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Path of the Extra

Chapter 66: Drowning · Oct 15, 2026

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Chapter List (455)

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51 Chapter 51: Elevator 2026-10-15
52 Chapter 52: Friends 2026-10-15
53 Chapter 53: HCS-1 2026-10-15
54 Chapter 54: Accusation 2026-10-15
55 Chapter 55: Celestial Arena 2026-10-15
56 Chapter 56: Vergil 2026-10-15
57 Chapter 57: Void Streamer 2026-10-15
58 Chapter 58: Gods, Apostles, and Dreams 2026-10-15
59 Chapter 59: Mana Theory 2026-10-15
60 Chapter 60: Mission 2026-10-15
61 Chapter 61: High-risk, High-reward 2026-10-15
62 Chapter 62: Laughter 2026-10-15
63 Chapter 63: The Crimson Siblings 2026-10-15
64 Chapter 64: 527 2026-10-15
65 Chapter 65: Void Dungeon 2026-10-15
66 Chapter 66: Drowning 2026-10-15
67 Chapter 67: First Floor [1] 2026-10-15
68 Chapter 68: First Floor [2] 2026-10-15
69 Chapter 69: First Floor [3] 2026-10-15
70 Chapter 70: First Floor [4] 2026-10-15
71 Chapter 71: First Floor [5] 2026-10-15
72 Chapter 72: Truth or Dare [1] 2026-10-15
73 Chapter 73: Truth or Dare [2] 2026-10-15
74 Chapter 74: The Dark King of Imperion [1] 2026-10-15
75 Chapter 75: The Dark King of Imperion [2] 2026-10-15
76 Chapter 76: The Dark King of Imperion [3] 2026-10-15
77 Chapter 77: The Dark King of Imperion [4] 2026-10-15
78 Chapter 78: The Dark King of Imperion [5] 2026-10-15
79 Chapter 79: The Dark King of Imperion [6] 2026-10-15
80 Chapter 80: Second Floor [1] 2026-10-15
81 Chapter 81: Second Floor [2] 2026-10-15
82 Chapter 82: Second Floor [3] 2026-10-15
83 Chapter 83: Second Floor [4] 2026-10-15
84 Chapter 84: Prelude to Genesis [1] 2026-10-15
85 Chapter 85: Prelude to Genesis [2] 2026-10-15
86 Chapter 86: Descent into Madness [1] 2026-10-15
87 Chapter 87: Descent into Madness [2] 2026-10-15
88 Chapter 88: Descent into Madness [3] 2026-10-15
89 Chapter 89: No Time to Look Back [1] 2026-10-15
90 Chapter 90: No Time to Look Back [2] 2026-10-15
91 Chapter 91: Unbalanced [1] 2026-10-15
92 Chapter 92: Unbalanced [2] 2026-10-15
93 Chapter 93: Unbalanced [3] 2026-10-15
94 Chapter 94: Unbalanced [4] 2026-10-15
95 Chapter 95: Birth of Genesis [1] 2026-10-15
96 Chapter 96: Birth of Genesis [2] 2026-10-15
97 Chapter 97: Birth of Genesis [3] 2026-10-15
98 Chapter 98: We Are All Liars Here [1] 2026-10-15
99 Chapter 99: We Are All Liars Here [2] 2026-10-15
100 Chapter 100: We Are All Liars Here [3] 2026-10-15

Chapter 66: Drowning

”Lumine, are you all right? Youʼve seemed out of it ever since we arrived at the hotel,” Yelena asked, her concern evident as they stood in front of the Void Dungeon.

There were still 30 minutes remaining until 8:00 PM, but even now, she could see that most of the cadets from the three classes were already gathered, including Cadets Nol, Vergil, and Kai.

The last two didnʼt appear to be causing any trouble.

Cadet Kai was chatting with a group of his friends—the same ones who had confronted Yelena and Lumine on the first day—while Cadet Vergil sat alone on the ground, eyes closed.

No one dared to approach him.

Celestina was nearby, engaging with other classmates and seemingly becoming more popular by the second.

”Lumine? Are you listening?” Yelena asked again, tapping his shoulder.

Startled, Lumine snapped his head towards her.

”Huh? Oh! Yeah, sorry. I was just a little nervous about the Void Dungeon.”

Yelena nodded, offering him a reassuring smile.

”If itʼs just the first four floors, I doubt anything will really be a challenge. Besides, we have Azriel and Celestina in our class.”

Lumine nodded, trying to smile back.

”Y-yeah, youʼre right. Nothing will go wrong.”

But despite his words, his mind kept drifting back to the system notification that had appeared the moment he stepped into the hotel.

When he checked the [Quest] tab, he found it.

The problem was... the quest wasnʼt anything like he had expected.

Lumine had assumed it would involve killing Void creatures or defeating the floor boss, but no. The quest was surprisingly straightforward, yet unsettling.

All it said was that he had to prevent any cadets from dying in the Void Dungeon.

If he accomplished that, he would be awarded 5,000 SP—System Points, which could be used to purchase a lot from the [Shop].

It was a ridiculous amount of points, which meant the quest was likely just as difficult.

The vagueness of the quest only added to his anxiety.

It was the first time he had received such an ambiguous task.

All he knew was that he had to save the cadets from dying.

But from what?

Lumine found it impossible to concentrate any longer.

Yelena didnʼt bother Lumine anymore as they stood together in silence for the next 20 minutes until...

”Yo, Lumine, Yelena! How have you two been?”

Both of them snapped their heads around to see Azriel approaching with Jasmine by his side.

”Ah, Azriel! Iʼve been good, thanks,” Lumine replied.

”Mm, me too. Thanks for asking,” Yelena added.

Azriel wasnʼt alone, and next to him stood Jasmine. Lumine didnʼt dare to look directly at her, though.

For some reason, he could feel both Yelena and Azrielʼs sharp gazes whenever he glanced at her on the bus earlier.

His instincts screamed at him that making eye contact with her wouldnʼt end well, so he didnʼt take any chances.

Luckily—or perhaps not—Jasmine didnʼt seem to share that hesitation.

”Itʼs nice to meet you, Cadet Lumine, Cadet Yelena. My name is Jasmine Crimson. Thanks for being friends with my little brother.”

”A-ah, yes...” Lumine stammered.

”We should be the ones thanking him,” Yelena added, a bit flustered by Jasmineʼs smile and politeness.

Azriel, however, furrowed his brows. ”How did you know I was friends with them?”

Jasmine looked at him, confused.

”Why else would you greet them?”

”Because Iʼm a nice person?”

Jasmine stared blankly at him.

Azriel clicked his tongue.

”Fine, donʼt look at me like Iʼm some sort of monster.”

Yelena and Lumine could only exchange wry smiles at the siblingsʼ interaction.

Clap—!

Suddenly, a loud sound reverberated through the area, drawing all the studentsʼ attention toward the Void Dungeon.

Standing in front of it was Instructor Ranni, flanked by three other instructors.

Seeing them, everyone stopped talking and straightened their backs, adopting serious expressions.

”Now that everyone is here, I hope that means youʼre all prepared to enter the gates of hell,” Instructor Ranni said with a smile.

Not many seemed to share her enthusiasm.

”Instructor Benson, Instructor Alicia, and Instructor Kevin will be responsible for supervising your three classes during the Void Dungeon, while Cadet Jasmine over there will be guiding you.”

The cadets nodded, and Instructor Ranni looked pleased.

”Alright, I wish you all the best of luck.”

Without warning, she suddenly disappeared before everyoneʼs eyes, leaving many students surprised.

”All cadets, follow my lead. This will be the only time we instructors will talk to you. After that, remove us from your minds.”

Instructor Benson warned.

The cadets looked at him wide-eyed as he suddenly stepped onto the black hole... yet he didnʼt fall. His feet were firmly planted on it.

The other two instructors followed, standing beside him.

Then, black light shot out from the hole, enveloping the instructors until they disappeared.

”What the hell...?”

”I swear I thought weʼd have to jump down.”

”Good...”

The students looked amazed and relieved.

”Alright then, letʼs do what the instructors said,” Jasmine said, taking the first step onto the black hole.

Like a signal, all the other cadets—though some hesitated—started following her lead.

And then... they were all consumed into the Void Dungeon.

*****

It was strange.

If Azriel had to describe it, it felt like drowning—like being submerged in the deepest ocean, where the only sound that reached him was the echo of his own thoughts.

He was alone.

Utterly alone, with no one to talk to, no one to see.

The world around him had faded into an abyss of silence and darkness.

He couldnʼt breathe.

He couldnʼt see.

He couldnʼt speak.

He couldnʼt even move.

Yet...

It felt strangely peaceful.

As if staying in this suspended state, adrift between life and death, wouldnʼt bother him at all.

ʼIs this how death feels?ʼ

He wondered, his mind drifting like a leaf on a still pond.

But then, suddenly, a force tugged at him, pulling him upward with a startling velocity.

It was like being shot out of the depths of the ocean, propelled by some unseen force—like a torpedo racing toward the surface.

In the next breathless moment, he found himself blinking, disoriented but standing above the same ominous black hole.

Only now, he wasnʼt on the surface anymore.

”Welcome inside the Void Dungeon, little brother.”

Jasmine stood there, her excitement radiating through a bright smile.

Her eyes sparkled with a strange thrill that Azriel couldnʼt quite understand.

Around them, other students were scattered across the ground, some disoriented, others sick or paralyzed by fear.

The expressions of shock and terror were painted across their faces. Yet, amidst the chaos, a few, like Lumine, stood steady, their composure not as unshaken.

The instructors, nodded in approval at those who had managed to remain standing.

Their eyes missed nothing.

But Azriel didnʼt care about their judgment.

His focus was elsewhere.

His gaze swept across the vast expanse of the dungeon.

It was...

”Beautiful...”

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