[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-extra-s-rise":3,"chapter-the-extra-s-rise-the-extra-s-rise-chapter-209":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Extra's Rise",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1513294,1965,"Chapter 209 Northern Sea Ice Palace (10)","the-extra-s-rise-chapter-209",209,"\u003Cp>\"Ha,\" I exhaled, dropping to my knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the kind of pain that could be ignored, not the sharp sting of a wound or the dull ache of exhaustion. This was the kind that settled deep, crawled into your bones, refused to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind that overshadowed everything else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain of losing her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain of losing something you cared about more than yourself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain of being powerless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why I swore to get stronger when I came to this world. Not just because I knew the future, not just because I had the advantage of foresight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it was more than that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because in a world like this, with mana and monsters and limitless potential, it was possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In my old world, no matter how intelligent I was, no matter how many plans I devised, there had always been limits. I could run. I could outthink. I could survive. But I could never win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not against the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not against the machine of power that crushed people like me without a second thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I had learned that lesson the hard way, as I held Emma's broken body in my arms, as her warmth faded, as her blood soaked into the cracks of the pavement, as the only colour in my grey world disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I had hated it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in this world, I could become so strong that no one would ever be able to take something from me again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strength. That was what I needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enough to make the world itself bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enough to protect what was mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enough to make violence the only language that mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I wanted it. Badly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ability to inflict pain, to deter anyone from even thinking about taking what I held dear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because even if I didn't have Emma, I was going to move forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was going to love again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was going to protect again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I was going to win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to that pain, nothing else even came close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain of pushing my mana circuits to the limit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain of near-death experiences?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pfft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pathetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were comforts, compared to what I had already suffered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was a few broken ribs next to the nights I spent running, bleeding, starving, unable to stop, unable to grieve, because the second I did, I would die?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absolutely nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So if it meant I could be strong enough to protect the people who mattered to me—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it meant I could stand at the top of the world and never have to kneel again—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would sell my soul to the devil himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the end…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would it be enough?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would I be enough?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had beaten Lucifer, yes. But that was him at his weakest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he would only grow faster now. He would catch up. He would surpass me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even he—the Second Hero, the strongest of his era—had died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More impulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somewhere, deep inside, a voice whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can't protect them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You will fail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You will lose again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like you did with Emma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Arthur!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice—sharp, clear, real—cut through the illusion like a blade. The world around me trembled, splintering at the edges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An intruder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arms wrapped around me, firm and unrelenting, pulling me into something solid. My head found its place against something soft, a steady rhythm beating beneath my cheek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fingers laced through my hair, threading gently, comforting, grounding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Arthur, it's okay to cry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seraphina's voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because… I'm here to listen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cry?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don't cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn't cried in years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emotions were flaws in the system, irrational variables that led to mistakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Annoying. Useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't wallow. I couldn't slow down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to move forward. I had to keep going.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Arthur, it's okay to slow down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seraphina's voice, gentle but firm, as if she could see straight through me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slow down?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can't take a break. I can't stop moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I stop, if I let my guard down—I'll lose again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I must—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can't lose,\" I muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She only held me tighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm sorry you can't trust me,\" she whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm sorry you don't believe in me enough. I'm sorry for being unworthy to listen to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even then, I wish to comfort you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was softer now, barely more than breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wish to hold you. I wish to love you. Please, Arthur… right now, in your worst moment, allow me to hold you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My worst moment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was my worst moment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had lived through worse. I had survived the nights when I had to keep moving, keep hiding, keep running, because if I stopped, I would be dead by morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had wanted to cry, so many times, but I hadn't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because there was no one to hold me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one but myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one to tell me it was okay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one to whisper that I could slow down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'How could I forget?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I came to this world…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had I just wanted to win? Had I just wanted to be the strongest?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was the point of getting stronger if I had nothing to fight for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to be loved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And, for the first time in years—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let myself breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm sorry,\" I murmured, pulling Seraphina closer, my arms tightening around her. \"I was lost.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For so long, I had avoided my past, shoving it into the darkest corners of my mind, refusing to acknowledge it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But wasn't that exactly what I didn't want Seraphina to do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had brought her here—to the ruins of the Northern Sea Ice Palace—so she could confront her ghosts, so she could move beyond them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, what had I been doing all this time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Running.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Avoiding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiding behind logic, behind control, behind the delusion that if I never looked back, the past couldn't touch me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pathetically afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it had been holding me back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because just like Seraphina, Rachel, and Cecilia, I too had my own trial to face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I closed my eyes, inhaling the cold air, letting it settle in my lungs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No more avoiding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No more running.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I'll move past you, Emma.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I whispered the thought to myself, a silent vow, as I held Seraphina even closer. My fingers found their way into her silver hair, caressing the back of her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn't pull away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I exhaled, looking down at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you,\" I said softly, pressing my forehead against hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seraphina blinked, cheeks dusted pink, her breath warm against my lips. \"No need to thank me,\" she muttered, shifting slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My gaze flickered down—to her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plump. Red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could stop myself, I leaned in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seraphina stiffened for half a second—then, just as quickly, melted into the kiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soft. Warm. Alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When we finally pulled away, I smirked. \"You're not the only one who can surprise with a kiss, you know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her narrowed eyes told me exactly what she thought of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you feeling better?\" she asked, voice quiet, almost careful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah,\" I nodded, this time with certainty. \"Thanks again, Sera.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Always,\" she murmured, her arms wrapping around me again, a silent reassurance, her face nuzzling against mine. \"I was worried.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm alright,\" I whispered back, closing my eyes, breathing her in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smelled like honey—a soft, lingering sweetness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When we finally pulled apart, I met her gaze, a soft smile tugging at my lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, I glanced downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something wasn't right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pervert,\" Seraphina said immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It lacked any real bite—but her cheeks were red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned. Wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hold on—\" I started, mind working through the details. \"Sera, when you hugged me first, did you—?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pervert,\" she repeated, this time even redder, before swiftly getting off me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, after a pause—\"...Did you like it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn't denying it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Wow, she's just going to say that out loud, huh?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luna's voice abruptly cut into my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I almost jolted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'You saw that?!' I shot back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Obviously,' Luna deadpanned. 'I've been able to see since the illusion.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed internally. 'Ever consider not spying on private matters?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luna scoffed. 'Please. To me, this is like watching two baby rabbits nuzzle each other.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'That is the weirdest analogy you could have chosen.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luna hummed, entirely unbothered. 'But not inaccurate.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I exhaled sharply, shaking my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seraphina, meanwhile, was still very much red-faced, but with a victorious glint in her eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no doubt she'd be bringing this up again.\u003C\u002Fp>",1467,"2026-06-06T05:13:22.849Z",1,"novelbin.me","5f5c0aacc924cbada57c475f931296f4c112c3ca50bace1e169510bd7418eda9","the-extra-s-rise-chapter-210","the-extra-s-rise-chapter-208",1100,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-extra-s-rise-cover.jpg"]