Don't Want to Be Ordinary Even Though I'm an Extra Character-Chapter 45: [44] Awakening the Colossus

-Third Person POV-

Arkan’s knuckles whitened as he tightened his grip on the dagger. Clara’s taunting words echoed in the cavern, each one threatening to chip away at his resolve. But rather than succumbing, the fury and defiance welling up within him only grew stronger.

"No matter what you say, I won’t give up!" Arkan roared, planting his feet firmly on the ground and rising to his full height.

Clara tilted her head with a sly grin. "Oh? Then let’s see how long you can survive."

Arkan quickly assessed his dire situation. Strength alone wouldn’t be enough to overcome Clara and her dark magic. He needed a strategy. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Her staff.

’Her power emanates from that staff,’ Arkan realized. ’If I can disarm her, I might stand a chance.’

Feigning retreat, he edged toward the wall, allowing Clara to close in with her twisted shadows snaking toward him. He waited for the perfect moment, then swiftly pulled a handmade flashbang from his satchel and hurled it at her feet.

The ensuing explosion of blinding light illuminated the cavern and echoed loudly, startling Clara and forcing her to shield her eyes.

"What—?! What have you done?!" she hissed, stumbling backward.

The opportunity was brief, but it was enough. Arkan dashed forward and aimed a kick at her hand, knocking the staff from her grasp. As it clattered to the ground, he snatched it up before she could recover.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed, clutching the staff tightly.

But Clara, even without her weapon, smirked darkly. "You think this changes anything?"

Suddenly, the shadows lingering in the room stirred unnaturally, like living entities responding to their master’s will. They coiled toward Arkan, aiming to trap him.

Arkan retreated hastily, struggling to maintain a safe distance. Yet the shadows pursued relentlessly, the room growing smaller with each step.

"Damn it! She can still use her magic without the staff!" Arkan thought, heart pounding.

His eyes darted toward the giant cocoon at the room’s center.

If she wouldn’t stop, then he’d have to.

With newfound resolve, he sprinted toward the cocoon, dodging tendrils of darkness lashing out at him. Reaching into his satchel, he retrieved another makeshift explosive and hurled it at the pulsating mass.

BOOM!

A small but decisive blast shook the cocoon, fracturing its glossy surface.

"NO!" Clara shrieked, her voice trembling with desperation as she reached out. "Don’t you DARE!"

Ignoring her, Arkan raised his dagger, preparing to strike the now-cracked cocoon.

"This is for Rainer and the villagers!" Arkan shouted, plunging the blade into its surface with all his strength.

A deep crack resonated throughout the cavern as the cocoon split open further, spilling viscous green liquid that splashed across the stone floor. A menacing red light seeped out, filling the cavern in a hellish glow.

Clara’s once smug expression morphed into one of panic, and her grasp on the magical shadows faltered.

Yet, the unease that clawed at Arkan’s chest deepened. He knew the creature inside hadn’t been fully stopped—merely awakened early.

"You..." Clara’s voice cracked, her body trembling as she stumbled closer to the broken cocoon. Her bloodied hand pressed against its fragmented surface. "My beautiful, perfect baby! What has that fool done to you?!"

She turned sharply, her red eyes blazing with wrath. "What... was that device? How could it—how dare it damage MY creation?!"

Seeing an opening, Arkan darted toward his fallen dagger. He snatched it off the ground, never breaking eye contact with Clara.

"This is my chance," Arkan thought as he steeled himself.

Clara, distracted and trembling with rage, didn’t notice as Arkan crept behind her. With swift precision, he plunged his dagger deep into her back, the blade slicing through flesh and emerging at her front.

"Gah... Coward!" Clara screamed, blood spilling from her mouth.

Arkan glared coldly as he wrenched the dagger free. "You dare call me a coward after everything you’ve done—after all the lives you’ve destroyed?"

Clara staggered forward, clutching the wound with shaking hands. Even as blood poured from her body, the twisted grin never left her face.

"Heh... You think this is enough to stop me?" she whispered hoarsely, the gleam of madness still lighting her eyes.

Arkan remained silent, his exhaustion overshadowed by his disdain for the corrupted woman before him.

Suddenly, the cavern trembled violently. Rocks fell from the ceiling, and a deafening rumble reverberated through the chamber.

"Oh no..." Arkan murmured, his gaze snapping toward the cocoon.

The cracks had reached their breaking point, and the cocoon splintered open with an earsplitting roar, unleashing a torrent of green liquid that flooded the cavern floor.

From within the shattered shell, a massive silhouette began to writhe and rise.

"This can’t be happening," Arkan whispered, his voice barely audible over the cacophony.

The centipede emerged.

Its colossal body, clad in iridescent black scales, unfurled as it stood tall above the debris. Red, glowing eyes fixed upon Arkan with malicious intent, and its mandibles snapped in a menacing rhythm that sent shivers down his spine.

"Ah... magnificent..." Clara rasped, her smile widening as she sank to the floor. "My perfect child has finally awakened!"

"Clara, you’re completely insane," Arkan spat, retreating as the centipede’s piercing gaze turned toward him.

Clara chuckled weakly through her labored breaths. "Maybe... but at least I’ll go down in history. You, Arkan? You’ll be nothing but dust under its feet."

The centipede emitted a low, guttural roar that shook the very foundations of the cave. Its massive body coiled and surged forward, effortlessly crushing stone formations in its path.

Arkan barely managed to dive aside as its gaping maw slammed into the ground where he’d been standing.

"This is NOT fair! Something that big should NOT be that fast!" he shouted in disbelief, scrambling behind a boulder.

The creature roared again, its violent movements creating chaos throughout the cavern.

Arkan’s eyes darted toward the wall where Rainer remained ensnared in organic webs, unconscious but alive.

"Rainer..." Arkan muttered under his breath. "I have to save him. No matter what."

Another tremor interrupted his thoughts as the centipede smashed through a nearby column, dislodging a large piece of the ceiling.

"I need to lure it to the surface. My traps are waiting there," he thought grimly.

Reaching into his satchel, he retrieved the last of his explosives.

"All right, Arkan... time to gamble everything," he whispered, lighting the fuse.

He leapt from his hiding spot, waving his arms wildly. "Hey, you oversized bug! You want me? Come and get me!"

The creature’s fiery eyes locked onto him, and with a chilling screech, it charged.

Arkan waited until the creature was inches away, then hurled the bomb into its open maw.

The resulting explosion rocked the cavern, engulfing the centipede in a fiery cloud. Debris and dust filled the air, making it difficult to see.

As the smoke cleared, the centipede reeled back, momentarily stunned but still standing.

"Damn it... that wasn’t enough," Arkan growled through gritted teeth.

But amidst the chaos, he heard a faint voice.

"Arkan..."

His eyes snapped toward Rainer.

"Rainer! Don’t worry—I’m coming for you!"

With renewed determination, Arkan sprinted toward his companion, desperate to pull him from the clutches of the nightmare that surrounded them.