Chapter 520 A small chase
The situation outside the arena was in turmoil. People from homes, bars, and establishments watched the events unfold on their devices with bated breath. They didn't know if Erik found the robot; the stream didn't show everything.
Glued to the live feed, one viewer at the guild exclaimed as soon as he saw Erik make his move, "The kid is onto something!"
"It's the one with the brooch!" Exclaimed one, noticing what Erik was looking at.
"It's leaving the scene!" exclaimed another, pointing to the holographic screen.
"Yes, and Erik is following him," a third voice said. "Let's see how this will unfold; maybe the kid can find where the hostage is. But he must stay low and keep a safe distance, which is a wise move."
All eyes were fixed on Erik, the mysterious novice; the ever-growing number of followers saw him as a strategic and combative mastermind based on what they had seen until now, and he was now being lauded as a genius.
That was because he was able to stay calm throughout the uprising, find a specific robot from a sea of others, and at the same time stay hidden from the robot, all of which were examples of the exceptional abilities he partially showcased during the other tests.
Since it was clear, the robot ended his job and left the place. The other robots' enthusiasm reached a fever pitch as it made its way down the tiny side street away from the disturbance. In the meantime, Erik followed the robot while maintaining his distance, avoiding the other robots and killing some as they tried to attack him.
"Damn, this is getting interesting," a spectator murmured, leaning forward in anticipation. "Will he catch up to that robot?"
Every heartbeat echoed the chase's suspense. The whispers became louder, filling the rooms where the live stream was being shown and flooding the chat boxes with comments. Their hearts raced along with Erik's, and their breaths held as he navigated the treacherous undercurrents of the fictitious city.
Erik found himself following the robot through a maze of winding alleyways. The artificial creature was unaware it had been followed and kept moving with stealth, making Erik's task all the more difficult. Nonetheless, while impressive, the robot's attempts to blend in with the other robot characters did not catch Erik off guard.
"Whoever designed this simulation," Erik reflected, his gaze never leaving the robot before him, "really knew what they were doing; this is fucking incredible."
Erik marveled at the level of detail put into all of this. The city, the robots, and their actions had an almost surreal sense of life and believability. The cries of the vendors, laughter from a nearby inn, and even the scent of freshly baked bread wafting through the air from a fake baker's stand added to the realism.
The young man darted from one shadow to the next, mirroring the robot's pace and direction while keeping a safe distance.
He carefully observed the robot, noting its demeanor, pace, and nervous glances over its shoulder. The AI appeared to have been programmed to mimic human anxiety and fear. Erik was astounded by the detail that had gone into these simulations. But while the robot replicated nervousness, he was calm and collected, as he knew the robot was going into the heart of the city, the heart of his quest, toward the location where, according to what he discovered thanks to the Biological Supercomputer, the hostage was being held.
<So, this is it, isn't it?> Erik mused silently, his gaze fixed on the robot's back. <It is leading me right to the hostage. Isn't this happening too fast?>
Erik knew where the hostage was, and finding a robot guiding him to the location was a stroke of luck. Erik's assessment of the situation was this: he would arrive at the building, and he had to see if the hostage was there. From the average person's point of view, the place could be just one of many; they wouldn't know where the hostage was or if it was there. Maybe the place was not that heavily guarded to misguide the test taker, or it could have been the opposite, trying to discourage the test taker from approaching the place.
Everything was possible. Erik experienced an adrenaline rush as he maneuvered through the bustling fake city's streets. The thought of what could be in the building heightened his awareness and prompted a quickening of his pace. The steady beat of his heart that he could feel against his ribs was in sync with the pattern of his thoughts. He became even more sensitive to his environment, and the cacophony of sounds around him began to be amplified. He didn't let anything get past his ears or eyes.
<Damn robot, how long must I wait before you get to that damn building?!> Erik also didn't want to lose the robot because it brought him to the correct location. If he lost it, he would be forced to search for more leads, wasting more time. At a certain point, the robot turned behind to see if it had been followed, and Erik was forced to duck behind a stall as the robot did so.
<So, I'm assuming that the robots acting as agitators represent a group that wants to depose the mayor. They instigated a revolt and kidnapped his daughter to accomplish this. If that didn't work, they'd try to assassinate the mayor.>
Erik kept trying to explain the situation. For sure, all of this had to have a background. He doubted the guild didn't go into this much detail about things after what it had done with the location itself. This made Erik feel awe and reverence for the people who designed the test, which permeated his consciousness.
Erik maintained a safe distance from the robot but was getting impatient and wanted to smash it to pieces. Erik's heart pounded in his chest as the robot turned one final corner. And then, they finally arrived at their destination.
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