The Extra Who Shouldn't Exist novel Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The guy named Alden von crestvale vs 41

The dust settled briefly in the arena before a fresh storm of chaos erupted. Thirty remaining candidates and Jordan surrounded Alden, their auras flaring like dying embers in the presence of a raging inferno.

Alden’s sharp gaze landed on Jordan, who had managed to slip behind another group. He raised his sword slightly, preparing to strike him down. But before his blade could move, three candidates jumped in between, deflecting his strike.

Jordan scrambled back, barely holding his smirk. "Tch... thanks, guys."

Alden’s lips curled. "Cowards hiding behind numbers."

He calmly walked forward, as if strolling through a park, eyes tracking each movement around him. He began slicing through the resistance—not with brute force, but with elegance. Every motion was clean, refined, and artistic, as though his sword were painting strokes of destruction.

"That swordplay... it’s unreal," one candidate whispered.

Jordan’s heart raced. Cold sweat ran down his spine.

"He’s... using Resonance?" Jordan’s mind screamed.

Resonance—a phenomenon only Advance-rank and higher wielders could access. It allowed them to synchronize with their elemental affinity to amplify their attacks exponentially.

It wasn’t just fire, wind, or water anymore; it was a way to becoming closer, becoming one with that element. The phenomenon could only be achieved when a wielder deeply connected with their elemental nature, and trained to mold their mana to echo that affinity.

For Alden, it was fire.

"Impossible... He’s Advance-rank?" Jordan’s face turned pale.

Desperate, the remaining candidates shouted, activating artifacts. A sphere formed in the sky, glowing violet.

BOOM.

A crushing gravitational field descended.

Alden’s body was slammed into the ground, unable to move. Dozens of attacks were hurled at him, some landing with explosive force. Bruises formed on his body, but his gaze remained calm.

His lips twitched. "Alright... this is annoying."

His eyes darted across the field.

Think, Alden. You’ve dealt with worse in the simulations.

Suddenly, he poured mana into his core, igniting a burst of flame under him. It wasn’t flashy—just enough to create a pressure burst and twist his body. Simultaneously, he used a minor deflection technique with his sword, redirecting one of the attacks toward the artifact sphere.

CRACK! The artifact flickered.

With a fiery surge, Alden roared.

"Burn."

Flames erupted in a dome, and the gravity field shattered. Candidates stumbled back.

But before they could recover—

FWOOOSH!

Alden dashed forward, clashing with four candidates in rapid succession. Just then, another wave of candidates lunged at him. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

With a snap of his fingers, his fire resonance ignited like a wildfire.

A wall of flame surged in all directions.

Some candidates got pushed back. Others were burned to crisp. Then came Jordan, his wind affinity finally kicking in.

"Let’s see you block this!"

Blades of wind slashed across the field, and some struck Alden’s shoulder and side, leaving clean cuts. But the fire around Alden intensified.

He smirked.

"Barely a scratch."

The air grew heavy.

Alden cut down two more candidates with precise blows, then suddenly paused, letting out a maniacal laugh.

"WONDERFUL! Now this is what I call a fight!"

Jordan gritted his teeth.

Alden pointed his sword at him. "But... I’m still disappointed. There are forty-one of you, and none of you have given me a critical injury. Do you realize how sad that is?"

He turned to Jordan with a teasing grin. "Especially you. Sneaking in little wind slashes, then hiding like a squirrel. Are you auditioning for a circus?"

Jordan’s face turned red.

Alden sighed dramatically. "Let’s get serious. For real."

He held his sword horizontally. Fire spiraled around it.

"Sovereign Blade Style."

A burst of aura enveloped the arena. His sword glowed crimson and gold.

"First Strike: Radiant Dusk."

BOOOOOOOOM!

A blinding light exploded from his blade. Eight candidates were thrown into the air and landed unconscious, eliminated on impact.

Only eighteen remained. And Jordan.

Every remaining candidate stared at Alden in horror.

Even Jordan took a step back. "No... he’s a monster."

He turned to the others. "Attack him. All of you. If you don’t... your families will suffer. You know the rules of Simon County don’t you."

The others hesitated, looking at each other.

Alden narrowed his eyes.

"...He’s threatening them," he muttered.

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