Chapter 30

If one were to express Aether's current state in a single word.... it would be 'impossible'.

Impossible to comprehend...

Impossible to resist and....

Impossible to articulate the dread coursing through Aether's veins....

That's what Aether's currently feeling.

With a horrified expression, he stared at his own body, a vessel now under the influence of forces beyond his control.

'W-What the Fuc—' He found himself unable to complete his sentence, as an incomprehensible pressure compelled him to move involuntarily, defying his own will.....

'T-This Fe-Felling...' The sensation felt familiar, reminiscent of that day when he believed he was being stared down by death itself.

The day he attempted to harm Kai, he was suddenly engulfed in an abyss-like sensation. He initially dismissed it as stress, as those oppressive feelings vanished after that incident.... Yet, here they were, resurfacing once more.....

'E-Eternal Slv—' His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Sparrow, who, with an amusing smile, uttered,

"Eternal Slave...Wooo, wwsssiiii," as he whistled. Velc's face contorted into a grimace upon hearing Sparrow's words.

"To think you would stoop this low... Man, colour me surprised. I never thought there would be a day where the Righteous Mortimer Fortblade would allow his son to do this...

Now I understand why you are weak.... You sacrificed your Arcane Stars to form an Eternal Contract...ah" Sparrow spat out with evident disgust.

Even the Empress couldn't resist casting an intrigued gaze upon Aether.

Sparrow shook his head, shrugged, and shifted his attention to Aether, who wore a horrified expression, struggling to regain control of his own body. With a pitiful smile, Sparrow remarked,

"Damn, man, I initially thought you were just a mere temporary slave, but... Tsk, tsk..."

!~Ding~!

+1 Affection

Ignoring the glimmer of pity in Sparrow's gaze, Aether snapped out of it, turned his gaze toward Kai, and erupted with anger, shouting, "What have you done to my body!"

However, in a sudden twist of events,

"Arrrhhh!!"

Aether clutched his mind as if something were violently rending his thoughts.

"Huh? You don't know?" Sparrow asked Aether, a look of surprise crossing his face. Observing Aether's continued struggle, Sparrow added, "But it's impossible to form a contract without your acknowledgement..... hmm?"

"Kill him!" Kai ordered without hesitation.

Aether's right hand, seemingly under the control of an unseen force, moved with puppet-like precision. Attempting to counteract the involuntary motion, Aether tried to grasp his right hand with his left, only to find his left hand poised to strike Sparrow.

However,

'Thunk'

Sparrow skillfully caught both of Aether's hands, casting an amused glance at Kai, "Do you really think with his feeble body he could even scratch me?"

"He may not, but my father can..." Kai retorted, his tone laced with arrogance.

'Chucckkkkk!'

'Cough, Cough'

'Drip, Drip'

Sparrow looked down, his piercing gaze catching sight of the sharp blade that had mercilessly breached Aether's stomach, extending with ominous intent through his body.

As the metallic scent of blood infused the air, droplets fell from Sparrow's lips, mirroring the crimson that Aether, with each convulsive cough, spewed forth. Aether's eyes, once vibrant, now dimmed in the grip of pain and.... impending darkness.

'W-What the...?' He thought.

Velc materialized behind Aether, executing a skilful thrust of his blade. However, displaying a keen awareness of vital points, Velc managed to avoid causing irreparable harm, ensuring the penetration was deep yet controlled.

"You are a cunning one, aren't you?" Sparrow remarked, his gaze fixed on Kai, a twinkle of admiration in his eyes.

Kai, visibly unsettled, gulped audibly as he took a cautious step backwards. The blank expression on Sparrow's face sent a chill down his spine. His eyes shifted between Sparrow and Velc...

"If I were to eliminate this slave, there would be consequences for the Master, correct?" Kai inquired, his tone carrying a subtle threat.

Velc, caught off guard by the query, flinched momentarily before swiftly withdrawing the sword from Ether and trying to pull him.

However,

"Do you think you can escape from me?" Sparrow declared as he swiftly seized Aether's left hand and, with a forceful kick, sent Velc sprawling away.

"Let's see whether the amendments about the Eternal Contract were true or not..." Sparrow mused aloud, his gaze fixed upon Aether.

Aether sensed an impending calamity, a premonition of something dire about to unfold. He yearned to escape, to distance himself from the unfolding chaos, and to scream that he was not related to them.

Yet...

Sparrow, wearing a wicked smile, ruthlessly severed Aether's left hand as he crumpled to the ground.

'Thud'

'Splurrttt!'

"AARRRRHHHHHHH!" Aether's cry echoed in the air as the gruesome reality unfolded before his eyes.

"COUGH, COUGH!!!" Kai convulsed, vomiting blood as if some internal parts had seized control of his body.

"KAI!!" Velc's anguished shout filled the air as he rushed to support his son. Urgently, he implored Kai to recall Ether, "Call him back!!"

However, Kai continued to retch blood, appearing as if he were the one perpetrating the harm upon himself.

"Hmm... Interesting," Sparrow nodded with a detached curiosity. He then callously discarded the severed hand.

'Thud!'

It landed upon the altar..... where the Mother Root lay exposed.

"NO!! You've tainted the Mother!!" Lucius, the priest, screamed in fear, tears streaming down his face.

But amidst the unfolding chaos, the cries of the priest fell on deaf ears....

Who in the world would listen to a priest's pathetic cries?

No one...

"Okay, now the right hand!" Sparrow announced, a sadistic glint in his eyes as he seized Aether's remaining hand.

"N-No.. hehe...No, NO!!!" Aether's desperate cries filled the air as he futilely attempted to evade the clutches of the maniacal tormentors.

"Don't worry, rather than living as an Eternal Slave, Dying is the best option!" Sparrow callously declared, tearing away Aether's last remaining hand.

"AARRRRRHHHH!! HEHEHEHEH!!!!"

The Weird anguished cry reverberated through the temple, a symphony of pain that left an indelible mark on the sacred space.

Aether's eyes gradually closed, as if his tortured body had reached the limits of endurance.

"ARrhh!! Cough, Cough!!"Kai, too, convulsed, coughing up blood. His complexion turned pallid and feeble, betraying the internal parts wreaking havoc within him.

Soon, Kai succumbed to unconsciousness.

"Hmm? Already?" The Empress sighed in a tone of defeat. Her desire to witness the true power of the Arcane King dwindled as he lay unconscious, seemingly powerless even before unleashing his capabilities.... She felt pathetic to that boy.

She couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment, questioning whether she should allow her daughter to marry such a man.

'Oh well, let's think about that later!' she mused, deciding to conclude the spectacle with her own two hands.

However, in the midst of the unfolding chaos, an emotionless and chilly laugh echoed dangerously,

"He...Heh...Heheh...Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe!!"

Turning toward the source, she saw Ether, the handless slave, laughing weirdly at Sparrow.

"OH? Have you gone mad??" Sparrow jested, his amusement evident as he grabbed Aether's hair, lifting his head to face the laughing slave.

Aether, his eyes blank, stared at Sparrow with emotions indiscernible.

In a laughing that cut through the tension, he uttered,

"Hehe.. heh.... he.... Log... In!"

!~Ding~!