How to Survive as a Trash Extra Villain Chapter 62 : Chapter 62

Chapter 62

I lost. Utterly.

…No, that wasn’t quite right. To be precise, it was more like a decision loss.

‘A decision loss. Yeah, that’s the term. I didn’t even use the Diamond Bullet. Didn’t use Flash either.’

I muttered excuses for my defeat to myself while reviewing my capabilities.

‘Diamond Bullet, Rosary of Grace, Hound Exosuit, Magic Bullets.’

Those were my special equipnt, so to speak. The bullets were always in the ammo pouch, the Rosary of Grace was tied to the Diamond Bullet for Stellar Force charging, and the Hound Exosuit remained as a bracelet.

‘I can use them anyti.’

The gear was top-notch. My firearms, gifts from the Princess and modified by Nerjin, had beco far smoother and more powerful.

‘The problem is skill.’

[Na: Martin von Targon Ulvhadin]

[Age: 17]

[Gender: Male]

[Personality: Inferiority Complex, Self-Doubt, Loneliness, Hypocrisy, Ambition]

[User Perception: Disgust, Self-Loathing, Guilt, Anger, Resentnt]

[Barista Lv 5]

[Cooking Lv 4]

[Writing Lv 3]

[Firearm Proficiency Lv 1]

[Know-It-All Lv 3]

[Wild Instinct Lv 3]

[Movent Lv 3]

[Riding Lv 1]

[Strength Lv 2]

[Endurance Lv 2]

[Stamina Lv 2]

[Agility Lv 2]

[Mana Lv 2]

[Stellar Force Lv 1]

Everything had been going well. But… I hit a wall. A chronic shortage of points had stalled my level progression.

I had accumulated a decent amount of points now.

Points: 9,761

The Imperium Dungeon Tournant, the Helaine Demon Summoning Incident, the Vistavern Terror Incident, and… the duel with Gilbert Offer Cosmos.

Major events had piled up, earning a substantial number of points.

I had considered burning through them during the fight with Gilbert, but I couldn’t. Against a guy swinging his sword at breakneck speed while chasing , I didn’t have the luxury of thinking.

‘And then there’s Stellar Force.’

The Flash magic used by the Holy Assassins, the Pope’s covert operatives of the Cosmos Church, was powered by the Stellar Force, the strength of the stars.

‘I can’t beat Gilbert with ordinary power.’

To have even a sliver of a chance, I needed to master both Mana and Stellar Force.

In my opinion, Firearm Proficiency, Wild Instinct, Know-It-All, and Movent weren’t lacking.

What I needed was raw stats.

Ability scores.

…The fight with Gilbert had made my limitations painfully clear.

Know-It-All’s sharp mind, Wild Instinct’s transcendent senses, Movent, Firearm Proficiency—it didn’t matter. My strength was lacking, my speed was insufficient, and everything ended in failure, failure, failure.

“Strength, Endurance, Stamina, Agility, and Mana to Level 7.”

6,250 points have been consud.

A euphoric rush filled as energy surged through my body.

Strength, Endurance, Stamina, Agility, and Mana had a cap at Level 10—the pinnacle of human training.

To go beyond required transcendent enlightennt or a stroke of fate.

“I’ll use the remaining points to raise Stellar Force’s level.”

Unlike other stats, Stellar Force was on another level.

While Mana Lv 1 cost 50 points, Stellar Force Lv 1 was 500 points.

To level up Stellar Force from Lv 1 to Lv 2, 1,000 points are required. To level up from Lv 2 to Lv 3, 1,500 points are required.

“…I’ll use them.”

Stellar Force rose from 1 to 3.

‘Phew.’

Thinking about it, I had only used Stellar Force for Flash so far, completely ignorant of its effects or how to wield it properly.

It might be the most powerful force I possessed.

Wasn’t the energy enveloping the Holy Diamond Bullet also Stellar Force?

But with the fall of the great empire, information about Stellar Force had been all but erased.

Even Gilbert, the Crown Prince, born in the Imperium Empire after the Cosmos Empire’s collapse, couldn’t wield Stellar Force. Perhaps it required a unique thod exclusive to the Cosmos Empire.

‘The only thing that could give Gilbert a real hit would be Stellar Force, a technique of the Cosmos Empire.’

Nerjin would likely know more about this.

***

“Stellar Force… you say?”

I asked Nerjin while he was roasting coffee beans. The fragrant aroma filled my senses and enveloped my body.

“I’m sorry to disappoint, but I don’t know much about Stellar Force either. Only that it’s the holy power of the Cosmos Church…”

“You were a section chief at the Cosmos Dinsion Research Institute, and you don’t know?”

Nerjin nodded deeply, as if to affirm his innocence.

“Yes. I’m an alchemist, after all. I was… sowhat at odds with divine providence. That was likely a significant reason my master was purged.”

“Hm, I see.”

Beside him, Savo was staring intently at the coffee beans Nerjin was roasting. Without thinking, I reached out and patted Savo’s head. Nerjin asked,

“Boss Martin, why the sudden interest in Stellar Force? You previously instructed to prioritize translating other materials over the martial arts manual of the Naless Revolutionary from Petrak Ecological Park, so it’ll take so ti.”

“Well, about that.”

I pulled out a prepared excuse. I wasn’t sure of the details, but since the Helaine incident, the Rosary had absorbed so Stellar Force.

“But I have no idea how to use it.”

Nerjin, startled, paused his coffee roasting.

“That’s fascinating. I’ve never heard of such a case, but holy relics often have hidden functions. The Rosary has the property of endlessly generating and emitting Cosmos' Stellar Force. You’ve likely been influenced by that.”

Indeed, I had fully utilized that property with the Finest Holy Diamond Bullet, recharging Stellar Force after use.

But was that really all the Rosary could do?

Recalling the sli dungeon in the underground waterway, the Rosary had protected an Imperial knight from a swarm of slis for who knows how long.

“Does the Rosary have sothing like a protective barrier?”

“Not that I know of. Perhaps you could create a barrier with Stellar Force. Since it endlessly emits Cosmos' Stellar Force, with the right formula, you could sustain it indefinitely.”

It made sense, but it was disappointing. Nerjin didn’t seem much different from in this regard.

“Perhaps you should try praying?”

“Praying? From an alchemist like you?”

“I can’t help it. Stellar Force is a power bestowed by the great providence of Cosmos, the universe’s deity. Its origin is religious, isn’t it?”

“….”

What nonsense.

…Or so I thought, but I gave it a try, just in case. I’d never done it before, but I knelt reverently in my room and prayed…

‘No way it’d work.’

A twisted person like , praying?

Wild Instinct (Lv 3) says this doesn’t feel right. It intuitively senses the approach is wrong.

Know-It-All (Lv 3) suggests that since you gained Stellar Force through the system, its usage might also be found within the system.

The almighty system. I knew it could do anything if I poured enough points into it. But Stellar Force-related skills demanded exorbitant points, so I couldn’t afford to splurge.

As I pondered alone, soone erged from the darkness of the room.

Only one person could bypass my Wild Instinct and infiltrate like this: the Golden Princess, who held the Emperor’s sword and the Shadow Knights in her grasp.

“…I didn’t know you were religious.”

“Princess Adela.”

Black knights stood at her sides. The infamous Shadow Knights. Even staring directly at them felt like gazing into a black mist, impossible to perceive clearly.

I tried not to panic, but I couldn’t help frowning. Princess Adela smirked.

“Frowning at a guest? You’re a failure as a knight.”

“Then can I not be a knight?”

She turned serious.

“No. As long as the Hound Exosuit is on your wrist, you can never escape . Don’t get cocky.”

This was the first ti Princess Adela had approached since the Dungeon Tournant. I had hoped this day wouldn’t co, but I was aware it was inevitable if it did.

“So, what’s the matter today?”

She looked down at arrogantly. For so reason, she seed in an even worse mood today.

She wasn’t taking out her frustrations on after getting slapped sowhere, was she?

“You’re coming with today. It’s a mission as the Black Knight.”

“Can I refuse…”

“No refusing.”

“Understood.”

Adela, having unilaterally declared her decision, vanished into the darkness. My opinion hadn’t been considered at all, and today’s schedule was set.

‘Since I can’t do business with the scars on my face anyway.’

I went downstairs and told the freeloaders I’d be back late due to so business. With Nerjin around, I was less worried about Lilac.

Back in my room, I grabbed the black shotgun used by the Princess' Black Knight from the two shotguns hanging on the wall. I strapped the fully loaded ammo pouch to my waist and donned a dark green robe, pulling the hood low. Preparations were complete.

‘Flash.’

A flash of light, and I teleported to a dark, damp underground waterway. I walked, maintaining the shotgun.

Heading slowly toward the Imperial Palace, I soon spotted a golden carriage that seed out of place in the setting.

‘Ti for the Black Knight, not Martin, to take the stage.’

It was infuriating, but this top-tier equipnt had a fatal flaw: the activation phrase.

“…Hound Mode.”

As I infused Mana, black smoke from the bracelet enveloped my body, and the Princess' Black Knight, the talk of the capital, reappeared after two months.

I boarded the carriage tactfully, where Princess Adela was waiting, legs crossed. Despite the unpleasant condition of being with her, the carriage’s ride was exceptionally smooth.

“Where are we going?”

“Anywhere. Black Knight, is there a place you’d like to see?”

“….”

I understood. This wasn’t a special mission. It was a show to prove the Princess' Black Knight was still active.

I hadn’t shown my face for two months since the Dungeon Tournant, so it made sense.

In that case, a place with information on the Cosmos Empire would be ideal.

“A library would be nice.”

“No. We’re going to a banquet hall.”

Then why ask…?

“What do I do there?”

“What else? Attend the banquet.”

I had no idea why she was acting like this today. Was sothing up? I couldn’t tell if she was in a good or bad mood.

Soon, as the golden carriage erged from the underground waterway and reached its destination, I understood why.

“Welco to His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday banquet!”

“This way, please!”

“Do you have your entry pass?”

All sorts of prominent figures were there. Influential families, tycoons, renowned knights, high-ranking nobles—everyone who was anyone in the Empire had gathered.

“Today is His Majesty’s birthday?”

“Yes. The Longevity Festival.”

From what I recalled, the Emperor’s health was deteriorating. Yet they were holding a celebratory banquet? Impressive, or perhaps absurd.

No, more importantly, couldn’t they have given a heads-up?

“You could’ve told .”

“Ignorance makes you a fool.”

She smirked mockingly. Damn it.

The golden carriage stopped, signaling our entry to the banquet hall. I heard voices outside: “It’s the Princess. The Princess is here.”

I looked at Princess Adela. She was staring back at .

“….”

“….”

“…What are you doing?”

“What do you an?”

“Black Knight, you’re supposed to escort .”

“….”

She looked at with disdain.

I sighed deeply, opened the door, and stepped out.

“Gasp! It’s the Black Knight!”

“The Princess' Black Knight!”

“He’s finally showing himself!”

I extended my hand inward, and a small, delicate, pale hand rested on my exosuit. Like white snow.

“Oh, she’s so beautiful.”

A young lady gasped.

The slender Princess Adela, stepping down from the golden carriage holding the Black Knight’s hand, was undeniably beautiful, even to .

She had donned a golden veil over her face at so point, looking like a golden spirit.

…If only her rotten personality could be toned down.

“Let’s go, my Black Knight.”

The expression she wore was one I’d never seen before. Through the veil, it looked like… anger? No, it seed pained.

“Yes.”

My modulated, low voice set the hearts of the young ladies ablaze. Holding the Princess' hand, I passed through the banquet hall’s main entrance.

“Her Highness Princess Adela enters!”