The Extra Who Inherited Ragnarok

By afternoon, Hildgard had settled into an almost comfortable rhythm.

The streets were busy without being crowded. Tournament banners still hung between buildings, though some had already begun to tear at the edges. With the academies unable to leave, students had turned the unexpected delay into an extended vacation.

For once, nobody seemed interested in ancient ruins or strange magical phenomena.

They were interested in food.

"This place is incredible."

Eric stared at the enormous plate in front of him.

Damien looked unimpressed.

"You’ve said that about every restaurant we’ve visited."

"Because every restaurant has been incredible."

"You’ve also said that about a bakery."

"It had good bread."

Sophia laughed.

Luna quietly picked at her meal while watching the two argue.

Laura sat across from them, smiling.

For a moment, it felt like they had returned to ordinary academy life.

No tournament.

No missions.

No danger.

Just friends wasting an afternoon in a city they weren’t supposed to remain in this long.

Laura glanced toward the empty seat beside her.

"Noah hasn’t come?"

Eric shook his head.

"He said he’d meet us later."

Damien raised an eyebrow.

"He’s been saying that for days."

Laura’s smile faded slightly.

"He needs time."

Nobody argued.

They all knew Noah had changed after the tournament.

Not dramatically.

Not enough for someone who didn’t know him.

But his friends noticed.

The pauses were longer.

His attention wandered.

Sometimes he stared into empty space as though listening to someone standing beside him.

Laura had seen it more than once.

And every time she tried asking, Noah gave her the same answer.

I’m fine.

She didn’t believe him.

Noah stood alone on the rooftop of the academy residence.

The afternoon wind moved through his hair.

Below, Hildgard stretched endlessly beneath the strange sky.

The three moons weren’t visible yet.

The sun had its turn.

Noah rested his arms against the stone railing.

"Six percent."

His eyes narrowed.

The system floated before him.

[Ragnarok Dead Zone Resonance: 6.2%]

[Host Consciousness: STABLE]

[Ragnarok Synchronization: ERROR]

Noah stared at the last line.

"Still can’t read it?"

No response.

He waited.

Nothing.

Noah closed the system window.

For several seconds, there was only wind.

Until a voice spoke behind him.

"You’re getting comfortable."

Noah didn’t turn.

"I knew you’d show up."

Dead Zone stood several meters away.

It looked like Noah.

But the resemblance ended there.

Its eyes were darker.

Its expression colder.

Its presence heavier.

"You’ve been quiet."

"So have you."

"I’m enjoying the silence."

Dead Zone smiled.

"That’s why you’re dangerous."

Noah finally turned.

"What does that mean?"

Dead Zone didn’t answer.

It simply looked toward the distant city.

"You think peace means nothing is happening."

Noah’s expression hardened.

"What are you talking about?"

A faint red glow appeared in Dead Zone’s eyes.

"I’m talking about the things you haven’t noticed."

The rooftop vanished.

Noah’s eyes opened.

He was back in Hildgard.

His breathing was slightly heavier.

For a moment, he couldn’t remember why he’d closed his eyes.

He looked toward the city.

Nothing seemed wrong.

People walked through the streets.

Children ran between stalls.

Academy students laughed.

Everything was normal.

Noah frowned.

Somewhere deep inside him, however, something was listening.

And beneath Hildgard...

Something answered.

The next morning passed without incident.

That alone made Hildgard feel suspicious.

No strange bells.

No mana surges.

No tremors.

The damaged areas from the tournament were being repaired, merchants had returned to their usual routines, and the academies had resumed their training schedules while waiting for transportation to be restored.

At Valhalla Academy’s temporary training grounds, Eric wiped sweat from his forehead.

"Again?"

Damien lowered his practice weapon.

"You’re the one who asked for another round."

"I was hoping you’d say no."

"You’re terrible at hoping."

Eric laughed.

Nearby, Sophia sat beneath a tree with Luna, watching them.

Laura wasn’t watching the spar.

Her attention was elsewhere.

She had been unusually quiet all morning.

Luna noticed.

"You’re thinking about Noah."

Laura looked over.

"Is it that obvious?"

"To us? Yes."

Sophia smiled gently.

"You’ve been staring at the same page for ten minutes."

Laura looked down.

The book in her hands hadn’t moved.

She closed it.

"I just feel like something is wrong with him."

Eric stopped fighting.

"Yeah."

Damien looked over.

"He’s been different."

Sophia nodded.

"He doesn’t tell us anything."

Laura’s fingers tightened around the edge of the book.

"I tried asking."

"And?"

"He said he was fine."

Eric snorted.

"That’s definitely Noah."

A small laugh escaped Laura.

It disappeared quickly.

She looked toward the academy building.

"I think he’s trying to handle something alone."

Nobody answered.

Because they all knew she was probably right.

Noah was nowhere near the training grounds.

He had returned to the quieter streets near Hildgard’s old district.

The same district where the tournament crowds had once filled every street.

Now it was almost empty.

Noah walked without a particular destination.

He stopped beside an old fountain.

The stonework was ancient, covered in faded carvings.

He had passed it several times during his stay.

Today, something caught his attention.

A symbol.

Three circular shapes arranged beneath a larger arc.

Noah stared at it.

His system appeared automatically.

[Environmental Analysis]

[Ancient Magical Structure Detected.]

[Origin: Unknown.]

Noah frowned.

"Unknown?"

The system flickered.

[Analysis Failed.]

He reached toward the carving.

The instant his fingers touched the stone, a pulse moved through the fountain.

Noah pulled his hand back.

His heart skipped.

For less than a second, he saw something that wasn’t there.

Three moons.

A golden light.

And a woman standing beneath them.

Her face remained hidden.

The vision vanished before he could understand it.

Noah stared at the fountain.

"What was that?"

Inside his mind, Dead Zone answered.

"Nothing you need to see."

Noah’s expression darkened.

"You saw it too."

Silence.

"Dead Zone."

A faint laugh echoed through his thoughts.

"You’re learning."

Noah stepped away from the fountain.

He didn’t like the answer.

He liked even less that Dead Zone had one.

Across the district, someone watched from the upper floor of an abandoned building.

A figure stood behind a dusty window.

They had been watching Noah for several minutes.

When Noah finally walked away, the figure lowered the curtain.

The disturbance from the previous night had been dismissed by almost everyone.

But someone was still paying attention.

And Hildgard had begun remembering things that were never supposed to wake again.