Path of the Extra

Chapter 105: The Show [4]

Hearing the mocking voice echo from everywhere, Zoran felt his heartbeat pounding in his chest.

What had happened? It didnʼt make sense.

He couldnʼt remember.

The last thing he recalled was fighting Solomon in a [Soul Domain] battle.

A deranged laugh echoed and bounced from every direction, and Zoran felt nauseous as he watched his reflections all around him.

Some moved with a delay, others froze, and a few even moved before he did.

Zoran collapsed to his knees, sweat dripping from his face, splattering onto the mirror-like floor as he stared at his own reflection.

”Just... what is going on!?”

Clutching his hair with both hands, he screamed.

And when he did...

The reflection beneath him smiled, cold and sinister.

”You donʼt remember?”

It spoke.

No—Solomonʼs voice came from everywhere, but Zoranʼs reflection moved its lips as if speaking in sync with Solomonʼs words.

”Well, you lost, obviously. Right now, youʼre in my [Soul Domain].”

As Solomonʼs words sank in, Zoranʼs thoughts ground to a halt.

”...I lost?”

His lips trembled as he looked at his reflection, which stared back with a mocking grin.

”No... no, no, no. How? How can I lose? I am Zoran, Son of Ruin! The Apostle of Ruin!

I canʼt lose...!”

Like a madman, he screamed at his reflection, shaking his head in denial.

”It wasnʼt supposed to be like this... This wasnʼt written! The future wasnʼt like this! How... how could this happen? Oh...

yes, yes, itʼs him... the prince. Prince Azriel Crimson! Itʼs all because of him! If not for him, nothing would have gone this way!”

”You canʼt even take a loss like a real man, can you? Honestly, itʼs sad. But you should be proud of yourself—itʼs been a while since Iʼve fought someone and nearly lost in a [Soul Domain] battle.”

Zoran fell silent, his pale face reflecting his inner turmoil. Solomonʼs words werenʼt reassuring in the slightest, but the mocking tone continued.

”There are two main reasons you lost against me.”

The reflection raised its right hand, two fingers extended.

”First. Do you know why Iʼm still a Grade 2 Saint instead of a Grade 1? One of the main reasons is that Iʼve been busy mastering my [Soul Domain]. In such a battle, you failed to realize that not even a Grade 1 Saint could beat me. Not that anyone knows... and those who did?

Well, theyʼre dead.”

ʼ...That wasnʼt written... mastering his [Soul Domain]... it wasnʼt in the book!ʼ

Zoran gritted his teeth as Solomon continued speaking.

”As for the second reason: your stupidity. When I saw you drink the blood of a Voidwalker, I was scared... scared it would do too much damage to you.”

Zoran blinked, confused. Solomon elaborated.

”Sure, drinking the blood makes you temporarily stronger... physically. But that doesnʼt matter in a battle of [Soul Domains]. That was your mistake. By drinking that blood, you allowed a piece of your soul to become corrupted. I worried it would be too much, that the fight would be over too quickly, but luckily for me, you lived up to your name—Son of Ruin.

Even with that corruption, you put up a good fight. Unfortunately for you, that small corruption was enough to secure my victory.”

Zoranʼs mouth hung open, his face a mask of shock as he mumbled in disbelief.

”I... I lost because of the blood... but the Supreme Archon gave it to me... How could I lose when he gave it...?”

A sigh echoed from all around.

”We are saints. We didnʼt reach this stage by luck. We clawed our way up that mountain. But somewhere along the way, you forgot that. You started indulging, relying on those gifts from your Supreme Archon. In doing so, you lost sight of your greatest weapon—your own body.

You grew too comfortable, too confident, thinking you were untouchable. But by relying on those tools, you slipped. And now, youʼve fallen off the mountain. Youʼve reached the end of your climb, Heptarch Zoran.”

”...”

Zoran could say nothing. He could only stare at his reflection, his expression dark and defeated.

”You can still fight, you know? Thereʼs always a way out of a [Soul Domain].”

But...

Zoran shook his head, speaking in a hollow voice, his face bitter.

”Thereʼs no point. Escaping here would be nearly impossible, and even if I did, what then? Iʼd still have to fight you one-on-one... itʼs better to die than to let you use your [Unique Skill] on me.”

A heavy silence followed Zoranʼs words. His reflection stared back with a blank expression.

The silence stretched on.

Seconds.

Minutes.

Hours...

Or perhaps it was only moments—Zoran couldnʼt tell. The concept of time within Solomonʼs [Soul Domain] was so twisted, it felt like ages.

Until...

Solomonʼs voice returned, drifting from every direction. Oddly enough, Zoranʼs body relaxed slightly, though his reflection remained frozen, staring blankly.

”Well, thatʼs no fun... Pathetic, really. Even though youʼre absolute trash, the least you could do is try and climb that stupid mountain again.”

Zoran clenched his teeth, refusing to speak.

Solomonʼs voice had changed. It was colder, lower, and brimming with anger.

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass echoed through the mirrored world. Zoranʼs heart pounded, more sweat trickling down his skin.

But he refused to look away, his eyes locked on his blank reflection.

”Even though you injured me, you gave up so easily. I never thought a human would come so close to defeating me in a [Soul Domain] battle—especially since youʼre no Sovereign. Perhaps I should seek out more Apostles to battle. At least I made Azriel my partner, and itʼs good to know heʼs one of them.”

Zoranʼs face darkened at those words.

But...

He couldnʼt worry about his siblings being hunted by this madman.

No.

All he could focus on was the sound of glass shattering, growing louder and louder.

”I hate you, but I still have some respect for you...”

Solomonʼs next words came from everywhere, and Zoranʼs reflections—each one of them—turned their gazes toward him. Their eyes were cold, unfeeling, yet that wasnʼt what sent a chill down his spine.

It was Solomonʼs voice.

A voice that twisted unnaturally in the mirrored world, distorting as it bounced off the endless reflections.

It didnʼt just echo—it slithered beneath his skin, sharp and hollow, draining the blood from his face as the shattering glass suddenly ceased.

”Iʼll make sure to go easy on you.”