Chapter 117

In Aether's allocated room,

Name: Aether

Sex: Male

Race: #####

Level: 2

Title: The Lost One, Slave , The Only Holder of Ether and Past-less, Future-less Entity.

Attributes:

Strength: 20

Agility: 20

Intelligence: 10

Magic Affinity: 20

Charm: 13

Compatibility: 90%

Survival rate: 7.5%

Affection Points: 00443 (1000 Affection Points = 1 *any Attributes)

Seduction:1/10

Aether gazed at his Log and contemplated, 'Everything seems normal.' He then shifted his attention to his mission tab, finding no anomalies there either.

'Then why did that thought cross my mind?' Aether wondered. His mind had wandered into unfamiliar territory when he accepted the Princess's proposal regarding his future plans to seduce her.

His inner dialogue felt markedly different, almost as if a dormant part of him had awakened. Aether grew concerned about the possibility of being influenced by external forces.

He closed his eyes, delving deep into introspection to unravel the source of these unusual thoughts. After a moment of deep contemplation, a realization struck him.

"Arcane card," Aether whispered, summoning forth the card as his sternum briefly shimmered before a transparent card materialized, hovering before him.

He scrutinized the card intently, noticing a small corner etched in black on the transparent card.

'Six drops... I've taken the lives of six people,' Aether murmured to himself as his fingers brushed against the darkened corner,

!~Ding~!

A soft chime echoed in his mind as the log materialized before him,

Congratulations for summoning the Arcane Card!

!~Ding~!

[Arcane Card: Unlike other Arcane Cards, yours is not exactly an Arcane Card. It is a ##### Card... a modified version of the Arcane Card.

This ##### Card contains two aspects:

The Ethereal Domain, which is supposed to be on the white side, represents... Your Bright Pure Heart!

The Umbra Domain, which is supposed to be on the black side, represents... Your Hidden Dark Heart!

You must fill both the Ethereal and Umbra domains equally; otherwise, the dominant side will corrupt your soul.

For example:

If you fill your Umbra side more and more than your Ethereal side, you will gradually lose your human sanity according to difference. This imbalance leads you to pursue your objectives by any means necessary, resorting to extreme actions like mass destruction or coercion.

Ultimately, You might become a despised monster in the eyes of the worlds.

Conversely, if you fill your Ethereal side more and more than your Umbra side, you will gradually become the purest person in the universe. While you achieve your goals and fulfil your missions, you remain truthful even to your enemies. You exhibit immense forgiveness, even toward those who have caused you grave harm or taken the lives of your loved ones.

Ultimately, You might become a saint, beloved and respected across worlds.]

!~Ding~!

Both the Ethereal and Umbra domains represent your true nature, unique to you alone. There are no external factors influencing them. They embody your ultimate desires and pent-up emotions.... So Do not point it out to others just for the sake of not accepting the reality!

!~Ding~!

Requirements for filing the Ethereal Domain: Help the pure form of beings that needs you in their life

!~Ding~!

Requirements for filling the Umbra Domain: Devour/Eliminate the souls/person who harbours hatred and enmity toward you.

!~Ding~!

Tolerance: Maintain a 15% difference between the domains; exceeding this threshold will result in the dominant side corrupting your soul.

!~Ding~!

Warning!!!

The aforementioned actions occur only when you summon your card; otherwise, your soul remains untainted!

!~Ding~!

Important Notice: Your desired weapon has yet to manifest. To unlock it, you must first fill both Ethereal and Umbra Domains.

"Hmm... That's quite a lot of information," Aether murmured, nodding as he slowly digested the details.

!~Ding~!

Warning!!!

Please maintain balance in the domains... Otherwise ~Arcane~will~get~angry~?

"...." Aether stared blankly at the emoji, annoyance and anger flickering in his eyes. 'Ah, how tempting it is to imagine pounding you while hearing your screams--' he thought, his mind briefly wandering.

"Tsk, What the hell am I Thinking?" Aether snapped out of his dark thoughts, and the Arcane Card disappeared from his hand.

'I understand... Balance, huh?' Aether inwardly acknowledged that both the Ethereal and Umbra sides seemed overwhelming for him to handle.

One path led to becoming a monster, something Aether vehemently opposed. He simply desired to live in peace, making this option unacceptable.

The other path was equally perilous. Aether couldn't fathom becoming a saint, forgiving enemies and speaking the truth always. Such honesty would only lead to his demise, as revealing his true self to everyone was out of the question.

He living only by lying!!

"Modified Arcane card..." Aether mused, then sighed heavily. He couldn't grasp the purpose of carrying this ticking time bomb within him. It seemed utterly futile.

"So those thoughts were my true dark inner desires..." Aether acknowledged, accepting this revelation. He refused to lament like a bitch, knowing that every human harboured similar shadows within their hearts and he had those... so no problem, of course as long as he remained true to himself.

With another sigh, he left his room, his mind set on meeting someone...

'Knock, Knock'

Aether knocked on the imposing door.

"Is something the matter, Drunkan Badass?" The Empress's maid suddenly appeared behind him.

"I wish to see the Empress," Aether stated with a faint smile.

"Hmm?" The maid furrowed her brow, sensing that something was amiss with his demeanour. She was about to refuse when...

"Come in," the Empress's voice echoed from behind the door.

The maid nodded and allowed him entry.

!~Ding~!

Survival rate: 7.4% ↓

Aether stepped into the room without hesitation or concern for his dwindling survival rate.

The Empress's maid tilted her head in confusion, silently wondering, 'What's wrong with him?' She was about to leave when a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Why is he entering inside?"

The maid turned to see Kai, his expression furrowed in a frown.

"Her Majesty asked him to meet her," the maid replied with a professional smile, concealing the truth.

Kai's fists clenched with frustration. He knew she was lying; he had overheard everything.

Today,

As soon Kai woke up from his deep slumber, he immediately decided to punish Aether for his unruly attitude and ignoring his commands. Yet, his father had intervened, inexplicably preventing Kai from taking action, as if gripped by fear.

Realizing that Aether's actions may have caused his father to worry about the contract, Kai had intended to confront Aether before his father. However, despite his thorough search, Aether remained elusive. When Kai finally decided to inquire with the Empress, he stumbled upon Aether at her chamber door, receiving permission to enter.

'Something fishy is going on...'

Feeling a growing sense of unease, Kai knew he needed to uncover the truth. "I wish to meet with the Empress," he declared firmly. The Empress's maid frowned, prepared to dismiss him, when...

"Kai" A gentle voice called him.

"I'm coming~ Princess," Kai responded with a smile, recognizing the voice without needing to turn around. With a contented smile, he walked toward the Princess.

The Empress's maid watched Kai's retreating form with a peculiar expression before shaking her head and returning to her duties.

Inside the Empress's chamber,

"This is the first time you are visiting me~" Empress said with a teasing smile, sitting on the table as she sipped the tea she was drinking.

"Well, It seems someone trying to avoid me" Aether said with a straight face as he sat before her with a casual face.

"...." Empress had a mildly surprised face, 'Something is wrong...' she thought.