Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1677: Wakey~ Wakey~! You little fucking c**t

[A/N: This chapter only uses Lycorian Language as [ ” ” ]]

____

Aether/No.25’s POV

One could say that somewhere between birth and death lies the true meaning of existence. Every soul born into this world carried that purpose within itself, whether it understood it or not.

To live.

To experience joy and sorrow, victory and failure, love and loss.

Every life, no matter how insignificant it appeared from afar, was a story struggling to unfold before time eventually brought it to an end.

Yet…

My gaze slowly drifted across the ruined landscape before me.

Corpses littered the earth from one end of the horizon to the other, transforming what should have been fertile grasslands into a graveyard without boundaries.

Some bodies had been crushed beneath unimaginable force, leaving little behind except twisted flesh and shattered bone. Others lay blackened by fire, their forms frozen forever in the final moments of agony.

A cold wind swept through the ruins, carrying ashes into the crimson sky above.

Did death truly have to arrive in such a way?

These people had never sought greatness.

They had never marched into war dreaming of conquest or power.

Most of them had probably spent their final morning thinking about ordinary things.

A family waiting at home.

A child expecting a gift.

A meal they wished to share before sunset.

Simple dreams and… Simple lives.

Yet all of it had ended here.

“Why, Mother Clara…?” The words escaped my lips almost unconsciously as I lifted my gaze toward the heavens.

“Why did you do this to these people? What sin did they commit to deserve this?”

The sky itself seemed wounded. Crimson clouds stretched endlessly above the world, while rivers of scarlet light flowed through them like blood leaking from invisible wounds hidden beyond reality.

The sight possessed a strange beauty.

“My Lord.”

The gentle voice broke through my thoughts.

Turning toward its source, I saw a woman approaching from behind. Her white robes remained untouched by the blood and destruction surrounding us, flowing softly around her slender figure as she walked across the battlefield.

White ribbon escaped from beneath her hood, and an elegant staff rested within her hand.

Her posture remained perfectly straight.

A faint smile touched my lips.

“Prophetess? When did you arrive?” I asked, turning fully toward her. “Had I known you were coming, I would have arranged a proper welcome.”

The words themselves sounded warm enough.

The voice carrying them did not.

Even I could hear the coldness hidden beneath the surface. Emotion had long since abandoned my tone, leaving behind something distant and… strangely hollow.

She merely smiled and shook her head.

“There is no need for that, My Lord. Besides, I have never enjoyed attracting attention. The fewer eyes looking in my direction, the more comfortable I tend to be.”

A small chuckle accompanied her response, though it faded quickly when her gaze wandered to my cold, emotionless face.

I nodded lightly. “Then you didn’t come all this way simply to admire the scenery.”

The Prophetess released a slow breath.

“No. Unfortunately, I bring news. The Gaius Terravita Empire has secured another victory.”

My expression remained calm, though something inside me tightened.

The Prophetess lowered her eyes.

“The Aquaris Naiadae Empire has fallen.”

A sharp pain twisted through my chest as countless memories surfaced within my mind.

My pure white eyes trembled slightly before I slowly lowered my gaze toward the ground.

Another Empire gone.

Another civilisation erased.

Another countless number of lives reduced to memories.

“Their Chosen Ones fell as well,” the Prophetess continued quietly. “None survived.”

I closed my eyes briefly before opening them once more.

“I see.”

That was all I managed to say.

The Prophetess watched me for several seconds before continuing.

“At this point, only one Empire remains besides ours.”

I already knew the answer before she spoke it. “Umbrionis Void.”

A weary sigh escaped her lips.

“Yes. Unfortunately, their situation is deteriorating rapidly. Reports indicate they have already lost nearly half of their territory. Entire cities have disappeared from the maps. Defensive lines continue collapsing faster than they can be rebuilt. Their soldiers are exhausted, their resources are dwindling.”

She paused briefly before looking toward the distant horizon.

“To be honest, My Lord, I do not believe they can endure much longer.”

The silence between us stretched once more.