OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 269: A Seed...

Chapter 269: A Seed...

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***

Elijah stepped forward through the darkness, his mind still processing what happened.

While he still felt confused, he figured everything out quite quickly.

This very thing he forced himself to believe, based on a few inconsistencies, was true.

They were drugged.

The test was nothing but a simulation in virtual reality.

It was done that way so that the students would assume everything to be real and try their hardest to survive.

It worked if their previous actions were any indication.

Relief flooded through him as he finally relaxed his mind.

And now, to further understand what happened...

He moved.

It was the only thing he could do.

Some of the students next to him did the same.

Others had conjured small fires to see.

But in the next moment, all that was unnecessary. Flash!

Bright lights appeared from unknown sources above.

Those lights revealed a vast space before them.

At once, a rush of awe reached all their hearts.

This place was beautiful.

One that they weren't used to.

Soon, most realized where they were as the Rite was common knowledge among students due to its importance and beauty.

They were on the ground floor of the Tower, and above them was the second.

A wide-open space, a blend of the two floors crafted into one expansive area.

The space in between gleamed, reflecting the lights and making the entire room feel bright.

Towering podiums caught Elijah's attention next.

They stood like sentinels, rising high with a metallic sheen.

Their surfaces hummed softly with faint luminescence as if infused with Aether.

On each platform were patterns of swirling lines intertwined with pulsating lights resembling

runes.

Perched atop these elevated structures were the professors.

Their presence commanded attention, respect, and fear, which quietened the students.

Each one of them was clad in attire that differed from the others, yet still maintained an air of

reverence.

Their focused gaze surveyed the room with a quiet intensity, causing further pressure to descend on the students.

Those Celestials up there were the ones who held their key to entry.

Without their collective approval...

They couldn't dream of attending the academy.

But the most important of the lot was the principal.

At the heart of Rite stood the grand podium.

A masterpiece of design that seemed to bridge the realms of science and Aether.

Its surface was adorned with shifting holographic displays, projected images of softly glowing symbols that encircled the podium.

At the forefront of that display stood the principal.

Amon.

His image was projected to all.

An embodiment of authority.

'Huh...'

Young.

That's how Elijah could best describe his looks.

Like a soft teenager with curly black hair and gentle black eyes.

Not the old man he expected.

But it was his true appearance.

One showed only to the true students of the academy.

'Damn...'

Elijah couldn't help but admire the principal's poised demeanor.

'Will I be that strong one day?'

A question that many other students probably had as well.

"Welcome to the Rite, my dear students..."

Amon's voice suddenly rang out, reaching everyone's ears as if he were talking right next to

them.

"This place shall be your final interview before being accepted into the academy."

It was friendly yet authoritative.

"Now line up based on the number you received."

'Hm?'

Nothing showed up before Elijah's irises.

'What number?'

Did he not pass?

'No... I'm just missing something.'

He scratched his neck while looking around.

None of the students had stepped forward yet.

'Wait...'

Elijah held himself back from face-palming.

He finally noticed that they had bracelets on their wrists.

The little Reaper then raised his hand and checked its tiny display.

[01]

He was the first.

'I see...'

His thoughts organized themselves in moments.

Everything fell into place.

Emir's words had a purpose, after all.

After nodding, he began to approach the principal's podium in a respectful manner.

The students behind him gasped and murmured, but he didn't give them face.

And after a tap, he could hear them no longer.

"I greet the Principal and Professors."

Elijah bowed slightly and brought his right arm above his second heart.

"You may stand, child."

He heeded Amon's words, and his eyes rose to meet his.

"Now... who would like to ask him a question?"

Amon asked while looking around the podiums.

""

It took a moment, but someone finally replied.

And it was a heavy voice that Elijah was familiar with.

"Principal, may I?"

'Emir!'

An excited Elijah smiled brightly as he looked at the dark podium beside the principal with

anticipation.

"No."

But the duo were shut down.

"Sir Emir, you're his family member."

"Correct."

"So you don't need me to explain why this isn't possible, right?"

"Right."

"Great, now, any others?"

"Take me!"

Another gruff voice resounded, and this time it was from the podiums behind Elijah.

"...Sir Ragnar... No."

"Same reason, Principal?"

"Yes."

***

Tsk!

'These fuckers, man.'

Emir kept clicking his tongue in disdain while his eyes remained stuck on his fellow SS

teachers.

Those two had the other professors in their grip.

They didn't allow anyone to ask questions to the Elite.

Only the 'privileged' could do so.

So they took their time, watching to see if anyone would go against their rule.

The two brothers did.

Everyone else remained quiet.

And now, with that confirmed, Emir watched as one of the two spoke up:

"Shall I?"

Amon nodded.

"You shall, Judal."

"Thank you, Principal."

Elijah's face was crestfallen, yet he still showed the respect Judal so desperately sought.

"Professor Judal, I await your question."

The man sneered, but no one noticed as he was shrouded in darkness like the rest of the

professors.

"Usually we would ask questions to take a look through your minds..."

Judal's voice was slightly withered, a reflection of his age.

"But what you did today was unprecedented, to say the least."

Elijah held his head low, offering no reaction.

'Good.'

Emir smiled at that sight, snickering at the subtle disrespect his little brother showed.

It didn't matter to him whether it was intentional or not.

He simply enjoyed it.

"I asked you a question, Student Elijah."

The Reaper nodded.

"My apologies, I didn't know-"

"Then answer now that you DO know."

"Yes... So I've theorized that 'death' wasn't real, as no souls were present from the other

students that I presumed to be 'dead.""

"So is that how you concluded that it was virtual?"

"Correct, Professor Judal."

"And then?"

"Well, I came to the 'natural' conclusion that killing or at least trying to kill the mammoths

would result in the test's completion."

"I see..."

With that, their short talk was over, and Judal stepped further back into the darkness.

A signal to the end of his questions.

Amon's hologram nodded, and the runes around him brightened.

"You've passed... You may leave." Elijah smiled.

"Understood, Principal Amon."

Tap!

The isolation barrier separating Elijah and the rest of the students opened to welcome the

queue and allow Elijah's exit.

He passed by Sofia, as she was the next one to step up.

Another tap resounded as the barrier closed.

Sofia approached the main podium and did the same salute as the one who came before her.

"I greet the Principal and Professors."

Her soft but cold voice resounded.

And Amon welcomed it.

"You may stand, child."

After the pleasantries were over, Emir stepped up and requested to participate once again.

"May I, Principal?"

While he knew that his attempt would be rejected last time, he still went for it so that it

wouldn't appear that he aimed for Sofia from the start.

"You may, Sir Emir."

The prince nodded, his eyes glancing at Judal's and Judas's podiums before landing on Sofia.

"Nice to meet you, little Sofia."

She quickly turned in his direction and bowed once more.

"And it is to meet you, Sir."

'She knows me.' Emir realized that immediately.

It appeared that she was waiting for him.

'Those bastards must've given their kids all the info about me...'

"As you know, I'm your professor, so expect to see me more often if you pass today."

'They'll all pass though.'

His musings were true, as this Rite was nothing but a front.

The fact that Amon showed his true face only confirmed it.

Sure, they used this place to separate the wheat from the chaff, but that was about it.

"Yes, Professor Emir."

'So she's not going to deny it...'

'Smart.'

Emir's opinion of Sofia continued to rise.

While he already learned about her through the novel.

It still didn't allow him to truly determine her potential.

But now he was sure that it was a good one.

"Alright... so here comes my question."

"Let's say that a war broke out, two armies, all were Celestials. One side had 7777 soldiers, the

other had 10,000 soldiers..."

"So, which side do you think had won?"

Sofia didn't take too long to answer.

"The first side."

Only nodding briefly to acknowledge the question.

'Hm...'

Emir wasn't surprised.

He knew her to be smart, so this question wasn't for determining that.

"Why?"

The cold child took a second to articulate her words...

Then she answered with a smile:

"7777..."

'That's rare.'

"A group that knows its force down to its last soldier won't lose to a simple army of 10,000."

Yes, it was obvious that the child was smart-a borderline genius.

"Correct... and as my student, you should never forget."

So he wanted to use this opportunity to sprout a seed in her.

"Sometimes knowledge is mightier than power." One that would grow and grow till it formed something extreme.

"This knowledge could range from specializations to scientific advancements, and never

forget that your opponent might have the same means..."

His words paused for a bit, only to take on a slightly sinister, even poisonous tone.

"Maybe even higher, planning out their attack using underhanded means while knowing all

about you."

All of what he said eluded to said cautiousness.

A trait that she would desperately need in the near future, especially as a Ranger.

"So never underestimate your opponent, even if they seem weak... for it might be an act that

spells your doom."

It might even determine her life and death since this world never followed the 'novel' to the

letter.

Sofia nodded.

"Thank you for the lesson, Professor Emir."

But had she caught onto that or not?

Well, Emir wasn't able to know...

Not yet.

A Major Disaster would have to arrive.

Only then would he know if his seed had sprouted.

Until then, he'd watch over it, as watering it once was enough.