Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

Chapter 304: Unexpected Situation

Next morning.

"..."

Adrian's eyelids twitched as he slowly began to wake. He felt strangely heavy, his limbs weighed down as though they were wrapped in a thick blanket.

A comforting warmth surrounded him, but there was also a dull numbness in his arms and legs. Blinking sleepily, he tried to shake off the lingering grogginess that clung to him like a stubborn fog.

As his vision cleared, he noticed two figures sprawled on top of him. Aria's head rested on his chest, her hair splayed out in a soft halo, while Noxy was curled up on his stomach, its small body rising and falling with each breath.

The memories of the previous night slowly returned to him—falling asleep on the couch together after dinner.

Adrian smiled wryly at the scene. "We should have at least switched to the bed," he murmured to himself, the thought of a more comfortable sleep crossing his mind.

His gaze shifted down to Aria, her peaceful expression captivating even in slumber. There was something enchanting about the way she looked, her features relaxed and serene, a slight smile on her lips as if she were dreaming of something pleasant. Adrian found himself staring, mesmerized by her beauty.

'I'm really lucky to - !'

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But then, his eyes widened in alarm.

'W-What is this?'

Adrian noticed Aria's body temperature was fluctuating wildly, rising and falling uncontrollably.

The air around them seemed to ripple with a strange energy, aether swirling erratically as it attempted to enter her body. However, the aether seemed to be blocked, unable to fully penetrate her form, as if something was obstructing its path.

"Aria?" Adrian's voice was tinged with concern as he gently shook her shoulder, trying to rouse her from her sleep. "Aria, wake up."

There was no response. Her breathing was steady, but her body continued to react to the fluctuating temperatures. Adrian's confusion grew as he tried again, this time more urgently. "Aria, can you hear me?"

'Damn it! What is happening?!' Adrian cursed inwardly. He didn't know what exactly was going on. He didn't read such a situation even in the novel.

'...'

'Wait...'

'Is it possible that...'

Suddenly, a realization struck him.

'... she is breaking through?'

He had read about a similar situation of Aurelius and a few main cast characters undergoing when they advanced.

Then, if his guess was true, she was advancing to the Lunar Tier, the first significant milestone for any Awakener. However, something was clearly off. This wasn't how a normal breakthrough was supposed to look.

Adrian placed a hand on Aria's forehead, feeling the heat that radiated from her. Her body shivered slightly, then stilled, only to shiver again moments later. The aether around her was still swirling, more agitated now, like a storm trying to breach an invisible barrier.

"Why can't the aether enter her?" he muttered to himself, his mind racing to understand what was happening. He knew that during a breakthrough, an Awakener's body needed to absorb vast amounts of aether to support their advancement. But here, it was as if something inside Aria was resisting the natural flow.

Adrian's thoughts flashed back to what he knew about Aria's condition. Her unique ability, her affinity with the five elements—perhaps these were factors in the strange behavior of the aether. Or was there something else, something deeper that he wasn't seeing?

Adrian's voice remained soft but urgent as he tried to coax Aria awake. "Come on, Aria, you have to wake up."

Yet, she showed no signs of stirring. Instead, her expression slowly shifted from peaceful to pained, her eyebrows furrowing, and her lips parting slightly as if she were fighting something in her sleep.

Adrian's heart tightened with worry. He knew he couldn't just stand by. He had to act. Carefully, he slipped an arm under Aria's back and the other beneath Noxy, who chirped softly in its sleep but didn't wake. With a gentle but firm movement, Adrian lifted them both, making his way to the Meditation Room that had prepared for moments like these.

The Meditation Room was a specially designed space, optimized to help Awakeners manage aether surges and breakthroughs safely. It was lined with aether-sensitive materials that could adjust the room's environment to suit the needs of the Awakener within.

Adrian placed Aria at the center of the room, laying her gently on the floor. To his surprise, as soon as her body touched the cool surface, she shifted subconsciously into a sitting position, her legs crossed, and her hands resting on her knees. Her face was still contorted in pain, her breaths coming in short, shallow gasps.

Adrian wasted no time. He activated the control ring on his hand, focusing on the room's settings. With a few quick adjustments, he set the environment to support a breakthrough, adjusting the temperature and humidity to match the fluctuations he had noticed in Aria's body earlier.

The room's aether began to respond, swirling more vigorously around Aria. At first, it still seemed blocked, unable to penetrate her body, but Adrian carefully modulated the room's energy levels, guiding the aether toward her more gently. Gradually, he noticed a change. The previously obstructed aether began to seep into her body, slowly being absorbed.

'Did it work?' Adrian thought as relief washed over him, but it was short-lived.

As he observed, he realized Aria was using a strange aether absorption technique, one he had never seen before. The technique seemed to draw aether from multiple elements at once, rather than focusing on a single type. It was like watching five different rivers flow into a single lake.

'Is this her personal technique?'

Adrian's mind raced with questions, but he pushed them aside. What mattered was that she seemed to be stabilizing, at least for the moment. Her breathing evened out, and the tension in her muscles relaxed, though her face still showed traces of pain.

However, the situation quickly changed again. The air around her began to tremble uncontrollably, and Adrian's eyes widened as he watched the aether around her transform into various elemental forms.

'I have a bad feeling about this...'

Tiny ice shards, jagged earth spikes, swirling water droplets, flickering fireballs, and crackling lightning bolts materialized, spinning around her at a rapid pace.

Adrian's heart leaped into his throat. "Aria!" he shouted, but she was deep in her trance, unaware of the chaos unfolding around her.

The elemental forms began to accelerate, moving erratically around the room. Before Adrian could react, a few of the smaller projectiles shot toward Aria. Some of the ice shards struck her arm, and she bit her lip in pain, a small whimper escaping her lips.

"Dammit!" Adrian cursed under his breath. Without hesitation, he sprang into action, moving swiftly to her side. He activated the room's barrier with a quick motion, hoping to shield her from the onslaught of elemental energy.

The barrier shimmered to life, encasing them in a protective dome. But, to Adrian's shock, the elemental attacks didn't fully stop. They paused momentarily upon hitting the barrier, then continued through as if the barrier only slowed them down.

He activated the ring's protection barrier as well. However, nothing changed.

Adrian gritted his teeth, frustration boiling within him. "What is going on?!" he muttered, his mind racing for a solution. He realized that the usual protective measures weren't enough against this strange phenomenon.

Seeing no other option, Adrian positioned himself protectively over Aria, drawing his daggers to fend off the incoming projectiles. He deflected an earth spike with a swift parry, his other hand moving to block a lightning bolt with his blade. Despite his efforts, a few more shards and droplets slipped past, grazing his arms and legs.

He winced at the sharp pain but remained steadfast, shielding Aria as best he could. "Hang in there, Aria," he murmured, his voice a mix of determination and worry.

A fireball came whizzing toward them, and Adrian had no choice but to block it with his forearm. The impact seared his skin, and he hissed in pain but held his ground.

Time passed, the room was a blur of motion and energy, every second feeling like an eternity as he fought to protect Aria.

Despite the chaos, Adrian's resolve only strengthened. He knew that he couldn't afford to let his guard down, not even for a moment. His mind focused solely on one goal: keeping Aria safe until this strange, violent breakthrough finally settled.