The Extra Who Shouldn't Exist novel Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Assigned Missions

The mood was light, laughter still lingering in the air from Alden's dramatic sighing, when Seraphina stepped forward. Her voice, usually reserved and elegant, was smooth but casual this time.

"By the way, Draven and I also had our potential assessed while you were out."

She let that statement linger, like it wasn't a big deal.

"Turns out… we both have Transcendent-rank potential."

The air shifted.

Alex raised his eyebrows, genuinely impressed.

He leaned back against the pillow, smiling—not his usual smirk, not the mischievous grin that usually spelled doom for someone—but a sincere, almost proud smile.

"Congratulations. Both of you. That's a big deal."

Seraphina gave a faint, almost embarrassed smile in return.

Draven, however, looked slightly uncomfortable, as if Alex's calm reaction unnerved him more than the news itself.

Then Alex's expression changed subtly. The sincerity was still there, but now there was a certain glint in his eyes as he turned toward Draven.

"Looks like you and I have a lot more to discuss… especially now that you've joined the big leagues."

Draven blinked.

"Why does that sound like a threat disguised as small talk…?"

He shifted uncomfortably.

"I have a really bad feeling about this."

Alex chuckled to himself. 'You should. I'm going to recruit you one way or another. Whether you like it or not, genius boy.'

Then, almost as if remembering someone important, Alex shifted his gaze toward Ethan, who had been quietly watching the exchange with his usual calm, unreadable look.

"And what about you, Mr. Hero?"

The room instantly hushed.

Even the light hum of the medical monitors seemed to quiet down.

Ethan blinked once, slowly, as if debating whether to answer. Then he scratched the back of his head, almost sheepishly.

"Well... the crystal started climbing pretty fast. Shot right past Master-rank... then went up to Monarch-rank..."

He paused.

"Then it just... stopped. And showed question marks."

He gave a dry, awkward laugh. "So... yeah."

Everyone stared at him.

Charlotte groaned loudly.

"Seriously? Question marks?! That's just—ugh. Of course you got the 'mystery rank' reading. Why even bother comparing with a divine cheat code?"

She jabbed a finger toward him dramatically.

"You're the Avatar of the Goddess of Light. Your potential broke the machine. Typical."

Ethan shrugged, his smile tight.

"Perhaps you're right. Doesn't really change anything, though. I still have to train like the rest of you."

Alden leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

"I really envy this bastard. He gets divine buffs, sword arts from ancient kings, and now question marks. What's next? The ability to sneeze and blow up demons?"

'No surprises here', Alex mused, watching Ethan. 'He is the protagonist, after all. The chosen one. The plot magnet. If he wasn't breaking crystals, I'd be worried.'

The tension could have gone on longer, but Seraphina smoothly steered the conversation elsewhere.

"Speaking of broken things... missions. You should know—while you were unconscious, they started assigning our first official missions."

Alex blinked, turning his attention back to her.

"Wait. Missions? Already?"

He sat up slightly. "We've barely been here a month."

Charlotte sighed, throwing her hands in the air.

"Welcome to Zenith. Where even sleep deprivation earns you points."

She flopped onto the nearby chair.

"They're not wasting any time. It's all about struggle here. Suffer now, shine later—maybe."

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