Extra's Death Evasion

What is an extra? An unknown character in a novel that has no mention or involvement in the plotline whatsoever. “A few thousand people died due to this horrible tragedy.” With these few lines of words, people or in actuality, extras simply die. There simply is no consequences to kill off some random person when they have nothing to do with the plot. This is the dilemma the author proposed to me. Should I just sit here and wait for my inevitable fate of dying? No. I can't sit here doing nothing to stop the avalanche that is to come. I need to change that unchangeable fate of mine and turn into something that can be changed. Change fate into destiny. The author said to me, “To prevent your death as an extra, you must first become something more than an extra like a side character or a main character and to achieve that, you must be relevant to the story at all costs.” [The setting of the novel is set in the 1910s with radio, blimps and everything. However, it's just related to the architecture and technologies. Not the way of thinking, common sense or everyday speech.] * * * Chapter release schedule: Inconsistent. Basically means I may release like seven chapters all at once and then never release a chapter for several decades. This novel is extremely inspired by a novel called: “The Demon Prince goes to the Academy”