Reborn as an Extra Chapter 540: Aurora, the lazy fox. Part-2.

"Did the demon king command you to perform any tasks for him in exchange for your freedom?"

Rio simply couldn't accept the notion that the demon king had assisted Aurora purely from benevolence.

After all, he ruled over demons for good cause; he hadn't rushed to rescue his own offspring even after Rio triggered Alverto's demise.

Put differently, there was a strong chance he harbored some hidden agenda in dispatching Aurora here.

"I have no idea... He seemed shocked that Alverto's scheme actually succeeded and freed me from the miasma's hold... beyond that, nothing else..."

Aurora had endured unimaginable torment to arrive here, Alverto had given his life to liberate her, and she refused to tangle with further schemes ahead, so she revealed the honest truth.

’He was astonished by Alverto's success?... So, did that imply he doubted from the start that Alverto could pull it off?’

Rio sensed the demon king's response mirrored his own initial surprise upon first spotting Aurora.

Aurora had been deeply tainted by that cosmic entity's influence at the outset.

Rio had assumed that once Alverto was handled, Aurora would eventually seek vengeance against him.

Yet over the recent months, she never launched any assault, leaving him utterly perplexed.

And now, en route to the spirit realm, he encountered her unexpectedly.

’This dwarf kingdom truly holds endless enigmas; countless events unfold within its borders...’

Rio shook off the thoughts, deciding to drop the subject entirely.

He realized speculating on the demon king's mind was futile, given how erratic and peculiar that figure remained.

Rio preferred to avoid any entanglement with him at this early stage.

’First, I must ascend to SS rank... only then will I confront him face-to-face...’

As Rio prepared to depart, Aurora gathered her resolve and pleaded with a desperate expression,

"C-can you! Please tell me how Alverto was in his dying moments?"

Aurora was aware the whole ’Spire of Ascension’ had detonated, erasing every trace of Alverto from existence; his gear and relics had crumbled to ash alongside his remains.

A single individual had beheld Alverto's last instants, and that was Rio.

Upon hearing her earnest request, Rio let out a heavy breath and replied in his typical flat tone.

"He remained a brave ’hero’ right to his final gasp. Like a true ’Protector,’ he battled on for his kind until the very conclusion."

Through Alverto's memories, Rio had witnessed his profound affection for Aurora, making it cruel to reveal how madness had gripped Alverto in those final seconds.

Much like Rio's dread of Lia losing faith in him, he understood Alverto's spirit was equally vulnerable regarding Aurora.

Holding no animosity toward Aurora, Rio saw no harm in conversing with her.

"Yet, avoid dwelling on bygone days... he probably wished for you to embrace joy moving forward; steer clear of the misguided ’path,’ and refrain from pursuing vengeance against me, or you'll squander the chance Alverto died to grant you..."

Rio's advice helped Aurora grasp that Alverto desired her to progress and cherish her days unbound.

She gave a nod, ready to express her gratitude to Rio, but then his form shimmered and vanished in an instant.

His aura had evaporated, as though he had never been there at all.

"Unbelievable..."

Insane was the sole term to capture Rio's power; Aurora couldn't grasp the full extent of his might.

’You clashed with a beast like him, Alverto?... Sigh, what drove you to such folly...’

Despite Rio sharing details of Alverto's end, she didn't view him as benevolent.

Having once been a top-tier demon dwelling amid demonic realms for ages, she had encountered countless ruthless and mighty fiends and beasts.

Still, none among those demons or monsters matched Rio's ’emotionless’ and ’bizarre’ nature.

’What was that odd sensation... he's truly strange... actually, ’bizarre’ suits him more...’

Demons experienced terror, agony, desire, rage, and more.

But in Rio's pitch-black gaze, Aurora detected zero ’emotions’; it resembled an endless void. No room existed for a ’heart’ within that impassive form.

’And that sword intent... it's terrifyingly potent...’

Aurora couldn't sense Rio's sword intent at all.

The sole instance she perceived it was during Rio's deliberate oppression via its pressure.

Once he ceased the suppression, it faded into obscurity, impossible to detect.

She had observed Alverto's famed ability, soul resonance.

Alverto had honed it over decades! Even so, he lacked such command over his signature technique!

’Encountering talent like this for the first time... given time, he could surpass even the demon king...’

The deeper her reflections went, the more despair gripped her, knowing a direct confrontation with Rio was beyond her.

’Pardon me, Alverto... I can't avenge you... I'll honor your wish and pursue a joyful existence...’

Challenging Rio would render Alverto's sacrifice meaningless.

"Oh! My coffee!?"

It was only after sorting her thoughts that she recalled hurling her coffee mug to the floor, shattering it.

"Ugh! That was my cherished one! I loathe that oddball! Now my coffee's ruined thanks to him, ugh!"

Aurora massaged her temples to ease the throbbing ache and began tidying the mess.

Once finished, she slumped against the bench in a seated position.

’Ugh, I lack any desire to budge... laziness overwhelms me...’

As she sat there, her gaze landed on her tail, revealing its disheveled fur.

"Oh no! That oddball caught me in my unkempt morning state! I didn't even brush my hair!"

This realization left Aurora feeling utterly foolish!

"I need to relocate my home, absolutely! I'll find a remote spot where no interruptions occur!"

The idea sparked enthusiasm in Aurora, but it quickly faded as she pondered her lack of alternatives.

’Ugh, the world remains largely unknown to me... I've merely lingered in the hidden lair, watching surroundings while awaiting Alverto's return...’

Aurora had forever been a laid-back type, shunning travel and discovery of fresh locales.

She preferred idling in a single spot for extended periods.

’Ugh, I've grown accustomed to this life, and now departure looms... sigh, the mere idea of relocating exhausts me...’

Aurora shook her head, forced herself into motion, and commenced gathering her belongings.

Rio had cautioned her against staying in this cabin due to its ties to an SS-ranker, and she sought to evade detection by formidable figures, leaving relocation as her only option.

’Where to head next?... Maybe the beast nation?’

With her foxish traits, she could potentially dwell there in greater tranquility.

Eyes alight with fresh determination, the indolent fox Aurora embarked on her latest journey.