Ting!
Tang!
Ting!
Tang!
A metallic chipping sound reverberated through the vast, towering mountains.
“What the hell is he doing down there…?” A man, cloaked in a black hoodie and floating effortlessly in the sky, narrowed his eyes at Victor, who was furiously hacking away at the mountain with a small axe.
His movements were clumsy and inefficient, making the spectacle…. almost laughable!!
“Is he serious right now?” the second figure in a black hoodie asked, an amused grin spreading across his face. He glanced at his companion before continuing, “What does he think he’s going to achieve with that little axe? Even with that thick skull of his, it’s going to take him more than a month to cut through this entire mountain…. Humans are truly morons unlike us!”
The first man shook his head in disbelief, his voice tinged with frustration, “There’s no point in wasting time here, watching him. He’s clearly not going to get anywhere. Let’s go report this to the Dragon Emperor. I doubt he’ll be pleased with this pathetic display.”
With a final glance at Victor, the two figures turned and vanished into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.
Meanwhile…
“Did they leave?” Victor asked, his voice strained as he swung the axe one more time.
Tang!
“Yessss~” hissed Snowflake, her golden eyes gleaming as she watched the two figures disappear into the horizon.
‘Sigh,’ Victor let out a long breath of relief, lowering the axe and wiping the sweat from his brow. He had been at this charade for what felt like half a day, tirelessly chipping at the mountain. It was a ridiculous effort, but one necessary to fool the spies that Arkanis had sent to keep tabs on him.
Fool? Why not kill them?
Taking them out was easy for Aether but… He needed Arkanis to focus on his clone!
Anyhow,
Glancing up at the colossal Arcanium mountain, Victor muttered to himself, “Well, it’s not like cutting through this thing is going to get me anywhere.” He tossed the axe aside with a soft grunt.
His hands moved to touch the mountain’s cold surface, “Let’s see if I can store this thing instead…” he said with a smirk, his eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.
Suddenly, Victor felt a strange tremor…. not in his body, but in his very soul.
The mountain before him seemed to shudder in response!
Shhhh!
In an instant, the enormous mountain vanished!!
!~Ding~!
[+1 Item]
[Eternis Storage:- 77↑/1146]
He already stored a few more slots with his personal items before coming!
Victor’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at the deep crater left behind by the mountain, ‘Well, well… what do we have here?’ he thought, amusement dancing across his face as he glanced at the dozens of Arcanium mountains looming in the distance.
A sly grin spread across his lips, “Half of them?… Hehe… No, I think I’ll take the whole lot~” With a chuckle, he jumped onto Snowflake’s back, who had increased to her regular size.
She wasted no time, slithering off at an incredible speed, eager to aid him in his task.
After a while,
[Eternis Storage:- 497↑/1146]
“Not bad at all,” Victor said, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. “That’s quite the haul.”
From high above, the scene below was chaotic…. It looked as though hundreds of asteroids had crashed into the ground, leaving behind massive craters where once there had been towering mountains.
Victor removed his mask, Aether, His ice-blue eyes sparkled with cold, detached emotion as he stared in a particular direction, lost in thought.
“Snow, let’s go,” he ordered, his voice sharp and devoid of feeling.
Snowflake, sensing the shift in his tone, flinched slightly. Her golden, slit-like eyes flashed with understanding before she quickened her pace, moving faster than before.
…
…..
Thunder rumbled ominously in the sky above.
Thunder!
Thunder!!
The night was shrouded in clouds crackling with red lightning. The air itself was thick with the stench of decay, while molten lava oozed from the surrounding mountains, pouring down like blood from a fresh wound.
Aether and Snowflake stood at the foot of the mountain, gazing up at the grim sight before them.
The Red Bloody Mountain.
The very place where millions of dragons had met their brutal end.
“We meet again…” Aether whispered, his voice filled with cold indifference,
“Inferno-Pyremourn Summit.”
Thunder!!!
His ice-blue eyes scanned the area cautiously, searching for any signs of the snake-like creatures that had once rampaged through this place. But there was nothing—not a trace of the chaos that had ravaged this land before.
Aether frowned, uncertainty clouding his thoughts as he pondered the cause of the pervious rampage. Whatever the reason, he pushed that aside and turned to Snowflake, his voice softening as he asked, “Are you sure… you want to come with me, Snowflake? Everything down there is dangerous. You could stay here—”
“I wanttttt~ Pleasseeee~” Snowflake cut him off, her determination clear in her expression as her golden eyes stared directly into Aether’s.
There was no hesitation in her gaze.
Aether paused for a moment before nodding, a faint smile tugging at his lips, “Alright then,” he said, taking a deep breath before slowly descending the spiral staircase.
As he walked deeper into the abyss, Aether’s heartbeat gradually quickened. It was an involuntary response, as though his body knew he was approaching something that could decide the fate of his darkest nightmares.
Finally, Aether reached the bottom, standing before a smooth, flat black wall, etched with a symbol of peace. His fingers gently traced the symbol, and with the touch, old memories surfaced—ones that sought to pull him back into the torment of the past.
‘Are you scared?’
The sudden voice echoed in his mind, and Aether flinched!!!
It wasn’t anything outside cause rather…. It was his own consciousness, questioning him… taunting him!
Aether clenched his jaw, “I’m not… scared,” he muttered and then he called forth the blue crystal horn, the one still stained with fresh, crimson blood.
[Eternis Storage:- 496↓/1146]
His eyes twitched as he stared at the blood dripping from the horn—memories flashed of him stabbing the Dragon Emperor and his entire army with this very horn.
Drip, Drip…
Aether wiped the blood onto the etched peace symbol. In an instant, the symbol began to glow, and the wall before him slowly parted, revealing a door.
Thud!
He stood before the dark void beyond the door.
He glanced at Snowflake, who was curled around his neck, and gave her a nod.
Snowflake nodded back, her golden eyes shining with fierce.
Without a second thought, Aether stepped into the abyss.
Thud!
….
….
Meanwhile, back at the castle,
“Father, I… I don’t understand why you’re being so friendly with that bastard Victor!” Leon’s voice trembled with frustration as he glared at his father, Arkanis, who stood calmly before him. “You know what he did to me, right?”
Arkanis returned his son’s gaze with a slow nod. “Yes, my son. Believe me, I hate him just as much as you do.”
“Then why?” Leon’s voice cracked as he tried to control his anger. “Why are you being so friendly with him?” His fists clenched, and he almost shouted, but he held his voice in check.
Arkanis let out a long sigh, his expression softening. “Everything has a reason, my son. You will learn in time. Patience is required for now.”
Leon released a low growl of frustration, but after a moment, he sighed and gave a reluctant nod.
Arkanis’s eyes glimmered with amusement as he changed the subject. “I’ve noticed you’ve been… distracted lately. Tell me, has someone caught your eye?” A sly grin spread across his face, recalling how Leon’s gaze had lingered on a particular bluish-black-haired girl.
Leon’s face flushed instantly, turning a deep crimson. His father’s knowing smile only made it worse.
“If you like her… why don’t we go ahead and hold an engagement ceremony?” Arkanis suggested, a sly smile creeping across his face.
Leon’s eyes widened in shock. “A-Are you serious? Even though she was not a dragon?” His voice barely contained the happiness bubbling inside him.
“Of course, my son. Anything for you,” Arkanis replied with a soft grin. “So, what do you say?”
Leon’s cheeks burned red, and he nodded shyly, unable to hide his excitement.
Arkanis watched his son’s reaction with satisfaction, thinking to himself, ‘I’ll use this opportunity to stall the others from entering the summit…. I need more time to deal with that lowly servant.’ Then, with a booming voice, he declared, “Well then! Let’s call her parents and…..
Begin the festival!” His voice echoed throughout the castle, full of authority and determination.
[Hello, Gentleman Aether~ Welcome to my one and only game!]
The glowing white letters floated ominously in the pitch-black void, casting an eerie light on the emptiness around.
As the words lingered, two massive white doors materialized on opposite sides of the void.
“…”
[It’s truly a simple game, you know! All you need to do is choose between two paths before you….]
[Whichever path you decide on… you’ll have to face it alone!]
“….”
[Fu~Fu~ Don’t worry, Gentleman Aether… there’s no need to fear the game. It’s nothing more than a simple, easy challenge]
[Hmm… Is something the matter? You don’t seem to be reacting like the others. Aren’t you the least bit curious?]
