An Extra’s POV

[Moments Later]

'It's a relief I undid the [Replication] when I did.' Rey thought as he looked at Alicia's sleeping face.

After crying her eyes out, she had fallen asleep in Rey's arms.

He already knew she was very exhausted, so none of it came as a surprise to her. The only awkward thing was that he still had his arms wrapped around her.

"Huu…" Rey couldn't help but wonder what his Replica would have done in such an emotionally charged moment.

'I don't even want to think about it.'

In all honesty, he had been very lucky with the way the events had turned out.

'If I had been a bit off, things would have ended up being a little messed up. Maybe even more than that…' He sighed.

The plan from the start was pretty simple.

Rey fed the Boss Monster, as well as the Mobs, on the 98th Floor the Monster Cores that he found in the 99th Floor.

That made them evolve to another level entirely.

Afterwards, he left Ater in charge of overseeing their further evolution and ensuring that they would be viable for use in the fourth day of the Raid—when there would be no Ralyks to save the Otherworlders.

'It's really a shame that Monsters break down once they enter S-Tier. I guess they just don't have it in them to evolve any further.'

Rey wondered if the same applied to humans.

Someone like Lucielle, if she was forcibly thrust into the S-Tier… would she end up the same as the Boss Monster that Rey evolved?

'If that's the case, then I guess humans are doomed to be on this level.'

Rey still wasn't sure if that was strictly the case, but his experience with the Monster had shown him that it was a great possibility.

'Maybe if the Monster had more time to stabilize its evolution, it wouldn't have broken down like that. Its body would have acclimated to the change very slowly, and it would have been successful.'

Rey wanted immediate results when he embarked on that

I'll conduct another experiment some other time

to the 99th

now, though, there other things

can't tell Alicia that I'm

Ralyks, it would be a very difficult thing

had also told him on a few occasions—including not too long ago—about

struggled to catch up to others despite being

would she feel if I told her that was all a

revealed his true identity, it wouldn't be that of 'Rey' or

a

stunt, I don't know if I have it in me to tell her that the guy she looks up to so much intentionally put

had the Boss

was its directive. Besides, his Replica was also there to

very careful

mentally. Given Alicia's

her to see his actions in such a negative

end up hating me the same way she despises

to risk their perfect relationship

tell her

at her, he recognized his decision was more selfish than it was out of consideration for

He truly was scared

away from

the look on his face

what I'm about to do next, it's better this all

she was

as Ralyks is

from the shadows, meant to do whatever was

wasn't something he could

Alicia." Tears fell from his eyes as he twisted

secret stays with

********

tension filled the room as Rey returned