I Transmigrated Into the Game as the Luckiest Extra

For a moment, I didn't know how to respond. My chest tightened, though I hid it behind a faint smile.

"You don't owe me anything."

"I know," Clara Winslet said softly. "But I still wanted to say it."

The sincerity in her tone lingered in the quiet air.

I stood, gathering the dishes to clean them, partly to escape her gaze. "Eat your fill and quickly rest. You'll need to gather your strength."

Clara Winslet nodded, but as I turned away, I could feel her gratitude still pressing gently against me like warmth I hadn't expected, but couldn't ignore.

Clara Winslet stepped closer, brushing the dirt off her knees after a skirmish with a group of minor beasts. Her eyes immediately locked onto the large egg I was carrying.

"That thing… what on earth is it?" she asked, tilting her head.

I calmly adjusted my grip. "Just a companion egg I got by chance," I said without hesitation.

She frowned, clearly unconvinced, but I wasn't about to reveal it was a dragon's egg an SS rank. Some secrets weren't meant to be shared so easily.

"You sound exactly like Selene Whitmore," Clara Winslet muttered.

"Selene Whitmore said something similar?" I asked, feigning casual interest.

"Not exactly. She didn't offer a team-up, but the way you deflect… it's the same." Clara Winslet shrugged, then straightened her posture. "Anyway, I'd rather not beat around the bush. I think we should join forces."

I studied her for a moment. There wasn't much of a downside. Clara Winslet was sharp, and her combat sense was above average. More importantly, she was trustworthy or at least as trustworthy as someone could be in this exam.

"I don't see a reason to refuse," I replied.

She hesitated again, chewing her lip. "There's something I should mention first… I might have already agreed to team up with someone else."

I raised an eyebrow, though I already knew who. "Jeffrey?"

She looked surprised. "Yes. You know him?"

"Don't concern yourself with him." He is not someone you need to waste your time on.

Her confusion deepened, but I didn't elaborate. Jeffrey wouldn't be a problem for much longer.

"Are you sure?" she asked cautiously.

"Just focus on teaming with me," I said with a faint smile.

Even those who thought themselves strong eventually learned when it was smarter to step aside.

---

Jeffrey, meanwhile, was not enjoying his exam. His carefully constructed basea crude hut of woven grass and wooden supports had collapsed overnight. Dead animals he captured lay strewn around the perimeter as if something had deliberately left them there to mock him. The smell of rot clung to the air, and for a moment he wondered if he'd wandered into someone else's camp.

"What the hell happened here…?" he whispered, a nervous tremor in his voice.

Then he felt it. A cold, suffocating presence pressing against the back of his neck. His instincts screamed at him to run.

He bolted, crashing through the underbrush. But fate, as always, had a cruel sense of humor.

A spear cut through the air with a sharp whistle aimed directly for his chest.

---

Far to the north of the island stood the Overseer Dome, built upon elevated ground that overlooked much of the territory. Within its walls, examiners monitored every movement, every decision the cadets made. Eliminated students were escorted here to rest, while those still active were subjected to constant evaluation.

It wasn't just strength they measured. They judged cunning, morality, and even how one treated supposed allies. Winning by brute force meant nothing if one couldn't carry themselves in the world outside.

Inside the dome, Lindy Crowe stood by a large window, arms crossed as her gaze swept the distant horizon.

"Are the drones not enough for you?" a voice teased.

She turned to find Someone approaching approaching, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.

"Who has you so distracted?" the man asked lightly.

"Mm? Shouldn't you be off following Lucian Crowe like the big sister you are?" the man replied coolly.

Lindy Crowe laughed softly. "You wound me. But no, I came because I stumbled upon something interesting."

"Oh?" the man expression didn't change, though curiosity flickered in her eyes. "And what's that?"

"Classified information," Lindy Crowe said, lowering her voice dramatically.

Belester's guilds thrived on secrets. Information was currency, and even within the same organization, people held their cards close.

"That only makes me want to know more," the man said. "We're in the same guild, aren't we? Why not share?"

"Because your tongue is far too loose," Lindy Crowe shot back playfully.

"Come on!"

The man smirk deepened. Just days ago, she had obtained a confidential document Selene Whitmore's personal assessment of Kael Vi-rel. The boy had been ranked higher than even Lucian Crowe her brother, Elric Vales and Damon Reid. Anyone else's evaluation would have been dismissed as exaggeration, but Selene Whitmore was no fool. She was sharper than most and had maintained a close connection with Kael Vi-rel since the beginning.

"Are you going to verify it?" the man asked curiously.

"Perhaps later," Lindy Crowe said, her eyes narrowing.

She already knew more than the man suspected. Kael Vi-rel was the same student she had encountered at the auction house, the one bold enough to hand her his contact details.

"So what's your plan?" the man pressed.

"I'll use what I know. Watch closely," Lindy Crowe replied with a sly smile.

"Use it as bait? Anyone sensible will run the moment they sense a trap."

"Maybe. But watching how they run is half the fun."

Her smirk lingered, unreadable.

---

Night on the island never truly felt like night the artificial sky remained a dim, eerie gray, leaving everything trapped in perpetual twilight. Clara Winslet had volunteered to keep watch. She sat quietly near the fire, eyes occasionally flicking toward the large tent pitched behind her.

From her pocket, she pulled out a small drone. Its surface gleamed faintly in the flickering light, and for a long moment she stared at it. The memory of its protective barrier flashing around her still lingered.

There was only one person who used such tech. Kael Vi-rel.

Her fingers closed tightly around the device before she slipped it back into her pocket.

---

I woke at dawn, stretching as I stepped out of the tent. The faint smell of smoke still hung in the air from last night's fire.

Clara Winslet sat at the makeshift table, her posture straight and proper even in this environment. For a moment, perhaps because I was still half-asleep, she seemed almost otherworldly her hair catching the dim light like silver thread.

She tilted her head, catching me staring.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," I said with a faint chuckle.

My stomach growled quietly. I sighed, then crouched near the fire pit. "Let's eat before we move on."

Her brows rose slightly. "You cook?"

"Enough to get by," I replied, pulling out supplies from storage.

I gathered wild mushrooms, a strip of dried meat, and a pouch of herbs I had collected the previous day. A small pan was set over the rekindled fire, and soon the sound of sizzling echoed as the meat browned. I added water, chopped mushrooms, and herbs, letting the scent of broth fill the air.

Clara Winslet leaned closer, the corners of her mouth twitching upward. "That… actually smells amazing."

"It's nothing fancy," I said, stirring the pot. "But it'll keep us going."

When the food was ready, we ate together bread dipped into the hearty broth, meat softened by the cooking, mushrooms soaking up the flavor. Clara Winslet started cautiously, but after the first few bites her pace quickened.

"This is delicious," she admitted in surprise.

I shrugged. "Simple food is often the best."

For a while, silence settled. Only the crackle of fire and the rhythm of eating filled the air. But it wasn't awkward. In that brief span of time, it almost felt like we weren't in the middle of a brutal exam.

When we finished, Clara Winslet sighed contentedly. "Thank you."

I hid my smile. "Don't mention it." What are friends for.

---

The third day passed without major incident, hunting monsters was almost routine now. Each kill added to my tally, my points climbing steadily.

By noon, I found myself near a wide lake. The water rippled faintly under the artificial breeze, reflecting the pale light above.

I teleported across the lake

Just as I stepped forward, a prickle of instinct ran down my spine.

"Who's there!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the quiet.

The presence vanished instantly, slipping away like smoke. Whoever it was, they were skilled. But my eyes caught the faintest movement among the tall grass.

Selene Whitmore.

She froze, then began edging backward, clearly intending to trail me again once I lowered my guard.

I clicked my tongue. "Annoying."

Lifting my hand, I released a magic bullet toward the ground near her feet.

Bang!

Soil and dust exploded upward.

Selene Whitmore shrieked, stumbling back in alarm, her calm demeanor shattered.