Transmigrating as an Extra, But the Heroine Has Regressed?!

"Let's retrieve it quickly before the body cools too much. The core will be easier to extract while the energy is still fresh."

Seraphina crossed her arms and leaned slightly on her staff.

"Honestly," she said in a slightly mocking tone, "I can't believe we even needed to fight this thing. It's just a feral-rank beast. The villagers were terrified of this?" She gave a soft, incredulous laugh.

"They couldn't even handle a creature this weak? Pathetic."

Alina shot her a look. "Seraphina, not everyone trains at an academy like Arcadia," she said.

"Ordinary villagers don't have weapons or mana skills. Even a low-ranked beast can wipe out an unarmed village."

Jin nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. You saw how fast it moved before we took it down. If we weren't careful, even we could've been injured."

Seraphina gave a small shrug, unconcerned.

"Still… feral rank is nothing compared to what we face in training. One well-aimed strike and it's over." Her eyes flicked toward the beast's lifeless form.

"If a few villagers can't defend themselves, they should at least learn to run."

Kael narrowed his eyes slightly but kept his thoughts to himself.

(Easy for her to say. Not everyone is born with noble blood and mana talent).

He felt a faint irritation at her dismissive tone but knew better than to start an argument now.

Elysia crouched near the beast, ignoring Seraphina's words.

"Kael," she said without looking back, "hand me the small dagger from the supply pouch. It'll be easier to open the chest cavity with a precise blade."

Kael stepped forward quickly, unfastening the strap of the pouch on his side.

"Here," he said, passing the dagger to her.

Their fingers brushed for a brief moment, but Elysia didn't react. Her focus was entirely on the task at hand.

With careful movements, Elysia pressed the dagger against the beast's sternum and began to cut through the thick hide.

The sound of tearing flesh made a few of them flinch, but Elysia's expression remained calm and clinical.

"The core is usually lodged near the heart," she explained as she worked. "The stronger the beast, the deeper the core hides."

And they had taken out all the cores.

Alina exhaled in relief. "Good job. Professor Sylvia will have no reason to doubt our report now."

Jin grinned. "And maybe she'll even give us extra credit for bringing it back. Beats running laps any day."

Selene. "We should secure it properly," she said softly.

Kael stepped forward, taking a small reinforced pouch from his belt.

"Use this," he offered. "It's lined with containment fabric. It'll keep the core stable until we reach the academy."

Elysia glanced up at him, a brief flicker of surprise in her eyes, but she accepted the pouch with a slight nod.

"Bad thinking.", she said,

"Am I?"

As she carefully placed the glowing core inside, Seraphina gave another small laugh.

"All this effort for a feral core. Hardly worth the trouble."

This time, Kael couldn't hold back a quiet response.

"Easy to say when you weren't the one who had to live in fear of it." His tone wasn't harsh, but he said it directly.

Seraphina looked at him but she didn't reply. Instead, she turned away, flicking her staff casually over her shoulder.

Alina clapped her hands once, breaking the conversation.

"Alright, team. Core secured, beast down. Let's not waste more time here. The villagers are still waiting for our help, and there might be more of these creatures around."

Jin stretched his arms with a grin.

"Yeah, and I'm not planning to camp in this creepy forest any longer than necessary."

Elysia sealed the pouch and stood.

"Good. Let's move."

As they left the clearing, Kael glanced back one last time at the fallen beast.

The group moved forward

Kael stayed near the front this time while walking.

He didn't trust this path, and the faint smile Elysia wore when she thought no one was looking only deepened his unease.

Hours passed.

The forest slowly began to thin, and the air grew warmer.

Faint lights flickered ahead, lanterns. The scent of smoke and ash drifted through the trees.

"We're close," Elysia said, folding the map and slipping it into her pouch.

Kael quickened his pace until the trees finally parted to reveal a clearing. There, nestled between rocky hills, lay Blackstone Plaza.

Or what remained of it.

The village looked like a battlefield. Roofs were torn open, walls blackened by fire.

Smoke curled from collapsed houses. Blood streaked the dirt paths like dark rivers. The faint cries of villagers echoed through the haze.

Cecelia covered her mouth.

"This… this is horrible."

Edwin cursed under his breath. "Prisoners and beasts… they hit hard."

Professor Sylvia's voice echoed in Kael's mind: [Your mission is to rescue the villagers]. He tightened his grip on his sword.

"Stay sharp," Edwin said quietly. "The attackers could still be nearby."

Elysia nodded. "Split into pairs. Find survivors and regroup near the well at the center of the plaza. Move quickly."

The team obeyed, scattering into the ruined streets. Kael stepped forward, scanning the wreckage.

His heart pounded as the distant howls of unseen beasts rose again, carried on the evening wind.

"Okay, how will we split the group?" Jin asked, resting his two sword against his shoulder.

His eyes scanned the misty street of the ruined village, clearly uneasy.

"That's easy," Seraphina said.

"Strongest pairs with strongest. We need power if we run into prisoners or beasts." Her eyes flicked toward Kael.

"I'll take Elysia. The rest can manage themselves."

"Wait, why you and Elysia?" Alina snapped, stepping forward.

"We all need balance. If the two strongest go together, the other teams will be weak. That's reckless."

Seraphina tilted her head with a smirk.

"Reckless? Or smart? If something dangerous is hiding here, wouldn't you rather deal with it?"

"No. Splitting like that leaves us open. We should mix strength and support evenly."

Jin raised a hand, trying to calm them.

"Alright, alright—no need to start a war before the real fight."

Seraphina shot him a glare. "Then what's your genius idea?"

Jin grinned nervously. "Maybe… we draw lots?"

"That's ridiculous," Alina said sharply. "This isn't a game, Jin!"

Kael finally spoke.

"We should focus on covering ground, not egos. Pair the strongest with those who can heal or scout. That's the safest."

Elysia nodded slowly.

"Kael's right. We're here to rescue villagers, not argue. Balance the teams. No exceptions."

Seraphina clicked her tongue but didn't argue further.

The silence that followed carried both frustration and reluctant agreement as they began to decide the final pairs.