The Extra's Rise

Chapter 287  Phase 1 (1)

"Hmm, it seems your thinking is shallow," I said, watching Rose squirm in my lap. Her weight was pleasant against me, a warmth I'd grown increasingly fond of.

"Shallow?" she repeated, tilting her head slightly. A strand of auburn hair fell across her cheek as she frowned. "Arthur, I don't—"

I flicked her forehead, making her flinch. She scowled, rubbing the spot with delicate fingers.

"Am I stupid enough to do what you're thinking, Rose?"

"I hope not," she muttered, her brown eyes locking onto my own, searching for something—reassurance, perhaps, or the madness she clearly suspected lurked beneath my plans. "But then what do you mean by Zombie Princess?"

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. The material creaked slightly beneath our combined weight. "I suppose I should have phrased it better."

Leaning forward, I kissed her forehead before tapping a command into my desk. The holographic interface hummed beneath my fingertips, connecting instantly.

"Elias," I said smoothly, "ask Kali to come to my office."

I ended the call before he could respond, knowing he'd handle it with his usual efficiency. The man never wasted time on unnecessary confirmations.

Rose opened her mouth to protest again, but I simply pulled her closer, wrapping my arms around her in a way that left no room for argument. She huffed but didn't resist, though I could feel her trying very hard to act annoyed instead of flustered. Her heartbeat quickened against my chest, betraying her.

"This is completely inappropriate," she muttered, though she made no real attempt to escape. "I'm trying to have a serious conversation about your apparently insane plans, and you're just..."

"Just what?" I asked innocently, enjoying the way her cheeks colored.

"You know exactly what," she replied, attempting to sound stern and failing miserably.

A few minutes passed, filled with Rose's half-hearted attempts to maintain a professional demeanor while still sitting on my lap. I could practically hear the war between her dignity and her comfort playing out in her head.

Then the door slid open with a soft pneumatic hiss.

Kali strode in, hands stuffed into the pockets of her dark coat, already exuding the exasperation of someone who had seen too much nonsense in a single lifetime. Her silver hair caught the ambient light, contrasting sharply with the darkness of her attire.

She sighed, her eyes still closed as if she could block out whatever inevitable chaos awaited her. "What do you want, Arthur?"

Then, she opened her eyes—deep violet, a trademark of the Ashbluff bloodline.

She saw Rose.

She saw where Rose was.

Her lips curled into a knowing smirk as she leaned against the doorframe, one ankle crossed over the other in a casual pose that somehow still managed to exude aristocratic disdain. "Did you summon me just to show off your love-making skills?"

Rose instantly turned red, pushing at my chest with weak, ineffective resistance. "We weren't—I wasn't—"

"Of course not," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I have a task for you."

Kali's smirk didn't fade, but she folded her arms across her chest, her posture shifting from casual amusement to wary interest. "What kind of task?"

I grinned, enjoying the moment before I dropped my little bombshell.

"Become a Zombie Princess for me."

Kali blinked, the smirk sliding off her face like water off glass.

Then, she smiled.

A slow, deliberate smile that never quite reached her eyes. The kind of smile that had probably preceded violence in the Ashbluff household for generations.

Then, she opened her mouth.

"What the hell is this bastard saying now?"

'Damn,' I thought, 'weren't you supposed to be a noble lady?'

"Hey, hey! I know we signed an oath and everything, but that doesn't mean you get to kill me and turn me into some disgusting undead abomination!" Kali shouted, jabbing a finger at me as if she were trying to ward off an exorcism. Her voice rose in pitch, echoing slightly in the spacious office.

"I agree," Rose added, arms crossed, her brow furrowed into a perfect picture of disapproval. "Arthur, what the hell?"

"Excuse me?" Rose and Kali said at the same time, voices equally unimpressed. The stereo effect would have been amusing if I weren't so exasperated.

Right, of course they thought they knew what I was talking about. Rose's father ran Vakrt, Slatemark Empire's largest necromancer conglomerate, and Kali? Kali was the daughter of the one of the most powerful families of the Western Continent. If anyone should have known what a Zombie Princess was, it was them.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. Sometimes being surrounded by beautiful women wasn't worth the headache of dealing with their assumptions. "God, both of you are dumb."

Two sets of eyes blinked at me in perfect unison.

"Excuse me?" Rose and Kali said at the same time, voices equally unimpressed. The stereo effect would have been amusing if I weren't so exasperated.

Right, of course they thought they knew what I was talking about. Rose's father ran Vakrt, Slatemark Empire's largest necromancer conglomerate, and Kali? Kali was the daughter of the one of the most powerful families of the Western Continent. If anyone should have known what a Zombie Princess was, it was them.

And yet, they were both completely wrong.

"Listen," I said, exhaling slowly, trying to gather my patience. "Making Kali a Zombie Princess doesn't mean she has to die."

I paused, then smiled. "Why would I kill such a good too—cough cough—I mean, such a good person?"

Kali stared at me flatly, her violet eyes unblinking. "You were definitely about to say tool."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said, looking away, suddenly finding the corner of my office fascinating.

"What exactly do you mean by a Zombie Princess, then?" Rose asked, still looking wary, but I could see curiosity beginning to replace her initial alarm.

"I mean," I leaned back, propping my feet up on the desk, the picture of casual confidence, "Kali gets all the perks—enhanced regeneration, command over the undead, massively increased physical abilities—without the whole rotting flesh, corpse smell, 'oops-I-forgot-to-breathe' bit."

Both of them stared at me, dumbfounded. The silence stretched long enough that I could hear the faint hum of the building's environmental systems.

"How is that even possible?" Rose finally asked, voice laced with skepticism. As the daughter of a necromancy magnate, she knew enough to understand why my proposal should be impossible.

I grinned, wide and shameless. "Well," I said, stretching my arms behind my head, "I'm a genius."

They both sighed in perfect synchrony, the kind of exhausted sigh that people only make when they've completely given up on receiving a reasonable explanation.

"So if this is a future plan, why are you bringing it up now?" Rose asked, shifting slightly. She tried to move off my lap.

Tried.

I didn't let go.

She flushed deeper as she squirmed, pushing against my arm in a futile attempt to free herself. "Arthur, this is serious. Let me go."

Cute.

"Because I can do the first step now," I said casually, tightening my grip just a little to watch her reaction.

She froze, her cheeks burning a delicious shade of crimson.

Kali, meanwhile, was watching us with the unimpressed look of someone who had witnessed far too much nonsense in far too short a time. Her arms remained firmly crossed, one eyebrow raised. "And what exactly is the first step?"

"It won't do much yet," I admitted, finally releasing Rose, who immediately slid off my lap and onto her feet, smoothing her dress with affected dignity. "But it'll give you enhanced regeneration and the ability to summon zombies. So you'll get stronger—not by a huge margin, but enough to matter. And, before you ask, no, you won't die and yes, you'll still be human."

Kali's eyes narrowed, suspicion evident in the tightness of her jaw. "And you need us for this, why?"

"Because," I said, rising from my chair to pace slowly around my desk, "I need to stabilize the process. If I use your Gift, Rose's Gift, Reika's Gift, and mine together, I can balance everything out properly."

Rose pinched the bridge of her nose, a gesture she'd picked up from her father. "And what's stopping you from completely ruining Kali's body?"

"Me," I grinned, pointing a thumb at my chest.

Kali scowled, her lips drawing into a thin line. "That doesn't fill me with confidence."

I ignored her skepticism, knowing she'd agree eventually. Kali was many things—stubborn, violent, occasionally psychopathic—but stupid wasn't one of them. She knew power when she saw it, and this was an opportunity she wouldn't pass up.

Instead, I tapped my desk, calling Elias again. "Get Reika in here."

A few minutes later, the door slid open with a soft whoosh, and a familiar head of violet hair peeked through.

"You called for me?" Reika asked hesitantly, peering inside like she wasn't sure if she was interrupting something questionable. Her eyes—a remarkable shade of amber—scanned the room cautiously.

"Come in," I said, gesturing her forward.

She stepped inside, immediately spotting Kali and giving her a polite bow. "Vice Leader," she murmured respectfully. Then, her gaze flickered to me.

And then to Rose.

Her cheeks turned red instantly, a lovely complement to her violet hair.

I saw the exact moment she registered the position Rose was in—now standing beside my desk, trying to look composed despite her still-flushed face and slightly mussed hair.

She looked away quickly, avoiding my eyes like they were some kind of forbidden sight, her entire posture radiating flustered confusion.

Rose, of course, only got more embarrassed in response, clearing her throat and focusing intently on straightening an already-straight sleeve.

I smirked, enjoying their discomfort perhaps more than I should have.

"Alright, Reika," I said, stretching my arms behind my head. "Time to get to work."

Reika shifted nervously, still not quite meeting anyone's eyes. "What kind of work, exactly?"

"We're going to make Kali stronger," I said simply. "I need your Gift."

Understanding dawned on Reika's face, followed immediately by apprehension. "My Gift? You want me to transcribe a curse?"

"Not just any curse," I clarified. "A very specific sequence that I've developed. One that will lay the groundwork for Kali to eventually become a Zombie Princess."

Reika's eyes widened. "A Zombie—but that's—"

"Not what you think," I interrupted, holding up a hand. "We've already been through this with Rose and Kali. No death involved, no actual undeath. Just the benefits."