[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist":3,"chapter-the-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist-the-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist-chapter-362":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Extra Who Shouldn't Exist",{"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},1549985,2013,"Chapter 362 : Taking Responsibility As a King","the-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist-chapter-362",362,"\u003Cp>The ruins of Avaloria smoldered beneath a fractured sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had once been an empire was now a grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mountains lay split open like broken ribs. Entire districts had vanished into yawning abysses. Rivers no longer flowed—they hung in the air, frozen mid-collapse, before raining down in muddy sheets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash drifted through the wind like snow, carrying the echoes of countless lives that had ended in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex stood alone amidst the devastation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze swept over the destruction in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Was I responsible for this...?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer came without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Yes.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt no remorse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a flicker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as those close to him were safe, nothing else mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not empires.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not civilizations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the screams buried beneath the rubble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one thought rose clearly in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’The world can burn... as long as my people live.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deep groan shattered the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was wet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Filled with pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex turned toward the sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid shattered stone and scorched earth, Zarvok lay sprawled across the ruins. His once-colossal form was broken and twisted. One wing was torn nearly in half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scales had been peeled away, exposing raw flesh beneath. Blood pooled beneath him as he struggled just to breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could barely move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With trembling effort, Zarvok lifted his head and looked at Alex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips parted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one word escaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"WHY\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex stared at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a long moment, he said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he spoke quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing... really. I’m just trying to find someone to blame for all this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you seem like a perfect excuse.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A broken smile curved across his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just for my peace of mind. Nothing else.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured faintly at the ruined world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So lie there... and take all the blame.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hollow laugh bubbled from Zarvok’s bloodied mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For a guy with such terrifying strength,\" he rasped, \"you really don’t like taking responsibility, huh... boy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex walked toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not with hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not with intent to kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped beside Zarvok and lowered himself to the ground, sitting next to his shattered form as though beside a long-lost friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know,\" Alex said quietly, \"sometimes I feel like this world would be better... if I didn’t exist.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zarvok lay there, listening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, he asked, \"And why do you think that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I never told anyone this,\" he said. \"But I’ll tell you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wasn’t born in this world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zarvok’s eyes shifted faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I came from a peaceful one. No magic. No monsters. No gods.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"People woke up in the morning, went to work to earn a living, and returned home to their families.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zarvok swallowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sounds like a wonderful world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You could say that,\" Alex replied. \"Though life wasn’t easy there either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But one day, I died.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And when I opened my eyes... I was here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clenched his fingers against the ash-covered ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was happy at first. I had a family again. Even if it was just one person. Someone to live for. Someone to fight for.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But somewhere along the way... while I was chasing strength... everything started going downhill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This world’s future was never this,\" he whispered. \"At least... not the one I knew.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drew a shaky breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But maybe... no—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have to admit it now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because of me... things have taken a turn for the worst.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zarvok turned his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know what’s funny?\" Alex asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zarvok answered weakly, \"What is it...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex let out a hollow laugh—one that carried more grief than amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t even know what I did wrong for the world to end up like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Every problem that came my way... I fought it tooth and nail.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sometimes for myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sometimes for the people I love.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes reflected the burning ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And yet... here we are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Instead of things getting better...\" Alex continued, his gaze drifting back toward the endless ruin, \"everything only gets worse.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slowly rose to his feet, ash crunching beneath his boots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Half of the future I knew of this world... Avaloria was never in this state.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice trembled—not with weakness, but with restrained fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But look at it now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured toward the broken empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think... because of me, someone I was very close to died.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His jaw tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because of me, my girlfriend was almost killed by your hands.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hollow laugh escaped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I tried to find excuses. Tried to convince myself it wasn’t my fault.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But no matter how I twist it... the answer doesn’t change.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The only solution I can think of is this—if I didn’t exist... maybe their lives would be better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned back toward Zarvok.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s why I’m trying to find someone to blame.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint, bitter smile formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you, my frenemy... became the perfect candidate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wind swept across the ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, from Zarvok’s shattered body, a hoarse voice rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop talking like a coward... boy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zarvok’s ruined chest rose and fell as he forced air into broken lungs. Blood frothed at the corner of his mouth, yet his eyes burned with fierce clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are someone who defeated the Dragon King himself,\" he continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you have any idea what that means?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Entire races lived and died beneath my shadow. Kingdoms shaped their histories around the fear of my name. I was a calamity. A ceiling no one could touch.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you shattered it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take pride in that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood slid down his chin as he laughed weakly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And don’t misunderstand me—I can tell exactly what kind of road you walked.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zarvok’s gaze sharpened, as if piercing through Alex’s past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can see it in your eyes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You weren’t born with a throne waiting for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You weren’t handed power by a god.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You clawed your way upward while the world tried to crush you at every step.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When fate closed a door, you broke the wall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When the heavens rejected you, you carved your name into them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice grew steadier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You fought tooth and nail—not just for yourself... but for the last family you had left.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You bled for them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You burned for them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You endured things that would have broken most beings long before they ever reached this height.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint, genuine smile touched his ruined face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have always admired people like that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Those who rise not because the world is kind... but because they refuse to kneel.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think this destruction makes you a villain?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This world was already rotten.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was already marching toward ruin long before you arrived.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You were simply strong enough to be visible when it broke.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes locked onto Alex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re trying to blame yourself for something that was bound to happen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if it wasn’t you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me,\" Zarvok said quietly, \"in the future you knew... was it guaranteed this world would survive?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zarvok laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then listen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was born beneath a god who branded me a slave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I clawed my way out of fate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I devoured fear. I burned my own limits. I became king in a world that never wanted me to rise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing in this world is gentle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing is fair.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think you ruined everything?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are merely strong enough to stand at the center when everything collapses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have inherited the ashes of an empire.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You stand where kings fall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So act like one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A king doesn’t hide behind guilt.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A king doesn’t beg the past for forgiveness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A king faces everything head-on... and decides what tomorrow will be.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if the world hates him for it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if history curses his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zarvok’s breathing grew shallow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You didn’t climb this far just to disappear.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You didn’t bleed this much just to erase yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the world is broken... then become the one who reshapes it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That... is what people like us are born to do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex straightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’He’s right.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I shouldn’t run from responsibility.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system’s voice echoed within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ Host. ]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold sensation rippled through his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A window materialized before his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ Value of Existence: 98 ]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Warning: If this value falls below 50, your existence will be endangered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The universe will begin to erase you.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex didn’t flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just activate it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t care anymore.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My soul won’t be able to handle what I’m about to do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned toward the endless ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another window appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ Origin Collapse has been activated. ]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time roared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Invisible tides surged outward from Alex’s body. The air bent. Light staggered. Reality shuddered as his affinity for time awakened at its root turning into an absolute law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Past and future overlapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Broken towers trembled as moments rewound and collided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cracks in space pulsed like open veins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zarvok’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he saw made his heart nearly leap from his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ruins of Avaloria... began to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if the world itself were being dragged against causality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment Zarvok thought that he was dreaming.\u003C\u002Fp>",1527,"2026-06-06T07:14:57.193Z",1,"novelbin.me","19f4f159bff55df70fb0b98d5102d04f207e8f0ca42340e1df1e8bd253985444","the-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist-chapter-363","the-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist-chapter-361",418,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-extra-who-shouldn-t-exist-cover.jpg"]