Reborn as an Extra Chapter 567: The Curse of Eternal Suffering. Part-6.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
Rio gazed upon the soul fluctuations extending beyond the world authority's boundaries, and an idea sparked within his thoughts.
'Could I perhaps imitate Lia's talent for foreseeing the miasma's movement, along with shifts in a creature's soul fluctuations, just like she does?'
Clearly, Rio had mastered detecting the soul fluctuations of others and could even interpret them during direct touch via his sword or hands.
However, in contrast to Lia, Rio lacked the ability to perform this from a great distance.
Lia managed to achieve it across an immense span, and she could discern others' destinies even without them being in her direct view, as long as they remained within her designated area.
Such a feat eluded Rio; he required proximity for any such reading.
'No, no... Lia can even foresee her own future through her destiny threads... That's beyond me; her prophetic vision far surpasses my soul perception skills...'
'Yet, imagine if I could enhance my soul reading to approach her foresight prowess?'
From the moment they formed their friendship, Rio had replicated numerous abilities from his dear companions sequentially, without fear of their irritation over his mimicry.
In particular, Lia would never mind him borrowing something like that.
'Threads of destiny... But how exactly do I perceive them?...'
Rio found it impossible to replicate that, given its exclusivity to Lia, and currently, he held no capacity to detect those destiny threads.
Thus, he opted for the alternative approaches.
Analyzing the miasma currents within the colossal dragon tree's form, alongside its soul fluctuations, to forecast their patterns.
'Every SS-ranker employs soul fluctuations and mental force to wield their world authority... What if I craft a technique that strikes at their direct application of soul fluctuations and mental power?'
'Could I then prevent SS-rankers from activating their world authority? Or perhaps diminish its potency temporarily?'
Contemplating this concept, Rio rose to his feet and assumed a ready position, his thoughts racing swiftly as he resolved to test it immediately.
'A power that enables distant soul fluctuation detection while breaching world authority's interference...'
On this occasion, Rio grew intensely focused, even reverting his flute to sword shape to sharpen his concentration further.
Rio harnessed the soul fluctuations from the enormous dragon tree that had inadvertently escaped its world authority's grasp, attempting to induce an 'Error' via them.
An individual's soul fluctuations belong solely to them, naturally passing through their own world authority without hindrance.
Rio applied this principle, attempting to channel the soul fluctuations as a counterstrike toward the core mind and soul of the primary entity!
As anticipated by Rio, the dragon tree's soul fluctuation, amplified by his sword intent, evaded the world authority barriers and struck the vast body and soul of the gigantic dragon tree!
Countless souls and minds dwelled within that enormous frame; Rio zeroed in on a tiny soul shard, and his strike succeeded astonishingly!
The soul shard fragmented instantly, unmistakably erasing that specific soul and awareness!
"Ohhhh!!! Now I can truly inflict harm on SS-rankers!! You're always amazing, Lia!"
Though the harm was slight, scarcely more than a mere prick from a mosquito to the colossal entity's body and soul, it marked Rio's inaugural effective assault on an actual demigod!
The earth and the weave of space-time quaked as the immense creature stirred for the first time in ages upon ages!
Dozens of enormous dragon heads, which had fixed their gaze on the far-off heavens without pause, at last shifted, all turning toward the tiny Rio—like a speck—perched on a rock, gripping his obsidian sword.
Hundreds of eyes scattered across that massive form locked onto Rio exclusively in unison, making him feel a touch uneasy.
'Uh... Have I just provoked a swarm of hornets with this move?'
Despite his unease, Rio harbored no regrets whatsoever; in truth, no alternative path existed to alter the present circumstances.
Rio possessed no choice except to devise a method for circumventing the colossal abomination's safeguards, and developing this fresh technique was essential for that.
Had the massive tree not responded so swiftly to Rio's strike, he might have preferred additional trials and probes, yet now escape plans dominated his mind.
'I could deploy principal Raji's SS-rank strikes to generate chaos, then flee by rupturing the space-time weave and leaping through the fissures...'
'Such an action would hurl me to an arbitrary spot across the cosmos, but a teleportation scroll could bring me back if needed...'
'Still, the mission would undoubtedly collapse then...'
While Rio pondered his getaway, the largest among the numerous shadow dragon heads eyeing him gradually unveiled its eyes, and a flash of sharp awareness emerged in those colossal orbs.
In that instant, Rio sensed a abrupt rush of untainted soul fluctuations surging within that head's psyche, momentarily quelling the miasmic taint throughout its form to unprecedented lows.
Rio lacked knowledge of the dragon tongue, yet he comprehended every utterance plainly, since the enormous dragon head communicated via telepathy at present.
His message bore weariness, sorrow, remorse, and considerable intrigue as well; evidently, he had confused Rio with King Allen Von Reinhart.
'Should I reveal that I'm not the one he's awaited?... But wouldn't that prove excessively harsh... I disrupted his trance, and now he's expending his last reserves to converse with me...'
'Revealing the truth would squander it all, leaving him to perish burdened by unresolved sorrows...'
In that instant, Lia's voice echoed through Rio's thoughts.
Reflecting on her counsel, Rio could merely exhale in resigned fashion.
'You invariably intrude on my thoughts during moments such as this... Though, I do appreciate it...'
'Uncertain if this choice will prove beneficial... but today, I'll embrace honesty...'
Rio shook his head with a sense of futility as he responded steadily,
"I am not King Allen Von Reinhart, whom you await. I am Rio Flash, merely a modest swordsman. My journey here seeks a shadow dragon..."
"She is named Elisia Mistilteinn! Regarding King Allen... he has vanished since the conclusion of the thousand-year demon extinction war!"
"I apologize for rousing you so abruptly, but from what I understand, King Allen probably never emerged from the Sea of Endless Miasma!"