Help! I'm just an extra yet the Heroines and Villainesses want me!-Chapter 68

William woke up the next morning with a vague headache that he attributed to staying up too late at the party. Kai’s bed was still empty — his roommate hadn’t returned yet.

He got ready slowly, his mind still processing everything from last night.

The dining hall was quieter than usual when he arrived for breakfast. Sundays were always slower, with most students either sleeping in or recovering from whatever they’d done the night before.

William grabbed food and found an empty table. He was halfway through his meal when Sara appeared and sat down across from him.

"So," she said without preamble. "You went to that party."

"How did you know?"

"Marcus saw you there. He’s been telling everyone." Sara studied him. "What possessed you to actually go? You hate parties."

"Someone convinced me it would be interesting."

"Was it?"

William thought about that. "More than I expected."

Sara waited for him to elaborate but he didn’t. She sighed. "You’re impossible to get information out of sometimes."

"That’s intentional."

They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Sara eventually started talking about her plans for the day — she had studying to do for midterms and some cultivation practice she’d been putting off.

William finished breakfast and left the dining hall, still feeling off in a way he couldn’t quite identify. The campus was peaceful in the morning light, with only a few students scattered around.

He decided to head to the library to work on some assignments. The walk across campus felt normal but William found himself paying more attention to his surroundings than usual. Looking for anything out of place.

Nothing seemed wrong. Just a quiet Sunday morning.

The library was nearly empty. William found his usual spot near the back and pulled out his Magical Theory notes. He worked for about an hour before his concentration started slipping.

He kept thinking about that figure from last night. The way they’d just stood there watching him, then disappeared so smoothly when he noticed them.

’Probably just another student,’ William told himself. ’Nothing to worry about.’

But he didn’t quite believe it.

He gave up on studying and left the library. The day stretched ahead with nothing specific planned. Kai still wasn’t back and William didn’t feel like seeking out company.

He ended up at the training facilities, figuring he might as well do something productive. The private rooms were mostly empty on Sundays. He found one and locked the door behind him.

William ran through combat drills for about an hour, testing his control and working on technique combinations. His SSS trait made everything flow smoothly, almost effortlessly. It was simultaneously satisfying and frustrating — satisfying because of how much easier everything was, frustrating because he couldn’t demonstrate this level of skill publicly without raising questions.

He was in the middle of a wind-enhanced movement drill when something felt wrong.

William stopped and looked around the empty training room. Nothing had changed. The door was still locked. Everything looked normal.

But something felt off.

He dismissed the feeling and continued training for another thirty minutes before calling it done. He left the training room and headed back toward the dormitory, that uneasy feeling still lingering.

The campus was more active now, with students enjoying the afternoon. William passed groups hanging out near the fountains, couples walking together, individuals reading on benches.

All normal. All peaceful.

He made it back to his room and found it still empty. Kai definitely should have been back by now if he’d said Sunday evening.

William changed out of his training clothes and sat at his desk, trying to focus on an essay that was due Tuesday. The words weren’t coming easily. His mind kept wandering, kept feeling like something was building that he couldn’t see yet.

Evening arrived and William went to dinner alone. The dining hall was moderately full, with students scattered across various tables. He grabbed food and found a quiet corner.

He was almost done eating when Seraphina appeared and sat down next to him.

"You’re being antisocial today," she observed.

"Just tired."

"From the party?" Seraphina’s tone was neutral but her eyes were curious. "I heard you went."

"Helena invited me. Figured I should show up."

"And how was it?"

"It was actually educational." William finished his food. "I met some people and heard some things about the political situation."

"Anything I should know about?"

William thought about mentioning the succession disputes and noble family positioning, but decided against it. "Nothing that affects us directly. Just background noise."

Seraphina didn’t look entirely convinced but she didn’t push. They sat together for a few more minutes before she had to leave for evening training.

William left the dining hall and started walking back to his dormitory. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across campus. Most students were either inside or heading that direction.

He took a less traveled path that cut through one of the garden areas — a shortcut he’d used plenty of times before. The path was lined with trees and ornamental bushes, peaceful and quiet.

William was about halfway through when he heard movement behind him.

He turned quickly, his hand instinctively going to where his sword would be if he was carrying it. Which he wasn’t, because it was Sunday evening and he’d just been at dinner.

Nobody was there.

William stared at the empty path behind him, his pulse quickening slightly. He definitely heard something.

He continued walking, faster now, his senses on high alert. The garden path suddenly felt too isolated, too quiet.

Another sound, closer this time. Footsteps on gravel.

William spun around and this time he saw them — a figure in dark clothing moving between the trees, partially hidden by shadows.

"Who’s there?" William called out.

The figure didn’t respond. They just stood there, watching him.

William’s mind raced. He was unarmed, alone, and in an isolated part of campus. This was bad positioning for a confrontation.

He started backing away slowly, keeping his eyes on the figure. They moved closer, stepping into better light.

William couldn’t make out their face — they were wearing something to obscure it — but he could see they were holding something. A blade, dark metal that caught the fading sunlight.

’Fuck,’ William thought.

The figure moved forward suddenly, closing the distance fast.

William turned and ran. Not toward his dormitory — that was too far — but toward the main campus where there would be other students.

He made it maybe thirty feet before something whistled past his ear and embedded itself in a tree ahead of him. A throwing knife.

William dodged left, using the trees as cover. His heart was hammering and his mind was working frantically to figure out his options.

He had no weapon. His essence control was exceptional now but he’d never practiced combat without at least a practice sword. And whoever was chasing him was clearly trained and armed.

Another knife, this one closer. William barely avoided it.

He burst out of the garden path into a more open area near one of the academic buildings. There were students in the distance, but not close enough to help immediately.

William turned to see how close his pursuer was and found them right behind him, blade already swinging.

He threw himself backward, the sword cutting through the air inches from his face. He hit the ground hard and rolled, trying to create distance.

The figure was on him immediately, blade coming down toward his chest.

William caught their wrist with both hands, stopping the blade just above his ribcage. The attacker was strong, pushing down with controlled force.

William channeled fire essence desperately into his hands. Flames erupted along his palms and the attacker jerked back with a hiss of pain, giving William enough space to scramble away.

He got to his feet just as the attacker recovered and lunged again.

Then someone else appeared.

A figure in dark clothing moving with incredible speed, intercepting the attacker mid-strike. Metal clashed against metal, the sound sharp in the evening air.

William’s attacker was forced back several steps by the force of the block. They recovered quickly, taking a fighting stance that spoke of serious training.

The new arrival stood between William and his attacker, holding a sword casually but with clear competence. They were wearing dark clothes and their face was partially obscured by shadow, but William recognized the build and stance.

Kai.

His roommate had appeared out of nowhere and was now facing down an armed assassin like it was a normal evening activity.

"You need to leave," Kai said, his voice calm but carrying a tone William had never heard before. He wasn’t talking to William.

The attacker didn’t respond. They just shifted their grip on their blade and moved forward.

What followed was so fast William could barely track it. Kai and the attacker exchanged a flurry of strikes, moving with speed and precision that matched anything William had seen from top-tier fighters.

Kai wasn’t using essence enhancement — just pure technique and physical ability. And he was clearly winning.

After about ten seconds of intense combat, Kai’s blade found an opening and struck the attacker’s weapon hand hard enough to disarm them. The blade went flying and landed several feet away.

The attacker immediately disengaged, pulling back toward the shadows of the garden path.

"You’re making a mistake," the attacker said, their voice muffled by whatever they were using to hide their face. "He dies eventually. You know this."

"Not tonight," Kai replied coldly.

The attacker stared at Kai for a long moment, then turned and disappeared into the darkness with inhuman speed.

Kai stood there for a few seconds, watching the shadows where they’d vanished. Then he finally turned to look at William.

"You’re hurt," Kai observed.

William looked down and realized his hands were burned from channeling fire essence without any kind of focus or control. The pain hit him all at once now that the adrenaline was fading.

"What the fuck just happened?" William said, his voice shaking slightly.

"We need to get somewhere safe first." Kai sheathed his sword — William hadn’t even noticed him carrying it — and grabbed William’s arm. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I’m fine. My hands—"

"It will be treated once we’re inside." Kai started pulling him toward the nearest building. "We need to move before they come back."

"Who was that? Why did they attack me?" William’s mind was racing, trying to process everything. "And how did you—"

"Later," Kai interrupted. "Right now we just need to get you somewhere with other people."

They made it to the academic building and Kai pulled William inside. There were a few students in the hallways who stared at them — William’s hands were clearly injured and Kai was armed — but nobody stopped them.

Kai found an empty classroom and locked the door behind them. Only then did he finally let go of William’s arm.

"Sit down," Kai ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

William sat at one of the desks, his hands throbbing. "Kai, what the hell is going on?"

His roommate was quiet for a long moment, staring at the locked door like he was deciding something. When he finally spoke, his voice was carefully controlled.

"That person was trying to kill you," Kai said simply. "And this isn’t the first time they’ve tried."

"What are you talking about?"

Kai turned to face him fully, and for the first time since William had known him, his roommate’s expression was completely serious.

"We need to talk William. About a lot of things. But first—" Kai moved to the window and looked out carefully "—we need to make sure you survive the night."

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So you have it Kai is not the person who sent him here ;)

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