Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1800: Meeting the Past: Part-4

Chucckk!

Pulling his Twin Eclipses free from the corpse of the monstrous Sandworm, Young Aether swung the twin blades once, sending streaks of violet particles scattering into the scorching air before they slowly dissolved.

He looked around, taking in the endless desert. The sea of golden sand was littered with the cleanly severed remains of more than ten colossal Sandworms, each massive body rapidly drying and hardening under the relentless heat, as though centuries had passed within mere seconds.

He lowered his gaze to the Twin Eclipses. Thin streams of glowing purple particles drifted from the razor-sharp edges, dancing around the ivory blades.

A satisfied smile formed on his lips.

“Not bad.”

Although he had encountered a few awkward moments while wielding the weapons and had nearly sliced himself twice during the battle, he had adapted surprisingly quickly. His movements were no longer stiff or hesitant. They flowed with growing confidence, though they still lacked the instinctive precision of a true master.

He certainly couldn’t call it mastery yet, but he had already progressed well beyond the beginner stage and was steadily approaching the intermediate level.

^Prediction Module Updated. Current combat analysis indicates rapid adaptation. Estimated time required to achieve weapon mastery: 3 days, 12 hours, 17 minutes under continuous combat conditions.^

RIN AI cheerfully reported as her adorable holographic bunny avatar bounced around inside the visor, its ears twitching excitedly while tiny digital stars sparkled around its head.

“That’s faster than I expected,” Young Aether admitted with a faint nod before looking across the endless horizon.

“But first… we need to figure out where exactly this place is.”

He secured the Twin Eclipses onto the magnetic weapon locks mounted across his back. Soft electromagnetic pulses rippled through the locking mechanism before both weapons clicked firmly into place.

The violet particles surrounding the blades gradually faded, and the Twin Eclipses reverted to their smooth ivory appearance as their combat configuration compressed back into their standard resting form.

^Vector Thrusters Activated.^

A deep mechanical hum resonated throughout the mech-suit.

The propulsion arrays embedded beneath his boots and along the back of the suit ignited with compressed streams of red waves. Aether shot upward like a guided missile, leaving behind expanding rings of displaced sand as supersonic air currents rippled across the desert below.

Once he reached several hundred meters above the ground, translucent holographic altitude markers, atmospheric readings, wind vectors, and thermal signatures unfolded across his visor. He slowly turned in every direction, scanning the seemingly infinite desert.

Only an endless ocean of shimmering sand stretching beyond the horizon.

“Tsk… Just where the hell did that bastard drag me?” he muttered, annoyance creeping into his voice. “RIN, any way to pinpoint our location?”

^Deploying Autonomous Recon Drone.^

A concealed panel along the mech-suit’s upper back silently separated into multiple segments. From within, a compact spherical drone emerged before unfolding into a sleek reconnaissance unit with four anti-gravity stabilizers and a rotating sensor array. Blue scanning rings pulsed outward as it accelerated skyward, climbing far beyond Aether’s altitude.

Countless streams of environmental data flooded into the drone’s quantum sensor package before being transmitted back through an encrypted neural link.

Normally, every stream of raw information would flood directly into the pilot’s interface. However, with RIN managing the mech-suit’s operational systems, she filtered millions of unnecessary calculations, displaying only the most relevant tactical information to avoid overwhelming him.

^Portal Detected.^

Young Aether’s visor instantly transformed into a three-dimensional holographic terrain map. The desert unfolded beneath him from a satellite-like perspective, complete with elevation contours, heat signatures, and atmospheric distortions.

A bright crimson beacon pulsed to the southeast.

The portal.

“There you are.” Aether nodded. “Let’s regroup with the others befor—”

He stopped mid-sentence.

^Unknown Structure Detected.^

The holographic map rapidly expanded, zooming farther north. Multiple scan lines swept across the terrain before highlighting an unusual geological formation.

Unlike the endless dunes surrounding it, this structure consisted of towering rocky cliffs that pierced through the desert.

Aether narrowed his eyes.

That was the first solid rock formation he had seen since arriving in this endless sea of sand.

He considered ignoring it for now. Meeting up with the others was the smarter decision, and afterwards he could report the discovery before returning with proper support.

Then another notification flashed across his visor.

^Movement Detected.^

The reconnaissance drone immediately magnified the target area. The image sharpened as adaptive enhancement algorithms reconstructed the visual feed frame by frame. Although interference from the intense heat prevented a perfectly clear image, a distinct silhouette gradually emerged against the rocky terrain.

Humanoid.

Standing still.

Wearing… A purple hoodie?

“Hunter…?”

Young Aether’s pupils contracted.

The purple hoodie fluttered violently in the scorching wind as the lone figure stood atop the rocky cliff, completely motionless. Then, as if sensing something watching from above, the figure slowly tilted its head upward.

The next instant,

^Signal Lost from Recon Drone-1.^

The holographic feed distorted into static, flickering across Young Aether’s visor like an old television before cutting out entirely.

Young Aether remained silent for a few seconds, his eyes shifting between the crimson portal to the south and the rocky mountains to the north.

Then his expression hardened.

“Mark those coordinates and get me there immediately.”

^Coordinates locked. Optimal flight path calculated.^

The navigation route instantly illuminated across his visor.

His boots erupted with compressed energy, and the hip-mounted vector thrusters rotated with sharp mechanical hisses, redirecting the mech-suit toward the northern coordinates.

BOOOOMMMM!!!

A deafening sonic boom echoed across the desert as the mech-suit accelerated forward like a missile.

“AAAHH! C-Control it!” Young Aether shouted, gripping his balance as the entire suit shook violently. Every joint vibrated under the overwhelming acceleration, threatening to throw his body completely off rhythm.

^Manual pilot interference detected. It’s hard for me if there is a pilot. Please synchronise your movements.^

RIN’s voice echoed loudly.

Young Aether gritted his teeth and tried matching the mech-suit’s movements, but the violent thrust kept throwing off his balance. His body swayed uncontrollably as the inertial stabilisers struggled to compensate for the rapid bursts of acceleration.

“No… No… NO!!”

Warning indicators exploded across his visor.

^GROUND PROXIMITY.^

^ALTITUDE CRITICAL.^

^IMPACT IMMINENT.^

His eyes widened as the desert rushed toward him at terrifying speed.

THUD!!

The mech-suit slammed into the sand with explosive force.

A massive cloud of sand erupted into the air as his body skipped across the dunes, rolling several times before the suit’s emergency stabilisers reignited. The thrusters fired in rapid bursts, forcing the mech-suit back into the air.

“Fuck!!”

Young Aether growled, shaking his head as stars danced across his vision.

“This thing’s impossible to control…”

His movements became increasingly clumsy. Both arms flailed instinctively while his body tilted left and right, the suit overreacting to every correction he made.

^Destination reached.^

“What?”

Young Aether looked up.

His eyes instantly widened.

Towering before him stood a colossal rocky mountain that dwarfed everything around it. Jagged cliffs pierced into the sky like the fangs of some ancient beast, casting enormous shadows across the endless desert.

It was far larger than it had appeared on the drone’s scan.

Then another warning blared.

^Warning. Collision predicted in 6… 5… 4…^

“Fuck! Stop it, bitch!!”

^I told you it’s difficult to maintain precise flight control while a pilot is inside! Do something, bitch!!^

“FUCK YOU!!”

^FUCK YOU!!!^

Both of them screamed at each other in complete panic as the mountain rapidly filled his entire field of view.

^3…^

^2…^

Young Aether squeezed his eyes shut and instinctively raised both arms over his face, bracing for the inevitable impact.

SSSSSSSHHHHHH!!

^Emergency Impact Avoidance Protocol Activated.^

A concealed compartment on the mech-suit’s back burst open.

Within a fraction of a second, a high-density adaptive parachute deployed behind him. The smart-fabric canopy instantly expanded, while miniature air-brake fins unfolded around its edges, generating tremendous drag.

The violent pull yanked Young Aether backwards just moments before his helmet could smash into the cliff face.

At the same time, every thruster across the mech-suit automatically powered down as the emergency safety system temporarily overrode manual flight controls to prevent catastrophic damage.

Young Aether slowly opened one eye.

His body gently drifted through the air beneath the parachute, descending in a slow, controlled glide as the rocky cliff passed safely beneath him.

“…Fucckk…”

He let out a long sigh of relief.

For a terrifying second, he genuinely thought his brand-new mech-suit was about to get scratched.

Thank goodness nothing happened.

Otherwise, that would have been one of his worst nightmares.

He glared upward.

“You fucking useless AI! If you can’t control this suit, then stop pushing the power output so high!”

RIN’s bunny avatar puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

^Look who’s talking! Bitch, maybe you should stop fighting my flight controls! I only did exactly what you asked!^

“Tsk.”

^Tsk.^

The two silently glared at each other through the interface until Young Aether’s boots finally touched the solid rocky ground.

The parachute automatically detached from the airflow, folded itself with precise mechanical movements, and smoothly retracted back into the mech-suit’s storage compartment as if nothing had happened.

Young Aether carefully examined the towering mountain before speaking.

“Locate the exact position where that figure appeared.”

His visor pulsed with blue scanning waves as countless data points mapped the rocky terrain. Within seconds, a bright holographic marker appeared, pinpointing the exact location where the mysterious figure had last been detected.

He took a slow breath.

“Turn the thrusters on at… 1%”

^Output limited to 1%. Precision Hover Mode engaged.^

Sssnnnggg~

The armour plates around his boots shifted apart with a series of soft mechanical clicks. Gentle streams of crimson vector energy flowed beneath his feet, producing only enough thrust to lift him off the ground. Unlike the violent acceleration from earlier, the mech-suit ascended with stability, slowly carrying him toward the marked location while microscopic balance adjustments constantly corrected his posture.

A few moments later…

THUD!

His boots landed firmly atop the rocky ledge.

Embedded within the towering cliff was a massive opening that resembled the entrance to an ancient cavern.

Young Aether instinctively glanced over his shoulder.

The sheer height of the mountain stretched far above the endless desert below. From this elevation, the dunes looked like gentle waves across a golden ocean.

He swallowed.

“Man… did I get PTSD?”

He frowned to himself.

Ever since he had been thrown from that tower on his very first day after arriving in this world, nearly falling to his death, heights had started making his chest tighten ever so slightly.

Was that really the reason?

“…Whatever.”

Shrugging the thought away, he stepped into the enormous opening.

Flick~

Twin tactical lights mounted on both shoulders of the mech-suit automatically activated, casting bright white beams through the darkness ahead. The rough stone walls reflected the light, revealing a surprisingly wide tunnel that stretched deep beneath the mountain.

Invisible scanner pulses quietly spread throughout the passage as RIN analyzed every centimeter of the surrounding environment, checking for lifeforms, hidden structures, energy signatures, and possible ambushes.

After a brief silence, she spoke curiously.

^Is this ‘Hunter’ someone you know?^

Young Aether thought for a moment.

“I wouldn’t say I know her… but… kind of.”

^Hmm…^

He raised an eyebrow.

“What? Are you jealous or something?”

A brief pause followed.

Then RIN’s bunny avatar folded its tiny arms and puffed its cheeks.

^…Jealous? My ass! I don’t care who the fuck she is!^

Although she denied it immediately, her unusually irritated tone made Young Aether blink.

“…That’s strange.”

Something definitely felt off.

Normally, RIN would simply brush off his teasing with sarcasm, but this time there was an odd edge in her voice.

He couldn’t quite explain it.

Pushing the thought aside, Young Aether continued walking deeper into the tunnel alone, the rhythmic metallic footsteps of his mech-suit echoing through the vast underground passage.

Meanwhile…

A small hooded figure silently stood near the entrance of the cavern, watching the twin beams of light gradually disappear into the darkness.

Without making the slightest sound…

She vanished.

The surrounding air rippled for an instant.

In the next moment, she reappeared deep within the mountain.

Standing before her was the mysterious figure wearing the purple hoodie. A faint crimson radiance reflected across her body.

The small hooded figure respectfully lowered her head.

“Master… someone has discovered us.”

She held up a holographic tablet, its translucent display projecting a live feed of the Mech-Suit as he cautiously advanced through the tunnel.

The purple-hooded figure looked at the projection before a slow smile formed beneath her hood.

“I guess they might have got curious after noticing me here… Haha… It’s been a while since I’ve had a proper fight…”

She leisurely stretched her fingers, each joint producing soft cracking sounds.

“Maybe it’s time I stretched my body a little.”

Her voice carried a quiet amusement that made the darkness around her feel even colder.

****

Meanwhile, Young Aether continued walking through the tunnel, the rhythmic clang of his metal boots echoing along the wide stone passage. The deeper he ventured, the colder and quieter the air became despite the blazing desert outside.

“It’s going much deeper than I expected,” he mumbled as his visor continuously mapped the underground terrain.

^Negative. No biological lifeforms detected within the current scanning radius.^

“Hmm…”

Young Aether nodded thoughtfully.

He was certain he had seen Hunter in the drone’s footage.

There was no way he had imagined it.

Keeping his guard up, he continued down the dark passage, allowing the mech-suit’s passive scanners to silently analyze every inch of the tunnel.

Then…

A faint crimson glow spilled across the stone floor from a passage branching off to the side.

The reddish light pulsed softly, illuminating the rough walls with an eerie radiance.

Young Aether frowned.

“Turn off the lights.”

Flick.

The tactical shoulder lights instantly shut down, allowing darkness to reclaim the tunnel.

Only the dim holographic interface inside his visor remained visible.

He quietly pressed himself against the rocky wall before slowly advancing toward the crimson light, each careful step producing barely any sound as the mech-suit automatically dampened the vibrations beneath his feet.

The closer he moved…

The stronger the feeling became.

His heartbeat gradually accelerated.

“…”

It felt…

Like something was calling him.

His expression stiffened.

The sensation was strangely familiar.

It was almost identical to what he had experienced beneath Delta Division when he had unknowingly discovered the chamber filled with portals.

Back then, it had only been a vague instinct.

A subtle pull.

A quiet feeling telling him to keep walking.

But this…

“This is different…”

He thought silently.

“This feels… much stronger.”

It wasn’t simply guiding him anymore.

It was actively calling him.

Young Aether slowed his pace even further.

Reaching the edge of the opening, he quietly detached one of the Twin Eclipses from the magnetic mount on his back. The ivory blade unfolded into its combat configuration as glowing violet veins spread across its surface.

His visor instantly shifted into full tactical mode.

Thermal Scan.

Motion Detection.

Heartbeat Analysis.

Electromagnetic Pulse Detection.

Energy Lifeform Recognition.

Every sensor embedded within the mech-suit operated at maximum sensitivity, sweeping the chamber hundreds of times each second.

Yet…

Nothing.

No heartbeat.

No breathing.

No movement.

No life.

Young Aether frowned.

“…There’s nothing?”

Then…

He stepped into the chamber.

“…”

Neither Young Aether nor RIN spoke another word.

The crimson light reflected across the polished armour of the mech-suit, painting both of them in an eerie red glow.

At the very centre of the enormous cavern…

Hovered…

A gigantic crimson cube.

Its surface appeared perfectly smooth, yet it constantly shifted in impossible directions. Edges folded inward before emerging somewhere else entirely, while transparent geometric layers rotated independently through one another as though the object existed beyond ordinary three-dimensional space.

It wasn’t merely rotating.

It was continuously reconstructing itself into impossible shapes, behaving like a higher-dimensional object forcing its existence into reality.

The surrounding air shimmered violently.

Gravity itself seemed subtly distorted around the cube as waves of crimson energy silently rippled through the cavern.

Young Aether could only stare.

“…What the…”

He muttered in complete disbelief.