Reborn as an Extra Chapter 578: One more Final Gamble, Both or None! Part-3.

Previously on Reborn as an Extra...

Rio and Ellie explored the vast inner space of the sealed cage, which spanned the size of a capital city despite its smaller exterior, sustained by powerful enchantments. Rio marveled at the lush trees, birds, and creatures populating the area, only for Ellie to reveal they were lifelike projections crafted from soul fragments and puppets, a gift from the demon prince Alverto. In exchange for the coordinates of the grand seal leading to the sea of miasma, Alverto had infused a crystal with his pinnacle soul manipulation skill, transforming Ellie's barren prison into a comforting illusion during her long isolation. Though Alverto sought entry through a sacrificial circle but failed, his disdain for Ellie's self-preservation clashed with his heroic devotion to his race, highlighting their divergent paths.

Ellie guided Rio through every part of the expanse; it resembled a vast garden sprawling across an immense territory, with her confined like a princess eternally trapped within this enchanting paradise.

No food existed to consume, no fresh air filled the lungs, and no water quenched thirst; everything was merely a lavish facade.

Beneath the facade lay nothing but desolate wasteland, empty and devoid of life.

Rio marveled at how Ellie preserved her sanity after a millennium trapped in this prison; her willpower proved extraordinarily resilient.

‘Even with my sword intent enhancing me, I might not possess such formidable mental strength...’

Maybe that explained why Ellie responded so swiftly when Liam’s body fell under his father’s possession.

"It’s fortunate that summoners and their summoned beasts are linked by soul-binding contracts... otherwise, Neo Aldif could have dominated every one of Liam’s summoned beasts, you included..."

At the mention of Neo, Ellie’s features twisted into a deep scowl filled with rage.

"That monster was utterly vile! Ashtel Rex ended his life; if not, I’d have made certain he suffered endlessly! Ugh..."

"Just the thought of his face stirs my urge to torment him until death! Without his interference, Liam’s existence wouldn’t have teetered on the edge like that..."

Rio agreed with Ellie’s outburst and responded,

"Yeah, I’d have stepped in without hesitation... sooner or later, Liam would’ve ascended to SS-rank, foiling that cursed old schemer’s schemes for good..."

"Sadly, his death means we can’t deliver the retribution he deserved..."

Ashtel didn’t just demolish the body Liam occupied under Neo’s control; that ultimate strike obliterated Neo’s soul entirely, wiping it from reality.

Liam’s soul endured the devastating blow solely because Ellie pulled it back to her through reverse-summoning within the spirit realm; without that, even he would’ve perished in the onslaught.

"By the way... I’ve been meaning to inquire... could Neo, similar to how you rescued Liam’s soul... have arranged some contingency to preserve his own?"

Rio’s query prompted Ellie to shake her head.

"My method is quite distinctive, really..."

"For a summoned beast to reverse-summon its summoner into the spirit realm, the contract linking them must be one of equality... and I seriously doubt Neo forged anything like that..."

Neo viewed his summoned beasts merely as instruments; equality in contracts was beyond his nature.

"Furthermore, even with an equal pact in place, the beast performing the reverse-summon must surpass the summoner’s power, or the attempt fails..."

"I managed to draw Liam’s soul because both his body and spirit align with rank A... far inferior to my true form in the spirit realm..."

"Yet for Neo Aldif, that’s utterly unfeasible... as an SS-ranker himself, possessing Liam’s body and amplifying his strength elevated his soul’s might as well..."

A sly grin crossed Ellie’s lips as she continued,

"So none of his summoned beasts could possibly reverse-summon his soul, given his overwhelming superiority..."

"The spirit realm suffers heavy miasma influence, demanding the beast exceed the summoner’s strength to forge a solid link; without that edge, reverse-summoning simply won’t work..."

Rio nodded in understanding at Ellie’s explanation.

"That’s reassuring then; no need to fear his return to stir up chaos down the line..."

Ellie let out a sigh in response to Rio, her voice laced with doubt,

"I’m not so sure; he was incredibly sly. He might’ve devised an alternative safeguard, employing a technique different from mine to protect Liam..."

"If he’s truly gone, that’s ideal, but should he linger in some form, I’d rather he resurfaces once you hit SS-rank, Rio... you’re the only one here who can wield miasma, after all..."

"I’m confident you’d make him regret it deeply..."

Rio cocked his head, puzzled by Ellie’s statement, and questioned,

"But Liam’s talent matches mine... he could achieve SS-rank in time. Don’t you trust him? You appear doubtful about what lies ahead..."

A faint smile touched Ellie’s lips, though it brimmed with concealed feelings and sorrows.

"I trust him completely... yet his father betrayed him at his most vulnerable moment... he yearned to see me at least once..."

Ellie had informed Liam that a trap ensnared her during her travels in the spirit realm, landing her in a subterranean lair where death loomed close.

That tale held partial truth; she hadn’t stumbled into the trap—she dove in deliberately, sealing herself in this prison by choice!

To evade the relentless miasmic rot, she immersed herself in perpetual miasmic erosion balanced by unending purification!

Each instant, miasma assaults this sanctified enclosure, straining to shatter the massive door’s seal toward the miasma sea and thereby taint her from within, since she’s fused with the mighty seal.

Her life now mirrors this grand seal’s endurance; its rupture or corruption would doom her to the same end.

Should anyone ever breach this door and dissolve the seal, her existence would fade into oblivion.

"The primary cause I forbade Liam from seeking me out... the core reason for my deception... was my certainty that reaching here was virtually impossible for him..."

"Navigating the whole tainted spirit realm would’ve been required just to find me... only an oddity like you could pull that off, Rio Flash..."

"I couldn’t stomach sending him into this nightmare solely for me..."