The Extra Who Shouldn't Exist Chapter 427 - 428 : The Fog that feeds on fears

Morning arrived quietly over the town.

Soft light filtered through the broken structures and cracked windows of the mansion.

Inside, the atmosphere was calm.

Everyone had gathered for breakfast.

Alex sat at the table, eating lazily as usual, while the others—James, Clara, Camilla, Remus, Elias, Maera, and Kaelith—sat around him.

The clinking of utensils and quiet conversation filled the room.

After finishing his meal, Alex leaned back slightly and looked at everyone.

"So let me get this straight," he said casually. "We’re going to raid the temple, find the Evil Spawn, kill it, clear this floor, and get out... right? Besides dealing with the Fallen, of course."

Camilla nodded.

"Yes. That was the mission assigned to us when we entered the fifth floor."

Alex stretched his arms slightly.

"Alright. Sounds simple enough."

He stood up.

"Then let’s go. We have everything we need."

A voice echoed inside his mind.

[ Host, are you forgetting what Hephaestus requested of us? What about the people here? The Fallen will not leave them alive if they fail to get what they came for. ]

Alex walked forward calmly.

"Relax," he replied in his mind. "I’ve already planned everything."

[ ...If you say so. ]

The group began preparing to leave.

Everyone seemed ready.

Weapons were checked.

Equipment adjusted.

Then suddenly—

"LET’S GO!"

Kaelith’s excited voice rang loudly through the hall.

Everyone froze for a moment.

James sighed and looked at her.

"We are not going on a picnic, Lady Kaelith."

Kaelith’s face instantly turned red.

"S-sorry..."

For a moment, there was silence.

Then—

Everyone burst out laughing.

Remus chuckled and said, "She’s actually kind of cute when she gets embarrassed like that."

Alex added casually, "Yeah... her father will probably give you a painful death as a wedding gift."

Remus’s mouth twitched.

"What the hell does that even mean?"

Alex waved his hand dismissively.

"Nothing."

Then he turned toward the exit.

"Let’s go. I’m getting bored of this place."

Soon everyone stepped outside the mansion.

All the members of the Scorpion Clan were already gathered there.

The moment they saw Alex—

Their expressions stiffened.

Fear was visible in their eyes.

Alex raised his hand and waved casually.

None of them responded.

Instead—

They looked away.

Alex frowned slightly.

"Wow... how can they act so cold toward me after I saved their lives?"

Camilla, James, and Remus all spoke at the same time.

"You are also the one who almost killed them!"

Alex shrugged.

"Come on... they started it first, you know."

Before the argument could continue—

"That’s enough!"

Kaelith’s voice cut through the air again.

"Are we going or not? We need to clear this floor!"

Everyone turned toward her.

Silence followed.

Camilla finally stepped forward.

"Alright. Let’s move."

The group began walking.

One by one, everyone followed her.

Even the members of the Scorpion Clan joined them.

They moved through the streets of the town.

As they passed—

People began reacting.

Doors slammed shut.

Windows closed.

Families hurried inside their homes.

Some grabbed their children and ran.

Fear spread quickly wherever they walked.

Alex glanced around before speaking to Camilla.

"Were they like this when you first arrived?"

Camilla sighed deeply.

"Not entirely."

She looked ahead as she walked.

"At first, they were desperate for help. So we helped them."

Her voice grew quieter.

"But as you know... survival comes first."

"People prioritize their own lives over strangers they will forget after leaving this place."

Alex nodded slightly.

"Yeah. I understand that logic."

"I actually agree with it."

Then his tone changed slightly.

"But that doesn’t give you the right to make their lives even worse than they already are."

His gaze sharpened.

"I’ve heard your people have been taking their food."

"So of course they’re going to fear you."

Camilla and Remus both looked away.

Remus spoke quietly.

"We never said we were good people."

"And we don’t enjoy doing it either."

Alex chuckled lightly.

"I know."

He waved his hand.

"Let’s just forget about it."

His expression became more focused.

"The task ahead matters more."

Camilla and Remus nodded silently.

The group continued walking toward the unknown.

Toward the temple.

Toward whatever awaited them there.

The group slowly moved past the final stretch of the town.

The broken buildings thinned out.

The air grew colder.

And then—

The forest came into view.

It stretched endlessly ahead, dark and silent.

But what stood out the most was the fog.

A thick, unnatural mist covered the entire forest.

It rolled slowly across the ground, swallowing everything in sight.

Visibility dropped to almost nothing beyond a few meters.

The place felt wrong.

Unnatural.

As if something inside it was waiting.

But they were not alone.

Two other groups were already standing at the edge of the forest.

Both groups consisted of various races—humans, beastkin, and others—each radiating strength.

The first group stood in a tight formation.

At their front was a woman.

She had long blue hair flowing down her back and sharp brown eyes that scanned the surroundings with calm precision. Her battle outfit was sleek and fitted, designed for both speed and protection, and a lion insignia was clearly visible on her chest.

Remus glanced toward them and said quietly, "That group is the Lion Clan."

The second group stood a short distance away.

At their front was a tall beastkin man with dragon-like features.

Dark scales lined parts of his face and neck, and two small horns curved backward from his forehead. His eyes glowed faintly gold, and his muscular build gave off an overwhelming sense of raw power. His armor was heavy, etched with draconic patterns, and a dragon insignia marked his chest.

Camilla spoke calmly, "That’s the Dragon Clan."

As the two groups noticed Camilla and Remus approaching—

Their expressions changed.

Hostility filled their eyes.

Tension rose instantly.

Alex glanced at them and said lazily, "Wow... looks like they really like you guys."

He tilted his head slightly.

"Maybe so much that they won’t hesitate to kill you."

Camilla replied calmly, "The Scorpion Clan doesn’t get along with most clans inside the Tower."

At that moment, the leader of the Lion Clan clicked her tongue in irritation.

"Here I was thinking we would enter the temple first," she said. "But it seems everyone had the same idea."

The dragonkin leader from the Dragon Clan stepped forward slightly.

"If even one of you gets in our way," he said coldly, "I will tear you apart myself."

His gaze shifted toward the Lion Clan leader.

"Rhea."

"Don’t forget our deal."

The woman named Rhea nodded slightly.

"I haven’t."

Without another word—

Both groups began moving.

They entered the fog from different directions.

Their figures were quickly swallowed by the mist.

Camilla stepped forward and looked at the remaining group.

"To reach the temple, we need to pass through this fog," she said seriously. "And as you can already tell... it won’t be easy."

Everyone listened carefully.

"The moment you enter, you will start hearing voices," she continued. "They will try to tempt you."

Her tone grew heavier.

"It could be anyone... your loved ones, your parents, your partner, your children."

"Anything that can shake your mind."

She paused before finishing.

"The moment someone gets swayed... they disappear into the fog."

"And they never return."

Silence followed.

Camilla looked at everyone.

"Is that understood?"

Everyone looked nervous.

But they nodded.

Alex turned his head toward Kaelith.

A grin formed on his face.

"This is going to be fun, right?"

He pointed toward the fog.

"Why don’t you go first?"

Kaelith’s mouth twitched.

"I’ll walk behind you."

Alex shrugged.

"No wonder Victoria finds you useless."

A vein popped on Kaelith’s forehead.

"What did you just—"

Before she could finish—

Alex stepped forward.

And entered the fog.

"Let’s begin."

His figure was immediately swallowed by the mist.

Kaelith didn’t hesitate.

She rushed forward and followed him inside.

James quickly shouted from behind.

"Everyone who wants to survive—stay close to Lucifer no matter what!"

Without wasting another second—

The rest of the group ran forward.

One by one—

They disappeared into the fog.