Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

After escaping from Emberlyn's dangerous and life-threatening question, Aether appeared in his room and, as usual… his beloveds were sleeping in his bed.

Even though they had their own rooms… they were sleeping together here at night.

He looked at everyone… Selene, who was sleeping peacefully, her hair cascading across the pillow. Raven clung to Thalia's neck, clutching her like a jealous lover even in her dreams, while Thalia, trapped beneath her, wore a pained expression, still struggling in restless sleep, her legs tangled in the sheets.

As for… Nightfire… well, her bare hips were raised high, the curve of her body arched in the air, and she mumbled spells and nonsense in her sleep.

He shook his head with a lightly amused expression… in this bed, somehow, four more people could fit if they tried.

"Guess Emberlyn sleeps here too…" he muttered under his breath, then frowned, "Where is Nyx?"

He teleported to her room, landing silently at the foot of her bed. There she sat, her hair falling across her pale shoulders, eyes watching the sky through the window.

She looked as if she had been waiting all night.

"You finally came?" she said, her voice edged with a hint of annoyance, but her face remained cool and unreadable.

Aether felt a pang of guilt. Only now did he remember what she'd whispered to him during the meeting…

'Shit!' Aether cursed himself, then forced a calm smile as he walked toward her, his hand raised in surrender. "I'm sorry, my queen. I got… distracted."

Nyx stared at him for a moment, studying his face as if weighing every excuse. Then she rose in a single fluid motion, "Well, next time I won't wait for you," she said.

Aether knew she was pissed, but she would never show it openly. He reached out, catching her wrist, and pulled her gently into his arms. He leaned down, breath brushing her ear, and whispered,

"Forgive me, Nyx. I never want to keep you waiting."

Nyx flinched, a blush rising on her cheeks, though she struggled to maintain her indifference. "And I said I'm fine, right?" she murmured.

Aether grinned, unable to hide his amusement, "Is there any way a poor fool like me could earn pardon for making his wife wait?" he asked, letting his voice drop into a soft, teasing murmur.

"Or should I beg at your feet, your Majesty?"

Nyx's stare hardened, but she did not pull away. "Don't act," she said bluntly, "I know all your tricks... I am not like those people!"

Aether chuckled, tightening his hold. "No tricks. Just the truth—I'm here to repent, if you'll have me."

Nyx arched an eyebrow "I see… then prove it," she said, her lips parting, her cheeks stained pink in the half-light.

Aether smirked, 'So you really are angry,' He bit back the urge to tease her further, biting his tongue as her blush deepened.

He knew what she wanted…

"Make a baby?" he asked, sly and wicked, voice dropping to a near growl as his hand trailed down her spine. However—

Nyx shook her head, lips twitching. If it were only a baby she wanted, she wouldn't be blushing so fiercely.

It was never just that.

It was more than that…

"M-Make l-love?" Her words stumbled out, barely more than a breath, her eyes fluttering with a shiver of need and embarrassment.

Aether's lips trembled as he fought to contain a laugh. Her cuteness undid him... he leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss, slow and gentle, "So cute~" he whispered.

Nyx's eyes widened, surprise flickering across her face before she pushed him away with a soft gasp. "N-Not now!" she insisted, voice reluctant but serious, even as her hands lingered at his waist.

Aether nodded, a playful glint in his eyes. "Of course, I knew you were only teasing… I wouldn't dare rush my queen." He winked, letting his hand slip down to knead her ass with slow reverence.

Nyx glared, blank-faced at her husband.... He really was a pervert. And yet…

She snorted, cheeks still glowing, and strutted toward the door. Instead of opening it the usual way, she pressed her palm against the left side. Magic shimmered, and the door parted, revealing her hidden realm...

Aether raised his eyebrows, "You connected the door here… Interesting…" he muttered as he stepped inside, his gaze drifting around the shifting landscape.

So… personal realms could change position too?

Interesting…

He glanced at Nyx, curiosity flaring. "Can you teach me how to do it? I mean—creating a personal realm like this?" He tried to sound casual, even though he already possessed one of his own… yet his was so restrictive that no living being could enter except one and not even himself!!

If he learned a trick or two, maybe he could slip inside without that annoying barrier.

However,

Nyx shook her head, "Honestly, I don't know how I did it… It just came to me naturally," she shrugged, almost sheepish.

Aether raised his eyebrows higher, teasing, "So my wife is a prodigy, huh? Looks like her poor husband needs to put in overtime just to keep up."

Nyx nodded, her lips curling in a tiny, proud smile… she looked heartbreakingly cute when she let her emotions show, if only for a second.

Aether grinned and gave her a playful pinch on the ass, earning an instant boink on his head from Nyx's knuckles. "No, naughty!" she scolded.

Soon, they walked deeper and finally found… Starla was waiting for them.

Aether, who had been teasing Nyx's ass, finally straightened, his tone turning serious.

Nyx, rubbing her hip where he'd pinched her, muttered under her breath about a perverted husband... Nightfire was right all along!

She waved him forward, her voice just a little annoyed, "Ask her."

Aether nodded, not even pretending to feel guilty, and turned to Starla with a deep frown.

"Tell me… about the Origin Cards you have. Everything."

Starla arched an eyebrow, "Origin Cards… They were given to us by our gods," she replied.

"Then?" Aether tilted his head, eyes narrowed.

Starla blinked, then tilted her head as well, mimicking his posture. "Then? That's all there is."

"That's all? What do you mean?" Aether pressed, "Isn't there anything else you can say? The meaning, the purpose... something?" He gestured to Nyx, who nodded and summoned her card, handing it to Aether.

Aether held the card out to Starla, pointing at the values. "Tell me about these numbers. What do they mean? What are they supposed to say about us? And… why are they so different from the ones in our Log?" His expression was all seriousness now.

Starla stared at the card for a long moment, then looked up at him, her eyes honest and oddly apologetic. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, my lord, but… I never learned the meaning of these words. Actually, nobody cared much about the cards you're talking about. They were just… an identity for us. Like a name, nothing more."

"Huh?" Aether fell silent, genuinely surprised.

Nyx blinked in surprise too… The reason she brought him here was because when Lyirrs talked about the Card, Nyx thought maybe Starla could help them—after all, she was from ancient times, right?

She might be useful to them… That's why Nyx told Aether to come early, so they could visit Starla together and question her.

But now… she was shocked to hear this was nothing but an ID card?

Aether's frown deepened. "So you don't know anything about… SIN, STR, or what any of those words mean?"

Starla simply shrugged, as if the whole thing was trivial. "We never asked about anything after we received it."

Aether's disbelief twisted across his face—these idiots… they didn't even think to ask about any of it?

What the hell?

"What did you people even use these for?"

Starla tilted her head, searching her memories. "Well, if I remember correctly, the first time we ever used it was… when we received it from the gods."

"How did you use it?" Aether pressed.

"Hmm… just by inserting it?" she replied, her eyes clouded as she tried to recall.

"Inserting… where?" Aether asked, genuinely confused now.

She thought a moment, then said, "Hmm… a weird… square box? I think so." Starla nodded, her brow furrowing with the effort to remember.

"Square box? What's that supposed to be?" Aether pressed further.

Starla shrugged her shoulders, helpless. "I don't know. It just looked like a box."

Aether clenched his fist, barely restraining his frustration. These people—were they all this careless, never asking a single question about what they were doing?... Or was it just her?

He tried another angle, "What about Desired Weapons? Does your card have one, like ours?"

Starla nodded. "Yes, it does…"

Aether sighed, at least that did, but then, "Wait… if you're dead, then how come you still have your desired weapon?" he pointed at the enormous sword leaning beside her.

For that, Starla simply pointed at Nyx. "For that, my queen would be the only one with an answer."

Nyx blinked, caught off guard, then shook her head. "I don't know… I just did it," she said honestly.

Aether stared, speechless for a moment, then sighed, "Well, maybe it's because you're linked to death and life… maybe that's the secret." He muttered to himself, after all, the desired weapon was supposed to be tied to the body.... So if Nyx, who walked the line between soul and body, could manage it…

Nyx nodded, considering. "Maybe possible… But I never really knew that much. I just did what I could, without thinking."

Aether turned back to Starla, needing to know one last thing. "Do you have… a LOG?"

Starla hesitated, going silent for a moment.

Aether felt tension creep down his spine. In all the memories he'd witnessed, he'd never seen her summon her card, or even a Log.

Finally, Starla nodded, "Yes, we did... but not anymore. After death, it never appeared."

"Have you ever used it before?" Aether pressed.

Starla shook her head. "Just like with the Card, we never took much interest in the Log, either."

Aether hummed thoughtfully… So, pretty much, these people never cared about any of the strange things happening around them.

They just accepted everything without question.

He shook his head in disbelief, but pressed on, "Anyway, can I touch you? I need to see your memories… that square box you're talking about."

Starla glanced at Nyx, waiting for permission. Nyx nodded quietly. Starla then raised her arm, offering it to Aether.

Aether reached out and touched her ghostly skin.

!~Ding~!

[Activating Echoes of Souls!]