The Extra's Rise
Chapter 676: Escape (1)

Chapter 676: Escape (1)

I regained consciousness on cold stone, my head pounding from the forced teleportation. The magical displacement had dumped us in what appeared to be ancient ruins—crumbling walls and broken pillars that spoke of a civilization long dead. The acrid smell of sulfur and decay hung in the air, telling me exactly where we were.

‘Eastern Continent,’ I confirmed grimly, helping Luna to her feet. ‘Red Chalice territory.’

“Daddy?” Luna’s voice was small and frightened. The teleportation had disoriented her badly, and she clung to my arm with shaking hands. “Where are we?”

“Somewhere we’re not supposed to be,” I replied, scanning our surroundings for immediate threats. “But we’re together, and that’s what matters.”

Reika groaned as she pushed herself upright, blood trickling from a cut on her forehead. “Teleportation failsafe,” she spat. “They built it into the facility’s core systems as insurance.”

‘Of course they did.’ The Red Chalice Cult hadn’t survived this long by leaving things to chance. If their most valuable asset was compromised, they’d want it transported somewhere they could reclaim it quickly.

“Multiple contacts approaching,” Reika warned, checking her weapons. “Fast movers with supernatural signatures.”

I could sense them too—vampiric presences moving through the ruins with predatory grace. At least six, maybe more, closing in on our position with coordinated precision.

“Luna,” I said firmly, kneeling to her level. “I need you to stay close to me and do exactly what I say. Can you do that?”

She nodded solemnly, clutching her butterfly toy. “I trust you, Daddy.”

‘That trust is going to get us all killed if I can’t keep her safe,’ I thought grimly.

The first vampire emerged from behind a broken column—a Bishop-rank with pale skin and predatory eyes that glowed crimson in the dim light. He moved with fluid grace, confident in his superiority over mere mortals.

“Subject Zero,” he said, his voice carrying the arrogance of someone used to being obeyed. “You will come with us now. Resistance will only prolong your suffering.”

‘Subject Zero.’ Even here, even now, they still saw Luna as nothing more than a weapon to be reclaimed.

“Her name is Luna,” I said coldly, stepping protectively in front of my daughter. “And she’s not going anywhere with you.”

The vampire laughed, revealing fangs that gleamed like ivory daggers. “Foolish mortal. You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”

‘No,’ I thought as power began to build in my hands. ‘You have no idea what you’re dealing with.’

I struck without warning, channeling gravitational force into a lance of pure destruction. The vampire’s confident expression vanished as the attack punched through his chest, liquefying his heart and spine in a spray of crimson.

“Impossible,” another vampire hissed as his companion crumpled to dust. “How did a mere human—”

Reika’s blade took his head before he could finish the question. She moved like liquid death, her enhanced reflexes and training making her a nightmare opponent even for supernatural predators.

‘Two down. At least four more to go.’

“Protect Luna,” I called to Reika as more vampires emerged from concealment. “I’ll handle the heavy hitters.”

What followed was brutal and efficient. These vampires were powerful—Bishop and Elder rank, with centuries of experience and supernatural abilities that could level buildings. But they’d made two critical mistakes.

First, they’d underestimated us. They expected frightened fugitives, not seasoned combatants with specialized training and equipment.

Second, they’d threatened my daughter.

‘The fury of a protective parent is something these monsters have never experienced,’ I realized as I tore through their ranks with calculated savagery. ‘They don’t understand what they’re facing.’

An Elder-rank vampire materialized behind me, moving faster than thought. Before I could move to counter him..

“Don’t hurt my Daddy!”

Power exploded outward from Luna’s position—not the controlled demonstrations we’d seen in the facility, but raw, primal force born from terror and love. The vampire Elder screamed as Deepdark energy tore through his essence, unmaking him at the molecular level.

‘She’s protecting me,’ I realized with a mixture of pride and terror. ‘My eight-year-old daughter just killed an Elder vampire to keep me safe.’

The remaining attackers hesitated, finally understanding that they were facing something beyond their experience. A child who could unmake Elder-rank vampires was not the helpless asset they’d expected to recover.

I used their moment of uncertainty to devastating effect. Gravity manipulation tore two more vampires apart while Reika’s poisoned blades found the heart of another. In less than five minutes, the entire pursuit team was dead.

“Are you hurt?” I asked Luna immediately, checking her for injuries.

“I’m okay, Daddy,” she said, though her voice shook with residual adrenaline. “I just… I couldn’t let them hurt you.”

‘My brave girl.’ I pulled her into a fierce hug, marveling at her courage even as I worried about what using that much power had cost her.

“We need to move,” Reika warned, scanning for additional threats. “This was just the first wave. They’ll send more when this team doesn’t report in.”

I nodded, lifting Luna into my arms. She was exhausted from the power expenditure and the trauma of combat, her small body trembling with fatigue.

“Where can we go?” Luna asked weakly. “If this is their territory…”

‘Good question.’ We were deep in Red Chalice lands, surrounded by enemies and cut off from any friendly support. Our extraction point was thousands of kilometers away, and every moment we remained here increased the chance of recapture.

‘Find shelter first,’ Luna the qilin advised. ‘Somewhere defensible where you can rest and plan your next move.’

Reika consulted her tactical map, marking safe zones and potential hiding spots. “There’s an abandoned house about ten kilometers northeast.”

“Abandoned by who?” I asked suspiciously.

“Peng family. They evacuated when the Red Chalice took this region during the war.” Reika’s expression was grim. “The building should still be structurally sound.”

“It’s our best option,” I decided. “Let’s move.”

The journey to the house was tense and exhausting. Luna dozed fitfully in my arms, her small body warm against my chest as we navigated through hostile territory. Every shadow could hide enemies, every sound might herald another attack.

‘She trusts me to keep her safe,’ I thought as Luna murmured something in her sleep. ‘Even after everything that’s happened, she still believes I can protect her.’

The house appeared through the morning mist like something from a gothic nightmare. Tall spires twisted toward storm clouds, while gargoyles perched on buttresses watched our approach with stone eyes. The building was intact but clearly abandoned—windows dark, gates hanging open, and an aura of melancholy that spoke of dreams destroyed.

I carried Luna through the massive doors into a sanctuary that had once housed hundreds of members of the Peng family.

“Daddy?” Luna stirred in my arms, looking around with curiosity rather than fear. “Is this where we’re going to live now?”

“Just for tonight, sweetheart,” I assured her. “While we figure out how to get home.”

Home. The word carried new meaning now that Luna was part of our family. Home wasn’t just where I lived—it was where my daughter would be safe and loved.

Reika found a small chamber off the main sanctuary that had probably served as living quarters for the leadership. The room contained basic furniture including beds, and more importantly, it had only one entrance that we could easily defend.

“Get some rest,” Reika said as I set Luna down on one of the beds. “I’ll take first watch.”

But Luna shook her head, gripping my hand tightly. “Don’t leave me alone, Daddy. Please.”

The fear in her voice was unmistakable. After everything she’d been through—the teleportation, the vampire attack, finding herself in hostile territory—she needed the security of knowing I was close.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised, settling beside her on the narrow bed. “Try to get some sleep. We’ll figure everything out tomorrow.”

As Luna curled up against my side, her breathing gradually evening out into the rhythm of sleep, I reflected on how completely my life had changed. Just weeks ago, I’d been focused on strategic objectives and long-term planning. Now my entire world had narrowed to protecting one small girl who called me Daddy.

‘Is this what being a father really means?’ I wondered as Luna mumbled something unintelligible in her sleep. ‘Having someone who depends on you so completely that their safety becomes more important than your own life?’

‘Yes,’ Luna the qilin replied simply. ‘That’s exactly what it means. And you’re already better at it than you think.’

Outside the walls, I could sense movement—more Red Chalice forces gathering, preparing for a more coordinated assault. But for now, in this moment, Luna was safe and warm beside me.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new dangers, and probably a fight for our lives. But tonight, my daughter was sleeping peacefully in her father’s arms, and that was enough.