Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1432: It’s been a while... Ex-Arcane King!

After Lyirrs found a way, everyone immediately moved according to the plan except,

”Listen, Selene... I am seriously confused right now,” Nightfire said, slowing her steps.

Her brows knit together as she glanced over her shoulder, ”Why are you all following me? We were supposed to split up. Different directions? So where the hell is your team?”

She had noticed it from the very beginning of the mission. No matter how often she changed pace or adjusted her path, Selene remained behind her.

Selene exchanged a quiet look with Thalia, the kind that spoke of shared understanding rather than hesitation.

”We think... You might be the key.”

Nightfire blinked, her gaze snapping between them as if expecting one of them to laugh and admit it was a joke. Both women stood armed and ready.

”What the fuck are you guys talking about?”

”Just ignore us,” Selene replied with a small, infuriating smile that did nothing to ease the tension.

Thalia nodded beside her, which somehow made it worse.

Nightfire frowned. She was already having second thoughts about running, about ditching the mission entirely and vanishing before things went wrong.

But these bitches stayed glued to her side, as if escape itself had already been taken off the table.

’Arrh! Why is it so hard to live normally?’ she screamed inwardly.

’Well, you should have thought about that before signing up with him!’ Ashara’s voice echoed in her head, amused and far too smug for Nightfire’s liking.

Nightfire clicked her tongue in annoyance. She snorted quietly and kept walking.

Meanwhile,

Opposite of Nightfire,

Celestia and Sandra walked side by side toward the shimmering edge of the barrier.

”Are you worried about Aqua?” Celestia asked softly, breaking the silence as she kicked a small pebble across the ground.

Her eyes stayed on Sandra, noting the tension in her shoulders and the shadow that refused to leave her expression.

Sandra shook her head at first, ”No... I am worried about Aether,” she admitted after a moment, her voice tightening as her fingers curled inward.

”Just look at him now. He was barely alive, Celestia. Whatever that thing was that he faced, I am sure we are going to face it too... or worse, he might face it again.” She exhaled shakily before continuing. ”Even after everything, even after being strong enough to face a Sovereign and survive... it nearly broke him.”

Celestia fell silent. She stared ahead for a long moment before shaking her head slowly, as if forcing herself back into the present. ”There is no point drowning ourselves in what might come,” she said, ”Right now, we focus on what is in front of us. We got Aether back. That matters more than any future we cannot control.”

Sandra offered a weak smile that did not quite reach her eyes. She nodded faintly, then picked up her pace.

Meanwhile, North Direction,

”You sure about this? You really want to fight?” Sera asked curiously as she looked between Emberlyn and Maelona.

Emberlyn laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck as her gaze drifted away. ”Haha... I cannot just stand there and do nothing while everyone else bleeds and risks their lives,” she said honestly.

Sera smiled gently, then turned toward Maelona, who gave a small nod in response. ”I may not be good at fighting,” Maelona admitted, ”but I have been wanting to test something.” She snapped her fingers lightly, and a soft glow bloomed in the air.

A small, delicate blue butterfly formed above her head, wings shimmering like condensed starlight.

Sera raised her eyebrows slowly, recognition dawning as her lips curved upward. ”That’s... Aether and your child, right?” she asked.

Emberlyn froze, disbelief flashing across her face as her mind struggled to process what she had just heard.

What the fuck did she just say?

Maelona’s cheeks flushed deeply, heat rushing to her face as she waved her hands in protest. ”P-Please don’t frame it like that,” she said quickly, ”It is not like that. It is a form of energy... something that exists between Aether and me.”

Sera’s smirk widened, her eyes darkening as she leaned slightly closer. ”Still,” she said slowly, ”it comes from both of you. That makes it your child, does it not?”

Maelona flinched, instinctively stepping back as the butterfly, Elona, fluttered down and hid behind her. Its wings trembled as if sensing danger, reacting to the depth of Sera’s gaze, which seemed to sink endlessly into a void with no bottom and no mercy.

For a moment, the situation felt far too serious, the tension thick enough to press heavily against Maelona’s chest and slow her breathing.

The darkness in Sera’s eyes lingered just long enough to feel dangerous. Then, without warning, Sera’s expression shifted completely. The weight vanished, replaced by a bright, almost carefree smile that caught everyone off guard.

”Just kidding... ahah,” Sera said cheerfully, waving her hand as if she had not unsettled everyone seconds ago. She clasped her hands together and hopped lightly in place, moving with the excitement of a girl hopelessly in love.

”Don’t worry about it. Soon Aether and I will have a big baby~”

Maelona finally released a breath she had not realised she was holding. Elona fluttered out from behind her back, wings trembling before settling. Mother and daughter exchanged a look filled with shared relief.

”She is weird,” Maelona muttered quietly, rubbing her temple as she shook her head.

Elona nodded firmly, wings flicking as she added with conviction, ”Like. Aria!”

Maelona’s lips twitched at that comparison.

Her daughter was not like that. She absolutely was not like that.

At least... she hoped she was not.

”So...” Emberlyn’s voice cut through her thoughts, snapping Maelona back to her. Emberlyn turned fully toward her, eyes narrowing with curiosity and suspicion mixed together. ”You and Aether... were—”

”No!” Maelona interrupted immediately, leaving no room for misunderstanding. ”We are not. Nothing like that. It is simply my spirit mixed with Aether’s energy, that is all. There is nothing else going on.”

”Oh?... Oh...” Emberlyn stared at her blankly for a few seconds, clearly processing the explanation.

Then her gaze shifted toward Elona, who hovered nearby and stared back at her curiously. Emberlyn hummed softly as if connecting invisible dots.

”I guess... that might explain it. I mean, there is no obvious difference between us. Yup. That has to be the reason.”

She nodded to herself several times, lips curling into a small but unmistakably satisfied smile. Without another word, she turned and followed after Sera, her steps lighter than before.

That smile lingered on Emberlyn’s face in a way that felt far too victorious.

Maelona blinked and frowned, watching her leave. She did not know why, but something about that smile unsettled her deeply.

She was annoyed.

No... she was really fucking annoyed.

”Not. Like. Her!” Elona declared firmly, drifting closer to Maelona.

Maelona nodded slowly, ”Yup. I felt the same way,” she replied, her irritation refusing to fade as they continued walking after the others.

Meanwhile, on the south side... or rather, the direction the south team was originally supposed to take.

The plan had placed Selene and one other person there, but after the sudden change, the path stood completely empty.

The remaining members had instead gathered inside the Control Tower Barrier.

Within the tower, mechanical systems hummed and beeped in layered rhythms. Panels glowed faintly as Lyirrs worked across the console, her fingers moving rapidly and precisely. She pressed switches, adjusted sliders, and studied readings with intense focus.

Xara stood beside her, watching every motion with sharp, curious eyes.

”What are you doing?” Xara asked, her curiosity obvious as she leaned slightly closer.

Lyirrs did not respond. She was far too absorbed in her task to spare even a glance.

Xara’s lips twitched, irritation flashing across her face. For some reason... she felt more annoyed now as if she had done this before!!

With a small pout, she stepped closer to the console and examined the glowing buttons and shifting symbols. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she muttered, ”I cannot believe you all built something like this... such impressive technology.”

Her thoughts turned inward as she continued observing the structure. ’Still not as advanced as my lab,’ she mused silently. ’Just what kind of people managed to create something like that?’ She continued pondering while Lyirrs searched for the correct switch.

And last, but not least...

Sssshh~

A gentle current of air flowed across the top of the barrier as a lone figure settled onto its surface.

Dora sat there, leaning on her knuckles, her posture tense and her expression twisted with deep annoyance as she stared into the distance.

”I cannot believe that woman tricked me into this,” Dora muttered bitterly.

She was not supposed to help... That much had been made very clear.

Yet Xara had twisted the situation with smooth words and half-truths, claiming Dora was not truly involved in the trial.

She was merely helping with the barrier... Not even helping, apparently.

”You just need to wait in order to process some calibrations!”

That was what Xara had said, wearing that sly, innocent smile.

Dora’s lips twitched as the memory replayed in her mind.

Wait?

Was she serious?

Was Dora supposed to serve as a weight?

A literal weight?

”Bitch,” Dora muttered under her breath.

Even so, the Origin Pillars had not stopped her from interacting with the barrier.

”Well, as long as nothing gets hurt in the process,” Dora sighed tiredly, allowing herself to lie back against the barrier. She stared upward at the shifting letters carved across the sky.

Void Empire... growing stronger with every passing second.

”This is really something,” she murmured quietly.

Meanwhile... In the Void,

”What are you all doing here?” Mary asked with a cold tone as she looked at the chosen ones that stood before her, but her eyes focused on... Drakhairs, who was standing behind them like a guardian.

”It’s been a while... Ex-Arcane King!” Mary said coldly.