Aether was surprised to see that Alaric was still mentally stable, even after enduring such brutal torture and sustaining heavy wounds.
His body was in rough shape, but his mind remained intact, something Aether hadn’t expected. He observed him carefully, still maintaining his guard, knowing that even a broken man could be dangerous.
“Tell me, you’re close to Master, aren’t you? What exactly was he trying to achieve by doing all this?” His voice was firm, his ice-blue eyes flickering with a crimson hue as he activated his skill.
Alaric’s eyes widened for a brief moment before, “You? You have manipulation power?” His tone carried a hint of shock as if the very idea of a mere servant possessing such an ability was beyond his comprehension.
Aether was slightly taken aback by Alaric’s reaction, but he quickly recovered, a small smirk playing on his lips. “Yeah… I guess… After all, you’re the second strongest, right?”
Without another word, he whispered, “Increase Level.”
!~Ding~!
[Level: 91↑]
“Now?”
“What the?” Alaric’s face twisted in horror as he saw Aether’s power surge before his eyes, “W-What the hell are you doing?”
!~Ding~!
[Level: 92↑]
“Now?”
Alaric swallowed hard, his body tensing as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. “… H-How are you doing this?” His voice cracked as disbelief settled in, unable to understand how Aether was defying all logic.
!~Ding~!
[Level: 93↑]
“Now?”
“… I… am close to Mast—” His sentence was abruptly cut off, his eyes going blank for a second before snapping back to life. His face contorted in horror as realization dawned on him…. Aether was slowly, deliberately manipulating him.
But how?
What kind of wickedness was unfolding before him?
How was Aether increasing his level at will? How was something like this even possible?
For the first time, Alaric felt genuine fear. His hands trembled slightly as he looked at Aether, and a chill ran down his spine. This wasn’t just power—it was something beyond comprehension, something terrifying.
“W-What are yo—”
!~Ding~!
[Level: 94↑]
[Remaining Affection Points: 5,997,799,950↓]
“Now?”
Alaric’s body tensed before his expression suddenly dulled. His shoulders slumped, and his eyes lost their former intensity, now void of any emotion. When he finally spoke, his voice was flat, robotic, lifeless. “Yes, I am close to Master.”
Aether let out a slow exhale before nodding in satisfaction. “Good,” he muttered before his expression darkened again, his eyes locking onto Alaric with renewed intensity. “Then tell me, do you know the requirements for the Process in the Zephyra Empire?”
Alaric shook his head without hesitation. “I don’t know.”
Aether’s brows furrowed, “You don’t know? But aren’t you close to Master? He should have at least told you something, right?”
Still…
“Even though I am close… Master never told us the real reason we are doing this. We just follow his orders. Nothing else.” Alaric’s voice was eerily calm.
“Huh?” Aether’s expression shifted slightly as he processed those words. He had expected more, something deeper, something useful.
Instead, all he got was blind obedience. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. ‘Tsk, useless,’ he thought to himself before shifting his approach,
“Then tell me, what was the reason you tried to take Sandra and Raven?”
“In order to start the Process.”
“How?”
“By sacrificing them to the stone.”
Aether raised an eyebrow, “Just like that? Nothing else?”
Aether ran a hand through his hair, ‘That man didn’t even tell anything to his own people…’ He let out a sharp exhale before turning back to Alaric with a piercing gaze. “Just what made you believe in him so blindly?” He demanded, his curiosity piqued.
Alaric’s face remained unreadable as he responded, “Because Master showed us what is going to happen to the world.”
“The world?” Aether frowned deeply. He leaned in slightly, his eyes narrowing. “What did he show you?”
“The Real world… The true danger approaching in the near future.”
Aether’s frown deepened, “Explain,” he ordered, his voice carrying more weight. His eyes gleamed, demanding answers.
Alaric flinched slightly before speaking, “The world is reverting back… Everything will return to the place where it should be… The Origin!”
Aether’s eyes widened slightly at those words, “Reverting back? You mean… like in ancient times?”
“Yes.”
Aether and Celestia’s eyes widened in pure horror.
Aether’s mind raced, connecting every dot as if something was desperately trying to make sense. He began pacing back and forth, his thoughts spiralling into something far worse than he had initially imagined.
Master had spoken of the ancient times, where everything was born from the Origin’s power. Compared to that era, the present world was nothing but a diluted version, filled with Arcane energy—a mere derivative of what once was. And then, there were the children… the ones capable of summoning the Origin cards.
Something clicked in his mind, sending a jolt of dread through his body. His head snapped up, his gaze locking onto Alaric with pure terror. His voice came out in a whisper, barely audible yet heavy with realization.
“Don’t tell me… Mother’s energy is returning?”
Celestia stiffened beside him, her breath hitching. Her eyes widened as she put the pieces together. “That means…”
“The End,” Aether muttered, his voice laced with horror.
This wasn’t him overreacting.
No… this was the truth!
The world as it was now thrived on Arcane energy.
From the core of the earth to every living being, everything was intertwined with Arcane essence. Every person, every cell of their body had long since adapted to this force.
It was the foundation of their existence.
But if—no, when—Mother’s energy returned…
Everything would change.
It wouldn’t just be a shift… It would be catastrophic?
NO! I would be Hell!!
Aether clenched his fists as the realization sank in.
It would be like a plague consuming the world!
“A mutation? That’s those children… Mutated children? That’s the reason” Celestia whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
Aether shook his head, his jaw tightening. “No… it’s not just a mutation. Well, in a way, it is, but the truth is…” He gritted his teeth, his expression darkening. “We won’t be mutating—we’ll be reverting back to our original selves”
Just then, Celestia’s eyes widened further, as if another terrifying thought struck her. A shiver ran down her spine, “Then those monsters… they might be the result of what’s going to happen if Mother’s energy fully manifests?” she meant those monsterization when the people injected
Hearing that…
Aether’s stomach twisted at the implication. His throat went dry, and he swallowed hard, a chill creeping down his spine.
Now… everything made sense.
Why Master had claimed that no one could be saved.
Why he insisted that he was doing the world a favour?
But then,
“I don’t think it will happen… I mean Snape did say he got monster’s blood that’s why…hmmm…” Aether muttered but he wasn’t 100% sure about it.
Still,
Aether let out a weak chuckle, but there was no humour in it—only exhaustion and frustration, “I still don’t get him…” exhaling shakily.
Was Master trying to save people after all?
Nothing made sense anymore, but at the very least, Aether understood what was happening now.
He stepped closer to Alaric, his voice quieter but firm, “So that’s why… he wanted to create as many of those children as possible before the entire Empires collapses? Everyone dies?”
Alaric nodded, “Yes. That was our ultimate plan.”
Aether let out a long sigh. It all lined up now… He recalled the first hooded figure’s words. They had called themselves anti-heroes, or something along those lines.
Still…
“Was there really no other way?” Aether’s voice carried a quiet desperation, a rare vulnerability slipping through. His fingers clenched at his sides. If Mother’s energy was truly going to return… then everyone—his loved ones, his Empire—would fall.
Alaric simply shook his head, “There is nothing we can do to stop it… It is the Law of Nature.”