Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1806: Let’s not solve this with violence, shall we?

Young Aether stared at the crimson beacon burning across the heavens like an emergency flare.

His friends were in danger.

^What should we do? We haven’t got her access code for her suit.^

Young Aether tightened his fist before letting out a quiet sigh. “Well… it wouldn’t be the last time.”

He snapped his fingers.

“Wa—”

A circular portal instantly unfolded beneath Nova’s feet. Before she could react, she was dropped.

Instead of crashing onto another empty grassy field, she landed before an enormous white temple whose marble-like walls shimmered with flowing golden inscriptions. Towering pillars reached into the heavens.

“W… Where am I?”

She slowly stood, rubbing her sore butt before lifting her gaze toward the majestic temple. Her confused expression gradually softened into a faint smile.

“Is it… really him?” she whispered.

Her heart wavered.

She couldn’t tell whether everything happening around her was real or merely another dream.

After that fateful day, she had long abandoned the hope of ever seeing him again.

“Or… was all this another plan?”

The thought immediately darkened her expression.

After taking a slow breath, she stepped through the temple, disappearing into the silent sanctuary.

Meanwhile, Young Aether picked up the pink-striped cube and stored it safely inside his storage, making certain it remained far beyond Nova’s reach.

He had already secured the Hypercube.

There was nothing else worth staying for.

Ssssnnnngg~

Rings of crimson energy ignited around each propulsion nozzle before erupting into brilliant streams of vector.

A deafening sonic burst exploded beneath him.

BOOOM!!

His figure vanished like a streak of red lightning as the propulsion system hurled him across the desert, leaving behind spiralling shockwaves that carved long trails through the sea of sand.

This time, however, the flight felt entirely different.

Instead of struggling against the overwhelming acceleration, he synchronised every movement with the suit’s predictive stabilisation system. Hundreds of microscopic attitude thrusters continuously adjusted his posture while holographic vectors danced before his visor, calculating air resistance, gravitational drift, and terrain elevation thousands of times every second.

There were still occasional corrections and minor oscillations, but unlike before, he was actually controlling the flight instead of merely opposing it.

As he raced toward the beacon, the surrounding scenery blurred into endless ribbons of gold.

RIN finally broke the silence.

^If she is someone you know… wouldn’t it be better to speak with her directly?^

Young Aether remained silent for several long moments, his eyes fixed on the distant crimson signal.

“She is someone I once knew… but not now.”

^…^

“She abandoned me.” His voice turned cold.

“She threw me away as though I meant nothing.”

His fingers slowly curled into a fist.

“She even treated my people like lab rats. Do you honestly think she’ll cooperate? She’s responsible for everything that happened in the Zoo.”

His eyes narrowed.

“I ain’t no way forgiving that bitch.”

RIN remained quiet before answering in a softer tone.

^…I may not be in a position to say this, but perhaps you should speak with her before deciding everything on your own. Sometimes the truth isn’t as simple as the memories we keep.^

Young Aether’s expression hardened.

“Yes… you’re not in any position to tell me what to do.”

Without another word, he accelerated harder.

Soon, the blinking beacon grew larger.

As he got closer, his eyes widened slightly.

Gigantic sandworms lay scattered across the desert… dried and dead.

“Looks like they fought here as well.”

His speed doubled.

^Incoming secure communication from Jonathan.^

“Accept.”

Jonathan’s holographic portrait immediately appeared inside the helmet display.

“Where the hell are you, man? I’ve been calling you nonstop, but you weren’t reachable!!”

Young Aether chuckled.

“Haha… I got dragged away by the monsters you fought. Besides, I was a little busy killing them.”

Jonathan let out an irritated sigh.

“Forget that. Get to the portal immediately. It’s already beginning to close.”

“On it.”

Without wasting another second, Young Aether tilted forward.

Jonathan and Allen stood near the rapidly shrinking portal.

A distant sonic boom echoed across the sky.

Jonathan looked up first.

“There!”

A brilliant streak of crimson tore through the sky, descending like a guided missile.

“Thank goodness he made it!” Allen shouted, waving both arms. “Come here, jerk~!”

Then his smile slowly disappeared.

“For some reason…” Allen muttered, squinting at the incoming figure. “Why isn’t he slowing down?”

The glowing trail behind Young Aether remained just as bright.

The distance closed frighteningly fast.

Allen’s eyes widened.

“Oi! Slow down a bit!”

“I AM TRYING!” Young Aether shouted, his voice distorted through the helmet speakers as countless thrusters desperately fired in every direction.

“Trying?” Allen blinked. “What the fuck do you mean by trying?”

His expression instantly froze.

“Oh shit…”

Young Aether was still coming.

Full speed.

“No, no, no!! Slow it down, asshole!!!!”

Panic took over.

Instead of diving aside, Allen did exactly what every terrified person somehow managed to do.

He turned around… and ran straight toward the portal.

A truly classic reaction!

Naturally… It deserved a classic ending.

THUNGGGG!!!

“ARRRGGHHHHHHHH—!!!”

Young Aether slammed directly into Allen with enough force to launch both of them like cannonballs. Their bodies disappeared into the gateway as concentric waves rippled violently across its shimmering surface.

Jonathan simply blinked.

He slowly rubbed his forehead.

“This is exactly why I never let him fly the quadcopter.”

Without another word, he casually stepped into the portal.

Only a few seconds later, the gateway contracted into a brilliant sphere of light before silently collapsing into nothingness.

…..

…

On the other side…

“HHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

Allen burst out of the portal while firmly trapped beneath Young Aether.

Neither of them stopped.

THUUUDDDDD!!!

They crashed straight through the wall of an already half-destroyed house.

The concrete exploded into clouds of dust while steel beams bent inward under the impact.

TTTRRRRRRKKK!!!

The remaining structure groaned before collapsing completely, burying both of them beneath bricks, timber, and shattered roofing.

Jonathan stepped through the portal a heartbeat later.

He stared at the pile of rubble in complete silence.

“I ain’t paying for this shit.”

Behind him, the gateway emitted one final pulse before disappearing entirely, leaving only fading particles of red and golden drifting through the air.

Jonathan frowned.

According to every sensor reading, the portal shouldn’t have closed.

Yet… It had begun collapsing entirely on its own.

That shouldn’t have been possible.

He replayed the mission inside his helmet’s combat recorder.

Sandworms.

Nothing else.

Nothing powerful enough to interfere with dimensional stability.

His eyes slowly drifted toward the collapsed house.

A loud groan echoed from beneath the debris as Young Aether pulled Allen free by one arm.

Jonathan sighed.

‘He definitely did something.’

“F-Fucker!!” Allen yelled, limping as he clutched his aching hips. “When you hit me, I nearly folded in half from the impact!”

He pointed an accusing finger at Young Aether.

“Next time… you’d better walk!!!”

Young Aether scratched the back of his head with an innocent smile.

“So… we’re doing it again next time?”

Allen’s eye twitched.

“…Can I punch your smug face?” Allen asked in a voice that was frighteningly calm.

Young Aether burst into laughter.

Jonathan pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Come on. Let’s go.”

The three finally climbed out of the demolished house.

The moment they stepped into the open street…

Clap~

Clap~

Clap~

The applause began softly before rapidly swelling into thunderous cheers.

Soldiers lined the barricades, clapping with relieved smiles.

Police officers raised their helmets in celebration.

Medics and rescue workers joined in.

People watching from nearby rooftops and high-rise buildings applauded just as loudly, many recording everything with holographic phones and floating camera drones as live broadcasts instantly spread across social media.

“Our heroes!!!”

“Thank you!!!”

“You saved everyone!!”

“We’re alive because of you!”

Children waved enthusiastically while exhausted civilians bowed their heads in gratitude.

There hadn’t been a single civilian casualty.

An entire dimensional disaster had been stopped… by only three people.

Which never happened before!

Young Aether slowly looked around.

The applause… The grateful smiles… The tears of relief… The overwhelming joy shining in every face.

He quietly took it all in.

And felt…

Nothing!

“Nah.”

He inwardly shrugged with complete indifference.

To someone who had witnessed billions upon billions of cheers, smiles, celebrations, and civilisations rejoicing beneath his throne…

This meant nothing.

For a king.

For The Ruler.

This celebration was nothing more than a single drop falling into an endless ocean.

But for Jonathan and Allen…

This was their ocean.

The two of them grinned from ear to ear, waving at the crowd like victorious heroes returning from war.

Jonathan casually wrapped an arm around Young Aether’s shoulder.

“So? How does it feel?”

Young Aether forced a smile and gave a small nod.

“Yeah… it feels good.”

Soon, the soldiers and police secured the area, guiding the remaining civilians away from the area before escorting the trio back to the military transport truck.

During the journey, Jonathan and Allen repeatedly questioned Young Aether about everything that had happened inside the portal.

Young Aether explained the entire situation from beginning to end.

Everything… Except Genome Beta.

*****

***

After arriving beneath Allen’s apartment complex, the transport descended into a heavily reinforced underground hangar.

The trio stepped out before making their way toward a sealed maintenance chamber.

Following several layers of biometric verification, the massive alloy door slid open with a deep mechanical rumble.

Inside, dozens of robotic maintenance arms hung from ceiling-mounted rails while autonomous drones floated between repair stations carrying replacement components and diagnostic modules.

One by one, the three stepped onto their designated platforms.

Mechanical locks secured each suit in place.

Hissssss…

Compressed air escaped from microscopic pressure valves.

The armoured systems began disengaging automatically.

The visors folded backwards.

The chest plates separated like mechanical segmented doors.

The shoulder armour rotated away.

The segmented leg armor unlocked and unfolded outward with synchronized precision.

The robotic arms immediately moved in, scanning damaged sections while miniature welding lasers sparked to life.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

The trio stepped out of their armour and stretched their sore bodies as the maintenance systems immediately began repairing the battle-damaged suits behind them.

Young Aether quietly watched the robotic arms moving with flawless precision, replacing fractured armour plates and recalibrating internal components without a single unnecessary motion.

“Sigh…” Allen let out a long breath as he cracked his neck. “Come on, let’s grab some lunch. I’m starving after all that fighting.”

Jonathan shot him a flat look.

“Fighting? What exactly did you fight?”

He folded his arms.

“You ran away and left me to deal with those fucking worms. Seriously… those disgusting things.”

He visibly shuddered.

“I almost got swallowed by them.”

Allen burst into laughter.

“Haha! So what? You’re a freaking Commander! Your suit is leagues above mine. If I got caught, I’d have been torn into pieces!”

Jonathan stared at him with a completely expressionless face.

“Asshole.”

“I got swallowed twice while saving your ass.”

“Hahahaha…”

Allen simply laughed harder, shamelessly shaking his head.

Young Aether looked at both of them before snorting.

“Fuck you two. You guys actually had fun.”

Allen immediately pointed at him.

“Look who’s talking!”

“You basically soloed some ridiculous monster and still came back alive.”

He clicked his tongue.

“Damn, man…”

Young Aether grinned.

“You do know that fucker nearly killed me, right?”

Allen rolled his eyes.

“So what? You fucking enjoyed it, didn’t you?”

“Hehe~”

Young Aether shamelessly smiled.

Jonathan and Allen exchanged exhausted looks before silently walking toward the elevator.

The doors slid open.

The three stepped inside.

“But seriously…” Allen said, “You’re telling us that whoever that figure was caused this entire Hell’s Gate incident?”

He slowly shook his head.

“That’s unbelievable.”

“I showed you the video footage, didn’t I?” Young Aether replied calmly. He had already played the recording for both of them during the drive back.

Jonathan pressed the floor selection before leaning against the wall.

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“Oh, come on, man!”

“You asked for evidence, and I showed you evidence.”

Young Aether’s expression turned serious as the elevator accelerated upward in near silence.

Jonathan rolled his eyes.

“How convenient. The evidence just happened to fall right into your hands?”

He folded his arms.

“That has never happened before. Then suddenly it happens, and somehow you’re the one who gets it?”

He shook his head.

“Anyone with half a brain would think that’s ridiculous.”

Young Aether frowned.

“So… you think I fabricated it?”

Jonathan shrugged.

“Who knows? Maybe you did. After all, you destroyed my division… what’s stopping you?”

Young Aether clenched his fist.

“That has nothing to do with this, and you know it! Are you seriously trying to get back at me? This is the fucking proof you asked fo—”

“Hold on!”

Allen quickly stepped between the two before the argument could escalate. He raised both hands with an awkward smile, glancing from one to the other.

“Let’s not solve this with violence, shall we?”

Jonathan snorted and turned his head away.

He was still furious about what had happened to his division.

Young Aether silently stared at Jonathan for several seconds before letting out a quiet sigh.

‘Just as I expected… he doesn’t believe me.’

His brows slowly knitted together.

‘Looks like I’ll have to dig into this matter myself.’

Allen quietly exhaled in relief.

For a moment, he had genuinely thought the two were about to throw punches inside the elevator.

Ding~

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.

Jonathan stepped out first and walked toward the apartment door while Allen and Young Aether followed behind.

After putting in Jonathan’s ID.

The door smoothly slid open.

“Hello, everyone!”

Allen threw both arms into the air with the biggest smile on his face.

“Daddy is home~”

The cheerful voice echoed throughout the house.

A moment later…

Tiny footsteps hurried across the floor.

“WAAA!!”

Noah came running out of the living room with sparkling eyes, stretching both little arms toward Allen.

Allen’s heart instantly melted.

He bent down, ready to scoop his son into his embrace.

But before he could…

A blur shot between them.

“Uncle’s home too~”

Young Aether suddenly appeared in the middle and effortlessly scooped Noah into his arms in a fraction of a second.

The movement was so absurdly fast that Allen’s outstretched hands simply grabbed empty air.

Noah blinked several times.

His tiny brain struggled to process what had just happened.

One second…

Daddy.

The next…

Young Aether’s face was only inches away.

Young Aether flashed a bright smile.

“Peekpooo~”

For exactly one second…

Noah stared back.

Then…

“WAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

The child burst into tears.

“…”

Young Aether’s smile disappeared so quickly it was almost painful to watch.

“PFFFFTTTTT!!”

Jonathan lost it first.

“Hahahahahaha!!!”

Allen doubled over laughing, clutching his stomach as tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

Even Jonathan had to lean against the wall to keep himself from falling over.

Young Aether’s expression…

It was absolutely priceless.

His lips twitched left…

Then right…

He slowly looked down at the crying child in complete disbelief.

“…”

Wasn’t he…the handsomest man in the world?