Shattered Innocence: Transmigrated Into a Novel as an Extra

Chapter 507 - 507: Cat catches up (4)

Lucavion leaned back in his chair, swirling the teacup in his hand as he took a slow sip. The room was quiet now, Anne having left after setting everything down, leaving only him and Vitaliara.

He let out a small chuckle, tilting his head slightly. "You didn't have to be so harsh on her like that, you know."

[Humph.] Vitaliara flicked her tail, not bothering to lift her head from his lap. [I am too noble to be touched by just anyone.]

Lucavion snorted. "Yeah, yeah. But you didn't have to glare daggers at her."

[Shut up. Don't tell me what to do.]

Lucavion's smirk grew. "So defensive."

Vitaliara merely turned her head away with a sharp flick of her tail.

"Alright, alright," Lucavion relented before grinning. "You peeping cat."

[I am not a peeping cat!] Vitaliara snapped immediately, her fur bristling as she finally lifted her head to glare at him.

Lucavion chuckled into his teacup. He had been waiting for that reaction.

Letting the moment settle, he set his cup down and shifted slightly. "Anyway, what did you even do after I was gone?"

Vitalaria blinked, her golden eyes narrowing slightly. [I looked for you, obviously.]

Lucavion tilted his head. "And?"

[And nothing! It was infuriating. I could sense nothing from you. It was like you had been erased.]

Lucavion nodded, taking another slow sip of his tea. "Indeed. I was in another dimension, after all."

Vitaliara flicked her tail, her golden eyes narrowing slightly. [Since I couldn't sense anything from you, I figured the best way to do something was to hang around that girl.]

Lucavion raised an eyebrow. "That girl?"

[The one you saved. The one you pushed out of the vortex.]

Lucavion exhaled lightly. "Elara."

[Humph.]

Vitaliara didn't confirm or deny it, merely flicking her tail again.

She continued, her voice steady but thoughtful. [I wandered around them for a little while. After you disappeared, she put in quite the effort.]

Lucavion remained silent, waiting.

[She joined the

Lucavion's smirk faded slightly, his fingers tapping against the armrest. "Alive?"

[Yes. The energy there was not just concentrated, it was thriving. Unlike anything I've sensed before. It wasn't like the forests or sacred groves—it felt ancient, yet pulsing with vitality. Almost as if…]

She hesitated.

Lucavion's eyes sharpened. "As if what?"

Vitaliara flicked her ears, her voice quieter now. [As if something was watching me.]

Silence hung between them for a moment.

Lucavion frowned slightly, processing that. He had encountered plenty of strange places before, but for Vitaliara—who thrived off life energy—to say that even she felt observed…

That wasn't normal.

"And you're sure it wasn't just an artifact or some kind of lingering aura?"

[No. This wasn't something left behind—this was present. I could feel it shifting, almost… reacting to me being there.]

Lucavion exhaled through his nose, fingers tapping rhythmically now. "And?"

[And…] Vitaliara hesitated, her tail curling slightly. [Something strange happened.]

Lucavion raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

[I suddenly felt some of that energy enter my body.]

Lucavion's fingers stopped tapping.

"You absorbed it?"

[No.] She shook her head, golden eyes flickering slightly. [That's the thing—I didn't initiate the absorption. It happened on its own.]

Lucavion frowned slightly, his thoughts turning. "That shouldn't be possible."

[Exactly. But it happened. And after that…] Vitaliara's voice grew quieter. [I felt my life energy increasing. My strength returned faster than it ever has before.]

Lucavion's smirk had completely faded now, his expression turning unreadable. "And… those red eyes?"

Vitalaira's ears twitched, and she exhaled. [That…] She hesitated again before continuing. [It feels like some kind of side effect.]

Lucavion narrowed his eyes slightly. "A side effect?"

[Yes. This energy inside me—it doesn't feel completely natural. And it's not exactly life energy.]

Lucavion leaned forward slightly, resting his chin against his knuckles. "Then what is it?"

Vitaliara went silent for a long moment before finally answering.

[I don't know.]

That was not something she admitted often.

Lucavion hummed, thinking. Something foreign had entered her. Something that acted like life energy but wasn't entirely the same. That was already alarming enough.

But something else was off.

"What happened to that energy-concentrated place?" he asked.

Vitaliara's golden eyes darkened slightly. [The moment the absorption initiated… the place disappeared.]

Lucavion stilled. "…Gone?"

[Completely.]