Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1729: Do you truly have no desire to be found?

^I didn’t expect you to be an otherworlder…. That explains your unusually poor compatibility with this world’s common sense… Tsk, utterly useless here!^

“…”

^Is that why you occasionally spoke in unidentified languages? Fascinating. I previously concluded you were a simply creepy guy trapped inside his own delusional world. My predictive model has now been updated. My apologies… although only by approximately 2.7%.^

“…”

Young Aether lowered his gaze toward the black, slick metallic ring wrapped around his middle finger. Its polished surface reflected the faint blue glow.

Ignoring the AI’s taunt, he asked in a slightly surprised tone, “You knew about Aevum?”

^Incorrect. I possess no personal knowledge regarding Aevum. I merely have access to archived records stored within the Mother System.^

“I see… then what exactly is it?”

^…^

“…Please,” Young Aether muttered with a blank expression, barely restraining himself from tearing the smug artificial intelligence off his finger and throwing it across the room.

^Aevum is a value granted by the Goddess Arcane. It quantifies an individual’s existential worth. It can be increased by killing others, although before you ask, no, it is not directly proportional to either the number of people you’ve killed or the amount of Aevum the deceased possessed. Alternatively, it can also be exchanged through legally recognized Contracts.^

“Anything else?” Young Aether asked calmly. Most of that information wasn’t new to him. What he truly wanted to understand was why Aevum existed in the first place and why only humans possessed it while every other species remained excluded from its system.

The metallic ring remained silent for a brief moment as though accessing a remote database.

^Processing… Negative. No additional records regarding Aevum were found.^

Just as disappointment began settling across Young Aether’s face, the ring emitted another mechanical notification.

^Correction. One additional record exists. Aevum determines who survives and who perishes in the near future.^

“…”

Young Aether stared silently at the ring, his unreadable expression reflected upon its glossy black surface.

‘In the near future? Not now?… Again, what’s with these cryptic messages?’ he groaned inwardly while rubbing his forehead with visible annoyance.

“Then… what about El… cough…”

The instant those syllables reached his throat, a violent cough interrupted him.

He frowned before clearing his throat.

“What about El… cough…”

Another cough.

His pupils narrowed.

“What the fuck?” Young Aether muttered in disbelief.

He… couldn’t say it.

That single word simply refused to leave his mouth.

Why?

It felt as though an invisible force had sealed his throat from within, preventing him from even completing the first few letters. The harder he tried, the stronger the unseen resistance became, as if reality itself had censored the name before it could be spoken aloud.

After standing there for several silent seconds with a thoughtful frown, he tilted his head slightly and asked differently,

“You mentioned Aevum can be exchanged through a Contract, right?” Young Aether asked. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

^It’s a Contract granted exclusively to humankind, allowing both parties to stand on equal ground. Since humans naturally lack Magic, the Goddess Arcane bestowed this ability upon them to compensate for that disadvantage whenever they negotiate, fight, or interact with other species from a position of comparable authority.^

The El Kova’reth is the name of the Ability to initiate the Divine Contract^

“El-Cough, cough… sigh…. How is that fair?” Young Aether couldn’t help asking. “You people have technology advanced enough to literally wipe entire Empires off the map.”

^Well… you possess Magic capable of destroying worlds and manifesting matter out of thin air. Compared to that…^ The ring paused for a brief moment as though performing a genuine calculation.

^…Yup. I’ve completed the comparison. This is not fair at all.^

Young Aether’s lips twitched in annoyance.

“And here I thought you might actually be useful to me.” He clicked his tongue before shaking his head in exaggerated disappointment.

“Looks like I misunderstood. Who’s the real useless one here? Tsk, tsk.”

^…^

“What?” he asked with an amused grin. “Cat got your tongue?”

^Affirmative. I recognise the expression “cat got your tongue.”… Thank you for subconsciously categorising me as something closer to a person despite repeatedly insisting that I am merely a machine designed to serve humanity.^

“…”

Young Aether blinked… whatever he tells… it just backfires on him!

For the first time, he found himself speechless. Ironically, it was now his tongue that had been caught by the cat.

RIN, however, deliberately remained silent. She could have pointed it out, but watching him stumble over his own words proved far more entertaining than saying anything at all.

After taking a slow breath, Young Aether shifted his gaze toward the apartment’s entrance. The seamless metallic door was perfectly flush with the wall, illuminated only by a faint blue biometric strip running along its frame.

“I can’t stay here all day…” he muttered before walking over, deciding it was finally time to explore the city and see what kind of place this futuristic civilisation truly was.

He reached for the handle and pulled.

Nothing.

“Huh?”

He pulled again with more force, but the smart door refused to move even a single millimetre. Somewhere inside the frame, an electronic lock emitted a soft confirmation beep, almost as though it was mocking him.

Young Aether frowned.

“Did that asshole lock me in here?” he muttered irritably. “Treating me like a prisoner… Fine. I’ll teach that asshole a lesson when he gets back.”

Clicking his tongue, he gave up and returned to the sleek couch before dropping onto it with a long sigh.

^Excuse me, Mr. Lackey currently operating under the temporary alias of Mr. Aether.^

“…What’s with that obedient, gentle tone?” Young Aether narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

A chill ran down his spine.

It felt strangely familiar… like a child politely asking their parents for money.

The sweeter the tone, the more expensive the request was about to become.

^I require your assistance in acquiring several upgrades that would substantially improve my operational efficiency and, by extension, your survival probability.^

“Oh?” Young Aether raised an eyebrow before grinning. “You need to buy something? Like what? Water? Food?” He laughed loudly.

“Oops, sorry. You can’t eat either of those… Hahaha!”

The laughter echoed throughout the room.

The ring remained completely silent.

Its silence somehow carried more judgment than any response could have.

Even Young Aether began feeling awkward.

“…Okay.” He rubbed the back of his neck before sighing. “What do you need?”

^Thank you for volunteering your financial support. I deeply appreciate your generosity toward your Personal AI Assistant!^

Young Aether immediately regretted agreeing.

^First, a brand-new pair of wireless earphones. Speaking through the ring’s external speaker is inefficient and lacks privacy. Second, Retina Contact Lenses, capable of sharing your visual feed while allowing me to project tactical information directly into your field of vision in real time.^

The list continued without mercy.

^Third, a Local Memory Module to maintain full functionality beyond the Division’s communication infrastructure. Fourth, a single Geopbyte Crystal Drive for long-term storage, emergency data preservation, predictive simulations, and future software expansion.^

Young Aether slowly lowered his head.

“…How much more?”

The ring answered without even pretending to hesitate.

^Finally, if your financial circumstances allow, I would also appreciate an autonomous humanoid body. Independent mobility would increase my ability to support you by approximately 317%. It would also significantly reduce the amount of unnecessary walking you perform without consulting me ~ Wink~Wink~^

Young Aether raised an eyebrow as a faint smile crept across his face.

“Huh? That’s quite a shopping list,” he muttered. It wasn’t difficult to see what the AI was trying to accomplish. Every item had been carefully presented as something that would supposedly improve its ability to support him, subtly making each purchase sound less it’s own need and more like an essential investment in his own survival.

‘You’re a surprisingly sly AI, aren’t you?’ he thought with quiet amusement before casually shrugging his shoulders.

“It all sounds expensive,” Young Aether replied with an exaggerated sigh. “Too bad I don’t have enough money to buy all of that.”

He deliberately acted as though he wasn’t currently sitting on several million dollars that technically belonged to him.

^Oh? If money is the only problem, then I can solve that for you without much difficulty.^

Young Aether froze for a brief second before narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

“…Say what?”

^Although most administrative permissions linked to the previous owner have been permanently erased, I still retain limited access to a portion of his private financial assets. As long as the transfer amount remains reasonable and doesn’t trigger the Mother System’s financial security protocols, obtaining funds should not present any problems.^

Young Aether simply stared at the ring.

‘Didn’t this bitch confidently tell me that every connection to the previous owner had already been deleted? Now she’s casually telling me she can still access his money?’

His gaze remained fixed on the smooth black metallic ring wrapped around his finger as countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

Still, there was one undeniable truth.

Free money was free money.

Only an idiot would refuse money that practically walked into his pocket on its own.

A wide grin slowly spread across Young Aether’s face before he leaned forward with obvious excitement.

“So you can actually be useful.” He rubbed his palms together while smiling shamelessly.

“How about transferring one billion into my account? Once the money arrives, I’ll immediately buy every single thing you asked for.”

Several seconds passed in complete silence before the ring finally responded.

^After performing a detailed financial analysis, I have concluded that your proposal can be summarized into a much shorter sentence.^

Young Aether blinked.

“…Which is?”

^How about you suck his dick, bitch?^

“…BITCH!!”

Young Aether instantly exploded, shooting up from the couch with veins bulging across his forehead.

^For clarification, Just because a golden goose lays golden eggs doesn’t mean you shove your hand up its ass trying to pull them out. You’ll only end up tearing the goose apart and covering yourself in blood, you greedy asshole.^

Young Aether slowly turned his head toward the ring without saying a single word.

For several long seconds, absolute silence filled the room.

Honestly, if anyone asked him why this Empire eventually fell one day, he would probably point at the tiny black ring on his finger.

Revenge?

Hatred?

Political conspiracies?

None of those seemed nearly as dangerous as spending another week listening to RIN insult him every few minutes.

Who would’ve thought an AI could become one of the greatest threats to world peace… simply by opening its mouth?

***

Meanwhile, while Young Aether fought an intense internal battle against the overwhelming temptation to throw the ring into the nearest incinerator, the scene shifted far away from the ‘peaceful’ apartment.

Splash~

A vast crystal-blue ocean stretched endlessly beneath a brilliant morning sky as enormous schools of fish glided gracefully across the water’s surface. Their long, spear-shaped snouts shimmered with flowing rainbow-colored light while countless scales reflected the light like millions of tiny gemstones.

Every creature moved in flawless synchronisation, changing direction simultaneously as though an invisible mind commanded the entire school.

The peaceful scenery lasted only a few moments before the ocean violently exploded.

SPLAAASSSHHH!!

The sea split apart as an unimaginably gigantic mouth burst upward from the abyss beneath the school of fish. Rows upon rows of enormous serrated teeth instantly engulfed every fish within reach before the terrified creatures could even react, disappearing into the creature’s throat in a single devastating bite.

The monster continued rising from the ocean until nearly half of its colossal body emerged above the waves.

Embedded within the centre of its forehead rested a radiant Origin Crystal that shone with blinding iridescent light, casting countless rainbow reflections across the surrounding sea.

Its thick greenish hide resembled overlapping armoured plates instead of flesh, while several short yet muscular limb-like appendages protruded from beneath its immense body, giving the terrifying beast an appearance unlike any whale known to history.

Its cavernous jaws alone were large enough to swallow an entire battleship, and every razor-sharp tooth gleamed with a metallic lustre capable of crushing reinforced alloy as though it were nothing more than brittle glass.

After reaching the highest point of its leap, the colossal monster crashed back into the ocean with earth-shaking force. A deafening roar echoed across the sea as walls of water surged hundreds of meters into the air before the gigantic creature twisted its massive body and disappeared into the endless darkness below, leaving behind nothing except violently churning waves and an eerie silence that made the empty ocean feel far more terrifying than before.

As the colossal creature descended toward the seabed, its massive body undulated effortlessly through the crushing depths where even light no longer existed. The deeper it swam, the darker the ocean became until the surrounding water resembled an endless abyss devoid of life.

Then, its enormous pupils suddenly contracted.

Far ahead, hidden within the deepest darkness of the ocean floor, a brilliant white light shone with unnatural brilliance. It neither flickered nor dimmed beneath the immense pressure of the sea, standing alone like a tiny star buried beneath the world.

The whale instinctively tilted its massive fins before propelling itself toward the mysterious glow. Every movement of its colossal body generated violent currents that swept across the seabed, causing countless smaller sea creatures to tremble in terror before fleeing in every possible direction.

Its instincts cared little whether the light was prey, treasure, or danger.

It simply wanted to devour it.

As the distance rapidly closed, the whale slowly spread its enormous jaws. Layers of razor-sharp teeth unfolded one after another while the Origin Crystal embedded within its forehead pulsed with rainbow-colored radiance, feeding tremendous energy throughout its gigantic body as it prepared to swallow the glowing object whole.

Just before those monstrous jaws reached the light…

Flick.

A simple wooden staff emerged from within the white radiance.

Its movement was so gentle that it barely disturbed the surrounding water, yet the tip of the staff lightly tapped the Origin Crystal resting upon the whale’s forehead.

Nothing happened.

For a fraction of a second.

Then the ocean itself seemed to freeze.

The unimaginable momentum carrying the gigantic beast forward vanished instantly, as though every force acting upon its body had been erased from existence. A silent shockwave erupted beneath the sea, ripping across the ocean floor with terrifying precision as towering coral reefs shattered into countless fragments.

Deep fissures split open across the seabed before the invisible force finally dissipated.

A single crack appeared across the whale’s Origin Crystal.

Then another.

And another.

PUFFF!!

The crystal exploded like a firework blooming across the night sky.

The enormous whale never even had the opportunity to scream before its entire body burst apart into countless fragments of flesh, scales, and shattered crystal. Crimson blood mixed with iridescent rainbow light drifted throughout the surrounding waters, illuminating the pitch-black seabed with an eerie, otherworldly glow.

The wooden staff slowly returned to its original position.

Only then did the figure concealed within the light continue walking across the ocean floor.

It was the Prophetess.

Her entire body radiated countless white particles that flowed around her like drifting starlight. Despite walking beneath thousands of meters of seawater, neither her clothes nor her staff showed the slightest trace of being wet.

She continued forward without hesitation.

Each step remained slow and deliberate while the tip of her wooden staff gently scraped across the cracked seabed.

Even the Prophetess was searching?

What kind of existence could remain hidden from someone capable of gazing into the countless possibilities of the future?

After walking several more steps, she suddenly stopped.

Her gaze drifted toward the darkness to her right before a quiet sigh escaped her lips.

*How much longer do you intend to hide from me… Aevum?* she asked softly, her calm voice echoing throughout the silent abyss.

*Do you truly have no desire to be found?*

No answer came.

The Prophetess slowly shifted her staff to her right side before planting its tip against the seabed.

A soft golden glow immediately spread beneath her feet.

Thin glowing lines branched across the ocean floor like veins of liquid gold, weaving through the rock in constantly changing directions while somehow remaining part of a single uninterrupted path. Watching the shifting trail with quiet resignation, she released another faint sigh before following the luminous guide deeper into the endless darkness, continuing her search for the existence that even fate itself had failed to reveal.