Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1211: Sneaky~ Sneak~ Sneaky~ Sneak~

”Starla, do not allow anyone to get close to me... and do not betray me like last time.”

”... Understood, My Queen.”

Those were the final words Starla had heard from her Queen before closing her eyes.

Starla knew her Queen would be furious, disappointed beyond forgiveness, if she failed to keep her promise again... so this time, no matter what stood in her way, no matter what it cost, Starla would honour her Queen’s words with her life.

Her massive sword crashed into the ground with a heavy clang, splitting the dirt, as she stood firmly in front of Aether and Nightfire.

Aether sensed her seriousness instantly.

”Starla... I don’t know what happened before, but I proved my worth to you last time. Didn’t I?”

But his words fell flat, like whispers swallowed by the wind. Starla never flinched, never even blinked. She gripped her sword tighter as her blade trembled with silent intent... letting the weapon itself speak in place of her voice.

Aether cursed under his breath and gritted his teeth.

”Aether... it’s impossible to get past them all! What should we do?” Nightfire’s voice cracked, her tone trembling with both fear and desperation.

Her legs shook so violently that she could barely keep herself standing. At any moment, she felt she might collapse and flee. Only Aether’s presence anchored her in place... Only him!!

Aether forced himself to calm, closing his eyes. His breath steadied as his consciousness immediately drifted into the inner domain.

”Hmm? You came fast?” Grace, trapped within the cage, raised her brows in surprise. She stared at him with a frown, noticing his sudden appearance, but then her expression shifted when she saw something different in his eyes.... His gaze was sharp, grim.

She sighed and folded her arms, ”What now?”

”I need your help,” Aether said firmly, almost pleading. ”Just like last time... I need your help to deal with them”

Grace stared into his eyes... He wasn’t bluffing.

Whatever was happening outside, it was deadly serious. Still, she shook her head, slowly raising her fingers. A dim purple glow flickered weakly at their tips, so faint it was almost pitiful.

”I don’t have enough energy to do it again...” she whispered.

Aether clenched his fists.

Every instinct screamed at him to open the cage, to unleash her power. But if he did it now... she would discover everything. She would know he had been deceiving her all along, and from there the conclusion would be inevitable: she would kill him.

”However...” Grace tilted her head, a sly smile tugging at her lips. ”You can hold them down.”

Aether blinked. His brows knitted. ”What do you mean?”

”Did you already forget what I gave you?”

Aether froze. Then his eyes widened in sudden realisation. ”That rope?”

”Indeed,” Grace replied, ”Though it may not look like much of a weapon, that rope is still made to hold souls. It can be used to hold those ghosts you’re talking about.” She swung idly against the bars of her cage.

It wasn’t as if Aether had never thought about using it. But the rope was meant for catching souls, nothing else.

He had dismissed it as useless in a fight like this. But now... now it might be the only lifeline left.

Aether’s lips curled into the faintest of smirks. ”Thank you,”. In the next instant, his consciousness snapped back to his body.

Aether glanced sharply at Nightfire. ”Nightfire... I need your help.”

”Aye! Aye! Captain! The exit is on the way!” Nightfire said in a serious tone, raising her hand in a salute as she turned to leave, but Aether caught her wrist.

Every time he asked for her help, she knew what it meant.... She would be the bait for this madness again... wouldn’t she?

Oh god!

Aether’s lips twitched. ”Come on! I’m serious.”

Nightfire’s lips trembled. ”O-Okay... Tell me,” she whispered... She wasn’t crying. Not yet. But her eyes shimmered with the threat of tears.

As Aether laid out his plan, Nightfire’s expression warped. Her teary face froze in horror, her body stiffening as if she had turned to stone.

”Nightfire?” Aether shook her shoulders, pulling her back from the haze of panic. She blinked and snapped her gaze to him, eyes wide. ”A-Are you playing with your wife’s life?!”

Aether let out a weak chuckle. He knew how terrifying this was for her. He knew she wanted to run... But he needed her. More than ever.

He leaned forward, his lips brushing her forehead, ”You’re important too... Please.”

Nightfire clicked her tongue sharply. That innocent, gentle face of his... She hated it. She was falling for it again... falling so easily!

Why was she swayed so easily? Why him?

”Fine!” she snapped.

Aether smiled, ”If we make it out of this... I’ll do anything you ask.”

Nightfire flinched, her eyes widening. ”Anything?” Her voice softened, but her gaze flared with sudden fire.

Aether hesitated for just a second before nodding.

Nightfire’s lips curled into a wicked grin. ”You’d better do what I ask! Hmph!” A faint blush bloomed across her cheeks, though even she wasn’t sure what twisted idea was forming in her mind. Still, Aether felt a strange happiness seeing her like this.

With renewed determination, Aether stepped forward toward Starla.

Starla’s blade lifted immediately, her eyes narrowed, ”One more step and we will fight you!”

Aether’s foot hovered over an invisible crossing line... He stopped, lifted his hand slowly, and purple particles shimmered like burning embers.

A long rope materialised.... Neon, glowing, pulsing with violent light. It hissed with energy as it writhed in his grip.

The ghosts recoiled at once, flinching back in unison. Their hollow faces twisted. They could feel it. The rope radiated dread, a force meant for them alone.

Starla frowned deeply. She knew that thing. She remembered it. Aether had once used it to guide the souls. But now... why was he bringing it here? What was he planning to do with it?

Aether cracked the rope against the ground with a vicious snap, his smirk widening. ”It’s time to teach these unruly ghosts a lesson!”

Whip—

The rope lashed through the air, its violent force colliding with one of the ghosts. The impact blasted it upward, shrieking, until it vanished into the sky like a falling star.

The other ghosts staggered back, trembling, horror filling their hollow sockets.

Aether’s grin stretched wider, sharp and dangerous. ”I see...” he muttered under his breath. He turned his glare on the rest of them. ”Come at me,” he growled, yanking the rope back with the precision of a predator.

Starla’s grip tightened on raising the swords towards Aether... and the ghosts they rushed at Aether.

”ARRHH!!”

”DIE!!”

”HUSBAND!!”

While Aether was whipping the ghosts like wild animals, his lips curled into a manic grin, Nightfire slipped quietly among the chaos, sneaking into the fight.

Her body shimmered under a ghostly veil... Illusions flickered around her, and with a subtle shift, she cloaked herself in the same bluish-purple ghostly as the others. Her flesh seemed to wither, her form bending and fading until she looked no different from the restless ghost around her.

Step...

Step...

Stepp...

Each footfall was slow, deliberate, careful not to break her disguise. She drifted deeper into the swarm without making herself obvious.

”Sneaky~ Sneak~ Sneaky~ Sneak~”

She muttered under her breath as she tiptoed through the crowd, voice so low it melted into the ghostly murmurs around her.

”Arrrrrhhh!!”

”Help us!!”

”NOO!!! HUSBAND STOP!”