Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss-Chapter 324: Return Of Resonance

The inside of their new hut was modest but warm.

A small hearth had already been set up in the corner, and a stack of neatly folded blankets rested against the far wall.

The scent of dry timber and mountain moss filled the air, bringing out the cozy feel of the hut.

Thorn collapsed first, throwing himself onto a pile of blankets and groaning in satisfaction.

"Finally. A roof above my head. An actual floor below my feet. No rocks under my back." He stretched like a cat, arms above his head, a contented sigh escaping his lips.

Ren smiled faintly and set the map on a nearby table. He removed his bracers, setting them carefully beside the parchment.

Lilith stood near the door, arms folded, her gaze still alert. Even inside, with walls between them and the world, she didn’t let her guard down. To her, they were still in enemy territory.

They were quiet for a while, letting the silence soak in after the battle they’d left behind.

The Thunderwyrm’s corpse, the Bloom of Ashes, the Bloom’s strange reaction to Thorn, it had all been a lot. Too much, even.

Each of them had their own ghosts hovering over their shoulders, and the quiet offered them a fragile sense of peace.

"So," Ren said finally, breaking the silence. He sat on the bench beside the hearth, elbows on his knees, staring into the slow flicker of the fire. "The Bloom of Ashes is connected to the Abyss. And Thorn... you saw it."

Thorn sat up slowly, running a hand through his hair. "Not just saw. I felt it. Like I was there in person. Like it was home. Calling out to me. Whispering. Not in words. Just... knowing. Like I belonged to it."

Lilith turned to face them, her voice low. "If the Bloom came from the Abyss, what else did? What if that’s where the Three came from? What if they’re from another universe and entered this one through the... Abyss."

Ren frowned. "And Yggdrasil. I’ve been thinking... maybe the reason I didn’t know about either of them when I got here is because they’re not part of this world’s original framework. Maybe they’re not part of this world at all."

Thorn blinked. "You guys mean... like foreign invaders?"

"From the Abyss." Lilith whispered. "From the void between worlds."

Ren nodded slowly. "That would explain a lot. The reason why I didn’t know of them. The reason why Unfettered Enhancement reacted to the Chained Man."

"Maybe the Three aren’t just powerful enemies. Maybe they’re foreign systems. Viruses infecting this world."

They fell silent again, each of them grappling with the implications.

For a long while, only the sound of the fire crackling filled the hut. Outside, the wind whistled through the trees.

Ren sat there, thinking about it.

What if he was also a virus infecting the world?

What if his world was also connected to the Abyss?

Would he go back if given the chance?

He smiled, shaking his head. He wouldn’t. This was where he was meant to be.

He was born for this.

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The next morning, they gathered in the park just outside Luna’s home.

A few citizens sat in quiet clusters on the scattered stone tables and chairs, sipping warm drinks and watching the world with wary eyes.

A light snowfall had begun to drift down, settling on both shoulders and tabletops.

Ren was sketching an image of the town on a scrap of parchment, trying to level up his drawing skill.

Thorn dozed in a chair beside him, snoring softly with a blanket tossed over his chest.

Lilith, as always, remained alert, sitting cross legged on the table, her gaze scanning the horizon.

Then came the sound.

Noise from the entrance of Ur. A commotion. Angry voices and the clatter of boots.

Ren looked up sharply. Lilith was already on her feet.

They moved together, weaving through the park and pushing past the gathered crowd. Near the entrance into the town, a pair of figures stood like carved statues amidst the storm of noise.

One wore a cloak as dark as ink, the hood pulled low over his face.

The other was dressed in white, her cloak pristine and unmarked, the white blending in perfectly with the falling snow.

Both wore masks. The male’s was shaped like a lion and the female’s was smooth, silver, and blank.

They stood silently, surrounded by a semicircle of Ur’s citizens, who had formed a defensive wall between them and the town.

"State your names and what you want," barked the same burn-scarred man who had challenged them days before, his arms already flickering with heat.

The man in black tilted his head slightly. His voice, when it came, was calm and smooth.

"I am Nero. She is Contessa."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"And your business here?" The man demanded.

Contessa did not speak. Nero raised a hand.

"We seek entry."

The burn-scarred warrior sneered. "Then prove yourself."

He stepped forward, his arms igniting in white-hot fire, a furious inferno roaring to life. The crowd backed up. The snow melted at his feet.

Ren leaned forward. "What’s that guy’s deal? Why does he want to fight everybody?"

Lilith didn’t respond. Her eyes were locked on Nero, narrowed, calculating.

The fire-wielding man charged, his flame trailing behind him.

Nero didn’t move.

Darkness exploded outward from his cloak.

It wasn’t flame. It wasn’t shadow. It was absence. A void. The fire evaporated. The warrior’s charge halted mid-step.

Then he screamed.

The darkness swallowed him. Ripped him apart. Bone, blood, ash, all consumed in an instant.

When the void faded, there was nothing left but silence. Just a scorch mark. Just empty air.

No one else stepped forward.

"They may enter," said a voice from the crowd, hollow with fear.

The warriors parted.

Ren exhaled. "He used Resonance magic."

Lilith nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"Do you think they were Chosens before the fall of the Church?" Thorn muttered, his earlier drowsiness gone.

"Of course, they were Chosens. Can’t you see his proficiency with his Resonance?" Ren answered before turning to Thorn with a slight frown. "Wait a minute. Weren’t you sleeping in the park?"

"And miss this fight?" Thorn chuckled.

They watched as Nero and Contessa walked through Ur, ignoring the stares. They headed toward Luna’s hut, their pace unhurried, their steps deliberate. No one dared follow.

Ren folded his arms. "They knew where to go."

"Who are they really?" Lilith murmured. "Do you think they’re after us? We killed their Pope."

"Nah." Ren said. "They’re not here for us. Remember, no one had a clear image of us in the final battle."

"True." Thorn nodded.

They stood in silence, their gaze was fixed on Luna’s hut.

Whoever Nero and Contessa were, it didn’t matter as long as they stayed away from them.

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om