Reborn as an Extra Chapter 550: It won’t go your way.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
Raika took no offense whatsoever to Rio’s remarks; he displayed boundless patience, with a constant smile gracing his attractive features.
Rising from his spot, he approached the ruins and halted several meters from Rio.
At that point, they faced away from each other; Rio fixed his gaze on the Sword of Promised Destinies, while Raika examined the crumbling temple, speaking in a playful manner,
"Observe this desolation, see the condition of the creatures here... witness the decay and ruin extending all around..."
"Such chaos stems from pride and self-interest, yet a person like you, capable of mastering miasma, could set things right..."
"You possess the strength for it, right, Rio? Why hesitate to rescue them when you hold such ability? Can you truly abandon them to this fate?"
Rio's face remained unchanged amid those inquiries, and he responded in his typical flat voice,
"I'm no 'hero,' nor do I bear any duty to rescue anyone; their troubles don't concern me..."
"Their pain does strike me as unfortunate, but I'm under no obligation to shatter my own 'path' just to aid them..."
"You're pretty powerful yourself; why don't you step in and save them rather than preaching to me?"
A light chuckle escaped Raika at Rio's retort.
"You're talking like I haven't attempted it already... how innocent you are... I've exhausted every option; failure came because I lack control over 'miasma'..."
"Only you can wield it effectively; you're the prime candidate to tread the 'path' of a 'hero' across the whole 'universe,' you realize..."
"Tell me if I'm mistaken, Rio Flash?"
Rio's eyes sharpened at the query, and he swiveled toward Raika, who mirrored the motion.
"How did you learn my name? I've never shared my full identity with you..."
This encounter with the unfamiliar figure left Rio deeply unsettled; the man acted as though he held extensive knowledge about Rio.
He came across as intimately familiar with Rio's history and all its details, speaking with bold assurance that Rio could serve as the world's 'hero.'
It felt like Raika recognized Rio's vast capabilities.
"I hold knowledge of countless aspects across the universe... believe me, my understanding surpasses what anyone else could grasp... save perhaps the 'creator' of this universe..."
Raika offered a cryptic response to Rio's probe, leaving him utterly baffled by the stranger's true nature.
'First Alverto appeared, and now this fellow... what's happening! The novel's storyline has veered completely off course...'
Just like Alverto, whom Rio had never encountered in the source material, this self-proclaimed Raika was equally absent from the original tale.
The name Raika rang no bells for Rio, yet the individual clearly possessed deep insights into Rio for unknown reasons.
Against an S-ranker, Rio would have struck them down instantly; facing an SS-ranker, he would have fled without delay.
The core issue lay in Rio's ignorance of this enigmatic person's strength and exact identity.
"Anyway, we'll cross paths plenty more while you're navigating the spirit realm!"
"I'll pose the same challenge later; hopefully, your stance shifts by then..."
With those words, Raika vanished from Rio's view.
He faded as though he'd never been present at all, erasing himself in a mere blink!
'What!?'
Shock rippled through Rio for the first time in ages.
'What trick was that!? No light elemental control or teleportation involved! What ability allowed it!?'
Whenever Rio employs light elementals to conceal himself, detectable mana ripples occur as he invokes the power and directs the surrounding light elementals.
Teleportation demands twisting the space-time weave, bending space and time elementals to one's command, and computing the precise destination and timing.
Naturally, such a technique produces mana disturbances that Rio's sword intent would swiftly detect.
Even Ashtel, at the pinnacle of SS-rank, generated intense mana surges during both near and distant teleports!
Without surpassing Ashtel in power while excelling in concealment, Raika couldn't possibly mask his mana traces from Rio's keen sword intent amid an area saturated with miasma!
Any such maneuver would have stirred the miasma's currents, which Rio would have sensed immediately—yet no such disturbance arose.
'He just... stopped existing abruptly! What in the world!? How could that happen!?'
'Did he wipe himself from reality!? Impossible—that would mean his death outright...'
The bizarre, baffling events prompted Rio to sweep his sword intent over his form repeatedly, checking for illusions or delusions.
'But if it were an illusion... true immunity should have activated already... since it hasn't, he was genuine, so how did he vanish so completely?'
Rio had long been the master of startling others with his sudden appearances and disappearances via stealth, but now, for the first time, someone had stunned him in kind.
'Is this the so-called taste of one's own medicine?...'
With that reflection, Rio could only shake his head in resignation and exhale deeply.
'From here on, I must heighten my vigilance while journeying through the spirit realm...'
The agreement between Rio and Raika fell through since Rio rejected all terms, so naturally, Raika withheld the shadow dragons' whereabouts.
Fortunately, once Raika departed, the cube altered its course and indicated a fresh path!
'Ah, so you've uncovered another lead? You're a diligent relic, aren't you...'
'Keep behaving well and avoid mischief, and plenty will warm to you...'
Rio released his built-up stress by teasing the cube, easing the strain from his tense exchange with Raika.
No physical clash occurred between them, yet their minds had clashed fiercely.
They probed each other's drives and purposes, with Raika even urging Rio to forsake his 'path'—an insult bordering on sacrilege for any advanced awakener devoted to their 'path.'
One's 'path' encompasses far more than mere aspirations, objectives, or visions; it defines their whole existence! Their destiny!
Suggesting a shift is akin to declaring, 'Your aspirations are worthless! Toss them aside!' right to their face!
"You'll question me again, huh?... quite bold to assume things will unfold as you desire..."
Rio shook his head and glanced upward.
The overhead miasmic clouds had thickened unnoticed, soon unleashing a downpour.
This fell not as normal water but as concentrated liquid miasma, pure corruption plummeting from above!
SS-rankers would struggle against such onslaught; luckily, miasma held no sway over Rio.
He pursued the cube's guidance and advanced to his subsequent goal, resolve unwavering in his eyes.
Amid the torrent of miasma and taint, Rio pressed on, enveloping himself in a protective miasma barrier.
Numerous ideas raced through his thoughts as he progressed.
'He mentioned that 'while I'm in the spirit realm, he'll seek me out'... does that imply he's an SS-ranker bound to this domain?'
'Perhaps a formidable shadow dragon SS-ranker, trapped here like the rest and unable to depart the spirit realm?'
Rio recalled that shadow dragons had been exiled to this realm, and assuming Raika wasn't demonic, he likely ranked among the ancient, mighty shadow dragons.
He had even admitted knowing the shadow dragons' locations within the spirit realm, heightening the suspicion.
'Could it be... is he scheming to sway me into breaking his seal or similar?'
'If a banishing seal exists, prolonged exposure to miasma might have weakened it... and since he knows I command miasma, maybe he aims for me to shatter it and liberate every shadow dragon from the spirit realm?'
Uncertainty clouded Rio's mind, but his talent for speculation and foresight had him steeling his resolve already.
'Should that prove true... aiding Liam could grow far tougher than anticipated... I might face a horde of shadow dragons pressuring me to unleash my abilities...'
Raika's sly grin surfaced in Rio's thoughts as he mused inwardly,
'It won't play out as you hope... I refuse to let you derail my intentions like that...'