The Extra Seeks Chaos

Chapter 36 Back To The Academy

When Arin was still on Earth, reading Humanity's Strongest Mage, there was one thing he knew for certain:

Tessa was the author's favorite character.

First of all, her relationship with Alex gave her plenty of privileges, LOTS of privileges.

Even though she was strong on her own, there were countless situations she couldn't handle, and Alex always swooped in to save her—effortlessly—keeping her safe every single time.

But that wasn't all.

As a devoted reader who had consumed countless novels, Arin could tell that Tessa wasn't just another hollow character. The author had clearly spent a lot of time crafting her, making sure she wasn't some half-baked side figure, unlike some of the other characters in the story.

Still, some things wouldn't stay the same with Arin in the picture.

********

Tessa lay cradled in Arin's arms, her sobs slowly subsiding as he walked toward the Academy wall in the distance.

"You want answers, don't you? About everything that's happening..." Arin's voice was low, his gaze fixed on the horizon ahead. He didn't slow his pace.

Tessa's head rested against his chest, her nod barely perceptible. Her body trembled slightly, a lingering effect of her earlier breakdown.

Arin sighed internally. He wasn't about to tell her the truth—that he was once a reader on Earth who'd died and ended up in this world. Or that his main goal now was to cause chaos and upend the storyline.

He couldn't very well say he was just a guy playing games for his own amusement, could he?

'What would she even think?' He stifled a smirk. 'Absurd', probably. But then again, he had no intention of telling her any of this.

As they neared the wall, Arin came to a stop. He glanced down at her, her grip still tight on his cloak. "You'll know when the time is right," he finally said, voice steady. "Just be patient."

Silence followed, broken only by Tessa's quiet sigh. She shifted in his arms, lifting her gaze to meet his.

"I'll leave you here for tonight. Tomorrow, we'll meet again."

Tessa looked around, realizing they were already near the dormitories. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed how close they were.

"Remember," Arin said, his voice a bit firmer, "use your second fighting style tomorrow."

She nodded. "Okay," she replied softly.

Without another word, Tessa turned and silently made her way toward the girls' dormitory. Arin watched her go, only turning away once she disappeared from sight.

Satisfied, he headed toward the boys' dormitory. Once inside his room, he closed the door behind him, peeled off his mask and cloak, and collapsed onto the bed with a heavy sigh.

"I'm exhausted," he muttered, eyes already half-closed. His battle with Seraphine, coupled with the toll of the Extra's Stand skill, had drained him completely.

His mind wandered as sleep threatened to pull him under. There was something else he needed to do, something important.

But as his thoughts drifted, a wry smile tugged at his lips. "This might be the last time I get to enjoy the simple pleasure of sleep," he murmured to himself. "Might as well savor it."

And with that, he let the fatigue wash over him, his eyes closing as he finally gave in.

Unbeknownst to him, a system screen appeared just as he drifted off, displaying a rather unsettling message:

[The Chaos Element is still in its Initial Stage and was used.]

[Due to that, the Side Effects will now be applied.]

Meanwhile, in her own room, Tessa paced back and forth, her mind occupied with different thoughts.

She glanced at her bed, and instantly sat down on it, with a deep frown on her face.

Her eyes moved towards the table that was beside the bed. 'Or should I...?'