I Became an Extra Without Growth in the Academy

Clang!

Trash stood there, shirtless and dazed, pondering how things had come to this.

Duh?

How did it end up like this?

It all began with the dreadful news that his son, Diggerus, had gone missing after completing a rift expedition.

Thud!

His son, blessed with outstanding talent, was sure to become a fine man to carry on the family name.

Boom!

But then, just like that, the boy vanished into thin air.

While the academy claimed he was “missing,” he didn’t buy it. Missing from a rift? No way; outside and then gone? Ridiculous!

Crash!

Clearly, something had happened in the rift. Yet he was too stubborn to admit it, making excuses instead. He was certain, given he had done something similar once.

Swoosh!

Yet, instead of looking for him, he sharpened his blade, waiting for the day of revenge… What? Now they’re saying he’s dead?

Not just dead, but returned as a demon? He had no choice but to kill him then?

Rumble!

“Not only did you kill my son and try to cover it up, but now you’ll also tarnish our family’s honor!”

Grrr!

Fury boiled within him. Though he’d never had a good relationship with the academy, he never expected them to be this brazen about it.

So he stormed off to the academy as soon as he got the news.

At first, he just wanted to confront them and establish if they were lying.

But once he arrived, the first people he encountered were three members of the student council, inspiring a rather good idea in his head.

Ding!

“This could’ve gotten complicated, but luck’s on my side!”

He planned to capture them under the pretense of questioning them about the incident, eagerly waiting for any news regarding a commoner.

Ching!

Once he could pin something on them, he was ready to act immediately.

“That commoner can’t be trusted! Arrest him and interrogate him right now!”

Even if the kid was just a commoner, he was still a student at the academy. Using that, he could absolutely strike back at the academy!

Wham!

Besides, treating a commoner like that was so obvious that if he played his cards right, the academy wouldn’t be able to complain too much.

Sure, it was a sudden and impulsive move, but he was confident he could handle it.

He had an artifact that allowed him to read minds, after all.

So all that mattered now was the thoughts of the two women by the commoner’s side…

Ping!

[You are confused by their actions.]

[You have no intention of stopping their actions.]

Sure enough, they were on his side. The duke’s daughter looked a tad flustered, but the hwangnyeo remained emotionless, just observing the situation.

Hmm…

“Of course. The rumors were just lies.”

Yeah, that made sense. The hwangnyeo wouldn’t bother with a commoner at all.

Even if she did, it would only be to keep an eye on him for future purposes.

Grimace!

After all, he had sworn never to trust a rumor again since the whispers about him being interested in the same gender started circulating at the academy.

He merely checked out of anxiety, worried that he might forget his status in youthful folly, although he fully expected it to turn out this way.

Chill!

With those worries gone, he could secure that commoner without a hitch.

Strangely, the kid didn’t resist much, but there was no need to even read his thoughts.

He probably understood he couldn’t do anything being just a commoner.

Eureka!

“…In that case, he could serve as a subject for my ongoing experiments.”

After all, he was just a mere commoner. If he disappeared, no one would remember him anyway, so he might as well use him for as much as he could.

He thought to himself.

[Lucidion]

[Strength: 17]

[Toughness: 8]

[Agility: 26]

[Magic: 11]

[Special Trait: ■■■■, healthy and delicious]

[You are attempting to steal all of your belongings and hide it.]

Before he realized something was off and checked his stats, he saw plain yet pathetic numbers and felt relieved, confirming the rumors were exaggerated.

But then, something caught his attention: a bizarre trait that didn’t match at all.

[■■■■]

[■■■ ■■■■■. ■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■■■■■■.]

What in the world…

After seeing something he couldn’t grasp at all, it didn’t take long to get to the current situation.

“…”

Gulp!

He stared blankly at his wrist.

Nothing. The amazing artifact he had been using for so long had slipped into the hands of a commoner.

Thud!

That was a mistake. Assuming he was just a commoner, a mere first-year student, he hadn’t bothered to check properly.

They had no relation at all. So he never imagined the kid would know something.

Uh-oh!

No, no—this wasn’t the time to think about that. Right now…

“Bring him to me. Right now.”

He had to prioritize retrieving what that son of a gun had taken. Ripping and burning could come later.

Having experienced countless situations easily thanks to his artifact, he couldn’t afford to live without it anymore.

Zoom!

Running away wasn’t hard at all. Most of the main forces were probably following Trash’s lead.

Sure, he’d been spotted a couple of times just wandering around the count’s estate, but now that Trash was burning with rage, that didn’t matter.

So he didn’t bother hiding or diverting attention and headed straight to the Old Book Storage.

Clatter!

It felt awfully easy to move around, almost like the guards were slacking off.

But considering he had the exceptional ability to evade, the guards weren’t much of an issue.

Had he not had that ability, he wouldn’t have made it this far.

Crunch!

At last, he arrived in front of the Old Book Storage.

It was a huge wooden building, with the environment around it magically regulated to preserve the state of the books inside.

Whew!

Maybe that was why, just being near it felt exceptionally pleasant.

“There it is!!”

Bang!

He realized it wasn’t the time to just enjoy the air—he needed to rush inside to avoid Trash’s approaching voice.

Inside, the atmosphere resembled that of a holy cathedral. Countless old books were densely packed in antiquated shelves, and the distinct scent of aged paper wafted through the air.

Sniff!

From this view, it did look like an Old Book Storage.

But opening the hidden attic door and descending underground revealed a room filled with forbidden books.

Gleeful chuckle!

He really loved basements. Why is it that everything shady gets hidden underground?

Pondering that, he finally found the spot where the hidden attic door was.

“There it is.”

Whomp!

In a corner of the building, there were countless boxes filled with small books.

They didn’t seem well-maintained at all, with dust clearly piled up, visible to the naked eye.

Pfft!

No one would want to approach or touch such a sight. So it felt suspicious, in fact.

That’s right. If he cleared these boxes away, the hidden attic door would be revealed.

The boxes were stuffed with books, so they were quite heavy, but he was a guy with a strength of 17!

Thunder!

Sure, he hadn’t been in the spotlight since he was nestled among the main characters, but 17 was genuinely strong. He wasn’t fighting monsters or anything, and with this strength, he could manage.

Grunt!

As he was diligently clearing away the boxes, chaos began to swell outside, culminating in the Old Book Storage doors swinging open with a bang!

Uh-oh!

“….”

Thud thud!

Trash led in even more knights than before.

He somehow even managed to put on new clothes, hastily buttoned, with the top button slightly askew.

Flick!

Curious to hear what his enemy had to say, he looked, and Trash quietly inquired,

“…What do you know?”

Oh snap!

At this point, he seemed to have caught on to something.

After all, he had barged in, rifled through the secret warehouse, and snatched away the bracelet he had been wearing. Now, here he was, clearing boxes to find the attic door. If he didn’t catch on, that would be weirder.

Ding ding!

He quickly sought to read Trash’s thoughts.

[You want to convince me.]

What???

He thought Trash would try to kill him on the spot.

Then, words flickered, and more content added.

[You want to convince me, take my belongings, then kill me.]

Ah, as expected…

I boldly raised the bracelet as if to flaunt it before his eyes.

Realizing what that meant, Trash’s voice became hurried, filled with panic as he tried to reason with me.

“…Wait, there must be a reason for everything. I’ll agree to anything; just give that back!”

Gag!

His tone suddenly turned nice.

I checked his thoughts again, and this time he seemed sincere.

But knowing that guy, once he achieved his goals, he’d shift to a different stance. That’s just his nature.

Hmm!

‘His reason for going this far…’

I considered for a moment what the Jibchak Family had done in the original story.

When battles raged on, suffering from supply shortages, he would use his octopus-like operations to line his own pockets; yet, while drinking in a safe location, he’d suddenly redirect military support to himself and spread misinformation about the other houses to cut off their aid.

And in the worst-case scenario, when fighting against demons leading a monster invasion, he’d even make a deal with the demons just to save his own skin…

Gulp!

Considering that, it hit me that Diggerus becoming a demon was a strong family trait. Building up a plot twist right there!

Facepalm!

Anyway, even just recalling this much was bad enough. No matter how selfish humans are, chasing profits, behaving this way is unlikable.

After all, what I’m about to overturn is a scenario similar to this.

Eyes narrow!

Right now, that scumbag is researching forbidden books that detail mind control spells. Later, he’d use these to abduct and brainwash several individuals, engaging in total madness.

In critical battles, key players would mysteriously vanish to positions protecting the Jibchak Family, causing massive trouble.

“Answer me!! What will you do!?”

Furrow brows!

How could one be so bold while engaging in such heinous acts? It baffled me.

There was no value in answering. So I simply lifted one hand…

Flick!

Raising my middle finger.

Gulp!

A reaction came right after…

“…I must look utterly foolish to you. Don’t hesitate—kill him! The goods can be snatched away after he’s dead.”

Silence!

When a person’s anger hits the extreme, they actually chill out completely—that’s exactly the vibe here.

Coldly delivered orders saw the knights slowly approach me.

Trash, not intending to remain idle either, began preparing to cast magic from behind.

Wha-?!

Wouldn’t they rather be more careful? Surely they must’ve seen my unusual traits with their own eyes—I guess they just didn’t care for the sacred texts?

Boff!

Curious about what they were thinking, I confirmed.

[You are laughing at my stats.]

Bleh!

That did make sense.

No matter how good the software is, if the hardware’s performance is poor, it’s just pearls on a pig’s neck.

Evils plot!

Sure, my stats could use work—that I admit!

But I’ve managed it all with these stats up until now. I intend to keep doing so!

Okay, okay!

‘This was a first for me—engaging in battle after opening my inventory.’

At least it should be a bit better than not having it.

Sensei says?

Alright then… time to test the Quick Swap feature!

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