The Extra is a Hero?-Chapter 320: INTERROGATION

Chapter 316: Interrogation

​The descent into Sub-Level 3 was like walking down the throat of a dying beast. The amber light of the root walls grew dimmer, replaced by the throbbing, bioluminescent purple of the Nether-veins. The air was thick with spores that triggered my [Nova AI]’s toxicity warnings every few seconds.

​"Warning: Airborne hallucinogens detected."

"Warning: Mana density exceeding safety parameters."

​"Mute," I whispered, wiping sweat from my brow.

​We reached a heavy blast door made of Nether-Iron, stamped with the sigil of the Black Sun. It was sealed tight.

​"It’s magnetically locked," Leon said, pulling at the handle. The muscles in his back strained, his golden aura flaring, but the metal didn’t budge. "I can’t break it without bringing the ceiling down."

​"Analysis," Selena said, stepping forward. "Lock mechanism is shielded. However, thermal stress could induce structural failure."

​"Thermal stress?" I asked.

​Before she could answer, the air behind us shimmered. The temperature dropped so sharply that the sweat on my forehead froze instantly.

​CRUNCH.

​The blast door didn’t open. It shattered.

​A massive spike of blue ice punched through the center of the iron, expanding rapidly until the metal groaned and snapped like brittle toffee. The door fell inward with a deafening crash.

​Stepping through the jagged hole, wreathed in a mist of freezing vapor, was Maria Frostheart.

​She looked pristine. Not a hair was out of place, though the hem of her battle-robes was stained with frozen flecks of silver blood.

​"You took too long," Maria said, her voice monotone. She tapped her staff against the ground, dissipating the frost aura slightly. "I finished my duel. Captain Aelion is currently encased in a block of ice in the banquet hall. He should thaw out in... three days."

​"You froze the Captain of the Guard?" Leon gaped.

​"He was boring," Maria shrugged. "He kept talking about honor while I was calculating the freezing point of his armor. Now, are we proceeding, or are we sightseeing?"

​The Cultist Commander

​Beyond the shattered door lay the Central Control Room.

​It was a hive of activity. Dozens of Corrupted Dryads and Elven researchers were scrambling to move crates of Dark Mana. In the center, barking orders, stood a figure in heavy black plate armor, a horned helm obscuring his face.

​[Target: High Cultist Commander]

[Rank: A-]

[Affiliation: The Black Sun / Silver Guard Traitor]

​"Intruders!" The Commander roared, drawing a jagged blade that dripped with purple slime. "Protect the shipment! The Benefactor demands—"

​"Silence."

​Maria flicked her wrist.

​[Skill: Flash Freeze]

​The moisture in the air around the Commander’s helmet solidified instantly. A block of ice encased his head, muffling his scream.

​Selena blurred into motion. She didn’t attack the minions; she went straight for the leader. She swept his legs with the shaft of her scythe, sending him crashing to the metal floor. Before he could rise, she pinned his armored shoulder with her heel, the blade of her scythe hovering millimeters from his exposed neck-joint.

​"Target neutralized," Selena stated. "Capture confirmed."

​The rest of the cultists froze, looking at their downed leader and the terrifying Ice Mage standing in the doorway.

​"Run!" one of them screamed.

​They scattered, fleeing into the deeper tunnels. I let them go. We didn’t need minnows; we had the shark.

​The Cold and The Beast

​We dragged the Commander into a side office and slammed the door. Leon ripped the frozen helmet off the elf’s head, revealing a scarred, pale face gasping for air.

​"Talk," Leon demanded, trying to sound intimidating. "We know Valen is behind this. We know about the Abyss Root."

​The Commander spat a glob of blood at Leon’s boots. "I tell you nothing, human filth. The Roots will consume you. The Gardener will—"

​"Boring," Maria sighed.

​She stepped forward, pushing Leon gently aside. She looked at the Commander not with anger, but with the detached curiosity of a biologist dissecting a frog.

​She reached out and placed her hand on the Commander’s armored forearm.

​"Do you know the thermal limit of Elven physiology?" Maria asked softly.

​The Commander frowned. "What?"

​"The blood," Maria explained, her eyes glowing matte-blue. "It begins to crystallize at -4^\circ\text{C} due to its mana content. But if I lower the temperature slowly... I can freeze the water in your plasma while leaving the red blood cells intact."

​White frost began to spread from her hand, creeping up the Commander’s arm.

​"It is excruciating," Maria noted. "Imagine millions of tiny glass shards moving through your veins, tearing the vessel walls as they travel toward your heart."

​"GAAAAH!" The Commander screamed, thrashing against his bonds. "Stop! It burns! It burns!"

​Maria pulled a pocket watch from her robe. She clicked the button.

​"You have forty seconds before the crystallization reaches your heart valves," she said, watching the ticking hand. "At that point, cardiac arrest is inevitable. Speak."

​The Commander gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face only to freeze on his skin. "I... I serve the Council! I serve the—"

​GROWL.

​From the corner of the room, a low, guttural vibration filled the air.

​Selena was pacing. She wasn’t looking at the Commander. She was walking back and forth, her scythe dragging against the metal floor with a rhythmic scritch-scratch. Her pupils were fully dilated, swallowing the iris. She sniffed the air, her upper lip curling slightly.

​"Heart rate accelerating," Selena whispered to herself, but loud enough for him to hear. "Fear hormones delicious. Prey is ripe."

​She stopped pacing and turned to look at him.

​"Michael," Selena said, her voice devoid of humanity. "Is this unit essential? My caloric intake is low. The biomass of an A-Rank cultivator would provide significant regeneration."

​The Commander looked from the ice-cold torture of Maria to the feral hunger of Selena. He looked at Leon, the Hero, who was standing there looking pale and horrified.

​"You... you’re monsters," the Commander whispered, his resolve shattering like glass.

​"We are efficient," Maria corrected. "Twenty seconds."

"Go "

​(To be Continued)