Time Remaining: 100 Days. Arthur's Age: 14.
The atmosphere in the Academy had changed. The mana in the air felt heavy, like the pressure before a thunderstorm that never breaks.
Students complained of headaches. Spells fizzled or backfired. The faculty blamed "atmospheric conditions," but Arthur knew better. The pipes were leaking.
Arthur, Julian, and Zack were in the Library. They weren't studying. They were hunting.
"The logs say a Sentinel Unit was activated in this sector," Arthur whispered, checking his iScroll radar. "It's looking for the leak in the Sub-Basement. If it finds Alice, it will purge her."
"A Sentinel?" Julian asked, clutching his wand. "Like the Golems in the history books?"
"Worse," Arthur said. "A construct of pure law. It doesn't negotiate."
Suddenly, the temperature in the library dropped. Frost formed on the bookshelves.
From the shadows of the Biography section, a figure emerged.
It looked like a man, but its skin was grey stone, and its eyes were burning blue LEDs (mana crystals). It wore the tattered robes of an ancient librarian.
[Target: The Auditor.] [Class: Mark III Sentinel.] [Mission: Sterilize Corruption.]
It looked directly at Arthur.
"Anomaly Detected," the Auditor spoke. Its voice sounded like grinding stones. "Unauthorized Access to Node 4. Admin Privileges: Revoked."
It raised a hand. A beam of blue light shot toward them.
"Move!" Arthur shoved Zack aside.
The beam hit a bookshelf. The books didn't burn; they turned into gray dust. Disintegration.
"It has a Disintegration Ray!" Zack screamed.
"Julian! Flashbang!" Arthur ordered.
"I hate this spell!" Julian yelled, but he raised his wand. "Solar Flare!"
A blinding burst of light exploded in the library. The Auditor recoiled, its optical sensors overloaded.
"Run!" Arthur commanded. "To the Workshop! We need heavy weapons!"
They sprinted through the library, dodging beams of death.
"This is it," Arthur realized as they ran. "The System is waking up to fight the infection. And we are the infection."
The peace of the Academy was over. The countdown was entering the Red Zone.
Time Remaining: 99 Days.
End of Chapter 31