The Extra Who Inherited Ragnarok

The rain stopped before noon.

Water still clung to the stone streets of Hildgard, reflecting the pale light above the city. Students slowly returned to their usual routines, though the delay in transportation had made everyone restless.

Eric was among the loudest.

"Another day here."

Sophia looked up from her book.

"You say that like you’re in prison."

"I’ve been eating the same breakfast for three days."

Luna blinked.

"There are twenty different food stalls."

"Exactly. Too many choices."

Sophia stared at him.

Laura laughed quietly.

For a brief moment, Noah simply watched them.

It felt normal.

That was becoming increasingly rare.

His gaze drifted toward Damien, who stood near the window.

Damien wasn’t paying attention to Eric’s complaints.

He was looking outside.

"Noah."

Noah turned.

"What?"

Damien pointed toward the distance.

Several Hildgard officials were moving through the streets.

More than usual.

Their uniforms were dark, marked with the city’s insignia.

Sophia stood.

"What’s going on?"

Nobody knew.

The answer came less than an hour later.

An announcement echoed throughout the academy district.

"Attention. Certain areas of the northern archive district are temporarily restricted."

Students immediately began whispering.

Eric looked toward Noah.

"That sounds suspicious."

"Everything sounds suspicious to you."

"Because suspicious things keep happening."

Noah couldn’t argue with that.

Laura looked toward the officials gathering outside.

"They’re hiding something."

Sophia nodded.

"Definitely."

Luna frowned.

"Should we stay away from it?"

Eric looked hopeful.

"Probably."

Sophia turned toward him.

"You’re going, aren’t you?"

Eric sighed.

"Unfortunately."

Noah shook his head.

"We don’t need to investigate every strange thing in this city."

Eric looked offended.

"That’s easy for you to say."

Noah stared at him.

"You nearly got eliminated twice during the tournament."

"Exactly. Experience."

Damien finally spoke.

"The officials aren’t here because of the archives."

Everyone looked toward him.

Damien’s eyes remained fixed outside.

"They’re afraid."

The courtyard became quiet.

Across the city, Alcris watched the officials from an upper-floor window.

The second medallion rested inside his coat.

He had expected attention.

He simply hadn’t expected it this quickly.

Behind him, the two artifacts continued reacting to one another.

Balgard.

Sylthin.

Their combined mana was beginning to affect the surrounding area.

A student entered the room.

"Alcris."

He turned.

"We found information about the last one."

Alcris’s eyes sharpened.

"Where?"

The student hesitated.

"The old central district."

Alcris smiled faintly.

"Of course."

The oldest part of Hildgard.

The place where the city had first been built.

He had a feeling the third medallion wouldn’t be waiting quietly inside a storage room.

That evening, Laura returned to the fountain.

She hadn’t intended to.

Her feet had simply brought her there.

The strange symbol remained beneath the water.

She crouched beside it.

This time, she studied it carefully.

A circular shape.

Curved lines around it.

Something resembling wings.

Her chest tightened.

A memory surfaced.

A large hall.

Golden lights.

Several people standing around a long table.

Someone shouting.

Laura’s younger self was standing near a doorway.

She remembered being afraid.

"You don’t understand what you’re carrying!"

The memory shattered.

Laura suddenly pulled away from the fountain.

Her breathing had become uneven.

"What am I carrying...?"

"That’s an interesting question."

Laura turned sharply.

A man stood several meters away.

She didn’t recognize him.

His clothes were ordinary.

But his presence wasn’t.

Laura stood.

"Who are you?"

The man smiled.

"Nobody important."

Laura’s eyes narrowed.

"People who say that usually are."

The man laughed softly.

"Smart."

Before Laura could move, he stepped backward into the crowd.

Within seconds, he disappeared.

Laura remained still.

Something about him felt wrong.

Familiar.

Yet impossible to place.

She immediately turned toward the academy.

Noah needed to know.

At the same moment, Noah stopped walking.

The system appeared.

[WARNING: EXTERNAL RESONANCE DETECTED.]

Noah frowned.

The screen distorted.

[RAGNAROK DEAD ZONE RESONANCE: 5%]

Five percent.

His expression darkened.

Inside his consciousness, Dead Zone spoke.

He’s close.

Noah’s eyes hardened.

"To the third medallion?"

A pause followed.

To making a mistake.

Noah felt the temperature around him drop.

"What kind of mistake?"

Dead Zone laughed quietly.

The kind people don’t survive.

The voice disappeared.

Noah stood beneath the darkening Hildgard sky.

Above him, the first moon began to rise.

Far across the city, Alcris was moving toward the oldest district.

And for the first time in centuries, Hildgard was beginning to remember what had been buried beneath it.

Laura returned to the academy faster than she intended.

By the time she reached the courtyard, Sophia and Luna were sitting near the entrance while Eric argued with a vending machine.

"I paid for that."

The machine remained silent.

Eric pressed another button.

"Give me my food."

Sophia looked at Luna.

"Should we tell him machines don’t respond?"

"He’ll figure it out eventually."

Laura approached them.

Sophia immediately noticed her expression.

"What happened?"

Laura stopped.

"I saw someone."

Eric turned away from the vending machine.

"A person?"

"Obviously."

Sophia gave him a look.

Laura continued.

"I don’t know who he was, but he spoke to me."

Luna stood.

"What did he say?"

Laura hesitated.

"He asked me an odd question."

Sophia’s expression sharpened.

"What question?"

Laura looked toward the others.

"He asked what I was carrying."

The small group fell quiet.

Eric frowned.

"What does that even mean?"

"I don’t know."

Laura didn’t mention the memory.

Not yet.

The words still echoed inside her head.

You don’t understand what you’re carrying.

Sophia stepped closer.

"Did he threaten you?"

"No."

"Did he follow you?"

"I don’t think so."

Sophia didn’t look convinced.

"That’s worse."

Noah arrived a few minutes later.

He immediately noticed the atmosphere.

"What happened?"

Laura looked toward him.

For a second, she almost told him everything.

Instead, Sophia explained what had happened.

Noah listened without interrupting.

When she finished, his expression became serious.

"Did you recognize him?"

Laura shook her head.

"No."

"Would you recognize him again?"

"Definitely."

Noah nodded.

"Don’t walk around alone tonight."

Laura raised an eyebrow.

"Was that concern?"

"No."

Sophia smiled.

Laura looked at Noah.

"You should work on lying."

Noah ignored her.

Damien appeared from the residence building.

He had heard enough to understand something was wrong.

"We should stay together."

Eric looked around.

"That’s becoming a common theme."

"Good," Damien replied. "You should learn."

Eric frowned.

"Why is everyone attacking me today?"

Luna laughed.

The tension eased slightly.

But Noah remained uneasy.

Laura’s encounter bothered him.

Not because of the stranger.

Because Dead Zone had become quiet.

Too quiet.

Across Hildgard, Alcris entered the old central district.

This part of the city looked different from everywhere else.

The buildings were older.

The streets narrower.

Even the air felt heavier.

Few people lived here.

Those who did avoided speaking to strangers.

Alcris stopped before an enormous stone structure.

A ruined temple.

His perception reacted immediately.

The pain was almost unbearable.

He placed a hand against the wall.

"It’s here."

One of his companions stepped forward.

"This place has been closed for decades."

Alcris smiled faintly.

"That never stopped anyone from entering somewhere."

They entered through a broken side gate.

Inside, the temple was dark.

Ancient statues lined both sides of the corridor.

Most had been damaged.

Some had lost their heads.

Others had been deliberately destroyed.

Alcris walked deeper.

At the center of the temple stood a circular platform.

Three empty spaces had been carved into it.

His eyes widened.

"The medallions."

He approached slowly.

Balgard reacted.

Sylthin reacted moments later.

The two artifacts glowed inside his coat.

Alcris removed them.

The moment they touched the platform, ancient symbols illuminated across the floor.

His companions stepped backward.

"What is this?"

Alcris didn’t answer.

He was staring at the final empty space.

The third medallion had to belong there.

Flaros.

A sound echoed from somewhere beneath the temple.

Alcris froze.

His perception was screaming.

Not in warning.

In recognition.

Something was below them.

Something old.

Something connected to all three medallions.

At the academy, Noah suddenly collapsed to one knee.

Sophia reacted first.

"Noah!"

Eric rushed forward.

"What happened?"

Noah pressed a hand against his chest.

The system appeared before him.

[WARNING.]

The words multiplied.

[WARNING.]

[WARNING.]

[WARNING.]

Noah’s eyes widened.

The screen glitched violently.

[RANK: F]

[RANK: F]

[RANK: F]

[F-RANK STATUS: UNSTABLE.]

Noah’s breathing stopped for a second.

The system distorted.

[F-RANK STATUS: ELIMINATION PENDING.]

"What the hell...?"

Sophia couldn’t see the screen.

"Noah, talk to us!"

Noah’s eyes suddenly flashed.

For an instant, a deep red color appeared within them.

Dark streaks flickered around his body before disappearing.

Luna stepped back.

Laura stared at him.

"Noah..."

The system changed again.

[F-RANK STATUS: ELIMINATED.]

The screen went black.

Everyone froze.

A final message appeared.

[CURRENT RANK: A.]

Noah stared.

A rank.

His real rank had been F since the beginning.

Or at least, that’s what everyone believed.

The screen flickered.

[CURRENT RANK: A.]

[CURRENT RANK: S.]

[ERROR.]

[ERROR.]

The system vanished.

Noah slowly raised his head.

Everyone was staring at him.

Eric was the first to speak.

"Okay."

He looked at Noah carefully.

"Something is definitely wrong with you."

Noah gave a tired laugh.

"Yeah."

For once, he couldn’t disagree.

Inside his consciousness, Dead Zone finally spoke.

Its voice was colder than before.

The third piece has awakened.

Noah’s expression changed.

"Alcris."

Yes.

Outside, night slowly descended over Hildgard.

The three moons rose one after another.

And somewhere in the oldest district of the city, Alcris stood before an ancient platform with two medallions in his possession.

Only one remained.