Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

Adrian stood still, watching as Seraphelis unleashed his domain with a mix of awe and cold calculation. The darkness swirled and stretched, blanketing the battlefield like an oppressive tide.

Tendrils of shadow erupted from the ground, writhing violently as they lashed onto the abominations. The Evil Eye Ghoulz and Mini Mad Giant were caught in the crushing void of Seraphelis's Eclipse Veil, their monstrous forms twisting and contorting in futile resistance. Even the Phantom Lady, who had been hanging back, wasn't spared, swallowed by the impenetrable darkness.

Seraphelis had gambled, pushing his domain to its limit, and Adrian could feel the weight of the effort it took. The sheer force of the power sent ripples through the air, thickening it with tension.

Adrian observed quietly, his sharp eyes taking in every detail as Seraphelis fought to hold the abominations within his grasp. They thrashed wildly, but the shadows held firm. It was impressive, but more importantly, it was exactly what Adrian needed.

With a final, shuddering pulse, the abominations were pulled deeper into the dark vortex, and the domain folded in on itself, sealing the three monsters and the caster inside.

Adrian's lips barely moved as he whispered to himself, "Alright."

He turned and began walking toward the others, his steps confident, his mind already shifting to the next part of his plan. Despite a few changes and unforeseen incidents, everything was still going according to his expectations.

He had never planned to rescue Aurelius and stop Evangeline right away. That would have been naive. The moment they had entered Evangeline's Domain, he had known that they were at a disadvantage but still had a chance.

The instructors, though strong, had little chance against abominations of this caliber, especially after the creatures had fully recovered their injuries. Inside the Mastermind's Domain, their power had likely doubled—another variable he had accounted for when he suggested that Seraphelis take out two of them.

Now, Seraphelis had gone above expectations, capturing three instead of two. A bold move. Adrian couldn't help but respect the man's instincts.

'Guess he really cares for his disciple, heh.'

Still, the hard part was far from over.

He weaved through the domain, his gaze sweeping over the fallen figures strewn across the ground. Ahead, the remaining survivors had gathered in a small, tense group.

Aria and Instructor Elara were tending to the wounded, their faces a mix of exhaustion and grim determination. Elara, despite being the healthiest of those who fought, had already withdrawn her tamed beasts into her Bond Space, clearly aware that conserving energy would be crucial for whatever came next.

Aria's sharp eyes were the first to catch sight of Adrian as he approached. She gave a brief nod, acknowledging his arrival, though her focus quickly returned to the injured students lying at her feet. Adrian could see the emotions in Aria's eyes and he had nothing to say...

Not right now. He would explain everything later. He only hoped she would listen.

'...' His heart clenched watching her trying her best to ignore him.

She didn't talk after they escaped from Evangeline either...

'I really suck at these types of things...'

"Student Adrian?" Elara glanced up as well, calling him surprised and relieved.

"Hmm." Adrian nodded in confirmation and let his gaze sweep over the scene, taking stock of their condition.

The instructors, including Elara, were battered and bruised, their bodies showing the clear toll of the battle against the abominations.

The students - Ella and others were unconscious except for Ceil and Cedric who was with Seraphelis.

As for his, no, Lucian's fellow 'city elites'— most of them were still alive but unconscious, scattered like broken dolls. Some of them were breathing shallowly, others unmoving, though Adrian could sense their faint life forces still intact.

'They are really tenacious, huh...' He muttered inwardly. But he wasn't a judge nor the justice upholder, so he didn't care about them.

'Hmm? Oh, so, she didn't touch them after all, huh.' Adrian's eyes squinted as he noticed a group of people standing near each other but not close. They seemed perfectly fine despite the condition of the other elites. 'She was probably going to use them as bargaining chips or hostages after she took down the city...'n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

'Oh, I forgot she was one of the 'Untouchables...'' Adrian made sure to look away as swiftly as possible after noticing one of the figures, the Black Widow. 'The misunderstanding with Evangeline was already enough. I don't want to make it more problematic.'

Even though he wasn't using Lucian's face, he preferred to be careful.

However, he didn't notice Nymera also looking in his direction. Thankfully, she turned away after staring at him for a few moments.

'Hmm... Even though Aurelius's Master has taken three of the abominations, there's still that Arkot beast left and the hidden abomination too. We can't also forget Evangeline herself.'

Adrian knew Evangeline could only be beaten by a Solar Archmage like the principal, General Theron, or the Seraphelis and his sister as a duo. That's how powerful the current her was. Well, she did make a contract with the spirit of Kalin, the entity those cultists served. If not, even Seraphelis could beat her easily without even using his domain.

'Anyway, thankfully, we prevented the worst from happening.' Adrian smiled wryly. 'Had that Cultist Branch Leader arrived and joined forces with her, we would have to deal with the ascension of Kalin's avatar and probably would have to wait for the principal's return. If we could stay alive that is...'

And, since he wasn't here, it meant the principal's side was holding out just fine.

'Now, we only need to wait till she completes her experiment on Aurelius.'

That's right, he was planning to make Evangeline finish. Well, not that he could stop her either.

The worst wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

But at least for now, they had bought themselves some time.

And in a game like this, time was everything.

'Just a little more...'