The Extra Who Shouldn't Exist Chapter 416 - 417 : A New trait
Previously on The Extra Who Shouldn't Exist...
Victoria ceased to be present.
There was no audible sound.
No spatial distortion.
Not even a hint of a warning.
One moment she was standing several feet away—
The next—
She materialized directly behind him.
So close that the chill from her aura brushed against his spine.
A colossal black sword took form in her grip.
It didn't merely appear; it condensed.
Layer upon layer of cursed energy compressed, solidifying into a long, jagged blade that resembled solidified ruin more than metal. The surface shimmered, as if struggling to contain the immense power within.
The air around the sword seemed to decay.
Space grew thin.
The ground beneath her feet crumbled into dust.
Her crimson eyes glowed.
She swung.
Not with erratic force.
Not in a fit of rage.
With perfect, calculated motion.
The blade descended with the silent precision of an executioner, releasing a burst of cursed energy upon impact.
This attack didn't just slice; it annihilated.
It was meant to cleave Alex from shoulder to waist.
But in the final instant—
His instincts shrieked.
Time seemed to crawl.
His body reacted.
He spun sharply, twisting his torso just enough for the sword to pass through the space he had occupied.
The black sword gouged a new path into the ground.
There was no booming explosion.
No scattered fragments.
The terrain simply dissolved into gray ash.
Victoria vanished once more.
Alex let out a soft breath.
’Fast.’
A subtle disturbance rippled in the air above him.
He glanced upward—
And for the first time—
His estimation was flawed.
She descended from the heavens like an agent of divine retribution.
This strike possessed greater momentum.
Increased velocity.
A more potent intent.
The black blade fell with earth-shattering force.
Clang.
At the very last second, Alex intercepted with his purple sword.
Their blades met, detonating a shockwave.
The decaying ground fractured outward in concentric rings. The air compressed violently, then exploded like a sonic boom.
Their swords screeched against each other.
Purple destruction met absolute decay.
Victoria’s wrist shifted minutely.
A small adjustment.
Executed with unparalleled sword mastery.
Her blade skated along the edge of his weapon at a lethal angle.
A thin glint.
A whisper of contact.
Pain flared.
A shallow gash appeared on his left arm.
Blood welled up.
Deep red against the desolate gray landscape.
She kicked back, landing gracefully several meters away.
Then—
She let out a laugh.
Not a loud sound.
Not manic.
But sharp and cutting.
"It’s over for you."
The wound throbbed.
Crimson veins snaked outward from the cut, crawling beneath his skin like parasitic tendrils.
His muscles spasmed involuntarily.
Then—
The agony struck.
It felt as if something within him was being ripped apart.
Not from the exterior—
But from the core.
His cells vibrated uncontrollably.
His mana pathways became unstable.
His internal organs seemed to twist against their natural form.
Victoria advanced slowly.
"Your body is now in a state of decay."
Her voice echoed across the crumbling horizon.
"Your structure is collapsing from within."
Distant mountains eroded into fine dust.
The sky above darkened further.
"You will feel your bones weaken."
"Your flesh tear."
"Your life force drain."
As if responding to her words—
The surrounding world intensified its draining effect.
His vitality began to bleed out into the environment.
He could feel it.
A relentless, grinding erosion.
Like coarse sandpaper scraping against his very being.
She grinned wider.
"Don’t worry."
Her tone shifted, becoming softer.
"I will not let you die."
The wind of decay swirled around them in a slow dance.
"The moment you approach death... this world will restore you using the life force it siphoned."
Her crimson eyes glinted.
"You will relive this agony."
"Again."
"And again."
"For eternity."
Silence descended.
The pain escalated.
His knees buckled slightly.
His breathing grew labored.
Then—
He let out a low chuckle.
Soft.
Amused.
"You really are impatient, aren’t you?"
He slowly rotated his neck.
Crack.
Despite the pulsing red veins across his arm.
Despite the sensation of internal disintegration.
He casually stretched his shoulders.
Crack.
Then—
A translucent interface materialized before his eyes.
[ Adapting to Decay... 85% ]
The veins pulsed with greater intensity.
[ 90% ]
His bones vibrated more severely.
[ 99% ]
His internal organs stabilized.
[ 100% ]
[ Trait Acquired: Lord of Decay
Description:
Grants limited authority over the Law of Decay — the natural breakdown of matter, energy, and living entities.
Allows the acceleration of deterioration and the forced destabilization of structures.
Affects physical bodies, mana constructs, and certain abilities.
]
Within his consciousness—
[ Host physique has fully adapted. Full combat capacity unlocked. ]
Alex exhaled gradually.
A soft purple luminescence emanated from his chest, spreading outward.
Kaelith’s Law of Order had activated.
A violet aura smoothly enveloped his form.
Unlike Victoria’s rampant decay—
This was absolute coherence.
Every particle within his being realigned into perfect order.
His heart rhythm synchronized flawlessly.
The flow of mana achieved optimal levels.
Nerve signals were recalibrated, and the previous instability vanished.
The spreading red veins stopped.
Then—
The wound healed itself.
It wasn't a gradual process.
It was instantaneous.
Victoria’s smile faltered, a flicker of disbelief crossing her features.
"What?"
The world’s draining effect persisted—
But concurrently, another phenomenon began.
The decay that had been afflicting his body began to recede.
His very essence seemed to harmonize with the destructive forces.
He adapted.
He commanded it.
The erosion no longer held dominion over him.
It now responded to his will.
He wiggled his fingers, feeling their perfect state.
Then—
He disappeared from his spot.
Victoria’s eyes snapped wide open—
But it was too late.
A swift streak of violet light tore through the air.
A cutting sound followed.
It was soft.
Clean.
Her right arm was severed cleanly from her shoulder.
For a fleeting moment, there was no discernible reaction.
Then—
Blood geysered violently into the bleak, gray sky.
The detached limb tumbled through the air, scattering crimson droplets like a macabre rain.
It landed on the decaying ground, beginning a slow dissolution.
Victoria’s gaze was fixed on the empty space where her arm had once been.
Shock had rendered her face immobile.
Alex stood directly behind her.
The purple blade was casually rested on his shoulder.
He appeared calm.
Relaxed.
"You’re quite the baddy, aren't you."
His voice held a trace of amusement.
"It’ll be fun taming you into an obedient dog."
Victoria's body began to tremble.
It wasn't from lack of strength.
It was from incandescent rage.
Cursed energy erupted outward with violent force, causing the entire World of Decay to shudder.
The very ground fractured further.
The sky itself seemed to crack.
Her severed arm began to regenerate, the process initiated by reversing the decay.
Her crimson eyes ignited with murderous intent.
Alex slowly licked his lips.
It had been a long time since he last experienced the exhilarating thrill of a true battle.
"Come now."
He tilted his head slightly.
"What are you waiting for?"
The purple energy swirling around his blade pulsed with eagerness.
"Don't you want to devour me?"
A moment of tense silence hung in the air—
Just before the world was once again engulfed in chaos.
