!~Ding~!
Aether’s pure white eyes blinked, suddenly returning to normal as his ice-blue pupils widened in mild horror. His breath hitched for a moment, his fingers tightening instinctively around his sword as a faint tremor ran through his body.
“P-Please… I… must protect her…” the Master whispered, his voice nothing more than a fragile echo. His eyes, though lifeless, still held that desperate plea.
Aether blinked, his mind struggling to catch up with what had just happened.
Suddenly, A realization dawned upon him,
‘3 second?’ Aether thought about his 3-second skill that shows a future for three seconds… he actually forgot it as he never used it after that day, his heartbeat resounding like a war drum in his ears. His muscles tensed as he twisted his body with precision, his instincts screaming at him—
TANG!!
TANG!!
The sharp clang of metal against metal echoed through the air as Aether’s sword intercepted two twin blades that struck from seemingly nowhere. A thick black mist swirled ominously as the first hooded figure emerged.
“Hmm? Now, that’s strange… How did you find me?” Her voice rang out, carrying a mixture of amusement and curiosity, though a faint trace of surprise slipped through as if she hadn’t expected him to react so swiftly.
Aether’s heart lurched for a split second before steadying.
His gaze flickered to Jack who was supposed to be his behind…
‘She killed him already?’ Aether’s stomach twisted as he saw Jack’s head missing from his shoulders. It wasn’t just that she had cut him down—it was the way she had done it, so effortlessly, so efficiently… in a matter of milli-seconds!
‘She’s far too fast… and worse, no one even noticed her presence until now,’ Aether thought, his grip tightening around his sword.
Dora and the others were only now reacting, their delayed response proof of just how terrifyingly silent this enemy had been. Even the most skilled among them hadn’t sensed her approach, and that was enough to set off alarm bells in Aether’s mind.
“How did you find me?… Hmmm..? I am absolutely certain nobody noticed me,” the first hooded figure mused, her tone shifting to a perplexed frown. It was as if she was trying to piece together something that shouldn’t be possible.
She had been sure—dead sure—that her blade should have sliced through his flesh. And yet…
“I like you, baby~” The hooded woman suddenly purred, her voice laced with something wicked, something darkly playful. A smirk curled her lips as she twisted her twin blades with effortless ease, preparing to launch another strike. However—
Aether moved first. With a swift, fluid motion, he knocked her wrist aside, his reflexes honed to perfection. Before she could react, he seized her hand and, in the blink of an eye, slammed her into the ground with brutal force.
SLAM!!
For a brief second, she lay still beneath him, her body pressed into the dirt. But then, like liquid slipping through fingers, her grasp loosened. It was eerie—unnatural. Her movements were as smooth as a snake’s, her body slipping from his hold with an almost taunting grace.
Aether barely had time to process it before she was already back on her feet, landing soundlessly beside the Master, her posture as elegant as ever.
“Thank you~”
Dora and the others surrounded her in an instant, their faces clouded with wariness.
Aether’s gaze flickered to Mary, who had now stepped forward as well. For a fleeting moment, his eyes narrowed. ‘So it’s not her…’ he thought with slight surprise, exhaling softly.
He had suspected Mary of being this mysterious first hodded. After all, they shared certain similarities, enough to plant a seed of doubt. But now, with both of them standing in the same space, that theory shattered completely.
Everything had gone haywire.
The first hooded figure turned her attention back to the Master’s broken form, her head tilting ever so slightly.
“I cannot believe you’ve fallen this low… Master~” she drawled, her voice laced with mockery, her amusement dripping like venom. “How pitiful you are~”
Her words slithered through the air, each syllable soaked in cruel delight, as if she relished seeing him like this—powerless, broken, nothing more than a shell of the man he once was before turning to Aether…
The hooded woman gave a small, thoughtful hum before nodding as if taking some mental note. “I never… would have thought…” she murmured, her gaze flickering over him with intrigue. “You… Hmm… Interesting…”
Aether clenched his jaw, his fingers wrapping around his sword.
Then, she turned, her eyes scanning the group that now surrounded her. It didn’t take her long to realize the truth.
She couldn’t take them all on at once. Even if she was fast, even if she was lethal, the numbers weren’t in her favour.
And so—
“Yeah~ Bye~Bye~” she chimed in a sing-song voice, her form dissolving into black mist before their very eyes.
She disappeared just like how she came!
Everyone blinked.
“That’s it? She just left? She didn’t even try to save him?” The Archpriestess’s voice carried clear disbelief as she stared at the spot where the woman had stood moments ago.
Dora and the others shared similar expressions, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Even Aether had thought she came to retrieve the Master, or at the very least, offer him some form of support. But no—she had left him to die without a second thought.
Just then—
THUD!
Every head turned at once. The sound had been dull, and heavy, and when their eyes found the source—
Jack’s severed head had finally landed on the ground.
From where? No one knew.
For a moment, silence reigned. Then, after a collective breath, they all processed the reality of what had just transpired.
“They sure are weird people,” Dora muttered, shaking her head before motioning toward Aether. “Finish this up already. Who knows what other bitch might show up next?”
Aether exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting to the timer.
Ten seconds left… His eyes trailed back to the Master’s body, which was barely holding itself together.
No time to hesitate. He moved in swiftly.
Dora and the others turned away, their eyes closing. It wasn’t pity that made them look away.
No, it was something deeper, something tangled in the past. This man had once been their beloved big brother, their Master, a figure they had all looked up to. And now, here he was—reduced to nothing.
Each of them had their own reasons not to watch.
Aether stood before the Master,
“P… Pl…ea..s…e….—“
Chuccckkkk!
The blade sliced cleanly through the air, through flesh, through bone. Aether held the severed head in his grasp, blood dripping down his fingers, warm and thick. His expression remained unreadable as he turned, stepping toward the Ebon stone.
“…What is he doing?” Mary murmured, her curious eyes fixed on Aether.
Meanwhile, Dora, Sandra, and the Archpriestess stared silently at the Master’s lifeless body, still kneeling in place. Aether had severed the man’s head with such precision, so quickly, that even the Master himself likely hadn’t realized how he had died.
A deep breath filled their lungs—a mixture of relief and guilt. It was over.
That man, their former Master, was finally freed from everything.
Aether moved forward, but with every step, a strange heaviness settled over him. His limbs felt burdened by an unseen weight, as if something clawed at the edges of his mind, making each movement feel slower, heavier, more suffocating.
What had he done?
Was this truly the right thing?
No… It wasn’t sympathy. It wasn’t compassion. Those emotions had long since faded from his heart.
But still, this inexplicable feeling gnawed at him, something deeper than regret, something he couldn’t quite name.
He didn’t know what the Master had been aiming for.
Why had he created those children?
What had been the true purpose behind his long and intricate plan?
What was the hidden requirement to activate the Ebon Stone within the Zephyra Empire?
Why had he sought to turn people into monsters? What had he been trying to accomplish?
And most of all…
Aether didn’t get Soul Essence… that means… Master already dead?
Then how now?
How had he managed to stay alive for so long?
So many questions swirled in Aether’s mind, yet there was no one left to answer them.
Only the Master had known the truth, and now… he was gone.
One thing, however, was certain.
The Master had known something—something no one else did.
Something was coming.
And he had been preparing for it.
But for what?
Silence. No answer.
Aether clenched his fists. He shouldn’t have killed him before extracting the truth.
But he hadn’t had a choice. Dora’s life had been at stake, and who knew what tricks the Table Members would have pulled if he had hesitated even a moment longer?
There had been too many unknowns. Too many risks. He had made the only decision he could afford.
His gaze shifted. Victor—his clone—remained inside the cube, still trapped.
Aether barely spared him a glance before turning his attention back to the Ebon Stone. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and placed the severed head onto the stone. The surface was slick with a thick, black liquid, the texture eerily unnatural.
“….”
Nothing happened.
Aether frowned, his fingers tightening. But then—
Thud!
The stone flinched as if reacting to the offering.
Trrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!
A deep, ominous hum filled the air as the Ebon Stone began to rotate, its dark surface trembling before slowly lifting off the ground. Tendrils of what seemed like mother roots slithered out, curling around the stone like threads, though they too dripped with the same black, sticky substance.
“Was that all?” Dora asked, her voice carrying a note of scepticism.
Mary, however, looked even more confused. “What’s going on here? And why is it moving all of a sudden?” she demanded, her mind racing with questions.
Dora was about to reply when—
“I’m done.”
Aether’s voice cut through the air, blank and emotionless.
“Huh?” Everyone frowned at his sudden declaration.
Then, without warning, Aether lifted his gaze to the sky, his entire body trembling with fury before a primal, earth-shaking roar tore from his throat.
“I HAVE DONE IT!! I FINISHED WHAT I STOPPED!!”
His voice roared like thunder, his entire face etched with anger as he screamed toward the heavens.
“Is he… going insane?” Mary muttered, amusement flickering in her expression.
But Aether wasn’t done. He sucked in a deep, ragged breath, his chest rising and falling as if he was barely containing the fire burning within him. His hands clenched, then unfurled, fingers trembling as if reaching out for something unseen, something just beyond his grasp.
“I ANGERED YOU FOR STOPPING THE PROCESS, RIGHT?!” His voice carried not just fury, His hand slammed against his own chest, the sound sharp, his breathing heavy,
“YOU WANTED THIS TO CONTINUE?! WELL, I’VE PERSONALLY STARTED IT!! I DID YOUR DAMN WORK FOR YOU!!” His voice cracked with the sheer force behind his words.
His head snapped around wildly, eyes scanning the empty sky, searching for something, someone, anything.
“SO CAN YOU STOP FUCKING BOTHERING ME NOW?! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!” His scream was so raw, so full of something beyond rage, that even the air seemed to tense around him.
Everyone exchanged looks of confusion, their brows furrowed as they wondered if he had hit his head somewhere. Just then—
Sssssshhhhhh…
A gentle breeze, That had been silent, suddenly stirred through the air, brushing against Aether’s skin, making his black hair flutter ever so slightly.
His face, which had been twisted with fury just moments ago, suddenly softened.
A small smile curved his lips.
“Good,” he whispered.
Mary stared at him, utterly baffled. “What the hell do you mean, ‘good’?” she snapped, throwing her arms up. “Are you just gonna act like you didn’t scream at the sky like a lunatic five seconds ago?”
Aether ignored her, exhaling deeply as if something within him had finally settled. He turned, stepping toward Dora, A soft, almost reassuring smile spread across his lips.
“Everything is o—”
Before he could finish his sentence, his vision went black. His body went rigid. His breath hitched. His eyes rolled back—
!~Ding~!
[⚠Warning: High-Energy Soul Possession Detected]
[❗️Notice: Due to the prolonged presence in this Empire, the unknown entity’s possession has finally entered into your domain!]
Finally… someone had achieved what they had hoped for.
The Grace.