The Extra Who Inherited Ragnarok

The darkness above the forest split apart.

Not like clouds.

Like something had torn the sky itself.

A massive crimson eye appeared beyond the opening.

Everyone inside the transport froze.

Eric slowly lowered his weapon.

"...That’s an eye."

Damien stared upward.

"How big is that thing?"

Luna’s face had gone pale.

"I can’t sense its limits."

Sophia stepped closer to Noah.

"That isn’t the same presence from Hildgard, is it?"

Noah shook his head.

"No."

The Dead Zone spoke quietly inside him.

"This is different."

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

You know what it is?

"No."

Then what do you know?

The Dead Zone stared upward through Noah’s consciousness.

"It’s looking for something."

Noah swallowed.

Me?

"No."

A pause.

"Something inside you."

The hooded figure outside suddenly dropped to one knee.

The crimson eye above the forest pulsed.

BOOM.

The entire transport shook.

The figure covered its head.

"It’s here..."

Noah stared through the window.

"You knew this was coming."

The figure didn’t answer.

"You brought us here."

"No."

Its voice trembled.

"I tried to stop it from finding you."

Eric frowned.

"That’s a terrible job so far."

The figure ignored him.

Its gaze remained fixed on Noah.

"You need to leave."

Noah looked around.

"Leave where?"

"Anywhere."

The figure pointed toward the forest.

"The boundary is collapsing."

Noah looked at the trees.

The forest had begun changing.

Branches twisted.

The ground cracked.

Crimson light seeped through the soil.

The transport suddenly dropped several meters.

Laura grabbed Noah’s arm.

"Hold on!"

The carriage tilted.

Everyone struggled to remain standing.

Then the engines died.

Silence.

The transport began falling.

Noah grabbed Shadowfang.

"Everyone, get ready!"

Eric braced himself.

Damien grabbed Luna.

Sophia formed a barrier around the group.

Laura stayed beside Noah.

The forest rushed toward them.

BOOM!

The transport crashed through the trees.

Metal screamed.

Branches shattered.

The carriage rolled across the ground before finally stopping.

Silence followed.

Noah slowly opened his eyes.

The carriage was damaged badly.

Several seats had broken loose.

Dust filled the air.

"Everyone alive?"

Eric groaned.

"Unfortunately."

Damien coughed.

"I’m good."

Sophia and Luna nodded.

Laura looked at Noah.

"You?"

Noah pushed himself upright.

"Fine."

Outside, the forest had gone completely silent.

Too silent.

No birds.

No insects.

Nothing.

Noah stepped through the broken carriage door.

The hooded figure stood several meters away.

It looked toward the sky.

The crimson eye was still there.

But something had changed.

A second eye had appeared.

Then a third.

The figure whispered:

"It found the trail."

Noah stared upward.

"What is that thing?"

The figure slowly turned toward him.

"I don’t know its name."

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

"But you know what it is."

The figure nodded.

"It is a Watcher."

Noah frowned.

"A Watcher?"

"It doesn’t attack immediately."

The figure looked toward the crimson eyes.

"It observes."

A pause.

"It learns."

Noah tightened his grip on Shadowfang.

"And what happens when it finishes learning?"

The figure’s voice dropped.

"Then it decides whether you’re worth keeping alive."

The Dead Zone stirred.

"Interesting."

Noah glanced inward.

What’s interesting?

"It’s afraid of that thing."

Noah looked back at the hooded figure.

The figure suddenly turned.

Its body stiffened.

"What?"

The crimson eyes above them shifted.

Not toward Noah.

Toward the figure.

The hooded stranger froze.

A thin crimson beam descended from the sky.

The figure raised both hands.

A barrier appeared.

The beam struck.

BOOOOOOM!

The forest erupted.

Trees vanished.

The barrier shattered.

The hooded figure was thrown across the clearing.

Laura shouted.

"Whoever that is, help them!"

Noah stepped forward.

The Dead Zone whispered:

"Don’t."

Noah stopped.

Why?

"Because that’s not its target."

Noah looked at the crimson eyes.

One of them slowly turned toward him.

The Dead Zone finished:

"We are."

The eye locked onto Noah.

And the entire forest began glowing crimson.

The forest turned crimson.

Every tree.

Every stone.

Every broken piece of the transport.

Everything was washed in the same unnatural light.

Noah stood completely still.

The enormous eyes above the forest remained fixed on him.

One.

Two.

Three.

They didn’t blink.

They simply watched.

Laura moved beside Noah.

"It’s looking at you."

"I know."

Sophia raised a barrier around everyone.

"Whatever it is, we shouldn’t stay here."

Noah nodded.

"Agreed."

Eric glanced toward the damaged transport.

"Unfortunately, our ride is dead."

Damien looked at the shattered engine.

"Very dead."

A faint tremor traveled through the ground.

The hooded figure suddenly pushed itself upright.

Blood ran from beneath its hood.

"Don’t move."

Noah looked at them.

"Why?"

The figure pointed toward the sky.

"The Watcher is measuring you."

Noah frowned.

"Measuring?"

"It wants to know what you are."

The crimson eyes slowly shifted.

The pressure increased.

Noah’s system appeared.

[EXTERNAL OBSERVATION DETECTED.]

[ANALYZING HOST.]

[ANALYSIS: 4%]

Noah’s eyes widened.

"It can access my system?"

The Dead Zone answered immediately.

"No."

Then what is it doing?

"Reading you."

The number increased.

8%.

12%.

Noah felt something passing through his body.

Not touching him.

Studying him.

His mana.

His soul.

His connection to Ragnarok.

His connection to the Dead Zone.

Everything.

Noah clenched his fist.

"Get out of my head."

The Watcher didn’t respond.

The number reached 21%.

Then stopped.

The three crimson eyes suddenly focused on one point.

Noah’s chest.

His Ragnarok.

The hooded figure looked horrified.

"It found it."

Laura looked at them.

"Found what?"

The figure slowly lowered its hand.

"The inheritance."

Noah’s expression hardened.

"What does that mean?"

The figure looked at him.

"You aren’t carrying Ragnarok."

Noah froze.

"What?"

The figure’s voice trembled.

"Ragnarok is carrying you."

Silence.

Even the Dead Zone went quiet.

Noah stared at the stranger.

"That doesn’t make sense."

"I know."

The figure looked toward the Watcher.

"That’s why it’s interested."

The crimson eyes suddenly brightened.

The ground beneath Noah cracked.

BOOM!

A circular mark appeared under his feet.

The system flashed rapidly.

[RAGNAROK SIGNAL: ACTIVE.]

[DEAD ZONE RESONANCE: 31.8%]

[UNKNOWN OBSERVER: ANALYSIS 37%.]

Noah’s breathing became heavier.

The Dead Zone finally spoke.

"Don’t let it reach one hundred."

Why?

"Because once it finishes analyzing you..."

A pause.

"...it will know how to kill you."

Noah stepped backward.

The Watcher’s eyes followed.

He raised Shadowfang.

Crimson runes ignited along the blade.

Laura looked at him.

"Noah, wait."

"I can’t just stand here."

The Watcher released another crimson beam.

Noah moved.

BOOM!

He slashed upward.

Shadowfang collided with the beam.

The impact sent a shockwave through the forest.

Noah’s feet dug into the ground.

The beam pushed him backward.

His arms trembled.

But he held.

Eric stared.

"Since when can he block something like that?"

Sophia shook her head.

"He shouldn’t be able to."

Noah gritted his teeth.

The Dead Zone whispered:

"Good."

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

Good?

"Now show it something it hasn’t measured."

Noah understood.

His aura exploded.

Crimson.

Black.

The Watcher’s three eyes widened.

[ANALYSIS INTERRUPTION.]

[UNKNOWN POWER RESPONSE.]

Noah pushed Shadowfang forward.

The beam shattered.

BOOOOOOM!

The forest erupted with crimson light.

For several seconds, nothing could be seen.

When the light faded...

Noah was still standing.

Blood ran from his arm.

But he was smiling.

"Still want to measure me?"

Above him, the Watcher’s eyes slowly narrowed.

The system appeared one final time.

[ANALYSIS: 41%]

[NEW CLASSIFICATION ATTEMPT.]

[SUBJECT: UNRESOLVED.]

The Dead Zone laughed.

"Now it’s interested."

And the three crimson eyes began descending from the sky.