Game's Extra

A month had passed since the Spatial Gate incident. The chaos that once gripped the city had gradually faded from people's minds, and life at Zenith Academy returned to normal. During this time, Aiden continued his rigorous training with Ava, refining her fighting techniques and enhancing her adaptability in combat. He also remained focused on his studies, attending lectures and keeping up with his academic responsibilities.

On this particular day, Aiden sat in his classroom, absentmindedly listening to the professor's lecture. As the class ended, students began packing up their things when a figure approached his desk. Aiden turned his head slightly and saw none other than Atlas Cain taking a seat beside him.

Atlas leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. "Aiden, I want to talk to you about something."

Aiden arched a brow, skeptical. Why is he suddenly approaching me? he thought. His interactions with Atlas had been minimal, aside from the battle against the Forest King.

"What is it?" Aiden asked, maintaining a neutral tone.

Atlas smirked. "There's a Spatial Gate I want to explore. I need strong allies, and I want you to join me."

Aiden narrowed his eyes. "Why me?"

"I've seen you fight. Back then, when we fought side by side against the Forest King, I knew you were strong. That's why I chose you."

Aiden considered his words. While he wanted to stay under the radar, he couldn't deny the opportunity sounded intriguing. After a brief moment of thought, he nodded. "Fine. I'll join."

Atlas grinned. "Good. But it's not just the two of us. Come with me—I want you to meet someone."

As Aiden stood up and followed Atlas out of the room, Felix, Olivia, and Tomas, who had been casually chatting, paused and exchanged curious glances.

"What does Atlas want with Aiden?" Felix murmured.

"I have no idea," Olivia said, tilting her head. "Did anyone hear what they were talking about?"

Tomas shook his head. "No, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious."

Meanwhile, Ava and Elena remained silent, their gazes following Aiden and Atlas as they exited the classroom.

Aiden and Atlas made their way to one of the academy's training grounds. The sound of gunfire echoed through the air as a girl with short blue hair and piercing blue eyes practiced her sharpshooting. A distinct bullseye mark in her irises glowed slightly as she tracked her shots, hitting the red center of a holographic target with pinpoint accuracy. The energy sniper rifle in her hands hummed softly with each shot.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

She fired three consecutive shots, all landing dead center. Satisfied, she lowered her rifle, just in time to notice the two approaching figures.

"What do you want, Atlas?" she asked bluntly, her voice carrying an icy edge. Her gaze shifted to Aiden. "And who's this guy?"

Atlas smirked. "This is Aiden Cross—the one I told you about. He'll be a great help in our exploration."

Yuki crossed her arms, scrutinizing Aiden. "This is the guy you claim fought toe-to-toe with you? He looks weak."

Aiden simply stared at her, his expression unreadable. But inside, his thoughts were racing. Damn it. I remember her. She was one of the characters I got from a gacha pull before I lost the 50/50. I was aiming for Elena but got her instead.

Yuki continued, clearly unimpressed. "Look at him. He doesn't even seem serious about this."

That snapped Aiden out of his thoughts. His expression darkened slightly, and without a word, he took a step forward. Placing his palm on the ground, he activated Overhaul. The floor beneath him rippled as stone shifted and reformed into a sleek, aerodynamic spear. Without hesitation, he gripped the spear and hurled it toward the bullseye target in the distance.

BOOM!

A shockwave erupted from the sheer force of the throw, sending a gust of wind through the training ground. The spear obliterated the bullseye and everything behind it, leaving a gaping hole where the targets once stood.

Yuki's eyes widened, her fingers instinctively tightening around her rifle. Aiden turned to face her, his expression calm but resolute.

"I'm serious every time."

A tremor ran through Yuki's body. She hadn't expected such a display of raw power. For a brief moment, she felt the same intensity that Atlas had described. Aiden Cross was not someone to be taken lightly.

Atlas smirked, clearly enjoying the moment. "Still think he's weak?"

Yuki exhaled sharply and looked at Aiden with newfound respect. "Hmph. Maybe I misjudged you."

Aiden said nothing, simply watching her. The tension between them settled, replaced by a silent understanding. This mission was about to get interesting.