The Extra's Rise - Chapter 432

Chapter 432: Southern Sea Sun Palace (2)
“The Southern Sea Sun Palace,” Lucifer muttered, his verdant eyes narrowing as he leaned against the boat’s rail, the spray of salt water misting his face like nature’s own dramatic special effect.

I couldn’t blame him for his uncharacteristic loss for words.

The view before us demanded silence, as though the scene itself might shatter like a soap bubble if words were spoken with too much force or carelessness.

The palace wasn’t merely a stronghold, in the way that a supernova isn’t merely a warm light. It was a colossal island nation, home to millions, sprawling across thousands of square kilometers—a size that made even the Isle of Azure Breeze seem like a child’s sandcastle by comparison. Yet, for all its grand scale, it was but a speck compared to the territories ruled by the great superpowers. The Slatemark Empire alone spread its dominion across lands as vast as Africa from my past life, though its power rested on a complex web of vassals and alliances that would give even the most dedicated political scientist a migraine.

This island was different. It stood alone, unbroken by time or tide, governed directly by the Southern Sea Sun Palace itself. For centuries, it had been an enigma, a quiet corner of the world that neither bent nor broke beneath the rise of the Heavenly Demon or the wars that reshaped continents. Its isolation wasn’t merely geographic—it was a deliberate stance, a defiance, a statement written in landmass and architecture.

And now, that defiance had transformed into vulnerability. My heart thumped against my ribs like a prisoner attempting escape as I considered the gravity of it all. This island—this fortress of legend—had fallen to vampires and the Red Chalice Cult. The sheer audacity of such a conquest was staggering. True, the Cult had the power to pull off such a feat. But even they rarely made such bold moves in a world bristling with satellites and the all-seeing eyes of modern technology.

But the Southern Sea Sun Palace wasn’t like the rest of the world. It existed outside the realm of surveillance, hidden not by mere shadows but by something far more profound.

I tilted my head back, and there it was: the colossal orb hanging above the island, visible even from miles away. It burned like a fragment of the sun itself—a testament to the island’s name and its power.

This was the Red Sun, the Legendary-grade artifact that served as the heart of the Southern Sea Sun Palace. It wasn’t tethered to an individual, as such artifacts often were, but to the bloodline of the Palace’s rulers. It had illuminated this land for centuries, untamed and unmatched.

Now, that light stood in the hands of darkness.

“If they have a Legendary-grade artifact, why aren’t they stronger?” Ian asked, tilting his head, his golden eyes sharp with curiosity.

“Because none of the Lords can wield it properly,” I replied, my voice calm but tinged with the weight of history.

There was a time, long ago, when the Lords of the Southern Sea Sun Palace stood tall, wielding the Red Sun with a ferocity that rivaled even the Viserions. Back then, the artifact’s brilliance was matched by their strength, and their might carved legends across the seas. But those days had faded like the echo of a once-proud roar. The current Lords—though bonded to the artifact by bloodline—lacked the worthiness that the Red Sun demanded.

“It’s not enough to inherit power,” I continued, “you have to earn it. The Red Sun bonds to their blood, not their souls. Without that true connection, it won’t yield its full potential.”

That was the tragedy of the Southern Sea Sun Palace. What was once a bastion of strength had been reduced to mediocrity, surpassed even by the Gu family as their influence waned.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean they’re weak,” Nero interjected, his gaze fixed on the shimmering orb that dominated the horizon. The Legendary-grade artifact pulsed faintly, as if alive. “Underestimating them would be foolish.”

We nodded, the unspoken weight of his words pressing on us like the heavy air before a storm. Some of the students aboard the ship had allowed themselves a sense of safety, lulled by the presence of the Martial King. But I knew better.

A soft weight suddenly pressed against my arm, accompanied by a familiar gentle snore. I glanced down to find Clara had practically collapsed against me, sound asleep as usual. Her head lolled against my shoulder, her mouth slightly open, completely dead to the world despite the historical moment unfolding before us. Even the presence of a Legendary-grade artifact and the looming threat of vampire infestation couldn’t keep her awake.

I chuckled, genuinely amused despite the gravity of our situation. Clara had built her entire fighting style around her perpetual state of drowsiness, somehow turning what should have been a crippling weakness into a surprisingly effective combat technique.

“Really, Clara? Now?” I whispered, though I knew it was pointless. She could sleep through an apocalypse if given the chance.

“Is she seriously sleeping through our arrival at the Southern Sea Sun Palace?” Rose asked with an exasperated sigh, her auburn eyes narrowing at Clara’s peacefully dozing form.

“At least she waited until we got here,” Rachel offered optimistically. “Remember when she fell asleep in the middle of Professor Nero’s lecture on existential threats? While standing?”

Cecilia smirked, her crimson eyes gleaming with mischief. “I’m tempted to draw on her face, but last time I tried that, she somehow countered me in her sleep.”

“It’s her Gift,” Seraphina noted with clinical detachment. “Subconsciousness is her domain. Underestimate it at your peril.”

The Martial King wasn’t here to save us at the first sign of danger. He would step in only if he had to. And with the looming shadow of the Red Chalice Cult, the stakes had never been higher.

“I’m going to talk to Master Li,” I said to the others, carefully extracting myself from Clara’s deadweight. She immediately slumped against Cecilia instead, who looked both annoyed and strangely honored by the unconscious vote of confidence.

My feet found their way across the deck with purpose as I sought the Lightning Dragon of Mount Hua.

“Arthur!” Master Li greeted me warmly, his face lighting up as he broke off his conversation with Seraphina, his niece. She turned, her usual poised smile softening as she noticed me approaching.

“It’s been a while, Master,” I replied, bowing lightly in respect.

“Indeed it has,” he said, his eyes narrowing in appraisal as they swept over me. The look of casual familiarity quickly gave way to something else entirely—shock.

“Arthur, tell me,” he began, his voice tinged with suspicion, “did you stumble across some artifact that bends time when you went missing?”

I smiled faintly, letting his question hang in the air. “Of course not, Master.”

“Then how the hell is this possible?” he muttered under his breath, his gaze still fixed on me as though trying to unravel a puzzle. “I heard you defeated a Bishop of the Umbravale Covenant. But this? This is absurd.”

It was absurd, I knew that much. My power now was beyond reason, beyond what anyone could reasonably expect of me.

As the three of us chatted, I noticed Master Li’s eyes darting between me and Seraphina, his gaze far too animated for casual conversation. I shot her a glance, silently asking if she’d let anything slip. Her stoic expression remained unbroken, which was as good as a denial. Seraphina wasn’t one to crack easily, after all.

“You can just ask, Master,” I said at last, breaking the growing tension.

He didn’t need a second invitation. “So, what’s going on between you two?” Li asked, grinning like a child who’d found the cookie jar unguarded.

Both Seraphina and I froze, caught off guard by his sudden directness. Her hand slipped into mine almost reflexively, her cheeks tinged with a soft blush.

“Well,” I said, clearing my throat, “we’re dating now.”

Master Li’s grin widened, his face lighting up as if he’d just discovered the secret to eternal youth. “I knew it!” he exclaimed, practically bouncing on his heels. “I knew you’d win, Sera!”

“There’s no ‘winning’ here,” I corrected, though his enthusiasm was hard to temper. “I’m dating all four.”

Li froze mid-celebration, his expression shifting from triumph to sheer disbelief. His jaw slackened, and he stared at me as though I’d just confessed to stealing the sun from the heavens. “A-all four?” he stammered, blinking rapidly.

I nodded, calmly meeting his incredulous gaze. He turned to Seraphina for confirmation, his eyes silently pleading for this to be some elaborate joke. When she nodded with her usual serene composure, he looked back at me, visibly struggling to reconcile the situation.

Then, as though struck by divine revelation, Master Li stepped closer, grasping my shoulders with both hands. His grip was firm, his expression deadly serious.

“Arthur,” he said in a low voice, his words weighted with dramatic urgency. “Are you… trying to take over the world?”

“What?” I asked, completely thrown off.

“No, no, it all makes sense now!” he continued, retreating a step as his hands flew to his temples in mock revelation. “Your strength—ridiculous for a seventeen-year-old! Dating three princesses and a high noble lady—and not just any princesses, but three from the world’s superpowers and another at the head of the noble faction! It’s a strategy, isn’t it? You’re consolidating power. You’re trying to take over the world!”

“Master, I—”

He waved me off, already lost in his own thoughts. “I knew it! The Martial King has been training you, hasn’t he? Of course, he has! He’s preparing you for conquest!”

“I’m not taking over the world,” I said, exasperated, though I could feel Seraphina’s hand tighten on mine, likely to suppress her laughter.

Master Li shot me a conspiratorial grin. “Right, right. That’s exactly what someone trying to take over the world would say.”

And with that, he leaned back, hands on his hips, clearly proud of the grand narrative he’d spun for himself. I sighed. There was no reasoning with him now.