OLD-WORLD EXTRA-Chapter 236: Whispers Of Madness

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"Now then..."

Emir pushed open the door and entered the next section of the test. Said door was hidden at the end of the forest, behind a few trees. This place was mentioned in the 'novel' as a backstory to Morgiana.

The one 'character' that he 'stole' the professor's position from.

Although each candidate had a different layout to navigate, the exits were in similar locations.

After cutting the trees, he walked past, and now...

He was headed down a long set of stairs.

It was dark; if not for him being a Celestial, this place would've been his deathbed.

Step after step echoed until he reached the end of the staircase.

Click!

Emir opened the door before him, only to be welcomed by an enormous underground cave.

It appeared to span a kilometer from left to right.

Its height, however, wasn't as impressive, reaching a hundred or so meters.

The roof of this subterranean expanse was a textured masterpiece.

Bzzzzz.

It was a display of stalactites and strange formations.

Some of which were adorned with bioluminescent growths.

They cast a bright glow upon him and his surroundings...

Almost as if they were chandeliers of nature.

Bzzzzz.

On the left and right sides of this space, an assortment of smaller openings and cave systems dotted the rough-hewn walls.

Those were a result of the monsters that inhabited the place.

Emir enjoyed the scene for a moment and then looked to his right.

Bzzzzz.

Six doors were placed, each far from the other.

This was where all the candidates in his group would arrive after regaining their memories.

But he didn't care about that; his eyes looked at the ground near the doors.

They showed no footsteps before them.

'So I'm the first...'

That wasn't surprising...

Not one bit.

Bzzzzz.

In fact, he assumed that none of his group would even pass that phase.

What he had just gone through was a test like no other.

He couldn't prepare his mind for the 'loss' he would experience.

After all, experiencing something and 'reading' about it was a different beast altogether.

'Anyways... Let's see what we got here.'

Emir looked at his new ring, waiting for it to pulse.

And it did after a moment.

'Fly! Fly!'

'Ahahahahahaah!'

'This's so boring...'

'My stick makes me feel good.'

'KILL ME!'

The voices had returned.

And then many emotions began inviting themselves into his mind.

'Help!'

He felt boredom, curiosity, excitement, greed, happiness, arousal, longing, anger, fear, sadness, and finally...

An emotion of the void.

Bzzzzz.

These things he felt and heard weren't only from those of the living.

But those of the dead.

Those that failed.

'Hehehehehehe.'

The second phase, 'Whispers of Madness...'

Was true to its name.

'Rubrubrubrubrubrubrubrub.'

When a candidate's emotions ran high, the gem would emit a 'scent,' drawing monsters

toward them.

'My leg! MY FUCKING LEG!'

And not just that....

The more monsters one killed, the heavier they would feel.

Bzzzzz.

'Eat me! Eat me!'

The relic they wore was connected to their augmented suit, so it could control that as well.

'Who's that?'

"The Tyrant? It speaks?'

'STOP TALKING!'

'Please...'

These whispers would also intensify as a candidate got closer to the Tyrant, even hearing the

monster's projected thoughts.

Bzzzzz.

As it was involved in this 'evaluation' as well.

'I beg you.'

Captured and sent here to test those unknowingly willing to face its might. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Now, with all that in mind, Emir looked up at the drone hovering some distance away from

him.

'Rubbing it is not fun anymore...'

He flipped the bird.

Whoosh!

And threw a small rock he found on the ground at it, shutting it up for good.

'It's quiet... It's finally quiet.'

The drone's destroyed chunks fell to the ground.

Screech!

A few monsters scurried away from the rock formations near the crash site, jumping at the

noise the heap of scrap had made on impact.

"So it's still daytime."

Emir had done this not only to appease his frustration but to also make sure that his internal

watch was correct.

If it was night outside, then those monsters would be hiding in their caves, not frolicking

about in the open.

'Save me.'

A shift resounded somewhere behind him.

He looked up only to see another drone appear, exiting from a small hole in the wall.

Bzzzzz.

Tsk!

"Candidate, please abide by the rules."

The elderly man advised, his voice sounding unusually gruff through the drone's speakers.

'Our supervisor was so hot!'

Emir, who appeared confused, tilted his head.

"I am, though?"

'Sit on me!'

"Ahem Ahem! I'll deliver you a message from those annoying bastards."

'The Elite?'

"Oi, big man. Don't destroy these; they're expensive to make."

'Oh, Isidore.'

"Hm? What do you mean? That wasn't me."

'Choke me!'

"....."

Emir waited for the message to be relayed, and the reply came a moment later.

"Shut up and do as you're told. I want to watch."

'He's interested in me... Well, that's good.'

"Sure boss." Emir didn't show him respect, as they both didn't acknowledge Isidore's involvement.

The drone appeared to... nod?

Then it left and hovered a distance away.

'At least it's not as irritating now.'

"THIGHS REIGN SUPREME!' Emir, who was just beginning to move, had his steps falter.

'Wait.... BOOBS! I REMEMBER BOOBS, THEY'RE BETTER.'

He let out a long sigh, trying to calm himself as his twitching brows reflected his annoyance.

"Who the fuck is so horny?...Fucking hell."

Emir knew that whoever this person was wasn't one of those who died.

Since the voice was continuous, quite unlike the one-liners or so of the men dead in the past.

Their thoughts were stored in the database, and the relic randomly distributed them among

the ring wearers.

Emir grabbed his chin for a moment as a thought crossed his mind.

'Wait...'

'Is it Ragnar?'

'BOOBS ARE ABOVE THE SUPREME!"

'Ah, it is.'

"...Fuck."

Emir had just realized why Ragnar had never left this place alive.

It wasn't anything heroic or grand.

He didn't die fighting the Tyrant, nor did he go insane due to whispers and the phases.

Ragnar likely masturbated to death.

A fate worse than any other.

Emir couldn't help but laugh.

He laughed louder than any he had before.

He was truly, genuinely, and certainly enjoying himself.

Thud!

Emir hit the floor, struggling to hold himself from rolling around the rocky floor.

"Haaah....."

"Man, I really have to save him."

Yet, he couldn't do so now.

His emotions had triggered the relic.

A 'scent' had attracted monsters towards him.

He was surrounded.