Reincarnated as an Extra: I had an Ascension Tower

Elena hovered for a second before gently descending to the ground, panting slightly.

Keal let out a groan but grinned despite the pain.

"Ugh… yeah, yeah, I lost." He coughed, looking up at her. "That hover ability of yours is seriously annoying."

Elena grinned. "Hey, don't hate the player, hate the game."

Keal chuckled before sitting up. "Next time, I'm taking that win."

Elena smirked, offering him a hand. "I'll be waiting."

Keal grabbed it, and she pulled him up.

The match had been a close fight, but in the end, Elena's aerial advantage had given her the edge.

As Lucian watched the matches unfold, his mind carefully analyzed every detail.

Alex's fight had been one-sided from start to finish. His control over light and shadow was seamless, overwhelming Oliver in every exchange.

Speed, power, technique—Alex dominated in all aspects.

'No wasted movement, no hesitation… That's the strength of the first ranker.'

On the other hand, Elena and Keal's match had been a clash of elements and adaptability.

Keal's Elemental Enhancement gave him incredible physical power, making him a terrifying close-combat fighter.

But Elena's ability to hover and control the battlefield made it difficult for him to land a decisive hit.

'Keal had the raw power, but Elena had the better positioning.'

In the end, her mobility and ranged control tipped the scales in her favor.

Lucian tapped his fingers against his arm, deep in thought.

'Both matches showed me something important… Strength alone doesn't guarantee victory. It's about how you use it.'

His gaze shifted to the stage.

'Now… it's my turn.'

Daniel stepped forward, glancing between the next two combatants. "Lucian. Zara. Step onto the stage."

Lucian exhaled softly before moving up. Zara followed, her usual reserved demeanor unchanged, yet a small smile played on her lips.

Lucian knew this match wouldn't be like the others. Zara was an illusionist, a mental manipulator. And his mental defenses were weak.

'This isn't a battle of strength or speed. It's about who controls the flow of the fight.'

Zara tilted her head slightly, her violet eyes glowing faintly with mana. "Try not to embarrass yourself, Lucian."

Lucian gave her a calm look but didn't reply. He wasn't going to waste his breath.

Daniel raised his hand. "Begin."

The World Shifted.

Lucian barely had a second to react before everything changed.

The stage, the spectators, even Daniel—they were gone.

Instead, Lucian found himself standing in the middle of an endless void.

A soft whisper echoed in the distance, followed by another. Voices, dozens of them, swirling around him.

Then, a wave of pure dread settled over his body.

His heartbeat slowed. His breathing became sluggish. It felt like something was pressing down on his very soul.

'This is an illusion. She already got me.'

Lucian narrowed his eyes, scanning the surroundings.

He couldn't see Zara, but he could feel the weight of her mana surrounding him. It was suffocating.

'This is bad. I can't fight back if I don't know what's real.'

His body refused to move properly. He tried lifting his arm, but it felt ten times heavier.

A voice echoed around him—soft, almost soothing.

"You can't escape, Lucian," Zara's voice whispered in his ear, though he couldn't see her. "Just stay still and give up."

Lucian clenched his jaw. If he gave in here, the fight was over.

He needed a way to break free.

Lucian closed his eyes. If his senses couldn't be trusted, he had to rely on something else.

His mana.

He focused inward, feeling the mana flowing through his body. It was still there, untouched by the illusion.

And more importantly—he still had control over it.

'Zara's illusions manipulate the mind, not mana itself.'

Lucian slowly exhaled, concentrating on the mana within him.

Then—

He forcefully disrupted his own mana flow.

A powerful shockwave ran through his body as the circuits of mana inside him violently shifted.

For a split second, his vision cracked like shattered glass.

And then—

The illusion collapsed.

Lucian's vision snapped back to reality. The stage returned. The spectators were in their seats. And directly across from him—

Zara's eyes widened in shock.

She took a step back, her expression unreadable. "You… broke it?"

Lucian remained silent, keeping his stance ready. He didn't know if she would attack again.

Zara, however, didn't make a move. Instead, she exhaled softly and shook her head. "I give up."

A stunned silence filled the room.

Even Daniel blinked in surprise. "...Are you sure?"

Zara nodded. "Yes. My illusions are my strongest weapon, and he just broke out of them. There's no point in continuing."

Lucian slowly relaxed. The fight was over before it even truly began.

The result? A victory without even throwing a punch.

As Lucian walked off the stage, his mind replayed what had just happened.

'So that's how illusionists fight… It's terrifying if you don't know how to counter it.'

He had barely gotten out of that one. If his mana control had been even slightly worse, he would've been trapped until she decided to let him go.

Still, this match proved something important.

His control over mana was beyond exceptional.

And with this realization, he knew one thing for certain—

He was ready for his next step.

Daniel looked at the remaining students and called out, "William. Alice. Get on the stage."

William stretched his arms lazily, flashing a carefree grin. "Finally, my time to shine."

Alice, on the other hand, was calm and composed.

Her blue eyes remained cold as she stepped onto the stage, her presence resembling the very element she wielded—ice.

Daniel glanced between them before raising his hand. "Begin."

The moment the match started, William took a deep breath and grinned. "Alright, let's make this fun—"

A freezing gust of wind cut him off.

Before he could react, ice spread across the ground beneath his feet, forcing him to leap backward.

Alice's expression remained indifferent.

She extended her hand, and several sharp icicles materialized in the air before launching toward him.

William's body blurred as he used wind-enhanced movement to dodge. "Whoa, no hesitation, huh?" He chuckled, twisting his body to avoid another ice spear.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, a strong burst of wind surged toward Alice, attempting to push her back.

But Alice didn't even flinch.

The moment the wind reached her, she waved her hand, and a thick ice wall formed in front of her, stopping the attack completely.

William whistled. "Tch, you're making this real difficult, aren't you?"

Alice simply raised her hand again.

As William attempted to close the distance, Alice's ice spread across the battlefield.

The air grew colder, and frost began forming on the floor, limiting William's movements.

"Tsk, this is bad," he muttered, feeling his footing become unstable.

Alice remained composed, her hands glowing with blue mana.

In an instant, a dozen ice spikes shot up from the ground, cutting off William's escape routes.

He barely managed to jump away from the first set, but before he could land, Alice raised her hand again.

A surge of frost erupted beneath him.

In a blink, his entire right leg was frozen in ice.

"Ah, damn." William sighed, looking at his trapped leg. "Guess that means I lost, huh?"

Alice remained silent, waiting for the official call.

Daniel nodded. "William is unable to move freely. Alice wins."

The ice melted away instantly as Alice withdrew her mana.

William, now free, stretched his arms and let out a laugh. "Man, that was brutal. You didn't hold back at all, huh?"

Alice simply gave a small nod before stepping off the stage.

As William followed, he glanced at Lucian and his group and grinned. "Welp, guess I'll stick to making jokes instead of fighting."

Keal smirked. "That's probably for the best."

With the match concluded, Daniel looked at the list and called out the next names.

"Next match—Lucifer vs. Lyra."

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Extra Chapter [1/2]

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