The Extra's Odyssey

I hurried to the prize room.

The shockwaves coming from outside had gotten a lot more disorganized. Was Huntress fighting Sword Maiden?

I did not know the power level of Huntress. Even if she was strong could she hold back Sword Maiden and her two aides alone?

Sword Maiden is an Irregular. Although her powers have yet to bloom at this point in story, she should already be crazy strong.

But thinking more, I realized I could do nothing about it. I could only leave it up to Huntress to hold everyone back.

By the time I came out of my thoughts, I reached my destination.

I pulled the security access card that I took from the Enma-rank man's corpse and tried to see if the door was working.

"As I thought I have to destroy the door to enter."

The security functions were down thanks to the loss of power supply. This locked the door forever.

The problem was, as an Iota-rank awakener, I was too weak to break this door.

I doubt even that security captain could put a dent in it.

But I wasn't completely helpless. I was aware of the possibility of such a thing happening and prepared for it.

I brought out the rope from my ring and tied it around my waist. Then I passed its free end to the baby golem.

"Can you pull me back when I give you the signal?"

-Gru

The baby agreed happily.

I placed both of my arms on the door and concentrated. As I was about to begin, I felt the smug stare of baby golem on me.

I looked back.

-Gru?

"…Nothing, just wanted to see if you were ready."

-Gruuu –Gru

My lips twitched at its remark, but I tried to ignore them.

-Gruuuuu –Gruuu –Gru

But I finally couldn't ignore his constant smug tone.

"I did not cry! It was only you who was crying!"

I agree that I lost control of my emotions a bit back then, but I sure didn't cry!

The baby golem exaggeratedly sighed and spoke.

-Gruuu –Gruu

"What do you mean by you understand? No, it's not okay! I did not cry!"

No matter what I said, the baby golem continued its act of superiority.

I took a few deep breaths to calm down, and an idea popped into my mind. An evil smirk fell onto my face as I thought of how to get back at it.

"I thought of the perfect name for you. Since you always cry how about 'Crybaby'? Doesn't it –"

-Bang!

A piece of rubble flew a few inches away from my head at high speed and crashed into the door behind me.

I looked back and then ahead.

-Gru?

The baby golem was already holding another piece of rubble.

"Hahaha…it was a joke, a joke. Let's get out of here quickly and give you a beautiful name."

'I think I shouldn't joke around with its name.'

I felt a cold sweat running down my back as I saw the debris baby golem threw, broken into fragments from the impact.

Laughing, I tried to ignore the cold stare coming from the baby golem.

I secretly smiled and got back to my work.

Placing my palms of the hand on the door, I readjusted my breathing.

What I was going to attempt to break the door was easy, but not easy at the same time.

I channeled both Nether and Ether and fused them into the door.

As the two energies seeped into the metal, I began the fusion.

It only took me a few seconds to form perfect [Zero]. However, this wasn't my goal.

Slowly, I made sure it retains the property of [Zero] while destabilizing it.

A few minutes passed, but I was still in the process of making the perfect ratio to melt the door.

A thin line of sweat formed on my forehead, and I was reminded of the time when I only focused on manipulating and learning about these energies.

Destabilizing it wasn't very hard. It was even easier than having nether and ether produce an explosion.

The issue was the fact that only a poorly stabilized [Zero] contains the property of corrosion. It works like acid and immediately corrodes anything that comes in contact.

The rate of corrosion is faster than what Nether can achieve individually.

However, it also flares up when it is produced. The destabilized [Zero] might splatter on me.

I was creating it inside the metal door so that the explosion only melts the door and doesn't reach me.

Giving the baby golem the rope was a precaution in case I messed up and the power of the outburst was higher than anticipated.

I didn't let my focus waver as I continued. I didn't want to experience being dozed in a pool of acid again.

Sizzzle-

The metal door started melting.

The hole slowly opened in the door. The molten metal slid down due to gravity and the speed of corrosion increased.

I was about to pull my hand back when the bubbles formed in the molten metal suddenly burst.

It happened so abruptly  that I wasn't able to react. Fortunately, the baby golem reacted when it heard the sound of bubbles popping and pulled me back.

-Bang!

My body crashed into the wall. The baby golem had pulled with too much force.

My body screamed in pain from the impact. My bones were creaking with every movement, but it was better than having my skin melt and my organs spill out.

I patted the baby golem and calmed it down.

This wasn't the baby golem's fault, but mine. I had noticed the bubbles late. If the baby golem hadn't pulled so strongly, I might have gotten into danger.

If it was a moment later, then the destabilized [Zero] would have landed on me.

Watching how it was crying because it crashed me into the wall, I sighed.

It was acting like this and then it would throw rocks at me for calling it a crybaby.

The door kept melting as the destabilized [Zero] ate its surface. It took a few more minutes, but the corrosion died down.

I stepped inside the room through the hole that was half my height and twice my width.

Even if it was small, I couldn't complain. Controlling the output of destabilized [Zero] was even harder than perfect [Zero] and the risks it carried were even bigger.

The room was empty save for the altar at the center.

There was an enormous magic circle carved on the floor, which was presumably the last security measure to protect the prizes.

However, it wasn't excluding any light. It wasn't working.

"Thank you, Goliath Unit. I couldn't have done it without your cooperation!"

I was even more excited when I saw that all three prizes were still in the room.

"Where did she even go? She activated some traps and went somewhere else?"

It wasn't impossible. Isabell was clumsy and as she had to go through rooms and not the passage to reach here, she might be having a hard time navigating through an unfamiliar route.

"Let's not think about that."

I hurried to the platform and saw all three prizes.

A scroll at the center, a purple vial, and an oval-shaped black orb.

"This orb must be the reason behind the Goliath Units intervention."

The skill wasn't very important. They wouldn't know about the recipe for Resurrection Elixir, so going by process of elimination, this orb must be their goal.

As I thought about the orb, my hands kept moving.

I picked the skill scroll.

The skill was [Unique] rank. It could earn me a hefty sum if I sold it. However, money wasn't the immediate problem for me, as much as was my lack of powerful moves.

If this skill worked in tandem with my art, then I would have a lot more freedom.

The skill scroll shined for a moment before dissolving in the air.

[You have learned [Multiply [Unique]]

======

[Multiply[Unique]]

- Increases the number of your attacks by 5 times. Doesn't work with physical attacks.

- Energy cost for the extra attacks is reduced by 50%.

Cooldown – 5 minutes

======

I read the skill description.

"Doesn't work with physical attacks? My weapons are made with ether so it should work with my art."

My cheeks relaxed, and I couldn't help but feel excited.

It works! It works with my art!

I was about to pick up the purple vial containing 'Mermaids Tears' when I felt something cold touch the back of my head.

"How are you here? Since I triggered alarms, the guards should have known about intruders and ambushed you. How did you reach here before me?"

Standing behind me was Isabell, with her sniper pointed at my head.