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.'

when he embarked on that

experiment some other time to find

Cores belonging to the 99th Floor, so there were still

now, though, there other things occupied his

can't tell Alicia

it would be a very difficult thing to ask her

a few occasions—including not too long ago—about how she admired him for being

struggled to

told her that

so long that if he revealed his true identity, it wouldn't be that of 'Rey'

a stranger to everyone—Alicia

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

had the Boss Monster

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

been very

or death situation mentally. Given Alicia's trauma, that's a very scummy thing

her to see his actions in such a negative

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

need for him to risk their perfect

tell her anything

her, he recognized his decision was more selfish than it

He truly was scared

away from Alicia's bed, Rey's whisper silently

look on his face as he neared the

do next, it's better this all remains

that she

identity as Ralyks

path carved from the shadows, meant to do whatever

something he

fell from

secret stays with

********

as Rey