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.'

results when he embarked on that project, he

experiment some other time to

to the 99th

now, though, there other things

can't tell Alicia that I'm

Ralyks, it would be a very difficult thing to ask her

also told him on a few occasions—including not too long ago—about how she admired him for

he worked hard and struggled to catch up to

she feel if I told

deceived her and everyone else for so long that if he revealed his true identity, it wouldn't be that of 'Rey' or 'Ralyks'

be a stranger

to tell her that the guy she looks up to so much intentionally put her in immense

had the Boss Monster under his

wouldn't have killed any of them since that was its directive. Besides, his Replica was also

had been very careful with

them in a life or death situation mentally. Given Alicia's trauma, that's a very

want her to see his actions

end up hating me the same way she despises Billy. No…

was no need for him to risk their perfect relationship with such an

tell her anything

out of her embrace. Smiling gently at her, he recognized his decision was more selfish than it was out of

He truly was scared

from

was cold, just like the look on his

With what I'm about to do next,

told him that she was scared

as Ralyks is

shadows, meant to do whatever

wasn't something he could show

sorry, Alicia." Tears fell from his

stays

********

room as Rey returned