OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 473 A Familiar Face

473 A Familiar Face

***

A Few Minutes Earlier

In another place not so far, Emir, dripping with blood of all colors, darted through the ruin, instinctively navigating the empty platforms and tunnels.

He didn't need to think about it—his mind had already mapped the fastest routes to the SOS signal.

A professor, no doubt trapped by a horde of constructs, was holed up somewhere with the last unaccounted-for student.

The situation was clear enough: if Emir didn't intervene in some way, it would be a notable loss for the Academy.

More importantly, it would be a personal loss, one that could result in penalties he had no intention of facing.

Four students had already fallen, but they had been the weakest of the class—expendable, irrelevant in the not-so-grand scheme of things.

Impure.

This one, however, was different.

They mattered.

More so did the professor.

Their deaths would be more than just a loss; it would sting the Academy, a waste of its investment and resources.

Worse still, it would spark outrage from the public, and perhaps even the Elite.

Both forces would converge, and the Academy, under fire from all sides, would have no choice but to find someone to blame.

Emir was a prime candidate. Or at least that would be the case if not for Amon's existence.

The principal had undoubtedly planned to step up and bear the burden of these losses.

It was highly unlikely he'd allow his "son" to take the heat.

Not only did he need him to stay in the Academy due to their deal, but he trusted him as well, no matter how unnatural it seemed from Emir's perspective.

Unfortunately, however, the professors under him weren't so agreeable.

They would be all too eager to let the blame shift Emir's way, citing his direct oversight of the class.

Again, he was the perfect candidate for a scapegoat—an 'unpure' man with no ties to the Elite.

To them, the Academy had made a costly mistake in hiring him.

But now, they believed they had an easy fix.

All they had to do was fire him, and everything would go back to normal.

Yet... they were gravely mistaken if they thought they could brush him aside so easily.

Emir knew the game better than anyone.

This wasn't just about saving students—it was about showing off his own value and worth.

If he put on the right display, even if the rescue failed by 'accident,' Amon could maneuver through the political aftermath more easily.

Almost instantly, they slipped into its gaping mouth, disappearing into the flames.

They had reached their mark.

A moment of stillness was the result.

Then—BOOM!

The fire exploded, the force of the blast shredding its now-rotting flesh from the inside out.

WWRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUURRRH!

It howled, a sound so loud it deafened the hostages, its grip on them loosening.

Seeing that, Emir smiled and flicked two fingers upwards.

His ability followed his command, and the monster further convulsed, the explosion rippling outward, sending chunks of molten flesh scattering across the area.

The monster was close to death; he could easily kill it now, but he did not stop there.

Emir wanted to see how long he could control the ability.

And, as it unfortunately turned out, it wasn't for long.

Once seven seconds passed, his control was gone.

This wasn't due to the fire extinguishing, as it was still inside the monster, wreaking havoc, nor was it because of the Aether Core interfering due to its close proximity, though it was a factor.

It was simply the maximum duration of the ability. At least the current maximum, one for a monster of this rank.

There was a high, almost certain chance, that it would last a few seconds more when used against lower-ranking monsters or Celestials.

The opposite was impossible, as higher-ranked beings were impossible to control, the most he could do was disrupt.

He could improve it the more he Pathed, so it wasn't too unfortunate. Either way, with his experiment done, he now had to deal with the monster.

It wasn't dead yet.

That wasn't the case for long, however.

Emir raised his right hand, pointing a single finger towards the ceiling.

"Fall."

In an instant, a massive spear of Aether appeared high above the struggling Metalzilla.

With a cold command already given, it plunged downward, piercing straight through its body, tearing a gaping hole from top to bottom.

The beast stiffened, its limbs locking in place, unable to even let out a final roar.

It staggered backward and collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash. Dead.

The male professor was finally free, but Emir didn't spare him a glance.

His eyes were locked elsewhere, drawn by something far more unsettling.

It was something that sent an unexpected chill down his spine.

A familiar face.