OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 367: Smell Of Death

Chapter 367: Smell Of Death



***

"Shit for brains."

That was the only way anyone would describe the current Arthur.

If it weren't obvious by how the AIs' acted, this hidden treasure they wanted him to unearth was nothing but a cover.

Their true purpose was to send him closer to danger, nearly kill him.

But why would they do that?

Weren't they supposed to protect Arthur?

Yes, yes they were.

However, that didn't mean they couldn't hurt him in the process of doing so.

Emir.

Their host's main enemy.

They needed to hurt him in any way they could.

Problem was, they couldn't hurt him physically or mentally, their host was too weak.

So they had to improvise, and their improvisation resulted in the plan they enacted today. Luring Arthur away from safety and using his status as a student in the Academy against Emir. After all, if he was severely hurt under Emir's supervision, his position as a professor would be under serious threat, or at least he'd be questioned.

Some might wonder why they didn't manipulate Arthur into staying and fighting the Cannonjaw Crocodile, but that would've been difficult, borderline idiotic.

There was a high chance that he would've run away with the rest, but if he was dumb enough to stay, he would have died.

No injury, just death.

A lose-lose situation.

This resulted in only one option remaining...

They had to lure him away.

Emir, not one to risk anything, understood that, so he had it covered and was fully prepared for a situation like that to happen.

He knew that the systems were suspicious of him, and as AIS, their first instinct would've been to get rid of him, deeming him too much of a threat.

So his being prepared was only natural.

It might've been safer if he trapped them in the Academy for the entire time he worked there, but he was not about to have Arthur's existence dictate his plans.

Anyhow, all of that was the main reason why he had Jake and Emma join Elijah's cohort.

They started working in Second Life for a few days, laying the groundwork in preparation for today.

And those two had already realized that shit had gone awry. Noticing that Arthur was disconnected from his cohort's channel, as they had access to every student's status.

[How far from checkpoint three?]

Emma asked as she shot another ice bolt, killing two scorpions that sprang out from the left. [Not far, we're twenty seconds away!]

Jake answered as he glanced at the timer in his HUD while simultaneously updating their minimap, showing them a new path to their destination.

They had to get through the third drop-off point to get to Arthur, which meant that they had to kill the construct.

They were far too clear to be eyes belonging to someone malicious.

And she was correct, as Emma stepped closer to them and spoke, her voice completely

different than before:

"We're Emir's people. Elijah can vouch for that."

Elijah nodded at his classmates' questioning stares, and she continued:

"Emir assigned us to watch over you kiddos. And if things go wrong like they usually do, we

are to interfere."

Jake highlighted an area in their minimaps, causing it to blink red.

"Arthur's throwing his life away somewhere around there; we need to catch up before

something irreversible happens to him."

It took them a moment, and the three eventually nodded their heads, glancing at each other

to see if they all realized the absurdity of what they were about to do.

They were students, barely Celestials, stuffed with skills but not experience.

Elijah's recent diving streak wouldn't change that; his life before then was like the rest: easy.

Their 'protectors' weren't much better, a ninth-class Spell Weaver and an eleventh-class

Arcanist.

While they had the experience, they were of the same rank as those they had to protect.

Right, all of them were Ascendant Knights...

Certainly not the strongest group.

And they had to kill a construct one major-rank and one sub-rank above their strongest

hunter.

Indeed, that was tough to imagine, but it was something they had to do nonetheless.

There was no room for hesitation.

"Let's go!" Elijah brought his clutched fist to his second heart and hit his chest twice.

"You guys are weak, but you'll manage if I'm with you."

Aria flipped her hair, adding:

"Not that I care or anything."

"....."

Sofia remained silent like usual, but her face spoke instead.

'He'll see what I'm made of...'

Emma and Jake shared a chuckle and turned around, beginning their short march to a large

platform that reeked with the smell of death.