Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

After finishing the lunch, everyone gathered and headed in the direction of the big surprise instructor Doome had prepared for them.

The trek towards the center of the valley felt arduous after the restless night. Ardel, however, proved invaluable. He closed his eyes, focusing on the faint tremors of the earth and nature. Guided by his ability, they navigated a maze of rocky outcrops and patches of tall grass.

Finally, they emerged into a clearing bathed in warm sunlight.A gasp rippled through the group. Before them, nestled amidst a cluster of wildflowers, grazed a spectacle that defied description.

Creatures resembling fluffy sheep shimmered with iridescent light. Their wool, like spun moonlight, flowed gently in the breeze. Glowing faintly, they exuded an almost ethereal beauty.

"Woah!"

A collective sigh of awe escaped the students. Emeric, ever stoic, kept a watchful distance, but even he seemed mesmerized by the sight.

Whispers of "Aren't they adorable?" and "Look at their pretty colors!" filled the air.

One by one, students began to approach the creatures, drawn by their cute appearance.

Adrian, however, held back. The lingering memory of his nightmare, coupled with a strange prickling sensation at the back of his mind, kept him cautious. He noticed Ardel subtly shift closer to him, his hand hovering near his dagger.

Furthermore, he didn't know about these creatures since the novel didn't write about this Survival lesson.

The first student, a girl named Eluna with long red hair, reached out with a hesitant hand. The Gossamer Shepherd turned its large, soft eyes towards her and bleated softly.

Eluna squealed with delight and buried her face in its shimmering wool. The others waited and watched. However, nothing suspicious happened.

"Let's go, they are harmless!"

"I can't really stop myself now!"

"I wonder if we can eat them..."

"Their wool should cost a quite sum of money."

More students, emboldened by Eluna's example, swarmed the creatures. Laughter and excited chatter filled the clearing.

"I... I don't have a good feeling about them..." Adrian heard Aurelius muttering. "Should we warn the others?"

Adrian didn't reply but observed Ren and Ardel's expressions. Ren was simply looking at the creatures with a hidden awed expression. In contrast, Ardel seemed a bit restless and wary.

'But, why isn't he saying anything? He would've warned me even if was a minor danger... Or is his disbelief acting up again?'

'Well, should I try and see?' He slowly brandished his sword and appeared in front of one of the creatures beside Eluna.

Adrian's instincts screamed at him to be cautious. As he neared, the creature turned its soft eyes toward him, bleating gently, its wool shimmering in the sunlight. The sight was almost mesmerizing, but Adrian shook off the feeling, focusing on his task. 'Does it have a charming ability?'

Eluna, still entranced by the creature she was petting, looked up. "Guys, they're harmless! Look how cute they are! Wuuw!"

Ignoring her, Adrian stepped closer to the sheeplike creature, his eyes narrowing. Just as he reached out with his sword, the creature's wool began to shimmer more intensely, releasing a subtle, hypnotic aura. Adrian felt a strange pull, but his improved willpower and training kept him grounded. 'So, it has... It will be a bit tricky then...'

"Adrian, what are you doing?" Ren asked, noticing his tense posture. "Is something wrong? I think they are harmless too."

"Stay back," Adrian warned, his voice low and serious. "Something's not right."

Then he lifted his sword aiming at the creature while looking at it directly. He may have hesitated if it was before, but now he wasn't that weak-willed or kind.

"!"

'Swoosh-!'

Just then, without warning, the creature in front of Adrian shed its wooly disguise in a span of seconds.

'W-What the hell is this?' Adrian cursed as he saw the creature changing its form.

Its true form was — a grotesque amalgamation of insect and arachnid, with bioluminescent skin pulsing with light. Segmented legs and razor-sharp mandibles replaced the innocent features, and its compound eyes glowed with an unsettling inner light.

"A-Argh-!"

"D-Disgusting!"

A collective gasp erupted from the students who hadn't come yet or weren't close to the creatures, and in an instant panic spread through the group.

The other creatures began to reveal their true forms one after another as well, shedding their innocent facades. The once peaceful clearing now buzzed with the terrifying sight of these monstrous creatures.

"T-They are dangerous, everyone! Get back! Quickly!" Aurelia shouted loudly.

Adrian didn't waste any moment and slashed his sword at the monster before him.

Splurt-!

Green blood splattered across the ground as Adrian's sword cut through the monster's pulsing, bioluminescent skin. The creature let out a piercing shriek and recoiled, its segmented legs twitching in agony. The students, now fully aware of the danger, scrambled to distance themselves from the transformed monsters.

"T-The others are hypnotized by them! We need to rescue them!" Just as he was about to move to the next monster, Adrian heard the loud voice of his sister and turned his attention to Eluna who was nearest to him.

Eluna was entangled in the shimmering wool of the creature she had been petting. Her eyes, glazed over with a hypnotic daze, showed no awareness of the danger around her. Adrian gritted his teeth and rushed to her side, slashing through the sticky webbing that held her. Then he kicked away the monster on the head since it was free of sticky web.

"Hey, snap out of it!" he shouted, shaking her shoulders. She blinked a few times, the trance slowly lifting from her eyes as she began to comprehend the chaos around her.

"A-Adrian... what..." she stammered, her voice trembling with confusion and fear.

"No time to explain. Just retreat," Adrian instructed, keeping his sword at the ready. He quickly scanned the clearing, assessing the situation.

The other students were in various stages of distress, some still under the creatures' hypnotic spell, while others, like Ren and Ardel, had already begun to fight back.

'Damn, is this the big surprise he told us about?! Damn you, old man Doome!'