Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1159: Broken Samsara: Part-4

The black spider finally came to a slow, unsettling halt as its long limbs creaked and twitched before going still. At last, Mary, Nyx, and Aether leapt from the creature’s back and landed firmly on the hard, lifeless ground.

Aether lifted his gaze to the massive arched entrance that stood before them. The structure looked ancient—its stone was worn and brittle, cracked in many places with dry grains of debris constantly shedding off its surface. It felt like it had been standing for centuries, forgotten by time.... And right before it stood two armoured soldiers, silent and watchful.

There were no buildings in sight, no roads, no hints of civilisation anywhere nearby. The entire area around them was barren, as if this piece of land had been carved away from the rest of the Empire and left to rot in isolation.

”Let’s go inside,”

Mary said calmly, but there was a trace of irritation beneath her voice as she stepped forward. Just as she moved, the guards instantly raised their swords in front of her, their arms shaking and faces pale with fear, as if they had seen a ghost—no, worse, as if they already knew the madness that lurked inside her.

”D-Do you have a permit to enter?” one of them stuttered, his voice trembling, barely able to maintain eye contact.

Mary’s expression darkened. Her blurry silhouette pulsed slightly, her body flickering with raw killing intent. The guards instinctively flinched, their hands tightening on their weapons, preparing for the worst. Just before they were about to be reduced to ash or torn apart, another soldier burst through from inside the gates and shouted,

”I’m the one who summoned them!”

The man’s voice was firm but laced with nervousness. He stepped forward and glanced toward Mary, his eyes quickly darting away. There was a silent plea in his look—an apology without words, a quiet request for her not to unleash her wrath.

It was the same soldier who had informed Mary of Grace’s disappearance. The same one who now served as her indirect link to the Grace—constantly reporting back, acting as her eyes and ears.

Among Grace’s loyal followers, this man was seen as almost second-in-command and a killable pawn for her.

The soldiers slowly lowered their weapons, still trembling, and lowered their heads in deep respect.

”Welcome, Empress of the Umbrionis Void,” they said in unison, their voices flat but obedient.

Mary scoffed under her breath. Just moments ago they were threatening her with swords, and now they dared act like loyal subjects?

Disgust twisted in her chest.

She hated these people.

She hated this place. This was supposed to be her empire—her domain—and yet these fools bent the knee to the Grace instead of her.

Aether quietly observed everything, not saying a word. His eyes followed Mary’s every move as he stepped forward behind her.

The moment he crossed under the archway, the entire atmosphere shifted.

The air turned colder, heavier. The sky above, though still gray, had deepened into a darker, more ominous shade.

Aether’s skin prickled, a chill running down his arms. The land here was utterly barren—no trees, no plants, no creatures—just a lifeless stretch of black dirt that extended endlessly in every direction.. Except, in the distance, there stood one single massive building and huge greenish mountain.

The soldier led them toward it. The structure was simple but imposing—a huge hall-like construction with square stone walls and a high, featureless ceiling. There were no other doors, no windows, no side rooms.

Just a single, solid entrance waiting at the front.

The soldier turned back toward Mary, bowing slightly before speaking.

”Your Majesty, may I ask... these two?”

Mary tilted her head slightly. ”Nyx Shadowfall will handle all matters related to the soul,” she said, her tone sharp, then casually pointed toward Aether with a smug smile, ”As for this... thing? Well, he’s just her husband.”

Aether’s lips curled into a tight, forced smile. His jaw clenched slightly, veins subtly bulging on his forehead. ’This thing?’ he echoed bitterly in his mind. ’Alright... let’s see how long you can keep pretending I don’t exist.’

The soldier cleared his throat awkwardly, humming under his breath before giving both Nyx and Aether a brief glance. He said nothing more as he turned around and pushed open the massive stone door. It groaned with age as it opened, revealing a cavernous, dark interior.

As they stepped inside, the hall swallowed them in pure blackness. No light existed within, not even a flicker. The only thing visible was a long stairway that spiralled upward toward a distant, glowing seat... A throne bathed in faint purplish light, high above.

Mary’s eyes narrowed.

”So all this time... there was a throne hidden up there?” she murmured with a low growl, her voice filled with disbelief and anger.

Because for years, all anyone had ever seen was the mysterious purplish portal at the top of those stairs.

Nothing more.

But now, with the Grace missing, the truth was finally beginning to show itself. The throne, long hidden behind the shimmering portal, stood exposed for the first time.

”Looks like the Grace really has disappeared,” Nyx muttered, her voice tinged with confusion as she slowly approached the stairway. Her eyes flicked from one corner of the dark hall to another, sensing the air, trying to detect anything unusual.

”Do you feel anything?” Mary asked, her gaze focused and sharp.

Nyx shook her head. ”No... There’s no trace. Normally, if someone were killed, there’d be soul fragments lingering in the area. But here, there’s nothing. Completely clean.” Her voice shifted into something more thoughtful, almost like a detective piecing together a mystery.

”That means the Grace wasn’t killed. Something else must’ve happened.”

Aether swallowed hard, steadying the panic swelling in his chest as he silently watched them investigate.

’I’ll be fine... right?’

[After tricking a mighty entity and standing on her territory... You seriously think you’ll be fine?]

His Log replied bluntly, as if raising an unimpressed brow.

Aether’s throat tightened again. He kept his expression calm, but inside, he was anything but.

Mary and Nyx continued to scan the area, searching for something—anything—but there was nothing.

Mary let out a low sigh, her tone cold and composed.

”Looks like we need to focus on the souls first. Otherwise, we’re just wasting our time here.”

Nyx nodded quickly, her expression lighting up in a strange mix of excitement and urgency. There was even a curious cheer in her voice.

”Yeah! Let’s head there right now!”

She spun on her heels and was about to bolt out when Mary casually reached out and grabbed her shoulder. Her voice was calm but amused as her lips curved into a knowing smile.

”Let me remind you.. we didn’t come here to stea—ahem—I mean, take souls, alright?”

Mary’s eyes flicked to the soldier nearby, who was watching with a frown, clearly suspicious of whatever she almost revealed.

He didn’t say anything, but his curiosity was obvious.

Nyx blinked, her excitement fading instantly like someone had flipped a switch.

”Fine...” she muttered with a defeated sigh, dragging her feet as she turned and walked out of the hall. Mary followed behind her, expression unreadable.

Aether stood there for a moment, staring blankly at Nyx’s back. His eyes narrowed slightly. Something about her was nagging at him again. A thought was forming in his mind—vague, but persistent—like another piece of her puzzle had just been revealed, and he couldn’t ignore it.

They exited the building and began walking toward a mountain that stood a short distance away. The landscape remained barren and desolate, with only a few soldiers scattered here and there, running about and performing routine tasks.

As they reached the base of the mountain, Aether’s steps slowed. His eyes widened in surprise.

The ground beneath their feet was made entirely of stone—but not ordinary stone.

Strange, green-colored stones covered the surface, pulsing faintly with an eerie, eternal glow. The entire mountain seemed to be constructed from the same glowing mineral, and that otherworldly energy shimmered through every inch of it.

And standing at the base of the mountain, as if waiting for them, were two figures...

A man and a woman... Completely naked and... Completely headless.

Aether stared at them in stunned silence.

Things were getting weirder by the second.