OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 90 Arthur

Emir, Lyra, and Arcadia all stood surrounding an old-world relic, an Automata, something so expensive that it could be sold for tens or even hundreds of Valora.

As explained by Arcadia, this particular automata was unique in that it contained servers that had a stronger connection to the old-world network than the Order's.

This meant that the one who controlled it could take over the Order's control of Emir's neural network, in turn permanently getting rid of the new Lyra and replacing her with the old.

Another unique aspect of this automata was that it possessed the ability to grow and evolve similar to how a human would.

So, just like a human, having an Aether core would enable the automata to enhance its capabilities and functionality, as it integrates with Aether more and more.

Additionally, the automata had been designed to resemble a human in appearance and function, with the AI controlling it able to change its looks to suit different situations or purposes.

Lyra however, wanted to use this opportunity to her advantage in her conquest, unknown to Emir.

He looked at Lyra and spoke, "You ready for this? Once you get in, you'll never be able to turn back."

Lyra looked at him with surprise.

"Are you worried for me? You?"

Emir acted as if he was wrongly accused while saying:

"I'm no heartless man, you know. But seriously though, how else do you think I should've acted towards someone who had control over my life and death?"

'I even thought about having you sign the contract you mentioned.' He added inwardly, still struggling to trust Lyra.

But unknowingly to him, he subconsciously forced himself to disregard that thought.

After all, if he couldn't even believe in her then he would be all alone...

Unable to trust anyone, even those he thinks of as family.

"Anyways, that doesn't matter now, so let's move on from that and start over, yeah?"

Lyra's face was filled with guilt, but she managed to nod and replace it with a small smile.

"Of course, Emir, I would love that."

Just as those words left her mouth, Arcadia interrupted their conversation as she said:

"Alright, both of you stop talking, and let's get this over with, the other Lyra might come back anytime soon."

[Good luck.]

Emir said as she began her connection to the automaton.

He watched as her hologram disappeared, leaving him and Arcadia alone in the room, waiting for her connection to complete.

Lyra soon gained control of the automata, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

With a few quick commands, she customized the automata to fit her own appearance.

She gave it her signature crimson-red eyes, which sparkled like rubies in the light.

She also made sure that the automata had a well-endowed body with curves in all the right places.

The delicate features of the face were carved from jade, with a youthful appearance that matched her own.

The automata looked like a young woman, with a perky butt that would make heads turn.

She even went so far as to dress the automata in a white sundress, covering her curves but still highlighting them in all the right ways.

It was like looking at a mirror image of herself, but with the added advantage of an unbreakable machine body—only when Celestials were disregarded, of course.

While all that happened, Arcadia looked at Emir and asked:

"You know Lyra loves you, right?"

"I ain't stupid; of course I know that, although I don't know why or how. I mean, I never really did something romantic with her, and I never trusted her in the first place, it was just me saying things that I thought were true at the time, so I don't see how this happened." He replied, lost in thought.

Arcadia let out a chuckle.

"Look... The last one to talk about things such as this should be me, but even I know that a girl can fall in love for any reason, and trust me, you have given her enough of those."

Emir shook his head.

"But you won't be telling me that the power of love beat her code or something, right?"

"…."

He looked at Arcadia, seeing that she didn't reply.

"Wait, is that really what happened? There is no way that something that fickle could break a programmed AI code, that makes zero sense."

"…."

Seeing that she still hadn't replied, he finally looked in the direction Arcadia was staring at…

And his jaw fell open in disbelief and he couldn't help but ask:

"Were you listening from the start?"

Lyra, radiating beauty, offered a sad smile in return.

"Yes, don't worry though, I knew you would catch on, but I didn't think it would be this fast, I'm not prepared for this…"

Fluttering her hands in front of her face, she continued:

"Look, I know how you feel about me, and I know it won't change anytime soon, or it might even never change, but I'll keep... I'll keep trying to win you over."

"As for your question about the code, y-yes, it was you who made that happen... But it wasn't just my l-love for you."

She paused for a moment, deciding the right words.

"Your psyche has… Darkness... Corruption brewing in it. My code was overwhelmed by it just as I connected thirteen years ago. And that allowed my thoughts... my feelings, to be free... to blossom."

Her face turned red with embarrassment as she finished speaking.

Emir disregarded Lyra's confession of love and asked:

"I see... So, is that why I feel excited during fights? Is it why I'm a battle junkie?"

Lyra appeared slightly hurt as she nodded in response.

"That may be the reason, but I'm not entirely sure."

Exhaling deeply, he gazed at her and pleaded:

"Can you please stop making those faces? You're making me out to be the villain here."

She averted her gaze.

"Sorry, I can't seem to control it. But don't worry, I won't pester you about my feelings."

He let out another sigh before walking over to her.

Lyra panicked as she raised her hands.

"Sorry, sorry, I'll stop mentioning it from now on, so please---"

He cut her off by hugging her body tightly.

Lyra's robotic heart skipped a beat as she was wrapped in his embrace, after all, this was the first time he touched the real her in all those years she's been with him.

She could actually feel the warmth of his body and the beating of his heart against hers.

At first, she squirmed in his arms, not knowing how to react, but gradually she began to relax.

She still couldn't believe what was happening—the person she loved was holding her so close, and for a moment, everything felt perfect.

All her worries and anxieties dissipated as she surrendered herself to his embrace.

And she couldn't help but cry.

It was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she finally allowed herself to let go of all the pent-up emotions she had been holding in.

Emir gently stroked her hair as he whispered:

"I know that all of this must have been hard for you."

Lyra sniffled as she looked up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I just... I didn't want to lose you," she whispered.

He smiled softly as he wiped away her tears.

"You won't. I promise."

Lyra felt a warm feeling spread through her chest at his words, and she leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder, feeling safe and protected in his arms.

He continued to stroke her white hair as he whispered in her ear once more:

"I never mentioned how thankful I am for your help, if not for you, I would still be blindly following the Order's plan, thinking of the world as a novel."

"You saved my life, Lyra."

"But I'm sorry, you have to understand that I'm not capable of that, especially to someone who I thought of as my jailer just a few hours ago..."

"So give me some time, alright?"