Novel's Extra: I Awakened The Strongest Physique From The Start

The ground beneath the square trembled as the shadows coiled and writhed, rising into grotesque forms with glowing crimson eyes. The villagers, frozen in place, stared in a mixture of shock and disbelief.

However, they were still hesitating to run away; it was as if they were waiting for the elders' permission.

But the villagers were last of Alex and Elyra's concerns. The villagers were okay with people being sacrificed, and even if they were all brainwashed, they were still at fault here.

Worrying about people who support their enemy isn't something either Alex or Elyra wanted.

"Stay behind me, Elyra," Alex said, his voice steady but firm.

Elyra, however, gripped her dagger tightly, giving a scoff. "Not a chance. I'm not letting you face this alone." Despite her words, Alex could see her trembling hands. It was not uncalled for, though.

Elyra might be as strong as a six-star, star-formation knight, but she doesn't even have any training or any elemental power. As if that wasn't enough, the enemy they had the face looked shadow-like—something physical attack would be useless against.

Alex could easily take care of all of this, but he still had a bit of hope—hope that this was all just a test and that it would end soon.

He wasn't greedy for the power he would gain from them, but he sure wanted to see things to an end—especially when he could see something changing.

The elders, however, didn't have a single ounce of hesitation. The middle elder, now surrounded by an ominous aura, raised his staff high, and the runes on the altar flared violently. "You cannot defy destiny, Alex," he boomed. "The Rite of Renewal is inevitable!"

"Inevitable, huh?" Alex muttered, his grip tightening on his sword. His mana surged, glowing blue and radiating with raw power. "We'll see about that."

[It won't be long.] Sophie's voice rang in his head. [The thing you're waiting for might happen sooner than you think.]

'I figured that out already,' Alex replied. 'I just need to take care of those old bastards.'

With a burst of speed, Alex lunged forward, his aura-coated blade cutting through the first shadowy creature.

"KYAAAK!!!!" The monster dissolved into a black mist with a chilling wail, but more rose to take its place.

The villagers shrieked as the shadows spilled into the crowd, forcing Alex and Elyra to fight on multiple fronts.

"Elyra, stay close!" Alex called, swinging his blade in a wide arc. His mana-infused strike sent a wave of energy surging through the creatures, disintegrating them in its path.

"I told you, I'm not helpless!" Elyra shot back, slashing at a shadow that lunged toward her. While her strikes didn't carry the same weight as Alex's, she moved with precision.

[She's leaning,] Sophie commented.

'Yes. She's trying to imitate me,' agreed Alex. He had seen her eyes following his sword every time he moved.

Alex observed her stance as he moved forward, intentionally slowing his pace for Elyra. 'It's not perfect, but she can copy my technique to some extent.'

[That's because the technique you're using was created by a monstrous guy,] Sophie articulated, her words somewhat sarcastic.

'Huh? It was created by me, though—oh!' Realization hit Alex, but before he could retort, the elders, still on the stage, had their chants growing louder.

The altar's light intensified, and glowing runes began spreading across the ground, forming a massive ritual circle that pulsed with malevolent energy. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

Looking at the situation, both Alex and Sophie turned serious. They could tell that things were starting for real now.

[Alex, the barrier's connected to that altar,] Sophie observed. [Whatever they're doing seems to power up the altar, and I can see some strange strings of mana getting attached to you.]

'Seems like they are trying to force me to fuse with the barrier,' Alex thought, dodging a swipe from another shadow.

'I guess we'll have to stop them before things get out of hand.' He thrust his sword into another creature's core, his mana surging in a flash of blue light. "Elyra! We need to take out the altar!"

Alex could see that she was barely holding out against the creatures. She was making use of the fact that they turn into shadows whenever they are about to get hit to avoid getting hit, but she was tiring herself.

'It's better for her to take care of the altar since it won't turn into a shadow,' Alex thought.

"Got it!" Elyra shouted back, already moving toward the stage. She gritted her teeth as she realized how useless she was right now.

'If not for Alex, I would've already died,' she growled inwardly.

She wanted to use that power as well. She wanted to be strong enough to protect others as well, but she didn't know how she could do it. All she could do now was grit her teeth until her gums bled.

Elyra could taste the blood in her mouth, but it only fueled her spirit.

The middle elder's eyes narrowed as Elyra approached. "Foolish girl. Do you think you can disrupt the will of the gods?"

"Watch me!" She spat, leaping onto the stage and charging toward the altar. But before she could reach it, the left elder slammed his staff into the ground, creating a barrier of swirling energy that sent her sprawling.

"Gah!" She growled as she hurtled through the air.

"Elyra!" Alex called, cutting through another wave of shadows as he rushed to the stage.

The villagers, finally shaken from their trance, began to flee in all directions, their cheers replaced by screams of terror.

The middle elder, however, sneered, raising his staff toward Alex. "You've brought chaos to this sacred place, Outsider. You will pay the price!"

A beam of dark energy shot from the staff, crackling with raw power, causing Alex's eyes to widen.

Woosh-Boom!

He barely managed to dodge, and the ground where he stood moments ago exploded into smoke and debris. He retaliated with a slash of his own, sending a wave of mana hurtling toward the elder. The elder deflected it with a wave of his staff, but the force of the blow pushed him back, his composure faltering.

The elders had strange barriers protecting them, making it impossible for normal attacks to hit them.

"You call this sacred?" Alex growled, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Sacrifice isn't sacred—it's selfish. You're no protectors. You're parasites."

The middle elder's face twisted with rage hearing that. "You know nothing! We do this for the survival of our people!"

"At the cost of how many lives?" Alex shot back, his mana flaring brighter. "You've turned this village into a graveyard!"

It was then that everyone's eyes turned to Elyra, standing straight with her knife coated in a strange golden energy. It seemed that this golden energy on her knife had absorbed most of the earlier impact.

Her eyes were locked onto the altar, glowing dangerously as the ritual neared completion. She gritted her teeth, determination hardening her resolve.

"Alex, I'll handle the altar," she called. "Keep them off me!"

He glanced at her, exclaiming inwardly. 'Finally!'

[Damn... she really did awaken a lesser aura.] Sophie whistled.

Alex had told her that Elyra might do it since he felt it before, but Sophie was a bit skeptical; after all, Elyra had just started walking down the path of blades.

Elyra was a genius, it seemed—a genius that comes once a century.

On the outside, however, Alex remained serious, nodding to Elyra. "Be careful."

Elyra didn't wait for another word. She sprinted toward the altar, ducking under another blast from the left elder's staff. As she reached the edge of the barrier, she plunged her knife into it, her aura sparking against the swirling energy. The barrier resisted, but cracks began to form, spreading like a spiderweb.

The right elder, seeing the altar in jeopardy, turned his focus to Elyra, chanting a spell that summoned a massive shadow creature. The beast roared, charging toward her with its claws raised.

Alex moved instantly, leaping onto the stage and intercepting the creature mid-charge. His sword met its claws with a deafening crash, the force of the impact shaking the ground. Alex gritted his teeth, using the power of his bloodline to strengthen his body.

'I guess a two-star, star-formation strength is still too much for me with my physical body,' he lamented.

[What do you mean? You are already doing something impossible; what more do you expect?!] Sophie, however, was in disbelief. She couldn't believe how one could be greedy enough to want more than this.

Shaking his head inwardly, Alex shouted, "Elyra! Hurry!" His muscles strained, but he held on.

"Almost there!" Elyra replied, her voice tight as she poured more of her mana into breaking the barrier. The cracks widened, and with one final push, the barrier shattered, sending shards of energy scattering into the air.

The altar's glow faltered, and the runes across the square began to flicker. The middle elder's eyes widened in alarm. "No! The Rite must not be interrupted!"

Elyra, however, didn't waste a second. She drove her knife into the altar's surface, her mana surging into the ancient structure. The runes pulsed violently before shattering, the altar collapsing in a burst of light.

The shadows dissolved instantly, their forms disintegrating into nothingness.

BOOM!!!

"ARGHHHHHHH!!!!"

The elders screamed as the energy from the altar backfired, engulfing them in a blinding explosion. When the light faded, the stage was empty, and the village square was silent.

Elyra dropped to her knees, breathing heavily, her knife shattering.

Slowly, Alex walked next to her, kneeling beside her. The villagers were all gone. They were alone at the square. He glanced at her, his expression softening. "You okay?"

She nodded, though her hands were still trembling. "Yeah. Just... give me a minute."

[Well, you better leave now since the commotion must've attracted a lot of demonic creatures,] Sophie advised, and Alex, looking at Elyra, shook his head inwardly.

'Let's give her a minute,' he said, waiting for Elyra to get over everything.

No matter how it was, this place was still her village—a place she lived since she was born and a place that held many of her memories.

For a while, there was silence in the surroundings, before Elyra stood up weakly, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Let's get out of here now."

She didn't want to stay here anymore.

But before they could move, a bright flash covered the area.

[Alex! Move—!] Sophie's voice echoed in Alex's head, but it was a bit late as Alex felt his movement restricted.

"What—?!" He exclaimed in surprise, but things didn't end there.

"Alex—!!" Elyra, who turned to help Alex, had her eyes widen as she saw a swirling mass of light erupting from the ground, ready to smash into her.

"Oh, shit—!" That was all she could utter before...

BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!