“Wow… how did you do that?” Lia asked, her eyes wide with shock. One moment, she was in her room; all she did was close her eyes, and now, she was somewhere entirely different.
Only higher-level people are able to teleport so, “What level are you?” she asked curiously.
Aether’s grin widened as he reached over and playfully pinched her nose, “That’s a secret~”
Lia blushed slightly, flicking his hand away. “One day, I’ll definitely uncover all your secrets! Just you wait! Hmph!”
Aether chuckled, clearly amused. As Lia turned her attention to the dark wall in front of them, she frowned, inspecting it. Intricate carvings of a peace symbol covered the stone surface. “So… how exactly are we supposed to get in?” she asked, glancing back at him.
But when she turned around, Aether was… gone!
Confused, she called out, “Aether?” Suddenly, he reappeared, now holding a test tube filled with a dark red liquid.
“What’s that?” Lia asked, curiosity lighting up her eyes.
“Oh, just some lizard blood,” Aether said, half-joking as he splashed the contents onto the wall. The blood spread across the surface, and a moment later, the stone began to shift and open, revealing a dim pathway beyond.
“Oh…” Lia muttered, watching in surprise. She peered into the darkness, her eyes narrowing as she clenched her fists. Determined, she took a step forward. “Alright, let’s go, Aether!” she declared, ready to charge in.
But Aether didn’t move.
She turned, a confused look on her face. “Aether? Aren’t you coming?”
“Sorry, Lia. This is something you have to do alone,” he replied, his expression turning serious.
Lia frowned, “Why? If there are treasures in this summit, rare items and artifacts we could sell… more hands would mean we could collect more!” Her eyes sparkled with excitement at the thought.
Aether raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips as he thought, ‘Lia’s back to her usual self… But still, for fuck’s sake you are Noble Please act like one!!!!’ He sighed, crossing his arms. “No, Lia. This summit isn’t about collecting things or making money. It’s about growth.
Your
growth.”
Lia tilted her head, puzzled.
This trial or game or whatever that shit was… they needed!!
In this summit, the time flows differently for everyone and considering ‘The beginning’ was around the corner, they didn’t have enough time to grow more.
So one way or another… this place was indeed a good place to grow!!!
Aether’s gaze softened, though his tone remained firm. “You need to become stronger, Lia—both physically and mentally”
She looked at him, uncertain, before nodding slowly. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. Just as she was about to step forward, she hesitated, glancing over her shoulder, “I won’t take too long… I know how painful it is to wait for an answer. And with Aria and Selene already inside… I’ll talk to them!” Her face glowed with newfound determination as she entered.
Aether’s eyes widened, surprise flickering across his face. He hadn’t expected her to talk with them directly.
Fuck!
As the door began to close, he quickly threw a small, black box toward her. The box disassembled mid-air, dispersing like a swarm of nanobots, attaching themselves to Lia’s back just before the door fully shut.
“Kyaa! What the heck is t—–??!!!!” Lia shrieked before door shut.
Aether chuckled, though his expression held a trace of worry, ‘Well, sucks for me…’ he thought, shrugging, silently hoping Lia would emerge unscathed from the summit—and from the two notorious yanderes.
He looked around, expecting to see someone, and frowned, “Where’s the Principal?” She wasn’t there, which struck him as odd. With a shrug, he turned to head back to the castle, when—
“Aether.”
He froze, and the Principal suddenly appeared before him, her face set in a grave expression.
“What’s going on?” Aether asked, his brows knitting together in concern.
“You need to see this… come with me.”
….
….
Trrrrrrrrrrr!!!
Aether watched, his gaze fixed on the massive stone slab that was slowly rotating as it lifted from the ground.
Roots wrapped around it like threads on a screw, gradually twisting out of the ground.
When the slab had been on the ground, it seemed a rotating disc, but now it rose almost twice his height, like a screw!!
Aether frowned, his curiosity piqued. “What’s happening? Is it… unscrewing itself?”
The Principal shook her head, “No, it’s not unscrewing. Look closer,” she instructed, pointing to the roots being pulled taut from the ground. “It’s not just spinning—it’s pulling the roots up.”
Aether squinted, piecing together what she meant. “So… the slab rotates, and the roots that are connected to it are getting twisted and drawn upward,” he murmured. Realization hit him, and his eyes widened, “Wait!… don’t tell me this is—”
“It’s pulling the Empires together!” the Principal finished, her tone grave.
Aether’s jaw clenched. He understood what she meant. Those five Empires, though separated by vast distances, were all connected by one entity—The
Mother Root.
“The roots are what bind the Empires together,” she continued, her voice low and steady. “And now, as these roots are pulled in, the Empires themselves will be dragged toward each other… until they inevitably collide.”
It was like…. tangle of kites in the sky, their strings twisted together and slowly drawing closer until each kite would crash into the other, destroying them all!!
He remembered the words from the Arcane Hunter Association’s Head.
‘The Beginning—the complete destruction of everything.’
So this… this was the destruction he had hinted at.
“We have to destroy it!” Aether said as he moved forward, ready to break the slab or stop the roots somehow.
Zap!
A sudden spark shot out, striking his hand with a sharp, numbing pain.
“Ouch!” Aether jerked back, wincing as he looked down at his hand. “What the…”
“It’s protecting itself,” the Principal said, disappointment lacing her tone. She reached forward cautiously, and as her fingers neared the roots, sparks flickered up defensively, preventing her from making contact. She sighed, brushing her fingertips against the static air around it, lost in thought, ‘Mother Goddess’s roots… it seems she intends to end everything. But why?’
Aether gritted his teeth, frustrated, “So… what now?”
The Principal stepped back, considering the slab with a critical eye. “I’ll need to check the Academy’s archives. There may be records or ancient texts that explain this phenomenon. Somewhere, there must be answers,” she murmured, turning to leave when—
“Wait!” Aether called after her, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant… He knew this situation was important but for him “What… what’s your name, Master?” this was important!
She paused, looking back at him with an amused smile. “I thought you already knew my name?”
Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire
Aether shrugged, offering a sheepish smile. “I’ve only heard bits and pieces. I wanted to hear it from you.”
The Principal stared at him.
Aether sighed, “If you think I am unworthy to hea–“
“Isadora Pinkheart” She interrupted.
Aether echoed it, as if trying it out. “Isadora… Pinkheart. That’s a pretty unique name.”
She softened slightly, her voice turning wistful, “It’s one people often remember, for better or worse.” She turned back toward the path, ready to leave.
“I… I’m sorry.”
Isadora froze, glancing back over her shoulder. His expression had changed, a hint of guilt in his gaze as he continued.
“I let my power and arrogance get to my head that day,” Aether said quietly. “I know that hurt you… so, I’m sorry.”
[+6000 AP]
Isadora blinked, taken aback. She hadn’t expected him to apologize—especially now, considering all he was handling, and his rapid rise in power. She thought to herself, ‘Even with all his strength, he’s still Aether, deep down. Perhaps he hasn’t changed as much as I thou—‘
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when Aether suddenly grinned. “As a token of apology… let me give you a hug, my dear Dora~” he said, vanishing and reappearing behind her in an instant, his arms wrapping around her in a mischievous embrace.
Her eyes widened in shock, ‘When did he—Fuck this brat has not changed at all!!’ though there was a hint of anger in her, she smiled gently….. until his hand squeezed her ass as he mumbled, “Busty Dora~” Before she could process it, her instincts kicked in.
She grabbed his head and swiftly flipped him to the ground, pinning him with a fiery glare.
“Bastard! Don’t you ever call me Dora!” she growled, her pink cheeks betraying her flustered state, “I hate that nickname!”
Aether grinned with a deep shit face before,”Oh, Do~ Do~ Do~ Dora~”
BOOMMM!!!