Reincarnated As An Extra With The 10x Link System-Chapter 54: Forest Break

The ground didn’t just break—it dropped, turning into black mud that continued to sink deeper into itself. Megumi pushed off the moment it gave way, pulling Hime along as the earth beneath them collapsed into a dark, shifting void.

The skittering grew louder, no longer distant or hidden. The noise was everywhere, assaulting their ears as the ground continued to give way.

Silver jumped back in time while Kuran dissolved into his shadow, appearing a few meters away from the strange mud. They all landed on their feet with tense expressions, a feeling of dread creeping into their limbs.

And then, just as quickly as the noise and stench had arrived, it disappeared. Megumi narrowed his eyes as the sound drifted away until it was gone, the putrid smell of blood vanishing with it. He did not like it one bit.

The mud around them had solidified as well, leaving a visible expression of strain on Silver’s face. Using his ability, he sealed the sinking earth, but it had taken immense effort, showing just how deep it had been.

The young scion turned to the three of them, his voice raspy with urgency.

"It won’t be long before it returns. We should leave now."

They did not need to be told twice. Without wasting a single breath, each of them turned east, moving as fast as they could through the forest, weaving between the trees. After a few minutes of running, they slowed, taking a quick glance at their surroundings.

After running for so long, they had finally escaped the reaches of the forest. A plain stretch of grass lay beneath them, with a single path to the right. The main reason for their halt, however, stood just a couple of meters ahead: a chain of mountains stretching as far as the eye could see.

Silver grimaced.

"Seriously... Why do I get the feeling that whatever we’ll find here won’t be good?"

Kuran stepped forward, edging closer to one of the towering peaks.

"I’ll send my shadow forward and let you know when it’s safe to follow. I’ll try to avoid as many Dark Beasts as I can, but if it’s a demon..."

Silver turned to him, his expression unreadable.

"What happens if it’s a demon?"

"We kill it," Megumi said, his voice as stern as his face.

Kuran smiled as he departed, while Silver cast a furtive glance at the Clan heir, a hint of surprise on his face. He moved closer to Megumi with Hime, and together they waited for Kuran’s signal.

A while of utter silence passed, with the three of them gazing at the mountains in the distance and Kuran’s nimble figure. Silver folded his arms; Megumi rested his hands by his waist; Hime repeatedly intertwined her fingers, tapping her feet nervously on the ground.

Taking a deep breath, Megumi looked at Silver and asked,

"What was it like facing a demon for the first time?"

Silver turned briefly, slightly shocked by the question, then lowered his gaze in thought. After a few seconds, he answered:

"I didn’t get to experience the demon’s might firsthand, but it was very tough... terrifying. It was very terrifying."

Megumi nodded at the boy’s answer, thinking back to his own battle. Back then, he and Rei Hiraboma had taken the front lines, given the nature of their abilities, while Mei Kurosaki and Hime Ryu stayed at the back, assisting them to the best of their abilities.

Though he and Rei had acted as both defensive bulwarks and the team’s main strike force, he never dismissed the invaluable roles of the two girls. If anything, their victory was owed to Mei and Hime; it was they who had truly given the team an upper hand against that vile demon.

Which was why he believed the second son of the Xi family was selling himself short. Control ability types set the tone for every battle—summoners, binders, sealers, or any attribute that could achieve those roles.

There were the scouts, and oftentimes diviners as well. And to think Kuran could do all that—and more—with nothing but shadows. He could scout, bind, seal, and even act as a frontliner. Given the boy’s training, he wouldn’t have trouble in any of those areas.

Still in thought, he gazed at the boy’s nimble figure in the distance

’I wonder what it’ll feel like to use his ability.’

Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to Silver.

"Well... are there any of your teammates we should keep an eye out for?"

The boy trembled visibly at Megumi’s question, a hesitant expression on his face. Just as he was about to speak, the shadows around them suddenly grew, and Kuran quickly emerged from within them.

The eyes of the Kitsuboma scion glinted under the sun, revealing a dreadful gaze. He silently looked at the three of them, then spoke as he turned:

"There are two demons. One is hiding in a cave further east, the other dwells along a mountain path to the north. A few dead Dark Beasts litter the area, all killed recently... by those two, obviously."

Silver lingered for a moment and asked,

"Can’t we just go around them?"

Hime finally spoke:

"Going around would only slow us down."

’Gods, just how naive is this guy?’

Megumi clenched his teeth, trying to hide his frustration. Silver was struggling to discern what was safest versus what was best. Risks were needed to get the best results—and even the timid daughter of the Ryu family was in agreement.

He took a deep breath.

"Our goal is taking out the demons, and let’s not forget our supervisors are watching either. At this point, it’s a question of which demon is safest to take out first, not how to avoid both."

A brief silence followed. Kuran finally broke it:

"In that case, the cave dweller is our best option. With my shadows, we can approach unseen, seal the cave entrance, and kill it as quickly as possible."

The four of them quickly formulated a plan, using everything Kuran knew about their enemy. The major reason he picked the cave dweller was that he had studied it more closely—if a few minutes could be considered enough time.

The demon possessed a semblance of intelligence, as expected, and had a rather straightforward ability. It grew immensely powerful in darkness—it never left its cave, only luring prey inside.

Its biggest problem, though, was speed...

According to Kuran, in darkness it moved too fast to see. Too bad it had to face its greatest counter.

Within the depths of a cave, every inch drenched in seething shadows, a demon crouched over a dead beast, devouring the remains. Its sharp fangs tore through the flesh effortlessly, fetid blood spilling onto the weathered walls.

The shadows suddenly swelled, moving quickly toward the cave entrance. Light licked at the edges, instantly consumed by the darkness, and from that darkness emerged a nimble figure. The walls shuddered as he appeared, and the entrance crumbled.

The cave was immediately sealed, and just as the demon prepared to move, chains sprouted from the shadowed floor, wrapping tightly around it.

In that instant, the cave was suffused with a brilliant, incandescent orange glow emanating from a single being standing before the vile creature.

Gritting his teeth, Megumi infused his sword with crimson flames and swung with all his might.