Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

Despite Adrian's failed attempt to finish the mage off in one strike, he remained focused, his determination unwavering. The mage's injury seemed to have weakened him, but he still had several Spectral Shades at his command.

As the mage rose to his feet, surrounded by the swirling tendrils of dark Aether, Adrian braced himself for the confrontation ahead. He kept his distance, circling the mage cautiously in the dimly lit cave.

The mage's eyes locked onto Adrian's with a predatory glint. "You think you can challenge me, little one? I am beyond your comprehension."

Adrian gritted his teeth, refusing to be intimidated. "I don't care who you think you are. I'm here to stop you, no matter what it takes."

With determination fueling his every move, Adrian lunged forward, his blade slashing through the air. The mage countered with a surge of dark energy, deflecting Adrian's attack with surprising strength.

Undeterred, Adrian dodged the mage's counterattack and struck again, aiming for his weakened shoulder. The mage snarled in pain as Adrian's blade found its mark, but he retaliated with a blast of dark energy that sent Adrian stumbling backward.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Adrian regained his footing and pressed on, refusing to let up the assault. With each strike, he forced the mage to defend himself, slowly wearing him down.

But the Spectral Shades continued to pose a threat, their presence clouding Adrian's mind and sapping his strength. He needed to break their hold on him, to regain his focus and turn the tide of the battle.

With a grim determination, Adrian made a split-second decision. He drew his blade across his arm, intentionally cutting himself to bleed and clear his mind. The pain snapped him back into focus, allowing him to push past the Spectral Shades' influence.

The mage launched more darkness spells at Adrian, but he dodged and defended, narrowly avoiding each attack. In the midst of the chaos, Adrian managed to reach for the potions at his belt, quickly downing them to replenish his strength.

Suddenly, the cave trembled with a huge tremor, and large black tendrils burst from the ground, wrapping around the mage in a sinister embrace.

"Haha! It's over for you now, you little ant!" the mage laughed out menacingly, declaring victory.

Adrian agreed, but not in defeat. With a swift motion, he took out three vials filled with pure white water, infused with light attributes. Without hesitation, he threw one vial at the mage, disrupting his hold over the Spectral Shades. Then, he used the other two vials to coat his sword, imbuing it with the pure light energy.

Swoosh-!

Sparkle-!

The cave filled with a blinding light as the vial shattered against the mage's dark barrier. He recoiled in pain as the light seared through his defenses.

With renewed purpose, Adrian charged forward, his sword blazing with light as he struck at the mage with all his might. The darkness recoiled from the purity of the light, and with a final, decisive blow, Adrian brought the blade down, severing the mage's head.

After Adrian's decisive blow, the cave remained silent, the only sound echoing was the soft drip of water from stalactites and Adrian's haggard breaths. The severed head of the mage lay on the ground, surrounded by a pool of darkness that seemed to dissipate slowly.

"Finally... It's over..." He muttered in relief.

But then, Adrian's stance shifted, and his expression turned distant as if he had entered into a trance. His eyes glazed over, and he seemed to be in another realm entirely.

In his vision, he saw himself standing over the mage's head, but something was wrong. The head began to morph and shift, transforming into a strange black squishy liquid. Adrian's instincts screamed that it was fake, but before he could react, a dagger plunged into his heart from behind.

Pain surged through him, and he gasped, trying to fight back, but he was powerless. He watched helplessly as the mage laughed, stabbing his collapsed body repeatedly with the same dagger.

The vision felt agonizingly real, every sensation, every emotion, as vivid as if it were actually happening. Adrian struggled to distinguish between vision and reality as the mage's cruel laughter echoed in his ears.

Then, abruptly, the vision ended, and Adrian snapped back to the present, gasping for air as he shook off the trance. "Huff... Huff..."

His heart raced, and the next moment, he instinctively released his sword, spinning around to confront the mage who was still alive and behind him.

The mage stood there, shock written all over his face as Adrian tackled him with a practiced move, disarming him in one swift motion. He also didn't give the mage a chance to recover, immediately delivering a powerful punch to the mage's face.

The mage stumbled backward, blood streaming from his nose, his expression a mix of fear and confusion. Adrian didn't pause, launching himself at the mage again with renewed determination.

In the dimly lit cave, the two figures danced in a deadly ballet, their movements fluid and precise. Adrian's every strike was calculated, fueled by the determination to end the threat once and for all.

As the battle raged on, the mage's attacks became desperate, his dark energy surging erratically as he tried to regain control. But Adrian remained focused, his mind clear, his resolve unshaken.

With one final, decisive blow, Adrian brought the mage to his knees, his sword poised to strike. The mage looked up at him, defeated, his eyes filled with fear and resignation.

"P-please... Don't... kill me..."

At that moment, Adrian hesitated, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind. 'Am I really gonna k-kill someone?'

'!' But then he remembered Aurelia lying unconscious back at the camp, and the visions of the mage's cruelty, the evil deeds he would do flashed before him once more. 'No, this isn't Earth... And he is evil...'

'And... I am not the same person as before.'

With a swift motion, Adrian brought his sword down, severing the mage's connection to life and ending the threat once and for all. As the darkness faded away, leaving only silence in its wake, Adrian stood there, victorious but weary.

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