The Transcenders

Chapter 47 - Obscure Guild (2)

Snoid had trapped Aaron, Jenna, Luo and Isaac in a virtual world with the soul transportation machine, leaving them in the white room as a countdown appeared.

When the countdown ended, Aaron found himself in a dense mixt forest. The crisp air filled with the scent of pine and the sound of rustling leaves. Aaron's shoes crunched on the forest floor as he scanned his surroundings, noticing the wide square walls that enclosed him within a kilometre.

Suddenly, a woman with dark hair and grey eyes emerged from a nearby bush. The person appearing in her mid-twenties quickly brushed the green leaves and dirt off her vest as she regretted her entrance, "Dammit! My clothes are dirty. I shouldn't have gone in there!"

Confused, Aaron took a few steps back and asked, "Hi, who are you?"

The short woman then looked at Aaron as she raised her hand, waiting for his permission to speak. After analyzing the situation, Aaron asked, slightly aggravated, "What? Are you an AI? Did Snoid program you?"

The youthful stranger proudly pointed at herself. "Yes, I'm the artificial intelligence my creator sent to train you. He hopes my training will allow you to play a role in Isaac's destiny."

Aaron crossed his arm and narrowed his eyes. "What destiny? Does that stuff actually exist?"

"It is the one my creator, Snoid, set for him," the NPC responded quietly. She wasn't allowed to elaborate further on this subject.

Aaron looked at the sky as he rolled his eyes. "What's this nonsense... Did Snoid make you worship him as a god or something?"

The woman bore a slight frown as she bowed, trying to look apologetic. "Snoid is not a god. He is one of the Five Seats, the rulers of the Obscure Guild. I am sorry if I misled you.

"However, now is not the time for questions. My creator wants me to teach you something. Your friend, Isaac, possesses red magic, a type of magic made and weaponized by the Dark Faction."

"So what he has really is red magic." Aaron lowered his head.

Without offering time to prepare, the woman threw a crimson sphere out of her hand while aiming at Aaron. It cut through the wind and flew toward him. Therefore, not having enough time to evade, Aaron had to protect his vital organs. As a result, his left arm had gotten struck by it.

He abruptly fell to the ground as he realized the orb had latched onto him.

"What- what is this?!"

"I will begin the training," the nameless NPC said, satisfied, "Red magic has many different functions, many of which I do not know. But I do know the most basic ones. With this training, you will learn to face and counter red magic."

A crimson glow illuminated the AI's dull eyes as a grin rose up her face.

Without warning, the red magic sphere on Aaron's arm erupted in a violent explosion, sending his disintegrating body parts flying and staining the greenery with blood. The pain was quick, an unbearable agony, a feeling of getting dismembered and burnt by thousands of hot, sharp fragments.

However, the player respawned shortly after with his two guns and clothes still on. But Aaron was too terrified to realize this. The particularity of STMs is that these virtual reality machines inflict pain directly onto the soul, making death a realistic and traumatizing experience.

Aaron fell to his knees as he screamed his lungs out. He'd have to bear this pain over and over again.

...

Luo was in the same forest, across the western wall. He was also enclosed inside the walls. The trainer that had come to meet him was an elegant middle-aged man in a black and white suit.