Transmigrating as an Extra, But the Heroine Has Regressed?!-Chapter 334: Level thirty: Awakening Dominion.

"...Focus," Kael said quietly. "Control the flow."

The beast girl—Yumi—sat cross-legged across from him, her hands pressed tightly against her chest. The demon essence she had consumed moments ago burned inside her like molten metal, spreading through her mana channels without mercy.

Her breathing was uneven at first.

The burning eased.

The chaotic surge of energy softened, becoming something she could grasp. Her tail, which had been stiff and trembling, loosened slightly.

The faint dark glow around her body stabilized.

Her shoulders dropped.

"...I’m okay," she said after a moment. "Your turn."

Kael didn’t hesitate.

He took the demon core into his mouth and crushed it between his teeth.

Pain exploded.

It wasn’t like heat.

It wasn’t like fire.

It was like swallowing something that did not belong inside a human body.

The demonic energy slammed into his mana circuits with brutal force, rushing through him violently, as if trying to tear him apart from the inside. His vision blurred instantly, the edges darkening as black vein-like patterns flickered across his sight.

"...The demon essence," he thought grimly.

His jaw clenched.

His muscles locked.

Kael forced his mana downward.

He compressed it.

Tightened it.

Wrapped it around the invading energy like iron chains.

The burning intensified.

His chest felt as if it would split open.

Then—

It settled.

The demonic essence stopped resisting.

It was absorbed.

Kael exhaled sharply, his breath coming out in a low, controlled sound.

"...I survived."

Yumi stared at him.

Her golden eyes widened.

"...You didn’t even scream."

Kael wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

"...Next time," he said dryly, "we chew slower."

Despite herself, Yumi let out a small laugh.

They ate two more demon cores each.

It wasn’t satisfying.

It didn’t fill their stomachs.

But it was enough.

Enough to keep their bodies moving.

They leaned against the cold stone wall afterward, sitting side by side in silence, listening to the dungeon breathe—low, deep vibrations echoing faintly through the stone like the heartbeat of a massive creature.

"...Kael," Yumi said quietly.

"Yes?"

"...Thank you for not leaving me behind."

Kael didn’t look at her.

"...This dungeon doesn’t allow that," he replied.

But through the contract—

Yumi felt something else.

Not an obligation.

Not a necessity.

Resolve.

They cleared level twenty-eight in less than an hour.

The demons there were numerous but disorganized, easily overwhelmed by Kael and Yumi’s synchronized movements.

Their bond allowed them to react faster than thought itself—Kael slashing where Yumi sensed danger, Yumi striking where Kael intended to move.

Level twenty-nine took longer.

The demons grew smarter.

More aggressive.

But after three hours of relentless combat—

The final demon fell.

Both of them were breathing hard.

Exhaustion pressed down heavily now.

They rested.

Three full hours.

Kael sat upright, sword resting across his lap, eyes closed but alert. Yumi lay curled near him, tail wrapped around her legs, ears twitching occasionally even in sleep.

Then—

Kael opened his eyes.

He reached out and nudged her shoulder lightly.

"Hey," he said quietly. "We’re moving to the next level. Wake up."

Yumi groaned softly.

"...Already?"

"Yes."

She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes.

"...I had a bad feeling," she muttered.

Kael stood.

So did she.

They stepped forward.

The dungeon trembled.

[Level Thirty: Mini Boss]

[Challengers: Kael Ashford and Yumi]

Kael frowned.

"...Mini boss?"

"What is this?" he muttered. "Are we heading to one of the generals of this dungeon?"

Yumi shook her head slowly.

"I don’t know about that..." she replied. "But this level feels different."

Kael glanced at her.

"...Your name is Yumi?"

She blinked.

"...You didn’t know?"

"No," he replied honestly.

"Yes," she said softly.

(what the hell... how am i supposed to know when you don’t tell) Kael thought.

The chamber ahead opened wide.

Massive and circular.

The floor was smooth black stone, carved with faint crimson lines. Above them, a high stone ceiling loomed, broken only by a single massive stone bar suspended far above the ground.

Kael took out his sword.

They waited.

One minute.

Two.

Nothing moved.

From the shadows ahead—

Two figures stood.

Armored with the Red in color.

Heavy plate armor etched with ancient patterns. Each held a long sword planted firmly into the ground.

They didn’t move.

They didn’t breathe.

"Is that a statue?" Kael asked quietly.

Yumi’s ears flattened instantly.

"No," she said sharply. "Do not touch... they are alive."

They stepped closer cautiously.

(Why are they not moving yet?) Kael thought.

He shifted his sword from his left hand to his right.

Yumi grabbed his sleeve lightly.

"...I am scared," she whispered.

Kael swallowed.

"Are they gonna fight along with us?" he questioned himself.

Then—

From above—

Something dropped.

A demon core.

It fell from the ceiling at high speed.

"Move out!" Yumi shouted.

Kael grabbed her wrist and pulled her back just as—

CRACK.

The core slammed into the head of the left armored soldier.

Nothing happened.

For a moment.

"What happened?" Kael asked instinctively.

Then—

Crack.

A sharp sound echoed through the chamber.

Both Kael and Yumi turned slowly.

The left armored soldier’s armor began to fracture.

Red light seeped through the cracks.

The head lifted.

Eyes—

Glowing crimson.

The armor split further.

Long black hair spilled out from beneath the helmet, flowing down freely.

"...Is it a female soldier?" Yumi whispered in shock.

The soldier bent her knees.

And vanished.

"Where is she—where?!" Yumi panicked.

Kael turned sharply—

"Behind—!"

BOOOM.

The armored soldier crashed down directly in front of them, her landing shattering the stone floor and sending shockwaves rippling outward.

Both Kael and Yumi were thrown backward but barely managed to stay on their feet.

The ground trembled violently.

The armored soldier straightened slowly.

She pulled her long sword from the ground.

Metal screamed.

She raised the blade— 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

And pointed it directly at Kael and Yumi.

She said nothing.

Her presence alone crushed the air.

Kael’s heart pounded.

(She’s fast.)

(Too fast.)

She lifted her sword high.

Mana surged violently.

"DOMINION CUT."

Her voice echoed like a judgment.

Light burst from her blade.

Blinding.

Overwhelming.

(She is a girl...) Kael thought.

(So is she a demon?)

She swung.

BOOOOOOM.

The world exploded.

The slash tore through the arena like a falling star.

Kael barely had time to grab Yumi—

Both of them were sent flying violently across the chamber, bodies crashing hard against the far wall.

Stone shattered.

Dust filled the air.

Kael coughed violently, blood spraying from his mouth as he slid down the cracked wall.

Yumi groaned beside him, barely conscious.

The armored soldier stood calmly in the center of the chamber, sword resting at her side, crimson eyes locked onto them.

The second armored soldier, Still hadn’t moved.

Kael’s vision swam as he forced himself upright.

The wall behind him was cracked from the impact, dust still falling in thin streams. His sword lay a few steps away, half-buried in rubble.

"Yumi..." he rasped.

Beside him, Yumi struggled to rise. Her hands trembled as she pushed against the stone, her breathing shallow and uneven.

When she lifted her head, her eyes were no longer the soft gold Kael recognized.

They were burning.

The armored soldier stood in the center of the arena, unmoving, her crimson gaze fixed on them.

Her presence alone pressed down like a mountain, crushing the air, suffocating thought.

Yumi clenched her fists.

"...I can’t," she whispered, voice shaking. "I can’t let her kill us."

Her tail lashed violently.

mana began to surge from her body, rippling outward like heat waves. The markings along her arms glowed faintly as her muscles tightened unnaturally.

Kael felt it instantly.

"Yumi—wait," he tried to say, forcing himself to stand.

Too late.

Yumi screamed.

Her body twisted violently as bones shifted and muscles expanded.

Her fingers lengthened, claws tearing through skin as black fur spread rapidly across her arms and legs.

Her ears sharpened, stretching upward, while her tail thickened and doubled in length, slamming against the ground with enough force to crack stone.

Her height increased.

Her posture lowered.

Her eyes flared crimson-gold, pupils narrowing like a predator’s.

In seconds—

The beast emerged.

Yumi stood on all fours now, towering, her form a fusion of woman and monster—powerful hind legs, massive claws, and a mane of dark fur framing her face.

Mana poured from her like a storm, filling the arena with raw, untamed pressure.

Kael stared in stunned silence.

"...So this is her true form," Kael said.

The armored soldier tilted her head slightly.

Yumi moved.

The ground shattered beneath her leap as she crossed the entire arena in an instant, her massive claw swinging toward the soldier with murderous force.

BOOM.

The armored soldier blocked with her sword.

The impact detonated like an explosion, sending shockwaves ripping through the chamber.

Stone tiles cracked and lifted, dust erupting in a blinding cloud.

The soldier slid backward several meters, boots carving deep trenches into the floor.

Yumi roared.

A deafening, beastly sound that shook the ceiling.

She lunged again, claws raining down in a relentless barrage—slashes, strikes, crushing blows—each powerful enough to tear through steel.

The soldier moved too fast.

She parried, dodged, twisted, her long sword flashing with crimson light as she deflected Yumi’s attacks with precision and calm.

Sparks flew every time the claw met the blade.

Clang.

Clang.

CLANG.

Yumi slammed her fist into the ground, ripping up a slab of stone and hurling it like a projectile.

The soldier sliced it cleanly in half mid-air.

She counterattacked.