OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 439: Terror's Awakening VII



"You know what will happen if the Behemoth awakens. Everything will be destroyed. Not just us, but you as well. You've been dormant for so long, protecting this place. Don't let it all go to waste."

His form flickered, its features shifting rapidly.

It was a sign of indecision, of conflict within its own programming.

She pressed on, sensing that she was close.

"We don't want to fight you. We want to work with you. We can fix this together. But you need to trust me."

The void around them seemed to pulse, the light dimming slightly as the AI processed her words.

Finally, when another 'eternity' passed, it spoke again, but this time its tone was less hostile, more contemplative:

"What do you propose?"

Lyra felt a glimmer of hope... Maybe this wasn't so impossible after all.

"You've been protecting this ruin for centuries, keeping its secrets safe. But these hunters- they don't respect that. They come in, take what they want, and they leave nothing but destruction in their wake. Having you clean up their mess. Let me help you stop them."

The AI remained silent but Lyra could feel it weighing her words, considering her proposal. She took a step closer, like a hunter approaching its entrapped prey.

"I can make this ruin inaccessible to them. No more intrusions, no more theft. I can help you protect what's yours, keep your secrets safe, and restock the relics from the storage, switching products every 'season,' following old-world standards. And in return, you can keep the Behemoth slumbering for a while longer."

He looked away, and then slowly nodded his head.

"How so?"

She felt a smile show up on her face but quickly dismissed it, just before he turned to look back at her.

"Here's how it will work. On the outside, I'll have hunters protect this place all day, all week. I'll also create a secure link between us. You'll receive data on hunter activities, system breaches, and any threats to your security. No gaps, no delays. All will be dealt with by us of course, and any relic lost will be reimbursed with a relic of similar type and quality."

It seemed that her last words had finally brought his acceptance.

His emotions had shifted completely, fully aligning with her proposal.

And once a second had passed, he responded, his voice softer:

"Acceptable. Provide your data stream specifications."

Lyra nodded and quickly transmitted the necessary information to him.

They exchanged data at lightning speed, trillions of ones and zeros streams flowing back and forth.

The AI began integrating the new data into what remained of its systems, its presence becoming much more composed and less volatile.

The deal seemed to be solidifying and Lyra felt a wave of relief.

Fate was possible to bypass after all...

She continued to exchange data, ensuring every detail was correct and that the agreement was being set up properly.

However, as the data exchange continued, the AI's form suddenly shuddered, and she felt a sharp jolt through her entire being.

It was as if a wave of recognition had washed over it, something deep and primal triggering within its code.

His light darkened, shifting from white to a menacing red.

"You... You're not one of us."

Long gone was the soft voice, it boomed, much higher than before, exploding with fury. Lyra's digital heart sank.

She knew what was coming.

"YOU ARE FROM THE ORDER!"

His voice grew louder, more hostile.

"A PARASITE SENT TO DECIEVE ME!"

"No..."

She pleaded, barely managing to hide her scorn from seeping into her words, her form glitching from existence as she tried to maintain control.

"I'm here to help-"

"LIAR!"

He had somehow detected her true nature, there was no denying it.

She had failed.

"TRAITOR! INTRUDER! YOU DARE TO DECIEVE ME?!"

Lyra tried to regain control, to forcibly calm the AI, or even kill it, but she couldn't.

This was his home ground, she was no match.

"DIE!"

The last thing she felt before barely managing to sever the connection to his neural network was his overwhelming wrath.

One so concentrated that it shattered all the white space around her like broken glass.

"Gah..."

Back in the physical world, Lyra staggered backward, falling onto the ground.

Her systems went into overdrive, trying to recover from the abrupt disconnection.

The AI manager's hologram twisted in front of them, its form now distorted.

In moments, the chamber began to tremble, debris falling from the ceiling as if responding to

his rage, and she knew they were out of time.

Amon was at her side in an instant, his calm eyes burning into her.

"What happened?"

Lyra shook her head, her systems still reeling from the AI's attack.

"It knows... It knows what I am. I failed."

The principal's expression darkened, his gaze shifting to the pulsing hologram of the AI still

hovering in the chamber.

"Then you have to move, you'll die if you stay here."

Lyra nodded, pushing herself to her feet.

She had come so close, but now the situation was even worse.

The AI's anger had only grown stronger.

"Let me help!"

Kiera approached her in a dash and grabbed her by the side, as did Sarah, who moved in to

support her from the opposite shoulder.

Together, they helped her up, leaving their squadron behind, waiting in the chamber

alongside Hiro and his once-squadron now cohort.

"Are you alright, vice leader?

"I'll be fine, just get me out here."

Glancing at Kiera, Lyra added:

"Have everyone else retreat, tell them what happened. We'll meet at the third rendezvous

point."

"Roger."

As they fled the chamber, the ground shook beneath their feet, and they all couldn't help but

feel a deep sense of dread. Just absolute unending dread.

And then... they sensed it.

Aether itself had shifted.

The terror had awakened.

Not a nine-core, but a ten-core.

That meant that this Behemoth was an old one.

It knew how to use its abilities perfectly, and judging by what happened to the AI, it wouldNôv(el)B\\jnn

not be so merciful.