Path of the Extra

When Azriel left, it wasn’t long before the others woke as well, and Celestina had somewhat recovered.

Not long after, they were forced to climb their way back up…

Along the way, they passed dozens of dead void creatures—fallen from Floor -1.

Perhaps it was fortunate that they stumbled upon a ladder of ice waiting for them where the lift should have been.

The ladder was fragile yet sturdy enough to support them, allowing them to ascend one by one. It was then that they truly realized the extent of Azriel’s control over ice—how effortlessly he had shaped it. And now, with his recent advancement, his constructs would only become stronger, more refined, and more durable.

At last, they reached Floor 0… where it seemed a massacre had taken place.

The void creatures that once roamed this level had all been released—and slaughtered in countless ways.

It was Henrik who voiced the question lingering in everyone’s mind: Was this Azriel’s doing?

Celestina, who had been silent until now, barely seeming present at all, finally spoke. She didn’t know. All she knew was that Azriel had found them, confirmed they were alive, and left immediately—almost as if he were in a rush.

The reactions were mixed. Naturally, Azriel leaving so abruptly, as if all of this was nothing, stirred many emotions. But none seemed as affected as Sophia. She hadn’t said a word, but… she looked the most sad.

They knew that Azriel had been separated at Floor -1. That meant he had either killed these void creatures while making his way to Floor 0… or after he had already found them at Floor -2 and was on his way out.

The problem was the timing.

Given how little time had passed, it seemed unlikely that Azriel had done all this alone—at least not this quickly. What convinced them most was how the void creatures had been killed.

Or rather… what had been done to their bodies afterward.

Each void creature had a gaping hole where its mana core should have been. But unlike the void creatures that had fallen from Floor -1, whose cores remained untouched, these were completely missing.

Azriel hadn’t bothered to extract mana cores before, and neither had Celestina, Henrik, or the others—they simply hadn’t had the time. More than that, they hadn’t felt comfortable enough to do it.

Henrik was the first to make a decision.

“I’ll go ahead,” he said. “I’m the only one who’s recovered enough mana and stamina to fight. I suggest you all wait outside.”

No one objected. They left him to it as he climbed to the upper floors, searching for any remaining threats—and for Edge.

Outside, the sun had long since set. The moon had risen high into the sky, casting a pale glow over the facility. The wind howled, cutting through the silence with its cold touch.

Celestina and the others sat on the ground.

They could sense it—something was off about the Frost Princess.

None of them had the courage to ask. Not this time.

Perhaps they would have, under different circumstances. But now, at this moment, it felt as though they shouldn’t. As though it was better to let her be.

And so, they simply watched as she sat there alone, her eyes closed, her expression eerily peaceful—almost as if she were asleep.

It made them whisper.

Not out of curiosity.

But out of fear that they might disturb her slumber.

“I really thought we were going to die…” Gavin was the first to whisper.

“We would have… if not for the prince and that other void creature falling right on top of that abyssal. We would have been slaughtered by its trick,” Nova replied.

“The prince really is amazing…” Sophia said with a sigh. “Honestly, with all the rumors, I always thought he was just some deadbeat—sleeping all day, all night, wasting his life, fat, doing nothing. Nothing to compare to the children of great clans, or even lesser ones. But… I was wrong. Though, I still wish he’d stayed until I woke up. Who knows? Maybe I could have gotten his number…”

Sophia grumbled, and a rare smile tugged at Nova’s lips.

“You know, prince or not, he’s still four whole years younger than you.”

“So what? Age is just a number in the face of love!”

“And jail is just a place,” Gavin added.

Sophia pouted, turning her face away with a huff.

“He is the Crimson Prince. Who would dare jail him and his only slightly older lover?”

“Pervert.”

“I am not!”

Sophia glared at Nova, but before they could continue, the sound of footsteps reached them from the entrance. Everyone, including Celestina, immediately stood and turned toward the source of the noise.

It was Henrik who walked back toward them, completely unscathed.

Celestina approached him quietly, saying nothing. Henrik bowed, then spoke.

“Floor 1 was empty. No void creatures made their way there. When I headed toward Floor 2… it was the same. Except for Mr. Edge—his head was detached, lying on the table.”

Henrik pulled a piece of paper from his storage ring and handed it to her.

“At first, I thought it was Prince Azriel’s doing, but the detached head of Mr. Edge… his mouth was split open with a knife, as if he were smiling. Inside his mouth, there was this paper.”

Henrik hesitated, watching as Celestina read the letter, her face unreadable.

“It seems like all of this was a setup… to kill you, Your Highness.”

Bringing the infamous Crimson Prince along with you was a fabulous move! The first round goes to you, my lady. Until the next show!

-Your biggest fan, J

*****

Azriel stood in front of his door, waiting a few seconds before opening it and stepping inside, closing it softly behind him.

“I am pleased to see your safe return, my prince.”

Azriel blinked as Amaya appeared before him, as if she had been waiting for his return.

“You’ve been waiting here the entire time?”

“It is only natural that I do.”

“I see…”

Azriel sighed before walking further inside toward the kitchen, Amaya following closely behind. He could feel her eyes intensely scanning him, whether to check if he was injured, or because he had become a Grade 3 Advanced—perhaps both.

“Let me do it for you, Your Highness.”

“I can manage something simple like this myself.”

Azriel opened the cabinet, poured himself a glass of water, and took a sip.

Amaya continued to watch him quietly, her gaze soft. It made Azriel feel uneasy, forcing him to speak.

“Are you not going to ask where I’ve been all this time? About what happened?”

At his words, Amaya smiled warmly and shook her head.

“As someone who worries for you every second, I want to, but… I’m realizing you’re not the same little boy I helped raise. A prince like yourself has many important matters to attend to, without my consent or knowledge… And I need to come to terms with that. I trust you can handle it.”

She narrowed her eyes, her smile growing brighter.

“And seeing you now as a Grade 3 Advanced… I’m glad I can. I’m glad I did.”

At her words, Azriel blinked a few times before looking away from her smile. It was… strange. Her words, filled with affection and care, made his chest warm. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but the way she spoke just now… and the air around her.

“…I’m grateful for your trust, Amaya. Really. But… I hope it doesn’t come at the cost of you acting more distant around me… I… I don’t wish for that.”

As Azriel didn’t turn to meet her gaze, a silence stretched between them. He distracted himself, drinking his water in a single gulp.

Then, suddenly, he felt Amaya’s hand gently touch his left arm. Azriel looked at her.

“Amaya?”

And then…

“He-Ow! Hey!”

She started pinching his ear.

“Argh! L-let go! Amaya, ow!”

She released him, stepping back with a bright smile, stunning Azriel for a few seconds as he gripped his now-red ear with both hands.

“That’s for making me worry all day without telling me anything. I just tucked Lady Iryndra in, and if you hadn’t returned in the next hour, I would have gone looking for you myself… Please, next time you plan to break your promise to Her Majesty and the Highness, at least give me a heads-up? You know it’s my head that’ll roll if something happens to you!”

Hearing Amaya’s words, Azriel looked away again and coughed.

“Well, technically, I didn’t break any promises. I was out on a mission with Celestina. I’m in her faction, after all…”

Amaya’s eyes sharpened.

“Your Highness, I sincerely hope you didn’t join her faction just because she showed you her [unique skill]? It couldn’t have been worth all the trouble caused now, right?”

Azriel simply shrugged.

“I was curious, okay? And I had good reasons to join her faction—reasons that will benefit me. Plus, don’t worry, I left her faction… well, I still need to tell her that, but it’s been a long day for both of us, really…”

“Yes… I can tell.”

Azriel broke into a soft smile at the sight of her curious eyes, practically begging to know everything that had happened.

“Fine, sleep can wait.”

Amaya chuckled.

“I haven’t slept since last week, Your Highness.”

“…That’s not healthy.”

“I’m a master.”

“…That makes sense.”

Then, both Amaya and Azriel sat at the kitchen counter as Azriel began to recount his entire day to her. Amaya listened intently, reacting with different expressions each time.

Before they knew it, time gently faded into the background.