Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 544 Usurping the throne Part-2

”Do~do~do~d~Dora”

”Alrightttttt~~~~”

”Do~do~do~d~Dora”

”Letʼs goooo~~~”

”Dora~ Dora~ Dora the explorer!”

”Dorrraaaaa~!”

The strange tune echoed in the room..... Arkanisʼs eyes fluttered open, heavy with exhaustion. His vision swam with blurred shapes, and his blood-clotted eyes struggled to focus.

But as his sight cleared, he saw Victor, grinning ear-to-ear, and Snowflake—the white snake—dancing and chanting in a bizarre performance right in front of him.

”Ar... cough—” Arkanis tried to speak, but a surge of blood cut him off, spilling down his chin as he coughed painfully.

Victor paused mid-step, turning to Arkanis with a too-bright smile, ”Oh? Finally awake, are we? Good morning, Mr. Arkanis! How are we feeling?” His tone was almost sickeningly sweet.

Arkanis glared, forcing words through the agony of his broken body, ”If youʼre so concerned... why donʼt you...

cough, cough

... take off these cuffs and ask me properly?”

Victor clicked his tongue, shaking his head in fake disappointment, ”Oh, that wouldnʼt be wise, my friend.” His grin darkened, ”Youʼre not exactly in a position to make demands, Arkanis. If I were you, Iʼd shut both my holes and count my blessings.” He mimicked zipping his mouth shut, then gave a wicked smirk as he pointed toward Arkanisʼs back.

The insult made Arkanisʼs face flush with pure rage, but his body was shackled tightly to the torture chair.

Read latest stories on

Victor observed him with a smug look, then casually produced a hand mirror, angling it so Arkanis could see himself.

”Itʼs time to see The ART~”

Arkanisʼs eyes widened, horror filling them as he took in the sight of his own mangled reflection. The once-proud emperor, once adorned with vibrant blue scales that had bewitched so many, was now almost unrecognizable. His chest was a mess of torn flesh, skin peeled away in patches, his fingers—his pride—were severed, the beautiful blue horns that marked his status had been snapped off, one leaving a bloody hole on his forehead that dripped down into his eyes, blinding him on one side. His right leg, too, was missing, leaving only a twisted stump in its place.

”W-What… what have you done to me...” he whispered, his voice barely a shadow of its former strength, filled with horror and fear.

Victor chuckled darkly, ”Not me, dear Arkanis. All of this? It was Aetherʼs doing. Funny, isnʼt it?” He leaned closer, his smile turning cold and merciless, ”How does it feel to be on the other side of the torture? Do you like the taste of your own medicine?”

Before Arkanis could retort, Victor broke into a sing-song voice, laughing gleefully, ”Because I feel good!” Even Snowflake joined in, letting out a strange, hissing laughter, though it sounded bizarrely warped.

”Hahaha...Haha..sssssssHhasssss~” It was indeed weird.

Desperation seeping into his voice, Arkanis mustered up the last of his arrogance. ”My people... theyʼll come for me! Once they realize what youʼve done—”

Victor scoffed, pushing the chair forward as he rolled it out of the torture room, ”Oh, Iʼd be more concerned about what theyʼll think of you, Arkanis. Especially when they discover their Emperorʼs little secrets.” His voice dripped with ominous satisfaction, cutting off Arkanisʼs futile cries for help.

Arkanisʼs eyes darted around as Victor pushed him through the desolate halls, his heart pounding.

There was no one here. Not a single guard, no servants—nothing but silence!!!

”W-What did you do to everyone?” he stammered, his fear deepening as he realized just how alone he was.

Victor chuckled, never missing a beat as he pushed the wheelchair down another shadowy hallway, ”Oh, donʼt worry. I didnʼt kill them.” His voice dropped lower.... a sinister, ”Yet.”

Finally, they reached the underground chamber, and Arkanisʼs gaze lit up as he recognized it, his confidence returning, ʼHe wouldnʼt dare try anything in hereʼ His mind raced, formulating a desperate plan. ”If you think you can threaten me into submission—”

But before he could finish, Victor seized a handful of his remaining hair, yanking his head forward so his eyes could be scanned by the doorʼs sensor. ”Iʼve had enough of your mouth, Arkanis.”

Snowflake hissed as it slithered forward, inputting the password with an unnatural precision.

The heavy door creaked open, releasing a cloud of toxic gas that billowed out from the room. Victorʼs eyes narrowed, ”Now, whereʼs the control panel?” he demanded.

Arkanis smirked, clinging to a last shred of defiance, ”Iʼll never tell y--”

SLAM!

Victor smashed Arkanisʼs head against the wall, blood smearing from the impact, ”I wonʼt ask again. Where is it?”

Even as he reeled from the pain, Arkanisʼs grin returned, teeth bared in a bloody smirk. He could withstand Victorʼs rage; he still had leverage. He would not let his fear betray him.

Victor sighed, shaking his head at Snowflake. With a hiss, the snake sprayed a foul, burning liquid directly onto Arkanisʼs face.

SSSHHHPPP!

”AAAARRRGGHHH!” Arkanisʼs scream echoed, his voice tearing with agony as his skin blistered and bubbled under the acid.

The pain was unbearable, ʼIt burnnnsssss!!!!!” ripping any resolve he had left to shreds.

Victor stood, unmoved. ”I can do this all day, Arkanis,” he said calmly, watching as Arkanis writhed.

Eventually, the tortured emperor broke.

”D-eactivate... deactivate the system protocol!” Arkanis shouted, choking on the words. The gas halted instantly, cut off by his voice command.

ʼVoice activated... interesting,ʼ Victor noted, then he leaned down, expression cool and predatory. ”Now, hand over full control. Now.”

Arkanis, panting, his face twisted in agony, shook his head weakly. ”I-I donʼt know…” He coughed.

Snowflake was about to spray another acid when Arkanis shouted in fear with a hoarse voice ”I donʼt know… cough, cough… I only stumbled upon this place first...”

”Huh?” Victor raised his hand as he stopped Snowflake.

Victor raised his eyebrows in surprise. ”So, you didnʼt create this place?”

Silence hung heavy in the air as Arkanis remained tight-lipped, refusing to respond. Snowflake slithered closer, its forked tongue flicking out as it prepared to spray another wave of acid directly onto Arkanisʼs exposed chest, already marred by deep wounds and peeling skin.

”AARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHH!!!” The scream tore from Arkanisʼs throat, raw and desperate, echoing off the stone walls.

As the agonizing pain subsided to a dull throb, he mumbled, ”P-Please... Yes... ha... ha... I didnʼt create this place.”

Victor nodded, satisfied with the response. With a flick of his wrist, he splashed cool water over Arkanisʼs scorched body, the liquid stinging as it met the acid burns. He then poured a small amount into Arkanisʼs mouth, his expression deceptively gentle. ”Listen, all you need to do is cooperate with me, and I promise Iʼll let you go. Believe me.”

ʼAs if I could trust you!ʼ Arkanis thought bitterly, feeling his teeth grind together. He had been a fool to ever trust this bastard in the first place. The regret clawed at him, but deep down, he knew that Victor wouldnʼt kill him. They were in Arkanis territory, and eliminating him would be the last thing any rational person would consider.

So Arkanis was fine for the time being!

”Very well,” Victor said, breaking through Arkanisʼs dark thoughts. ”I see youʼre not eager to cooperate.” He sighed, but then a sly smile crept across his face. ”I know how much you love contracts.... Here.” He produced a document.

Arkanis narrowed his eyes as he scanned the parchment. The terms were astonishingly simple: he only had to tell the truth, and Victor would let him go, untouched. No harm would come to him or even his empire.

ʼHah... this arrogant fool.ʼ Arkanis chuckled inwardly, reassured that Victor remained within his grasp. Masking his confidence, he put on a show of reluctance. ”Y-Youʼre sure?” he asked, voice trembling. ”Youʼre promising not to harm me?”

ʼJust wait, you bastard. Iʼll bring my entire army to destroy everything you hold dear,ʼ he thought, holding the pen hesitantly before finally signing. Victor mirrored the action, sealing the deal.

Victorʼs gaze settled on Arkanis. ”So, are we in agreement now?” he asked with a faint smile as he removed his cuffs.

Arkanis nodded, wearing his own sly grin, ”Yes... yes, of course.” He leaned back, crossing his arms as he began to talk, ”This is the place I stumbled upon when I was young, a hidden passageway in the castle thatʼs older than the rest of it. Seems someone centuries ago built more than just walls and towers. Truth be told, this castle holds more secrets than my forefathers ever knew.”

Victor watched him intently, pushing his wheelchair forward, positioning himself for every word. ”Go on,” he prompted.

Arkanis obliged, his eyes flicking to Victor with feigned sincerity, ”In this hidden room, there are... records, experiments, documents about creating new species, bizarre mutations... things you wouldnʼt believe possible.....” as Arkanis slowly told everything he knew....

Victorʼs expression morphed into one of horror and—was that disgust? His eyes widened, the lines around his mouth tightening as he listened, unprepared for the twisted revelations spilling from Arkanisʼs mouth.

The longer Arkanis spoke, the more Victorʼs face changed, caught between horror and disbelief. It was as if he couldnʼt fathom that someone—anyone—could even consider such vile ideas to their own kin.

The confession dragged on for what seemed like an eternity, When Arkanis finally finished, he looked at Victor with a faint glimmer of satisfaction and dared to ask, ”So... thatʼs everything you wanted. I can go now, yes?”

It took Victor a long moment to process what heʼd heard, to even come back to reality.

He blinked, staring blankly at Arkanis, his fingers drumming against the armrest of his wheelchair as he collected himself.

Arkanis frowned, an uneasy feeling stirring within him. ”Y-You signed the contract... You agreed. You have to let me go!” he insisted, his voice gaining a slight edge.

Victor nodded, ”Yes, yes, Of course I will let you go. Youʼll leave, all right. But first...” His voice lowered, ”First, youʼre going to summon every Noble and High-Ranking officer in this Empire… and youʼre going to do it now. I want them here immediately.” as he handed over high level healing potion to Arkanis.

Victor eyes flickered with crimson as he activated his crimson Veil!