Reborn as an Extra Chapter 548: Raika and The Lyre of Faith. Part-1.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
"Shouldn’t the question really be, who are you?..."
"Well, I don’t mind sharing my name... I am Raika, just a simple wandering bard..."
A perpetual smile lingered on the young man's lips, while his handsome features lent even more allure to that grin.
"A bard, huh... what an odd twist, I’m Rio, a simple wandering bard myself..."
Rio's face creased into a scowl as he drew his flute and gripped it tightly in his right hand.
At that instant, Rio stood fully prepared for battle.
He braced himself against any potential threats heading his way, pushing his alertness to its absolute peak.
"But here's the catch... I don’t buy into coincidences, and no regular 'bard' could possibly roam freely in this nightmare of a spot..."
"So, spill it—what exactly are you, Raika?"
Raika grinned in response to Rio's inquiry, resting a hand against his cheek in a bid to appear endearing and innocent.
"Um... I could turn that question right back at you, right? What brings you to a spot like this, pretending to be a bard?"
"Do you know the first thing about music?"
Rio's scowl intensified upon catching that remark.
"That’s none of your concern. You’re the one who looks way more shady; you’re not shielding yourself from the miasma at all, just lounging here strumming away..."
"Suspicious from every angle..."
Raika's expression remained unfazed by Rio's accusations, countering with his trademark serene smile.
"Not a chance—you strike me as far shadier! A youth with jet-black hair and eyes shielded by 'miasma'!"
"Plus... you're radiating such intense 'Sword Intent'! How could you not seem suspicious..."
Rio found himself speechless, unable to counter Raika any longer.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Rio sensed he was losing ground in their verbal exchange and bargaining.
Normally, Rio held the advantage, outtalking anyone with ease, yet today marked the initial slip from that edge.
'No soul energy ripples from him whatsoever... I can’t detect his aura or any murderous vibe... it’s like he’s not even there!'
'Such advanced concealment... this fellow’s nearly matching my freakish talent in masking abilities...'
Rio doubted whether the sight before him held any truth.
Much like Rio's ability to transform his appearance entirely by manipulating surrounding light elementals, skilled practitioners of light elements could achieve the same feat with sufficient expertise.
Typical S-rankers lacked the finesse for such intricate work; only a prodigy like Rio, boasting extraordinary mastery in legendary skills, could pull it off.
Alternatively, one might simply excel in light magic.
Or perhaps the ultimate possibility was,
"An SS ranker... Why bother with a disguise when you’re already that formidable?"
Despite Rio's statement, Raika merely kept smiling, his face unchanging.
"I’m nowhere near as mighty as you imagine. As I mentioned, I’m merely a modest bard journeying through this forsaken desert..."
"To me, you appear the greater threat... I can’t figure your method, but you’re 'manipulating' miasma, correct?"
Rio clearly sustained a miasma-sensing field and barrier around himself, typically hidden from plain view.
However, those attuned to shifts in miasma currents could swiftly discern that Rio was indeed wielding it.
"You don’t come across as a demon... yet you’re certainly no ordinary human..."
"Rather than you quizzing me, I ought to be the one probing you—what exactly are you, Rio?"
With that query hanging in the air, both Rio and Raika fell quiet, locking eyes in an unblinking gaze.
Rio felt utterly uncertain about his next move.
The cube of possibilities had guided him to this point, and he sought hints on Liam’s whereabouts, while remaining clueless about Raika’s true nature or purpose here.
Furthermore, Rio had no grasp of this man’s power level, making him reluctant to ignite a fight.
Raika, conversely, appeared unarmed; in his grasp sat only a lyre, the instrument he’d been strumming earlier.
A heavy quiet settled in, thickening the air with tension that even disrupted the miasma's drift.
As the deadlock persisted, Raika’s gaze landed on the cube hovering near Rio, altering his demeanor for the very first time.
"Ah! So that’s the reason you ended up here! It figures! I get it now... I’d been puzzled, but everything clicks..."
He bobbed his head in quick succession, his look conveying a sudden grasp of a vital insight.
Rio disliked how his rival seemed to hold more intel on him, leaving him without any intel on the stranger.
"You’re familiar with this cube?"
Raika inclined his head to Rio’s query, answering in his signature placid smile and soft voice.
"That’s the cube of possibilities, isn’t it? It served as a key relic in the hands of the former demon king!"
"Believe me, it packed a serious punch; countless SS-rankers from the world alliance perished after the demon king sprung traps on them thanks to this item..."
Rio’s brow furrowed at Raika’s explanation, prompting his follow-up.
"You seem unusually well-versed on it... why do you suppose it directed me to you?"
Raika beamed at the question before giving a casual shoulder lift.
"You’re probably searching for an item and chanced upon a lead; that’s likely why..."
"It’s a truly peculiar artifact, after all—wildly unpredictable..."
Rio’s mind raced at those remarks, nearly convincing him Raika might be a demon general or similar.
Yet he detected not a trace of miasma from the man, which left him perplexed.
Actually, Rio picked up on some resistance to miasma from him via an unknown means, though he couldn’t probe deeper to identify it.
Were he a demon, resisting the ambient miasma would be unnecessary; he could simply bask in its presence.
That said, Rio would have spotted clear signs of miasmic taint on him immediately.
'Besides, demonic soul energies tend to surge wildly and erratically; concealing them proves nearly impossible without the legendary skill 'soul resonance' to tame souls...'
'Alverto possessed it, but he’s long buried...'
'So, what’s this guy’s deal, and how does he know so much regarding the cube of possibilities?'
Rio’s scowl returned as he posed,
"The cube truly guided me here... actually, I’m seeking a specific shadow dragon’s den. Got any hints on it?"
Rio held back specifics on Liam and Ellie, opting for ambiguity to conceal the full story.
Raika grinned once more at the query and responded,
"Shadow dragons? That’s intriguing... what draws you to them? They’re not creatures one typically seeks out under normal conditions..."
"Don’t say you’re among those chasing a dragon slayer title, aiming to take down a shadow dragon since dragon valley’s off-limits..."
Rio dismissed the notion with a head shake.
"Titles like that don’t interest me... and just so you know, I’ve visited dragon valley in the past..."