/Then it’s time for Cat vs Mouse~/
Aether telepathically spoke with an amused tone before lying beside Selene, who instinctively snuggled closer to him, her soft breaths tickling his skin as she happily clung to him in her sleep.
Aether glanced at Selene, taking in her peaceful expression, then shifted his gaze to his Snowflake, who was sprawled on top of him, also sleeping soundly. His eyebrow twitched slightly…. Aether felt an odd pang of jealousy.
‘Well, this is what it means to be a man… carrying all the burdens,’ Aether thought, amusement flickering in his eyes before his gaze drifted to the endless dark sky.
‘The time has finally come for the play to begin… The Master’s sacrificial pawns are already in motion…’ he mused, a slight frown forming on his face.
Even though he had knowledge of the events that were about to unfold, the uncertainty still gnawed at him… No matter how well he prepared, the butterfly effect was always unpredictable.
Even the slightest interference could lead to unforeseen consequences.
But this time, the interference wasn’t small. Two Empires had unknowingly thrown a wrench into the Master’s grand plan, delaying its execution and, more importantly, Victor from gaining recognition in other Empires.
This wasn’t just a minor ripple; it was a massive storm brewing.
The timeline was already shifting.
Aether knew he had to tread carefully. As long as the Master remained unaware of who the real enemy was, he still had the upper hand. If he could maintain that secrecy, then one way or another, he would carve a path to victory.
Yet… something didn’t sit right with him.
There was this nagging unease, an itch at the back of his throat that he couldn’t shake off. He couldn’t pinpoint the reason, but deep down, he felt that something—somewhere—was slipping beyond his control.
Or maybe he was just overthinking things.
‘Tsk, whatever…!’ Aether clicked his tongue and brushed the thought aside. Right now, there were more pressing matters that demanded his attention. Worrying about uncertainties would only be a waste of energy.
‘Hmm… there’s still no news from Aria?’ His frown deepened as he reached out to her telepathically.
/Aria? Is everything alright?/
A brief silence. Then, finally—
/Well… I’m not entirely sure about that…/ Aria’s voice came through, sounding uncharacteristically hesitant.
Aether’s eyes narrowed. /Why? What happened?/
….
….
Back at the Wood Elf tribe in the Zephyra Empire,
/Why? What happened?/
Hearing Aether’s concern, Aria’s eyes flickered as she turned her gaze to the horde of monstrous elves below.
‘Now, how should I put this…’ she pondered, glancing at the unsettling sight before her.
After entering the massive old tree, they had discovered a hidden chamber behind the Ebon stone…. But the moment they stepped inside… they had been greeted by something far worse than expected.
Hundreds—no, possibly thousands—of elves had been turned into grotesque monstrosities, their once beautiful features twisted beyond recognition. Embedded into their bodies were Rainbow Arcane Crystals, glowing ominously as they moved in a mindless frenzy.
“These… these were people, weren’t they?” Liora’s voice wavered slightly as she took a step back, her eyes filled with disbelief. The sheer number alone was overwhelming. The entire Wood Elf tribe… every single one of them… had been transformed into these creatures.
Liora’s expression darkened as she turned to the trembling old man beside them—the so-called Elder of the Wood Elf tribe.
Her lip curled in disgust.
“You fucking bastard,” she spat, grabbing the old man by his collar and lifting him effortlessly off the ground. “What the hell did you do to these people?!”
The old man’s face contorted in fear as he struggled against her grip, but Liora’s fingers only tightened around his throat.
“Talk, you piece of shit!!” she snarled, her nails digging into his skin.
“Calm down, Liora. Getting worked up won’t help,” Maelona interjected, rubbing the back of her neck with a tired sigh. She cast a cold glance at the old man before speaking, her tone laced with quiet authority. “Tell us. What exactly did Alaric do to these people?”
But the old man clenched his jaw, refusing to utter a single word.
The chamber was massive—large enough to hold thousands of people. The only elevated platform in the entire space was where Aria and the others stood, while below, the monsters were stirring restlessly.
Some had begun stacking on top of each other, forming a grotesque pyramid as they desperately tried to reach them.
[Author’s Note: If you do not understand it, think of World War Z, where the monsters climb over each other in a massive pile to reach the helicopters.]
“They’re evolving…?” Maelona murmured, watching as the creatures instinctively worked together.
“He’s not going to talk like this…” Aria muttered, cracking her neck before flashing a wicked smirk. Her eyes gleamed as she turned toward the old man. “Why don’t we just toss him down there? They seem hungry.”
The old man’s body went rigid. A strangled noise escaped his throat as he frantically shook his head. “P-Please… don’t do that… anything but that! I beg you!” he pleaded, his voice shaking with genuine terror.
“Then fucking talk!” Liora snapped, her patience snapping like a thread. Without hesitation, she grabbed the old man’s wrist—
And tore his hand clean off.
“AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!” The old man’s scream echoed through the chamber as blood splattered across the stone floor.
The severed hand hit the ground below with a sickening thud, and in an instant, the monsters lunged for it, devouring it in a frenzy.
Yet, despite the old man’s agonized wails, none of the women felt even a shred of sympathy.
Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
They had seen enough horrors in their lives to know—
This man deserved far worse.
“Tell us… or else…” Liora threatened, her grip tightening around the old man’s remaining hand, ready to rip it off as well if he refused to cooperate.
“W-Wait! I’ll tell you everything! Please!!” the old man cried out in desperation, his entire body shaking as he finally caved under the pressure.
“Alaric… Alaric was the one who said he found a way to become stronger—so powerful that even an old man like me could defeat a Chosen One!”
“Huh? What the hell…” Aria blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sheer absurdity of his words.
The old man swallowed hard and continued, his voice trembling,
“A-At first, he only took a few people as his test subjects. W-When they returned, everyone was shocked.
They had gained incredible power and skills overnight! These people were once weak—nothing special—but after just one day, they became the strongest warriors in our tribe! It was like a miracle…” There was a brief flicker of admiration in his eyes, but it quickly faded as horror replaced it.
“However… it was just yesterday… something changed. They started acting strange. T-They groaned… twitched… their bodies convulsed, and before anyone could understand what was happening—” his voice broke into a whisper, “—they started eating people.”
A heavy silence fell over the group.
Maelona’s expression remained cold, ‘The story is the same as before… thank goodness nothing changed there. But why did every single one of them turn into monsters this time? There should have been a few survivors before… so what changed in this timeline?’ she wondered, her brows knitting together in concern.
Unlike in the previous timeline, where at least a handful had managed to escape, here, every single elf had been transformed into a mindless creature. Only a few soldiers remained alive.
“Then?” Liora pressed, her gaze shifting toward the horde of monsters below, her expression darkening.
The old man gulped, his lips dry and cracked, his voice barely above a whisper as he let out a deep sigh.
“A-Alaric immediately gathered us all and brought us here, saying we had to stay until he found a way to deal with the monsters. Everyone believed him… After all, he was the one who turned our meaningless Wood Elf tribe into something significant. We trusted him… I..I trusted him…” His face twisted in anguish as his shoulders slumped. “Until he threw one of the monsters at us.”
A chilling stillness filled the air.
“Y-You mean…” Maelona’s eyes widened in disbelief, her mind racing to process what she had just heard. “He trapped everyone here… and then deliberately threw a monster into the group?!” Her voice rose slightly, her disbelief morphing into anger. This wasn’t what had happened before.
Something was definitely different.
Liora frowned, folding her arms, “Still, it was one monster against hundreds of people. How the hell did you let it run wild? You’re telling me not a single one of you could stop it?”
The old man clenched his teeth, his entire body trembling. “A-All it took was a single bite…” he whispered, his voice cracking. “One bite… and whoever got bitten turned into a monster before we could even kill the first one…” His eyes were wide with terror as if he was reliving the nightmare all over again.
A heavy silence followed.
Liora’s fingers twitched, her jaw tightening as she shifted her gaze downward, watching the grotesque creatures writhing below them. Among them, she could still see remnants of what had once been men, women, and children… all twisted into monstrous abominations beyond saving.
“Then how are you still alive?” Aria asked with a suspicious tone.
The old man took a shuddering breath, his frail frame trembling, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “M-My people… My only people… they sacrificed themselves for me…” His voice cracked as his lips trembled. He looked utterly broken as he recalled the horrifying sight—his own kin stacking their bodies, forming a pyramid-like structure, desperately trying to push him up to safety as the monsters devoured them.
“So that’s how…” Aria muttered in realization, exhaling softly…. She reached for her bow and swiftly nocked an arrow, releasing it in one fluid motion. The projectile struck a monster in the skull just as it managed to claw its way higher up the pile of writhing bodies.
“They learned the way out,” Liora muttered, her tone filled with distaste. Her sharp gaze studied the creatures below. “They’re trying to replicate what the old man did, aren’t they? Using each other as steps to reach us?”
The old man hesitated before adding in a hoarse whisper, “I-I tried to escape the village, but… Alaric had already stationed soldiers outside. They were guarding the village entrance… and my tent. That’s why I hid there for as long as I could.”
“I see…” Aria murmured, the pieces finally falling into place…. This was worse than before.
Now, the real question remained—
“What should we do?” she muttered, her expression unreadable as she glanced down at the monstrous horde. Despite everything, there was a flicker of pity in her eyes. These creatures were once living, breathing people…
Maelona stepped forward, with no hesitation,
“Of course… We burn them all.”