“Aether, are you absolutely sure we can trust that man’s words?” Maelona asked with a questioning gaze, her tone carrying a hint of doubt as they carefully trod the narrow path under the massive old tree.
Aether, who was leading the group with steady steps, turned his head slightly and replied, “Well, we found a path, didn’t we? That’s a good sign, isn’t it?”
Maelona nodded softly, acknowledging his point. It was true—they had stumbled upon a hidden path inside a tree, one so well-concealed that not even the Elder of the Wood Elf tribe had any knowledge of its existence.
Trailing behind Aether, Aria wore a hesitant expression, her brows furrowed in thought. She cast a fleeting glance toward her mother, her eyes silently pleading for clarification. Noticing this, Maelona let out a small sigh before asking in a seemingly nonchalant tone,
“So… this Raven girl. Is she your target or something? Or is there more to this story, Aether?”
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Aether, though appearing calm, sensed the seriousness masked beneath Maelona’s casual tone. He inwardly sighed, knowing they deserved the truth. “Yes,” he admitted after a moment, “it’s all happening because I didn’t complete my mission when I had the chance.”
Hearing this, both Maelona and Aria raised their eyebrows, their faces a mixture of shock and realization as if some hidden puzzle piece had just fallen into place.
Even though Aether had spoken plainly about his mission before, something about it gnawed at both Maelona and Aria…. There was an odd feeling they couldn’t quite shake.
After all… how could anyone truly believe that a Goddess would assist a mortal man in seducing women? The very idea was absurd!
Who in their right mind would even entertain such a ridiculous notion?
Yet, despite the absurdity, they believed Aether’s words. Even if there was a chance he was lying, the doubt remained faint… until now… they saw the truth with their own eyes.
Aria’s face turned pale, her voice trembling as she stammered, “S-So… all this death… it’s because of your mission? Because of you…?” Her words faltered into a faint gasp.
Maelona immediately reached out and clasped her daughter’s hand, her expression softening. It was clear she, too, was struggling to process the weight of Aether’s revelation.
Meanwhile, Lyirrs and Kaelen exchanged confused glances, their brows furrowed deeply. Whatever Aether had just confessed was beyond their understanding. Liora, however, merely shrugged, her indifferent attitude showing she couldn’t care less.
As they ventured deeper into the path, they were met with an unexpected obstacle—a massive black door blocking their way.
Liora, without a second thought, clenched her fist and delivered a solid punch to the door. To her surprise, it didn’t even leave a scratch.
“Hmm… it’s tougher than it looks,” Liora muttered, her frustration evident as she tightened her fist, preparing to unleash her full strength. Just as she was about to strike again, Aether stepped forward, holding up his hand to stop her.
“If you use your full power here, the ground will collapse beneath us,” he warned, pointing toward the cracked ceiling above them, evidence of her previous attack.
Liora lowered her fist reluctantly, stepping aside as Aether approached the door. He ran his hand along the surface, frowning in thought. “Hmm… it feels similar to that material they used in the castle’s construction,” he mused aloud. Then, turning to Lyirrs, he called out, “Lyirrs! Over here!”
The brown-haired woman stepped forward, nodding in understanding. Her hands transformed into enormous dragon claws as she approached the door.
Slinnng!
Slinnng!
With a swift motion, she carved an ‘X’ mark into the black metal wall, her claws slicing through it as though it were nothing more than butter.
Aether frowned as realization struck him… The enemy had deliberately restrained Lyirrs, knowing full well how easily she could tear through their defences.
‘That Master…’ Aether’s frown deepened as his mind churned… Just how far ahead had that man planned all of this?
Aria and the others were visibly surprised as they stepped through the now-open doorway, returning once more to the narrow path that stretched ahead of them.
Kaelen, though silent, couldn’t contain his curiosity. Questions burned in his mind: What was truly happening here? Why was a dragon bowing to his father? And how had Aether risen to such greatness?
Yet Kaelen knew better than to voice his questions now. The tension in the air was palpable, and the situation was clearly spiraling into chaos.
As they continued walking, they encountered another black metal wall—and another after that. Each time, Lyirrs effortlessly cut through it. This cycle repeated five more times before they finally arrived at a large platform.
“It’s like someone intentionally built this platform,” Liora murmured, her fingers brushing against the polished walls. The surface was smooth, almost unnaturally refined.
Aether’s frown deepened as he surveyed the empty space…. There was nothing here.
Just an empty platform. ‘Did he lie to me?’ Aether wondered. Yet, he trusted his instincts. His skill had worked on the enemy before, so something had to be here. Or perhaps… even that man didn’t have all the answers.
While everyone scattered to search the platform, Kaelen paused, his eyes catching something on the ground. “What is this…?” he muttered, crouching to pick it up.
The others turned to face him, their curiosity piqued—everyone except Liora, whose wolf ears twitched as she pressed them against a wall, listening intently.
Aether’s gaze locked onto the blue horn Kaelen held. Lyirrs’ eyes widened in shock as she exclaimed, “Yes! That’s it! That’s the thing they used to control us, to render us immobile… How on earth do they have it?!”
Aether bit his lip, his expression grim….
“What’s this?” Aria asked, her tone curious yet cautious.
Lyirrs let out a heavy sigh. “It belonged to the previous Dragon Emperor. It has the power to control us, to strip us of our will.”
“Oh my…” Maelona raised an eyebrow, her intrigue evident. “So the enemy used it against you? But how did they even get their hands on something so powerful?”
Lyirrs fell silent, her gaze shifting toward Aether…
Just then—
“Aether… I hear something,” Liora suddenly announced, her voice low. Her wolf ears were still pressed against the wall as she strained to listen. “It’s like… something is rotating. Something big.”
Aether’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me…” he whispered, glancing at Lyirrs, who immediately stepped forward and slashed through the wall with her claws.
Thud!!
As the wall crumbled, it revealed a circular stone etched with intricate symbols. Around it, monstrous Elves turned it slowly, like sailors rotating a massive ship anchor in ancient times.
“What in the…” Aria gasped, her voice trembling with shock as her wide eyes took in the scene before her. She wasn’t the only one taken aback; everyone else froze in place, equally stunned by what they were seeing.
“Ebon stone?” Maelona murmured, her brows furrowed in thought as she stepped forward, cautiously reaching out toward the ominous structure.
But before she could get closer—
“You came faster than I expected…” A deep, resonating voice boomed from behind.
The group turned around, their weapons instinctively drawn, only to see what seemed like hundreds of hooded figures materializing on the platform that had been empty just moments ago.
“How did they…” Kaelen’s words trailed off as his jaw dropped, unable to comprehend how so many figures had appeared so suddenly.
Aether, however, was already scanning the area. His sharp eyes caught sight of a small, almost paper door etched into the wall. Clicking his tongue in frustration, he muttered, “An ambush, huh?”
Without lowering his guard, he stepped forward and demanded, “Where is Raven? And the others?”
One of the hooded figures stepped forward, their voice laced with mockery. “They’re already dead!”
Aether’s gaze flicked to his mission tab, still blinking with activity. That single detail confirmed what he needed to know: Raven was alive. With a sharp glare, he said, his voice steady but threatening, “I won’t ask again. Tell me where they are.” Purple sparks crackled ominously around his fingertips, and the air around him charged with energy.
“Fu~Fu~… My, my~ aren’t we intimidating…. I am soooo scared darling~” the hooded figure responded, their voice oozing with a sultry, mocking tone. “For a mere servant, you’ve got more guts than most. I wonder… what are you hiding? What’s your little secret?”
Aether’s frown deepened as recognition dawned. That tone—he had heard it before. ‘It’s her,’ he thought, his memories flashing back to the meetings of the organization. Though their voices had been distorted by mechanical voice technology, he could still identify certain traits.
According to Aether who listened to their tone during the meetings.. He recalled five distinct personalities:
According to Aether’s:
1. The Master, shrouded in mystery.
2. A resentful figure who had vehemently opposed Victor’s entry into the organization—likely Alaric, whose betrayal now made perfect sense.
3. A shy individual who rarely spoke.
4. A curious person deeply fascinated by technology.
And finally,
5. A woman—a confident, flirtatious voice that carried a sultry undertone… though Aether didn’t know it was knew that was a woman… especially since it was a sluttry voice!
Now, standing before him, was the fifth figure, her identity unmistakable.
‘So, they’re all moving now,’ Aether thought grimly, his expression hardening as he turned to his group. Without hesitation, he gave the order, “Kill them.”
But before anyone could act—
“Hold on, dear~” the hooded woman interjected, her voice dripping with amusement and menace. “Why so fierce? Do you even know where you are? What if you attack us and we decide to… eliminate the people you came to save?” Her words were laced with a chilling mix of playfulness and threat.
Aether’s lips twitched in irritation. “Here I thought you’d already killed them,” he said dryly.
“Of course, we will… eventually,” she replied with a wicked grin. “The process isn’t complete just yet.”
Aether’s eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze back toward the monstrous creatures rotating the Ebon stone. His voice was cold and commanding as he barked, “Kaelen, kill them. All of them.”
Kaelen hesitated, momentarily startled by the sheer intensity of Aether’s tone. But the look in Aether’s eyes left no room for argument. Swallowing his doubts, Kaelen moved swiftly as he charged toward the creatures.
Meanwhile, Aether turned his attention back to the hooded figures. His voice was laced with mockery as he said, “Well… looks like your ‘process’ won’t be finishing today.” With a wave of his hand, a barrage of razor-sharp ice spears materialized in the air, shooting toward the gathered enemies in a deadly storm.
But before the spears could land, another figure stepped forward from the shadows. With a single wave of their hand, a massive wave of water surged forth, swallowing the ice spears as if they were nothing.
“Fu~Fu~… It seems we have the upper hand, don’t we?” the hooded woman said, her tone brimming with smugness as she lightly patted the shoulder of the figure who had neutralized Aether’s attack.
Aether clenched his fists, his frown deepening as he glanced at his group. “You all handle the rest. I’ll take care of these two,” he said firmly.
“A-Aether, they feel str—” Aria began, her voice trembling with concern.
But Aether cut her off with a sharp glance, “So do I,” he said.
With a snap of his fingers, he surged forward, his hands closing around the two figures like a vice. Before they could react, he slammed them against the wall with a force that made the ground tremble, their bodies crumpling like rag dolls.
Aria blinked in surprise, her lips parting in awe before a confident smile spread across her face. “Everyone, attack!” she shouted.