I AM EXTRA IN A SHONEN MANGA

Everyone stared at Khael with wide eyes, shock painted across their faces everyone except Oryan, whose calm gaze lingered on him as though he already knew the truth of what this boy carried.

Kaen's jaw dropped, then he broke into a grin.

"Wow… you're amazing, Khael!"

Ceyla crossed her arms with a sharp hmmp, though her cheeks betrayed the faintest flush.

"I already knew he could deduce something like that."

Still, her heart thumped wildly at his words, those butterflies again, fluttering no matter how hard she tried to deny them.

Juno adjusted his stance, nodding with quiet respect.

"As expected of our leader… Team 9 stands firm."

Rael, however, kept his thoughts to himself, watching Khael closely.

(Khael… to think you'd reach that conclusion so quickly… even I never considered the possibility. Again… what exactly are you, Khael Corzedar?)

Captain Kaedros crossed his arms, a rare smile breaking across his scarred face.

"I'm impressed, kid. To think you could deduce that possibility just from Elder Ryozen's words… sharp, very sharp."

From the corner, the boy Serin snorted, refusing to be swept up in the admiration.

"Tch. What a lucky guess."

The rookies exchanged glances—some in awe, some in unease—while the sacred fire crackled in the silence.

Elder Ryozen lowered his gaze, his voice heavy with regret.

"If what you've said is true… then this mission I've entrusted to you young veinwalkers is far more dangerous than I realized. Forgive me. I have burdened you with our village's curse."

The rookies glanced at one another, silence pressing down like a weight.

Kaen broke it first, clenching his fist with fire in his eyes.

"It's okay, Elder! We'll just beat those guys and finish this mission!"

Lira shook her head gently, her tone warm.

"You don't have to apologize, Elder. We accepted this path the moment we came here."

Ceyla exhaled, though her expression hardened with resolve.

"This is our mission. We don't have the luxury of turning away—we'll see it through."

Juno gave a small nod, silent but firm in his agreement.

Rael crossed his arms and let out a low "Hmph.", though the tension in his shoulders betrayed his hidden resolve.

At last, Khael stepped forward, calm yet resolute. His voice carried steady through the chamber.

"I have a plan."

All eyes turned to him, the sacred firelight flickering across their young faces.

Captain Kaedros narrowed his gaze.

"A plan?"

Khael nodded calmly, though inside his mind churned.

(I can't just say I know it from the manga… that would be insane. I'll have to reason it out so they believe it's my deduction.)

He raised his voice for the others to hear.

"If my hypothetical assumptions are true… then Veymorr isn't acting alone. Which means our first step isn't to rush into battle—it's to lure out his comrade."

Lira frowned, tilting her head.

"But how can we lure out someone we don't even know exists?"

Khael kept his expression steady, hiding the storm in his chest.

(I can't reveal her name… Lady Sythen, Eclipse of Jealousy. If I said that now, everyone would look at me like a traitor or a liar. No—I'll make them see it logically.)

He said aloud:

"Think about it. If Veymorr had the power to wipe this village alone, why wait for a festival? Why not strike earlier, when the Guardians were scattered? The timing was too perfect—our defenders collapsed too quickly. It's likely someone was already working in the shadows, weakening the resistance before the attack began."

Juno's brows furrowed.

"So… you're saying the village didn't fall because Veymorr was unstoppable, but because someone else crippled the Guardians from inside?"

Khael nodded.

"Exactly. Which means if we move recklessly, we'll be fighting more than just his Wrath. We'll be walking into a trap."

Kaen clenched his fist, his temper flaring.

"Then what do we do, huh? Just sit around and wait for this mystery person to show themselves?"

Khael smiled faintly at him.

"No. We give them a reason to reveal themselves. If this hidden enemy truly thrives in

the shadows, then they won't allow us to move freely. We need to make them think we're about to uncover their game… and then they'll act."

Ceyla raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"You're talking about baiting them out?"

"Yes," Khael confirmed.

"We split our forces, but not in a reckless way. One group will openly prepare to confront Voidborn. The other will 'secretly' investigate the ruins of the Guardians' stronghold. If my guess is right, the hidden enemy won't resist interfering—because that's where their influence lies."

Rael, who had been silent until now, gave Khael a sharp look.

"Hmph. That's a dangerous gamble… but I'll admit, it's sharper than I expected from you. To think of cornering an unseen foe…"

Khael hid his unease behind a calm mask.

(This isn't just deduction… I already know how this story ends. But if I reveal too much, they'll all start questioning what I am. I'll just have to guide them, step by step, without letting my past life slip.)

Elder Ryozen stroked his chin, his ember-like eyes narrowing.

"A bold plan. Risky, yes… but if there truly is another Eclipse, this may be the only way to force them into the open."

Serin snorted from the side.

"Hah. Sounds like guesswork to me. You're betting lives on shadows and paranoia."

Kaen rounded on him instantly.

"Shut up, brat! Khael's plans make more sense than your whining!"

Khael sighed softly, raising a hand to calm them both.

"It's not about certainty—it's about preparation. If we assume there's only one enemy and we're wrong, we all die. If we prepare for two and there's only one, then we're still alive. Which risk would you rather take?"

The room fell silent at that. Even Serin had no immediate comeback.

Finally, Wanderer-Seer Oryan's lips curved into the faintest smile, his crystal-crowned staff glowing faintly.

"Well reasoned, young veinwalker. Whether born from logic or instinct… your words carry weight."

Khael lowered his eyes, hiding the flicker of tension within.

(Not instinct. Not logic. Memory. But for their sake, I'll carry this burden alone.)

Meanwhile, in the shadowed hollows beyond the village's borders…

A throne of black thorns rose from a bed of seeping mist. Upon it sat Lady Sythen, Eclipse of Jealousy, her eyes like shards of emerald glass glimmering with contempt.

She crossed one leg over the other, her pale fingers tracing the armrest idly.

"Pathetic Veymorr…" she hissed, her voice a silken poison.

"To think you'd be sealed and sent crawling back to the Void by an old man. Wrath without wisdom is nothing but a beast in chains."

Her lip curled, but her eyes gleamed with calculation.

"Hmph. It seems I'll have to plan this myself. As much as it disgusts me… I'll need to unseal the gate, bring him back. Alone, I cannot yet destroy the village—not while their Stronghold still burn."

The mist shifted around her, like serpents coiling in worship.

She murmured under her breath, venom dripping from each word.

"And now… they send those young veinwalkers. Troublesome brats. They carry the scent of something… dangerous. Especially that boy…"

Her nails dug into the throne's armrest as a shadow trembled beside her—her servant, a twisted Voidborn shaped like a hunched silhouette with too many eyes.

The creature hissed.

"Mistress… shall we strike at them now?"

Lady Sythen shook her head slowly, a cruel smile curving her lips.

"No… not yet. Let them think they are clever. Let them split their forces, dig through ashes, whisper their plans."

Her voice dropped to a whisper, rich with envy.

"Jealousy thrives in silence, in secrecy. I will unravel them from within. Their trust will shatter, their blades will turn against one another… and when envy crowns me, not even that brat will matter."

The Voidborn hissed in delight, shadows bowing lower.

Lady Sythen's eyes gleamed brighter, her laughter low and serpentine.

"Yes… let them come. The game of envy has only begun."

To be continue