From Trash to Lord of Thunder: The Rise of the Cursed Extra Chapter 5: Was It You?

Charles stood by the fountain, but the sound of hurried footsteps and murmuring voices snapped him out of his thoughts.

He turned his head and saw a group of people approaching the courtyard. They were clan mbers—so in gray tunics like the guy from the dining hall, others with blue trim like Lira and Kain's.

Their faces showed curiosity as they took in the scene: puddles of water, the unconscious guys, and him—soaked, with a bruise starting to bloom on his forehead.

"What happened here?" a woman at the back whispered, covering her mouth. "Those are Toren Vask's sons. Who'd dare...?"

"Did soone help Rian?" muttered a man. "No way he pulled this off alone."

Charles frowned, feeling their stares digging into him.

Before he could say anything, a burly man pushed through the crowd. He wore a gray tunic with a leather belt, his short, graying hair catching the light.

His eyes narrowed at the guys on the ground, then locked onto Charles.

"Rian Cole," he said, his deep voice cutting through the air like a hamr. "What the hell happened here?"

Charles took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.

"They picked a fight with ," he replied, pointing at the knocked-out pair. "I defended myself. That's it."

The man let out a dry, barking laugh, like he'd just heard the dumbest joke ever.

"You? Defended yourself?"

He crossed his arms, looking Charles up and down with contempt.

"Cut the crap, Rian. You've got no powers. No way you took down Toren Vask's sons. Tell who helped you, and make it quick before I get sick of your lies."

The crowd murmured in agreent.

"Yeah, why's he lying?" soone in the group piped up.

"He can't control water to do sothing like that."

Charles clenched his fists, frustration bubbling in his chest.

He didn't get why they were so dead-set on him not doing it solo. But then, a fuzzy mory flickered through his mind.

Rian, in this sa courtyard, getting beaten by those two while others walked by, ignoring him.

'Why're they so worked up now?' Charles thought, puzzled.

Weren't fights normal in this clan?

Or was it because he'd actually won this ti?

Before he could sort it out, a familiar figure stepped out from the crowd.

Lira Cole, his half-sister, erged from the dining hall with a scowl, clearly drawn by the commotion.

People parted as she approached, so dipping their heads in respect.

She was Kraus Cole's daughter, leader of the Storm Clan, and her presence shifted the vibe instantly.

"What's going on here?" Lira asked, her voice sharp as she scanned the scene.

Her blue eyes flicked from the unconscious guys to the gray-haired man, then settled on Charles.

The gray-haired man stepped forward, jabbing a finger at Charles.

"This idiot claims he took down Toren Vask's sons all by himself," he said, his tone dripping with disbelief. "Won't say who helped him, though it's obvious he couldn't have done it alone. Those two had a fight tomorrow—look at them now."

Lira raised an eyebrow and turned to Charles.

"You," she said, her voice cold as ice. "Drop the nonsense and tell who's responsible for this. Now."

Charles sighed, fed up with the accusations.

"It was ," he said, eting her gaze head-on. "I did it. No one helped."

Lira blinked, caught off guard for a split second, but then her eyes narrowed. She stepped closer, crowding his space.

"What'd you say?" she asked, her tone low and dangerous. "Say it again."

Was she itching for a fight?

"It was ," Charles repeated, holding her stare.

He wasn't backing down—not after what he'd pulled off. Sure, his body ached and the wet tunic made him shiver, but he felt like he could finally give her a run for her money.

Lira studied him from head to toe, like she was trying to figure out if he was lying or just nuts.

'This bastard's acting different... it's not just his tone or his stance—did he really beat those guys solo?' Lira thought.

The crowd went quiet, waiting for her move.

Finally, she let out a short, dry laugh.

"How interesting," she said, crossing her arms. "If that's true, you're gonna have to prove it."

Prove it?

Even though Charles had tapped into that power, his hands felt numb right now.

"I'm reporting this to the leader. Since you left those two like that, you're their replacent in tomorrow's fight. Get ready."

'Oh, they're giving ti to recover—nice break,' Charles thought, letting out a relieved breath.

In adventure gas, you usually got a rest zone after a boss fight, so this eased his nerves a bit.

The crowd split fast to let Lira through, so whispering among themselves as she vanished down the hallway.

"Rian's fighting?" a man said, incredulous.

"He's toast for sure..." a girl chid in, snickering.

The gray-haired man shot Charles a mocking look before walking off, and bit by bit, the others scattered too.