah, I think so."

The skill [Hot Day] was straightforward—it released a flammable gas, the exact composition of which neither Lumine nor Yelena understood. By exploiting his affinity for fire, Lumine had created an explosive chain reaction.

"Do you think that got him?" Lumine asked cautiously.

Yelena sighed, looking grim.

"In every horror movie I've seen, whenever the protagonist asks that question, the truth is always the same. No, he's probably still alive."

Lumine swallowed hard.

"Then… we should run."

Yelena nodded urgently.

"Quickly."

They dashed through the corridors, frantically slipping through doors as Yelena explained breathlessly to Lumine that they were in the servants' quarters of the estate. Not long after, they arrived before a large door leading outside.

"Let's hurry and get out of here," Yelena urged anxiously.

Lumine glanced back uneasily, biting his lip before softly responding, "Alright."

Facing a Grade-Three expert without any knowledge or preparation, especially in this strange scenario, was something they simply couldn't risk.

As Lumine pushed open the heavy door, revealing a cobblestone pathway and a neatly tended garden stretching toward a distant gate, both of their hearts suddenly froze.

Standing calmly on the cobblestone path, hands clasped casually behind his back, was the Plague. He chuckled lightly, his voice carrying an unnerving confidence.

"I was just about to come looking for you myself."