Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1111: Curing the Children: Part-2

There was a tense silence between them. The projection had faded, but the weight of the message still hung thick in the air.

Aether folded his arms slowly, his gaze fixed on the crystal as if it might flicker back to life. After a long pause, he finally asked in a low, thoughtful tone, ”This is the only thing you found?”

Xara gave a quick nod. ”Yeah. No other files. Just this one recording before they must’ve abandoned the place forever, it seems.”

Aether exhaled heavily and rubbed his forehead with his fingers, trying to process everything. Too many questions. Too little clarity.

Xara, however, was glowing with excitement. Her eyes were practically sparkling as she looked up at him, her voice filled with barely-contained thrill.

”You heard him, right? He mentioned something called the Origins. And Arcane... he said Arcane is our Enemy. T-This is big! This could be the key... the link I’ve been searching for. If this place really connects to the Origin... to that truth, then... then I might be closer than ever.”

Aether offered her a weak smile, but his heart was anything but light.

The situation... was getting dangerous.

Who were those people in the video?

They didn’t look like dragons. They looked human. And yet, this world was ruled by dragons now.

And why would Aracen slaughter everyone?

What did the imbalance mean?

Was it power? Was it bloodline? Something deeper?

Aether shook his head slightly, brushing the thoughts aside. No point diving into chaos yet. Instead, he looked back at Xara with a half-grin.

”Well then,” he said, stretching, ”why don’t we call the children and cure them all already?”

Xara blinked at him, her excitement still burning, before tilting her head slightly. Then she shook it and replied, ”You do it. I... I’m not interested in dealing with that part.” She shrugged awkwardly and scratched the back of her head, her eyes shifting sideways as if trying to avoid the responsibility.

Aether didn’t say a word. He simply stepped toward her, strong and sudden, before sweeping her off her feet.

”Ah—!” Xara gasped as he lifted her cleanly off the ground, cradling her in his arms like a princess.

”My Lady,” he said firmly, his tone shifting to something deeper, sterner—commanding. His gaze locked onto hers with such authority that it made her throat tighten. ”I didn’t ask you. I order you.”

Xara’s face went crimson instantly. ”W-Wait... T-This—!” she stammered, trying to hide her face in embarrassment. Her heart raced as her body pressed against his chest. Only now, with him so close, did she notice it.

Aether had grown taller. Broader. His body was firmer. More defined. And his scent... gods, his scent was stronger than ever. It stirred something inside her.

”I-I mean... I wasn’t prepared for this...” she mumbled, completely red as she fidgeted in his arms like a shy schoolgirl. ”W-Wait, we forgot the medicines!”

Aether stopped mid-step, blinking. ”Oh? Right!”

After retrieving the medicine, Aether transformed, disguising himself as Victor. With Xara’s confirmation that the area was secure, he sent out a call to the families. Despite the unrest still echoing in the Empire, the mothers responded quickly—his presence alone was enough to calm hearts.

Soon, Raven, Selene, and Emberlyn stood outside in the wide courtyard as Victor stood calmly, surrounded by a crowd of mutated children.

The moment they saw him, the children’s eyes widened.

”B-Big Brother... you big!” one of them said, their small voice filled with awe.

”Big Brother, a few days ago there was this boom... and everyone was scared and crying,” another added.

”Yeah... it was so scary...”

”Are you okay, Big Brother?”

Even in the middle of confusion and fear, the children seemed more worried about him than themselves.

Victor smiled warmly, his voice gentle and reassuring. ”You all doing good? That makes me really happy. And yes, I’m fine,” he said, crouching slightly and ruffling their hair softly one by one.

They giggled sweetly, the tension lifting a little.

Victor glanced at their mothers, standing at a distance. Xara had assured him it was safe to allow them here. He nodded in their direction, and the women smiled softly at the scene.

[+4000 AP]

[+4000 AP]

[+4000 AP]

[+4000 AP]

[+4000 AP]...

Victor ignored them with a small smile. His eyes moved to the side—where Xara stood.

She was prepared, holding a large tray filled with sleek glass tubes. Each one glowed faintly with a blue liquid inside—cool, sterile, and filled with hope. Her posture was elegant and precise, her eyes focused. But her cheeks... her cheeks had a faint red blush as she met his gaze.

Victor took a steady breath before turning back to the kids. His voice dropped slightly, calm and coaxing.

”Okay, little boys and girls,” he said, crouching again. ”You all listen to your Big Brother, right?”

”Yes!”

”Yeah!!”

Their enthusiastic replies came together like a choir of baby birds chirping at their mother hen.

Selene and Emberlyn laughed softly at the adorable response, while Raven gave a quiet smile of her own.

Victor nodded with approval. ”Then go and drink the medicine that my beloved wife prepared for you.”

The children blinked in unison, turning slowly to look at Xara.

Xara blushed harder, caught off-guard by the sudden title. She was the one who’d handed out candy before... and their memory after that had gone fuzzy. All they remembered was waking up in their mother’s arms, safe and warm.

Now... she was holding strange glowing drinks, being called his wife.

But her expression remained calm and gentle, the soft smile on her lips carrying something warm—something maternal. She didn’t say anything. She simply nodded and offered the tray forward with grace.

The children didn’t know what exactly they were drinking. But when they looked at her, they felt something in their chests stir—a fear.

As if she had done something wrong with them.

Still, it was because their Big Brother told them. And they trusted him more than anything.

”B-But the medicine tastes weird... I don’t want it,” one of the children whimpered, scrunching their face in protest.

Victor chuckled, kneeling down to meet the child’s eye level. ”How about this...” he said with a mischievous smile, ”Whoever drinks the medicine gets a candy... and a chance to play with Big Brother afterward.”

There was a moment of silence. The children exchanged looks—wide eyes, unsure, hesitant.

Then—”YAYYYYY!!” they all shouted in chorus, throwing their hands in the air and running excitedly toward Xara.

Xara blinked, startled by the stampede of excited kids suddenly crowding around her. With the help of the mothers, she began handing the blue-glowing tubes one by one, careful to make sure each child got the right dose.

”M-Mommy, it tastes weird... I don’t want to,” one child began to cry, face twisting in discomfort as they tasted the bitter fluid.

The mother gently stroked their back, cooing softly, ”My baby, look... everyone else is drinking it so they can play with Big Brother. Don’t you want to play too?”

The child sniffled, lips quivering, then pouted and gulped the medicine down all at once with a teary face. As soon as they finished, the little one stumbled forward, half crying, and wrapped their arms around Victor’s leg.

”Hic... I-I drank... play, hic... with me, Big Brother...” the child pleaded, eyes glassy and full of trust.

Victor smiled and scooped the child into his arms, cradling them gently. ”Of course,” he said, turning to the others with a soft laugh. ”Since you all drank like good little dragons, Big Brother will play with all of you. Now... who wants candy first~?”

”Me!!”

”Me!”

”ME!!”

Tiny hands shot into the air as the group erupted into excited cheers. Laughter echoed through the yard.

From the side, the mothers watched the scene with misty eyes. Their Emperor—no, their savior—playing with their children like a brother, not a ruler.

It felt too beautiful to be real.

Selene and Raven stared, unable to look away. Victor’s smile was genuine. Soft. Full of warmth.

”I want a baby now,” Raven whispered.

”I want a baby now,” Selene echoed with longing, their voices overlapping in perfect harmony.

Emberlyn chuckled quietly, but her gaze shifted to Xara. ”So... how does it work, exactly?”

Xara, who was still organising the empty tubes on the tray, nodded calmly. ”Give it a little time. Since they’re playing and moving around, their blood is circulating faster. That means the medicine will activate quicker. Once it does... the transformation will begin.”

As if on cue—Thud!

One of the children collapsed.

The others stopped. Then—

Thud!

Thud!

One by one, they began to fall, their small bodies dropping to the ground as the medicine took effect. The panic was immediate—but Victor held his ground, eyes locked on the child in his arms who had gone limp.

The boy twitched. His body convulsed, his muscles spasming under Victor’s touch. His face twisted in pain as his skin shifted—his elongated, mutated ears shrinking down, returning to their normal, human shape.

The same began happening to the rest. Twitches. Convulsions. Cracking joints and reshaping limbs. Each child, in their own time, slowly began to change... shedding the twisted forms they had once been trapped in.

The wind picked up gently, a warm breeze brushing past their skin... Like something painful had been lifted.

The only sound that remained was the soft groans of children, the occasional whimper of pain.

The mothers stood frozen... then began to tremble.

Their eyes widened. One of them fell to her knees, hand over her mouth, tears slipping down her cheeks.

Xara stepped forward calmly, her voice low but certain. ”Don’t worry. Their blood composition has been fully balanced. Their powers won’t vanish. In fact... their bodies are now stable. Just like yours.”

The mothers gasped, covering their mouths. Some sobbed aloud. Others simply sank to the ground, overwhelmed.

They had watched their children suffer. Be mocked. Be feared. Be rejected. Now—those same children were healing.

”T-Thank you... really...” one whispered, trembling.

”W-We owe you... forever...” another sobbed.

Xara, for a rare moment, looked awkward. Praise was not something she was used to—or comfortable with. She scratched her head, looking away shyly, but she nodded. ”I just did what I could...”

Slowly, one by one, the children began to stir. Eyes fluttered open.

”M-Mom?” one whispered weakly.

”Mommy?” another blinked, disoriented.

”Yes! Mommy’s here!” The mothers rushed forward, wrapping their arms tightly around their children, hugging them close and breaking into more tears.

The children didn’t understand the scene—why their mothers were crying so hard, or why they were being squeezed so tightly.

”Are you... sad, Mommy?” one of them asked softly.

”N-No, dear,” the mother whispered, voice trembling, ”I’m just... I’m just very happy right now.”

Victor stood in silence, watching them. His heart felt tight—full, but heavy. Without a word, he turned and began to walk away, his footsteps soft on the dirt. Just before he disappeared, he felt a tug at his sleeve.

He looked down.

One of the children had grabbed him.

”Thank you, Big Brother,” the child said simply, smiling.

Victor looked up—and saw them. All the mothers. All the children. Bowing their heads in quiet gratitude.

”We have no words to express it,” one said.

”But thank you... for saving our children.”

[Twin Domains: 949 / 812 ↑]

Victor stared for a moment before smiling softly and shaking his head. ”It wasn’t me who saved them,” he said. ”Thank her. That big sister over there—she’s the one who healed you.”

With that, he vanished from sight.

Xara blinked, confused. And then—she was surrounded. Mothers, children—everyone pressing close, overflowing with gratitude. Voices poured over her.

”Thank you so much!”

”You saved my baby!”

”Bless you... Thank you!”

”W-Wait—wait!! Selene! Help me!!” Xara shouted in panic, completely overwhelmed by the affection.

Selene smirked from the side, arms crossed with a smug tilt to her lips.

”Take that,” she said sweetly, ”for calling me a failure, Mother.”

”Hehe...he... f-fuck!”