Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1262: Let’s Hope for the Best!

After the fox tricked and played with him like a toy, Aether begrudgingly forced himself to calm the storm burning through his nerves.

His breathing steadied, though each inhale still carried the taste of bitterness of defeat, and finally, he called the others to gather.

Sandra, Sera, Kaelen, Raven, Dora, and Delphine.

Aether’s expression hardened as he began to explain. He told them about what had happened to the people, what those strange figures were, and... most importantly, about the rise of a new Empire.

Everyone’s faces shifted in disbelief.

Their eyes widened, lips parted, as if his words struck something impossible. None of them could fathom that another Empire had existed among them all this time.

Sandra’s brows furrowed deeply. ”So are you telling me that... there’s another Empire, called Gaius Terravita? But we have never heard of such a thing before.” As she folded her arms against her chest.

Raven’s head lowered slightly, but she nodded. ”I haven’t seen any kind of information about them either.”

Dora nodded too, though hers was slower, hesitant.

Aether finally answered, ”No, there is information about them.”

He glanced at Kaelen, who stepped forward and placed an old, worn book in his father’s hands... the same book Aether had read before, its pages etched with the letters of his old world.

He lifted it slightly, ”This is from the ancient times... a book created by those people. And also...” His gaze shifted toward Dora, his eyes narrowing as he added, ”We fought the mechanical elephant, right? That was created by them as well.

They call themselves Origins.”

”The beginning that Mother spoke of... her creation... her very first creation nearly captured the other Empires in the ancient era. We don’t know what happened back then, why they lost, or why they disappeared entirely from our system of Empires. But the hints we have gathered so far all point to one truth — they are back again.”

Kaelen’s face drained of colour. His voice trembled as he spoke, ”So Father... you’re telling me that... those Origins... they’re here again, and...”

Sera, unable to hold back, cut in. ”To take revenge?”

Aether didn’t answer. After all, He wasn’t sure. He couldn’t be sure if their return was driven by vengeance or by something far more different.

But one truth was undeniable: Their enemy was drawing closer with every passing moment.

Sera’s voice broke the silence once more, softer this time, ”What about the people who were kidnapped? You said you saved Snowflake and Lia, right?”

Aether’s chest tightened. He drew in a long, heavy breath before shaking his head.

”Unfortunately, I couldn’t save any of them. We were trapped in a place... a place I didn’t even understand. I couldn’t even grasp what was happening around us.”

Sera’s fists clenched at her sides. Kaelen’s jaw tightened. Dora’s knuckles whitened as her hands curled into trembling fists.

As much as Aether wanted to save every last soul, he was not a god.

He wasn’t just a selfish man who lived only to protect his beloveds... though, truth be told, he did that more often than not. But this time, he had fought to save them all.

He had done everything within his power.

Yet the situation was never in his favour.

And one might ask, perhaps foolishly, perhaps desperately... why didn’t he use his ability to reverse time?

Like, really, he could go back twenty-four hours using his skill, right?

But the thing was that...

!~Ding~!

[❗Skill Null-Return is unable to use due to LOG 2.0 still in progress]

Yeah.

His skill couldn’t be activated now. Which meant if he died here, in this moment, he would most likely be thrown back to the time of Raven Noir. And if that happened, he would utterly lose this skill forever. It had been written clearly... once he passed Nyx Shadowfall, Null-Return could never be regained.

And even if he pushed, the remaining time constraints would block every possibility of Project-X.

Not just proposing it, but even imagining implementation across the Empires... was not possible at all!

Which meant one hard truth. Saving the people who were kidnapped wasn’t simply about saving them... it meant gambling the entire Empire system.

The scale itself was wrong, tilted in a way no man could balance.

But still... if something happened to Lia or his Snowflake, he knew he would use it.

No matter the cost, no matter what disaster followed, he would throw everything away for them. Honestly, when Lia lost her memories, he had been so close... so close to killing himself.

But... the only reason he hadn’t was because he understood what it would cost.

He would lose his one advantage in this endless, merciless game. The game where his skills were already at their lowest, his survival odds already razor-thin.

He couldn’t risk throwing away what little he had left.

Lia... she was fine. That was enough. He would deal with her memories later, one way or another.

He wasn’t the saviour of everyone. He wasn’t some selfless, glittering hero who would sacrifice his loved ones for strangers.

Sure, he would save others. But only if his beloveds were safe first. That didn’t make him heartless... it just made him... The Aether?

And in all honesty, to save Lia, he had already crossed a line no one should. He had killed her himself. Just for a few seconds. Just long enough to pull her back.

So saving others? That wasn’t even an option on the table. Not when he had almost died himself, if he presented there!

”Also...” His voice lowered, deliberate, ”I saw... Arcane. When the space and the people were erased.”

Every head snapped up.

Sera’s fist clenched instantly, her eyes flashing. ”I knew it!”

Aether’s brows furrowed. ”What do you mean?”

Sera exhaled sharply, shaking her head, ”The thing I felt... when I touched that energy. I sensed her presence. It was so pure white, yet disgusting darkness in it.... It felt as if she was directly involved in this situation.”

Aether’s frown deepened. Come to think of it... he hadn’t spoken to Arcane in a long time.

Not a word.

As if she had disappeared completely.

Dora’s voice trembled with unease. ”So Arcane... was the one who brought them back?”

But Aether shook his head. ”No. If that were true, why would she try to kill them all? I saw the footage.... an old recorded video from my Empire. The Origins were being hunted by Arcane herself.”

Everyone frowned in confusion and lost.

Finally, Aether turned his gaze toward Raven and Kaelen, ”You two. You haven’t received any trial yet, right?”

Both of them nodded silently.

”So it’s not a trial?” Sandra frowned, ”Then what are they planning? This is so confusing.”

Delphine, who had been silent until now, leaned forward curiously. ”What about Empress Mary? Did she not come to the meeting?”

Aether let out a weak smile before shaking his head. ”What can I say... she doesn’t care about anything anymore. I tried to speak with her through Nyx, to explain about Project ’X.’ She didn’t even give me the chance. She just threw us out.”

Everyone blinked in surprise... well, that’s what you get for trying to take over her empire... but didn’t say it out loud.

Truthfully, none of them cared much about another Empire surfacing... their own burdens were already crushing enough. But if an enemy was about to rise, shouldn’t they at least unite, even if only for survival?

Aether’s gaze shifted to Dora. ”Can you beat the sense into her? Since Nyx agreed with my plan, shouldn’t it be your responsibility as a Sovereign to make sure the words of the Chosen ones are accepted?”

Dora slowly shook her head, her eyes narrowing. ”If she sets her mind on something, breaking through it is nearly impossible. And more so, you said she threw Nyx out herself. That means... I cannot force anything on her. Just like with Leon and Finnian.”

Aether hummed, thoughtful. Sera mirrored him.

With a long sigh, Aether rubbed the bridge of his nose. ”Anyway... let’s not inform the people about this situation.”

”You mean about their death?” Sera asked carefully.

Aether nodded. ”Just leave it as it is. Unknown forces appeared, and people were kidnapped. Leave it at that. Simply say you’re still searching for them.”

Dora tilted her head slightly, humming with a thoughtful smile tugging at her lips. ’He’s slowly acting like a Ruler,’ she thought, amused.

And not just her — the others sensed it too. All except Kaelen, who instead took mental notes, studying his father’s words carefully, the way he held authority, the way he guided the room. Kaelen’s heart beat with the silent thought: This is how a great Emperor must stand.

Then Aether’s face darkened, shifting into a stern expression. ”Project ’X’ is finished, right?”

Everyone nodded.

”Do you think it will work?” Sera asked.

Aether’s eyes grew serious, ”It needs to work.

We’re not only dealing with the arrival of Clarion Energy anymore. We are now dealing with the Forgotten Empire as well.”

Kaelen swallowed hard, ”S-So... where are they now? And... when will they come again?”

”That...” Aether lowered his gaze, unable to give the answer they all craved. ”... I don’t know.” His voice quieted, but he forced strength into the words that followed. ”Let’s hope... we have enough time.”

****

Meanwhile...

In the Naiadae Empire. Far on the edge of its borders... where two mountains rose to meet, a jagged cleft cutting through the sky.

A place burdened by memory.

The place where Aether had first appeared.

His first interaction.

His first family.

His first nightmare.

Ebon Village.

Sssh~

A purplish-hooded figure stood silently upon the ancient Ebon Stone, its shadow stretching across the jagged earth.

Its gaze was fixed on the valley below, deep and endless, carved between the twin mountains. The figure did not move, only stared... as if waiting for something to awaken.