The Extra's Supremacy

In an island full of black forest.

Black trees with black leaves. Even sunlight refused to touch the ground as it stopped by clouds. A thick mist clung to the earth, swallowing everything below his knees.

Tap... tap...

Droplets fell from the leaves, vanishing into the fog.

Alvin stumbled, struggling to keep up with Exile, who moved like the terrain didn't exist. Vines snagged his foot again. He hit the ground, hard.

"Fuck." this is third time he fell.

Hiss...

His breath hitched.

A snake, inches from his face. Slitted eyes locked onto his.

He didn't move. Didn't blink. For a long, stretched out moment, they stared. Then, the snake turned, vanishing into mist.

Exile chuckled. "You do have a survival instinct after all."

Alvin wiped mud off his clothes, lips twitching.

'This guy... I still don't get him. After a week of traveling, and he's a damn puzzle. One moment, a teasing big brother. The next, he acts like... he was loneliest person alive. There's a story behind that name Exile.'

'Who the hell are you, you bastard?'

Exile glanced back, smirking. "You're thinking badly about me, aren't you?"

Alvin snapped upright. "No, nope! I was just wondering how long we need to walk. Miss Moon said I'd have my own facility."

The moment the words left his mouth, his stomach twisted.

Memories surfaced. Unpleasant ones.

"Yes, you had your own facility this island itself."

Alvin froze. "What?"

Exile barely spared him a glance. "it's too early to be surprised. Now, tell me what weapon do you prefer?"

Alvin hesitated. In his past life, he'd trained in fencing. But rapiers, foils, and sabers weren't exactly standard weapons in this world.

He was about to say something when

"Ah, right. You don't have memories." Exile nodded to himself. "Hmm... bow and longsword, then."

Then he just kept walking.

Alvin stared, disbelief settling in. 'I bet you already planned this.'

"Don't look at people like that," Exile called over his shoulder. "They'll think you're a creep."

Alvin exhaled sharply. This guy... He picked up his pace and followed.

After hours of walking, they finally reached a lone, two-story house.

"This is home for the next three years," Exile said.

Alvin barely had time to process before

"Run. With these weights."

Alvin stared at him, eyes screaming: Are you serious?

Exile just tossed over a suit. Heavy. Restrictive. The moment he put it on, the weight pressed down, not enough to crush him but enough to make every movement a struggle.

Running? In this terrain? Where he couldn't even see his own damn feet?

This wasn't training.

And so, his nightmare began.

Six months later

A boy crouched on a thick tree branch, bow in hand. His gaze locked onto a rabbit grazing below.

"This is it. My chance to eat real meat."

It was Alvin.

Six months of training had changed him.

For the past few months, he learnt nothing but sword and bow.

His once skinny frame had hardened, lean muscle replacing frail limbs. His hair, now longer, was tied back in a rough ponytail.

He nocked an arrow, drawing it from a silver bracelet a storage artifact, capable of holding the contents of four rooms.

Silently and Precisely, he released.

The arrow struck true.

Alvin leaped down, sprinting toward his prize. But the moment he reached it

Gone.

Vanished.

"Not again" Alvin shouted into the forest, sending birds scattering.

With a deep sigh, he trudged back to the so called house.

The moment he opened the door

A smell hit him. Rich. Savory.

'Damn it... smells too good.'

"You're just in time," a familiar voice called.

Exile. Stepping out of the kitchen, a smug grin on his face.

"I made you the best backie soup."

Alvin's stomach twisted. Not in hunger. In fear.

His eyes darted to the kitchen his rabbit, perfectly cooked and steaming. Yet, his mentor had him on a strict diet.

Exile clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Now, now, no need to look so betrayed. One day, you'll have all the meat you want."

Alvin deadpanned.

"Yeah, sure."

"It's been six months since you started learning the bow and sword."

Exile's voice lost its usual playfulness. A rare shift.

He glanced at the shoreline.

"Meet me at the shore tomorrow morning. We begin the second stage."

Alvin frowned.

'Why so serious all of a sudden?'

The Next Morning

'Ha ha! Finally free from this cursed forest!'

Standing near the shore, Alvin stretched, a grin on his face. For the first time in months, he could see open water instead of endless black trees.

He turned to Exile. "So, uh... since you've got a new mission, which could last up to four months... when are we leaving this island?"

Exile stared at him. Blank. Expressionless.

As if Alvin had just said the dumbest thing imaginable.

"I'm the one with the mission. Why would you be leaving?"

'What?'

"You're staying here alone for four months." Exile smirked.

He tossed a book to Alvin.

Alvin caught it. His eyes fell on the cover.

Veiled Tempest Battle Art.

"Took me six months to make this while babysitting a certain someone," Exile muttered, gazing at the waves.

"It'll help you draw out your elements enhance your sword and bow."

He turned back. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Forget the Time element. For now, you're just a Wind and Shadow mage. Got it?"

Alvin swallowed. "Yes."

Something in the air shifted. The forest... changed.

Exile smirked. "You better learn diligently. I don't want my lovely, annoying student dying on me. Can I?"

Alvin's lips twitched. 'If you're so afraid of me dying, just take me with you.'

Exile glanced at him. "You're thinking something bad about me again, aren't you?"

"No way, I'd never do that." Alvin averted his gaze.

"Well, if you say so."

Exile stepped forward.

The air thickened. The sky darkened. Clouds churned above the island.

Alvin tensed. What's happening?

He turned to Exile only to freeze.

Exile's body was fading. Dissolving into the air.

But before he vanished completely, his voice rang out.

"If you survive this island for four months... I won't just teach you. I'll turn you into a Serpent."

Then

He was gone.

Like he had never existed.

The moment he disappeared

CRACK!

Thunder split the sky. Rain poured down in torrents.

Then

"Awooo!"

"Roar!"

"Hissss!"

From the depths of the forest, howls, roars, and hisses erupted. The island came alive.

Alvin's stomach twisted.

For six months, he had never encountered a single beast. Not once.

Now?

The forest was teeming with them.

The storm hadn't suddenly appeared. It had always been there. Held back.

By him.

Realization hit like a hammer.

"No way... what kind of monster is he?"