Extra's Ascent

The world of Arthdal Chronicle has it too. Creatures that raise the stakes and add an unpredictable edge to the world—a creature known as the Walker.

Despite their name, Walkers are not just ordinary beasts; they are animals that have fallen from grace due to the presence of mana coursing through their bodies.

Like humans and the other four races, animals—whether aquatic, arboreal, or terrestrial—are capable of awakening to mana in the same way.

The issue arises with those creatures whose violent natures, when combined with mana, lead to devastating results.

Imagine an already fierce animal gaining access to an untapped source of strength—mana—that enhances its power exponentially.

The result? These beasts grow even more violent and, in rare cases, become a walking catastrophe.

To identify and measure the threat they pose, Walkers are assigned ranks, each corresponding to the level of danger they represent.

Beta Walker, Predator Walker, Disaster Walker, and Catastrophe Walker.

Each rank is exponentially more dangerous than the last, though none surpass the power of a LORD.

In the early stages of the story, the strongest Walker—the Catastrophe Walker—is considered a threat comparable to a LORD candidate in terms of danger level.

On the other hand, a Beta Walker can only be tackled by five rookie mystics working together.

A Predator Walker requires at least five veteran mystics—preferably a mix of long-range, close combat, tank, healer, and sensory specialists—to stand a chance.

A Disaster Walker, however, calls for a mystic of the highest calibre, one worthy of being called a master—or even a professor at the prestigious Eldora Institute.

Aldrich, descending from midair, had his eyes fixed on the creature that had just emerged from the ocean.

It was a bald beast with slimy, cow-like skin, its body stripped clean of any hair.

The creature had eight long tentacles, each one curling inward like the edge of a blade, reaching the full length of its body, which spanned roughly twenty feet.

Its body was oval, shaped like an egg, with no torso, and the eight tentacles extended from its lower half.

To top it all off, it had two bulging eyes positioned on opposite sides of its forehead.

"A Kraken?!" Aldrich thought, recognizing the creature at a glance.

Its form matched that of the monstrous beast described in the novels.

A Predator Walker—a terror of the seas—was now ravaging the waters.

One of the dangerous features of a Kraken was that it had no territorial claim over any particular sea or ocean.

It travelled wherever it pleased, causing chaos wherever it went.

This kind of Walker was a massive headache for sailing crews who had to hire mystics as guards to fend off the creature's destructive presence.

"Damn those examiners! Bringing a Predator Walker into the test stage?!" Aldrich thought, his frustration mounting.

A Predator Walker was already an exceptional challenge to handle.

The only way to deal with one was to assemble a team of five seasoned mystics, each with expertise in different areas.

Aldrich glanced at Trevor, who wore a sword strapped to his waist, and Fiona, who also carried a sword.

Sword users were common in the martial Arts category, so it didn't surprise Aldrich to see both of them armed with swords.

What truly took him aback, however, was the realization that the officials thought it was acceptable to bring a Predator Walker into the test.

Even if they had chosen the best candidates, they should have known better than to throw them into such a dangerous situation without any prior warning.

"No! This isn't right!" Aldrich thought, his mind racing.

He remembered from the novel that the Walker ranks that appeared during this stage were usually limited to Beta-ranked Walkers.

The worst-case scenario involved a Peak Beta-ranked Walker—a creature on the cusp of reaching Predator rank—but never an actual Predator Walker.

In the story, only one Peak Beta Walker was defeated—by none other than Dante Pendragon.

After that, there was no mention of a Predator Walker appearing this early in the plot.

And if another Peak Beta Walker did appear, there is no way the author wouldn't mention it as it would mean whoever dealt with it was a potential rival to Dante, the only student to fight and win against a Peak Beta Walker in the early series.

But now… a Predator Walker was standing before them.

"Aldrich!" Fiona's voice scraped through his thoughts, and he snapped out of his trance.

She, too, was in midair, attempting to land away from the Kraken.

Trevor and Aldrich were doing the same, trying to distance themselves from the creature.

The three mystics touched down on the water, a considerable distance away from the Kraken.

"Damn it!" Aldrich cursed under his breath.

This was no trivial situation to take with joking hands.

He could think of only two options.

The first was to wait.

The appearance of a Predator Walker at the test site could only be a mistake.

The officials monitoring the test would eventually rectify it.

Aldrich and the others could just bide their time, retreat, and wait for the officials to handle the Walker.

But Aldrich doubted that option would work.

This test was meant to assess the candidates' limits—both mentally and physically.

If a Predator Walker appeared by mistake, the officials would likely expect the candidates to handle it, at least until help arrived.

Or was this not a mistake?

Aldrich's mind raced.

It is possible that could be the case. With Eldora, there is never an assurance on what is and what isn't.

And... Eldora hardly makes mistakes, ever.

Besides, he had come to terms with the fact that he was an extra—someone whose role was secondary in the grand scheme of the plot.

What if this deviation was a repercussion of his very existence?

He had already experienced one shift in the story once before with the event.

That change happened because of his presence, because he interfered so who was to say this wasn't the same case again?

To surmise, whatever was happening here, it was outside the plot Aldrich remembered, far from how the story was written.

And this unforeseen change made him hesitate, unsure of how to proceed.