Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

"Um... Sir Magus... Why did we walk from this way? This isn't the right way, isn't it?" The merchant asked Adrian as they made a turn when they finally reached a large clearing before reaching the end of the Deadwood Pass.

"It's because this way is much safer. There are probably several bandit groups waiting for us at the end of the pass." Adrian 'explained'. He couldn't exactly tell him, they were going to complete their second mission here.

"O-Oh, I see." Merchant nodded, he didn't care about anything - as long as they reached their destination safely together with the goods, it was all fine.

After changing their ways and leaving the Deadwood Pass through another way, they finally reached the Vesper's Peak about an hour later. Adrian ordered them to stop again, telling the merchant they should rest before continuing, and look out for any ambushes.

Merchant readily agreed even asking him and his team to check throughly.

Adrian glanced at the merchant, his expression calm and unreadable, before giving a small nod. "Fine. We'll check the area thoroughly, just like you asked."

The merchant breathed a sigh of relief, completely unaware of Adrian's true intentions. Adrian signaled to Ardel and the others, then led them away from the caravan. As they moved through the trees, the caravan disappeared from sight, left in a safe spot while they ventured toward their real goal—the haunted ruins near Vesper's Peak.

Adrian's gaze flickered toward the towering mountain in the distance. "Haunted ruins," he muttered under his breath, already feeling the energy of the place. He had a suspicion that something powerful was there—likely an Elite Wraith he encountered before or something of similar strength and type. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be easy.

But that was why they were here, wasn't it?

As they neared the edge of the ruined site, Adrian's thoughts drifted to another team—the main cast. Had they already uncovered what was wrong? Were they on their way back, or had things gone sideways, forcing a change in the plot? Either way, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that things were going to be different once again.

______ ___

A flash of silver light split the air as a portal opened with a faint hum. One by one, five figures stumbled out, exhaustion written across their faces.

Irithel was the first, her long red hair tangled and dirtied from battle. Ignis, her pet salamander also was breathing heavily, likely injured and in pain. Behind her, Ren limped forward, his battle clothes torn, his body bruised and bloodied.

Aurelia followed, her hands trembling, clutching the remnants of her staff. Lyra came next, her breathing ragged, a cut running along her cheek, though she was still holding a scythe mixed with blue and red blood.

And finally, Aurelius, his expression twisted in frustration and anxiety, stepped through, the last one out.

Ren groaned as he collapsed to the ground, slamming his fist down. "Damn those Red Dragon scum!" he cursed loudly, his voice echoing through the clearing. His eyes burned with anger, the rage simmering just beneath the surface.

Aurelia, Irithel, and Lyra nodded in agreement, their faces grim.

"They ambushed us," Lyra muttered under her breath, shaking her head. "It was too sudden."

Aurelius gritted his teeth, his jaw tight. He hadn't said much after the battle, but the frustration was evident in his eyes. "To think they would do such a thing," he said quietly, his voice low and dangerous. "They are worse than monsters."

He wasn't wrong.

Aurelius's mind went back to the time.

When they first entered the Black Swamp Ruin, it had seemed like any other Silver Tier ruin—dangerous, but manageable. They knew the monsters inside were supposed to be intelligent, and smart enough to set traps and ambushes, bait, and even taunt. That was what made this particular ruin so difficult.

But as they ventured deeper, they realized something was off.

The monsters had been mindless, more aggressive than normal, attacking in frenzied waves with no strategy or care for their own lives. It was nothing like the calculated, cunning tactics they had been prepared for.

It was almost as if they were being controlled by something or someone, manipulated to fight without any sense of self-preservation. Their eyes, glazed over with a sickly green sheen, attacked without thought or strategy. And it didn't stop. Wave after wave of creatures ambushed them, as if the entire swamp had turned against them.

It wasn't until they reached the other end of the swamp that they understood.

The Guardian's Area—ominously quiet, dark mist hanging heavy in the air—loomed ahead of them. The infamous reason for this ruin's reputation stood before them. The Swamp Guardian.

The Sludge Lord.

A massive, reptilian creature slowly emerged from the depths of the murky swamp water. Its thick, leathery skin glistened with moisture, its body covered in moss and algae, blending almost perfectly into the swamp itself. Its glowing green eyes scanned them, cold and calculating. Despite its sluggish movements, there was a palpable danger in the way it stalked toward them.

Aurelia had gripped her staff, trembling slightly. "That thing is huge..." Aurelius could clearly remember her reaction.

"It's slow, but the swamp is its terrain," Ren added at the time after sizing up the creature. "We can't let it hide. We'll lose it in the water."

And that was just the start of their problems.

With a roar, the Sludge Lord exhaled a thick, toxic cloud, spreading its vile breath across the battlefield. The air immediately became thick with poison, stinging their eyes and throats. The ground itself seemed to bubble with toxicity, the swamp now a weapon under the creature's control.

"I can't get too close," Lyra muttered, her face pale as she wiped blood from her cheek. "One touch and we're poisoned or injured."

"And it can regenerate," Irithel added, her voice strained as she glanced toward Ignis, who growled lowly, his body trembling from exhaustion. "This is going to be tough."

The battle was brutal, the swamp working against them at every turn. Each hit they landed on the creature was nullified as its wounds sealed over, the poison in the air sapping their strength with each breath. But slowly, methodically, they wore it down—strategy, precision, and desperation driving them forward.

But, the worst happened soon after they finished off the Sludge Lord.

Just as they were starting to search for the artifact to activate the exit portal, it happened.

They were ambushed.

By those Red Dragons Guild scums...