The Useless Extra Knows It All....But Does He?

Chapter 461: Chapter 460 - The Calm Before the Return!

The atmosphere throughout the sanctuary had changed once again.

The overwhelming pressure still remained.

The corrupted mana still flooded the ruins.

The colossal creature still lingered beneath the abyss.

And yet—

The sense of imminent destruction that had dominated the battlefield moments earlier had begun to fade.

Not because the danger had disappeared.

But because something far older and far stronger now stood between that danger and the students.

The Vice Dean remained at the edge of the abyss, his silver blade resting casually at his side while his golden eyes remained fixed upon the darkness below. The mere fact that he stood there seemed enough to halt the creature’s advance.

The gigantic crimson eyes continued watching him.

The corruption continued churning.

Yet the creature no longer attempted to emerge.

It waited.

As though calculating.

As though remembering.

As though deciding whether continuing this battle would be worth the cost.

Luca found the sight strangely surreal.

Moments ago, it had felt as though the world itself stood on the verge of collapse.

Now—

The battlefield had become eerily quiet.

The silver-haired figure released another long sigh before looking toward the Vice Dean.

"It appears our window has arrived."

The Vice Dean nodded.

"It usually does."

The silver-haired figure stared at him.

"You sound entirely too pleased about that."

"I enjoy when catastrophes end."

"That is because you are the one who has to write the reports afterward."

For the first time since arriving—A faint smile appeared on the Vice Dean’s face.

The exchange sounded so ordinary that it almost felt ridiculous amidst the apocalyptic battlefield surrounding them.

Almost.

Meanwhile, the chained figure observed them with visible annoyance.

"You two remain insufferable."

The silver-haired figure looked genuinely pleased by the statement.

"Thank you."

The chained being immediately looked more irritated.

Even Luca found himself momentarily forgetting the danger surrounding them.

Then—

The mountain trembled once more.

Not violently.

Not threateningly.

But almost as though something deep beneath the earth had released a long breath.

The colossal creature beneath the abyss shifted.

Its countless crimson eyes slowly blinked.

Then one by one—

They began closing.

The corruption flooding the sanctuary weakened.

The pressure eased.

The chains that remained around its body glowed faintly once more.

Not repairing themselves.

Not restoring the seal

Merely stabilizing.

The Vice Dean watched carefully.

The silver-haired figure watched carefully.

Neither moved.

Neither spoke.

Several long moments passed before the gigantic voice echoed once more from beneath the abyss.

Unlike before, the voice no longer carried rage.

Nor hostility.

Instead, it sounded tired.

Ancient.

Patient.

"The cycle approaches."

The words echoed throughout the sanctuary.

The students exchanged confused glances.

Luca frowned.

The Vice Dean remained silent

The silver-haired figure closed their eyes briefly.

"The pieces gather once more."

The abyss rumbled softly.

"And once again..."

The gigantic eyes opened partially.

Their gaze drifted upward.

Past the students.

Past the professors.

Past the mountain itself.

Then settled briefly upon Luca.

"You stand at the center of it."

Luca’s chest tightened.

Before he could ask anything—

The eyes closed completely.

The corruption retreated.

The abyss began sinking.

Slowly.

Gradually.

Like a tide returning to the sea.

The gigantic claws disappeared beneath the darkness.

The remaining chains settled.

The impossible pressure vanished.

And little by little—

The ancient prison fell silent.

Nobody spoke for several moments.

Everyone simply stared.

Waiting.

Expecting another catastrophe.

Another revelation.

Another battle.

Yet none came.

The abyss remained still.

The corruption continued fading.

And eventually—

The Vice Dean lowered his sword.

"It’s over."

The words carried through the sanctuary like a gentle wind.

The tension that had gripped the students finally broke.

Several seniors collapsed onto the ground in relief.

Eric released a shaky laugh.

John looked seconds away from either crying or writing three hundred pages of notes.

Lilliane visibly relaxed for the first time since the disaster began.

Even Adrian exhaled heavily.

Only now did Luca realize how exhausted everyone truly was.

Seraphina stood quietly nearby.

Though her expression remained composed, relief flashed across her face as her gaze briefly swept over the students.

Then—

Over Luca.

Just for a moment.

Long enough to confirm he remained standing.

Long enough to confirm he was alive.

Then her attention shifted away once more.

Professional as always.

The silver-haired figure turned toward the fractured tear in reality.

"The prison will hold."

The statement sounded less certain than Luca would have liked.

The Vice Dean nodded anyway.

"For now."

Those two words lingered heavily in the air.

For now.

Not forever.

Not permanently.

For now.

The silver-haired figure’s gaze shifted toward Luca one final time.

A thousand questions immediately rose inside him.

Who are you?

What do you know?

Why does everyone keep looking at me?

What is happening?

Yet somehow—

He already knew he would not receive answers today.

The silver-haired figure seemed to know it too.

A faint smile appeared on their face.

Not mocking.

Not mysterious.

Almost apologetic.

Then the fractured tear behind them began closing.

Reality slowly knitting itself back together.

The silver-haired figure took a step backward.

Then another.

Until their form gradually disappeared into the fading light beyond the fracture.

And just before the tear closed completely—

Their final words echoed softly throughout the sanctuary.

"Until next time."

Then they were gone.

The fracture vanished.

The sanctuary fell silent.

And for the first time since entering the ruins—

The disaster had truly ended.

Though as Luca stared toward the now-quiet abyss, he could not shake the feeling that this had never been the end of anything.

Only the beginning.

For several long moments after the silver-haired figure disappeared and the fractured tear in reality closed completely, nobody moved.

The sanctuary remained silent.

Not the oppressive silence that had accompanied the awakening of the abyss.

Not the suffocating silence born from fear.

This silence felt different.

Exhausted.

As though the ancient ruins themselves had finally survived a nightmare and were now struggling to remember how to breathe.

The corruption lingering throughout the sanctuary continued dissipating gradually into the atmosphere while fragments of broken stone drifted slowly into the depths below. The crimson glow that had dominated the battlefield faded little by little until only the faint illumination of mana crystals embedded within the surviving walls remained.

For the first time since entering the ruins—

The world felt normal.

Or at least as normal as it could after witnessing the awakening of an ancient calamity.

Luca released a long breath.

Only then realizing he had been unconsciously holding it.

The tension draining from his body left behind a deep exhaustion he had not noticed amidst the battle. His muscles felt heavy. His mana circuits ached. Even simply standing upright suddenly seemed far more difficult than before.

Around him, the other members of the Hero Research Club looked no different.

Eric had completely abandoned any attempt at maintaining dignity and was currently sitting directly on a broken piece of stone while staring blankly into space.

John appeared torn between documenting every detail of what had happened and suffering a complete mental breakdown.

Several senior members had simply collapsed where they stood.

Even Adrian looked noticeably tired.

The only person who somehow appeared composed was Seraphina.

Although Luca suspected that was merely because she refused to show weakness in front of students.

The Vice Dean slowly sheathed his sword.

The simple action somehow made everything feel truly over.

Not because he had fought.

In fact, he had barely moved.

Yet his presence alone had dominated the battlefield.

Luca still found himself glancing toward him occasionally.

Trying to understand.

Trying to remember.

Trying desperately to connect the Vice Dean standing before him with something—anything—from his countless memories.

And failing every single time.

The realization bothered him more than he cared to admit.

Because until now, no matter how much the story had changed, the foundation of the world had remained familiar.

This was different.

This felt like discovering entire Chapters of history that had never existed before.

Or perhaps—

Entire Chapters he had never been allowed to see.

The thought lingered heavily in his mind.

Meanwhile, the Vice Dean finally turned toward the students.

His golden eyes swept across the group calmly.

Examining injuries.

Examining exhaustion.

Making sure everyone remained alive.

After several moments, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"I must say," he began casually, "I was expecting to rescue a few students."

His gaze drifted toward the shattered sanctuary surrounding them.

Then toward the sealed abyss below.

Then toward the exhausted Hero Research Club members.

"What I was not expecting was to find an entire club attempting to awaken ancient disasters."

Several students immediately looked away.

John coughed.

Eric suddenly became fascinated by a nearby rock.

Even Adrian looked mildly embarrassed.

The Vice Dean nodded slowly.

"Good. At least you all have enough self-awareness to feel guilty."

A few reluctant laughs spread through the group.

The tension eased immediately.

Not completely.

But enough.

Enough for everyone to remember they were still students.

Still alive.

Still here.

The Vice Dean’s expression softened slightly.

"Regardless of the outcome, your response during the crisis was admirable."

The words immediately straightened several backs.

Praise from someone like him carried weight.

Real weight.

His gaze shifted toward Adrian.

"You protected your juniors."

Adrian bowed his head slightly.

Then toward Seraphina.

"You arrived quickly."

A faint smile appeared on her face.

Then his gaze continued moving.

Toward Sylthara.

Toward Lilliane.

Toward Eric.

Toward the others.

Until finally—

It settled on Luca.

And paused.

Just as it had several times before.

The silence stretched slightly longer than expected.

Luca felt everyone else noticing it too.

For a brief moment, nobody spoke.

Then the Vice Dean smiled.

A strangely amused smile.

"Student Luca."

Luca straightened instinctively.

"Yes, Vice Dean?"

The older man looked at him for several seconds.

Then sighed.

"I have a feeling my future paperwork will involve you far more often than I would prefer."

The statement caught everyone off guard.

Then Eric laughed.

John laughed.

Even Adrian looked away to hide a smile.

Luca could only stare.

"That’s not my fault."

"It never is."

The immediate response caused another round of laughter.

Even Seraphina’s shoulders shook faintly.

The sight left Luca staring in betrayal.

Meanwhile, the Vice Dean seemed entirely satisfied with himself.

Then his expression gradually became serious once more.

His gaze shifted toward the sealed abyss.

Toward the ancient prison beneath the mountain.

And for the first time since the battle ended—

A shadow crossed his eyes.

Subtle.

Brief.

Yet impossible to miss.

Luca noticed it immediately.

So did Seraphina.

So did Adrian.

The Vice Dean remained silent for several moments.

Then finally spoke.

"Unfortunately..."

The lightness from before disappeared.

"The academy is going to be very busy after this."

The surviving students exchanged uncertain glances.

Because despite the victory.

Despite the sealed prison.

Despite surviving the disaster.

Everyone understood the same thing.

The abyss had not been destroyed.

The ancient creature had not been killed.

And the questions left behind greatly outnumbered the answers.

As Luca looked toward the quiet darkness below, one thought continued lingering stubbornly in his mind.

The disaster was over.

The expedition was over.

This Chapter had ended.

Yet somehow—

It felt as though the real story had only just begun.