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

Chapter 463: Chapter 462 - Reflecting Back!

The night over Arcadia Academy was peaceful.

After the chaos of the day, the calmness almost felt unreal.

Moonlight bathed the academy grounds in a gentle silver glow while countless lights shone from dormitory windows scattered throughout the sprawling campus. The distant sounds of students talking, laughing, and moving between buildings drifted through the cool night air before gradually fading into silence as the hour grew later.

The academy looked exactly as it always had.

Orderly.

Safe.

Familiar.

And perhaps because of everything that had happened beneath the mountain, that familiarity felt far more precious than before.

Inside one of the dormitory buildings, a certain dark violet-haired young man lay spread across his bed without the slightest intention of moving.

Luca stared blankly at the ceiling.

His boots were tossed carelessly near the door.

His academy coat rested over a nearby chair.

And his body felt as though it had been beaten repeatedly by an angry dragon.

Every muscle ached.

His mana circuits felt drained.

His mind felt even worse.

For a long while, he simply remained there in silence, listening to the faint rustling of leaves outside his window as moonlight filtered softly into the room.

Then he released a long breath.

"...What a disaster."

The words escaped him naturally.

Not because he was upset.

Because they were true.

He had left the academy expecting a mildly interesting club expedition.

A small adventure.

Perhaps a forgotten ruin.

A hidden relic.

Maybe some historical clues related to the ancient heroes.

Instead, they had nearly awakened an ancient calamity capable of shaking the continent.

Luca covered his eyes with one arm.

For a few moments, he simply lay there while replaying everything that had happened throughout the day.

The sanctuary.

The murals.

The corrupted remnant.

The awakening prison.

The chained figure.

The silver-haired existence.

The abyss.

The countless crimson eyes.

The Vice Dean.

The memories flowed through his mind one after another.

And with each recollection, the same realization became increasingly difficult to ignore.

He knew less than he thought he did.

That fact bothered him.

More than he wanted to admit.

Ever since arriving in this world, Luca had always possessed one advantage over everyone else.

Knowledge.

Even when events changed.

Even when timelines shifted.

Even when the story diverged from what he remembered.

He had always possessed some understanding of the bigger picture.

Some idea of what might happen next.

This time was different.

Completely different.

The silver-haired figure alone raised more questions than answers.

Who were they?

Why had they known the chained figure?

Why had they looked at Luca the way they did?

And perhaps most importantly—

Why had they reacted when hearing his name?

Luca closed his eyes slowly.

That moment continued replaying in his thoughts.

The brief shock on the silver-haired figure’s face.

The strange urgency in their voice.

The way they had repeatedly told him to leave.

Not the students.

Not the professors.

Him.

Luca.

As though his presence specifically mattered.

As though he should not have been there.

A faint headache began forming behind his eyes.

"...I hate mysteries."

The muttered complaint disappeared into the empty room.

Unfortunately, the universe seemed to disagree.

Because if there was one thing his life contained recently—

It was mysteries.

The chained figure.

The prison.

The gigantic creature beneath the abyss.

The strange statements directed toward him.

The Vice Dean’s existence.

The more Luca thought about it, the less comfortable he became.

His countless playthroughs should have prepared him for this world.

Yet somehow, it felt as though the deeper he ventured into the truth, the more incomplete his knowledge became.

The thought left an uncomfortable feeling in his chest.

For a few moments, silence settled once more.

Then Luca’s thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Toward the people who had been there with him.

A small smile appeared on his face.

Eric.

Lilliane.

Sylthara.

John.

Adrian.

Even the seniors of the club.

The expedition could easily have ended differently.

Very differently.

The memory of Sylthara being grabbed by the chained creature surfaced briefly.

Lilliane desperately purifying corruption.

Adrian holding the battlefield together.

The professors arriving.

The Vice Dean standing before the abyss.

The more Luca thought about it, the luckier they seemed.

And somehow—

That made him appreciate them more.

His thoughts continued wandering.

Toward Aurelia.

Toward Seraphina.

Toward the strange situation he had somehow created around himself.

The memory of Aurelia’s confidence resurfaced.

Her laughter.

The sunset.

Her absolute certainty in their relationship.

Then his thoughts shifted toward Seraphina.

The way she had immediately checked whether he was injured.

The relief that had flashed through her eyes despite her attempt to hide it.

A faint chuckle escaped him.

His life had become complicated.

Ridiculously complicated.

Yet somehow—

He did not dislike it.

Not really.

The room grew quieter.

The moon climbed higher.

Outside the window, the academy gradually settled into sleep.

Luca turned his head slightly toward the night sky visible beyond the glass.

For a long moment, he simply watched the stars.

Then another memory surfaced.

The voice from beneath the abyss.

"You stand at the center of it."

The words echoed faintly within his thoughts.

This time, however, he did not dwell on them.

Not tonight.

Tonight he was too tired for prophecies.

Too tired for mysteries.

Too tired for ancient beings and world-ending disasters.

Whatever answers existed—

They could wait until tomorrow.

With that thought, Luca slowly closed his eyes.

The exhaustion he had been ignoring all evening finally claimed victory.

His breathing gradually steadied.

The tension left his body.

And as sleep slowly pulled him into darkness, the last thing he saw was the moonlight shining softly through the window of his dorm room.

For the first time in what felt like forever—

The world was quiet.

The night eventually gave way to dawn.

Darkness retreated slowly from the academy grounds while the first rays of morning sunlight spilled across Arcadia Academy, painting the towering buildings and sprawling courtyards in shades of gold. A cool breeze drifted through the campus, carrying with it the scent of fresh grass and morning dew as students gradually emerged from dormitories and residences to begin another day.

From a distance, nobody would have guessed that somewhere beyond the mountains an ancient prison had nearly shattered less than twenty-four hours ago.

Life moved on.

As it always did.

The academy bells rang softly through the morning air while students crossed the pathways connecting the various buildings, some discussing lectures, others complaining about assignments, and many simply enjoying the beginning of a new day.

Meanwhile, on the training grounds, a familiar dark-haired young man completed another lap around the field before finally slowing to a stop.

Luca exhaled slowly.

Unlike the previous day’s chaos, the rhythmic routine of training felt comforting.

Predictable.

Normal.

Exactly what he needed.

A thin layer of sweat covered his body while the cool morning air brushed against his skin. He stretched briefly before drawing his twin sabers, allowing mana to flow naturally through his body.

The blades danced through the air.

Clean.

Precise.

Controlled.

Silver flashes appeared repeatedly as he moved through familiar forms and techniques. His movements carried a smoothness that had not existed before his recent breakthrough, and even now he occasionally found himself surprised by how naturally mana flowed through his body.

Eventually, however, he lowered the sabers.

The academy awaited.

And unlike ancient calamities, lectures unfortunately could not be ignored forever.

A short while later, warm water cascaded down his back as he stood beneath the shower inside his dorm room.

The water washed away sweat and lingering fatigue while steam filled the bathroom around him. For several minutes, Luca simply stood there with his eyes closed, enjoying the rare moment of peace before another day began.

After everything that had happened recently, simple moments like these felt strangely valuable.

Eventually, he emerged from the bathroom and changed into his academy uniform.

The black fabric fit comfortably across his frame while the gold trims running along the edges gleamed faintly beneath the morning sunlight filtering through the window.

After making a few final adjustments, he grabbed his belongings and stepped outside.

The academy pathways were already crowded.

Groups of students walked between buildings while conversations filled the air from every direction.

Some discussed assignments.

Others debated combat techniques.

A few excitedly spoke about rumors spreading throughout the academy.

Life continued exactly as it always had.

Luca found himself smiling faintly as he walked among them.

After ancient prisons and abyssal monstrosities, ordinary academy gossip sounded remarkably refreshing.

Soon enough, the familiar classroom building came into view.

Students were already entering through the doors when Luca arrived.

He greeted several familiar faces along the way before stepping inside the classroom itself.

The room looked exactly as it always did.

Students chatted amongst themselves while waiting for the lecture to begin.

Luca’s gaze swept across the room briefly before he walked toward his usual seat in the back corner.

The moment he sat down, a familiar voice reached him.

"Look who actually showed up."

Luca glanced sideways.

Eric was already seated beside him.

The blond student leaned lazily against his chair while looking far more rested than he had the previous day.

"You sound disappointed."

"I am disappointed."

Eric sighed dramatically.

"After surviving an ancient catastrophe, I was hoping you would decide to retire from attending classes."

Luca nodded thoughtfully.

"A compelling argument."

"Thank you."

"Unfortunately, I enjoy disappointing you."

Eric immediately pointed accusingly at him.

"You are the worst kind of friend."

Luca laughed.

The conversation continued naturally while more students entered the classroom.

Occasionally someone mentioned the expedition.

Occasionally someone complained about homework.

Occasionally Eric attempted to convince Luca that surviving world-ending disasters should automatically excuse students from lectures.

His arguments remained unconvincing.

Before long, the classroom gradually settled.

Because the door had opened.

And Professor Seraphina had entered.

As always, her arrival immediately drew the students’ attention.

Her long sky-blue hair flowed behind her while she walked toward the front of the room with calm confidence. The elegant academy attire suited her perfectly, and despite everything that had happened recently, she appeared as composed as ever.

If anyone had seen her standing before an awakening calamity yesterday, they would never have guessed it from her current demeanor.

The lecture began shortly afterward.

Hours passed.

Topics were explained.

Questions were answered.

Mana theory was discussed.

Combat applications were analyzed.

And for perhaps the first time in a very long while, everything felt completely normal.

Luca paid attention throughout the lecture.

Mostly.

Eric remained unconvinced by this new development and periodically glanced toward him with visible suspicion.

Meanwhile, Seraphina taught with her usual professionalism, guiding the class through increasingly complex concepts while correcting mistakes and answering questions with remarkable patience.

The atmosphere remained peaceful.

Comfortable.

Ordinary.

Eventually, however, the lecture reached its conclusion.

The final explanations were given.

The students began gathering their belongings.

Conversations immediately resumed throughout the classroom as chairs scraped against the floor and people prepared to leave.

Luca stood alongside Eric and was just about to follow the flow of students heading toward the door.

Then—

"Student Luca."

The familiar voice immediately halted his steps.

The classroom fell noticeably quieter.

Luca blinked.

Then turned around.

At the front of the room, Seraphina stood calmly beside the lectern.

Her expression revealed nothing.

Yet her blue eyes were fixed directly upon him.

For a brief moment, neither spoke.

Then Seraphina gestured lightly toward the front of the classroom.

"I would like a word with you."

Around him, several students suddenly became far more interested in the situation than they should have been.

Eric immediately took a step backward.

Then another.

Then another.

As though distancing himself from whatever trouble was about to occur.

Luca stared at him in disbelief.

Eric simply offered a salute.

And abandoned him completely.

As the last remaining students gradually left the classroom, Luca found himself standing alone while Seraphina waited quietly at the front.

The door closed behind the final student.

And silence settled over the room.