Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1457: Do you know what Torture is? Part-1

Seeing Delphine and Snowflake teaming up to make food, everyone frowned as their fire in their eyes flared up.

”I could do better than all of you, you know,” Selene said, lifting her chin with pride, ”Cooking is about intuition, not just experience. And I have plenty of that.”

”Hmph.” Thalia shrugged, an amused glint flashing in her eyes as she glanced at Selene. ”All I hear is talking. You can boast all you want, but when it comes to real results, mine will be the best.” As if daring anyone to challenge her.

Raven snorted softly, ”You both sound confident,” she said, glancing briefly toward her mother with a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. ”But I was taught by someone who never tolerated mistakes in the kitchen. Trust me, I can do better than you think.”

Snowflake and Delphine exchanged a look, their expressions filled with quiet pity rather than concern.

Snowflake clicked her tongue and shook her head slowly, ”Hiss~Hiss~Hiss~Hisssss...” she mocked playfully, her eyes half-lidded with smug amusement. ”You all celebrate nothing... Nothing beats our delicious food!”

”Let them be,” Delphine said, lips curling into a knowing smirk. Her eyes glimmered with mischief as she continued, ”Reality always arrives on time. Before it hits them right in the face, let them enjoy this moment a little longer... haha~” Her soft laughter carried a wicked edge.

A spark flared between all of them!

Tension crackled like invisible lightning as competitive instincts clashed.

Emberlyn blinked slowly, watching the scene unfold. She was not sure whether to laugh or panic.

As the one responsible for maintaining the kitchen, she could already imagine shattered utensils, burned dishes, and complete chaos.

Allowing this madness felt dangerous, but stopping it now seemed impossible.

”Well then,” Thalia said, her expression sharpening as seriousness replaced her teasing grin. ”Let’s see who actually cooks better.” Her hand clenched into a fist, posture straightening as if she were stepping into battle. ”I am ready to take all of you on, right here.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Aether was going to need more food anyway, especially after everything he had gone through.

None of them seemed fully aware of his sudden muscle gain, but that hardly mattered. As long as he returned to them smiling, strong, and healthy, it was worth the effort.

Emberlyn let out a tired sigh, rubbing her temples before giving in. Seeing how energetic and determined they all looked, she finally nodded. ”Fine,” she said reluctantly.

”We cook. Whoever tastes better wins. No arguments, no excuses, and no complaining afterwards. I mean it.”

Everyone turned toward her at once and nodded without hesitation.

”Also,” Emberlyn added after a pause, narrowing her eyes slightly, ”we need someone neutral to taste everything. Someone common, someone fair.”

Selene tapped her chin, ”She is right. We cannot decide this ourselves. We need proper judgment, or this will turn into chaos.”

Everyone blinked, then slowly exchanged glances with one another.

One by one, their eyes shifted in the same direction, landing on a single, obvious choice.

Aether!

”Aethe—Where is he?” Thalia blinked.

Their expressions shifted to surprise when they noticed the empty chair.

The plate was empty too, scraped clean as if it had never held food at all.

Meanwhile, Aether walked quietly through the corridor, one hand resting on his stomach as he let out a satisfied burp.

”I am pretty sure they were about to use me as their test subject,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head with a dry chuckle. ”Hell no. Not happening.”

If he had stayed even a second longer, he fucking knew they would have dragged him into it.

Newly mad(e) food.

He had no intention of risking his stomach for their madness, not after just recovering from deep hunger.

Sure, some of them might cook wonderfully. He did not deny that. But he did not know who, and he was not ready to gamble on it, especially when his body had only just woken up from starvation.

Pushing it now felt reckless.

Still, as he walked. His body felt lighter, stronger. Recovery came faster than it ever had before.

He was already feeling good, and even the dull ache that once followed every step was gone.

How was that possible?

Even Delphine, who had awakened weeks ago, was still regaining her strength slowly. Yet here he was, already restored to nearly a quarter of his normal.

Just in a single day?

Sometimes his body felt genuinely strange, almost unsettling in how it reacted to things beyond logic.

As he continued forward, he raised his hand slightly and called out, ”Hey, Log... can you hear me now? I need an answer this time.”

!~Ding~!

[Affirmative]

Aether let out a quiet breath, relief flickering briefly across his face before irritation took its place.

”Then why didn’t you answer me before? I needed your help back there, and you stayed silent.”

[... Due to certain restrictions, I was unable to communicate.]

Aether stared blankly at the screen hovering before him.

He sighed, shoulders dropping slightly. Arguing felt pointless, especially when he knew deep down that he had been the one who made the mistake.

”Fine,” he muttered.

”Then tell me what actually happened. Why did No.27 intervene, and what exactly did the Prophetess give me?”

[Well, if you remember the last time she gave you power, correct?]

Aether frowned and nodded slowly... He remembered their first encounter clearly, the way her gift had altered his path, how Log had turned that power into a temporary saving point.

[Yes. She granted it to you again. This time, since I did not interfere to convert the power into a Saving point or something else, it directly pushed your limits. That is all.]

Aether hummed quietly, thoughtful rather than satisfied. The explanation made sense on the surface, but something underneath bothered him.

He lifted his gaze slightly as he continued walking.

”I understand that part. But why didn’t you interfere this time? And why did... it feel familiar? No.27 said I was not ready to use it, like that power already belonged to me.”

[First, I did not interfere for two reasons. Unlike before, you are now aware of most factors involved and capable of handling them without mental collapse. Second, she granted significantly more power than before, making conversion difficult. I allowed it to flow directly into you.]

Aether nodded slowly, though his expression remained tense.

”Alright,” he said calmly. ”Next.”

[... I do not know.]

Aether’s lips twitched into a faint smirk as he glanced at the screen.

”You don’t know,” he repeated. ”Or you are not allowed to tell me the truth?”

[I prefer not to answer questions regarding No.27 or... any matters related to it.]

Aether’s frown deepened as he continued forward, the corridor stretching endlessly ahead. His legs trembled slightly with each step, but they felt solid.

The weakness was fading faster than it should have.

He glanced down at his empty sleeve, fingers curling unconsciously,

”My hand,” he asked softly. ”Is it still alive?”

!~Ding~!

[Affirmative.]

[That is precisely why you must reclaim it and strengthen your soul. Failure to do so may result in you being forcibly dragged there again.]

Aether’s jaw tightened. ”Then where is that place?” he asked.

!~Ding~!

[Negative.]

[Unable to collect required unauthorised data.]

!~Ding~!

[❗Notice: In order to locate the Eternal Prison, the user must wait till ’The beginning’.]

Aether slowed his steps, brows furrowing.

The beginning had not started yet... ah?

Was there more to this than he initially thought?

Anyway, one thing was certain. He had lost his hand somewhere, and he needed to get back there, whether to save it or to save... Arcane.

The path ahead felt inevitable, even if he hated every part of it.

Things were becoming overwhelming. Until now, he had avoided thinking too deeply about his skill issues and mastery.

In the Eternal Prison, he was nothing.

Not weak, not powerless... Literally nothing. A fragment that barely existed.

”Eternal Prison... ah...” he muttered, before shaking his head as he looked at his wrist, a chain bracelet, ”What about the chains around my wrist and ankles? Why are they still attached to my body? I left the Eternal Prison, right?”

!~Ding~!

[Prison Chains are attached to your body, not because you remain in the Eternal Prison. They are attached because you violated the law.]

[Unlike Maelona, you physically entered the Eternal Prison. Just Consider it similar to a prison in your previous world, except no one can bail you out.

Those chains are cuffs. You escaped the prison, but not the cuffs. You are still classified as a prisoner.]

Aether halted mid-step, his body stiffening a bit.

Slowly, he nodded... It made sense. Painfully so.

He truly had been imprisoned and had escaped.

”Is there any way to remove them?” he asked, voice calm but hollow.

!~Ding~!

[Negative. There is no recorded case of anyone breaking free from the Eternal Chains.]

Aether clicked his tongue in irritation.

The chains were not just wrapped around his wrists and ankles. They were suppressing him, sealing his powers away completely. Every attempt to draw on strength met nothing but silence.

Now, he was nothing more than human.

Just like everyone else here.

Unless he found a way to break free from these chains, things would only grow worse... Much worse!

He continued walking, lost in thought, until a metallic door came into view.

Reaching the panel, he entered the password without hesitation. The door parted with a soft mechanical hiss, releasing a wave of icy smoke that spilled into the corridor.

”Who is it?” a furious voice echoed from within, sharp and irritated, clearly belonging to someone whose work had been interrupted.

Aether smiled faintly as he stepped through the mist,

”Who do you think it is?” he replied, voice calm, almost teasing.

He entered the room expecting warmth, familiarity... Instead, he froze.

The space was a disaster... Absolute chaos!

Tools scattered across the floor, shattered glass tubes, overturned equipment. Clothes lay mixed among debris.

Aether sighed deeply. ”This is exactly why I hate scientists sometimes,” he muttered under his breath.

He bent down, picked up a pair of panties, and tossed them aside with mild annoyance. Even broken instruments and unknown devices littered the room.

”Just what is she doing...” he began, then stopped.

His words died instantly as his eyes landed on the large desk at the centre of the room.

It was covered with something he could not immediately process.

”What the fuck?” he shouted.

From behind the metallic wall, Xara peeked out cautiously. The moment she recognised his voice, her expression brightened instantly, eyes lighting up with pure, innocent excitement.

”Aether~” she called out, her tone cheerful and affectionate.

____

[Author’s Note: As a New Year Gift... I am offering discounts for the next 5 days. Want More information? Join Discord because it’s hard to write everything here.]

But Anyway... HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS!

This year, We are ending our novel.]