OLD-WORLD EXTRA-Chapter 118: Tyrant

The cave trembled, its very foundations groaning in protest as the monster advanced, each heavy step resonating with a bone-crushing crunch.

The ground beneath Emir's feet seemed to quiver in fear, mirroring the trepidation that coursed through his veins.

His mind raced, evaluating his limited options.

Escape was no longer a viable choice; the outside world had transformed into a death sentence, leaving him trapped within the confines of this cavern.

With resignation settling over him like a shroud, he braced himself for the impending collision, aware that the creature lurking before him might possess a power far beyond his

own.

And as the monster finally emerged from the shadows, it revealed a form that defied Emir's expectations.

It bore an unsettling resemblance to a human, with a single head, two arms, and two legs-its physical composition mimicking that of an ordinary person.

Yet there was an eerie twist to its appearance that sent a chill down his spine.

A grotesque mask adorned the creature's face, contorting its features with an uncanny mix of familiarity and distortion.

Its eyes, vibrant, glowed like pools of toxic emerald, harboring a dark power that seemed to seethe within.

The creature's skin, sickly pale and marked with strange patterns, bore an ethereal sheen as if coated in a toxic residue, hinting at its venomous nature.

Emir's intuition screamed at him, warning of the formidable adversary he now faced-a Tyrant-ranked monster, a Maligorth.

This was no mere monster but a twisted embodiment of poison itself, a monster that surpassed all that he encountered before.

Its every aspect, from the poisonous radiance in its eyes to the sickly pallor of its skin, spoke volumes of its venomous capabilities.

And as the cavern fell into a hush, the monster locked eyes with Emir, a glimmer of malicious intelligence gleaming within its gaze.

The air grew dense with a palpable sense of danger as if the very poison that coursed through the creature's veins had permeated the atmosphere, filling it with a deadly aura.

Emir instantly activated his Temporal Perception ability, causing time to almost freeze completely.

His thoughts almost turned silent as he stared at the creature before him.

He grappled with the realization that he was now facing a Tyrant, something that he could never hope to best without sacrificing his life in turn.

But instead of showing panic, his mind was calm, weirdly so.

'Using Aether Blast will simply not have any effect on it comparable to the Aether it will use...'

'My Aetheric Blades will barely graze it, my weapons are just useless, this fight is a lose-lose situation on all fronts.'

He attempted to grasp at straws, thinking of anything that might allow him to survive.

'I can't leave either, although I would have a higher chance of surviving out there who knows what might happen...'

'I must somehow go past it.'

Whether he could do it or not is another matter entirely, however. But the possibility of failure never crossed his mind.

So with a swift motion, he drew his daggers from their sheaths, their glinting blades catching the dim light of the cavern.

Whispers of Aether stirred within him as two words escaped his lips, resonating through the cavern with an echo:

"Aetheric Blades."

And as Emir released his grip on Temporal Perception, time resumed its normal flow.

His unwavering gaze remained fixed on the menacing Maligorth, both Celestial and monster locked in an unyielding stare-down.

The air crackled with an electric tension, suffocating under its weight.

The slightest movement could shatter the fragile equilibrium, yet Emir held his ground, his muscles coiled, ready to strike or defend at a moment's notice.

He knew his first move could decide the fate that awaited him.

Slowly, almost deliberately, the Maligorth opened its mouth, causing the grotesque mask on its face to contort and writhe.

Emir braced himself for a vicious assault or a venomous attack, but to his surprise, the monster's utterance extended beyond that.

A raspy voice emerged from deep within, uttering a single, bone-chilling greeting:

"Hello, human."

Comprehension dawned upon Emir, transcending the barriers of language as he understood the Maligorth's words.

It wasn't the fact that the monster spoke that surprised him; he knew that Tyrant-ranked creatures possessed intelligence akin to humans.

What astounded him was the creature's decision to engage in conversation rather than launch an attack, he was invading his territory after all...

Snapping himself out of it Emir spoke, like the Maligorth, his words resonated with Aether, causing them to become something that transcended mere speech, a conduit of power understood by both human and monster alike:

"Hey, Maligorth."

Fixated on him, the Maligorth received the greeting with silence, its eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and a primal hunger.

Emir's heart pounded in his chest as caution enveloped him, the weight of the moment pressing upon his every thought and movement.

Seconds stretched into an agonizing silence as an unspoken battle of wills filled the air.

The Maligorth shrouded in mystery, continued to gaze upon Emir, its eyes betraying an uncanny understanding of his vulnerability.

It watched him, akin to a cat toying with its prey, aware of his weaknesses and limitations.

Being under the weight of the creature's scrutiny caused Emir to keenly feel the magnitude of

his own fragility.

And finally, after a few more moments, the Maligorth's voice pierced the stillness with a chilling resonance, breaking the silence that seemed to stretch into eternity:

"I have encountered many of your kind, human, and I have devoured them without

remorse..."

"Some stumbled upon our realm by chance, while others sought to exterminate our kind, invade our planet, and seize it for their own. I must admit, I relished their company. I relished the slaughter... But you... Tell me, human, what brings you here?"

Emir carefully weighed his response, fully aware that provoking the monster could seal his

fate as its next meal:

"I was brought to this place against my will, compelled to learn and nothing more, I seek no harm or conquest. I am but a reluctant traveler in this realm."

A thunderous growl... Or laugh reverberated through the cavern as the monster's twisted mask contorted into a grotesque smile.

"You possess a rare courage, human. Many in your position would have crumbled under the weight of my presence. I admire that about you. However, you have unwittingly invaded my planet, encroaching upon my domain..."

"Though unintentional, your presence here demands retribution. I have no fondness for slaying the weak, but the leader of our kin would sever my head if I spared you. Regrettably, I

must end your existence."

Pausing for a moment the Maligorth added, its voice resonating with an unmistakable air of

finality:

"Please accept my apologies."

Just those words left the monster's lips, a chilling silence descended upon the cave.

Emir's heart almost stopped in his chest as he braced himself for the impending attack.

In an instant, the Maligorth closed the distance between them, its claw-like hands extending with deadly precision.

Emir watched as the monster's transformed limbs, its vicious sword-like weapons, appear before him in a downward swing.