Reborn as an Extra Chapter 518: Awake!

Rio simply rolled his eyes at the remarks made by Ashtel, choosing not to engage in an argument.

"Speaking of holidays... I truly never anticipated things would spiral out of control like that..."

"To be honest, I had already resigned myself to death during that conflict... little Riya and the elven queen were the ones who saved my life; I feel quite indebted to them..."

Ashtel’s confession left Rio visibly stunned.

"Something existed that was powerful enough to nearly kill you? That is hard to believe..."

Upon hearing Rio’s inquiry, a shadow of hesitation and embarrassment crossed Ashtel’s features. He scratched the nape of his neck, a forced smile playing on his lips.

"In that moment... I stood closer to the brink of death than ever before; I haven't been thrashed that severely since I reached the SS-rank..."

Shock rippled through Rio once more, and he nearly fumbled the teacup in his grasp.

"You were beaten!? You!? What!? That's bullsh*t!"

Defeating Ashtel in a direct confrontation was considered virtually impossible, unless the opponent possessed a world authority far exceeding his own or existed in a realm beyond SS-rankers.

Rio was well aware that he himself was nowhere near the level required to confidently claim victory over a powerhouse like Ashtel Rex.

The idea that someone had actually overpowered him and brought him to death's door was staggering.

"Err... it wasn't exactly a one-sided beating, you know... Hmm... how should I put it... oh! That's it, I managed to drag that bastard down to hell with me!"

"That is a better way to say it... I was practically stepping through the gates of hell when my lovely daughter-in-law pulled me back to the living world, while my opponent wasn't able to return..."

Setting his teacup aside, Rio’s expression darkened with gravity.

"Even so, the fact that someone in that location could nearly end your life is terrifying; without you there, they might have slaughtered everyone inside..."

At that time, Rio had only just touched the S-rank and lacked a stable foundation in that realm; he likely wouldn't have survived a single strike from such a creature, even if it were in a weakened state.

It was a stroke of luck that Ashtel had been there to handle the situation.

"Exactly who was this enemy—"

Before Rio could probe further into the details, both men suddenly detected a familiar aura radiating through the air. Without a word, they hurried back toward the concealed chamber where Ashtel and Jin had been resting earlier.

The other sleeping beauty was finally showing signs of waking, making their immediate return necessary.

...

Jin felt as though his skull was being hammered by relentless waves of pain; as he forced his eyes open, his surroundings were a blurred mess, his vision struggling to process the light.

"Ugh, my head... this feels like the most brutal hangover I’ve ever experienced..."

Wincing deeply and massaging his temples, Jin pushed himself up into a sitting position on the bed.

His vision spun, and it took several moments for his eyes to finally adjust to the brightness of the room.

"Where am I?"

Before Jin could get his bearings, Anna, who had been keeping watch at his side, suddenly burst into tears even as a smile broke across her face.

"Y-you... you're finally awake... You moron! I was so scared for you! You complete idiot! Why do you always act like this! You're such a stupid man!"

While Jin was still trying to process the situation, Anna lunged at him like a lioness, wrapping him in a fierce embrace while tears and snot stained her face.

"Ahhhh, sob, sob... You're awake; I really thought you'd never open your eyes again! I was so terrified; I thought you were gone for good!"

As her tears flowed without end, it took Jin some time to grasp what was happening while his memories slowly returned to him.

"Oh! I was in the middle of fighting that d*mn Demon Prince! I'm pretty sure I lost... ugh, is this the afterlife?"

Jin recalled sacrificing everything, even burning his very soul by forcefully invoking the power of a law to strike Alverto and sever his bond with the Spire of Ascension.

He had been certain there was no path to survival, which made the current reality impossible for him to understand.

"Idiot! Idiot! You stupid f*cker! This isn't the afterlife! You're alive; you put me through so much worry! Why did you have to be so reckless!"

"You barely made it out alive! What was I supposed to do if you died!"

Observing Jin’s bewilderment, Anna’s crying intensified as she spoke through her stutters.

All the bottled-up agony, sorrow, and helplessness of the last six months were finally being released.

Anna had maintained a facade of strength for half a year to keep from falling apart, but that composure vanished today.

Now that Jin was back, she could no longer suppress her feelings; she sobbed uncontrollably against his chest.

Jin pulled Anna into his arms, attempting to soothe her.

"Uh... I'm sorry, I was definitely too reckless... err... you know what I'm like; I've always been a bit impulsive. You don't need to be this worried, really..."

At his words, Anna gripped the collar of Jin’s shirt and screamed through her tears,

"I f*cking love you, you idiot! How can you expect me not to worry!? How can you keep being so reckless all the time!!"

Jin was stunned by the intensity of her resolve and the weight of her confession.

It seemed their time apart had allowed Anna to reflect on everything; she had finally realized her true feelings and found the courage to voice them.

"Er... I-I love you too, you know..."

Just as the pair were having their moment, several uninvited guests strolled into the room, wearing broad smirks.

"Finally, the moment has arrived! Ah, we've been praying for times like these~"

"Congrats on waking up, and on finally accepting each other's feelings as well... I'm looking forward to the wedding!"

Raji was the first to speak; she clapped her hands together and wiped away fake tears, looking like a proud guardian now that these two troublemakers were being honest with one another.

"Ahem, cough... this is the Rex Mansion; you two should probably head home if you plan on being this passionate..."

"Regardless, congratulations on your recovery... Make sure to send a proper invitation to the Rex estate once the wedding date is set..."

Ashtel followed close behind, and his teasing words made the couple flush with shyness.

"Uh, glad to see you're awake, Professor Jin. I'm happy you're alright..."

Rio was the last to offer his well-wishes.

Jin smiled at their congratulations and gave a nod of acknowledgment to each person while using his shirt sleeves to wipe away Anna’s tears.

"To be honest, I didn't think I'd ever wake up... but I'm truly grateful to everyone; it must have been an ordeal to heal me and pull me back from the brink..."

Ashtel shook his head in response and said,

"Don't mention it; we happen to have a very gifted healer. There was no way that arrogant girl would let you die such a meaningless death..."

Ashtel glanced at Raji and Rio before adding,

"Err... I think it's best we give these two some privacy; they clearly have plenty to catch up on..."

With those words, Ashtel departed, followed by Raji who gave a final nod to Jin and Anna. Rio gave a small wave of his hand before leaving them to enjoy some quiet time together.

"So... how about starting with a kiss then?"

Seeing that Jin was already back to his flirting ways, Anna pouted and turned her face away, refusing to answer.

"Hmph! Just die, you idiot, I'm not talking to you!"

In response, Jin could only offer a sheepish smile and scratch the back of his head in awkwardness.