Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1636: Invading Terra? Is it possible?

That slap... was enough to snap him out of the storm raging inside his mind.

The sharp sound still echoed faintly within the silent chamber as Aether sat frozen, his widened eyes trembling with disbelief. His breathing turned uneven the moment he realised what had just happened.

He had almost released killing intent towards... his wife?

Toward Sera.

A cold shiver crawled down his spine.

How?

Why?

No matter what happened in this world, he would never hurt his wives.

That truth had been carved into his soul long ago, deeper than instinct itself. Yet for a brief moment... something dark had surged inside him with terrifying force.

Something that did not feel like him.

Aether lowered his gaze toward the slim, warm body pressed against his chest. Sera remained there quietly, her fingers clutching his clothes softly as if afraid he might disappear if she loosened her grip.

Seeing her like that made guilt twist violently inside his chest.

His arms slowly wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer with unusual gentleness. The warmth of her body soothed the chaos clawing at his mind, yet it failed to erase the unease growing within him.

Something was wrong.

Not just with his body...

But with his soul too.

’Is it because Terra has gotten into my head this badly...?’

The thought crossed his mind, though deep inside, Aether already knew the answer. His recent emotions, the violent impulses, the sudden hatred that occasionally flickered through him... none of them were normal.

Yet his mind stubbornly refused to confront that reality directly.

As if he were locking himself inside a tiny shell, desperately avoiding the truth already brewing beneath the surface like poison hidden beneath sweet fragrance.

Aether exhaled slowly before shaking those thoughts away.

For now, Sera mattered more.

He gently lifted her chin, his fingers brushing against her soft skin before pressing a warm kiss against her forehead.

”I’m sorry, Dear... I truly didn’t mean for that to happen.”

His arms tightened slightly around her.

”My thoughts have been a mess lately. I got lost in them and ended up pushing that frustration onto you... even for a moment. You didn’t deserve that.”

Sera looked up at him silently before a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Of course, she knew her husband would never intentionally hurt her.

She trusted that more than anything.

But that tiny fragment of hatred she felt from him earlier... even if it lasted less than a second... had pierced through her heart like a blade.

The mere thought of Aether hating her made her chest ache unbearably.

No...

She could endure pain.

She could endure war.

She could even endure death.

But not his hatred.

Never that.

Her fingers slowly tightened against his chest as she buried her face against him once more, inhaling his familiar scent as if reassuring herself he was still the same man she loved.

Meanwhile, Aqualina silently observed the two from nearby.

Her sharp eyes lingered on Aether longer than the others noticed. Unlike Sera, who focused only on comforting him, Aqualina noticed the small details.

The faint twitch in his jaw.

The strange dullness occasionally flickering inside his eyes.

The unnatural pressure leaked from him before disappearing again.

Something inside him was changing.

And whatever it was... it frightened her.

Only one thought settled heavily inside her mind.

Someone needs to stay near him at all times.

The ongoing war had already stretched everyone to their limits. Schedules overlapped endlessly, reports piled higher each day, and even sleep had become a luxury.

Especially for Aether.

He barely rested anymore.

”We don’t need to surrender yet,” he said calmly.

His voice instantly drew everyone’s attention.

”There’s still another option.”

Surprise flickered across the room.

Another option?

Aria frowned slightly while the others exchanged uncertain glances.

Aether looked at them before speaking slowly.

”How about... we go to the Terra Empire instead?”

Silence.

Heavy silence.

Aria blinked before confusion overtook her expression.

”But our Teleportation Station has no connection to the Terra Empire,” she said carefully while glancing toward Sera and Aqualina.

Both women nodded in agreement.

Aqualina crossed her arms lightly before speaking in a more direct tone.

”Then that leaves only your teleportation ability.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. ”Is it working again? Can you teleport us there?”

The room immediately focused on Aether.

Hope appeared within several pairs of eyes.

Unfortunately, Aether simply sighed.

A tired smile crossed his face as he shook his head slowly.

”Unfortunately... no.”

The disappointment in the room became instantly visible.

Aether leaned back slightly, rubbing the back of his neck while staring toward the ceiling for a brief moment.

If his powers had fully returned, this entire situation would have been simple.

No war pressure.

No desperate choices.

No fear.

He would have annihilated every single assholes!

But reality rarely cared about convenience.

Still...

Even without his powers, he would reach the end somehow.

No matter what stood in front of him.

After all... that was how he started, wasn’t it?

From a nobody to... Ruler of Five Empires!

The thought crossed Aether’s mind briefly before he looked toward the others.

”Then?” Aria finally asked.

Everyone frowned in confusion, unable to fully understand what he was implying. Their eyes remained fixed on him, waiting for him to explain himself properly instead of dropping vague statements like puzzle pieces.

Aether leaned slightly forward in his seat, his fingers lazily stroking Sera’s hair while she remained quietly within his arms.

”The portal inside the Void Empire,” he muttered in a serious tone. ”The one connecting the Terra Empire and the Void Empire. The transport gate they use for moving goods between territories.”

The room instantly fell silent.

One by one, they connected the dots.

Nightfire had already reported seeing an enormous portal hidden beneath the Dome built by the Void Empire.

Aria’s expression darkened immediately.

”But isn’t that extremely dangerous?” she asked with a deep frown. ”Nightfire said even touching it could seriously harm someone. Morgana’s hand was practically shredded apart like it had been grinded alive.”

Discomfort was already visible in her eyes.

For some reason, she hated this idea the moment she heard it.

Aqualina nodded in agreement before adding calmly, ”And even if you somehow reach the Terra Empire through it... after everything that happened there, do you honestly think Mary would simply let you walk around freely?”

Both questions were logical.

Normally, Aether would have sighed and admitted defeat under such arguments.

But this time...

His lips slowly curled upward.

”Don’t worry,” he said casually. ”I recently found a rather interesting method.”

Curiosity immediately appeared across everyone’s faces.

Even Sera, who had been quietly enjoying his warmth moments ago, lifted her head slightly with interest sparkling in her eyes.

A few minutes later...

”ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

”NO WAY IN HELL!!!”

”FUCK YOU!!!”

The three voices exploded simultaneously inside the room.

Aether physically flinched from the sheer force behind their reactions.

For a moment, he genuinely looked stunned.

Then a weak smile appeared on his face.

”Come on, guys... this is literally the only workable option we have right now.”

Unfortunately for him, the trio rejected the idea without hesitation.

Aqualina nearly stood up from her seat, fury flashing across her face.

”You want to become a slave again?” she snapped. ”What the actual fuck is wrong with you?”

Aria instantly nodded in support.

”She’s right! This plan is insane!” Aria pointed directly at him in frustration. ”You’re basically volunteering to walk straight into enemy territory with a leash around your neck!”

Meanwhile, Sera looked visibly shaken.

Her fingers tightened around Aether’s clothes as she bit her lower lip anxiously before muttering in a trembling voice,

”N-No... you can’t go there now... not alone...”

Aether blinked at their reactions before releasing a long, exhausted sigh.

He understood why they were angry.

But they still failed to see the bigger picture.

”Guys,” he said more seriously this time, ”this isn’t the moment to worry about pride or personal feelings.”

His expression gradually sharpened.

”Unlike us, they already possess information about nearly every single one of us. Our movements, abilities, weaknesses... meanwhile, we barely know anything about them.”

Frustration slowly crept into his voice.

”And every time we manage to capture someone alive, they kill themselves inside those damn mech suits before we can even question them properly.”

Silence filled the room again.

Because none of them could deny that.

Aether leaned forward slightly, his eyes turning colder.

”We need someone inside the Terra Empire.”

His voice lowered.

”I need to infiltrate it.”

The seriousness behind those words immediately weighed heavily across everyone’s chest.

”We need information,” Aether continued calmly. ”I need to understand what’s truly happening there so we can prepare for whatever comes next instead of blindly reacting every single time.”

Then suddenly, he shrugged casually as if discussing something completely ordinary.

”And besides...” a faint grin appeared on his face, ”I can always stir up problems inside the Empire and turn the chaos to our advantage.”

Everyone stared at him blankly.

The confidence in his voice...

The casual way he spoke about infiltrating an enemy empire and causing internal chaos...

It genuinely sounded like something he had done several times before.

Aqualina’s lips twitched slightly.

Aria rubbed her forehead in disbelief.

Even Sera looked torn between worry and reluctant acceptance.

Unfortunately for them...

And fortunately for him...

Everything Aether said made perfect sense.

If they could gain internal information about the Terra Empire, or better yet, destabilise parts of it from within, they could finally gain an advantage in this war instead of constantly being cornered.

Even more importantly... if Aether went there personally, and considering he originally came from that place... wouldn’t things become easier for them?

Who knew?

Maybe he could actually change something within the Terra Empire itself.

Maybe he could uncover truths none of them had imagined.

Or maybe... something more?

Aria finally released a long sigh before rubbing the side of her forehead tiredly.

”I understand your idea is good...”

”A-Aria!” Aqualina immediately glared at her in disbelief.

But Aria simply raised her hand, stopping her before she could continue.

”Let me finish first.”

Her expression gradually turned serious.

”As of now, we’ve only been reacting to their attacks, Aqua.” Her voice lowered heavily. ”You know that better than anyone. We have less time compared to them.”

The room turned quieter.

”Our soldiers are already exhausted. Another few weeks like this and people will start reaching their limits mentally and physically.” Aria’s eyes darkened slightly. ”And once that happens... all the burden falls onto us.”

She leaned back slightly before muttering bitterly,

”And trust me... it’ll become far worse than the pressure we’re dealing with right now.”

Aqualina gritted her teeth silently.

Because she knew Aria was right.

None of them wanted to admit it, but the Terra Empire held the advantage in time.

They had more opportunities to prepare, reorganise, and launch counterattacks while their Empire barely had enough breathing room to recover between invasions.

Four waves of armies had already arrived within a single week.

Their soldiers were beyond exhausted.

Some could barely even stand properly anymore.

Aria slowly turned toward Aether again.

”I understand your reasoning,” she said carefully. ”And honestly... strategically, your plan makes sense.”

Then her gaze sharpened.

”But it’s still dangerous.”

Her eyes scanned him briefly.

”Unlike before, you no longer have your full powers. Aside from that movement skill of yours, you’re practically vulnerable.”

Aether remained silent.

Aria suddenly looked toward Aqualina and Sera instead.

”What if we go instead?”

A dangerous glint passed through her eyes.

”According to the records, the Terra Empire is completely surrounded by concentrated energies, right?” A faint smile appeared on her lips. ”Then honestly... it wouldn’t even take us a minute to wipe everything out.”

The temperature in the room itself seemed to drop from the sheer killing intent hidden beneath her calm words.

Aqualina’s lips parted slightly before she sighed in realisation.

Then she gave Aria a quick thumbs-up.

It was almost embarrassing that she had not thought of that immediately.

Her mind had focused entirely on one thing.

Stopping Aether from going there.

That was all.

Meanwhile, Aether watched the three women practically beginning to formulate battle plans right in front of him.

Unfortunately...

”No,” he said calmly. ”That won’t work.”

All three instantly frowned.

”Why wouldn’t it?” Sera asked seriously.

At some point, she had already adjusted herself comfortably onto his lap, her arms loosely wrapped around his neck as she stared directly into his eyes.

”Just send the Chosen Ones there and...” she casually gestured with her hand, ”boom. Everything would end instantly.”

”And do you really think Arcane wouldn’t foresee that possibility?”

His sceptical tone immediately made them pause.

A strange self-doubt surfaced within the room.

Because from an outside perspective...

The solution genuinely sounded simple.

Send the Chosen Ones.

Raid the Terra Empire.

Destroy everything.

The people there possessed almost no magical resistance capable of matching Arcane Kings and Queens.

Sure, injuries might happen...

But they were talking about nearly five Arcane Queens.

And possibly four Arcane Kings.

Beings capable of levelling mountains and splitting entire lands apart.

If they truly invaded together...

The Terra Empire would disappear overnight.

So the question became painfully obvious.

Would the All-Knowing Goddess truly fail to predict something so simple?

The answer irritated everyone.

No.

Of course not.

Aqualina crossed her arms tightly before staring straight at Aether.

”What makes you think you can go there successfully?” she asked seriously.

Deep inside, she had already decided one thing.

She would not allow him to go.

No matter what happened.

However, instead of looking worried, Aether smirked faintly.

”What makes you think I can’t?”

His relaxed tone only irritated them more.

”I’m powerless now,” he continued calmly. ”At this point, I’m basically no different from a normal human.”

”That still doesn’t justify anyth...”

”And,” Aether interrupted casually, ”I was once a human who lived in that place too.”

”...”

That single sentence silenced the three women instantly.

Then Aether delivered the final blow.

”And... I’m still Arcane’s favoured one.”

”...”

The silence became even heavier.

Their faces immediately turned red with frustration.

They hated admitting it.

Absolutely hated it.

Yet none of them could deny the truth behind his words.

Compared to any of them...

Aether truly had the highest chance of entering the Terra Empire unnoticed.

Seeing their reactions, Aether spread his hands slightly before saying with an annoyingly satisfied expression,

”See? I still have a better chance of getting inside than any of you.”

A full minute of silence filled the study room.

Then three furious voices exploded once again.

”NO WAY!”

”YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!”

”THEN TAKE ME WITH YOU!!”