The Extra Seeks Chaos

Chapter 123 Two Days Later

With a thought, Arin exited the Mana Space as his eyes snapped open. He exhaled lightly, feeling the shift between dimensions as he adjusted back to reality. His gaze flickered to Roxanne, who was still staring outside through the window. Her smile remained unfading, but now, it was even wider than before.

Pushing himself up from the floor, Arin sat on the bed, his mind already returning to the Shadow Portal.

'If I remember correctly, it appeared a little before sunset,' Arin thought, his fingers lightly tapping against his thigh. 'And it stayed for about thirty minutes before disappearing.'

As if sensing he had returned, Roxanne turned away from the window and looked at him. The moment her eyes met his, she spoke. "Welcome back, Master."

Arin blinked. "Oh, yes... Thank you," he replied, still partially lost in thought.

Leaning forward, he placed his finger on his chin, contemplating his next move. 'I should be able to do everything before curfew.'@@@@

In the novel, when the Shadow Portal appeared, Alex hadn't sensed it. However, the moment the Shadows emerged, he picked up on their presence and rushed to the forest.

The Nightmare Shadow had managed to escape due to its 'form,' but that wasn't the case for the Shadow General.

When Alex finally defeated the Shadow General in the forest, he was praised as usual. The Academy buildings had remained intact since the battle had taken place in the forest.

'The novel mentioned that Alex didn't know about the Shadow Seed and missed the opportunity to obtain it because the battle happened outside the Portal, not inside,' Arin recalled.

His eyes narrowed. 'Though, the novel mentioning the Shadow Seed despite Alex not obtaining it means he'll surely get it later. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been a need to mention it at all.'

'That aside, if I go into the Shadow Portal, I'll be killing two birds with one stone.'

A smirk formed on Arin's lips as he squinted his eyes slightly. 'Two days from now isn't far...'

**********

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, though they were mostly uneventful.

Arin had spent the time honing his control over his Blood Energy and Chaos Element Mana. He had decided that before attempting to create a Spell again, he needed to refine his mastery over Chaos Mana first.

As he continued training, he couldn't help but wonder how long it would take him to reach the Vampire Noble Rank. The progress was steady, but patience was required.

She stood with her arms crossed, watching them with an unreadable expression.

Leon turned sharply to look at Arin, eyes wide. "D... Does this offer perhaps concern her?"

"Yes," Arin answered plainly.

Leon's reaction was instant. "Hahaha! This is a blessing!" he exclaimed, though his volume quickly dropped when Arin shot him a warning glare.

It was clear from his expression that he was practically on the verge of tears—tears of joy.

Tessa, unfazed by Leon's outburst, stepped forward, her gaze shifting to Arin. "So, the only thing I need to do is keep him here until you come out, right?"

Arin had already informed her of the plan, so she wasn't surprised to see Leon.

"Yes," Arin confirmed. "And no one should come near where the Portal appears... Not that people come to the forest apart from us."

This was one of the reasons Arin liked the forest. People didn't come here. They'd rather go to The Area.

His sharp gaze scanned the surroundings. 'I don't remember the exact spot where the Portal appeared, but I should be able to see it from here.'

Arin trusted his enhanced eyesight. He knew he wouldn't miss it.

Tessa's expression softened slightly as she looked at him. "I know you're strong, and you said the Shadow General won't be much trouble, but still... be careful, okay?"

Arin met her gaze. "Hmm. Okay."

Leon, who had been relatively quiet, suddenly spoke up, interrupting the eye contact between Arin and Tessa. "Maybe Tessa should tell me about the offer..." he suggested, grinning. "I'd like it if she talked to me directly."

Arin almost chuckled. "Oh, she'll be the one to tell you," he said, his tone laced with amusement.

Before the conversation could continue, Arin suddenly caught sight of something in his the corner of his vision.

His eyes sharpened, and a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

"It's here... The Shadow Portal."