The Extra's Rise

I had a lot of stuff to do when I returned home.

Being the Second Hero came with responsibilities I hadn't fully anticipated. Sure, I'd expected some level of increased attention and political complexity, but the sheer volume of administrative work was staggering. On top of that, I was still the Guild Grandmaster sitting atop all guilds across the five continents, which meant every major decision required my input or approval.

The subjugation of two major cults had created a massive backlog of work. Territory redistribution where cult strongholds had been eliminated, resource allocation for rebuilding efforts, political realignments as power vacuums were filled by more legitimate authorities—it all required careful attention to prevent the kind of instability that could spawn new problems.

But administrative duties, while important, weren't my primary focus. I had training goals that couldn't be delayed if I wanted to be ready for whatever came next.

First, I had promised Mo Zenith that I would elevate Mount Hua's Grade 6 art, the Violet Mist Divine Art, by creating a fifth movement. The problem was that before I could improve upon something, I needed to master it completely. So I was spending considerable time learning the art's existing four movements, understanding the philosophical foundations that made it so effective.

Second, I was working on stabilizing my body so I could fully absorb Bahamut's Dragon Heart and break through to mid Radiant-rank. The process was delicate—rushing it could cause permanent damage to my mana pathways, but taking too long left me vulnerable to threats that were already stronger than my current capabilities.

The political rewards from our recent victories had been substantial, though not unexpected. Quinn Slatemark had promoted Rose's father to Duke Springshaper, recognizing both his contributions to imperial administration and his daughter's role in defeating a Calamity. Reika had been offered a marchioness title for her work in the subjugation of the Second Calamity, which she'd accepted after considering the benefits it would provide for her foster parents.

All five of my fiancées had received the Star of Valor from the Western Continent, along with substantial land grants, monetary rewards, and artifact collections. I'd gotten the same honors, though honestly I was more focused on making sure they had everything they needed. The only thing left on my list for them was helping each acquire Legendary-grade artifacts that would complement their fighting styles.

"Arthur, focus," Seraphina's calm, soft voice snapped me out of my thoughts as she guided me through the process of blossoming plum blossoms.

We were in the training garden behind our home, surrounded by plum trees that had been specifically cultivated for practicing the Mount Hua techniques. The late afternoon sun filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows across the carefully maintained grounds.

Currently, I was attempting to make the blossoms bloom not through the traditional method of channeling mana according to Mount Hua principles, but through my own unique approach using Grey energy. Seraphina had mastered the technique years ago, combining her powerful elven ice magic with the supernatural enhancement from her Ice Crystal Jade Body to create displays of impossible beauty.

"Sorry," I said, refocusing on the branch in my hands. "Too many things competing for attention."

"That's exactly the problem," she replied with gentle firmness, moving to stand behind me. Her presence was calming in a way that had nothing to do with magic—just the simple comfort of having someone who understood both the technical challenges and the emotional weight of what I was trying to accomplish.

"The Violet Mist Divine Art isn't about forcing results through raw power," she continued, her hands settling lightly on my shoulders. "It's about understanding the natural flow of life energy and working with it rather than against it."

I nodded, trying to clear my mind of administrative concerns and political complexities. The branch in my hands was from a tree that had been dormant for months, its buds sealed tight against the changing seasons. Traditional Mount Hua techniques would coax them open through careful application of mana that mimicked spring's warming influence.

But I wasn't trying to replicate spring. I was attempting something far more complex—using Grey energy to create the kind of balance between opposing forces that would convince the blossoms they could safely emerge regardless of external conditions.

"Feel the potential within the branch," Seraphina said softly, her breath warm against my ear. "Every bud contains the possibility of beauty, but it's waiting for the right conditions to manifest."

I closed my eyes, extending my enhanced senses into the dormant wood. There—I could feel it. The compressed life force waiting within each sealed bud, the genetic programming that would respond to the proper stimuli. But understanding the mechanism and successfully triggering it were entirely different challenges.

Grey energy began to flow through my hands in carefully controlled patterns. Not the overwhelming torrent I'd used against Gideon, but precise applications that sought to create the exact balance necessary for healthy growth. The space between creation and destruction, between dormancy and activity, between potential and manifestation.

For a moment, I thought I felt something respond. The smallest bud on the branch seemed to tremble slightly, as if considering whether to trust the energy I was offering.

Then nothing.

The branch remained stubbornly dormant, its buds sealed as tightly as when I'd begun.

"Fuck," I muttered, opening my eyes to stare at my apparently failed attempt.

"Language," Seraphina said with amusement, though her tone carried understanding rather than criticism. "And you're being too impatient. This isn't a technique you master in an afternoon."

"I've been working on it for weeks," I protested, though even as I said it I realized how ridiculous that sounded. Most Grade 6 arts took years to master completely, and I was attempting to adapt one using energy that operated on principles no one else fully understood.

"And you've made progress," she pointed out with characteristic insight. "Three weeks ago, you couldn't even maintain Grey energy at the delicate levels this technique requires. Now you're actually channeling it through organic matter without causing cellular damage."

She was right, though it was easy to lose sight of incremental progress when the visible results were so minimal. The fact that I could manipulate Grey energy precisely enough to work with living tissue was actually a significant achievement.

"Show me again," I said, offering her the branch. "I want to see how it's supposed to feel when it works."

Seraphina accepted the branch with the kind of reverent care that marked someone who truly understood what they were working with. Her ice magic began to flow immediately, but this wasn't the combat-focused power I'd seen her use in battle. This was something far more subtle and complex.

Frost formed along the branch's surface, but it wasn't the killing cold that would damage living tissue. Instead, it was the kind of careful chill that triggered dormancy-breaking responses, mimicking the precise temperature changes that would naturally occur during the transition from winter to spring.

Her Ice Crystal Jade Body enhancement became visible as crystalline patterns spread across her skin, adding supernatural precision to her already considerable control. The frost patterns began to shift and dance, creating micro-environments along the branch that addressed each bud's individual needs.

Then, like magic—which it was, but also something more—the blossoms began to open.

It started with the smallest buds, pale pink petals unfurling with impossible grace. Then larger ones followed, until the entire branch was covered in flowers that seemed to glow with their own inner light. The fragrance that filled the air was intoxicating, carrying notes of spring and renewal and hope.

"Beautiful," I said softly, genuinely awed despite having seen her perform this technique dozens of times.

"It's not about the result," Seraphina said, though I could see the quiet pride in her ice-blue eyes. "It's about understanding that you're not forcing anything to happen. You're simply creating the conditions where natural beauty can manifest."

She handed the flowering branch back to me, and I could feel the life energy still pulsing through the opened blossoms. "Now you try. But this time, don't think about Grey energy as something you're imposing on the branch. Think of it as a conversation—you're asking the buds what they need, then providing it."

I accepted the branch, noting how the already-opened blossoms seemed to pulse in rhythm with my heartbeat. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes again and tried to approach the problem from a completely different angle.

Instead of focusing on what I wanted to accomplish, I tried to understand what the remaining unopened buds were telling me. What conditions were they waiting for? What balance of forces would convince them it was safe to emerge?

Grey energy flowed through my hands again, but this time I wasn't trying to direct it toward any specific outcome. Instead, I was simply offering it as a resource, letting the branch's natural systems determine how to use it.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then—

A single bud, smaller than the others, began to stir.

It was the tiniest movement, barely visible, but I could feel it through the connection Grey energy had created between us. The bud was testing the energy I was offering, determining whether it could trust this unfamiliar source of nourishment.

"There," Seraphina whispered, her hand finding mine where it touched the branch. "Feel that? You're not forcing it. You're inviting it."

The bud continued its cautious exploration of the Grey energy, and I tried to remain as still and patient as possible. This wasn't about demonstrating power or achieving rapid results. This was about building trust with something that operated on completely different principles than combat magic.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the bud began to swell.

Then, like a small miracle, it opened.

The blossom that emerged was unlike the others Seraphina had coaxed forth. Where hers had been pale pink and traditionally beautiful, mine was something entirely new—petals that seemed to shift between silver and violet, with edges that caught light in ways that suggested depth beyond normal perception.

"Oh," Seraphina breathed, her eyes wide with wonder. "Arthur, that's... that's not a normal plum blossom."

She was right. The flower I'd helped manifest carried traces of Grey energy woven into its very structure, creating something that was both natural and transcendent. It was still recognizably a plum blossom, but enhanced in ways that spoke to the space between ordinary and extraordinary.

"Is it healthy?" I asked with sudden concern. "I didn't damage it by mixing Grey energy into its development, did I?"

"Look at it," she said with gentle amusement. "Does it look damaged to you?"

I studied the unique blossom more carefully, noting how it seemed to pulse with its own inner rhythm. The Grey energy hadn't corrupted or altered its fundamental nature—instead, it had enhanced the blossom's natural beauty in ways that made it more itself rather than something else.

"One success out of dozens of attempts," I said with rueful acknowledgment of how much work remained ahead of me.

"One success that proves the approach is viable," Seraphina corrected with warm encouragement. "You've just demonstrated that Grey energy can work in harmony with natural processes rather than overwhelming them. That's a significant breakthrough."

She was right, though I could see it would take considerable practice before I could reliably achieve results. But the foundation was there—the understanding that Grey wasn't just about combat applications, but about finding balance in all aspects of existence.

"Thank you," I said, turning to face her fully. "For the patience, for the guidance, for... everything."

"Thank you for trusting me enough to learn something that matters to my family's traditions," she replied, her ice-blue eyes reflecting depths of emotion that had nothing to do with magical technique. "And for creating something beautiful in the process."