Extra's Ascent-Chapter 124: Second Clover Revelation (ii)

All things told in fairness; The Pendragon clan reigned in Sector A. Valtheran claimed dominance over Sector B. And in Sector C, the Astravon clan stood unrivaled.

Fair judgment, if one followed the narrative of the original Arthdal Chronicles. The spotlight had always lingered on the Pendragons, naturally so, considering the protagonist hailed from that prestigious bloodline.

But the Aldaman clan?

Whispers, at best. They were mentioned in passing, never prominent, rarely expanded upon. Their presence in the chronicles existed largely due to Dwayne and Saldrich, and even then, their roles were so brief, so easily forgotten, they might as well have been shadows cast by brighter stars.

Yet now, everything was changing.

"Tell me, Sal," Aldrich said, his voice tight with disbelief, "Tell me what you're saying isn't some fanciful tale. Say it's the truth. Just the truth, and nothing else."

He couldn't process it all at once. The logic spiralled around him like a whirlwind, tugging at frayed threads of understanding.

Saldrich only smiled knowingly.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me right away," she said. "That's why I came prepared with a demonstration."

She told him to activate his mana skin.

The technique created by Dwayne Aldaman was a marvel born from his mastery of Clover Eyes, the ocular gift that allowed one to see mana instead of merely sensing it. Without that, the technique was impossible to comprehend, let alone replicate.

Aldrich hesitated. His thoughts wandered.

If memory served, Saldrich hadn't always known the mana skin technique. Yet at some point, she had mastered it. But how?

He closed his eyes, rifling through his memories.

When did she learn it? How did she?

Then, like a spark in the dark, it came to him.

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'It was during her encounter with Dwayne. A demonstration. She witnessed it firsthand…'

But that alone couldn't explain her proficiency. The observation was one thing. Reproducing an advanced technique born of a rare visual Art? That was something else entirely.

"Dwayne invented mana skin," Aldrich muttered aloud, voice tinged with realization. "And he only managed it because of his Clover Eyes, the ability to see mana at its rawest form."

Saldrich raised a brow. "What exactly are you getting at?"

"You have those same eyes, Sal. Same gift. If Dwayne created the technique with three-leaf Clover Eyes, then... you must have—

"How do you know that?!" she snapped, eyes wide with shock.

"What?"

"My third clover! I never told anyone I'd awakened it. Not Dad. Not anyone! So how did you find out, Al?!"

Damn it…

Aldrich's gut clenched.

Then he remembered! Saldrich had kept it a hidden secret from everyone. Out of considerable reasons, she didn't tell anyone of achieving the awakening of all three clovers at an early age. Not even her dad and certainly not Aldrich who had been in a coma during the times she awakened it.

And now?...

He hadn't meant to say it. He hadn't even realized it slipped from his lips. But now it was out there, hanging between them.

Indeed, she had kept it secret. Her rapid advancement through the Clover stages was abnormal, unnatural, even. She had reason to hide it.

Her first awakening came the day Aldrich was diagnosed. The heartbreak, the despair, it had shattered her. Yet in that emotional wreckage, something awakened. Her first leaf.

The second clover? That came when her mother walked out. The abandonment, the betrayal, and the sense of being cast aside when she needed family most all built up like a storm until it cracked her open again. And through the agony, the second leaf bloomed.

As for the third?

It happened shortly after her admission into Eldora Institute.

In a place where prestige, lineage, and connections defined your worth, Saldrich had none. No wealth. No renowned clan. Only raw talent. And for that, she was punished.

They made her feel unwelcome. Reminded her daily that she didn't belong. Rumours. Isolation. And finally, physical violence.

She was ambushed by a group of A-Class students who couldn't accept that someone like her had made it into S-Class on merit alone.

They wanted to show her, punish her and establish her stance, attributing her achievements to the commonality of luck.

The assault from them was brutal. But it wasn't the bruises or cuts that changed her. It was what followed.

In the aftermath, she spiralled, consumed by self-blame, bitterness, and suffocating doubt. The emotional storm churned again, fiercer than before, and in that crucible of pain, her third clover awakened.

A secret she had buried deep. One she never meant to share.

Because genius alone was already enough to make others hate her.

But a full awakening? To wield the same ability that had elevated Dwayne Aldaman to the rank of Lord candidate, the youngest ever, no less would paint an even bigger target on her back.

"So tell me, Aldrich…" she said, stepping closer, eyes narrowed. "How did you know?"

His throat dried. He couldn't stammer. Couldn't panic.

Now, now Aldrich, stay calm. Don't let her see you hesitate.

"I'm surprised you forgot," he said, doing his best to sound casual. "You told me yourself. Back when I awakened my own clover. Don't you remember?"

Saldrich frowned. "I… don't think I did."

"You definitely did," he insisted. "You were trying to reassure me. Said you had all three already, so I shouldn't be afraid of what's to come."

The words flowed more easily now, the lie forming its own legs. He didn't recall if she truly had told him. Maybe she hadn't.

But logic gave his story form.

Saldrich had always been the one to worry most about him. It wouldn't be out of character for her to reveal the truth in a moment of vulnerability, especially if she believed it might ease his panic.

And more than anyone, Aldrich knew she trusted him. Perhaps even more than she trusted herself.

Would it really be so strange if she had blurted it out, thinking he would never betray her?

She studied him for a few seconds longer, suspicion flickering behind her gaze.