The Extra who regained his past life memories

After lunch, Amy and I spent the rest of the afternoon together.

Well...

Mostly playing games.

Although calling them "games" was sometimes questionable.

Because whenever Amy started losing, she somehow discovered a new "strategy."

And somehow...

That strategy always benefited her.

"That doesn’t count!"

I pointed at the board with an accusing expression.

"You moved twice!"

Amy crossed her arms proudly.

"Hmph."

"Only losers complain."

I stared at her.

"You literally changed the rules halfway through."

She smiled confidently.

"And I won."

"Therefore, the new rules are official."

"..."

I looked at her speechlessly.

What kind of logic was that?

Yet somehow...

Seeing her smug expression made me laugh instead of getting angry.

This was normal for us.

Small arguments.

Petty competitions.

Endless teasing.

But those moments were something I treasured.

Eventually, after suffering another completely unfair defeat, I gave up.

"I refuse to play against you anymore."

Amy smiled victoriously.

"Scared?"

"Absolutely not."

"Then why are you leaving?"

"Because I value my time."

She laughed.

"Excuses."

I ignored her and left the room.

There was still something I wanted to do.

Cooking practice.

When I arrived at the kitchen, the familiar warmth immediately welcomed me.

At this point, I could already prepare most ordinary dishes properly.

Thanks to Selena’s guidance and countless failures, I had improved greatly.

In the beginning, even simple meals were difficult.

I burned things.

Used the wrong amounts of ingredients.

Completely ruined dishes that should have been easy.

But after repeated practice...

I had finally reached the point where I could confidently cook.

Still...

Today, I wasn’t practicing ordinary food.

There was something special I wanted to make.

Mother’s birthday.

Unlike Amy and me, Mother rarely celebrated her birthday.

Most years, she treated it like any other day.

She would spend the day working.

Reviewing documents.

Handling family matters.

Never caring about herself.

That was why I had already decided.

This time...

I would make something for her.

A cake.

With my own hands.

Not because she asked.

Not because anyone expected it.

Simply because I wanted to.

I wanted to see Mother’s expression when she realized I had made something for her.

Just imagining her surprised smile made me smile unconsciously.

"Hopefully it turns out well."

I continued practicing until everything was finished.

After cleaning the kitchen and putting everything away, I returned to my room.

Tonight was important.

I needed to ask Mother for permission.

I wanted to enter a dungeon.

Of course...

If she refused, I wouldn’t complain.

Mother never rejected something without a reason.

If she said no...

It only meant I wasn’t ready yet.

And I would simply become stronger and ask again later.

Soon, evening arrived.

I headed toward the dining room.

As usual, Mother and Amy were already there.

Mother sat at the head of the table.

Amy sat opposite her.

And I took my usual seat beside Mother.

"Good evening, Mom."

"Good evening, Amy."

"Good evening, Gray."

The atmosphere was peaceful, like always.

We began eating.

After a few minutes, I prepared myself.

"Mom, I wanted to ask—"

But before I could finish...

Amy suddenly interrupted.

"Mom!"

Her eyes were shining with excitement.

"Gray created an amazing spell today!"

Mother blinked.

"Oh?"

Amy immediately became more energetic.

"It was incredible!"

"Even Astrid praised him!"

Mother smiled slightly.

"What kind of spell made you so excited?"

Amy didn’t even give me a chance to explain.

"It’s like a black vortex!"

"It swallowed my lightning attack completely!"

Mother’s expression changed slightly.

Not fear.

Not panic.

Interest.

"And?"

Amy leaned forward.

"Gray said it converts attacks into mana."

"It can even absorb things from enemies in the future!"

She looked at me.

"I’m honestly jealous."

"That ability is too unfair!"

I couldn’t help smiling proudly.

Mother looked toward me.

"Is that true, Gray?"

"And what elements are involved?"

I straightened my posture.

"It isn’t a single-element spell."

"It’s a combination of Darkness and Space."

Mother’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Not in suspicion.

In curiosity.

I continued.

"When I created my mana core, I noticed something."

"It naturally absorbs surrounding mana."

"So I wondered..."

"Could I recreate that same principle?"

I looked down at my hand.

"I thought about it for a long time."

"I tried different ideas."

"Ice didn’t fit the concept."

"But Darkness and Space..."

"They worked."

I smiled.

"Eventually, I succeeded."

"It isn’t very powerful yet."

"But I think it has a lot of potential."

I proudly raised my head.

"I really outdid myself this time, didn’t I?"

Mother couldn’t help smiling.

"My little genius certainly worked hard."

"The idea itself is impressive."

Hearing her praise made me happy.

But then...

For some reason...

A chill ran down my spine.

Mother was still smiling.

A gentle smile.

A warm smile.

Yet somehow...

I felt danger.

"However, Gray."

My smile froze.

"I told you not to use Space Affinity until you reached F-rank."

"..."

Cold sweat appeared on my forehead.

"A-Ah..."

"I..."

I immediately lowered my head.

"I’m sorry, Mom."

"I got impatient."

"I strengthened my body first and asked Astrid to supervise me."

"But I know I should have listened."

Mother looked at me silently.

After a moment...

She sighed.

"Hm."

"Just don’t do it again."

"I don’t want you hurting yourself."

Then her expression softened.

"But..."

"I will admit."

"Your progress is impressive."

"Most people spend their entire lives learning spells created by others."

"Very few people can create their own."

She gently smiled.

"So yes, Gray."

"You are talented."

I smiled.

But before I could celebrate—

Mother continued.

"However..."

"You are still not entering a dungeon."

My smile disappeared.

"Eh?!"