OLD-WORLD EXTRA-Chapter 375: The Sharpest Tool In The Shed

***

[Are you guys sure? Really, really sure? They looked too threatening.]

[Certain, boy. Those are just bigger-sized Berta Scorpions, evolved as you call them; nothing to worry about.]

[What he said. And you should stop worrying so much. There's a time to be cautious and a time to take action. This is the time to take action.]

Arthur stood still on a platform next to the train tracks.

He was at the fourth drop-off point, an empty place where all its hunters had run away, due to the Cannonjaw's arrival.

This point was deeper underground, so it had no straight exit to the outside world like the earlier three, which made it so that only the bravest of hunters would dive here.

Well... the bravest or the stupidest. Most times, both.

Arthur leaned more on the stupid side however, repeatedly falling for his AIs' words until he reached this 'point' of no return.

He surely was not the sharpest tool in the shed.

[Sure, sure, I'll do it! Fine! Stop with the lectures.]

Yagami floated away, juggling an apple between his hands, as he snidely commented:

[It ain't my fault you're a pussy.]

The old man let out a hearty laugh, joining his conniving friend.

[Oh, ain't that true!]

Clicking his tongue, Arthur ignored them and slowly dropped down to the train tracks.

His steps then echoed loudly in the quiet hall that he moved across.

Flickering lights showed him the way forward, and he moved with hesitant feet, afraid of any construct that might suddenly pop out.

The many shadows around him involuntarily attracted his eyes, and he felt them move every time he scanned them.

Slowly, he began to feel suffocated, his mind exhausted.

The paranoia was getting to him—

[Boo!]

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

His heart almost jumped out of his throat as he fell back, body momentarily frozen due to the

scare.

Never in his life did he expect Yagami to act this way, especially not when they were this deep in monster territory.

"You..."

Arthur glared at him with hatred, about to chew him out, but the old man's laughter interfered, stopping him from screaming out loud:

[Ahahahahaha! Relax boy, you've got that info-gathering device for a reason.]

Yagami nodded in agreement, pushing his glasses up his face.

[Exactly. The current you is too tense to use it properly. You have to calm down.]

""

As their host stayed quiet, the salesman continued his lecture:

[Look, unlike those naturals who just seem to know where every monster is without even thinking about it, deeming it as instinct while it's just them subconsciously using the device, you have to do it manually. Think of it like training wheels. Maybe one day you'll get to their level, but for now, let's focus on getting you to get comfortable with it.]

Arthur, who was already frustrated at how they were treating him, couldn't hold it in and lashed out, those words setting him ablaze:

[Do you think I don't know that?! I know I'm weak, untalented! That's why you're here!] Roughling his hair, he let out an exacerbated sigh.

[...Fucking-]

But as he was about to go off on them even more...

Ping!

His radar beeped.

He was interrupted once again.

But this time it wasn't some annoying lecture...

It was a matter of life and death.

Something was approaching from behind.

It was moving at a fast pace, way faster than any of the scorpions he fought.

Its steps didn't sound like them either; it almost sounded... human?

"Wait right there, you bastard!"

He was a human. A familiar one.

With another step forward, he revealed himself.

It was a student. An Elite student. One that Arthur knew very well.

"I caught you bitch!"

Max.

'What the fuck is he doing here?!'

Arthur stepped to the side as Max got close, punching the air where he just was, and tripping

on a rail.

His body fell face-first onto the metal, his forehead smashing against it.

Bang!

A crispy bullet-like sound resounded, and Arthur basked in that moment, enjoying seeing his bully in an embarrassing position.

"Ugh... Fuck!"

Max pushed himself up and turned to face him, his eyes as fiery as his dirty red hair.

"You-... I know you. That Arthur kid, right? The fuck are you doing here?!"

It seemed that the bully forgot about the time when he sent his goons after Arthur, and the blessed protagonist wasn't about to remind him of that.

"T-That's what I want to ask!"

Cracking his neck, he looked around while saying:

"I was chasing an impure bastard that dared talk shit! I swear I'll have him dead if it's the last

thing I'll do!"

"T-There's no one here but me..."

Max shrugged at Arthur's admittance, believing his words to be true, knowing that he

wouldn't lie for no reason.

"Useless weakling..."

"..."

Being called that for the umpteenth time today angered Arthur, but he held it in.

There was no denying; Max would fold him in half if they fought.

"Hah, what did I expect?"

Dismissively shrugging his shoulders, Max walked away, heading deeper down the train tracks.

His words were meant to get a rise out of Arthur, copying what Emir had done to him, but as the Blessed kept quiet, shuddering in boots, the only response he got was disappointment.

'This bastard... One day you'll lick my feet-...what?'

Arthur watched as his back got further and further away, but then his eyes picked up on

movement.

A small section of the wall next to Max had moved...

No, it wasn't the wall itself, but a creature hidden above, Camouflaged as if it were a part of

it.

Why was it here?

The Glaivemantis constructs were supposed to have been wiped out on the fourth point up.

But before he could think about that, his eyes widened as he watched the Glaivemantis descend from its hidden perch.

The creature moved with an eerie fluidity, its exoskeleton blending with the wall until the last

moment.

It was a predator perfected by nature, and now it was here, hunting.

The Glaivemantis' dark, iridescent gray carapace shimmered under the flickering lights,

giving it an almost ghostly appearance.

The creature had glaive-like forelimbs, each about four feet long and razor-sharp.

Hidden beneath its armored carapace were wings, which made a soft rustling sound as it

prepared to pounce.

Its multifaceted, glowing eyes locked onto Max, who still grumbled under his breath, completely unaware.

Arthur, his heart beating further out of his chest, knew he had to act fast.

The situation was dire; the death of a student would affect the entire class, and they might not

allow them on these 'field trips' anymore...

Maybe, just maybe, he could use his luck and turn this around.

But what could he do?

Shoot it? Were his inscriptions enough? Would the assault rifle itself even be strong enough to

handle his inscriptions going at max capacity? It was an AR-HA2 from Hyperion Arms, the

best he could buy, so it definitely should, right?

Frankly, he was scared out of his wits.

His radar only picked up a faint signal from Max, which meant there could be more monsters

lurking around that he wasn't aware of, waiting for him to get distracted.

If helping Max earned their attention, could he handle it?

[Boy, what are you waiting for?! Do something!]

The old man's voice cut through his paralysis-like state, urgent.

Arthur, spurred by his words, did, in fact, do 'something.'

He raised his gun and pointed it at the construct, his aim slightly off its weak point, but he

knew his luck would make the difference.

"BEHIND YOU!"

Whoosh!

As if on cue, the mantis attacked its prey, lunging forward onto Max.

Click.

The moment he pressed the trigger, Yagami's earlier words echoed in his mind:

'A time to be cautious and a time to take action.'

This was the time for action! Aether was sucked out of him in an instant as the runes inscribed on his assault rifle glowed

brightly, almost blinding him.

Ratatatatatatatat!

Max spun around at the sound of gunfire and Arthur's scream, his eyes widening in shock as he

took in the sight of the monstrous creature bearing down on him.

For a moment, a flash of fear flickered in his eyes, quickly replaced by rage at the thought of

being considered prey by the construct.

But it was too late.

Before the bullets could reach, the Glaivemantis struck with lightning speed, its glaive-like

forelimbs slicing through the air.

Max barely had time to react, throwing up his arms in a desperate attempt to shield himself.

"AAAAHHHHHH!"

The creature's blades cut deep, ignoring his force shield, treating it as nothing but air, and

sending him sprawling to the ground with a scream of pain.

Only then, when Max lay on the ground, blood seeping from the wounds on his arms and

chest, did his bullets reach the Glaivemantis.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

It sounded as if metal was hitting metal as each bullet smacked into its left front leg, cracking

it bit by bit, until it suddenly broke in half, causing it to fall to the ground.

Shrieeek!

A hiss-like shriek resounded as Arthur continued to dump his entire mag into it, breaking the

other legs in the process.

The Glaivemantis tried to move, drag itself away with its glaive appendages, but Max wasn't about to allow that to happen.

Breathing heavily, he groaned and stood up, his mad eyes locked on the dying construct as he

punched out with his right arm.

"Iron Fist!"

Despite his injuries, a notable current of Aether congregated around his hand and was

released forth.

It struck the mantis hard, smashing it into the wall and killing it, as its head and most of its

body were crushed by the attack.

Arthur, in the middle of reloading his weapon, stopped and let out a sigh of relief.

But that was something he was about to regret.

Another Glaivmantis appeared above, forsaking its Camouflage as it pounced on him,

threatening to cut his head off.

"DRAGONS ROAR!"

Max interfered before that could happen, his ability momentarily freezing the construct with

fear, causing it to simply crash into Arthur and send him to the ground.

Panicked, Arthur reloaded with trembling hands and began shooting the life out of the

creature, killing it from underneath.

It died before it could make any sound, slumping over Arthur, and trapping him under its

weight.

He tried to push it off, as it was suffocating him, but he was too weak.

Was he seriously about to die like this? freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"I don't owe you anymore."

No, that wouldn't be fitting for the protagonist of this world.

Max easily pushed off the construct with one hand while the other shoved old-world medicine

down his throat.

After taking in a heavy breath, Arthur coughed a few times and then looked at Max.

"Haaa... T-Thank... you...?"

Though he thanked him, he was confused whether he should or not, hence the 'question

mark.'

"No need..."

Pausing his words, Max took his gaze off Arthur and looked around, scanning the room with

furrowed brows.

"It's too early for that."

Arthur did the same and then realized a horror truth.

They were surrounded.