Third Person’s POV
“Nope, nope… I cannot believe you actually tried to eat him, Snow,” Aether muttered, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief.
He had only been toying around with Mortimer, intending to mess with him a little, but Snowflake had taken things far too seriously.
In fact, she’d nearly roasted the poor man alive!!
“Sigh…” Aether rubbed his temples, clearly exasperated. As much as he enjoyed seeing Mortimer squirm and suffer a bit, this… this felt like overkill. It was as if he were the one enduring the torture now.
His gaze shifted to Mortimer, who lay unconscious on the ground, his body limp and lifeless after narrowly avoiding being swallowed whole by Snowflake.
“Well, at least this way, he’ll shut his mouth for a while,” Aether muttered under his breath before turning his attention to the ice sculptures surrounding them.
Most of the frozen monsters had already been hauled to the shore, their icy prisons shattered, and were now being devoured by Snowflake with an insatiable appetite.
Ever since her evolution, Snowflake had become an unrelenting glutton, consuming nearly every creature in sight.
The four Krakens, once formidable big foes… had been swallowed whole as if they were mere appetizers.
Only then had she shown any semblance of satisfaction.
‘I really hope this is just a one-time thing,’ Aether thought, his expression tinged with unease. If she kept devouring creatures at this rate, the ocean might soon be devoid of life entirely.
And as if to remind him of her newfound sentience, Snowflake suddenly chimed in, her voice clear and fluent,
“Master, you’re the one who said I could eat everything here.”
Her words startled Aether…. There was no longer any hissing or elongated tones like before. She now spoke with perfect clarity, almost as if she were human.
Aether forced a weak chuckle, scratching the back of his head. “You can, Snow, but except him. I need to have a word with him first.”
Snowflake pouted, clearly displeased, and was about to argue when Aether quickly pointed at the Kraken he had been cooking earlier. “Oh, it’s going to burn…”
Snowflake’s golden eyes widened in alarm. “NO! My food~~~” she shrieked, her tone reverting to a hiss as she darted toward the fire. With her tail, she snatched the stick holding the Kraken meat, carefully holding it like a skewer. She took a massive bite, her expression instantly brightening. “Hmmm… so tasty… hmmm!” she mumbled happily as she continued munching on the charred tentacle.
Aether let out a small smile at her antics before turning his attention back to Mortimer, who was beginning to stir. His expression darkened as the old man weakly tried to crawl away.
“And where do you think you’re going, old man?” Aether asked coldly, grabbing Mortimer by the collar and yanking him up effortlessly.
“Y-You’ll regret this, Ether… Let me go!” Mortimer croaked, his voice strained and barely audible. He poured what little strength he had left into his words, his broken body trembling violently. The curse had ravaged his body, and if he stayed here any longer, his life would undoubtedly be danger.
Aether’s grin widened as he observed the desperation etched across the old man’s face.
“Oh, come on now. After everything we’ve been through, you’re just going to leave like that? What about your new friends?” he teased, tilting Mortimer slightly so the old man could see the icy ocean and the frozen monsters scattered across it.
Mortimer’s eyes widened in disbelief, “T-This power… How do you even have this level of strength?” he gasped, his voice filled with both awe and terror. The scale of the destruction before him was unfathomable. Aether, who had been a mere Level 0 just months ago, now wielded power that defied logic and comprehension.
Not even a Chosen ones could do that!!
“How?” Mortimer whispered, his trembling voice laced with desperation. “How is this even possible?”
Aether raised an eyebrow, “How? That’s a good question,” he mused, stroking his chin. “Hmm… but I don’t have an answer for you,” he added with a casual shrug.
Mortimer’s face twisted with a mix of regret and acceptance. He knew he had made a grave mistake, yet he couldn’t suppress the twisted pride swelling within him. A small, delirious smile crept onto his lips, “S-See… I-I told you…”
“Hmm?” Aether tilted his head, seeing Mortimer’s weird happy expression.
Mortimer began to laugh weakly, his voice shaky yet oddly triumphant,
“H-Hah… Haha… I knew this would happen if I pushed you, Aether. You’ve proven your worth to the world… ha-ah… A-All because of what I did.
I created you, made you power same like any of the Chosen Ones… no…” His expression grew manic, his eyes gleaming with a crazed fervor.
“You’re the only one I know who could cause destruction on this scale… far beyond what a Chosen One could ever hope to achieve! Haha… all because of me! Y-You should be grateful!”
Aether stared at the old man blankly, his expression unreadable. Slowly, he glanced over at Snowflake, who was still happily munching on the Kraken meat.
“Take whatever food you want,” Aether said calmly. “I’ll be back soon.” Without another word, he vanished from sight.
Snowflake nodded eagerly, her eyes gleaming with mischief as she turned her attention back to the remaining frozen monsters…. Her smile widened, revealing sharp fangs.
“I’m going to eat you all~” she sang gleefully, her voice dripping with amusement.
The nearly melting monsters began to tremble, their frozen forms quaking as if sweating bullets under her predatory gaze.
Meanwhile, Back in the Frostblad Household
“All because of you… ah?” Aether muttered, his voice devoid of emotion as he reclined on the ice throne that once symbolized Mortimer’s power and legacy…. Now, that very symbol mocked its former master.
Aether’s gaze settled on the man lying before him, no longer a figure of pride but a crumpled heap, mere inches away from his feet. Mortimer’s body strained with every futile attempt to move, a grotesque parody of resistance.
Mortimer’s face twisted into a volatile blend of fury and desperation. The fire in his eyes was dimmed by the weight of his shame, though he forced a strained smile that cracked under the pressure. “Y-Yes… You need to understand, Ethe—”
“Aether”
Mortimer gritted his teeth, his pride screaming beneath his forced composure. But he pressed on, a flicker of his former arrogance surfacing in his tone. “Fine, fine… Aether. You need to realize that if it weren’t for me saving you, if it weren’t for me taking away your Chosen ability, you wouldn’t be sitting here, acting all high and mighty before me.”
The bitter words dripped with venom, yet even Mortimer couldn’t ignore how hollow they sounded…. His voice faltered as he tried to hold onto the last remnants of his pride.
“It was all because of the prophecy, Aether,” he added, desperation beginning to leak into his words. “I had to do it! To ensure a strong warrior would be born into this world! And look at you now—you’ve become this… this force of nature, all because of what I did! You should be—mmfff!”
Mortimer’s declaration was silenced with brutal efficiency as Aether shoved his shoe into the old man’s mouth. The once-proud Mortimer, who had dictated the fates of others… saving, torturing… now choked on the sole of a shoe.
With a voice steeped in disdain, Aether muttered, “The only reason you’re still breathing, old man, is because of Selene and Delphine.”
Mortimer’s face flushed crimson with shame, the humiliation cutting deeper than any wound. His body trembled as he mustered every ounce of residual strength, clawing at the ice to lift himself. It wasn’t resilience—it was desperation, an instinctive refusal to accept his powerlessness.
But even that feeble attempt was crushed under Aether’s heel. With a sharp, calculated movement, Aether’s leg swung down in a punishing blow to Mortimer’s back.
BAM!
“Arrgh!” Mortimer’s scream echoed through the chamber as his frail body slammed into the frozen ground. Blood spattered from his mouth, a vivid testament to his broken state.
Aether pressed the toe of his shoe beneath Mortimer’s chin, tilting the man’s head side to side with an air of cruel indifference…. Mortimer’s bloodshot eyes stared up at him, a mix of fury, fear, and profound despair swirling in their depths.
“Still got the nerve to try standing, huh?” Aether’s sneer deepened, his voice dripping with mockery. “I guess experience really does count for something. Eating dirt and trying again… admirable, in its own pathetic way.”
Aether’s tone shifted, his mocking amusement twisting into something darker. “Anyway,” he continued with a sly grin, “I have to admit, I’m actually grateful to you and your son. Without you, I might’ve never met my adorable yandere Selene or my little pervert Delphine. So, for that, old man, I guess I owe you my thanks.”
He said with a serious tone, truly feeling grateful; otherwise, he might have missed out on two captivating cuties—each a perfect blend of beauties and irresistible naughtiness—whom he might never have encountered in his life again.
Mortimer’s fury flickered in confusion, his brow furrowing at the mention of his daughter. “Delphine?” he croaked, his voice weak and tinged with dread.
Aether’s grin widened into a sadistic smile, “Oh, absolutely. Your precious daughter loves me so much, she’s already carrying my child, you know…. You will be soon grandfather of my child~ Happy now~?”
Though he was only toying with Mortimer, the reaction was worth every word.
The statement hit Mortimer like a thunderbolt!!
Mortimer’s eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated shock, his face going as pale as death itself.
His own daughter, the pride of his lineage, tainted by a slave? The revelation spiraled through his mind like a curse, corrupting every belief he’d ever held.
Cough, Cough..
He coughed violently, blood splattering onto Aether’s pristine shoes, as if the mere words had physically weakened him.
His body trembled, not just from exhaustion but from the overwhelming shame and despair.
“Fucker!” Aether growled, his irritation flaring as he glanced at his blood-stained footwear. Without hesitation, he delivered a brutal kick to Mortimer’s face.
Thud!
Mortimer’s head snapped back as he crumpled to the ground with a sickening groan. “ARRRRHH!!!” he screamed, his voice garbled by the blood pooling in his mouth, his teeth clattering onto the icy floor like scattered stones.
“Y-You’re lying… There’s no way my daughter would bear the child of a slav—mmffff!!”
His words were cut off as Aether shoved his shoe into Mortimer’s mouth, pressing down with calculated force. “Whether you believe it or not isn’t my concern,” Aether said with a cold shrug, his nonchalant tone cutting deeper than any blade.
Each dismissive word seemed to peel away another layer of Mortimer’s already shattered pride.
Mortimer’s muffled cries of anguish only fueled Aether’s sadistic delight, ‘Hehe..’
He crouched down, his gaze piercing into Mortimer’s broken eyes as he leaned in close. “Soon,” Aether whispered, his tone both cruel and triumphant, “I’ll marry both your daughter and your granddaughter. Then I’ll claim your house as my own. Your precious son and grandson? They’ll spend the rest of their lives groveling as my slaves, their once-great lineage reduced to nothing more than dirt beneath my feet.” He chuckled softly before feigning a pitiful expression. “Ah, how the mighty Mortimer’s family has fallen… Sob, sob. Truly, what a tragedy,” he mocked, his voice dripping with amused sympathy.
Mortimer stared at Aether with hollow eyes, his mind spiraling into a dark abyss. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire
At that moment, he understood—truly understood—the full weight of the prophecy.
Everything was gone.
His daughter. His granddaughter. His household. His wealth. His dignity. All of it had been stripped away by the very man he once scorned…. The cruel irony burned through him like fire!!
He had been so close—mere inches from reclaiming the power he had coveted his entire life. Yet now, that power felt farther away than ever, an unreachable dream mocking him from a distance…. Staring at Aether who smirking at him,
His lips trembled as he thought, ‘So this is my end… Ah.’
Mortimer knew Aether was savoring this moment, He had tortured Aether in the past, and now Aether was repaying the favor tenfold.
Still, a flicker of defiance sparked within him. If he couldn’t reclaim his honor, he could at least end his own misery on his terms.
But before he could act on that thought, Aether’s voice pierced through his despair.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Aether said, his tone laced with chilling amusement. “I won’t let you die that easily. No, your death will be slow… agonizing… unforgettable. And who knows? If you’re lucky, you might even survive it…. All the best my gran… hmm… father-in… Well what should I call you?” Aether wondered but shurgged, “Who cares, If you survive we will be good friends you know~”
Aether’s grin grew as he bit into his thumb, letting crimson droplets seep from the wound. The sight alone was enough to send a shiver of dread down Mortimer’s spine.
“Let’s see what more than one drop can do,” Aether murmured, his eyes gleaming with malevolent glee, “Hehehe…”
At that moment Mortimer knew he fucked when he saw Aether’s uncanny and wicked smile!! As he got closer.