Path of the Extra

Chapter 154: Subject 666 [5]

”So, you finally found a compatible subject, huh...”

The voice drifted over to Dr. Arthur, both of them standing in a darkened control room surrounded by screens that flickered with surveillance footage. Every screen displayed Azriel in the colosseum, standing before the five men who watched him like a pack of predators sizing up their prey.

”Yes,” Arthur replied, eyes fixed on the monitors.

”But I need to see just how effective it is in a fight.”

He glanced sideways at his companion: a man with blond hair and piercing blue eyes, wearing a lab coat, his expression disturbingly stoic.

”Do we know anything about his past? His real name, family, anything useful?”

”No, and I donʼt see the point. Heʼs simply Subject 666 from now on. My subject, not yours.”

Arthur bit back a curse.

ʼAnnoying bastard... Try anything funny, and Iʼll end you.ʼ

But he refocused on the screen, leaning in slightly, hand covering his mouth.

”Now... show me what youʼve got, 666...”

*****

Azriel surveyed the five men before him, his eyes narrowing as he assessed their mana cores.

ʼTwo Grade 1 Dormants, two Grade 3 Awakened, and... a Grade 1 Awakened.ʼ

He hesitated, noting the hulking figure of the strongest one, who stared back with a grin, his imposing frame dwarfing Azrielʼs. Sure, he had PE-0 coursing through his veins right now, but facing a Grade 1 Awakened in a death match, with others looking to kill him too? Not exactly a favorable setup.

Azriel exhaled quietly.

ʼItʼs okay. I have Void Eater with me, and theyʼre unarmed—ʼ

Before he could finish his thought, an unseen speaker crackled to life, filling the colosseum with an order that sent a chill down his spine.

”Subject 666, dismiss your soul weapon immediately.”

Azrielʼs face darkened, teeth gritting in defiance of the voiceʼs command. Yet, after a tense few seconds, he released his grip, and Void Eater dissipated into thin air. The men before him grinned, emboldened by his forced compliance. Clenching his fists, Azriel raised his arms in a fighting stance.

ʼI can still win,ʼ

he thought, steeling himself. Even without Void Eater, he had PE-0 in his system… at least he hoped that would be enough.

But a strange thought crossed his mind.

ʼThis canʼt be exactly like the first time. When I first experienced this…ʼ

Back then, he would have been terrified, panicked, a mess of confusion and despair. But now… he was oddly calm.

ʼHe said I needed to experience everything... But unless Iʼm trapped in my own body again, thatʼs impossible.ʼ

His thoughts cut short as one of the Dormants lunged at him, Azrielʼs attention snapping back to the present.

The man charged forward, his movements sluggish in Azrielʼs sharpened perception. As the fist hurtled toward his face, Azriel simply sidestepped, dodging by a hairʼs breadth, then drove his fist into the manʼs gut, doubling him over. Without hesitation, he seized the man by the hair and flung him into the other Grade 1 Dormant approaching from behind. The two collided and fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

Azrielʼs gaze shifted to the three remaining opponents. The Grade 1 Awakened stood behind the other two, arms folded, a faint smirk on his face. The other two exchanged wary glances before the first of them shot forward, faster than the Dormants but still within Azrielʼs reach.

ʼStill manageable.ʼ

Azriel remained focused, though his senses were on high alert, especially toward the Grade 1 Awakened, whose very presence made his skin crawl. Just as his opponent approached, he noticed the manʼs figure start to blur, as though swept up by a sudden gust.

Azrielʼs eyes widened. Then, he felt it—a sluggish pull around his feet. Glancing down, he realized the ground was… mud. Thick, wet mud, and his feet were sinking.

ʼWhat the hell—ʼ

In the split second of distraction, his opponent appeared before him, throwing a punch that caught Azriel off-guard, sending him staggering back. Before he could steady himself, the second Grade 3 Awakened was already waiting, fist encased in hardened mud, striking Azrielʼs face and knocking him down with bone-rattling force.

”Argh!”

The impact cracked the ground, stones shattering and dust swirling up around him. He tried to rise, but the ground beneath him had softened into more mud, threatening to swallow him whole.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself back up, the dust settling just as he saw the two Grade 3 Awakened watching him intently.

One of them began to blur again, but this time Azriel was prepared. He channeled his mana, the ground beneath his feet freezing into solid ice. He spun to face his attacker, his body crackling with red lightning, and in a flash, he was gone from his original spot, reappearing directly behind his opponent.

””!!””

The man whipped around, eyes wide, but Azriel was faster. With a flick of his wrist, a claw of red lightning formed in his hand, and he slashed it across the manʼs throat. Blood sprayed, and the man fell to his knees, gasping as Azriel had already moved forward.

The remaining Grade 3 Awakened froze, horror filling his eyes, while the Grade 1 Awakened narrowed his gaze, his expression hardening. The terrified Grade 3 tried to step forward, but when he looked down, he found his legs encased in ice, binding him in place.

He looked up at Azriel, who was grinning, teeth glinting coldly in the dim light.

Four javelins of pure ice formed, hovering around Azrielʼs figure.

”W-wait…” the man stammered, his voice trembling with terror.

But before he could say another word, the javelins shot forward, piercing him in his shoulders, heart, and head, hurling him back against the far wall of the colosseum. His body slumped, lifeless, leaving a profound silence in his wake.

”....”

Azriel stared at the carnage he had wrought, his expression unreadable. But inside...

ʼHoly shit... this drug is insane.ʼ

The control he had over his affinities, the raw power coursing through his body—it was beyond anything heʼd felt before. He could wield his affinities and channel his mana with such precision, it almost felt natural.

ʼI couldnʼt do this even as an Intermediate. No… there was no reason I shouldnʼt have been able to do this before.ʼ

He barely had time to dwell on it, his gaze locking onto the last man standing. The Grade 1 Awakened remained stoic, his arms crossed, his eyes unsettlingly calm.

Too calm.

Azriel blinked.

In that instant, the man vanished from his position, reappearing in front of Azriel a heartbeat later. Azrielʼs eyes widened.

ʼFast...!

ʼ

He could hardly believe a figure that large could move with such speed. But there was no time for shock. Azrielʼs body crackled with red lightning as he vanished from the spot, reappearing behind the man.

The Grade 1 turned quickly, but Azriel was ready. His fist, alive with pulsing red lightning, shot forward, aiming for the manʼs face.

But instead of the crunch of flesh and bone, a metallic clang echoed through the colosseum.

ʼWhat...?ʼ

Azrielʼs eyes widened as he saw his fist caught in the manʼs grip. The man had raised one metal-coated hand, catching Azrielʼs blow effortlessly. Azriel tried to pull back, but the grip only tightened, squeezing until his bones creaked. Pain shot up his arm.

”Mngh!”

Gritting his teeth, Azriel let the lightning course over his body in a last attempt to free himself. But instead of inflicting damage, the lightning flowed harmlessly into the manʼs metal form, grounding through his body. Cold realization settled in Azrielʼs stomach. The man grinned, his metallic teeth glinting.

ʼDammit...ʼ

Before Azriel could react, the man curled his free hand into a fist, charged with a pulse of lightning and metal, and slammed it into Azrielʼs chest. The impact sent him flying, his body bouncing across the floor before coming to a brutal stop.

Pain flared through every nerve as Azriel lay gasping, tasting blood with every shallow breath.

The manʼs voice rang out, cold and mocking.

”Your first instinct was smart—kill before getting killed. But youʼd better learn to recognize when youʼre outmatched, kid.”

Azriel raised his head, struggling for breath, watching the man still armored in metal and lightning, now wearing a look of deadly focus. The man strolled over to the two figures lying nearby—the two Dormants—addressing them with a tone that made Azrielʼs skin crawl.

”And are you worms planning to play dead all day?”

The bodies flinched, scrambling to their feet, faces pale as they backed away. One stammered,

”W-weʼre sorry, boss! Thought you didnʼt need our help with the newbie!”

The other nodded frantically,

”Yeah! Youʼre more than enough for him, boss! You donʼt need us!”

Azrielʼs breathing began to stabilize, though he remained on the ground, observing. The Dormantsʼ deference was clear. There was a hierarchy here—one that had already placed Azriel firmly at the bottom.

The metal manʼs grin twisted, his voice dropping to a menacing murmur.

”Yes, youʼre right. I donʼt need you... at all.”

Both Dormants froze, a shiver of fear evident in their gazes. The man tilted his head, glancing up toward the ceiling as if awaiting approval. A moment later, a voice crackled over the speakers, chillingly detached.

”Disciplinary action will be taken, Subject 431... after you win.”

Subject 431 turned his eyes back to the Dormants, a sinister smile tugging at his lips. Both fell to their knees, pleading desperately, voices shaky and strained.

”Wait! Please, donʼt!” one sobbed.

”We did everything you said!”

The other, wild-eyed, added,

”Yeah! Weʼre loyal to you! Please!”

But Subject 431 took one slow step forward, raising his hands.

With a quick, brutal movement, he smashed their heads together. Bone, blood, and brains splattered across the ground as their bodies collapsed, lifeless, in a twisted heap at his feet.