Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

A day later.

Adrian sat at the edge of the table, looking at the familiar faces gathered in his room—Kairen, Ardel, Lila, and Aria. It had been a long and intense few days, but now, with the pressing threat of the Red Dragons Guild finally behind them, he felt a strange sense of relief. The problem had been Gaston all along, and thankfully, it was now resolved.

Two days ago, Mrs. Ardent had personally informed him that Gaston's crimes had been exposed. They had uncovered proof of everything—how he had been involved in illegal smuggling of rare magical beasts, adult stuff, bribing officials to cover his tracks, and even orchestrating attacks on rival guild members to expand his influence.

The evidence left no room for doubt, and the Red Dragons Guild, which had been embroiled in these criminal activities, was now on the verge of losing their good reputation. However, they still had to finish their task of ruin clearing.

Gaston's punishment had been swift: stripped of his title, his magic sealed, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the same place as Rowan was sent to, a place known for housing the most dangerous criminals.

Adrian let the memory of that conversation fade as he refocused on the group before him. The mission with the Red Dragons Guild was no longer a concern.

"Alright," he began, his voice steady but filled with anticipation. "I gathered you all here because we need to prepare for what's next. We're heading for a Silver Tier ruin exploration. It'll be dangerous, but with only three weeks before the semester ends, we need to make the most of it."

'Though I'm talking about the event in cover...'

Aria nodded slightly, her eyes reflecting both trust and curiosity. Kairen, as stoic as ever, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. Ardel shifted slightly, and Lila remained silent but attentive, her eyes shifting from Adrian to Kairen from time to time.

"But before we dive into our next mission, I need to know where everyone stands." Adrian glanced at Aria briefly, knowing she had kept him updated from time to time, but he wanted to hear from the others directly.

He had barely had time to train with them this last month, and despite the occasional updates from Aria or Aurelius, he had been too wrapped up in his own things to witness their progress firsthand.

"Let's start with you, Ardel." Adrian nodded in his direction.

Ardel blinked, slightly surprised but quickly composed himself. He was still the shy, quiet boy he had always been—except in battle. He scratched the back of his head, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks, but he spoke with a new confidence that hadn't been there before.

"Well, I—I don't feel as shy when I'm in battle anymore," he admitted, glancing at each of his teammates as he spoke. "The training with all of you—and with Aurelius's team—helped a lot. I still get nervous in daily life," he added with a small, sheepish smile, "but when it comes to fighting, I feel… different. Stronger. Focused."

"Good, keep up the good work." Adrian smiled at that. Ardel had always been a bit timid, but in combat, he seemed to have grown. He had proven himself time and time again, but it was good to hear it from him directly.

I guess, the incident at the Myrandor Mountains hit him hard too... After all, he was nearly unconscious the whole time.'

"And I've learned how to use 'Wilderness' Blessing' more efficiently," Ardel continued. "It's not just about finding or searching anymore but boosting my own strength as well. I can manipulate the terrain to my advantage, control the environment, and even set traps. It's made a big difference in how I approach fights."

"That's great to hear," Adrian replied, genuinely impressed. "You've come a long way, Ardel."

Ardel nodded, his blush deepening slightly at the praise, but there was no denying the pride in his expression.

Adrian then turned to Kairen. "Kairen, you've had quite the transformation too, haven't you?"

Kairen's jaw clenched slightly, his gaze hardening as he thought about the incident Adrian was referring to. "Yeah, you could say that." He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, his eyes slightly intense. "After what happened, I realized I couldn't just keep relying on defense when I'm not even good at it."

Adrian nodded, remembering how Kairen had always been the wall, the shield for the team. But after that encounter, something had shifted in him.

"Aurelius and Ren helped me a lot," Kairen continued. "They have abilities similar to mine, so they showed me how to control it better. But I'm not just defending anymore. I've learned how to go on the offensive when I need to. It's not perfect—I still prefer to shield others—but I won't hesitate to strike back now. I want to protect those whom I love." Explore new worlds at M-V-L

Adrian could see the fire in Kairen's eyes, a determination that hadn't been there before. This was a man who had found balance, someone who had always been reliable but now had an edge.

Adrian smiled as Kairen threw a secret glance at Lila who was smiling at him. Then he quickly turned away, his cheeks slightly red.

'...They are definitely going out.' Adrian and Ardel exchanged glances, having the same thought.

"You've become someone who can do both—defend and attack," Adrian remarked, his tone appreciative. "That's going to be critical in the days to come."

Although it was standard to have one full tank in a team, Adrian had a different idea. Besides, there was another person suited to that role better than anyone.

Kairen gave a small nod, his expression still serious, but there was a hint of satisfaction there.

Adrian then shifted his attention to Lila, who straightened in her seat as if anticipating his gaze.

Her eyes met his, and she nodded, offering a small but confident smile. "I've made some good progress too," she began, her voice calm and measured. "I've been focusing on improving my aim and Aether control. My accuracy has gotten better, and I've learned to balance my spells more effectively in combat."

Adrian raised an eyebrow, impressed. Lila had always been skilled with long-range attacks, but her precision had been inconsistent.

Way too much at the beginning.

"That's good to hear. What else?" he prompted, knowing there had to be more to her training.

"Umm..."