Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1247: Finding his Loved ones: Part-2

The figure stiffened. Its head tilted as Aether begged. Step by step, it approached, studying him.

Aether forced his eyes wide with desperation, his lips trembling as he pleaded for another drink.

The figure tilted its head once more. Then, as if struck by some semblance of mercy.... or perhaps entertained by his weakness—it nodded. Just as before, it unlocked his chains with its mechanical fingers, reshaping into a key.

Freed, Aether staggered upright and rushed toward the river again. He dropped to his knees, cupping water into his mouth with exaggerated eagerness, his expression that of a starving, desperate man who hadn’t tasted liquid in years.

And just like before—

Thud!

The figure’s foot struck. Aether’s body jolted, and he was shoved into the river once again.

Splash~

The figure’s chest heaved in silent laughter, its metallic hands clutching its stomach as though the sight of Aether drowning was the sweetest entertainment it could know.

”N-No... please... No...” Aether’s voice rasped, weaker this time.

He didn’t shout... no, that would alert the others. Instead, he let his pleas come out low, hushed, but loud enough for this tormentor alone.

The figure trembled with silent happiness, its whole frame shaking as though savouring his misery.

But then—its head jerked.

Because this time...

Splash...

Aether disappeared, drowned... for a second, everything went silent until,

”H-Help... please... cough, cough...”

A voice, faint and broken, echoed a little far from the river.

Aether appeared somewhere else only to drown again... The figure immediately dove in, swimming hard through the water to save him... only to halt in shock.

There, beneath the surface, Aether was already standing. His body wavered in the currents, his hair drifting around him like strands of silver mist. On his lips curved a sly smirk, one that chilled more than the river itself.

Snap...

The figure’s head jerked violently. Its neck twisted backwards with a sickening crack, bubbles leaking out from the seams of its metallic armour.

....

Splash...

Moments later, the metallic figure rose from the water and walked back toward the line of captives. Its steps were steady, calm, as if nothing had happened at all.

Meanwhile, the river carried another thing downstream.

A body, motionless, rolled with the current. Its head turned at an unnatural angle, neck fully twisted.

Stones along the river battered its frame, each impact cracking and denting the body... Finally, when the corpse’s head struck a jagged rock, the cranium split open with a sharp..

Crack

And a faint white glow flickered within.

The current carried the broken body forward until the river ended in a sheer cliff.

The remains plummeted.

Sssssppphlasshhh!

The roar of the waterfall swallowed everything. White foam exploded against jagged rocks, and the endless crash of water echoed across the valley.

Beneath the torrent, sinking deep under the surface, a fragment loosened... a white, antenna-like chip that glimmered faintly.

It drifted downward with the current, its glow pulsing weakly, almost reaching the riverbank when—

Splash!

Crack...

A sudden pressure shattered it... The fragments scattered into the water.

What struck it was no stone. It was a massive wheel—part of a colossal, iron-framed carriage rolling along the river’s edge.

The vehicle creaked with a heavy sound on bumps as it was holding numerous cages.

Inside those cages... were countless creatures. Small animals, exotic beasts, monsters of every size.

And among them, nestled tightly in one of the iron bars, was a small, snow-white snake.

Snowflake.

Her golden eyes, narrowed to dangerous slits, glared at the metallic guards walking alongside the carriage and her small mouth was sealed by a binding clasp.

The last she remembered was curling into slumber after the feast.... When she opened her eyes again, she was here—trapped in this cage.

Worse, no matter how she tried, she couldn’t expand her form... She was caught. Completely, utterly caught in this unknown land.

If her master were to see this, if Aether ever learned she had allowed herself to be captured so easily... he would mock her endlessly, laugh at her misfortune, tease her without mercy until she would never wish to sleep again.

Her tail coiled tightly around her frail body. She pressed against the bars, fangs hidden beneath the gag... And no matter how hard she tried to break the cage, nothing gave way.

Her link to the Arcane Energy was severed.

She was... powerless.

Weaker than a child. If someone stomped on her tiny form, she would be crushed into paste.

The thought alone made her tremble with a mixture of rage and despair.

’Sigh... I need to do something. My master... he would be worried about me,’ she thought.

She slithered against the bars, testing every angle, her frantic movements desperate for any weakness—any possible way out.

Thud!

Suddenly, the cages rattled as the massive wheels rolled over a rock. The whole cart trembled, and Snowflake’s cage jolted violently toward the back. She flinched, her golden eyes blinking rapidly as she realised her cage had nearly slipped over the edge.

She tilted her head down. The ground stretched far below—at least forty-five, maybe fifty feet.

If she fell...

Her lips curled into a sly smirk. For anyone else, it was terror.

For her, it was an opportunity.

Her eyes shifted, darting toward another prisoner. A hawk, caged only a short distance ahead. Its beak was bound in a mask, its wings pierced through with metal rods that kept them tightly folded.

But its talons—its sharp, deadly legs—were still free.

Snowflake’s grin widened, ’hehe~’

Then, in an instant, her gaze softened into a pitiful, puppy-like stare. She slammed her tail against the bars of her cage.

Thuck.

Thuck!

The sound drew the hawk’s attention. It stopped fumbling with its mask and turned, glaring.

A snake?

Its eyes flared with fury at the sight.

Snowflake let her golden pupils glisten with tears. She whipped her tail pathetically as she looked at the hawk, which couldn’t even attack her as she micked how it trying to remove the mask... so fucked up!!

’Come on, motherfucker,’ she thought.

Then she broke into a grin, laughter bubbling as she watched the hawk struggling hopelessly to break its mask.

’You like this, bastard? You pathetic fucker... ahahaha!’ she chuckled evilly, her voice hissing with glee as she mocked the poor bird, laughing down at it while it clawed uselessly at its cage.

So pathetic!

The hawk froze, frowning. Its sharp eyes fixed blankly on the snake above, which was mocking it!

How dare she!

Just then—

Thud!

Another jolt shook.

Another violent jolt. Snowflake’s cage teetered again, this time tilting so dangerously that she almost panicked. Her heart skipped. If it fell now—

The hawk noticed. Its sharp eyes gleamed, and a cruel smirk formed in its mind.

’Here it comes, bitch.’

With a sudden kick, it drove its talons into the side of its cage. The metal screeched as the cage shifted slightly closer toward Snowflake.

Snowflake blinked, then smirked back, ’Bastard fell for the trap.’

She continued her mocking display, laughing silently, her tongue flicking as though she had already won. The hawk, blinded by anger, shoved again and again. Slowly, inevitably, its cage scraped closer to hers.

Thuck!

Finally, the hawk’s claws struck her cage. The impact rattled through her body. Snowflake’s expression shifted instantly—her eyes widened in fake terror, her head shaking violently as though she were begging him to stop.

The hawk’s gaze turned cruel, merciless. Its eyes burned with a single thought:

’Fuck this bitch.’

With one last powerful kick, the hawk slammed its cage against Snowflake’s.

Weeehhh~

Her cage tipped over the edge.

Snowflake’s smirk returned.

And yet... as she plummeted, she coiled her tail tightly, lifting it in one final salute toward the hawk above.

’Goodbye bitches~’

Her small body fell below, the wind shrieking past her scales.

’I am freee bird~’

As her cage neared the ground, Snowflake braced for impact. Her small body coiled tight, every muscle tensed as she prepared herself for the inevitable smash.

But... it never came.

No breaking sound... No pain... No wounds... nothing.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. The cage was suspended just inches from the ground, hovering unnaturally.

No—not hovering.

A black metallic tail had wrapped tightly around it, holding it aloft.

Snowflake’s golden eyes narrowed, her expression souring as she traced the tail back to its source.

A metallic figure stood there... different from the others. The tail jutting from its back swayed with uncanny control, keeping her cage firmly in place.

’Ah... fuck,’ Snowflake cursed inwardly, her annoyance written all over her tiny face.

Not again... fuck!!

If she could slap her past self, she would. If only she had obeyed Helena’s words and stayed close to that good bitch, she wouldn’t be in this mess right now.

The figure turned its head toward the other metallic figures. Instantly, the others froze and bowed, heads lowering in silent obedience—as if asking forgiveness without words.

With one commanding gesture of its finger, the tailed figure dismissed them. The lesser ones scrambled away like startled cats.

Snowflake’s cage shifted as the figure raised it higher, drawing her closer to its face.

The figure leaned in, its blank, faceless head scanning her. As if... Inspecting and Evaluating.

Snowflake’s scales prickled.

This thing had sabotaged her plan, stolen her chance at escape, and now had the gall to examine her like some trinket.

The figure finally turned away, carrying the cage with it.

Snowflake’s eyes darted around, her head tilting this way and that, studying everything in sight. She saw an open field, barren and wide, where massive tents had been pitched. The machine with the colossal tires had come to a halt.

Dozens of metallic figures moved about, unloading cages and marching with tense, precise steps.

’What’s going on? Who are these people?’ Snowflake wondered.

The tailed figure carried her cage into one of the larger tents.

Inside, Torches flickered faintly against walls lined with documents, some kind of drawing maps, and tools.

The figure placed Snowflake’s cage on a heavy table, then stepped aside.

Snowflake blinked, baffled, ’What the hell...? What’s going on here?’

Whatever it was, she didn’t care. She needed to get out.

Now!

Her golden eyes scanned every corner of the tent, a crack, an opportunity to slip free.

Then her gaze landed on something.

Another cage.

Inside it.... an unconscious figure. A blonde-haired girl lay motionless, her face pale and covered in blood coloured net around her like a protection.

Snowflake’s heart jolted violently in her chest.

’...Normal bitch?’ she thought, her expression twisting in shock.