Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1799: Meeting the Past: Part-3

Sssshhhhhh~

Stepping out of the portal, Young Aether’s metallic boot pressed into the loose ground, sinking slightly into the endless grains of scorching sand.

Sssshhhh!

A wave of blistering heat rolled across the barren wasteland. The air itself shimmered violently, twisting the distant horizon into dancing mirages as if reality had become liquid beneath the relentless sun.

^Atmosphere Temperature: 62°C.^

^Environmental Hazard: Extreme Heat Detected.^

^Activating Internal Cryo-Coolant System…^

Soft blue indicators pulsed across the inside of his visor. A faint mechanical hiss escaped from microscopic vents hidden beneath the armour as chilled coolant circulated throughout the suit. Within seconds, the suffocating heat disappeared, replaced by a refreshing coolness that spread evenly across his entire body.

Young Aether blinked.

“…That is ridiculously comfortable.”

Unlike the previous one he had worn, this suit didn’t suffocate him with pressure, throw off his balance, or bombard him with calibration warnings every few seconds. Every movement felt effortless, almost unnatural, as though he wasn’t wearing armour at all.

It felt less like a machine… and more like a second skin.

He slowly looked around through his visor.

“A desert?”

An endless sea of golden sand stretched beyond the horizon without a single mountain, tree, or sign of life.

Heat rippled endlessly above the dunes, bending light into distorted waves until the entire landscape looked as though invisible flames danced across the earth itself. The sky glowed without any sun, so brilliant that even his visor automatically dimmed to compensate.

Tiny lines of data quietly scrolled across the edge of his vision.

^Air Quality: Safe.^

^Humidity: 0.8%.^

^Wind Speed: 21 km/h.^

Honestly, he had absolutely no idea where to begin. Every time he stepped into Hell’s Gate, he appeared in a different place that he had never seen before.

Still…

He had willingly stepped through hell’s gate.

If answers existed anywhere, they would be found beyond this portal.

To discover what was truly happening—

“It’s weird.”

Allen’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Turning around, Young Aether saw Allen kneeling beside the portal while holding a compact dimensional analyzer. Several mechanical rings rotated around its core as crimson scanning beams swept across the crimson portal.

“What do you mean?” Jonathan asked as he walked over.

Allen handed him the device without taking his eyes off the display.

“This portal…” he said quietly, “…is stable.”

“…Pardon?”

Allen swallowed.

“This portal exhibits 100% dimensional stability. There is absolutely no energy leakage from its origin point.”

Jonathan’s expression immediately darkened.

Normally, every dimensional portal leaked unstable energy into the surrounding environment. By measuring those fluctuations, researchers could accurately estimate how long the portal would remain open before naturally collapsing.

The greater the instability… the shorter its lifespan.

Throughout recorded history, the highest stability ever observed had only reached around fifty to sixty percent.

Anything beyond that had been considered theoretically impossible.

Yet the readings before them displayed a perfect score.

100%.

Not 99.8 or 99.99.

A flawless one hundred!

Jonathan stared silently at the holographic display projected from the analyser.

“…That’s impossible.”

“I’ve recalibrated the analyser three times,” Allen replied.

Jonathan felt a chill despite the desert heat.

“…Does that mean the portal can’t close by itself?” he asked quietly.

“If it remains permanently open…”

His sentence trailed off.

Neither of them needed to imagine what happened next.

An endless stream of monsters crossing into Earth.

“I need to report this to the President immediately,” Jonathan said, his tone becoming firm.

This had already exceeded Division authority.

No… It had surpassed Governor authority as well.

If the gateway truly remained permanently stable, then this wasn’t merely a regional emergency.

It was an Empire-level crisis.

“We’re retreating,” Jonathan ordered.

Allen nodded without argument, storing the analyser back onto his suit belt.

“…”

No complaint from the person who always had something to say.

Both men frowned simultaneously.

“…Aether?”

Jonathan slowly turned.

The place where Young Aether had been standing only moments ago…

…was empty.

The man in the armoured suit who had been standing on the scorching sand only moments ago had completely vanished. Only warm desert wind drifted across the empty spot, carrying loose grains of sand over the shallow footprints and the slightly collapsed patch of ground where he had once stood.

Jonathan blinked.

“…”

His eye twitched.

“Where the fuck did he go now?!” Jonathan shouted, his voice echoing across the endless desert.

Before Allen could answer—

The sand beneath both of them suddenly collapsed.

“What the—”

Their feet lost all support as the ground gave way like quicksand, swallowing them whole before either of them could react.

Meanwhile…

Your (POV) had already moved far away from the duo who were swallowed by the sand, racing northward at incredible speed.

Endless waves of golden dunes stretched toward the horizon, each one glowing beneath the merciless white sky. Heat distorted the landscape into shimmering mirages while scorching wind scraped against your visor with a constant hiss.

Nothing.

Nothing but sand…

…until something beneath the surface caught your attention.

Your gaze slowly shifted downward, matching its incredible speed.

And diving into the sand.

Just beneath the thin layer of sand, an enormous gray shape shot forward like a torpedo beneath water. Thick wrinkled skin twisted violently as the creature slithered through the desert with terrifying speed, leaving a long bulging trail across the dunes.

Then everything suddenly made sense.

“Fffffuuuucccckkkkkkk!!!”

Young Aether’s scream erupted across the desert.

Half of his body had already disappeared inside an enormous circular mouth lined with countless rotating razor-sharp teeth.

How did this even happen?

One second, he had been peacefully testing his suit’s functions while admiring the scenery.

The next…

The ground beneath his feet collapsed.

A gigantic circular mouth burst out from underneath him and swallowed him before he even had time to scream.

“Seriously?!”

Crrrrkkkkkk!

Hundreds of razor-like teeth scraped violently against his armour, producing a shower of bright orange sparks that illuminated the creature’s throat. The grinding pressure echoed through the suit, causing warning indicators to flash across his visor.

^External Armour Integrity: 100%.^

^Surface Abrasion Detected.^

^Damage: Cosmetic Only.^

Thank goodness.

Had he been wearing his previous suit…

He would have become monster food several seconds ago.

BAM!

BAM!

He repeatedly slammed his armoured fists against the creature’s head. Every impact echoed like striking reinforced steel, but the monster refused to loosen its grip.

“Motherfucker! This is my new suit! Don’t scratch it, asshole!” he yelled.

Yes…

He was genuinely more concerned about scratching his expensive state-of-the-art combat suit than being eaten alive.

Yup…. That was our MC.

“Hey! Fucking AI! Give me some support here!” he shouted while struggling to free himself.

RIN’s holographic voice responded almost immediately.

^I’m trying here!^

^The thruster plates have already been swallowed and are being tightly compressed by the monster’s muscles, so they’re currently offline.^

^Attempted electrical countermeasure… Failed.^

^The creature instantly dispersed the current through the surrounding sand, effectively grounding the entire discharge.^

There was a brief pause.

^…Hmm.^

^…Where’s your weapon?^

Left with no other option, RIN finally asked about the only thing capable of helping him.

Young Aether shifted as much as the monster’s crushing bite allowed.

His eyes quickly found the weapon.

Still wrapped in cloth…

It had become lodged between the creature’s thick grey folds of wrinkled flesh, barely within reach.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He leaned forward as far as he could.

The monster’s rotating teeth continued grinding against the reinforced plating around his waist, locking him firmly in place despite failing to pierce the armor.

He stretched.

A little farther.

Just…

A…

Bit…

More.

His fingertips brushed against the wrapped handle before slipping away.

“Damn it… Come on, come on, come to, daddy~”

He tried again.

This time, his middle finger hooked the edge of the cloth.

“Come”

Slowly…

“Come”

Carefully…

“Come!”

He nudged it closer.

Another inch.

“Come!”

Another.

“Come!”

Finally…

“Come!!”

His middle finger curled tightly around the wrapped weapon.

^Hmm… You’re really good at using your fingers.^

RIN said in an impressed tone. After all, moving it that way wasn’t particularly easy.

Young Aether smirked.

“Who would’ve thought fingering tight pussy would eventually come in handy?~” he said proudly, the grin on his face growing wider.

^…^

The cute bunny wore a completely blank expression.

Young Aether chuckled before hooking the cloth with his finger at just the right angle. With a small nudge, he gave it a sharp yank, causing the wrapped weapon to slip free and fall toward him.

^…Motherfucker.^

RIN couldn’t stop herself from muttering after realising he had used the exact same technique that made women squirm beneath his fingers.

Young Aether caught the weapon without hesitation. His metallic fingers slipped through the slotted ring on its grip as he clenched it tightly. Crimson energy particles flickered from his gauntlet before flowing directly into the weapon.

Without wasting another second, he drove the jagged, wicked crescent deep into the monster’s flesh.

It slid in like butter.

WRRRRRRR!!

The monster let out a deafening screech as its massive body writhed violently beneath the sand. Waves of compressed sand slammed into Young Aether’s back with tremendous force, but he refused to stop.

He stabbed again.

And again.

And again.

“Huh? It hurts, bastard? Haha… Take this, bitch!”

Chuck!

Chuck!

Chuucckkk!!

Each strike carved another chunk of raw flesh from the creature’s outer mouth, like a beast digging through solid earth with its claws.

Layer after layer peeled away.

Dark blood splattered across his armour, staining the polished plating crimson, yet he continued hacking deeper without slowing for even a moment.

Meanwhile…

The suit gradually began recognising the weapon.

The slotted ring suddenly engaged, locking firmly around his fingers with a precise mechanical click.

^Weapon Detected.^

^The Twin Eclipse.^

^Synchronization Initiated.^

The Twin Eclipse immediately responded.

Crimson particles erupted across the weapon’s red-striped frame as streams of glowing energy raced through countless engraved channels carved along its body. One after another, the recessed slots ignited with an eerie Purple glow, illuminating the weapon with pulsing energy.

Mechanical joints hidden beneath the frame shifted into place.

Clack!

Clack!

Clack!

The weapon elongated as multiple jagged crescent blades unfolded from within its segmented body. Tiny locking mechanisms snapped into position while a deep mechanical hum resonated through the metal. Thin streams of purple energy leaked from the narrow gaps between each moving section, bathing the weapon in an ominous radiance.

Young Aether didn’t even spare it a glance.

He simply continued carving away at the monster’s flesh, inch by inch, forcing a path toward the outside.

“Goodbye, BITCH~!”

He brought both Twin Eclipse blades together into a single devastating strike before driving them straight into the weakened flesh.

CRRREEAAAKKK!!

The creature’s enormous circular mouth split apart.

At that exact moment…

^Thrusters Online.^

The booster plates along his armour shifted outward with a sharp metallic snap before unleashing a violent burst of crimson vector thrust.

BOOOOM!!

The desert trembled.

A massive shockwave blasted through the sand, sending entire dunes sliding outward in every direction.

PUFFFF!!!

Young Aether exploded out of the ground in a shower of sand, soaring high into the blazing sky.

A split second later…

The gigantic sandworm burst from beneath the desert after him.

Its massive mouth, now torn nearly in half, flapped grotesquely in the rushing air as blood sprayed from the shredded flesh. Even after suffering such devastating wounds, the creature still lunged upward, desperate to devour him.

Young Aether calmly flipped backwards in midair with the assistance of his thrusters. Stabilisers adjusted his posture instantly as crimson exhaust trailed behind him.

His armoured fingers tightened around the Twin Eclipse.

The weapon’s violet channels pulsed brighter.

He drew his right arm back…

Tiny holographic indicators appeared across his visor.

^Neural Link Established.^

^Weapon Synchronisation: 100%.^

SSSNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG!!!

The Twin Eclipse spun violently around his wrist. Its segmented blades blurred into a single violet ring as brilliant purple particles erupted from the weapon, scattering across the air like burning embers.

^Trajectory Prediction Calculated.^

^Throw it down the throat, Aether!^

“Take this!!”

With all his strength, Young Aether hurled the weapon toward the monster’s gaping maw.

SSSHHHHHH!!

The Twin Eclipse tore through the air, spinning at an absurd frequency. It became nothing more than a violet streak before disappearing straight into the creature’s wide-open mouth.

Deep inside its throat…

The weapon suddenly responded.

Click!

Click!

Click!

Its jagged, wicked claws shifted apart before extending outward in an instant. Thin purple energy cables shot from the slotted ring, anchoring the weapon firmly as every mechanical joint locked into its combat configuration.

Then…

The claws burst outward from the inside.

SHHHKKKK!!

Massive hooked blades burst through the monster’s flesh from the inside, pinning themselves through its thick hide like enormous anchors.

For a heartbeat…

Nothing happened.

Then the weapon began spinning.

Faster.

Faster!!

Until the purple glow became a blazing circular saw of condensed energy.

CCCHHHUUUUCCCCKKKKKK!!!

The anchored curved blades ripped through the creature’s entire body, carving a perfect ring through flesh.

The worm’s enormous upper body separated cleanly from the rest of its body before crashing heavily onto the desert below.

BOOOOM!!

The severed corpse writhed violently across the sand.

WWWRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrr—

Its agonised cries gradually weakened.

Within seconds…

Its moist grey flesh rapidly lost all colour.

Cracks spread across its body.

The thick skin shrivelled.

The entire corpse weathered away as though decades had passed in mere moments, collapsing into brittle remains before crumbling into dry fragments beneath the desert wind.

“Holy cow…” Young Aether muttered, genuinely surprised.

“I… wasn’t expecting that.”

RIN immediately brought up a new analysis window.

^Interesting… The underground temperature is below 20°C.^

^Combined with the creature’s internal biological structure, rapid dehydration occurred immediately after death, accelerating cellular decay.^

^Conclusion… Nature is weird.^

Young Aether stared for a second.

“…That’s your scientific conclusion?”

^I’m simplifying it for you.^

“…Fair enough.”

At that moment…

SSSNNNNGGGG!!

The Twin Eclipse shot back toward him at incredible speed, spinning like a living buzzsaw.

Young Aether instinctively tensed.

“…Wait. Shouldn’t I dodge?”

The weapon reached him in the blink of an eye.

Instead of slicing through his hand…

Click.

The slotted ring aligned perfectly with his armoured fingers before smoothly locking itself onto his gauntlet. Hidden magnetic locks engaged with a satisfying mechanical snap, as if the weapon had always belonged there.

It felt… Natural.

Like it wasn’t merely equipment.

It was an extension of his own body.

This meant it could be easily used with a mech-suit, not solo!

“Man…” Young Aether muttered while admiring the transformed weapon.

“This is seriously fucked up.”

He slowly rotated the Twin Eclipse.

Its wicked crescent blades gleamed beneath the blazing light, now far more monstrous than before. Every jagged edge hummed faintly with purple energy, looking sharp enough to tear through armoured steel without resistance. [Imgincmt]

“Torag…”

He smirked.

“…Oh, Torag…”

“I’m really glad I didn’t kill you~”

Meanwhile…

Back at Delta Division.

“Achooo!!”

Torag sneezed so violently that he nearly dropped the steel beam he was carrying.

“W-Why do I suddenly have such a bad feeling?”

He nervously looked around his workshop.

“Is someone talking about me?”

“…Who would even miss me besides my wife?”

“…Right?”

Silence.

He slowly glanced at the half-destroyed workshop surrounding him.

The earlier explosion had left the entire place looking like it had survived a small war.

“…Please don’t let that monster come again…”

He muttered a quick prayer before returning to work.

Meanwhile…

Back in the desert.

Young Aether landed gracefully on the scorching sand.

Behind him, several armour plates along his back shifted with crisp mechanical clicks before separating to reveal two recessed magnetic weapon slots.

^Weapon Storage Mode Available.^

^Please mount Twin Eclipse.^

“Roger.”

Thuck!

Thuck!

He slid both Twin Eclipse blades into the slots.

Powerful magnetic locks instantly engaged.

Click.

The weapons secured themselves firmly against his back as if they had been custom-built for the armour from the very beginning.

“…Nice.”

He looked around the endless desert once again.

“So… Where the hell am I again?”

As if answering his question…

The nearby sand suddenly shifted.

SSSSSSSHHHHH…

A long mound rapidly formed beneath the surface.

Then another.

And another.

Tiny warning windows instantly flooded his visor.

^Lifeform Detected.^

^Multiple Targets Detected.^

Young Aether slowly grinned.

“Hehe~”

“It’s time for some practice, baby~”

With a sharp metallic snap, both Twin Eclipse blades flew from his back into his waiting hands.

Clack!

He lowered his stance.

The monsters beneath the sand accelerated.

Young Aether’s smile only widened.

“Come on… Let’s see what this suit can really do.”