Reborn As An Extra In My Own Novel-Chapter 71: The Weaver And The Tryant

I had to die... I knew that all too well.

In fact, I had known from the moment the system gave me the notification about Elysium after my transmigration.

Elysium was a blissful afterlife for heroes in Greek mythology. At first I wasn’t entirely certain if it was just a figure of speech or the genuine meaning of what I would experience, but Reni’s vision confirmed my suspicions.

"You will perish in the fading glow of hell and rise again as the prince of both the underworld and the heavens."

The chill from my heart spread to my body and gradually began numbing my thoughts.

It was a cruel fate to die merely to achieve victory, but I had to go through with it. The agony from the stab to my chest was eclipsed by the warm embrace of death and darkness.

In that moment, I felt like nothing and everything all at once, just a tiny speck in the vast world, yet simultaneously like the world itself.

It was warm, so much so that I wished to lie there for the rest of eternity.

I realized at that moment: this was what paradise felt like, the flawless union of life and death.

It was exquisite.

’I...’

My awareness was slowly fading, but the memories of my mentor, Neko-sensei, my friends — Matt and Anica; and my family — Hari, Dad, Mom, Uncle, Aunt, and Nuna, spun in my head over and over again.

There was also Reni and Amy, whose names still made my heart flutter for some reason. I couldn’t forget any of them, even as the darkness encroached upon me.

Those memories were comforting, but at the same time the only thing keeping me from complete rest.

’... That’s right, I killed myself in order to protect what I loved and cared for.’

[The grace of Theron is with you]

[Praise the weavers]

’The weavers, huh?’ I couldn’t help but smile, even with a body that was barely a manifested spirit.

’That’s enough resting for you, Jin-sung.’

I slowly and steadily opened my tightly shut eyes, if I even had any to begin with. All I knew was that the moment I thought of it, I began to see again.

But my vision was completely different, it wasn’t only the darkness that I could see... but also the boundless wonders of what lay beyond human perception.

Radiant threads of countless colors, emotion, mana, variations, I wasn’t sure what they were, but they were all magnificent.

"So this is weaving."

****

(Back at the administrative office)

"Princess, can we rest for a moment?" The students were panting heavily, barely containing their exhaustion.

’They all seem drained, but I doubt Deerheart would wait for us, and I’m certain Darling would probably need a vast amount of energy from corpses to resurrect.’ Frieren thought to herself, her gaze shifting from the students to the staircase that loomed ahead.

They were just one level away from the boss room, but considering it had taken them over an hour just to get from the first floor to the third, she doubted the final stretch would be any easier.

’Should I let them rest first?’ Visionary wasn’t a talent Frieren had full control over, meaning she couldn’t just demand to see the future whenever she wished, even though she was a B-rank.

Frieren inhaled a shallow breath and turned to Anica. "It’s begun, hasn’t it?"

Anica merely nodded.

The entire group was aware of her vision of Kai’s death, but since he was confident about returning, all she could do was believe in him.

Still, she knew he’d require vast amount mana to accomplish it, that was the main reason she had pushed the students beyond their limits.

After a moment of reflection, she addressed them. "Anyone who isn’t tired should follow me. Those who feel like they can’t move any further should stay behind."

Her steps were steady and gracious as she moved in front of the staircase leading to the last floor.

She paused and glanced at them, her eyes heavy with fatigue. "I can’t remain idle while the rest of the school is still fighting."

The students clenched their teeth firmly. If their princess was still pressing forward despite her exhaustion, they had no right to rest.

With renewed resolve, they began ascending the stairs once more, but this time both Frieren and Anica couldn’t shake the ominous presence slowly creeping into their awareness.

They were, indeed, heading for the boss room, but the energy they sensed felt like something else entirely.

After several minutes of climbing the stairs with no sign of danger, the students, instead of letting down their guard, heightened it.

Throughout their entire journey up the building, not once, had they gotten even a minute of peace without a group of monsters ambushing them.

The rather large second-year student at the front of the group, wielding a massive red shield, swallowed hard. As his sweat hit the ground and his left foot stepped onto the entrance of the fourth floor,

He felt something cold spread from his abdomen. Before he could even register the sensation properly, his shield clattered to the ground, and soon, he collapsed as well.

The student behind him, holding a black shield, froze in place, speechless. The man behind him reached to tap his shoulder, but before he could, the man let out a sharp scream.

Loud growls reverberated through the corridor as the monsters, which were silent until now, immediately detected their location.

Soon, the screams reached the back of the group as panic erupted among the students.

"Everyone, stay calm!" Frieren urged, but her voice fell on deaf ears.

The growls intensified with each second, after observing the chaos from behind the group, Frieren’s eyes began to glow.

’Damnit, we can’t go back now. Even if we could... I doubt any of the students could handle those monsters again.’

The best course of action they could take at that point was to move forward.

Pushing, and even punching each other, some students forced their way to the front of the group, ready to flee.

But just as they channeled mana through their bodies, ready to sprint, their gazes met that of the princess, who stood there, staring at them with cold eyes

Her golden eyes were darker than usual. In an instant, a towering wolf-like beast with horns, its form resembling that of a hybrid between a dragon and a wolf appeared behind her.

It loomed above them all, its head bowed only to prevent the ceiling from collapsing.

Its eyes matched the hue of the princess’s own, and its horns shimmered like gold. Its fur was as black as a moonless night sky.

The princess commanding voice spent tremors through the small group. "I hereby forbid anyone who bears the title of cadet of Noctis from taking even a single step back."

The students froze, the weight of her words hitting harder than the terror from the monsters ahead.

She tilted her head gently, as the colossal beast exhaled rather intimidatedly. "Refusal to comply with this order will be considered an act of treason against I, the third princess of the empire."

Her grip on the blade tightening. "And will result in immediate execution."

"What?" many students simultaneously muttered panic laced in their voice.

The male tank behind the fallen student screamed as he stepped forward. "You’ve got to be kidding! What does any of this have to do with us, do you—"

The young man didn’t finish his sentence.

His head which was once in place, slowly slipped from his shoulders and hit the ground with a dull thud.

A dark, slender blade with a golden glow was now gripped in the princess’s hand, blood staining her unnaturally beautiful face.

"I will ask once more, does anyone here wish to defy me?"

Frieren understood this behaviour too well, she had grown up in such a household after all.

For a royal, earning the people’s trust through kindness was crucial. But when subjects dared to cross certain lines, it was wiser to show overwhelming power.

"No way!" A female student sobbed as she bit into her fingers. "The stories were true... you’re a monster."

Frieren narrowed her gaze. "You may be right about that." Her voice was low and sombre, eyes void of mercy as she scanned the students.

It wasn’t the first time she’d been called such names.

"A monster."

"The child who mirrored her ruthless father."

"Rain of Chaos."

Since childhood, her nannies, butlers, relatives, even her own siblings, had all seen her as a monster.

Why wouldn’t they? She had the ability to see visions from a young age, but kept them hidden, even when revealing them could’ve saved countless lives, all for her own selfish reasons.

"The girl who killed her friend without blinking."

"The one who summoned spirits capable of leveling continents."

That was why, as a child, she always stayed with her father and learned from him, because she was so much like him.

But it was through that bond that she knew how kind he truly was, and how cruel the world could be.

That was the reason she shut herself off from others and demanded respect, only ever opening up in front of her father.

People won’t disrespect someone so ruthless, someone who could kill them without reason.

Yes, she was feared.

But she saw that image of herself begin to crumble when she met Kai.

At first, she was just as indifferent toward him as she was toward everyone else.

Was it the time he appeared with Matt, or perhaps even earlier, when she learned he had earned the highest score on the written exam despite his lacking combat skill...

And then there was how he managed to manipulate the teachers into ousting a corrupt instructor using a layered plan, without lifting a finger.

Maybe that was the first time she saw a light in him, and it only grew stronger when he talked back to her.

She merely wanted to test if he would grovel like the other students. But he didn’t.

That moment, she smiled and tried threatening him to make him submit, but he didn’t flinch, which only piqued her curiosity further.

And that curiosity was what pulled her toward him, not just him, but the friends she’d now made.

In that vision he was captivating, refusing to call himself a hero, even while saving the entire academy.

Slowly, that admiration for him, evolved into something more. She began to open up, to show kindness to others.

But if it meant ensuring his and her friends’ survival, then she was ready to become the tyrant that so many feared.

Because she doubted he would despise her, even then.

And nothing else mattered as long as he still smiled at her and blushed at her teasing.

Not the throne. Not her father. And definitely not her subjects.

’You owe me big time, darling.’

She stifled her smile and pointed toward the top of the stairs. "We’ll now advance."

Whatever that new presence was, whatever had arrived beside the drifter, she was ready to strike it down.

Ding!

[Your unwavering will has been etched into the stars...]

[You have earned a...]