In the Umbra/Ethereal Domain.
“Fu~Fu~… I cannot believe he actually did it… Haha,” a voice echoed, ethereal and tinged with dark amusement, “To think he went and destroyed one of the few things that cannot be undone by time… A priceless power, shattered… Hahahaha! Oh, Darling~ I’m falling for you even deeper~ This Arcane was crafted just for you~ Come, claim me as your own~” Her once sweet, ethereal tone twisted, turning shadowy and dangerous.
Indeed, few things existed in these worlds that even time itself could not reverse. The essence absorbed by souls and the lost Aether of time… Those were among the rarest of things…. The air reeked of death and decay, a heavy stench that clung to the room, that was an indication that Raven had already wiped out the horde of monsters in the previous timeline.
Aether drove the horn through the heart with a wicked smirk, as if reveling in defiance of fate yet again.
Hovering over the card, a radiant, white, ethereal figure watched Aether’s actions closely. Her shimmering form flickered slightly as she murmured, “He truly is uncontrollable… A force no one can restrain.” Her tone grew serious, her eyes narrowing. “I hope you two understand what you’re dealing with… He’s becoming more unpredictable by the moment. Whatever you’re planning, tread carefully. By now, even that wretched bitch has figured it out.” A sly, knowing smile tugged at her lips.
“Infuriating!”
“Vexing!”
“Hehehe…” She chuckled darkly, but her amusement was short-lived as something unexpected occurred.
“W-what is happening…?” Her previously amused expression twisted into shock. “I-I never anticipated this—”
“Neither did I!”
“Me neither!”
“Intriguing!”
“A new possibility has emerged!”
The Arcane entity couldn’t help but speak in a voice filled with awe, “This… this is not good… Not good at all.”
“Hahahaha! Aether!”
“Aether! He is truly one of a kind!”
“Yes, a soul unlike any other, defying everything in its path!”
“And a body, unique and unpredictable, birthing new phenomena!!”
“Even we did not foresee this…”
“How… fascinating!”
“Truly remarkable!!”
The Arcane figure sighed, exasperated, and slapped her forehead in frustration, “Don’t get too curious, or I’ll have to fight you two for a place in his bed!”
‘Snort’
‘Snort!’
Meanwhile…
Aether continued to stab the heart, his expression wicked and manic, “Ahh… What’s the matter? Do you like this, you bitch?! Did you really think you could bend me to your will?! You fucked-up bitches! Hahahaha…” His laughter turned darker, more menacing.
Aether knew exactly what he had done—he had just obliterated something so ancient, so precious, that it had existed since the dawn of time itself!
And as for Raven’s cure?
Forget it. He’d find another way, just like he did for Maelona. He’d carve out his own path, just like always! No hesitation, no second thoughts—he had destroyed their most sacred thing without blinking.
But…
What Aether didn’t expect was the unintended consequence. As he punched a hole straight through the heart, the sharp edge of the horn pierced his palm, ever so slightly, behind the heart.
And that alone wasn’t the problem…
The real issue was that his blood—the Crimson Elixir of the Null…. the terrifying Tier 1 blood that devoured other types of blood!
And since the heart was a vessel made entirely of blood…
Ssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Aether frowned as he heard the unmistakable sound of something being sucked away. “Where the hell is that coming from?” he muttered under his breath, pausing his assault.
Slowly, he turned toward the source of the noise, his eyes widening in utter disbelief.
Like a loose thread being pulled from fabric… the blood was sucked into his punctured palm, one drop at a time.
“Shit!” Aether cursed, immediately tossing the heart away with all his strength. But it didn’t matter—the thread continued to siphon the blood into his body.
“What the fuck is this?!” he yelled, panic creeping into his voice.
Thud!
The puncture in his palm suddenly closed after taking everything, as if a door had slammed shut.
Aether stared at his hand, horrified. “W-What the hell was that…” His voice wavered as he tried to make sense of what had just happened, but before he could gather his thoughts—
Thud!
He was no longer inside the summit. In an instant, he found himself standing outside, right in front of the massive Wall that was marked with a Peace symbol…the summit’s entrance.
He glanced at his hand again, confusion gnawing at him. “I-I’m fine… right? Log?” His voice trembled as he called out for answers.
But there was no response. Log was silent.
This… this wasn’t something anyone had predicted.
This was a truly bizarre accident!
After standing there for a moment, feeling nothing unusual, Aether let out a long sigh, “Well, all’s well that ends well, I guess,” he muttered, brushing imaginary sweat from his forehead.
Ba-dump
But just as he took another step, his body suddenly locked up, every muscle in his form tightening as his veins bulged unnaturally.
“HHHHIIIIIIIKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!” Aether gritted his teeth, stifling a scream as his entire body began to shrink, his once-powerful frame becoming gaunt and skeletal in an instant.
Ba-dump….Ba-dump
Before he could even comprehend what was happening—
Blop… Blop…
A sickening, bubbling sound echoed from every corner of his body.
“Ahh! Shit! It’s burning!!” Aether hissed, but his voice was laced more with frustration than pain… He had endured far worse than this.
Then came the cracking.
Crack, Crack…
His limbs twitched violently as the sound of bones breaking reverberated through him. Yet despite the grotesque sounds coming from his body, Aether remained calm.
“It’s not… that bad,” he mumbled, his voice steady. He had been through transformations before—this was nothing compared to what he had endured when his strength shifted from -1 to 0.
After another agonizing minute, the cracking stopped.
“That’s it?” Aether breathed, relief washing over him. He turned to Snowflake, who had been watching him, concerned, “It’s okay… I’m fine,” he reassured, smiling warmly as he patted her head. “Let’s get going. We need to…” His voice trailed off, the smile vanishing from his lips as he felt a warm sensation on his face.
Ba-dump…..Ba-dump…..Ba-dump….
Drip, Drip…
Blood!
It dripped from his nose onto Snowflake’s fur. His eyes widened, pure shock overtaking him as more blood began to pour from his nostrils.
“W-What the hell is going o—”
!~Ding~!
[Error!! Unable to identify the new problem arising in the user’s body!!]
“Wha–plop, plop..” Aether gasped, his words cut short as more blood gushed from his mouth, dripping onto the ground.
[Scanning…]
[Error!! Blood Heart of Draconic Pyres is attempting to overtake the Crimson Elixir of the Null]
“Fuuuuuck! Cough, cough!!” Aether cursed, hacking violently as blood poured from his mouth. He grabbed Snowflake and pushed her back, “Stay there! Cough, cough… Stay away!” His voice was strained, a mix of agony and command as his body began to betray him.
Dropping to his knees, Aether’s body convulsed, blood spewing from every orifice—eyes, ears, nose, and mouth—as the violent clash between the two blood forces raged within him.
[Warning!! The two bloodlines are entering a state of rapid domination, causing the user’s body to break apart!!]
“Fuuuccckkkk!!” Aether mumbled, his vision blurring. His head felt like it was spinning, consciousness slipping from him like sand through his fingers. Then, through the growing haze of his mind, a sound tore through his skull:
BAGRUUUUUUUHHHHHAAAAAA
A monstrous roar echoed from the depths below… A familiar sound, Aether’s bloodshot eyes snapped open, glowing crimson with fury. He turned his gaze to the deep valley just inches away from him, “S-So… cough, cough… you’re there… aren’t you?!”
With trembling hands, Aether crawled toward the edge of the cliff. “T-This time… I’ll fucking… hunt you d—”
BAGRUUUUUUUHHHHHAAA!!
The earth trembled,
SSTTTTRRRRRRRRR!
, the ground beneath him gave way.
“MASSSTTEERRRRRRR~~~~!” Snowflake’s cry pierced the air as she watched Aether plummet into the abyss below. Without a second thought, she leaped into the deep chasm after him, her heart racing in terror.
Aether, now unconscious, fell rapidly, blood continuing to gush from his broken body.
[Warning!! The Blood Heart of Draconic Pyres is on the verge of completely destroying the Crimson Elixir of the Null]
His body, limp and lifeless, bled profusely as it plunged deeper into the valley.
[Error!!]
[Warning: Only 1% of the Crimson Elixir of the Null remains… The user’s body is on the brink of total collapse]
Inside Aether’s body, though unconscious, he could still feel it. The battle raging within him—the two bloodlines fighting savagely for control.
His own blood was struggling, while the invasive blood of the Draconic Pyres was overpowering it, bullying it into submission.
In his subconscious, Aether could see the struggle.
‘Roarrrrrrr!!’ A massive, dragon-like creature with blazing phoenix wings loomed large, its roar deafening as it towered over a small, trembling puddle of slime-like blood. The powerful Draconic blood flared with dominance, while Aether’s own blood cowered beneath its might….. and Aether didn’t like it!!
“Are you just going to give up?!” Aether’s voice rang out in his own mind, seething with fury. “My own blood, giving up? Pathetic!!” He spat the words with venom, his tone filled with disdain.
The small puddle of blood quivered, trembling under his harsh scrutiny. Stay connected with empire
“You’re just going to let it take your place?!” His voice was cold, unforgiving. “How disappointing…”
The puddle quaked even more violently.
But then, Aether’s tone softened, “I thought… you were like me. I believed you were relentless… that you never gave up. It seems I was wrong…” His voice held a tinge of sadness, almost as if he was mourning, “I’m truly sad… Goodbye, old friend.”
Before him, the Draconic blood opened its massive maw, ready to consume his own blood once and for all.
!~Ding~!
[Blood Heart of Draconic Pyres is successfully overtaking the user’s body. Stabilization and mutation star— ERROR!!]
BA-DUMP….BA-DUMP….
!~Ding~!
[Unknown Error Detected!]
[Scanning…]
Suddenly, Aether’s lips curled into a grin as he watched the Draconic blood tremble. Something was wrong—inside the once-dominant blood, something was shifting.
BA-DUMP….
BA-DUMP….
BA-DUMP….
Plop, Plop…
Crack!
Aether’s eyes gleamed in surprise as he saw the crystal-blue horn—previously coated with the Draconic blood—beginning to crack.
BUSSSSSRRRRRR!!
The crystal shattered into a flurry of diamond-like particles, sparkling in the darkness. The fragments swirled around the Draconic blood before being sucked inside it… where his blood inside there!!
BUSSSRT!!
The Draconic blood exploded violently, bursting apart like a fragile vessel.
BA-DUMP….
BA-DUMP….
BA-DUMP….
BA-DUMP….
BA-DUMP….
!~Ding~!
[Crimson Elixir of the Null has devoured 1% of the Blood Heart of Draconic Pyres]
Aether grinned wider as he watched his own blood—once weak and trembling—now grow larger, more monstrous, as it began to devour the Draconic blood from the inside.
“That’s it… my friend,” Aether whispered, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “We were born to devour… just like how we consumed Arkanis’s remnant soul!”
[Crimson Elixir of the Null has devoured 10% of the Blood Heart of Draconic Pyres]
Aether’s body continued to plunge deeper into the abyss, while above him, Snowflake leapt from one crumbling rock to the next, desperately trying to reach him.
[30%]
[40%]
[50%]
[60%]
[70%]
[80%]
[90%]
[91%]
“MASSSTTEERRRRRRR~~!!” Snowflake’s voice broke in fear as she saw Aether still motionless, blood-soaked and unresponsive.
[95%]
[96%]
[97%]
[98%]
[99%]
…..
!~Ding~!
[Crimson Elixir of the Null has devoured 100% of the Blood Heart of Draconic Pyres]
!~Ding~!
[You have Levelled up!!]
[Level: 61↑]
[Level: 62↑]
[Level: 63↑]
[Level: 64↑]
…..
…
[Level: 81↑]
!~Ding~!
[Liora Darkfang Weapon unlocked!]
!~Ding~!
[Remaining Affection Points: 3,149,563]
!~Ding~!
[(Resumed) Remaining Time: 180 days 00 hours 00 minutes 10 seconds ↓]
Yet, despite the victory within his blood, Aether’s body continued to fall. The blood that had been gushing from his wounds finally stopped, but there were still no visible signs of life.
His body remained limp, and he wasn’t waking up.
Just as he was about to hit the ground below—
“Wake up, Aether!”
“Wake up, Aether!”
“MASSSTTTEERRRRRRRRRR~~~!!” Snowflake finally caught up to him, wrapping her tail protectively around his body as they plummeted together.
Ba-dump….
Spark!
Aether’s eyes suddenly shot open, gleaming with a radiant, purple light. A wicked grin spread across his face.
“Hehehe….”
BOOM!
Crack!!
Spark, Spark!!
In the deepest part of the valley,…. a brilliant purple spark of lightning illuminated the surrounding darkness, its electric tendrils reaching up toward the ominous, red-tinged clouds above.
THUNDER!!!
Far away, Arkanis squinted into the distance, his brow furrowing at the sight of the vibrant purple thunderclap, “What in the world is that? I have never seen that colour in my life..” he murmured, ‘That power…’ He felt his legs tremble beneath him, a mixture of unease and curiosity swirling in his gut.
“Father?” Leon asked, concern, as he observed his father’s reaction.
“Hmm… it’s probably nothing significant.” Arkanis managed a gentle smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Let’s focus on the task at hand. We should be ready to welcome your future father-in-law… Mr. Velc Frostblade.”
He turned his attention to the blue-haired middle-aged man approaching them, who wore a broad grin that showcased his enthusiasm.