Aether stepped into the shadowy abyss, his eyes scanning the oppressive darkness for any sign of life or movement, but there was nothing… just an eerie stillness.
He frowned, ‘I thought I had bypassed the system,’ he mused to himself, frustration evident in his thoughts.
Unlike Raven, who had faced hordes of monstrous creatures when she broke through the system’s defences, Aether encountered none. His steps echoed as he wandered through the desolate place… the only thing accompanying him was the foul stench of decay that seemed to hang in the empty air.
“Did something die here long ago or what?” Aether muttered under his breath, covering his nose in disgust. Just as the words left his lips,
“Dangeroussss~” Snowflake suddenly hissed, her golden eyes narrowing as they gleamed with a sinister warning.
Aether flinched at the intensity of her reaction, immediately turning his gaze in the direction she was focused on. Without hesitation, he followed the path her eyes indicated. Snowflake’s body began to tremble, a rare sign of fear from the usually fierce creature.
“Don’t worry, Snow… I’ve got this,” Aether whispered gently, stroking her head to reassure her. As he pressed forward, something caught his attention—a faint, glowing red light, flickering in the distance.
Without wasting another second, Aether bolted toward the light…. Then, as if the very air around him had a pulse of its own, he heard it:
Ba-Dump… Ba-Dump…. Ba-Dump….
His eyes locked onto the source of the rhythmic pulse:…. a small, blood-red heart, suspended in mid-air, beating with an eerie, steady cadence.
Drip, Drip….
Blood trickled from the unseen ceiling above, feeding the heart, which seemed to throb with an almost dangerous energy, as if it were a living, breathing entity.
It pulsed with raw, overwhelming power, as though it were pumping life into the very air around it.
“Is that… the shattered heart? But it’s… whole?” Aether murmured, confused. He had expected something broken or incomplete, but this heart was pulsing with life, as though it had never been damaged.
Was this the answer to the trial?
He stood there, transfixed, staring at the veins and intricate structures that gave the heart a disturbingly lifelike appearance.
It looked far too real!!
“Log? Is this what I’m supposed to find?” Aether called out, his curiosity evident, but there was no reply from the system.
Silence!
He frowned in annoyance, and just as his hand reached out to touch the heart—
!~Ding~!
[Blood Heart of Draconic Pyres: This heart is forged from the blood of millions of phoenixes and dragons! A culmination of life force, blood, and power, created since the dawn of this summit! A perfect fusion of might and rebirth, it pulses with an unimaginable force that distorts reality itself. Its full potential can restore life… or incinerate entire realms, reducing everything to ashes.]
“What the actual—?” Aether jerked his hand back in shock, the detailed message leaving him wide-eyed.
He stared at the heart in awe. “You’re telling me… this thing has been here since the creation of the summit?” His voice was filled with disbelief. He remembered hearing from Arkanis about how he had claimed this very heart to gain immense power. It wasn’t just him—every Dragon Emperor in history had supposedly done the same.
“Was that fucker lying to me? Spinning tales?” Aether let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head in amused disbelief. “So, this thing really holds that much power?”
!~Ding~!
[Indeed and Dangerous one!]
“I see…” Aether’s blue eyes went blank for a moment as he contemplated the heart. His hand hovered near it again, drawn to its pulsating energy. Just as his fingers brushed the air near it—
[Stop!]
White words flashed before him, sudden and sharp.
Aether blinked, startled. “Wait, I thought you left… So, you’re still hanging around, huh?”
[Of course. I remain as long as the summit exists.]
Aether nodded slowly. Then, without further hesitation,
Cuckkk
He grasped the heart. “Ugh…” A shiver ran down his spine as he held the still-beating, bloody organ. His hands were slick with blood, and the steady pumping from the heart vibrated through his fingers. It felt disturbingly alive, as if it were not just a relic, but a living, breathing force in his hands.
The sensation was unsettling, to say the least!!
“Sigh, anyway… with this, Raven should be able to live a long life, right?” Aether asked, his gaze fixed on the pulsating heart in his hand.
[Hmm?]
The words appeared, almost as if frowning.
“I mean, this heart is the culmination of both dragon and phoenix blood, right? Wouldn’t it help stabilize her warring bloodlines?” Aether’s tone was laced with curiosity.
[Oh… you’re referring to that hybrid woman? Ah… Yes, this heart is indeed the only thing that could balance her two bloodlines… however…]
“However?” Aether’s brow furrowed in concern.
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[Fu~Fu~ Do you really believe a fragile-hearted woman like her could endure the power of something so ancient and immense?]
The words manifested again, laced with amusement, as if mocking the very thought.
Aether blinked, his gaze shifting back to the heart. He knew Raven wasn’t exactly the strongest, neither physically nor mentally… “So, it’s pointless then?”
[Hahaha… who knows?~]
The words floated with a taunting air.
Aether stared at the heart in his hand, fully aware of the magnitude of what he was holding. If it were anyone else, they would’ve seized this power for themselves without a second thought.
But Aether… he wasn’t like that. He didn’t care for immeasurable strength, nor was he seeking the ultimate power that could reshape realms.
No, Aether’s desires were far simpler.
All he wanted… was to seduce the woman!
That was it!!
That was the entirety of Aether’s goal and ambition. He had no interest in becoming some invincible warrior(Super Saiyan) or the ruler of a Supreme harem like many others dreamed of…. All he sought was to live a peaceful life, nothing more, nothing less.
Even now, the only reason he was here before everyone else was to confront his past—like an observer—and destroy the monsters lurking in the depths of the valley.
And, maybe, along the way, find a method to win Raven’s heart.
That was all.
Yet…
“What if I decide to take it, then?” Aether asked, a sly grin spreading across his face.
[Are you out of your mind? No matter how unique you think you are, that heart isn’t something you can just toy with, Aether! You’ll die before you can even comprehend its power!]
The words snapped, their tone serious, almost panicked.
“Ah~ Now you’re worried about me? After all those times you tried to torment me?” Aether’s expression turned amused, a smirk playing on his lips.
[…]
The words went silent.
Aether chuckled softly, “I know what you’re all thinking… ‘He’s just a puppet, right? He dances to everyone else’s tune.'”
[What nonsense are you talking about?]
The words returned, confused.
Aether shrugged nonchalantly, “Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself.” His gaze returned to the heart, his smirk widening. “Well then… here goes nothing!” He moved the heart closer to his mouth.
[NO!!]
The words screeched, and the entire space seemed to tremble, as though reality itself was trying to prevent Aether from going through with it…. Yet, despite the warning, the words appeared to be anxiously waiting for him to swallow the heart.
Drip, Drip…
Blood leaked from the heart, dripping onto Aether’s tongue. His eyes gleamed as he tasted the essence, feeling raw power surging from just a few drops.
Just as he was about to consume the heart completely,
“Nah!” Aether pulled the heart away from his mouth, wearing a mischievous grin.
[W-What?]
Aether grinned wider, “What? Did you really think I’d fall for that and play along? Come on, man!” He let out an exasperated sigh before continuing, “You seriously thought if I hit a dead-end, I’d be left with no other choice but to risk my life and go all-in, didn’t you? Just like everyone else thinks I would, right? Isn’t that what your so-called ‘Mother Goddess’ believed?”
[W-What are you saying?]
“Tsk, tsk, I can’t believe she tried to mess with my mind using cheap tricks,” Aether grumbled in annoyance.
[I still don’t understand—]
“Let me explain something to you.” Aether’s voice hardened, his blue eyes darkening to an abyssal black, “I know myself better than anyone else. I know exactly how I can be manipulated, and I’ve seen it happen before. Trust me… I’m more aware of my weaknesses than anyone else ever could be!”
His voice echoed through the void, Then, with a sinister smile, he added, “Whoever’s out there trying to control my fate… go ahead.
Try it!
Because…”
He summoned a glowing blue crystal horn into his other hand, the air around him crackling with energy, “Mother, Arcane, them… whoever the hell they are… I don’t fucking care!!”
BA-DUMP… BA-DUMP…
The heart beat louder, as if responding to his defiance.
“The species that survive aren’t the strongest, nor are they the most intelligent…” Aether pointed the horn toward the heart, his grin widening.
“But rather, the ones who best adapt to change….. I will survive this shitty world no matter what it takes!!”
[A-Aether, calm down—]
Aether’s grin turned wicked, “This is my journey…
My fucking
Survival Odyssey!
So, take that, you bastards!”
Chuccckkk!!!!
[NOOOOOOOO!!!]
The white words appeared all over the dark place!!
!~Ding~!
[What the hell have you done now?!]
The Log shrieked in disbelief.
Aether’s sly smile deepened, “Gotcha~” he whispered seeing even his Log was taken aback!