The Cursed Extra: Bloodline of Sacrifice - Chapter 68

Chapter 68: The Great Escape Plan

No. Absolutely not.

Ed clenched his fists, pacing back and forth in his room.

I am way too shy to apologize.

There was no way he could walk up to Vynesaa and the Queen and face them after the things he had said.

What was he even thinking last night?

No—he wasn’t thinking at all!

Maybe if he just stayed out of their sight for a few days, they would forget about the whole thing.

Yes. That was the plan.

Avoid.

Evade.

Survive.

At least until the embarrassment faded from existence.

Ed exhaled, nodding to himself. “Alright. Just act normal. Just… don’t let them see you for a while.”

His gaze shifted towards the window, considering an escape route.

Then, shaking his head, he muttered, “Let’s just focus on the test first.”

With that, he stepped out of his room and headed toward the colossal stadium where his trial awaited.

Little did he know, avoiding them wouldn’t be so easy.

—

The stadium was quiet.

Ed stood in the center of the stone arena, rolling his shoulders, preparing himself for what lay ahead.

It was time.

The moment he had been waiting for—the rematch against the training dummies.

He exhaled slowly.

His stance was firm, legs positioned to react in any direction.

His first defeat still lingered in his mind, but this time was different.

He wasn’t the same person who had lost before.

Arianna raised a hand.

“Begin.”

Clang!

The moment the command was given, the three dummies sprang to life.

Unlike last time, their movements were much sharper, their footwork more precise. They were faster.

And before Ed could even finish processing that fact, one of them lunged.

He dodged, barely.

A metallic fist whizzed past his cheek, missing him by mere inches.

But before he could counter, another one attacked from behind.

Ed twisted his body—too slow.

The attack slammed into his ribs.

“Urgh!”

His body stumbled to the side, his feet skidding against the stone.

But he had no time to recover.

The dummies pressed forward without hesitation.

Their coordination was flawless.

As soon as one finished an attack, another stepped in to continue the assault.

It was an unending chain of precision and efficiency.

Ed struggled, reacting just a second too late each time.

BAM!

Another hit. Then another.

His dodges were sloppy, his counters ineffective.

Damn it.

His muscles ached already, but more than that—it was frustrating.

He was losing. Again.

He clenched his jaw, breathing heavily.

This wasn’t just a test of strength.

The dummies weren’t attacking randomly—they were analyzing him, predicting his responses, and exploiting his weaknesses.

And worst of all?

They weren’t even going all out yet.

Another strike came at him.

This time, he raised his arm to block, absorbing the impact.

CLANK

His bones shook from the force.

Ed’s mind raced, trying to think of a way out.

If he kept fighting like this, he’d lose before even reaching the halfway point.

He had to adapt.

He had to find an opening.

But how?

Because right now—

It was like fighting against inevitability itself.

The dummies moved with relentless efficiency, each strike precise, each movement calculated.

It wasn’t just about speed—it was about control.

Their attacks weren’t random; they followed a pattern.

Ed ducked under a sweeping strike, barely avoiding the wooden limb aimed at his ribs.

His foot slid across the training floor as he stumbled back, trying to keep his balance.

Another dummy lunged, a sharp jab shooting toward his chest.

He twisted, but not fast enough.

THUD!

A solid hit slammed into his shoulder, sending him skidding backward.

“Damn it,” Ed hissed.

His body ached, sweat dripping down his forehead, but his mind raced.

He wasn’t fast enough.

He wasn’t strong enough.

He wasn’t smart enough.

Arianna, watching from the observation platform, narrowed her eyes. “He’s hesitating,” she murmured. “He’s trying to keep up with their speed instead of finding a way around it.”

Ed’s mind sharpened as he pieced together what was happening.

The dummies weren’t just reacting—they were predicting.

The moment he moved, they calculated their next attack based on his positioning.

They were fighting him like a script.

Ed took a slow breath, his hands clenching into fists. If they were following a pattern… then what would happen if he broke it?

A wild idea struck him.

His stance shifted, his body lowering slightly—not in preparation for a counter, but as if he were exhausted.

His shoulders slumped, his expression went blank, and his movements slowed.

He made himself look like he was about to collapse.

The dummies responded immediately.

The moment they detected his sluggish movements, they adjusted, preparing to strike at a slower pace to “finish” him.

A mistake.

Because Ed wasn’t finished.

The second the dummy swung, Ed exploded into motion.

His body twisted, narrowly avoiding the attack, and for the first time, he struck first.

His fist slammed into the dummy’s core with all his weight behind it.

CRACK

A loud crack echoed through the training hall as the wooden construct staggered backward.

Arianna’s eyes flickered with interest.

“He tricked them,” she muttered.

But Ed wasn’t done.

Now that he understood their pattern, he attacked with purpose.

He didn’t fight on their terms—he forced them to fight on his.

Instead of dodging at predictable angles, he took reckless movements, stepping closer instead of back, creating awkward distances where their strikes lost efficiency.

Instead of countering in expected rhythms, he threw in feints, forcing the dummies to adjust, disrupting their calculations.

Bit by bit, they slowed.

And bit by bit, Ed took control.

His exhaustion was still there, but the tide was turning.

Arianna crossed her arms. “He’s learning faster than I expected.”

Zareth chuckled.

Ed panted, sweat dripping from his chin, but his heart pounded with adrenaline.

One last push.

With sharp, calculated movements, he outmaneuvered the final dummy, dodging its last desperate strike before delivering a finishing blow that sent it crashing to the ground.

Silence.

For a long moment, Ed simply stood there, his chest rising and falling.

Then, he let out a slow exhale.

He won.

Or so he thought.

Arianna remained silent, watching him carefully.

Then, just as Ed started to catch his breath—

A hidden fourth dummy activated.

And this one… wasn’t like the others.