I'm an Extra, so What?-Chapter 133: Third Seed

Arthur stepped toward the cloaked figure, chin raised like a noble addressing a peasant. "You've got ten seconds to start explaining who you are, or we cut you down. I'm not in the mood for cryptic garbage."

Luka winced slightly but said nothing.

The stranger didn't move. Just studied Arthur in silence, a flicker of amusement in those pale eyes.

"My name isn't important," the figure said calmly. "What matters is what I can offer: knowledge. About this corruption. About what's coming."

"Oh, how convenient," Arthur sneered. "A robed weirdo shows up just as we're mopping up the mess. Sounds like a setup. Maybe you're the one spreading this blight."

Serene shifted slightly, shield half-lifted—not at the stranger, but at Arthur.

"Arthur," she muttered under her breath, "maybe dial it back? We're not exactly in a position to throw away leads right now."

"We don't need leads," Arthur snapped. "We handled it. That's what I keep telling all of you. We're stronger than this forest, stronger than this magic. All of this could've been avoided if you'd just followed my plan from the start."

Luka stared at him, deadpan. "Your plan was to rush in blind and attack anything that moved." freewebnøvel.com

"And it worked," Arthur shot back, gesturing at the field of corpses.

Gregor grunted. "No thanks to you. Half of those things were already weakened by Luka before they even got to you."

Arthur scoffed, "Yeah? Well, maybe if Luka spent less time doing parkour and more time fighting like a man, we wouldn't be wasting hours tracking down glowing rocks."

The stranger's brows arched slightly. "You lot argue like children."

Arthur spun on him. "And you act like a villain. Speak plainly or leave."

Serene had finally had enough. "Arthur. Shut up."

He blinked.

"What did you just—?"

"You're not helping," she said flatly. "We're tired, wounded, and surrounded by a forest that wants to kill us. You're acting like this is still training camp."

Arthur's jaw clenched, but Serene didn't flinch.

Lysa cleared her throat. "Maybe—just maybe—we hear the guy out?"

Fenric silently nodded in agreement, his eyes fixed on the stranger.

The figure, amused and still eerily calm, finally spoke. "The corruption you encountered is only one of many seeds. They've been planted across this region—each tied to a greater spell, one meant to rewrite the leyline's flow and twist the balance of mana itself."

"Why?" Luka asked, frowning.

"Because balance is an illusion," the stranger replied. "And some seek to tilt the scales in their favor."

Arthur scoffed again. "Let me guess—you're the 'only one who can stop it'?"

"No. But I can show you where the next seed is."

The forest stirred again—something deep and massive shifting far off in the distance.

A low rumble echoed through the trees.

"…Time's up," the stranger said simply, then turned and vanished into the shadows between the trees—without a sound.

"Wait—!" Luka started forward but stopped as a crack split the air like thunder.

A column of red light erupted on the far horizon. Another seed awakening.

Gregor let out a slow breath. "We need to move."

Arthur, ever defiant, rolled his eyes. "We don't need to follow some spooky bastard just because he dropped a lore bomb. This is probably just an elaborate trap."

Luka stepped past him. "Then I'll spring it myself. You can stay here and polish your ego."

Arthur's face went red. "You think you're in charge now?"

"No," Luka said simply. "I think someone has to do the right thing."

Without waiting for permission, Luka took off into the forest, Serene a step behind. Snow soared overhead, leaving a trail of white sparks in the morning sky.

The others hesitated.

Then Gregor grunted. "I'm going too. Someone's got to keep the kid from dying."

Lysa sighed and followed. Fenric adjusted his pack wordlessly.

Arthur stood there alone for a long moment, glaring after them.

Then, with an irritated huff, he stormed after them — muttering under his breath the entire time.

"Idiots. All of them. Fine. Let's go get ourselves cursed."

The forest deepened as they moved.

The blight was less concentrated here, but faint signs still lingered: scorched patches in the soil, the occasional tree with bark that pulsed like skin, and an unnatural stillness that clung to the air like cobwebs.

Luka walked at the front, blades sheathed but his posture alert.

Snow flew overhead in slow circles, occasionally chirping a quiet warning when movement stirred in the underbrush. Serene marched beside him, silent but ever watchful.

Behind them, the others followed in varying degrees of exhaustion—and irritation.

Especially Arthur.

"This is a waste of time," Arthur muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "We already killed the big monster. Why are we chasing after random lights like it's some scavenger hunt for cursed druids?"

Luka didn't turn around. "Because something is trying to turn the leyline into a weapon. If we don't stop it now, the entire region's mana structure could collapse."

"Oh no," Arthur deadpanned. "The mana. Guess I'll just punch the problem like usual."

Gregor glanced back at him. "You ever get tired of the sound of your own voice?"

Arthur shrugged. "I don't see you carrying this team, big guy."

"You're right," Gregor said, grinning. "I'm too busy protecting it."

Arthur opened his mouth to retort, but Serene cut in, voice like steel. "Focus."

They pressed on.

Eventually, they reached a clearing where a stream once ran—but now it festered black and still. At its center, a circle of mushrooms had grown—bloated, purple, leaking ichor. Luka knelt by the edge and touched the soil. It hissed.

"Poisoned," he muttered. "Recently. This is spreading faster."

As he stood, a low growl rolled from the brush.

From the shadows stepped a creature—no larger than a wolf, but its body was twisted by rot. Eyeless sockets wept mana like blood, and its teeth dripped with venom.

More shapes emerged behind it. Three. Five. Eight.

A pack.

Luka drew both blades. "Don't let them touch you."

Arthur drew his sword with a sigh. "Finally. Something to stab."

"Wait—" Luka started.

But Arthur charged ahead.

The corrupted wolf closest to him barely had time to growl before Arthur's blade cleaved it in two—sending splashes of toxic gore into the air.

Which then landed—on Arthur.

He staggered back instantly, cursing as sizzling venom burned into his armor and began eating through the leather.

Lysa gasped. "Idiot! I told you, the blood's acidic—!"

Arthur gritted his teeth, flinging off the top half of his ruined armor. "I'm fine!"

But the others were already too busy.

The pack attacked from all angles, coordinated and fast.

Gregor dropped into a defensive stance, his shield flaring with a defensive aura that repelled one of the beasts as it lunged.

Fenric danced between shadows, his daggers finding soft spots behind thick joints. Serene intercepted another, her shield bashing its head with brutal precision.

Luka ducked beneath a claw swipe and retaliated with twin cuts across a creature's belly. Snow swooped down, breathing a quick burst of frost that slowed the corrupted monsters' movements.

Arthur—despite his bluster—was flailing. His form was sloppy, his swings too wide. He cut through two more, but each time, acidic ichor splashed him again. His skin began to blister in patches, and his strikes grew more erratic.

"Back off!" Serene shouted. "You're just making it worse!"

"I have this!" Arthur roared.

He didn't.

One of the wolves pounced from the side—he didn't see it in time.

A shield slammed into it mid-air, sending it flying.

Arthur stumbled, barely catching himself.

Serene stood between him and the next wolf, fury radiating from her eyes.

"Stop acting like you're invincible," she growled. "You're not. And you're going to get us killed."

Arthur clenched his fists, humiliated. "I don't need saving."

"No," Luka said coldly, finishing off the last monster with a final clean strike. "But we need you to stop getting in the way."

The clearing fell quiet again.

Steam rose from the dissolving corpses. The smell was unbearable.

Arthur said nothing.

Not a word.

Just stared at the ground, fists trembling.

Gregor adjusted his cracked gauntlet and muttered, "Let's keep moving before more show up."

Luka gave Arthur one last glance—then turned away.

They followed the poisoned stream deeper into the woods, toward the next rising pulse in the mana flow.

Behind them, Arthur lagged several paces behind—silent, sulking, and seething.

But for once, not arguing.

The poisoned stream became a scar through the land, winding like a black vein toward the forest's heart. Trees thinned. The sky above turned cloudy, not with weather, but with dark mana coiling like smoke—drawn to a central point.

It wasn't long before they found the second corruption seed.

They reached the top of a ridge, and there it was—looming.

Another obelisk.

Taller than the last. Sharper. More alive.

Where the first was bone and obsidian, this one had fused metal into its base. Chains wrapped its form like veins. The runes were jagged, pulsing faster—like a heartbeat racing to meet something.

Around it, corrupted creatures stood motionless. Dozens of them—birds, wolves, bears—frozen in place, twitching slightly, as if sleepwalking in agony.

"This one's active," Luka said quietly, eyes narrowing. "It's doing more than spreading rot. It's broadcasting."

"Broadcasting what?" Lysa whispered.

Snow let out a nervous chirp and clung tighter to Luka's shoulder.

"That," Gregor muttered, pointing up.

From the clouds above, a shape descended slowly—serpentine, wings stretched unnaturally wide. Scales glinted like glass. Its body pulsed in sync with the obelisk's heartbeat.

It wasn't large.

But it radiated power like a storm.

[CORRUPTED WYRM SPAWN]Level: 45Status: Linked – Obelisk Core

Arthur stepped forward, expression hard to read.

"This one's mine."

"No," Luka said instantly. "This isn't something you can brute force. Look at its tag—it's being fed directly by the obelisk."

Arthur scoffed. "So what? You think we should talk to it?"

"Disable the source, weaken the link," Serene said, stepping forward. "That's our best shot."

"I'm not sitting on the sidelines while he calls the shots," Arthur snapped. "This thing shows up, and suddenly it's the Luka show again?"

Luka didn't even turn around. "If you have a better plan, speak."

Arthur opened his mouth—then hesitated.

He didn't.

Luka drew his blades and pointed to the far side of the clearing. "We'll split. Gregor and I will draw the creature's attention. Serene, Fenric, you handle the ritual defenses around the obelisk. Lysa, keep support on standby. Arthur—"

Arthur crossed his arms. "What, babysit?"

"You cover the casters," Luka said. "You can handle that much, right?"

Arthur's nostrils flared.

But he said nothing.

The plan went into motion.

Gregor roared a battle cry as he leapt from the ridge, slamming into the ground like a falling boulder.

The corrupted wyrm shrieked and twisted, peeling from the sky to intercept. Luka blinked to the side, appearing at its flank mid-air, daggers glowing with an anti-rot enchantment as he slashed its wings.

The beast howled, but didn't fall—it breathed.

A torrent of black flame exploded from its gullet, turning the trees below to ash. Gregor raised his shield and held, boots dragging through the earth.

Luka darted along the collapsing tree line, slicing as he moved.

Meanwhile, Serene and Fenric dashed toward the obelisk. The monsters encircling it stirred—but didn't attack. Instead, they began chanting.

"That's new," Serene muttered.

"Fast as we can, then."

She raised her shield—then slammed it into the first anchor rune.

A flare of dark magic surged up. The monsters screamed, turning as one.

Fenric lunged to intercept them—but then—

A blur passed him.

Arthur.

He jumped into the horde, sword sweeping wide, carving through the corrupted mob with reckless force.

A moment of coordination. For once, his blade was where it needed to be.

Fenric blinked. "…Huh."

But it didn't last.

"Arthur!" Lysa shouted. "Don't stand in the—!"

He ignored her.

A rune detonated under his feet, hurling him back into a tree with a loud crack. He groaned, staggered to his knees, coughing up something red.

"Dumbass," Serene muttered.

Luka didn't look. His focus was on the wyrm—which roared as the obelisk pulsed again, pumping new energy into it.

They were running out of time.

"Serene!" Luka shouted. "Now!"

She raised her fist—and slammed it into the second anchor.

The obelisk cracked.

The wyrm shrieked in pain, mid-swoop—its wing faltered.

That's when Luka struck.

He jumped, daggers spinning, and carved straight through the beast's underbelly. Snow followed with a blinding frost burst, and the creature crashed to the earth, writhing.

Gregor sprinted in and slammed his hammer down onto its skull.

CRACK.

The beast stilled.

A final rune exploded.

The obelisk fell.

Magic howled as it died. The sky above cleared slowly, the black tendrils retreating.

Luka stood panting, blood on his hands, smoke in his lungs.

Behind him, Arthur lay sprawled in the dirt, groaning in pain.

"See?" Arthur wheezed. "Handled it."

"Sure," Luka muttered, not even glancing at him.

Serene walked over and crouched beside Arthur.

"You're lucky your head's too hard to rot."

Arthur glared up at her, but she was already walking away.

Snow landed back on Luka's shoulder.

"Two down," Serene said. "And the pulses are slowing."

"Not stopped," Luka replied. "Just buying time."

Gregor stomped past, dragging the wyrm's mangled horn. "We need to report this. Someone's planting these like it's a harvest."

"And I want to know why," Serene added.

Luka nodded. "We'll bring the data back to the Guild. With luck, they'll assign a full suppression squad to investigate the deeper root."

Arthur groaned again.

No one offered to help him up.

Not this time.

They left the ruined obelisk behind, its jagged remains crackling faintly as if still dreaming of corruption.

And deep beneath the earth… the third seed began to wake.