Ssshhh!
Thud!
An arrow struck the Monster Elf’s head with precision, and it crumbled to the ground, disintegrating into sand. Yet, the monsters continued to surge forward, relentlessly, as if their numbers were truly endless!
“ARRRHHH!!”
“Take that!” Aria shouted as she swung her bow, smashing it against the monster’s head. She quickly turned toward Liora, who was skillfully tearing through the seemingly endless swarm of monsters. “Liora, we need to regroup, or these monsters will overrun us in no time!”
Liora glanced at her son, who was valiantly battling the monsters alongside them… but he was struggling with sheer number. With a sharp nod, she acknowledged Aria’s words and leapt back to her side, her movements swift and purposeful.
With Maelona unable to fight and Lyirrs lying unconscious, the trio formed a defensive formation, standing their ground as they faced the onslaught of monsters.
Maelona’s heart pounded wildly in her chest. The sheer number of Monster Elves closing in on them sent shivers down her spine…. meant that most of her people had already fallen victim to this horrifying virus—or whatever sinister force was behind it!
“We can’t possibly kill them all…” Kaelen muttered, his expression dark and serious…. If Aether were to see this, he’d probably call this a zombie apocalypse or something!
‘What about Father?’ His eyes searched for Aether—or rather, the being Aether had become. He spotted the pitch-black figure in the distance, locked in a brutal fight with Marisandra. Blood sprayed around them as Aether’s blows landed with devastating force, the ground beneath them cracking from the sheer intensity of the battle.
Strangely…. no monsters dared to approach them.
It was as if an invisible barrier surrounded Aether, forcing the monsters to avoid him…. Yet Kaelen knew there was no actual barrier—it was something else entirely.
Kaelen’s brows furrowed as he relayed his observation to the others. They all stole a glance at Aether before refocusing on the fight at hand.
“I think… they can sense fear,” Liora murmured, her sharp eyes fixed on the black figure. Even she felt a primal fear clawing at her chest as she spoke. “They must know that thing is dangerous—deadly even.” Her gaze shifted to Maelona. “Maelona, you’re the only one who can pull him out of this. You have to try!”
“H-Huh? What are you talking about?” Maelona asked, confusion and dread mixing in her voice.
Maelona swallowed hard, but then seeing Aether…. she nodded furiously.
“Get ready!” Liora barked as she grabbed Maelona with one hand, her grip firm. Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire
“W-Wait! What are you— KYYYYAAAA!!!!!”
With the strength of a warrior, Liora hurled Maelona forward like a volleyball, her focus immediately returning to the battle.
Thud!
“Ouch!” Maelona groaned as she hit the ground hard, her body aching from the impact. She quickly looked around, but to her astonishment, none of the monsters were paying her any attention.
They continued to circle the perimeter, avoiding the path she was now on.
‘Why aren’t they coming for me?’ she wondered, glancing back at her daughter and the others with a mix of worry and desperation. But her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, sinister sound.
‘Maybe they should come here…’ She thought as she looked at her daughter and others with a worried glance but then,
“Hehehehehe”
BOOM!
Startled, Maelona’s gaze snapped toward the black figure that had once been Aether. She gulped nervously, her legs trembling slightly as she forced herself to take a hesitant step toward him.
Her movement caught the attention of one of the monsters.
It growled low and menacingly before stepping onto the forbidden path that none of the other monsters dared to enter.
“Arrrhh!”
The hollow growl sent a shiver down Maelona’s spine. She glanced back, her eyes widening in terror as she saw the monster baring its teeth in a twisted grin before charging toward her.
“S-Shit!” she cursed under her breath and broke into a desperate run toward Aether.
“Tsk, it’s onto Elona… Aria!” Liora hissed, her tone sharp as she called out to Aria.
Aria immediately knocked an arrow, her hands steady despite the chaos. She was about to release it when another monster lunged at her, forcing her to pivot and slam her bow into its snarling face.
“Fuck these bastards!” Aria growled, her frustration boiling over as more monsters swarmed around her, preventing her from taking a clear shot at her target.
“M-Mom!” Aria’s voice cracked with desperation…. It wasn’t that she doubted her mother’s abilities—Maelona was the one who had taught her how to fight, after all. But ever since her mother had lost everything for Aether, her powers had diminished, leaving her vulnerable.
Meanwhile, whether by chance or cruel fate, the caved-in village could no longer bear the weight of the swarming monsters…. The ground beneath them groaned before collapsing further.
Trrrrr!
Thud!
Maelona stumbled and fell hard to the ground…. Sensing an opportunity, the monster leapt at her, its sharp mouth gleaming.
Seeing the beast descending upon her, Maelona screamed with all the strength she had left:
“AETHERRRRRR!!!!”
[Survival rate: 86.7↓%]
BOO—
Suddenly,
The pitch-black figure froze mid-strike, its blood-soaked fist halting in midair… The entire battlefield seemed to pause, as if time itself had ground to a halt, holding its breath.
No… it wasn’t like time froze or something fantastical like that. Rather… the monsters turned eerily silent, their bodies trembling as if seized by an invisible fear.
The monster that had leapt towards Maelona suddenly collapsed midair, crashing into the ground. Before Maelona could even process what had happened, another monster lunged at the fallen one and—
“ARRRHHH-aahh–hhrrr—!!”
Every single monster in the area swarmed the fallen one, tearing it apart piece by piece while it was still alive. The air was filled with the wretched sound of its agonized screams…
Aria and the others blinked, their faces blank with shock and confusion, unable to comprehend the surreal scene unfolding before them. Then,
BOOM!
“Hehehe…”
The black figure resumed its punch, driving its fist forward without hesitation. Meanwhile, the rest of the monsters snapped back into their frenzied state, resuming their brutal assault on Aria and her group.
“What the heck just happened?” Kaelen asked, his voice trembling with both confusion and terror, his face pale.
“Well… to be honest, we’d really like to know that too,” Aria mumbled, forcing a wry smile as her eyes darted around nervously.
Liora, however, frowned deeply, ‘Even though they’ve lost their consciousness, they’re still moving and reacting… which means…’ Her sharp gaze landed squarely on the black figure. ‘Those monsters recognize it as… something above them? A superior being?’
Whatever the case was, one thing was clear: Maelona was safe—for now.
Maelona exhaled heavily, mustering her courage as she stepped towards the black figure. “A-Aether… it’s me, Maelona. Please, talk to me… What happened to you? Are you alright?” Her voice wavered with concern and fear, but there was no response.
The figure only continued to punch mercilessly, as if caught in a trance.
Maelona’s heart sank further as her gaze fell on Sandra. She wasn’t even sure if Sandra was still alive; the sheer brutality of the scene made it hard to believe anyone could survive. Hesitantly, she raised her trembling hand, trying to touch Aether’s shoulder, but then,
“Don’t you dare touch me with your filthy hands, woman,” a voice growled—deep, guttural, and venomous…. It wasn’t Aether’s voice, but something far darker speaking through him.
[Survival rate: 86.6↓%]
Maelona’s knees buckled as an overwhelming, suffocating pressure pressed down on her. She gasped for air, her breath hitching painfully. “A-Aether… i-it’s me… Please, look at me… Y-you’re hurting me… A-Aether…” Her voice cracked, desperate, but her words…
None of it reached him!
His mind was consumed, his focus solely on Sandra, punching her over and over again, as if deriving some twisted enjoyment from it.
Even then,
/Aether… can you hear me? Are you alright?/
Celestia’s telepathic voice echoed through Aether’s mind. He flinched at the sound but didn’t stop, his fists still relentlessly hammering down.
/….. Have you completely lost your mind?/
Her tone was sharp as if she already knew what had happened. Unlike the others, Celestia had always been by Aether’s side, like a shadow—both metaphorically and literally. She understood his every move, his reactions, better than anyone.
/Sigh… What’s done is done, Aether. But listen to me. If you don’t act now, you’re going to lose the Princess too… Do you hear me? You will lose her too!/
She said not knowing the situation here!
[Survival rate: 86.4↓%]
The pitch-black mist that enveloped his body began to dissipate slowly as if retreating. Yet Aether’s fists didn’t stop. They kept slamming into Sandra with brutal force.
But then, suddenly—
Celestia’s voice shifted, tinged with urgency and fear.
/A-Aether…. Master Snape… He’s placing Sovereign’s head on the Ebon Stone, but… something’s wrong… He looks….. confused? Hmm… Whatever plan he had wasn’t working properly. I don’t know what’s happening but listen Aether—you need to do what you can to save the others. You’re the only one who can. I know you can do this./
[Survival rate: 85.4↓%]
As her words echoed in his mind, the crushing pressure on Maelona’s body disappeared. She collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, her face drenched with sweat. She looked up at the black figure, still raining punches on Sandra… though the force behind them seemed to lessen.
Sensing an opening, Maelona took a deep breath, steeling herself. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace…. hugging his back!
BOO–
[Survival rate: 84.4↓%]
Aether froze mid-punch.
Maelona’s body began to darken, the areas where her skin touched his turning pitch-black, and searing pain shot through her. Yet she bit down hard on her lip, suppressing her cries. Her voice trembled but remained steady as she whispered, “I-it’s okay, Aether… D-don’t worry about me.
I’ll be here for you, no matter what…
I-We all will…. We’ll always love you, no matter what you’ve done, no matter who you think you’ve become.
And Sandra… she loved you too… She only did this because she was hurt, hurt because you didn’t tell her truth and…. because she cared so much about you.
So please… stop hurting yourself like this. Come back to us, Aether… Come back to me. I just want to see my beloved son-in-law again…” Her trembling fingers gently ruffled his hair as tears welled up in her eyes.
[Survival rate: 83.4↓%]
The massive, sinister white grin plastered across Aether’s face vanished, revealing his own face beneath the darkness…. His body remained pitch-black, and his eyes still glowed ominously black.
“Arrhh???”
The monsters, sensing the shift, turned their attention toward Aether.
Aria and the others watched, wide-eyed, as the monsters, which had been avoiding the circular path, suddenly growled and stepped inside, their wicked grins spreading wider.
“Arrhhh?”
“Arrhh–arhh!”
“Arrrhhh!!!!”
The monstrous elves advanced toward Aether, their primal instincts seemingly overriding everything else…. It was as if, with their king weakened, they now sought to destroy him.
To Aria’s shock, the monsters ignored her group entirely, their focus entirely on Aether.
“What’s happening now?” Kaelen asked with a confused expression.