The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 238

I ran down a corridor on the third floor of Trix Hall, shaking the blood from my arm.The wind blew in through the broken windows. The stars and magic circles filling the sky were visible through the partially destroyed ceiling.

There was no time to worry about the battle between Velbrok and Lucy. I needed to quickly find a place with complex terrain and debris—somewhere that would make it difficult for Silvenia to pinpoint my exact location.

Whoooooosh.

However, there was no way someone like Silvenia wouldn’t read my intentions.I felt her gathering magic power downstairs as I clenched my teeth, bracing myself for her attack.

Boooooom!

Advanced Lightning Magic,Divine Judgment.

In an instant, a massive lightning bolt struck, destroying what little remained of Trix Hall.Every part of the building was damaged as it crumbled yet again.At that point, it was no longer a partially ruined structure—it was nothing more than rubble.

I ran across the debris and the shattered outer wall, doing everything I could to avoid her magic, but—

Hwaaak!

Advanced Spatial Magic,Space Leap.

Silvenia landed directly in front of me after casually using advanced spatial magic—something that consumed an astronomical amount of magic power in a single use.

“Kahahaha.”

She let out an eerie laugh, as if her blood were boiling, and held her wand out toward me.

“I don’t know how you blocked it the first time, but it’s obvious that blocking it a second time would be difficult for you.”

If she attacked me withInstant Deathright then, I wouldn’t be able to stop it with my Celestial Magic. That was why I immediately bent down and kicked her wand away.

However, Silvenia didn’t care. She continued gathering magic power and fired two magic bullets straight into my shoulder.

I clenched my teeth, clutching my shoulder as I tumbled down the hallway. She began gathering her Celestial Magic Power again.

Normal magic could be dealt with.Celestial Magic could not.

The most terrifying aspect of Celestial Magic Power was that it didn’t physically exist—it couldn’t be interacted with at all.Unless you used Celestial Magic yourself, it was impossible to defend against.

“Whew…”

If I stayed there any longer, I would die.I had to attack somehow—do whatever it took to prevent Silvenia from casting Celestial Magic.

I quickly gathered my magic power and manifested Mugg.

A burning flame suddenly took the shape of a bat as it spread its large wings. Mugg screeched, gathering fire magic as a blazing mass formed before him while he faced Silvenia.

Unlike ordinary elemental magic, the firepower contained within that flame was overwhelming. The attack rushed toward Silvenia, who was still focused on gathering Celestial Magic Power.

Silvenia frowned briefly before breaking into another eerie smile.

With a single swing of her wand, she released magic power and completely scattered the flames.Then, she cast Celestial Magic on Mugg.

Clang!

The Celestial MagicTime Prisonstruck instantly.

Mugg floated in the air with his wings spread—but he could no longer move.Once Time Prison was cast, time itself stopped for the target. They could not move until the caster canceled the spell or ran out of magic power.

Silvenia would never run out of magic power.The moment you were struck, it was effectively eternal.

Still, I had succeeded in neutralizing all the Celestial Magic Power Silvenia had been gathering.

I felt guilty for using Mugg as a shield, but it bought me enough time to draw out more magic power. I used everything I had gathered to summon a massive wind wolf.

Merilda landed on the ground once more, ready to fight.

Whoooooosh!Roaaaaaaaaaaar!

The flow of magic power completely covered the sky above Trix Hall.

Standing atop the ruins, Merilda let out a roar before looking down at the small magician.

[Silvenia…]

The friend who once sat beside her atop Right Mountain, gazing down at Acken Island… was now looking up at her.

Silvenia stared at Merilda absent-mindedly. Holding a wand larger than her own body and wearing a glorious robe, she murmured quietly,

“Oh my…”

There was no life in her eyes.

“This wolf is so big.”

There was no time to grieve over the fact that Silvenia no longer recognized her former friend.

Before Silvenia could act, Merilda gathered magic power. The air around us fluctuated violently as it converged on her.

And just as Merilda was about to launch her attack—

Her body was pierced by a massive ice spear.

[……]

Merilda froze in shock. She hadn’t even sensed the flow of magic power.

Ice Spearwas an intermediate spell.Yet the enormous spear that erupted from the ground and pierced Merilda’s abdomen was far beyond what could be called intermediate magic.

Merilda’s blood dripped down, staining the ice crimson.

[You… uh…]

“That poor spirit… She can’t even die. If she were human, she would have comfortably met her death from that attack.”

High-ranking spirits were incredibly powerful. Simply being able to summon one placed you among the greatest elementalists.

Yet even such beings could be erased with a single strike from Silvenia.

Still, it had cost her magic power.That meant I had a chance.

Boom!

I smashed the floor withPoint Explosionand immediately jumped down through the opening.

Silvenia looked irritated as she peered into the hole I had created, then gently jumped down after me.

The moment she landed underground, I emerged from her blind spot, dagger raised to stab her back.

It was a perfect surprise attack—completely outside her line of sight.Yet, as if she had eyes on the back of her head, she instantly cast defensive magic and deflected the blade.

Clang!

The recoil knocked my hand aside, and Silvenia seized the opportunity to grab my neck.Magic power erupted from her body as she slammed me into the floor.

She pressed her knee into my stomach, tightened her grip around my throat, and stared down at me with bloodthirsty eyes. Blood poured from my wounds.

“Did you think you’d win in close combat? Just because I’m a magician? Haha. Incredible. Truly fantastic. Even now, you’re thinking about how to turn the situation in your favor. You should be scared. You should be running away in fear… and yet you’re still thinking. Amazing. Truly incredible. It’s a shame to kill you. If it weren’t this world—if the future weren’t so dark—you would have become someone remarkable.”

“……”

“Sob… sob… How sad… So terribly sad… It’s tragic that someone like you has to die. There must be so many wonderful people like you in this world… and yet everyone will one day wander into endless darkness…”

She shifted between smiling and sobbing, her emotions swinging wildly as she stared at me. The tears on her face hadn’t even dried when the corners of her lips curled upward again.

“So I will kill you.”

“I refuse.”

Booom!

A massive shockwave erupted from my arms, engulfing the entire area.

Shock-Enhanced Wave Ball—a magic engineering item I had been saving. The crystal ball in my hand exploded, and Silvenia raised her arms to shield her eyes.

It didn’t damage her due to her defensive magic, but it was enough to obscure her vision.

I scooped up dirt from the floor and hurled it into her eyes.

Silvenia screamed and staggered backward, clutching her face. She had lived her entire life with dignity and reverence—I was certain she wasn’t accustomed to such filthy tactics.

I pulled out my dagger and gathered magic power, trying to activate its spiritual skill.It didn’t respond.

“Whew…”

I frowned and decided to stab her anyway.

With Mugg sealed in Time Prison, the spiritual skills I borrowed from him were unusable. Still, in this desperate moment, I had to seize even the smallest chance.

Even blinded, Silvenia focused on the flow of magic power to evade my attack. She should have been hit—but she had developed a terrifying combat intuition.

However, as she twisted her body to dodge, she lost her balance and stumbled backward, slamming into a broken column.

Thud!

With her back against the column, Silvenia took a deep breath and opened her bloodshot eyes, glaring at me.

“That’s a ceremonial dagger from House Rothstaylor. Then you must be…”

Her eyes widened, lips trembling.

“Ed Rothstaylor. Yes… you must be Ed Rothstaylor.”

“…So you do know. You’ve observed countless futures, after all.”

“Yes… that’s right… Let me think… Ed Rothstaylor… But he wasn’t supposed to be like this…”

She muttered to herself before a grotesque smile spread across her face.

“Ahaha… HAHAHA…”

Blood dripped from her bitten lips, splattering onto the floor—proof of how deeply her mind had fractured.

“Alright… I think I understand now. You… are a byproduct of the mistakes I made long ago.”

“What?”

“Back when I believed I could resist this hopeless world. When I thought there had to be a way out. Those foolish days… grasping at straws… even dragging an innocent victim into it.”

Silvenia stepped away from the column, lifting her head.The magic power in the air grew even denser—it had never truly diminished.

“I’m sorry… I truly am. You suffered because of me… without knowing anything, you kept struggling to extend that hopeless existence. You must have suffered so much… It’s my fault… all of it…”

She broke down in tears, her emotions impossible to follow.

“I’ll take responsibility and kill you. I’ll let you rest in peace, so you won’t have to suffer anymore just to live a pointless life.”

Magic power flooded Trix Hall’s lobby. The remaining columns collapsed.

Crash! Boom!

I sprinted away from the falling rubble—but just as I tried to brace myself, two ice spears pierced my left shoulder.

Before I could cry out, another magic bullet slammed into my lower back, sending me flying into the wall.

Slumped against it, I waited as the dust slowly settled.

Forcing my vision to focus, I saw Silvenia extending her palm toward me.A vast amount of Celestial Magic Power had already gathered—faster than before.

Tears streamed down her face as she prepared the spell.

She was castingInstant Deathagain.This time, I had no Celestial Magic left to resist it.

Once it was released, I would die.Silvenia knew it.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry… It must have hurt. So much. But it’s okay now. Everything will be fine. You’ve suffered enough… I’m sorry…”

I tried to move, summoning what little strength remained—but my body wouldn’t respond.

Silvenia clenched her hand.The advanced spellInstant Deathwas released—and struck me directly.

***

Thud!Hwaaaak!

Ed Rothstaylor lowered his head, blood spilling from his mouth—and died.

He leaned against the wall, head bowed as if asleep. Silvenia watched, holding her breath.

The fire bat and wind wolf he had summoned—both pierced by ice spears—were released and returned to their spirit forms.

Another life faded into eternal rest.

Whoosh!Roaaaaaar!

Velbrok continued to roar as if the world itself were ending.And somewhere in the sky, a mysterious young magician was still fighting it.

Silvenia tilted her head as she watched.

Though she had dealt with Ed Rothstaylor, there were still far too many variables trying to stop Velbrok.She had no time to rest—yet she didn’t move.

Ed Rothstaylor’s corpse lay before her, drenched in blood. His eyes were closed peacefully, but the scars covering his body testified to the pain he had endured.

“I’m sorry,” Silvenia whispered.

“With only suffering ahead… this is better.”

She closed her eyes, releasing the magic around her as tears welled up.

Her thoughts drifted to her first disciple—Glockt.

When he was young, he had asked her the same question she now faced.Hundreds of years had passed. Only now did she understand the weight of it.

Was this what it meant when they said students taught their mentors?

She recalled the boy’s empty eyes.

“When life is just an endless struggle, is there any point in living?”

She couldn’t remember her answer back then. The memory was buried, hazy like an old photograph.

Then, suddenly, she remembered smiling brightly.

Silvenia opened her eyes, feeling as though she were falling into emptiness.

“For now, just keep living and tell me later, you brat.”

At that moment—

Ed Rothstaylor, drenched in blood, stood up and lunged at her, stabbing her shoulder.

Stab!

She had already dismissed her magic power, believing the battle was over.When she opened her eyes, what she saw was Ed Rothstaylor’s blood-soaked face.

“K-Keuk… heuk…!”

No matter how great her magic, Silvenia’s body was still fragile.The dagger missed her vitals only because Ed’s body had already reached its limit.

Clang! Clang!

Something fell to the floor—an hourglass, small enough to fit in one hand.

Silvenia whispered in disbelief, “Dell… Heim’s…?”

A magic engineering device that harnessed the authority of Dell Heim, a god of restriction—granting one chance to overcome death.

She remembered it.

Before the academy existed, she had taught only three students: Teslin McLaure, Glockt Elderbane, and Philona Bloomriver.Philona had studied alchemy and the gods.

Silvenia had dismissed her research as unrealistic.Yet Philona had left behind blueprints. Difficult. Rare. Meaningless—or so she thought.

Until now.

“K-Keuk…”

Philona Bloomriver—the student who always smiled while buried in research papers.Silvenia remembered the blueprints clearly.

“You…”

Yet something was wrong.Silvenia had observed every possible future.

Not once had she seenDell Heim’s Hourglasscompleted.

Boom!

She blasted Ed’s body away and clenched her teeth, staring at the dagger embedded in her shoulder.With effort, she tore it free.

“Ke—keuk—Kyaaaaak!!”

Blood poured out.She immediately cast Celestial Magic, reversing the wound.

“Keuk… ahhhh…!”

The wound vanished, but the pain remained. The memory of being stabbed lingered like a phantom.

As she trembled, Ed slowly stood again, blood spilling freely.

Until the very end, he had hidden his final trump card.Calm. Calculated. Inhuman.

That strike had been everything he had.It failed—but he still stood.

At that point, Ed Rothstaylor looked more like a zombie than Silvenia ever had.His eyes burned with nothing but the will to survive.

“I hate people like you the most,” he rasped.

“You think the future you saw is everything. You think you know it all. I was the same.”

He alone knew the storylines of.Yet nothing ever followed the script.

The world always betrayed expectations.Life never went as planned.

There was much to lose.Much to gain.And death was always close.

In such a world, survival was all that mattered.

“That arrogance…”

Bleeding out, it was a miracle he still moved—but he was alive.

“That’s something only bastards who survived get to say.”

Ed Rothstaylor never promised things would get better.He never clung to hollow hope.

That was how he lived.

“You… who are you…?”

Silvenia gathered her magic again. There was no more time.

Dell Heim’s Hourglass had saved him once—but that was all.

She raised both hands. Dozens of ice spears formed.Even one would kill him.

They launched.

Clang! Hwaaaak!Whoosh!

A massive flame engulfed the area.

Spiritual Skill,Fire Flower.

All the ice spears melted instantly.

Ed recognized it immediately—an advanced spiritual skill borrowed from the high-ranking fire spirit Takan, engraved into the cosmos embroidery of Yennekar Palerover’s cloak.

She landed in front of him, pink hair fluttering.

With a wave of her arms, countless spirits filled Trix Hall.Silvenia blocked her barrage with ease—but that was enough.

Yennekar grabbed Ed, supporting his broken body, and summoned the mid-ranking wind spirit Calaques.

They mounted the massive Archaeopteryx-shaped spirit and fled.

Silvenia cleared the smoke, but they were already gone.

The spirits vanished.Only rubble and silence remained.

“……”

Silvenia lowered her head.

What she had seen from Yennekar Palerover didn’t match the futures she had observed.

Was she wrong?Or had something inevitable changed?

Her fractured mind was sinking deeper into pain.

“Eugh… keuk…”

She clutched her shoulder, breathing heavily.The pain lingered—but slowly faded.

“…There are still… variables… I need to deal with… There’s still… so much to do…”

The madness continued to consume her.