Path of the Extra

But instead of complaining, he obliged.

He didn't want to make them anxious.

But did that mean he was going to sit idle?

Of course not!

His plan had always been to change the future, and he had already begun putting everything in motion.

Knowing that Nol still possessed Dante's blood, he made Nol invite Dante to another meeting, convincing him to fully join their side.

Though Azriel wasn't privy to the details of what Nol said, the task was completed flawlessly, and Dante offered more of his blood afterward.

Next came the Christmas banquet.

Azriel's grand entrance and his duel with Caleus—at first glance, Freya assumed it was all to impress her, to get her to follow Azriel's wishes.

But that wasn't the plan at all. Azriel was fooling her, and she eventually realized it.

He made her believe they were being monitored by Neo Genesis operatives during the banquet.

The decoy plans he planted were intentional.

When Freya found out, she still had one burning question:

How could anyone have been listening?

After all, she had placed a sound barrier around them. No one should have been able to hear their conversation.

But…

The truth was, Azriel didn't know if there were actual Neo Genesis spies present.

It didn't matter.

He was the spy—or rather, Solomon was.

Solomon had been carrying a recording device the entire time, capturing their conversation.

Eventually, Solomon passed the recording to Azriel, who handed it to Nol.

Nol then gave it to Dante.

Dante's mission was simple: leak the plan, along with Azriel's existence, to one of the Heptarchs.

A difficult mission, given that the Heptarchs usually resided in the Void Realm.

But Dante had learned of Zoran's return beforehand.

That's why he went to a Neo Genesis's base in Antarctica, where Zoran's anchor was located.

All Dante had to do was wait for his terrifying mission to begin.

And it did.

His luck paid off—Zoran came.

After that, everyone knew what happened.

Dante sacrificed himself. He was a hero.

For Azriel and Nol, at least.

Zoran, upon learning of Azriel's existence and how his book had been rendered useless, became agitated.

Instead of thinking things through, he panicked and came directly for Azriel.

He wanted Azriel dead.

In his eyes, Azriel was a dangerous threat.

But...

He didn't realize that Azriel had anticipated this and was waiting for him.

Freya remained oblivious until she arrived and saw Grandmaster Thomas.

At first, she must have thought Solomon would handle the surface, but Azriel had other plans.

He explained everything, leaving out certain parts he couldn't disclose.

The others were left stunned.

Jasmine was the first to break the silence.

"So you had someone infiltrate Neo Genesis… and draw Zoran to you? Dante, was it?"

Azriel pressed his lips together before nodding.

"He's a hero. Because of his actions, someone as dangerous as Zoran has been dealt with."

Celestina spoke next, her relief evident, though few knew of Zoran's existence.

If it were common knowledge, his bounty would be staggering.

Azriel nodded.

"Indeed. Sir Dante was a hero, sacrificing himself for the greater good."

Celestina furrowed her brows.

"And Uncle Thomas?"

Azriel sighed, glancing at Thomas, who gave a nod. Shrugging, Azriel replied lightly,

"It wasn't difficult to contact Grandmaster Thomas—after all, I have his number."

He was a prince, after all.

How could he not have the contact information of the Frost King's right hand, especially when their clans were on good terms?

Reaching out to Thomas, Azriel shared parts of the plan, warning him of the impending attack and advising him not to trust anyone.

He also hinted that Celestina might be in danger and that it would be best not to inform Ragnar.

Azriel hadn't been sure if Thomas would listen.

But fortunately, he did.

Though, Azriel had another purpose for Thomas being here.

Celestina slowly began to piece everything together.

Azriel felt strange under the weight of their stares.

They were...

Shocked.

From their perspective, Azriel had been planning this for months, managing to outwit people who could kill him in an instant.

Jasmine looked at him with a worried expression.

She undoubtedly had much to say, but held back, knowing they were not alone.

Unfortunately, before any more questions could be asked, the healer finally arrived.

Celestina and Thomas left, heading to another tent, while Jasmine stayed behind.

Azriel and Thomas exchanged a glance. Azriel gave a nod, and Thomas returned the gesture before departing.

Azriel shifted his gaze toward Jasmine, but before he could speak, she cut him off.

"I'm staying, no matter what."

Azriel blinked, then offered a faint smile.

The female healer sat down on the chair in front of him.

"My prince, if you could please hand me your... hand."

Azriel nodded, tapping his storage ring, and his right hand materialized.

Jasmine paled, clenching her trembling fists, but she didn't look away. -exclusive

The process of reattaching his hand was as straightforward as it could be, given the healer's affinity for healing.

Still, it took a significant amount of her mana.

After 30 exhausting minutes, the procedure was finished, and the healer quietly left.

When she did…

Azriel's consciousness finally slipped away.

*****

Most of the streets were filled with frightened humans, some even injured.

Undoubtedly, Thomas had saved many lives as he looked at them.

But not all.

He had left the rest to the military and heroes before rushing off to confront Zoran, failing miserably.

...Casualties had occurred.

As he walked forward, he suddenly turned to his right, entering one of the narrow passages between the buildings.

Here, a deserted street lay before him.

It was nighttime, and as he continued forward, he eventually came to a halt.

A pair of eyes met his, shining in the darkness.

Standing in front of a ladder that led to the top of a building was a silver-haired boy wearing a simple black T-shirt and pants.

His crimson eyes shifted to Thomas, and he offered a smile before bowing.

"It's an honor to meet you, Grandmaster Thomas. My name is Nol."