OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 77 Fun

While Emir left for the next section of the maze, Arcadia's voice echoed behind him.

"The next challenge is one of strength."

"You must defeat a beast to move forward. Be warned, it is not an ordinary creature. It is a construct, a mechanical being created to test the physical limits of those who enter this ruin."

"You are not allowed the use of any type of weapon, not even your augmented strength, trust that if you do use it, I will know."

And as he listened to Arcadia's warning about the next challenge, he felt a twinge of apprehension.

'This is going to be a true test of my skills, though my cultivation strength boost might help here, but I won't be telling her that.'

He quickly pushed aside his doubts and bubbling excitement that began to uncontrollably grow inside him, somehow managing to maintain a calm façade.

"I understand," he replied, his voice steady.

Emir continued to walk forward and found himself in a large room.

The room was shrouded in darkness, with the only light filtering through from the faint glow emanating from the walls, casting eerie shadows on the room.

In the center of the room stood a colossal, menacing mechanical construct that appeared to be crafted from rusted metal and tangled wires.

It was easily twice his size, with massive arms that terminated in razor-sharp claws.

Its red eyes glowed menacingly, and it let out a low growl as it set its gaze on him.

He instantly realized that relying solely on his physical strength would not be enough to defeat this behemoth, even with his cultivation strength taken into account.

With his strength nearly five times that of a regular person, he could attempt to use his fists to pummel the metal construct, but it would be a futile attempt.

'I need to think on my feet, using my agility and quick thinking to outmaneuver the machine. After setting a rhythm, then I'll try to find a weakness to exploit.'

Emir first began circling his enemy, but not before throwing away his rucksack, which contained all his weapons.

And while his eyes darted around for any weak spots in its armor.

It lunged at him with its massive claw, but he was able to deftly sidestep and roll away.

He kept moving, dodging, and weaving to evade its deadly strikes.

Continuing to circle the construct, his gaze fixed on its armor, he noticed a small gap where two plates met.

It was a tiny opening, but it could be exploited.

Emir waited patiently for the right moment, biding his time, and observing the machine's movements.

The construct made its move, and he swiftly darted in, striking the gap with his bare hands.

He felt time around him slow down as his ability, TDS, came into play.

It gave him an extra edge, allowing him to perceive things much slower than they were actually happening.

The construct let out a metallic roar as he dodged its massive arms and landed another blow on the weak spot.

He continued his assault, striking the gap repeatedly and chipping away at the armor.

The construct swung its massive arms at him, but with his heightened senses, he was able to dodge and weave through the air, landing blow after blow on the machine.

Finally, with a deciding strike, he managed to break through the armor, and the construct fell to the ground, motionless.

Emir took a moment to catch his breath and survey the room.

The door at the far end was now open, revealing the next section of the maze.

Throwing his rucksack over his shoulder, he made his way through the maze, his senses on high alert.

He noticed a thin line stretched across the corridor, almost invisible in the dim light.

Instinctively, he halted, sensing danger.

Carefully, he moved closer and soon spotted a tripwire running the length of the passageway.

Beyond it, he could see a set of blades glinting in the dim light, ready to swing out and slice anything that crossed their path.

'Oh, it seems that Arcadia finally had enough of puzzles, then I can safely guess that I'm getting closer to the end... Good job, me.' Emir mused as he focused all his energy on the task at hand.

Taking a deep breath, and with a sudden burst of agility, he leaped into the air, easily clearing the tripwire, and landing safely on the other side.

And as he landed, he felt a rush of air behind him, and he spun around just in time to see the blades slice through the air where he had been standing only seconds before.

Emir stood there for a moment, relishing the moment, before pressing on through the maze.

Whilst he walked cautiously through the maze, his eyes, like usual, scanned the floor for any signs of danger.

And thankfully for him, he noticed that the long hallway he almost entered was filled with a series of tiles on the ground.

Emir also noticed a suspicious tile, slightly raised above the rest.

It was positioned directly in front of a massive metallic boulder suspended by a series of ropes and pulleys, ready to be triggered by the slightest wrong move.

He carefully examined the surrounding area, trying to decipher the trap's mechanism.

It appeared that stepping on the wrong tile would cause the weights to shift, which in turn would release the boulder from its precarious position.

Emir studied the tiles carefully, noticing that they were arranged in a specific pattern.

Each tile had a symbol etched onto its surface, and he realized that the symbols formed a pattern that he needed to follow to avoid triggering the trap.

He then stepped onto the first tile, which bore the image of a bird, and felt a slight shift in the weights above him.

He took a deep breath and continued, following the pattern of symbols with utmost care.

While he approached the last tile, his heart was pounding in his chest, wild with adrenaline.

'I had come this far, but one wrong move and it could all be over.' He thought struggling to contain his maddening excitement.

Emir stepped onto the final tile, which bore the symbol of a sun, and braced himself for the worst.