The Retired Hero is an Extra

Jash's soft murmur was barely audible, but the Emperor's keen ears caught it. His smile froze for a moment as he thought, 'Impossible!'

Fortunately, no one seemed to have noticed his small movements as they were busy admiring the display of power by Amael.

Even the Emperor was quite impressed and already guessed that Amael could easily win and defeat his children.

Yet his attention was now being diverted by Jash.

Not only him, but a few nobles had also kept an eye on Jash, in hopes of finding something interesting.

His slow movements caught their interest as they nudged their friends and rivals to make some light bets.

Oblivious to the attention he unconsciously commanded, Jash moved.

His careful movements—like a seasoned veteran—through the illusion appeared deliberate as if each step was calculated to avoid the obvious pitfalls and traps.

Meanwhile, in the hall, the guests' curiosity shifted to a blend of amusement and impatience as they watched.

The nobles exchanged glances, their discussions ranging from speculation about the illusion's design to the potential outcomes for their children.

The high-ranking nobles, though outwardly composed, were increasingly intrigued by the Emperor's unconventional test.

Their attention shifted to another Duke's child—Jash—whose actions captivated their interest.

After all, many wanted to see what was his reason to not move for so long.

Was it some trap of the illusion, or had he given up, or had he come up with a solution to escape the illusion?

Meanwhile, Jash had no such grand goals, his focus was simply on escaping the annoying noise and the illusion.

As he navigated the forest, he observed the increasing tension among the other participants.

Their strategies were evolving, some alliances broke down while new ones emerged.

By that time, the illusion's purpose had become clearer to a few perceptive participants as well.

It was a test of adaptability, a challenge to see who could maintain clarity of thought amid chaos.

'Idiots,' Jash sneered inwardly at the other participants, maintaining an indifferent facade.

He couldn't care less about the other participants, ignoring them and moving with finesse to avoid stumbling upon any of them.

Jash's path through the forest was methodical; his movements were fluid and precise.

He was not merely seeking an exit by luck, he was avoiding every trap—participants and monsters alike—trying to get his peace.

While unraveling the deeper layers of deception was the goal of the wise, he was one step ahead.

'I already know why that darned Emperor arranged this, there's no reason to scourge the illusion,' he reminded himself.

Another two hours—ten minutes for the spectators—had passed as the night wore on, the illusion continued to test the participants, pushing them to their limits.

Jash, with his detached approach, remained a step ahead, his mind always working to piece together the clues to find an exit.

Most participants were busy trying to find a weapon to navigate the forest, fight monsters, emerge victorious and succeed in exiting.

Yet Jash hadn't encountered any living thing despite moving through the forest for hours.

It was to the extent that some spectating nobles began to speculate if he knew the path or something.

Unfortunately, they knew better than anyone that it didn't make sense, especially when Prince Avon and Princess Ava themselves were struggling.

Also, they could see behind the mist, the true nature of the forest, unlike the participants.

With each passing moment, the forest seemed to shift slightly, adapting to the participants' actions.

Hence, it made no sense for anyone to be able to move in a pre-planned manner as no one could predict the numerous combinations.

Even if they could, keeping every single one of them in mind and being able to recognize them... the notion itself seemed ridiculous.

Of course, they guessed that he had figured it out, indicating his excellent talent, like another key figure, Amael Blake.

However, Amael had taken on more of an angelic approach, allowing any participant to join his group.

They eliminated the participants who only aimed for others' elimination instead of completing the test righteously.

Only Amael himself knew how much of an act he was putting up to maintain his image, and not get targeted as a public enemy in the future.

Unaware of the change brought by Amael, Jash's awareness of the illusion's fluid nature allowed him to remain composed and strategic.

He was ready for whatever came next, confident that he had already begun to unravel the path to leave this deceptive dance.

'This mist is annoying,' he grumbled inwardly, feeling discomfort all over.

Though he evaded the traps, the true nature of the forest was everywhere. It wouldn't spare him from feeling different sensations based on his location.

The mist, once barely affecting his vision, began to intensify, affecting his senses and adding to the challenge.

"This mist... Is it amplifying the forest's effect?" Jash pondered aloud, considering the growing annoyance because of the mist.

There had to be a reason for him to feel that way, so he tried his conjecture out.

Moving without a pattern, randomly taking lefts, rights, backward, forwards appeared strange to the spectators.

However, the ones who had already figured out the illusion's name, they were aware that Jash was on the verge of solving it.

It would be an understatement to call them shocked, but they masked their expressions well, being used to it.

If one person was unhappy with the result, it would surely be the Emperor as he hoped for his children to shine in the event.

Although he couldn't be unfair, his children had the advantage of firsthand experience with illusions, unlike most participants.

In essence, he was having a hard time believing Jash's performance, which seemed to be beyond the realms of normal.

Amael's performance, while exemplary, could be explained on the basis of his natural awakening.

His talent itself could be said to be at a different level altogether.

Yet Jash?

It was incomprehensible!

However, it was right in front of his eyes and he couldn't deny it.

Oblivious to having become the source of the Emperor's annoyance, Jash continued to sense his surroundings with his utmost concentration.

Fortunately, he wasn't in the spotlight as most still couldn't make sense of his actions, choosing to focus on Amael, Avon, and Ava.

The three had totally different approaches.

Amael bulldozed his way through everything, gathering allies while Ava too had allies, she took a more calculated approach.

On the other hand, Avon remained alone, trying to face everything by himself, making his decisions in the smallest of intervals.

Though the others too had good performances, it couldn't be compared to the three of them.

Mostly because the total number of participants excluding the two groups led by Amael, Ava and the soloist Avon, didn't exceed 10.

Out of the 10, one was Jash, who was ignored by most.

Another was Caera, whose team got eliminated after encountering two monster groups, leaving only her and the Warmis Clan Head's daughter.

The rest were barely scraping by, but their performance too was a source of pride for themselves and their family.

One team consisted of three members, while another had four, creating a dynamic situation for the spectators.

Since they were busy fighting amongst each other before being forced to join forces after initial conflicts.

It was really an interesting sight: the glares, gritting teeth, unveiled animosity yet the situation made them group up.

Just when the atmosphere was super tense as the event was nearing its end, the mist started to dissipate completely.

As the mist began to clear, anticipation built among the spectators.

Although surprised at the suddenness, everyone was interested in seeing who'd be the first one to appear beneath the mist.

***

{A/N}

Yo~

It's been 17 days, I guess?

Well, I just realized that this is chapter 101, that is, we crossed a 100 chapters in 70 days!!

Although it took a bit longer than my first novel despite it having longer chapters, I would like to thank everyone for reading and supporting my novel!!

For this, I am announcing a goal: 1 Extra chapter per 5 genuine reviews!!