Aether was taken aback when he saw a battle unfolding before him. His eyes widened, and his face twitched in utter shock as he took in the sight of Dora and the others engaged in combat.
For a moment, he simply stood there, trying to process the situation.
“Well… what exactly is going on here?” Aether asked, his expression full of innocence as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was witnessing.
The scene before him made no sense.
It was chaotic.
Confusing.
Three against one?
That was just unfair.
Dora and Sandra both felt their lips twitch involuntarily. Even though they were struggling against the torment of the white flames burning around them, Aether’s sudden and ‘unexpected’ appearance was enough to make them react in disbelief.
Master, on the other hand, frowned deeply. Something about that boy felt wrong.
No—more than just wrong—it was unsettling.
A strange, nagging feeling stirred within him, a deep sense of familiarity, as though he had met this boy before, as though he had known him for a long time but couldn’t quite place when or how.
‘What is this strange feeling?’ Master’s frown deepened as his thoughts grew heavier. Without hesitating, he decided to confront the boy directly., “Who are you, and what exactly are you doing here?” His voice was calm, and measured, but there was something else in his tone—something surprisingly submissive.
His own words even made Aether stare at him in shock.
Aether raised an eyebrow at the odd change in attitude, ‘Hmm? Was it because he is my bloodkin?’
!~🔔~!
[Indeed! Due to the blood connection, the other party will feel it instinctively. Even if the connection is unstable, they will still recognize you as their bloodkin… though they are of a lower class!]
Aether was momentarily surprised by the confirmation. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, though he quickly masked it before responding aloud. “Well… I just came here to find my friend.”
“Friend?” Master’s frown remained as he scrutinized Aether carefully.
“Victor,” Aether answered without hesitation. “I heard from the Principal that Victor was here, and on my way, I ran into Lia. She told me that Victor was here, so naturally, I came looking for him.” His tone was calm, and composed, as if he were merely stating a simple fact rather than fucking lie!!
Master’s gaze darkened for a brief moment. Something about this entire situation felt off, but at the same time, for some reason, it also felt… correct. Logically, it made sense.
There was no reason to doubt it.
“Anyway,” Aether continued casually, “I’ll be leaving now.” His tone was so indifferent, so dismissive, as if the fight happening in front of him had absolutely nothing to do with him.
Master’s expression grew more severe as his frown deepened further. “Do you truly not understand the situation you’ve just walked into?”
Aether merely shrugged. “I see you people fighting… but that’s none of my concern. I only came here for my friend.” Without another word, he resumed walking, showing no interest in the ongoing battle.
Master observed him closely, feeling an odd sense of familiarity between Aether and Victor. Something about the way this boy carried himself, the way he spoke so carefreely amidst all this chaos… it reminded him of Victor. A small, amused smile played at the corner of his lips as he thought, ‘Now I see why Victor is his friend.’
This was how one should live—doing whatever they want without concern for others. That way, unnecessary trouble wouldn’t come knocking on their door.
But before Aether could leave, a furious voice cut through the air.
“You fucking brat! Cough, cough… Get back here and help me!!” Mary’s enraged scream filled the space as she struggled against the pain coursing through her body. She was coughing up blood, her strength nearly drained. The holy energy was eating away at her, and she felt like she might collapse at any moment.
She glared at Aether, her fury burning brighter than ever.
She was here because of him!
If not for him, she wouldn’t be suffering like this.
The fact that he was about to walk away as if none of this mattered only made her blood boil even more.
Aether blinked, staring at her blankly for a moment before tilting his head slightly. “Me? Help you?” He glanced sideways at Master, whose face had grown even more serious. There was no mistaking the silent threat in his expression. His eyes practically said, ‘Take one step, and you’re dead.’
Aether clicked his tongue in amusement. “Nah… I think I’m good.” He shrugged, turning away as if the conversation no longer interested him.
Master watched the exchange with a small, knowing smirk. ‘This kid… he’s really the joker, isn’t he?’ he thought to himself.
But since Aether was Victor’s friend, he decided not to interfere. The boy posed no real threat, after all. And besides, Aether wouldn’t be able to open the cube. It required a specific pattern that only a select few knew.
And without a doubt, this joker wouldn’t know it.
But just as Aether was about to step away, something made him stop.
Master’s eyes narrowed.
Aether glanced at Mary, his lips curling into a teasing smirk as if he found amusement in the chaos around him, “Well… Can you release that woman?”
“Huh?”
“You see, that woman is my Lia’s mot—”
“WHO THE HELL IS ‘MY LIA,’ YOU FUCKER?!”
Aether was taken aback—not by the sheer volume of the shout, but by the shocking realization that Mary was suddenly standing right in front of him!!
She had been restrained just a moment ago, and yet, now she was face-to-face with him as if nothing had ever held her back.
Master blinked, his gaze shifting to his left hand, where Mary had been just seconds ago. His fingers curled instinctively, his expression tightening as his brain struggled to process what had happened. His mind raced, searching for an answer,
‘How…?’ He was too stunned to comprehend how she had managed to escape so quickly and without anyone noticing.
The others were just as dumbfounded, ‘This bitch!’ They all screamed internally.
Mary, however, seemed completely unfazed by the shock surrounding her. She blankly stared at Aether for a moment, her expression eerily calm before she spoke again,
“She is MINE.”
Aether swallowed hard, not out of fear, but because of the sheer madness reflected in her eyes. He had seen many dangerous people before, but Mary… she was in a category of her own.
She was… beyond help.
Now, more than ever, he was worried about how he was going to get Lia out of this mess. Dealing with Mary was like dealing with a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.
Mary blinked a few times, then suddenly touched her own neck, as if only now realizing something was off. A look of genuine surprise crossed her face. “I… escaped?” She sounded almost bewildered as if even she didn’t believe what had just happened.
The deadpan expressions from those around her made it clear…. She didn’t know?
A tense silence settled over the battlefield, stretching for several long, agonizing seconds before Mary’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. Without warning, she clenched her fists and took a bold step forward.
“Anyway… now come at me, bastard!” Her stance shifted aggressively as if she were more than ready for yet another round of battle.
However, as her gaze landed on the still-burning white flames that continued to consume Sandra and Dora, she suddenly hesitated.
She took an instinctive step back, her bold demeanour cracking slightly as she gulped audibly.
“Well… hmm…” Her eyes flickered toward Aether, and in that brief moment, something seemed to click in her mind.
“Yeah! This isn’t our responsibility to deal with!” she declared, straightening up as if she had just had the most brilliant realization of her life. “It’s the responsibility of today’s chosen one!” She then turned toward Aether and patted his shoulder with a serious,
“Come on, boy, do your duty.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
A long, drawn-out silence filled the air.
Master’s eyes narrowed, his gaze shifting from Mary to Aether, then back to Mary. He studied the situation with growing confusion before finally speaking. “Chosen one? Him?” His frown deepened further, unable to make sense of what was happening. He had never even heard of this boy before, let alone considered him a “chosen one.”
Mary, however, smirked with confidence, as if she had just revealed the greatest secret in existence.
“Well, not exactly chosen, but… he is the real Arcane King. Aether!” Her voice carried an unmistakable sense of pride as if she were announcing the arrival of a savior.
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
Silence once again followed her words.
Aether could feel a headache forming. He resisted the urge to groan or rub his temples. Letting this lunatic out of the cube had been a serious mistake. He had hoped it wouldn’t be too bad, but it was now becoming clear that this situation had only gotten worse with her involvement.
He wanted Help, not the pain!!
“…Aether?” Master’s expression darkened, his thoughts circling back to Alaric’s words. His sharp gaze lingered on Aether, scrutinizing him carefully. At first, he hadn’t sensed anything particularly remarkable about him, but now… something about this felt too deliberate to be mere coincidence.
“Hey… why are you here?” Master’s voice had lost its previous amusement, turning colder, more calculating. His grip on Dora’s neck tightened slightly as if expecting a sudden move.
Aether maintained his composed expression, “As I said before… I came for my friend, Victor.”
“Oh? That’s good then!” Mary suddenly cut in with a wide, mischievous grin. “He has Victor! Now go and kill him, boy!” She clapped Aether on the back—hard enough that he nearly stumbled forward,
“Save your friend and…. never come back here!”
Aether clenched his jaw, doing his best to hold back his irritation. He needed to focus on dealing with Master first, or this situation could spiral out of control. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself before finally speaking.
“You have Victor,” Aether stated, his tone now carrying a heavier weight than before.
Master’s lips curled into an amused smirk. He seemed to relish the change in Aether’s demeanour, watching with interest as the boy shifted from his usual nonchalance to something more serious. “Oh? And what if I do?” He raised a hand and snapped his fingers.
Aether’s gaze remained locked onto him, unblinking, unwavering. His expression didn’t falter as he responded, his voice steady, “Then… we have to fight until you let him go”
Master let out a low chuckle, “Haha… I never thought I’d see the day when a mere bug would dare to challenge me as an equal.” Without hesitation, he tossed Dora aside like a rag doll, shifting his full attention toward Aether. His amusement, however, quickly faded, replaced by a chilling indifference.
“Hey, Joker.” His voice was calm, yet carried an unmistakable killing intent beneath its surface,
“I’ll give you one chance. Get the fuck out of here before I crush you like a bug.” His golden eyes burned with intensity, a strange feeling gnawing at him from within.
For some reason, he felt an urgent need to eliminate this boy before anything unexpected happened.
It was an instinct—an intuition he couldn’t ignore.
Aether held his gaze, his smirk slowly returning. There was no hesitation in his expression, no sign of backing down. He tilted his head slightly, his black hair shifting with the subtle movement before he finally spoke.
Sandra whose hand still burning suddenly eyes widened when she saw the Monster fox that once she froze now again appear behind Aether and open its mouth wide.
“AETHER!!!”
“Oh? Yeah… I am The Joker.”
With a swift motion, he snapped his fingers.
A gust of energy surged around him, ruffling his hair as a calm yet eerie smile spread across his lips.
Then, behind him—
SSSssssssnhhhhHHHhhhhhhnnnnppppppppp!!!
A black sphere materialized before suddenly—
CHOMP!
The monstrous wolf’s massive jaws poised to tear him apart—only to be swallowed whole by the dark void in an instant.
Master’s eyes widened in sheer shock.
“Hehe~ Let’s finish this game.”
!~🔔~!
[Remaing time: 00:02:45↓]