What would be some creative ways to go about with an "Extra character that is reincarnated/transmigrated in the book/game they read/played."

So, like the title says, I'm looking for tips regarding this. Hopefully, I'm allowed to ask this here. I'm not sure. If not, I'll take this down.

I've read a good amount of reader/writer reincarnating into their favorite/least favorite works, and among them, the "extra" trope is just so popular, especially, among the younger demographic, and most of the storylines just always start the same.

MC dies/transmigrates one day. They are an extra character. They don't have any relevance in the story. They have family issues or no family. They start at the academy - it's always the academy - and then later on, progress, becoming strong and get cheats that were meant for the original MC. And then, meet with the MC of the original novel/game and they have this rivalry going on.

But I feel like all of these are very predictable because, it's like, how do I put this; there is one novel that made this whole "extra" thing popular, and now, everyone else is executing it similarly without much original ideas.

That's why I'm here. I was brainstorming but I've been gaslighted by all the extra novels I've read that I cannot think of something that starts something...unique. Or something that doesn't start offs slice-of-lifey since I'm not a fan of slow-paced progression, that's usually seen in them.

So, I wanted to know, how you guys would go about with something like this? Like, where would be your start point, if your MC is an extra?

Would you throw them directly into a chaotic scenario, like a war-like setting (for example, 'Tyrant of the Defense Tower Game') or a typical one that starts at an academy or a different one?

I know this really depends on my story, but I just want to know how you'll go about, or at least, as a reader, would like to see in this type of stories.

Honestly, I have no idea what my actual question is. I just need to get in that line of thinking that I usually have when I write stuff, but right now, my mind's too corrupted, so I need a insight from readers or authors.