Reborn as an Extra Chapter 538: To The Tower of Sea Gazers! Part-2.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
Rio spent the whole night at Kehrid's home alongside Kifrid.
The trio shared a meal during dinner, and with Kehrid's okay to remain, Rio opted for the couch to catch some extended sleep.
The path forward promised immense challenges, and he might lack any opportunity for proper rest over the coming months!
Replenishing his energy while the chance existed seemed like a smart move.
Silence and tranquility marked the night's passage. As dawn's rays filtered through the panes and touched Rio's features, he stirred awake and prepared his departure.
"I can't say if your trip will go well or fail, but I wish for you to return safe and sound, young one..."
"Your path holds so much promise; avoid rash actions and pull back if that spot proves too overwhelming..."
Watching a gifted youth like Rio venture into peril tore at Kehrid's heart, yet he held no authority to halt him.
So, offering words of caution was all he could manage.
Kifrid had risen too by that point; he wiped at his drowsy eyes while he said.
"Swing by to see me again, big brother Rio, whenever you can! Mom whips up tasty dishes! I'll let you taste her amazing meals next time!"
Grinning, he waved farewell to Rio as the latter stepped out the door.
Rio gave them both a nod and a warm smile, called forth his flute and secured it to his belt before replying.
"I owe you deeply for all your help; that artifact you loaned will aid my quest to rescue my companion..."
"Expect gifts from the spirit realm when I return!"
Though worry gnawed at Kehrid, Rio felt little concern for his own well-being.
At worst, he simply wouldn't locate Liam; the miasma posed no threat to him regardless, leaving him untroubled.
He just had to steer clear of those formidable wicked spirits capable of wounding him.
After a final wave to the pair of dwarves, Rio's form shimmered and vanished completely.
No traces of mana stirred, nor did any elemental energies ripple nearby, his exit as quiet as if he'd never been there at all.
Kehrid himself marveled at how Rio evaded the senses of an SS-ranker's scan.
'That boy... he's a true freak. How could humans produce such a fearsome creature...'
Kehrid rubbed the nape of his neck and at last eased somewhat.
From the moment he'd glimpsed 'Vinash,' utmost wariness had gripped Kehrid, keeping him constantly alert.
He handled Rio with utmost care and yielded to nearly all his asks, not out of boundless generosity, but sheer 'fear.'
Indeed, Kehrid felt 'afraid.'
'Fear... how many years since this feeling last struck me?...'
No stranger figure than Rio had ever crossed Kehrid's path.
Not only did Rio tame 'Vinash,' that wild blade of utter ruin, but sword intent poured from him in overwhelming waves!
Kehrid shunned battle, and despite his SS-rank status, his fighting prowess might lag behind a standard SS-ranker.
Yet his mana sense and instincts as a top-tier SS-ranker rang true without fail.
Deep in his core, he sensed something deeply off about that 'odd' youth.
'I caught on the broadcasts that some prodigy was Ashtel Rex's heir... But this one? Never heard a whisper of him...'
Kehrid drew in a steadying breath and settled his nerves.
'No matter... I've stepped away from it all; best to steer clear of this chaos. I've embraced isolation from worldly affairs...'
'Diving too deep here could shatter my quiet days... Not worth the risk...'
Harboring that resolve, Kehrid returned his young grandson to his folks and pushed Rio from his mind, eager to dodge any fallout.
'Never thought he'd prove so approachable; fortune smiled on me encountering a modest SS-ranker like that...'
Rio remained oblivious to how his presence had chilled Kehrid or the reasons behind the dwarf's composed demeanor toward him.
He chalked it up to simple benevolence.
"One day, perhaps... I'll claim a serene, tranquil existence in seclusion just like his..."
Kehrid had severed ties with society, embracing a hassle-free life distant from global strife.
Rio yearned for that same peace once his burdens lifted.
'Sea of miasma... someday I may confront that horror...'
Present SS-rankers and the wider world viewed the 'Sea of miasma' as remote, irrelevant to their lives.
But Rio perceived differently; his grasp of this world's destiny surpassed all others.
'Plus, a 'fragment' might lurk within too... I'll venture there once I ascend to SS-ranker...'
Dreadful, mighty demons surely infested the sea of miasma; Rio required demigod status to challenge them.
"Enough of that, Rio; future woes can wait for the future. Concentrate on the task at hand..."
Wasting no more time on the objective, Rio gazed southward and sped off swiftly.
He'd moved cautiously before, uncertain of the nation's concealed SS-ranker, but knowing Kehrid now freed him from such caution.
Rio hurtled toward the tower's location at top velocity, pushing his concealment abilities to their limit.
He avoided space-based techniques to prevent lingering spatial echoes that could betray him, instead expanding his blade and soaring atop his flying sword.
'Meeting Kifrid truly paid off; my drain on mana and mind has lessened a great deal...'
'My sword intent's precision has soared... handling souls and subtle realms like the sea of consciousness comes far more readily now...'
In others' views, Rio already loomed as a nightmare; word of his further gains might drive villains to quit and turn upright forever.
'Pity I can't flaunt my mightiest abilities openly any longer...'
When Rio lagged in power, flaunting his gifts felt fine, but as an S-ranker with world-threatening talents, restraint served better.
He'd only shared his 'soul manipulation' with Raji and Ashtel, sparking doubts of demonic ties; best to conceal anything that could stir panic.
Amid a whirl of musings, Rio dashed toward the far-off 'Tower of Sea Gazers.'