Reborn as an Extra Chapter 522: The Next Mission is... Part-4.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
A familiar, unsettling premonition washed over Rio, reminiscent of the time he ventured into the dragon valley and discovered the prototype spire hidden beneath the earth.
Shortly after that discovery, he became entangled with Alverto, leading to the summoning of the actual Spire of Ascension.
To this day, the origin of that strange prototype building in the dragon valley and the identity of the person who buried it there remain a mystery to him.
’Well, since I needed to investigate my sword’s history anyway, I might as well head there...’
"So, will you be joining me? Who else is going to be part of the rescue operation?"
Ashtel looked visibly uncomfortable at Rio’s inquiry, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck.
"Err... My relationship with the dwarves is actually quite poor. In the past, I forced my way into the spirit realm using a weakened node located within their borders..."
"I ended up thrashing their leadership pretty badly back then, so I’ve been officially banned from their kingdom..."
With a heavy sigh, Ashtel continued his explanation,
"I was pursuing a traitor at the time who decided to flee into the spirit realm. I was a young, hotheaded, newly ascended SS-ranker back then, so there was no way I was letting him escape..."
"I was reckless; I dove straight into the spirit realm and found myself surrounded by dozens of SS-rank evil spirits..."
"I managed to take down the traitor, but I didn't come out unscathed. That was the day I realized how dangerous being impulsive could truly be..."
As he reminisced, a look of nostalgia crossed Ashtel’s features, as if he were still tempted to charge into the spirit realm and cause chaos once more.
"Sigh, I’ve been barred from the spirit realm since then. Every time I set foot there, powerful entities team up to hunt me down. If I accompany you, the mission is doomed to fail..."
"We would be constantly harassed by swarms of evil spirits, and their interference would likely prevent us from staying long enough to do anything..."
Evil spirits differ from typical beings; they are devoid of fear or panic. Even against a peak SS-ranker like Ashtel Rex, they would never retreat, choosing instead to swarm him relentlessly.
It was a situation better left unprovoked, much like a hornet's nest.
"I am unable to go as well... I happen to be extremely susceptible to miasmic corruption..."
Raji, having recently composed herself from her grief, immediately declined the idea.
She was well aware of her own temperament; being prone to emotional outbursts, she would be easily corrupted in a location saturated with miasma.
"If we don't have an SS-ranker with us, we'll have to keep the operation covert to avoid drawing the attention of any SS-rank evil spirits..."
Upon hearing Rio’s assessment, Link and Riya both expressed a desire to go, but Ashtel shook his head to stop them.
"No, neither of you can go either... Like I mentioned, the dwarves despise me. They would undoubtedly target Link because my entire bloodline has been forbidden from entering their territory..."
"Ugh... stop looking at me like that... Fine, maybe I went a bit overboard by slapping their beloved princess when she tried to seduce me, but I don't think the rest was my fault..."
The group was left speechless by Ashtel’s admission, and even Link hung his head in defeat.
"It’s no wonder they banned your whole family... You actually slapped their precious princess? ... That is definitely going too far..."
Ashtel simply shrugged his shoulders at the comment.
"I’m a happily married man, alright? I had a beautiful wife waiting for me at home... I wasn't about to choose some random woman over her!"
"I truly loved my wife!"
Listening to Ashtel’s proud and confident declaration, Link and Rio felt a twinge of guilt for their suspicion.
’Yeah, I probably would have turned her down too, since I have Lia...’
Rio nodded in agreement as the image of his adorable girlfriend flashed through his mind.
"Let’s move past my history for a moment; what about Riya? She is the ideal candidate for the spirit realm since she can purify miasmic corruption!"
Link tried to push the point, but Raji shook her head in disagreement.
"No... I am familiar with this. I’ve heard that the spirit realm harbors a deep hatred for 'Healers'... if one enters the 'Spirit Realm,' they become the primary target for every evil spirit there..."
Ashtel nodded, confirming Raji’s statement.
"Exactly... this dates back to the era of King Allen. He was the greatest foe of the demon race, and the miasma loathed him for it..."
"The person who constantly mended his wounds whenever the miasma managed to harm him was 'Astra,' the world's most powerful healer..."
"She even assisted King Allen in cleansing various parts of the Spirit realm! The isolated pockets of the spirit realm where normal spirits live safely today were supposedly created by her power!"
Astra possessed the ability to cleanse miasmic corruption, which ultimately led to the spirit realm becoming fractured and divided in many areas.
Because the miasma hated her for this, any healer entering the spirit realm triggers a massive monster tide that will hunt them without rest until they either flee or perish.
"Errr... so that just leaves me? Am I supposed to handle this 'mission' all by myself then?"
Raji nodded and answered Rio in a steady tone,
"Actually, this is a perfect opportunity... you’ve been in the limelight too much lately. Many influential people have started watching you because of your achievements over these past few months..."
"You’ve become world-famous... it could be harmful to stay in the public eye before you reach SS-rank..."
"By going on this undercover mission, you can stay out of sight for a while. By the time you get back, the country should be mostly stable..."
With Ashtel’s return, things would soon stabilize. Although it would take a few months for him to regain his peak strength, he was already powerful enough to discourage most threats.
Rio nodded, thinking to himself,
’True, with Link’s father back, most of the criminals will either flee or go into hiding. I won't have many chances to train or experiment if I stay here...’
’This mission is actually a great chance... I can go and torture... I mean, experiment on those evil spirits. Nobody will stop me, and there won't be any legal trouble for killing them...’
Rio’s previous 'hunting' tasks had already annoyed several people who felt his brutal treatment of criminals was a violation of the nation's laws. Performing such acts on monsters and spirits away from the public eye was much more efficient.
’Lia might be away for a while anyway, so I might as well take this mission...’
"Alright then, set up a secret route for me to get to the dwarf kingdom. My next objective will be 'Rescue the damsel in distress, Liam, from the spirit realm'..."
Ashtel nodded and offered a compliment,
"That’s the spirit! I knew I could rely on you. Don't worry, I'll handle the preparations; you just focus on finishing any lingering business before you depart..."
"The spirit realm is a lethal place; you might want to settle your affairs before you go. Who knows what might happen? AHAHAHAHA!!"
Rio rolled his eyes at Ashtel’s dark humor.
"Don't jinx me; my luck isn't exactly great to begin with..."
...
With the plans finalized, the meeting concluded. Raji, Riya, and Ashtel left to attend to Anna and Jin.
Riya needed to assess Jin’s health, while Raji and Ashtel had vital questions for him—specifically whether he intended to retire or continue his service to the kingdom.
They also needed to organize a proper ceremony to honor Jin for his massive contributions during the 'Chronos Incident'; having helped save the world, he was entitled to significant rewards.
Meanwhile, Rio and Link stood out on the balcony, gazing toward the horizon.
"I never expected Liam’s father to be that kind of person... I used to believe that no matter how flawed a father was, they’d have a line they wouldn't cross; at the very least, they’d protect their kids..."
Rio shook his head at Link’s observation.
"You’re just lucky to have a good father; not everyone shares that luxury. Stop judging others by your own experiences; you often forget that you come from one of the most privileged backgrounds in the country..."
Link nodded, acknowledging Rio’s point.
"Sigh... I can't even go with you to rescue my friend... can I really call myself his friend if I'm useless when he needs me most?..."
Rio gave a smirk and poked Link’s side lightly before speaking,
"Don't be so gloomy, man; I'll bring that idiot back for all of us... in the meantime, keep training and help get the country back on its feet..."
"I expect you to be strong enough to actually challenge me by the time I return..."
After taking a deep breath, Link nodded at the words of encouragement.
"Yeah! I'll be waiting! Next time, I’m definitely going to beat you, 'Dark Star' Rio!"