The Extra's Rise

Chapter 185 Cecilia's Sweet Sixteen (2)

Considering it was Cecilia's sixteenth birthday, the entire world seemed determined to put on a show.

The Slatemark Empire had spared no expense, the palace practically glowing with gold and crimson banners fluttering against the night sky. The security was tight—guards stationed at every entrance, their sleek exo-suits glinting under the artificial lighting, mana-powered drones hovering just out of sight, scanning the incoming guests. A celebration, yes, but not without its precautions.

The Slatemarks weren't the only ones under scrutiny. Every noble house worth its name had sent a delegation. The Creightons, the Windwards, the Viserions, the Ashbluffs—all of them had made an appearance. Even the Namgung family from the Eastern Continent had arrived, their presence an unmistakable declaration of interest.

And me?

I was here as both a participant and an observer. Because soon enough, it wouldn't just be Cecilia's birthday being celebrated—it would be the Crown Prince's eighteenth.

Valerian Slatemark.

A character who, despite his royal title, was little more than a footnote in the grand scheme of history. Not particularly talented, not particularly brilliant, and most crucially, not a student of Mythos Academy. His failure to gain admission had been a quiet scandal, one his family had rushed to smother, claiming he had never intended to apply in the first place. Instead, he attended Slatemark Academy, where he languished in mediocrity, overshadowed by younger talents—by Cecilia, by the rising stars of his generation, by everyone.

And that made him dangerous.

The coup that would result from his desperate actions would fracture the Empire, leaving wounds so deep they would never fully heal. His paranoia would turn even those who loved him against him. His failure would cost not just his throne, but his world.

Because while the Slatemark Empire waged war against itself, the demons would be watching. Waiting.

They had plans for Earth. Plans that hinged on the moon base—humanity's last line of defense against an invasion. The fortress floating above them, buried deep in lunar rock, housed an artifact the demons had been

'Julius… It's been so long since I last saw him.'

Luna.

My breath caught for a moment. She knew him.

Of course she did.

Julius Slatemark had wielded Lucent Harmony before me. He had been the one to carry Luna's will before she ended up in my hands.

A thousand questions crashed into my mind, but only one managed to take form.

'If he had both Empyrean Order and Lucent Harmony, wouldn't that have made him unstoppable?'

Julius wasn't the only one in history to possess two Gifts. I knew of two others—Lucifer Windward, the supposed Child of Prophecy, and Jack Blazespout, the future Hellflame Emperor and Third Calamity. But technically, Julius' second ability wasn't a Gift in the traditional sense. Lucent Harmony wasn't something he was born with—it was a beast's will. And yet, functionally, it acted just like a Gift.

Which led me to a question the novel had never answered.

Why could only certain people wield two Gifts while the rest of humanity was stuck with one?

Lucifer hadn't obtained Luna's will in the original storyline, likely because it would have been his third Gift. And if that was impossible, then logic dictated that two was the absolute limit.

But why?

If obtaining multiple beast wills was even remotely possible, then surely at least one of the Radiant-rankers would have figured it out by now. Yet none had.

The answer wasn't in the books, nor was it in any known records.

Julius. Lucifer. Jack.

Were they simply anomalies? Outliers whose very existence defied the rules?

I exhaled slowly, tearing my gaze away from the tapestry. The realization sat heavy in my chest.

There were still too many things I didn't understand.