Wood Elf Tribe…
The once-prominent tribe was aided by Alaric, who rose to unimaginable power. Although they couldn’t rival the High Elf tribe or the formidable Darkfang tribe, their prominence and importance stemmed solely from one factor—Alaric, the Chosen One!
It had not been an easy task for them to keep Alaric within their tribe. He was constantly sought after by other tribes, receiving numerous enticing offers. Desperate to hold on to him, the Wood Elves went to extraordinary lengths, granting him everything he desired and ensuring he ascended to great power…. However, in the end, their efforts got nothing but bitter betrayal!
But was it truly betrayal? Perhaps it was something else entirely. Alaric hadn’t outright turned against them—it was more like he had merely used them to his advantage, much like they had sought to exploit his potential for their own gain.
Now, the tribe found itself engulfed in the aftermath of their choices…. The consequences loomed over them like a monster they couldn’t comprehend or escape.
Chaos reigned everywhere in their tribe…. The once warm, kind-hearted Wood Elves had transformed into frenzied, raging monsters, driven by nothing but the instinct to destroy and kill. Their vacant eyes burned with a feral hunger, their minds lost in an abyss of madness.
At the heart of the tribe, a large tent stood, surrounded by soldiers desperately fending off the encroaching monsters. Some of these creatures snarled and lunged, while others dragged themselves forward, drooling as they sought to devour anyone in sight.
Inside the tent:
“Y-Your Majesty… T-The people… they’ve completely turned into a mindless monsters. Only a handful managed to escape, and the rest—” the soldier’s voice trembled, his fear palpable as he reported to the elder, the tribe’s leader and king, “—the rest were eaten…”
The elder, an old man weathered by years of leadership, clenched his teeth and bit his trembling lips until blood trickled down. His grip tightened on his gnarled wooden staff as he sat slumped in a plain chair. “M-My people… E-Everyone… They died… b-because of my greed!” His voice cracked under the weight of his guilt.
The soldier shook his head fervently. “No, Your Majesty! You acted as anyone in your position would. You only did what you believed was best for the tribe. This is not your fault—this is Alaric’s treachery!” He took a deep breath, steadying himself, before adding, “But we must act now. You need to leave this place while there’s still time.”
“Leave?” the elder roared in despair. “Where would I go? What’s left for me? My people—my beloved Wood Elves—have perished before my very eyes. They’ve turned into cursed abominations, and I couldn’t save them! What reason do I have to live any longer?!”
The soldier’s lips trembled as he tried to find the right words. “Y-Your Majesty… W-We could still rebuild. If we reach out for help, perhaps Lady Aria—she might—”
“Hah! Lady Aria?” the old man interrupted with a bitter laugh. “After what Alaric did to that girl, do you really think she would offer us aid? She has every reason to despise us!” His face fell further into a grim expression of guilt and hopelessness.
Suddenly..
“Y-Your Majesty!” Another soldier burst into the tent, gasping for breath.
“What is it?” the first soldier demanded, stepping forward and instinctively pointing his sword at the newcomer.
“I-It’s Lady Aria! She’s here… She’s come to help us!”
Both the elder and the soldier froze, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief…. maybe a little hope!
But then,
“I never said I’d help any of you,” an icy, disgruntled voice rang out. Aria stepped into the tent with others, her face etched with annoyance and disdain.
The old man and the soldier flinched visibly, bowing their heads low, unable to meet her gaze.
Aria let out a sharp, derisive snort. Beside her, Maelona stepped forward, her posture firm and commanding. “What exactly is happening here?” she demanded.
The old man took a shaky breath before opening his mouth to explain. “It was done by A—”
“Alaric?” Aria interrupted, her sharp eyes narrowing. The elder hesitated, his eyebrows raising in surprise. Aria continued coldly, “We already know he’s responsible. What we want to know is how he did it and who those hooded figures are that we saw.”
The old man hesitated again but eventually spoke, his voice laden with regret. “It… It happened a few days ago. Alaric suddenly appeared, and he offered us a chance to obtain—”
Meanwhile, in the sky…
Aether floated above… Hooded figures stared at him, while a massive brown-colored dragon glared at him with a fiery, murderous expression.
Aether glanced at his mission tab, which blinked persistently, and sighed inwardly. “So, let me guess… You lot are from the Arcane Hunters?” he called out, his tone exasperated but calm.
The hooded figures exchanged uneasy glances, seemingly baffled by Aether’s sudden appearance.
Grrrrrlll!
The dragon growled deeply, its golden eyes locked onto Aether, brimming with fury.
Ignoring the dragon entirely, Aether spoke again. “So, are you going to tell me where Raven is, or do we have to do this the hard way? I’m all for solving this peacefully, you know.”
One of the hooded figures stepped forward, exuding arrogance. “Brat! Get out of here before I wipe your very existence from this empire!”
Aether raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “Huh… Is that so? Alright then, have it your way.”
The figure flinched when it noticed Aether’s form flickered, as if vanishing and reappearing instantaneously. ‘What the hell?!’ the figure thought, before attempting to rally its comrades. “Since he wishes to die, let’s grant him a—” Its voice faltered as it realized its companions were lying lifeless on the ground, gaping holes in their chests.
The figure turned its horrified gaze to Aether, whose bloodied hand and unnervingly calm grin sent shivers down its spine.
“Now,” Aether said with chilling composure, “are you ready to talk, or should I continue?”
The figure visibly flinched, terror etched across its face. Moments ago, it had dismissed Aether as a mere brat, but now the suffocating energy radiating from him was undeniable—raw power capable of rivaling a Chosen ones!
Aether’s piercing gaze flicked to the brown dragon, which had been caught off guard by his swift, merciless attack. Without hesitation, he commanded, “Capture him.”
The brown dragon recoiled momentarily before fixing Aether with a defiant glare. “Who are you to give me ord—”
“Did you forget… who I am?” Aether’s voice was emotionless, his eyes shimmering with a dangerous, flickering purple hue.
The dragon froze, its rebellious stance melting into fear. “S-Sir?” it stammered, its once-powerful voice reduced to a shaky whisper.
Without another word, Aether descended from the sky. The dragon, transfixed by the sight of his commanding figure, stared in awe. It was an almost reverent gaze, but the distraction was enough for The hooded figure seized the moment to escape…
Yet,
A massive tail shot out and coiled tightly around the fleeing figure. The dragon sneered, its cavernous jaws parting to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. “Where do you think you’re going?” it mocked, its voice dripping with menace. The captured figure whimpered before succumbing to unconsciousness.
Back in the tent:
Aether stepped inside, his sharp eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. An old man knelt before Aria, his frail body trembling with desperation. “P-Please save us! Your Majesty, I beg you! I-I will support your claim to the throne… J-Just save my people!”
Aria glanced at Aether, her sigh carrying the weight of frustration. “It’s such a mess, Aether,” she murmured, her voice tinged with exasperation. “They say that, in their greed to gain more power and overthrow the throne, they accepted an offer from Alaric. He took the young members of their tribe. At first, they came back stronger, healthier—seemingly fine. But today… everything changed. They turned into monsters, and the plague spread rapidly among everyone else.”
Aether’s brow furrowed. ‘Spread? Like a zombie virus?’ he thought grimly. His frown deepened as he asked, “Do you mean it spread naturally, or did those who turned into monsters bite others, or—was there any fluid contact involved?”
The old man nodded furiously, desperation amplifying his every gesture. “They bit others, and soon everyone changed into monsters!” Though he was unsure of the human’s presence, Aria’s respectful tone toward Aether compelled him to answer truthfully.
Aether pinched the bridge of his nose, ‘Fuck! What have you done, Fucker?!’ he cursed inwardly, his thoughts racing. The Master had clearly orchestrated something far more sinister than anyone could comprehend. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire
Using the Rainbow Arcane Crystal as a powerful contagion, spreading destruction like a zombie plague… what on earth was he expecting to achieve with this?
What twisted scheme could that bastard be concocting in the depths of his mind?!
What possible gain could the Master hope to extract from such chaos?
Aether only knew whatever Master did had meaning…
Aether had an overwhelming number of questions swirling in his mind, and instead of finding answers, they only seemed to multiply!
Suddenly,
Thud!
Everyone flinched as the brown dragon landed forcefully. But as they watched, its form shimmered and shifted into that of a brown-haired woman, her body marked with bloody wounds.
Aether’s eyes widened slightly in recognition. “Lyirrs?”
The woman straightened, wincing, and knelt before him. “Yes, Sir,” she said, her voice steady despite her injuries. She lowered the hooded figure at his feet.
Aether’s expression darkened. He had assumed it was just another dragon—never Lyirrs. His tone turned icy, “I ordered you to stay close Raven, Mind telling me what the fuck happened?”
Lyirrs began to sweat, “Please forgive me, S-Sir,” she stammered. “E-Everything happened so fast. I… I couldn’t—” She broke off as the suffocating weight of Aether’s bloodlust pressed down on her.
Liora’s tail gently tapped Aether’s back. “Calm yourself, Husband,” she murmured softly.
Aether exhaled deeply, regaining control. Lyirrs bowed her head even lower, her relief palpable.
“I failed to meet your expectations, Sir,” she confessed, “but please, grant me one more chance. I let the intruders in because Miss Thalia said they were her friends.
Since they were meeting in the throne room, I wasn’t allowed inside. Then suddenly… the throne room became a battlefield. By the time I entered, the Empress and Miss Thalia were already gravely wounded. My father and I barely managed to evacuate them. We thought the Academy could protect us, but a powerful figure ambushed us upon arrival. They took the Empress. With help of Miss Thalia we managed find where Empress is and I got held back by these people…”
She said in all in one breath like without a pause or a heistation… Maelona was slightly taken aback by her loyality.
Aether frowned as he thought ‘Thalia… How could she have let them in after I fucking warned her?!’ His anger flared as he turned to the hooded figure. Liora, with a silent nod, yanked the hood down and delivered a sharp slap.
Slap!
“Arrhh!” The figure groaned, slowly regaining consciousness. Its eyes darted around in panic before nearly collapsing under the oppressive killing intent filling the tent. “I-I won’t tell you anything!” it blurted out. “E-Even if you tortu—”
“Who said anything about torture?” Aether interrupted, his grin predatory. His crimson eyes glowed ominously as his ability took hold, leaving the man’s mind numb and pliant.
“Where is Raven?” Aether demanded coldly.
Without hesitation, the man responded, “Below the ancient tree at the edge of the Wood Elf tribe….” He rattled off the details mechanically.
While Aether gathering information, emerging from the tent, surrounded by vigilant guards and ominous monsters, the scene shifted to the corner of the wilderness.
The focus zoomed in on an ancient, towering tree, its bark weathered with the scars of centuries…. Its hollowed interior opened into a cavernous expanse. Descending deeper into its shadowy depths… so deep!
As the view reched the ground a narrow path appeeared as the view zoomed further… passing through layers of blackened, ironclad doors, the eerie quiet was broken only by the faint echoes of distant movement. Finally, something came into view—a vast, dimly lit chamber. [A/N: Do you understand above two paragraphs?]
“Huff… Huff… I-I cannot believe y-you of all people would do this…” Thalia gasped, her words trembling with both exhaustion and fury. Blood trickled down her temple, staining her once-pristine skin. She clutched her unconscious mother tightly, her arms trembling under the strain.
Her sharp, accusing glare locked onto…. Marisandra Naiadia who slowly removed her hoodie.
Sandra sat with an unnerving calm on a circular stone platform anchored to the chamber’s floor. In her hand, she held a crystalline cube, its shimmering facets encasing an unconscious Raven. Sandra’s expression was cold, her lips curved ever so slightly in an indifferent smirk, as though Thalia’s anger amused her.
“Oh, my dear… you still have no idea what people are capable of, do you?”
“ggrrr!” Thalia gritted her teeth.