The Extra Who Inherited Ragnarok

Sunrise painted Hildgard in pale gold.

The three moons were still visible, fading slowly as the morning light spread across the sky.

Beyond the city stood the hunting grounds.

A vast stretch of ancient forest surrounded by cliffs, rivers, ruins, and enormous divine trees.

At the entrance, thousands of spectators filled the viewing platforms.

The contestants gathered before the gates.

Noah stood with Valhalla’s group.

Laura adjusted her gloves.

Luna remained quiet beside her.

Damien studied the map projected above the entrance.

"The hunting grounds are divided into six zones."

Noah looked at the map.

"Any restrictions?"

"Only one."

Damien pointed toward the center.

"The central ruins are forbidden."

Noah’s expression changed.

"The ruins?"

"Yes. Contestants who enter will be disqualified."

Laura glanced toward the distant forest.

"Why?"

Damien shook his head.

"They haven’t said."

Noah stared at the center of the map.

For some reason...

His chest felt warm again.

A massive bell rang.

BOOOONG!

The Hildgard representative raised his hand.

"Contestants!"

The crowd became silent.

"Today begins the fifth event of the Inter-Academy Tournament."

His voice echoed throughout the grounds.

"The Hunt!"

The gates began opening.

"Defeat opponents."

"Collect their points."

"Survive until the final bell."

The crowd erupted.

Then came the final warning.

"Entering the restricted central ruins will result in immediate elimination."

The gates fully opened.

"Begin!"

Hundreds of contestants disappeared into the forest.

Noah’s group moved immediately.

Laura stayed beside him.

Luna moved ahead, scouting.

Damien followed behind.

Noah looked over his shoulder.

"We should stay together."

Laura nodded.

"Definitely."

A rustling sound came from the trees.

Luna stopped.

Three contestants appeared.

One from Jotun Academy.

Two from Kingsguard.

The Jotun student grinned.

"Valhalla."

He cracked his knuckles.

"You’re worth points."

Noah stepped forward.

"Then come get them."

The first contestant charged.

Noah’s fist ignited.

BOOM!

Their attacks collided.

Noah pushed him backward.

Laura intercepted the second attacker.

CLANG!

Luna appeared behind the third.

A quick strike sent him crashing into a tree.

Damien immediately marked their points.

"Three defeated."

Noah looked at the others.

"Everyone okay?"

Laura nodded.

Luna gave a thumbs-up.

Damien smiled.

"Perfect."

Then a loud announcement echoed through the forest.

"Attention contestants."

Everyone stopped.

"A high-value contestant has entered Zone Three."

A large projection appeared above the trees.

REINHAM EDGA

POINT VALUE: 500

Noah whistled.

"Five hundred?"

Damien looked impressed.

"He’s already become a target."

Laura looked toward the deeper forest.

"Then everyone is going after him."

Elsewhere...

Reinham walked through the forest alone.

Several contestants surrounded him.

"Five hundred points!"

"Take him down!"

Reinham stopped.

He looked around.

Seven opponents.

His fists tightened.

"All of you?"

One contestant laughed.

"You can’t beat seven people!"

Reinham smiled.

"Then watch."

Energy exploded around his body.

BOOM!

The battle began.

Across another zone...

Jordan walked casually through the forest.

Lightning floated around him.

A contestant tried to ambush him.

Jordan didn’t even turn around.

A lightning sphere shot backward.

CRACK!

The attacker fell.

Jordan sighed.

"Too predictable."

He continued walking.

Then he heard something.

Footsteps.

He turned.

Joseph stood between the trees.

Jordan frowned.

"You."

Joseph said nothing.

Jordan smiled.

"Are you finally going to fight me?"

Joseph walked past him.

"No."

Jordan’s expression darkened.

"What?"

Joseph stopped.

"I have somewhere else to be."

Then he disappeared into the forest.

Jordan stared after him.

"What the hell is wrong with that guy?"

Noah’s group continued deeper.

The forest became strangely quiet.

Too quiet.

Luna suddenly stopped.

Noah noticed.

"What?"

She pointed ahead.

A stone path.

Ancient.

Covered in moss.

Damien crouched.

"These markings..."

He brushed dirt away.

A symbol appeared.

A dragon.

Noah’s heartbeat suddenly increased.

He stepped closer.

The warmth in his chest returned.

Laura immediately grabbed his wrist.

"Noah."

He stopped.

"What?"

"Don’t touch it."

Noah looked at her.

She was serious.

Damien stared at the symbol.

"I’ve seen this before."

Noah frowned.

"Where?"

Damien looked toward the distant ruins.

"On the tournament records."

A second symbol appeared beneath the dragon.

A serpent.

Then a third.

A bear.

Luna’s eyes widened.

"Three."

Noah stared at them.

Three symbols.

Three moons.

His chest burned.

And somewhere deep beneath the forest...

Something answered.

BOOM.

The ground trembled.

Everyone froze.

Damien slowly stood.

"That wasn’t part of the event."

Laura looked toward the restricted ruins.

"No."

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

"It came from there."

Another tremor shook the forest.

Then the tournament announcement suddenly returned.

"All contestants..."

A pause.

The voice sounded distorted.

"...remain within your designated zones."

Noah looked at Laura.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

And somewhere in the forest...

Joseph Yonder smiled.

He had heard the same tremor.

The forest had gone silent.

No birds.

No insects.

Not even the wind.

Noah stared toward the distant ruins.

The tremor had stopped, but the strange warmth in his chest remained.

Damien looked at the map floating above his wrist.

"The restricted ruins are almost three kilometers from here."

Laura frowned.

"Then why did we feel the vibration?"

Damien shook his head.

"I don’t know."

Noah looked at the dragon, serpent, and bear symbols carved into the stone.

"Those weren’t here before."

Luna crouched beside them.

She brushed away some of the moss.

"They’re old."

"How old?" Noah asked.

She shook her head.

"Very."

Damien studied the markings.

"The symbols aren’t connected to any of the academies."

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

"Then why are they inside the tournament grounds?"

Nobody answered.

A second tremor struck.

BOOM.

The ground shook beneath their feet.

Laura immediately grabbed Noah’s arm.

"Move."

The four began retreating.

Then Noah stopped.

"Wait."

Laura looked at him.

"What?"

He pointed toward the ground.

A faint orange glow had appeared beneath the roots of the ancient tree.

Noah could feel something.

It wasn’t calling him.

It was recognizing him.

His flames flickered around his fingertips.

Laura stepped between him and the tree.

"Noah."

"I’m not touching it."

"Good."

She didn’t move.

Neither did he.

Then the glow vanished.

A sharp whistle echoed through the forest.

Damien looked up.

"Someone’s coming."

Footsteps approached.

A group of contestants emerged between the trees.

Five of them.

Their uniforms belonged to different academies.

One carried a spear.

Another had glowing claws.

A third wore heavy armor.

The leader smiled.

"Valhalla."

Noah sighed.

"Here we go again."

The leader pointed toward him.

"Blackwood."

His marker began glowing.

"You’re worth a lot of points."

Laura drew her weapon.

Luna disappeared.

Damien stepped backward.

Noah cracked his knuckles.

"Come get them."

The five charged.

The battle lasted less than a minute.

Laura intercepted the spear wielder.

CLANG!

Luna struck another from behind.

Damien created a barrier.

Noah rushed the armored fighter.

His fist connected.

BOOM!

The armor cracked.

The fighter flew backward.

The leader attacked Noah from the side.

Noah ducked.

A blade passed over his head.

He spun.

Fire erupted from his elbow.

WHAM!

The leader crashed into a tree.

The remaining contestants froze.

Noah looked at them.

"Still want the points?"

They immediately retreated.

Eric would have laughed.

Noah shook his head.

"That was strange."

Damien nodded.

"They weren’t fighting normally."

Laura looked toward the ruins.

"They were desperate."

"Because of the rankings?"

"Maybe."

Noah stared at the distant forbidden area.

"Or because something is changing."

Several kilometers away...

Reinham stood surrounded by defeated contestants.

His uniform was torn.

Blood ran down his cheek.

But he was smiling.

"Anyone else?"

Nobody answered.

The announcer declared:

"Reinham Edga has accumulated 1,500 points."

The crowd exploded.

Reinham raised his fist.

"ELEMENTRO WILL TAKE FIRST!"

But his celebration ended when the ground trembled.

He looked toward the forbidden ruins.

His smile disappeared.

"What was that?"

At the same moment...

Jordan stopped walking.

Lightning crackled around him.

He looked toward the center of the forest.

"So everyone felt it."

A small smile appeared.

"Interesting."

Joseph stood before the restricted boundary.

A black barrier separated him from the ruins.

A warning inscription glowed across the ground.

RESTRICTED AREA.

Joseph looked at it.

Then at the forest behind him.

Nobody was nearby.

His hand began glowing black-orange.

He whispered:

"They told me not to enter."

His eyes narrowed.

"But they never told me why."

The glow intensified.

Joseph stepped toward the barrier.

CRACK.

The barrier reacted.

He stopped.

Then...

A voice echoed inside his head.

"Not yet."

Joseph froze.

His expression changed.

He recognized the voice.

The voice of the relative he believed had given him his orders.

"Wait for Blackwood."

Joseph slowly stepped back.

"Understood."

He turned away.

But for the briefest moment...

A faint illusion flickered behind him.

The outline of a young man.

Black hair.

Calm eyes.

A slight smile.

Then it disappeared.

Joseph never saw it.

Back with Noah’s group...

The tournament announcement suddenly echoed through the forest.

"The Hunt will conclude in thirty minutes."

Damien checked their score.

"We’re currently seventh."

Eric wasn’t there to complain.

Noah smiled.

"Then let’s climb."

Laura nodded.

"Together."

Luna raised her hand.

"There’s another route."

She pointed toward a narrow path between the trees.

Damien examined it.

"That leads toward Zone Five."

Noah looked ahead.

Then stopped.

Something was there.

A tiny glimmer beneath the soil.

He crouched.

He brushed away the dirt.

A small fragment of metal appeared.

Not a medallion.

Just a piece of something ancient.

A symbol was engraved into it.

A dragon.

Noah’s eyes widened.

The moment his fingers touched it...

His vision went black.

Three enormous moons appeared.

A dragon beneath the first.

A serpent beneath the second.

A bear beneath the third.

Then a voice echoed through the darkness.

"Three guardians."

Noah gasped.

The vision vanished.

He dropped the fragment.

Laura caught him.

"Noah!"

He struggled to breathe.

"I saw..."

"What?"

He looked at the three moons above the trees.

"...something."

His hand trembled.

And beneath Hildgard...

Something ancient had begun to wake.