OLD-WORLD EXTRA-Chapter 186: Virearth

'Fire burns wood, but I ain't got that...'

'Rile up the monsters?'

'...Stupid.'

'Kill its mini versions then attack it from the outside?'

'No, not enough time; I'll be a skewered piece of meat by then.'

'Overwhelm its control over Aether?'

'Impossible.'

'...Get in and attack its cores directly?'

'Maybe.'

'The explosion might kill me though....'

It was extremely dangerous, but it was possible.

And that was all he could do.

None of his other plans came close.

As Emir knew two things.

Whatever was causing the Virearth to pause after each seemingly random attack was either related to its madness or its control over the monsters.

The other critical factor was that his only chance of killing this monster and potentially the ones after it was conserving his Aether reserves as much as possible.

So, he settled on pushing through its countless roots and attacking its Aether cores directly from the inside out.

Now, he only needed to wait for the best opportunity to present itself.

But while waiting, he didn't remain idle.

With a sword in each hand, he began tampering with his augmented suit, redirecting all the energy used by the force shield to his tensed legs.

After all, if he was hit by the roots, he wouldn't survive with or without this shield.

So he was better off focusing on ultimate speed instead.

And just as he was done with that, he crouched low and shifted his stance to that of a runner.

Emir then remained still, eyeing the Virearth like prey.

He watched as its massive roots sprang out, engulfing the battlefield in darkness for a moment.

They withered away a second later as their connection to the tree's Aether was severed. The sudden darkness created a brief, eerie atmosphere before the light returned, revealing the chaos that had ensued during those few seconds of obscurity.

There it was...

The moment arrived an opening, a lapse in the torrent of attacks.

And Emir seized it.

"Flash Step."

His form blurred, becoming a streak of motion that defied the eye.

He vanished from his original position and reappeared near the base of the massive virearth, right at the point where its colossal roots converged, forming a natural entrance into its depths.

Emir watched in the slowed time as the roots under the monster began spawning again. His window was rapidly closing, even at the speed he was going at-the speed past sound.... At least that was the case during the first millisecond where his feet touched the ground- with the rest of the journey relying solely on momentum.

'Just when I get stronger, the fuckers I go against get incomparably stronger too.'

'Even flash step will be needing an upgrade soon...'

Something that Emir was far from achieving.

Inwardly snickering, his eyes locked onto the base of the tree that towered over him.

It was a mix of stone and wood like the rest of its body.

His augmented suit hummed with energy, every muscle in his body tensed for the imminent clash.

His twin swords glinted in the dim light as he set his sights on his goal, the small passageways leading up the Virearth insides, using its size against it.

Just as Emir's foot reached the ground, he dashed forward once again, moving with such speed that he seemed a mere shadow.

He didn't allow himself to falter or second-guess as he ran through newly sprouted roots that blocked his way.

Jumping up, he ran along a single root that stood in his path, narrowly dodging multiple ones that pierced the air near him.

But just as they were about to catch up to him, he angled himself upward and roared:

"Flash Step!"

Crash!

His body drove through multiple roots, bouncing like a ball on each one that was in front of

him.

Then, with another resounding crash, he managed to reach its insides, rolling along the paths that allowed Aether to flow through the creature's body.

The monstrous roots behind him writhed, sensing his intrusion.

'Shit!'

But he immediately stood up and darted between them, evading their grasp with ease.

"Aetheric Blades."

With his chant echoing around him, Emir entered the twisted maze of stone flesh that comprised the Virearth's interior.

And his blades whirled as he severed anything and everything attacking him.

He cut down tendrils of wood and even stone walls that barred his path entirely.

The darkness within was oppressive, his surroundings a surreal blend of organic matter and

Aether.

The very essence of the Virearth seemed to resist his presence.

Tendrils continued to thrash around him, seeking to ensnare him, but his speed allowed him

to slice through them with ease.

The closer he got to the core, the more he was attacked.

But Emir was undeterred, his twin swords cutting everything down.

And finally, after a minute or so through the innards of the monster, he stood before a

massive Aether core.

It was joined by four others beside it.

'A five-core Tyrant....'

'Doable.'

The main one was a convergence of power, with swirling black and green Aether.

The force it emitted was suffocating as if the core itself sought to crush him with its might.

But Emir's gaze remained steady.

He raised his twin swords, the blades gleaming with a dark light.

"AETHERIC BLADES!"

With a fierce battle cry, he struck at the core, his blades cleaving into the pulsating mass.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through its bark, a howl of agony echoing within the

Virearth's depths.

Emir's arms trembled against the force, his entire being straining under the pressure.

But as he was about to attack again, the earth beneath him trembled and shook.

And before he could react, sharp wooden and stone projectiles surged forth, propelled by the Virearth's dying throes.

Emir's instincts kicked in, and he immediately activated his Temporal Perception ability,

eyeing the spike heading directly towards him.

Without pause, he twisted his torso to the side, narrowly evading a massive wooden spike

that shot past him.

He then pivoted on one foot, his body low to the ground, as a barrage of stone nails whizzed

over his head.

Then, as the attacks momentarily subsided, walls of wood and stone shot up from the ground,

attempting to trap him within their grasp.

Emir's eyes widened as he reacted in an instant.

With a powerful leap, he soared above the rising walls, his augmented suit enhancing his

jump to greater heights.

But the Virearth wasn't finished.

The ground beneath him stretched upward, attempting to engulf him in a suffocating

embrace.

'I can't keep wasting Aether here; I need to take it out in one shot!'

Using his Aerialis aspect, he channeled Aether through his legs and launched himself forward

with incredible speed.

His body twisted mid-air as he managed to fly over the grasping tendrils.

Emir hit the ground in a roll, his momentum carrying him away from the encroaching earth.

And then, seizing the moment, he continuously roared with his finger outstretched:

"AETHERIC SHIELD!"

"FORCE SHIELD MAX!"

"Aether Blast!"

The raw power of his Aether surged in a brilliant explosion, obliterating the remaining walls

and tendrils that had sought to ensnare him, heading directly towards the Virearth's core.

And just as the blast reached it, a cataclysmic reaction erupted.

BOOOOM!

The colossal monster convulsed, its massive form shuddering as cracks appeared across its

bark-like exterior.

And then with a final, ear-splitting roar, the Virearth combusted from the inside out, a

maelstrom of chaotic Aether erupting from its very core.

Emir was enveloped in the explosion's shockwave, his augmented suit's force shield and

Aetheric Shield struggling to protect him.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

The force was immense, threatening to tear his limbs apart, but he held on with every ounce

of his strength.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the explosion subsided.

The once-mighty Virearth was no more, reduced to a swirling vortex of dissipating Aether

and broken bark scattered around the battlefield.

Emir found himself hurtling through the chaos, his shielded form being pushed around by the

Aether's force.

"Fucking shit!"

He tumbled through the air, his mind racing as he fought to regain control.

"PLATE!"

With a final surge of effort, he twisted his body, using his Aether construct to angle himself

toward the now-open sky.

"FLASH STEP!"

And then he disappeared out of the vortex, materializing way above the air.

His augmented suit's force shield flickered as it absorbed the remaining energy from its pack.

While slowing down his descent, he landed on a nearby building, away from the destruction

below.

"Hoooooh...."

Emir had successfully emerged from the explosion, battered and bruised but alive.

Moving his hand behind him, he felt the touch of his unbreakable rucksack, his day-one

companion.

Emir let out a scoff.

'Seriously, what the hell is this made out of?'

He then grabbed a few pills and shoved them in his mouth.

After a moment, he took out a new energy pack, replacing his old one.

And now ready for what was coming next, he stepped forward, wanting to survey the

battlefield below.

But just before his feet reached the ledge, a voice echoed in his mind:

"Thank you..."

"Thank you for freeing me of this madness."