OLD-WORLD EXTRA-Chapter 427: First Major Disaster II

[Not yet... They're being cautious. No names, just vague references. But I can safely say that there's only one remaining. Every word relating to 'them' is singular in nature.]

The meeting continued with those disappointing words, and the tension in the air slowly grew.

Those of Templar were clearly on edge, glancing around as if expecting an ambush.

Perhaps they got nervous due to Joe, but that was unlikely, Ben could bet that they had just received less than ideal info from up top or maybe even picked up on the signal of their encrypted channel's communication.

Either way, they couldn't afford to engage here; their mission was to observe and report back. Any confrontation now could jeopardize the entire operation, so if this continued, they would have to pull back.

"Ben..."

Donovan's resounded next to him, a note of urgency in it.

"There's no doubt, they caught on to our channel's signal. I see them coordinating with other units across the slums. They're trying to figure out our location and attack us."

Ben's mind raced as he processed the news, and it didn't take him a second to decide what to do.

[We need to pull out.]

Standing up, he continued:

[We have what we need. It'll take a minute to decode where they'll place the Thumpers but we have time. Jax, get back to the rendezvous point. Donovan, Joe, start packing up.]

The squad moved quickly, dismantling their gear, cleaning up the place of any indication that they were ever there, and exfiltrating the area.

When they reached the rendezvous point, Jax reappeared beside them, his expression grim.

"They're on the move, they'll teleport to the students within the hour."

"Then we move faster."

Ben replied, already leading the way through the slums as they slipped back into the shadows, retreating as silently as they had come.

While doing so, his thoughts turned to Emir, the man their boss promised his life to.

'... Will he survive?'

Shaking his head, Ben focused on the present and reported, signaling the end of their reconnaissance:

[Mission complete. Get ready for the real fight... The boss will be on the move soon.]

***

"Good morning, students."

Emir's voice echoed through the Empty Marble, his figure suspended high above the crowd of first-year students.

They stood in rows a short distance away, their eyes trained on him.

His presence commanded their absolute attention, the air around him charged with Aether.

They had been briefed earlier about this surprise dive, but now, the true nature of their day was about to be revealed.

"As you've been informed, we'll be sending you to a ruin. This time, it won't be an outpost filled with seasoned hunters. No, this ruin is solely for your use, a place where you will truly be tested. I won't talk too much about it; your principal will tell you our plan for today." Gesturing to his right, Emir created an Aether Construct and Amon materialized atop it. Unlike usual, no smile adorned his face, only calm, suggesting the gravity of what was to

come.

"Today marks the beginning of your path as both hunters and specialists. The ruin you'll be entering is not just a training ground; it's a proving ground. It's a place where the weak are weeded out and the strong emerge, ready to face the real world. Inside, you'll encounter what's real. Nothing is particularly designed by us, just adjusted. Your task is simple: survive. You can either work together or face the consequences alone."

"We'll provide you with all the equipment you need, just put in the requests now, they'll be ready once you near the ruin."

Taking a quick glance at Emir, he continued:

"Have trust in your training, and more importantly, trust in each other. Others might not have the capacity for such things, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't."

With that snide comment at the end, Amon stepped back, his gaze sweeping over all seventy- seven faces below.

"Now, prepare yourselves. The portal will open shortly."

While his words hung in the air, a low hum began to resonate through the Empty Marble.

A portal that was at least four meters long, a few wide, materialized under them, swirling

with shades of deep blue and purple, its edges crackling with Aether.

Ragnar was there, as if he had suddenly appeared, stood next to the portal.

"Stay uniform!"

He reminded the students and they began to move, forming orderly lines as they approached.

Emir watched them closely, his eyes narrowing as they neared the portal.

The construct he stood dissipated and he slowly drifted down from his elevated position, landing gracefully at the edge of the crowd.

As the students filed past, he began to speak once more, his voice softer but no less intense:

"Before you enter, I want to remind you of a few facts."

They immediately stopped moving and turned to face him.

Amon, who stayed above, looked at him with a raised brow, inwardly wondering what the hell he would do now.

But, eventually deciding that he did not want to be involved, he disappeared.

"You've been taught by your other lecturers about the nature of the monsters, I'm sure. But I want to emphasize one point-only Tyrants leave their Aether cores intact after death. And unless things go wrong, all you'll meet down there are Fiends, so you can go as ham as you like. But that doesn't mean that you're safe from anomalies. Beware of the constructs. Where monsters of flesh very rarely undergo an anomaly, the four-cores down there have that as a biological quirk; it's what makes them so dangerous, even in death. Do not forget this. They might not be hostile against you, but it's better to be careful than sorry."

If one, like Amon and Ragnar, knew of what was going to happen, they could see the obvious warnings he was giving them.

But most of the students took his words at face value and nodded, only leaving the 'named' and a few others who knew of Emir's more paranoid personality to understand what he was

truly saying.

After that short pause to let his words sink in, he added:

"Most of them have been rendered non-lethal-or so you've been told. But the truth is, these constructs are still very much lethal, by new-world standards at least. Oldworldeners were a bit tough, you see... The lasers some of them wield, for instance, could cut through you like butter if you're not careful, but back then, they were used to disperse riots and the like, since the average Joe used to be filled to the grills with metal."

There was a low murmur among the students, a mixture of anxiety and excitement.

Even those who had realized that something was likely to go wrong couldn't help but feel the

hype.

Yet when they calmed down, questions began to form.

Then, one of the students, a young man near the front, raised his hand hesitantly.

"S-Sir, will you be with us during the dive?"

Emir turned his gaze on the student, his expression unreadable.

"No. I have something else to attend to. You'll be with the other professors, but make no mistake—I'll be watching. I'll know who falters and who rises to the challenge." frёeωebɳovel.com

The student nodded, swallowing nervously.

His professor's words carried a finality that left no room for doubt or hesitation, he could only

accept.

"Now... enter the portal and your lesson will begin. Prove that you belong here. Prove that

you're worthy of the hunter title."

'Prove that you're worthy of being alive.'

That last one he kept to himself, and with that, the students began to file through the portal,

one by one, their figures disappearing into the swirling vortex.

Emir watched them go before finally turning away, his thoughts already focused on the tasks

that lay ahead.

As he walked to the exit, he glanced back at Ragnar and their eyes met.

They smiled at each other.

Then, very slowly, Emir mouthed the words:

"The First Major Disaster has begun."