The Extra Who Will Swallow The Plot

The morning after Alex's arrival came too quickly. Raze stood at the warehouse window, watching the city wake. His team slept in shifts. No one truly rested after seeing the Chosen.

Sophie's visit yesterday had been innocent. Excited. She'd wanted to show him something at the Healing Hall. Insisted he come see the other children. All healthy now. Playing. Laughing.

He'd agreed. Couldn't refuse her happiness.

The Healing Hall's corridors were different now. Bright. Clean. The oppressive weight of death was gone. Children ran through hallways that once held only suffering.

Sophie led him to the common area. Dozens of children. All former Black Cough patients. All alive because of what his team accomplished.

"Look! Everyone's better! Because of you and your friends!"

The gratitude was overwhelming. Parents approached. Thanking him. Blessing him. Offering everything they had in appreciation.

Raze deflected. "The healers deserve credit. They're administering the cure properly now."

But then he'd felt it.

A presence. Divine. Overwhelming. Making his Perception scream warning despite its terrible rank.

Alex Dawnsblade stood in the doorway. His divine light subdued but present. Those S rank Charm features drawing every eye. Divine authority radiating from him like heat from flame.

Sophie noticed. Her face lit up. "That's the Chosen! The one everyone's talking about!"

She ran to him before Raze could stop her. Her ten year old enthusiasm overriding all sense of danger.

"Are you really blessed by the Goddess? Can you do magic? My brother saved me! He's right there! He's really strong too!"

Alex's attention shifted. Found Raze across the room.

Their eyes met.

Raze's Combat Reflex activated involuntarily. His enhanced perception reading micro expressions. Body language. Threat assessment.

Alex wasn't hostile. Just... curious. Evaluating.

"Your brother?" Alex's voice was warm. Practiced. The tone of someone used to being admired. "The one who created the cure?"

"Yes! Well, his friend Kael made it but Raze planned everything! He's super smart!" Sophie grabbed Raze's hand. Pulled him forward. "This is Raze! Raze, this is the Chosen of Light!"

No escape. No diplomatic exit. Just two young men standing in a hallway while a child introduced them.

"Raze Dragonheart." Alex extended his hand. The gesture formal. Noble courtesy. "Sophie speaks highly of you."

Raze shook it. His C rank Strength nothing compared to Alex's divinely enhanced B rank. "She exaggerates. We did what needed doing."

"Saving forty three children from a plague. Destroying a criminal operation. Killing a Master rank cultivator." Alex's smile was practiced. Perfect. "That's more than most accomplish in a lifetime. You did it in days."

"You're well informed."

"The Goddess guides me to those who affect great change. Good or ill." Alex's eyes were evaluating. Not threatening. Just... assessing. "Your actions here changed Thornwick fundamentally. That draws divine attention."

Raze's stomach tightened. Divine attention. The last thing he needed.

"We helped people. Nothing more."

"Admirable humility. But unnecessary." Alex released his hand. Looked around the room. At the healthy children. "I came here expecting to find suffering. Disease. A crisis requiring intervention. Instead I find... resolution. Everything already handled."

Something flickered in his expression. Frustration? Confusion?

"My divine guidance led me here. It's never wrong. But it brought me to a problem already solved." He met Raze's eyes again. "By you and your companions. The Four Stars, yes? That's what the city calls you."

"We're just people who saw a problem and fixed it."

"Just people don't kill Master rank cultivators." Alex's tone remained pleasant but his words had weight. "I'm curious how you managed it. Adept rank combatants struggle with Masters. Yet three Initiates and one Expert succeeded where most would fail."

Three Initiates. He'd done his research. Knew their ranks precisely.

"Preparation. Luck. Desperation." Raze kept his voice neutral. "We had no choice. The children were dying. The Syndicate wouldn't stop. We fought or everyone died."

"And chose to fight despite the odds. Remarkable." Alex glanced at Sophie. "Your sister is fortunate. Most wouldn't have risked everything for family."

"Anyone would."

"You'd be surprised." Something darker crossed Alex's expression. Brief. Quickly masked. "Most people choose safety over sacrifice."

Sophie tugged Alex's sleeve. "Can you really do magic? The light everyone talks about?"

Alex's smile returned. Genuine this time. He extended his hand. Divine light coalesced. Soft. Warm. It danced across his palm like captured sunlight.

Sophie's eyes went wide. "Wow!"

"The Goddess grants me power to help people. To fight evil. To bring light to darkness." He let the light fade. "Though it seems Thornwick's darkness was already addressed."

"There's always more darkness," Raze said quietly. "The Syndicate isn't gone. Just wounded. They'll retaliate."

"Will they?" Alex's attention sharpened. "You believe tonight's dock attack is retaliation?"

Raze's blood went cold. "What attack?"

"You haven't heard? Happened two hours ago. Multiple Syndicate operatives hit the southern docks. Systematic destruction. Civilian casualties." Alex's expression hardened. "The city guard requested my assistance. I was heading there when divine guidance led me here first."

Boom boom boom.

Distant explosions. From the south. The docks.

Everyone in the Healing Hall felt it. Windows rattled. Children screamed.

Raze's mind raced. His Absolute Genius processing.

The Executor. She'd escaped with backup three days ago. This was revenge. Not against the Four Stars directly. Against the city for harboring them.

"I need to go." Raze was already moving.

"So do I." Alex fell into step beside him. "The Goddess sent me to Thornwick for a reason. Perhaps this is it."

They ran through streets toward the docks. Sophie stayed behind with Miss Helen. Safe.

Raze activated his communication crystal. Kael's voice crackled through.

"We felt the explosions. Already mobilizing. Meet at the docks."

"The Chosen is coming too."

Silence. Then. "This complicates things."

"Handle it. We don't have a choice."

The docks were chaos when they arrived.

Six warehouses burning. Bodies everywhere. Civilian dock workers caught in the assault. City guards fighting desperately against overwhelming force.

The Executor stood atop a warehouse roof. Her mask was new. Reinforced. She directed five Expert rank operatives with tactical precision.

Slash slash slash.

Her team moved through guards like wheat before a scythe. The skill gap was too vast. Initiates versus Experts wasn't combat. It was slaughter.

Alex's expression transformed. The pleasant noble facade vanished. Replaced by cold purpose.

"Stay back. I'll handle this."

He drew his sword. The blade gleamed with divine light. His Authority activating fully.

Whoooosh.

The Divine Light erupted. Brilliant. Overwhelming. The temperature dropped as holy power manifested.

Alex moved.

His B rank Agility was deceptive. Divine enhancement making him faster than the stat suggested. He crossed fifty feet in seconds.

The first Expert turned. Raised a blade. Too slow.

Clang.

Alex's Holy Swordsmanship at A rank was devastating. His blade moved with impossible precision. Each strike perfectly placed. Centuries of divine technique compressed into muscle memory.

Slash.

The Expert's defense shattered. Alex's follow through took the man's sword arm.

Splurt.

Blood sprayed. The Expert screamed. Collapsed.

One down. Five seconds.

The other Experts reacted. Coordinated. Professional. Three engaged Alex simultaneously while two moved to flank.

Alex didn't panic. His Divine Protection passive activated.

Ding ding ding.

Holy barriers materialized. Deflecting strikes he couldn't physically block. His S rank Will powering defenses that shouldn't exist at Adept rank.

He countered. Holy Swordsmanship flowing like water. Each movement precise. Economical. Beautiful in its efficiency.

Clang clang clang.

Steel met divine light. The Experts were skilled. Experienced. But Alex had something they didn't.

Divine backing.

His Smite Evil activated. Divine power channeling through his blade.

Fwoosh.

The attack was pure concentrated holy energy. It struck the center Expert directly.

The man didn't scream. Didn't have time. The divine power unmade him. Not killed. Unmade. His body dissolved into ash.

Two down.

The remaining three hesitated. That moment of uncertainty was fatal.

Alex pressed. His Divine Magic at S rank providing support. Healing Touch activating automatically on minor wounds. Light Manipulation creating barriers and projectiles.

He wasn't just fighting. He was dominating.

Meanwhile, Raze's team arrived.

Mariabel's flames announced their presence. A wall of fire cutting off one Expert's escape route.

Kael threw explosive vials. Acid bombs. Smoke for cover.

Boom boom boom.

The chemicals detonated. Creating chaos. Covering their approach.

Aslan's silver aura flickered. Twenty percent transformation. Just enough. His enhanced strength letting him engage an Expert without dying immediately.

Raze drew Azure Edge. His Combat Reflex tracked everything. The burning warehouses. The dying guards. The Executor watching from her perch.

She saw him. Recognized him even through the chaos.

"The Four Stars. How convenient." Her voice carried over the noise. "I was wondering when you'd arrive."

She leaped. Her S rank Agility making the three story drop look effortless.

Thud.

Perfect landing. No wasted motion.

Raze's Inspect activated.

Ding.

Syndicate Assassin

Name: Unknown (The Executor)

Age: 29

Rank: Expert (High)

Core: Refined (High)

Talent: Perfect Strike

Strength: A

Agility: S

Endurance: B

Mana: B

Mana Well: C

Will: B

Perception: S

Skills:

Advanced Assassination S

Poison Mastery A

Stealth S

Blade Arts A

Killing Intent B

Counter Flow A

Status: Determined, Professional, Vengeful

Expert High. The same woman who'd nearly killed them days ago. Wounded but functional. And very, very angry.

"You cost me my commander. My operation. My reputation." She drew twin blades. Poison coated. Gleaming. "Tonight I restore all three by mounting your heads on pikes."

Raze activated Scarlet Leap.

Whoosh.

His body blurred forward. Speed his only advantage.

Azure Edge came up in a defensive arc. The Executor's blades met it.

Clang clang.

The impact sent shockwaves through his arms. Her A rank Strength versus his C rank. Physics wasn't negotiable.

But his Combat Reflex predicted her follow up. He used Instant Transmission.

Blink.

Reality shifted. He materialized fifteen feet left.

The Executor's blade struck empty air. She adapted instantly. Her Perception tracked his reappearance.

"Spatial displacement. Clever. Won't save you."

She moved. Her S rank Agility making her nearly impossible to track. Even with Combat Reflex, Raze barely followed her movements.

Slash.

Her blade scored his shoulder. Shallow. His B rank Endurance and quick dodge preventing deeper damage.

But the poison. He felt it immediately. Burning. Spreading.

His vision blurred slightly. The toxin working fast.

Kael's voice from somewhere behind. "Raze! Antivenom!"

A vial sailed through the air. Raze caught it one handed. Bit the cork off. Drank.

Glug glug glug.

The antivenom was bitter. Harsh. But effective. The burning stopped spreading. Started receding.

The Executor used those seconds. Closed distance. Her blades moving in coordinated patterns. Advanced Assassination at S rank on full display.

Raze couldn't match her skill. His C rank Swordsmanship was competent. She was a master.

But he had tricks.

Scarlet Leap into Instant Transmission. The combination creating unpredictable angles. Appearing behind her. Slashing. Disappearing before she could counter.

Slash slash slash.

Minor wounds. Nothing serious. But accumulating. His strategy was attrition. Survive long enough to wear her down.

Mariabel engaged one of the remaining Experts. Her flames created a barrier between them and the civilians. Protecting innocents while fighting.

Flame Lance times three.

Fwoosh fwoosh fwoosh.

The attacks forced the Expert to dodge. Her Authority giving her power Experts struggled to counter. Raw elemental destruction.

But she was burning mana fast. Already at seventy percent. Her efficiency still terrible.

Aslan fought another Expert. His silver aura at thirty percent now. Pushing his limits. His enhanced strength letting him trade blows.

Crack.

His punch connected with the Expert's ribs. The man gasped. Staggered back.

But Aslan's eyes were starting to glaze. The transformation pulling at his consciousness. Forty percent approaching.

"Aslan! Don't push it!" Kael threw a support vial. Mild stimulant to help maintain clarity.

Crash.

The vial shattered at Aslan's feet. The vapor rose. He breathed it in. His eyes cleared slightly.

Thirty five percent. Holding.

Alex finished his third Expert. The man's body hit the ground with finality. Three corpses in under two minutes.

Thud thud thud.

The remaining two Experts saw their comrades fall. Saw the Chosen of Light standing over bodies. Made the smart choice.

They ran.

Whoosh whoosh.

Using movement skills. Escaping into the city. Alex didn't pursue. His priority was stopping the immediate threat. Protecting civilians.

His divine senses swept the area. Found wounded guards. Dying dock workers.

Healing Touch activated. Divine light spreading from his hands. Wounds closing. Lives saved.

The Executor saw her backup fleeing. Saw Alex eliminating threats with divine efficiency. Made her own calculation.

"Another time, Four Stars. The Syndicate isn't done with you."

She threw smoke bombs.

Poof poof poof.

Thick clouds obscuring vision. By the time it cleared, she was gone. Again.

Silence fell. Just the crackling of burning warehouses. The groans of wounded. The aftermath.

Raze collapsed against a wall. His shoulder throbbed where the Executor's blade had scored him. The antivenom was working but his body ached.

His team regrouped. Mariabel's mana at fifty percent. Exhausted but functional. Aslan's transformation dropped to twenty percent. Conscious. Controlled. Kael checking everyone for injuries.

Alex approached. His divine light fading. No blood on him. Not a scratch. Divine Protection had kept him pristine.

"You fight well. Coordinated. Covering each other's weaknesses." He looked at Raze. "But you're outmatched. The Executor is Expert High. You're Initiate Peak. The gap is too vast."

"We survived."

"Barely." Alex's tone wasn't condemning. Just factual. "She escaped again. Next time she'll bring more backup. Stronger backup. Eventually your luck runs out."

"Then we get stronger before next time."

Alex studied him. Those divinely enhanced eyes seeing... something. "You're confident despite the odds. Why?"

"Because giving up means death. Fighting means a chance." Raze met his gaze. "We'll take a chance over certainty any day."

"Admirable philosophy." Alex turned to the burning warehouses. "But philosophy doesn't stop assassins. Power does. You need more of it."

He didn't offer help. Didn't suggest joining forces. Just stated facts.

City guards arrived. Late but present. They began organizing. Putting out fires. Treating wounded. Securing the area.

Lord Magnus appeared with his personal guard. His Expert Peak presence immediately commanding respect.

"Report."

"Syndicate retaliation. Six operatives. Expert rank. Systematic assault on dock district." Alex's voice was formal. Official. "I engaged and eliminated three. Two escaped. One led the assault. Presumed to be The Executor based on descriptions."

Magnus's jaw tightened. "Casualties?"

"Seventeen civilians dead. Thirty wounded. Twelve guards killed. Twenty injured." The guard captain's voice was grim. "Could have been worse. The Chosen and the Four Stars stopped it from spreading."

Magnus looked at Raze's team. "You were here quickly."

"We felt the explosions. Responded immediately." Raze kept his tone neutral.

"The Syndicate targeted docks near your base of operations. This was a message. They know where you are. They're coming for you specifically."

"We know."

"Then you need to relocate. I'll arrange a safer location. Deeper in the noble district. Better protection."

"With respect, Lord Magnus, we're fine where we are." Raze's voice was firm. "The Syndicate knows our location because we're not hiding. We're dug in. Prepared. Moving makes us vulnerable during transition."

Magnus studied him. Then nodded. "Your call. But understand. The Royal Inquisitors arrive in nine days. They'll scrutinize everything. Every action. Every decision. The Syndicate attacking openly complicates their investigation."

"We'll deal with the Inquisitors when they arrive."

"See that you do." Magnus turned to Alex. "Chosen Dawnsblade. The kingdom thanks you for your intervention tonight. Your presence brings comfort to Thornwick."

"I go where the Goddess guides. Tonight She guided me here." Alex glanced at the Four Stars. "Though I confess, I'm still uncertain of my ultimate purpose in Thornwick."

"Perhaps simply being present is enough. Divine reassurance in troubled times."

"Perhaps." Alex didn't sound convinced.

The official business concluded. Magnus departed with his guards. The dock workers returned to salvaging what they could. Life continuing despite violence.

Alex approached Raze one final time.

"We'll likely encounter each other again. Thornwick isn't large enough to avoid it." His tone was neutral. Not friendly. Not hostile. "I hope when we do, you're still alive. The city needs people who fight for others."

"We don't plan on dying."

"No one does. Yet many succeed despite their best intentions." Alex's expression was unreadable. "Stay vigilant. The Syndicate is vast. Tonight was one cell. There are dozens more."

He left. Divine light fading as he walked into the city. Guards and civilians parting before him. The Chosen of Light. Hero. Destined savior.

Raze watched him go.

"That was... something," Mariabel said. "He's stronger than I expected. That Holy Swordsmanship. That was Master rank technique in an Adept's body."

"Divine enhancement," Kael added. "His blessing accelerates everything. Growth. Power. Skill acquisition. He's advancing faster than normal cultivation allows."

"And he didn't offer to help us," Aslan observed. "Didn't ask to join forces. Just... evaluated and left."

"He's not here for us." Raze's voice was quiet. "He's here because divine guidance sent him. But the guidance is confused. His quest was already completed. The story he was meant to play is gone."

"What happens when divine destiny meets someone who changed fate?"

"I don't know. But I don't think we want to find out."

They returned to their base as dawn approached. Exhausted. Wounded. But alive.

Inside, Kael immediately started treating injuries. The Executor's poison had been vicious. Without the antivenom, Raze would have died.

"We need to talk," Kael said as he worked. "About the future. About what we're doing."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we're Initiates and one Expert fighting Master rank enemies. Viktor was luck. Tonight was survival. Next time?" He shook his head. "Next time we might not be lucky."

"So we get stronger."

"How? Normal cultivation takes years. Decades. We don't have decades. We have days before the next attack. Weeks before something worse." Kael's hands paused. "I've been thinking. About Aslan's cure. About the capital city."

"What about it?"

"The Phoenix Marrow I need. It's only sold in the capital's black market. And while I'm there..." He hesitated. "There are resources. Cultivation resources far beyond what Thornwick offers. The capital is where serious cultivators go to advance."

"You want to leave." Not a question. A statement.

"I want to finish Aslan's cure. And I want to access resources that can help us survive." Kael met his eyes. "We're out of our depth here. We need to become stronger. Fast. The capital offers that."

Silence fell. The weight of the suggestion settling.

Mariabel spoke up. "The capital is also where the Royal Court sits. Where the Inquisitors are based. Where Duke Valdris has his strongest connections. Walking into that is dangerous."

"Staying here while the Syndicate hunts us is dangerous," Kael countered. "At least the capital offers opportunity. Growth. Resources."

Raze's mind raced. His Absolute Genius processing implications.

The capital. That was one step closer to the Elmore Empire border. Closer to Elmbridge Academy. The place where the real story began.

In the game, Alex traveled there after several months. Met crucial allies. Found legendary equipment. The Academy arc was where everything escalated.

If Raze went to the capital now, he could position himself. Gather resources. Prepare for the Academy ahead of schedule.

But that meant leaving Thornwick. Leaving Sophie. Leaving the city they'd just saved.

"How long?" he asked.

"Two weeks minimum. One week to travel. One week to acquire materials and resources. Then return." Kael's expression was serious. "But honestly? We might need longer. A month to properly prepare. Gather what we need. Train. Advance our ranks."

"A month."

"The Syndicate will still be here when we return. The corruption will still exist. But we'll be stronger. Better equipped. Actually capable of fighting what's coming."

Aslan spoke quietly. "I need that cure. I can't keep risking sixty percent transformation. Eventually I'll lose control completely."

"And I need to advance," Mariabel added. "Expert Low is strong for my age. But I need to reach Expert Mid. Expert Peak. My Authority needs training I can't get here."

They were all looking at him. Waiting for his decision.

Raze thought about Sophie. About the children they'd saved. About Thornwick healing.

But he also thought about the Inquisitors arriving in nine days. About the Duke's accusations. About the Syndicate's inevitable retaliation.

About Alex wandering the city. Confused by disrupted divine guidance. A wildcard that could turn hostile if he decided the Four Stars were the problem.

"Nine days until the Inquisitors," he said slowly. "We stay until then. Face their judgment. Clear our names. Then we leave for the capital."

"Together?" Kael asked.

"Together. We're a team. We advanced this far together. We'll continue together."

Relief was visible on everyone's faces. The decision made. The path forward clear.

"What about the base? Our position here?" Mariabel gestured around.

"Magnus will protect it. We have official recognition. The base stays ours. We return when we're ready." Raze stood. His shoulder protesting but functional. "Nine days to survive. Then we grow strong enough to actually matter."

The next week passed in tense preparation.

The Syndicate didn't attack again. Either regrouping or planning something larger. The city guard increased patrols. Magnus allocated more resources to protection.

Alex was seen throughout the city. Investigating. Healing. Helping. His divine presence bringing comfort.

But he didn't approach the Four Stars again. And they didn't approach him. Two forces orbiting each other. Neither hostile. Neither allied. Just... existing.

Kael worked on his research. Preparing for the capital journey. Making lists of materials. Contacts. Resources.

Aslan practiced controlled transformation. His limit was still forty percent. Beyond that, consciousness faded. But forty percent was enough to match low Expert ranks. Enough to contribute.

Mariabel trained her Authority. Discovering new applications daily. Fire wasn't just destruction. It was heat manipulation. Light creation. Energy transformation. Her power was vast. Her control improving.

Raze combined his movement skills obsessively. Scarlet Leap into Instant Transmission. Creating unpredictable angles. Making himself nearly impossible to track in combat.

His Swordsmanship was solidifying at C rank. The muscle memory integrating fully. He'd never be a master swordsman. But he was competent. Dangerous. Enough.

Sophie visited twice. Both times escorted by Mary. Both times happy. Healthy. She talked about returning to normal life. Making friends. Going back to school.

The guilt of planning to leave her ate at him. But he couldn't tell her. Not yet.

On the eighth day, word spread through the city.

The Royal Inquisitors were arriving early. Tomorrow. Not in two days. Tomorrow.

And not a team. Just one.

High Inquisitor Lyanna Ashford.

Elena appeared at their base that evening. Shadow Authority active. Her expression grim.

"You need to prepare. She's not here to investigate. She's here to judge."

"What's the difference?" Mariabel asked.

"Investigation seeks truth. Judgment assumes guilt and looks for evidence to support it." Elena's dark eyes were serious. "Someone in the capital told her you're the problem. That you disrupted order. Caused chaos. She's coming to confirm that belief and pass sentence."

"Can we talk our way through it?" Kael asked.

"Not with her Authority." Elena pulled out a document. Showed them. "Judgment Authority. She can divine truth from lies. Sense guilt. Pierce through deception. You can't hide anything from her. Can't deceive. She'll know everything."

Raze's stomach dropped. Everything. His reincarnation. His game knowledge. The plot he'd swallowed. All of it exposed to someone who could literally judge souls.

"What do we do?"

"You tell the truth. Completely. Totally. Don't try to hide anything because she'll sense it and that makes you look guilty." Elena's voice was firm. "You saved children. Stopped corruption. Killed a Master rank criminal. Your actions were righteous even if unconventional. Trust that she'll see that."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then you run. Fast. Because her judgment is backed by Master Mid power and an Authority that can literally execute the guilty with divine authority." Elena moved toward the door. "I'll do what I can. But Night Wardens can't directly interfere with Royal Inquisitors. Politics. But I'll be watching. If things go catastrophically wrong, I'll intervene. Consequences be damned."

She vanished into shadows.

The team sat in silence.

Tomorrow. Judgment day.

Raze stared at the ceiling. His mind racing. Planning. But for once, his Absolute Genius couldn't find a solution.

You couldn't outsmart someone who could literally see truth. Couldn't deceive someone whose Authority was judgment itself.

All he could do was face it. Honestly. Completely.

And hope righteousness mattered more than methods.

Outside, the city slept. Unaware that tomorrow, everything might end.

Inside, four people prepared to face judgment. From someone who could see their souls.

Raze's last thought before exhausted sleep claimed him: Tomorrow we face judgment. And I'm not sure we'll survive what she finds.