Reborn as an Extra Chapter 520: The Next Mission is... Part-2.

"I took Neo Aldif’s life, but he had prepared a contingency for that outcome... and that is where Liam Aldif comes into play..."

"Treating Liam as a mere 'pawn,' he devised a wicked scheme to seize control of Liam’s physical vessel..."

Ashtel revealed Neo’s dark intentions to the group, explaining how a forbidden technique was utilized to hijack Liam’s body. He further detailed how Neo had forced an ascension to the SS-rank level to engage him in combat.

The more Link and Rio heard, the deeper their sense of shock became.

Until this moment, Rio had assumed that while Liam’s father was certainly a villain, he would possess enough humanity to care for his own flesh and blood.

The revelation that Neo would commit such atrocities against his own son was something that surpassed everyone's darkest expectations.

"N-no wonder Liam has vanished..."

Link felt a cold shiver run down his spine as he contemplated the situation.

His own father had once braved heavenly punishment for his sake. Because of that, Link had always held his father in high regard and naively assumed that every father harbored a fundamental spark of love for their children.

He realized now how mistaken he had been; Liam’s father was a monster through and through. He was a man without a moral bottom line, capable of any depravity as long as it served his personal gain.

"By occupying Liam’s body and utilizing the spire of ascension, he attained overwhelming power... even I was backed into a corner by his terrifying strength..."

"Ultimately, I managed to pull him into the abyss with me using a decisive final strike. I was fully prepared to perish then; it was only thanks to Riya that my life was preserved..."

Rio’s eyes narrowed as he voiced the doubt that had been gnawing at him since Ashtel began his explanation.

"You keep saying that Neo Aldif died... but wasn't he inhabiting Liam’s body at the time? If you destroyed Neo in that state, does that mean..."

Ashtel exhaled deeply at Rio’s inquiry before answering with a heavy expression,

"That is the primary reason I brought this up. The truth is... I utterly annihilated Neo Aldif’s soul and body... and Liam Aldif’s 'body' was also wiped out, reduced to nothingness by my hand..."

"However! I am certain that 'something' occurred at the very last second! For a fleeting millisecond, I detected the presence of an incredibly strange power..."

Ashtel’s fist tightened as he continued his narrative.

"I had reached my absolute limit, so perhaps it was a mere trick of the mind or a hallucination. Nevertheless, I prefer to believe in the 'better' possibility. Until we have absolute confirmation, we cannot officially declare 'Liam Aldif' dead..."

"My suspicion is that a bizarre force intervened to relocate Liam’s soul just before his physical form was obliterated!"

Upon hearing Ashtel’s theory, a glimmer of hope sparked in the eyes of everyone in the room.

As long as a shred of hope remained, there was a chance that Liam might still be among the living.

"Could it have been Ellie’s power... I recall Liam mentioning once that as a shadow dragon, Ellie possesses very mysterious abilities..."

Ashtel gave a nod in response to Rio’s question.

"I am aware of that dragon girl... she only accompanies Liam through astral projection. Her physical body is likely situated within the 'spirit realm.' Shadow dragons, after all, face immense complications if they attempt to manifest their true bodies in the material world..."

Due to a past betrayal that triggered a great catastrophe, shadow dragons were exiled to the spirit realm. Should any of them attempt to cross into the material world in their true forms, they would likely become targets for the entire world!

The fact that Liam had Ellie by his side was already a source of controversy, and many who were aware of the situation criticized him for it.

Even Neo had been envious of Liam’s capacity to sustain a stable contract with Ellie, a shadow dragon proficient in various forms of shadow magic.

"It is plausible that the dragon girl has a technique allowing her contractor’s soul to flee to her side during a life-threatening crisis. Yet, I am fairly certain another power was at work as well..."

"That specific energy isn't something a normal person could manifest; it felt like a power that influenced 'reality' itself..."

Ashtel was a formidable individual who frequently dealt with the shattering of 'space-time fabric' and high-level magics.

He was exceptionally attuned to such sophisticated forces.

"That was undoubtedly the manifestation of a potent 'World Authority'! But I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of anyone wielding 'that' specific kind of 'world authority'; it was my first time witnessing it..."

"That strange power likely assisted Ellie in extracting Liam’s soul from his body..."

Ashtel remained puzzled regarding the origin of that power and why it would assist 'Ellie' in the rescue of Liam’s 'soul.'

At the time, Ashtel lacked the luxury to analyze the situation as he was nearing the end of his strength. Now that he had time to reflect, several clues that were previously hidden had begun to surface.

Rio and Link bolted upright from their chairs the moment Ashtel finished speaking.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's move! We'll scour every inch of the spirit realm to bring him back!"

"If there is even a chance that Liam’s soul is with Ellie in the spirit realm, we can rescue them both!!"

The bond between Rio, Link, and Liam had been forged long ago. They were not the type to sit idly by knowing their comrade required assistance; the two were ready to depart immediately.

"No... this situation isn't that straightforward. If it were easy, I would have traveled there myself already. Why would I need to consult with you all?"

At Ashtel’s sharp question, Rio and Link’s bravado vanished, and they sat back down obediently.

They were well aware that Ashtel was the sort of man who could tear a hole in the 'space-time fabric' and force his way anywhere he pleased.

Even the Dragon King would be unable to stop Ashtel if he decided to invade the dragon valley. If he was hesitating, the matter was clearly far more complex than it seemed.

"The truth is, you two are ignorant of what the 'Spirit Realm' truly is..."

Link looked puzzled and voiced his confusion,

"How can that be? The academy curriculum taught us that the spirit realm is a place teeming with spirits—a vibrant, sprawling forest home to all manner of spiritual beings. How dangerous could such a place be?"

Ashtel offered a small smile at Link’s innocence and countered with a question of his own,

"If the 'spirit realm' was truly such a joyous and colorful paradise, then why would the 'Shadow Dragons' be sent there as a form of 'punishment'?"

"You don't actually believe that everything taught in the academy is the absolute truth, do you? The real world doesn't work that way; it is constantly shifting and never stays the same..."

Ashtel pulled up the sleeve of his left arm, revealing a 'permanent scar' etched into his forearm.

That mark had been there for a very long time, dating back to when he had first ascended to the SS-ranker realm.

"The Spirit Realm is no paradise; it is a literal 'Hell Hole'!"