The Extra Who Shouldn’t Exist

A big smile stretched across Alex's face as Azrael uttered those words.

He turned away from the demon and walked toward Rick, his expression turning solemn.

"Master," Alex said, his voice low and serious. "Is that truly your greatest desire?"

Rick, still kneeling, looked up at Alex with tear-filled eyes.

"It's everything I ever wanted in this world," he whispered. "I have no one to call my own now. My wife has also… she passed away three months ago."

His voice cracked.

"I'm just… a hollow shell now. Living without direction. I spent most of my life researching runes—at first, it was passion. But then... I gave it more attention than my family. When Cristina died, I dove deeper into research.

As had someone told me that through certain runes, I could summon a high ranking demon that could bring her back."

He clenched his fists.

"And now… my wife is gone too. I made the same mistake twice."

Alex listened quietly, his gaze unmoving.

"My only purpose now was to sacrifice myself to revive my daughter… but even that's impossible. So tell me, Alex... what should I live for?"

Alex sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Alright, alright, old man..."

Then, his voice sharpened with resolve.

"Fine. I'll help you. But you better be ready to sacrifice everything."

Rick nodded without hesitation.

"Everything. Even my soul."

Alex smiled softly.

"As repayment for everything you've done for me up until now... let me do you this one favor."

He gently reached his hand toward Rick's head.

'Partner, extract and copy all memories he has of his daughter and wife.'

[ On it, Host. Beginning memory scan... ]

Rick's body jerked slightly as a sharp pain surged through his mind. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed into unconsciousness.

Alex caught him before he hit the ground and slowly laid him down.

'How much Cosmic Essence have we recovered so far?'

[ Host, approximately 20%. What are you planning to do? ]

Alex knelt beside Rick's unconscious form, his voice calm but firm.

'Use all of it to place his body into eternal sleep. Can you do that?'

[ Affirmative. With 20% cosmic essence, we can envelop him in a stasis dream. Using extracted memories, I'll construct a full-sensory illusion and sustain it within a dream dimension where time moves slower. He'll live out a full lifetime with his wife and daughter—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—until his natural life ends. ]

Alex nodded slowly.

'Good. Now take the memories of Cristina and his wife, and construct their personalities. Create a peaceful illusion… give him the life he always longed for.'

[ Executing... ]

There was a pause.

[ Host… ]

Alex replied without hesitation.

"Yeah?"

[ You're a really... good man. ]

Alex smirked.

'Of course I am. Don't you see the greatness pouring out of me every second?'

[ Shut the hell up you bastard now i regret pouring my heart to you.

Just let me do my work peacefully. ]

Alex chuckled.

Moments later, a warm smile appeared on Rick's sleeping face.

---

[ Illusionary dimension]

Rick blinked, confused.

He was standing in enterance hall of his mansion.

The walls were pristine, polished. The scent of warm food filled the air.

'What… is this?'

He turned toward the mirror in the and froze.

His reflection showed a man in his early thirties—youthful, healthy, strong. His gray hair was now chestnut brown. No wrinkles, no fatigue.

"This… can't be real."

Then he heard it.

Laughter.

Joyful. Familiar.

It was coming from the dining room.

Heart pounding, Rick sprinted toward the sound. As he neared the room, tears began to blur his vision.

There they were.

Cristina. His daughter. Bright eyes, long auburn hair, her face full of life as she laughed at something on the table.

And beside her—his wife. Alive. Smiling.

They were eating dinner peacefully.

Cristina looked up, confused.

"Father? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

His wife walked toward him, a worried expression on her face.

"Darling… are you alright?"

Rick choked on his words, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"It's nothing... nothing at all."

He pulled them both into a tight embrace, as if afraid they'd vanish.

After a while, he finally let go, sitting at the dinner table with them as they talked and laughed. The warmth, the peace—it was everything he had ever wanted.

'This… is the life I always dreamed of,' he thought. 'Why did I ever waste it chasing runes? From now on… I'll focus on what truly matters.'

Cristina leaned toward him shyly.

"Father…"

"Yes?" Rick said, smiling.

"I have something to tell you."

Rick blinked.

"Is it something serious?"

Cristina nodded.

"There's someone I like."

Rick froze for a moment. Then he smiled softly.

"Alright. Bring him here tomorrow. I'll decide if he's worthy of you."

Cristina beamed and hugged him.

"You're the best! You won't regret meeting him!"

"Yeah, yeah. But don't expect me to approve immediately," Rick said, laughing.

Cristina pouted adorably.

Then suddenly—

A servant came saying "Sir someone has come to meet you."

It was night.

Rick stood up.

"Saying who could it be at this moment."

He walked to the front door of the mansion.

What he saw made his breath catch in his throat.

Standing before him was a silver-haired young man with bright blue eyes and a smug smile.

Alex.

Hands in his pockets.

"Yo, Professor," he said. "How's life treating you in here?"

Rick immediately recognized Alex standing at the doorway.

Tears welled in his eyes again—this time not out of grief, but gratitude.

He rushed forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Alex.

"Thank you, my boy… thank you," Rick whispered, voice cracking. "You just gave me the greatest gift I could ever imagine."

Alex chuckled and patted his back.

"So… at least one person acknowledges my greatness, right?"

Rick laughed, a genuine, hearty laugh—the kind he hadn't felt in years.

Alex pulled back and looked into his eyes with a serious expression.

"Listen, professor. I've done everything I could. In the outside world, you're still alive and kicking, so I've modified your body using a unique power. It'll survive for at least twenty more years, even in that comatose state. And in this illusionary world, time will flow slower. You can live here peacefully… with them."

"Until you die."

Rick wiped his eyes again, his face a mixture of peace and sorrow.

"I will forever be grateful to you. And I will always be proud to call someone like you… my disciple."

Alex nodded, smiling faintly.

"Thanks for everything you did for me, old man."

Rick smiled in return.

"One of my greatest regrets will always be… not being able to see you win for the Rune Arts department in The Inter-Academy completion..."

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"You're pretty confident I'll participate, huh?"

Rick's mouth twitched.

"Well… at least I hope you do."

But then Alex's expression turned serious.

"Listen… once I leave this illusion, you'll forget about me and even that this world is just an illusion. Completely. You'll just live your life here, happily. That's the whole point of this world."

Rick clenched his jaw, hesitating.

"Even about you…?"

Alex nodded.

"Yes. Even about me."

Rick took a shaky breath… and nodded slowly.

"Then… at least promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Tell the academy it was me who summoned the demon. I know you're planning to take the blame for yourself… but I don't want this ruining your life."

Alex smirked and waved him off.

"You don't have to worry about that, old man. I'll take care of everything. You just live your life to the fullest… here."

Rick opened his mouth to say something else when Cristina's voice rang out from behind him.

"Father? Who is it? Why are you taking so long?"

She peeked past Rick, her eyes widening when she saw Alex.

A sparkle of curiosity flashed in her gaze.

"Hi, handsome! Why don't you stay for dinner?"

She immediately ran up and grabbed Alex's arm.

Rick's mouth fell open.

"Cristina! Didn't you just tell me you had someone you liked? And now you're flirting with my student?! What kind of love is that, huh? Now I feel bad for the poor guy!"

Cristina puffed her cheeks and let go of Alex's arm.

"Come on, father! I was just being nice!"

Their banter continued playfully as Alex slowly stepped away, watching them with a smile.

He turned around, the mansion fading behind him as his body started to vanish like mist.

"Goodbye… master," he whispered softly.

Rick and Cristina suddenly paused mid-conversation, both blinking.

'What… were we just arguing about?' Rick thought, confused.

---

Alex's consciousness snapped back into his real body.

He exhaled deeply, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple.

"Phew… that went well."

He looked down at Rick's unconscious body, lying peacefully near the summoning circle. Slowly, the dark aura covered all of ricks body as if swallowing him then returning to Alex's own body like smoke drawn into a vessel.

The system spoke in his mind.

[ Don't worry, Host. I'll keep his body stable and preserved. ]

Alex nodded.

"Thanks."

From across the room, Azrael stood silently. His glowing eyes were wide with something rare—pure disbelief.

'What… what did I just witness?' Azrael thought.

'Even I couldn't have created such a beautiful, ending for him. A painless death and dream of life, built from peacefull memories of happiness…what a unique way of thinking he fulfilled the old man's wish far better than I ever could.'

The demon clenched his fists slightly.

'What is this human? What power does he possess? It was almost incomprehensible.'

'My other self was right. He's too kind and Too dangerous…'

---

Suddenly—

The large doors of Rick's office burst open with a thunderous boom, splintering into pieces as they crashed against the walls.

A tall man stepped in through the smoke and debris.

Edward Evans of Avaloria.

The ruler of the human empire.

His gaze fell immediately on Charlotte's unconscious body lying on the couch beside Azrael.

Then it flicked toward the summoning circle.

And finally… locked onto the demon casually sitting beside her and the boy standing near the summoning circle.

His eyes blazed with fury.

"You…" he growled. "Did you summon this demon?"

Alex met his gaze without flinching.

"Yes. I did."

Without another word, Edward blurred forward, grabbing Alex by the throat with terrifying speed and strength.

"I was wrong about you," Edward hissed, lifting Alex off the ground effortlessly. "You're a traitor."

Alex struggled. He had already expended all the Cosmic Essence.

'Shit… I can't use anything right now…'

He clawed at Edward's arm, but nothing worked. His vision began to blur as air left his lungs.

'I… can't break free…'

Then suddenly—

Azrael stood up.

In an instant, he appeared in front of Edward like a shadow splitting reality.

His voice cut the air like a blade.

"Who the hell are you… to treat my contractor like that, human?"

A deathly chill filled the room.

Black mist erupted from the ground. Dozens of undead warriors, armored and armed, began to crawl out of the floor beneath Edward's feet.

Their eyes glowed red. Their groans echoed like the wails of the damned.

Azrael's aura surged.

And the temperature in the room dropped like death itself had arrived.

-------

A/N:

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