Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1423: Friendly Neighbourhood Mother to... Bitchy Neighbourhood Karen!

Everyone prepared for the ritual as quickly as possible. Most of them gathered inside the Pyra Palace. Only Liora was missing. She remained in the Zephyra Empire, searching restlessly.

For what?

Just in case Aether returned.

If anything went wrong, if fate twisted cruelly again, he would come back to the first place he vanished.

Meanwhile, back in the Pyra Empire, behind the Palace garden, the air felt heavy, almost suffocating.

Everyone stood around the carved magic circle with grim expressions.

Beside the circle lay a massive cluster of Origin Crystals, glowing faintly.

They were almost ready when Nyx, lying at the centre of the circle, suddenly flinched. Her body jerked, fingers curling, breath hitching, as if something unseen had reached into her chest.

For the first time since she had been placed there, she looked relieved.

As if a terrible pressure had shifted.

"Nyx?" Xara stepped forward instantly, "Are you alright, sweetie?"

Sandra rolled her eyes the moment she heard that tone. That softness. That warmth. Anything but sweat, she thought bitterly.

Nyx let out a weak groan. Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, heavy, trembling, as though she had not slept in days. Her vision blurred for a moment, the world swimming before her eyes, until the shapes around her sharpened.

She saw them.

All of them.

Standing in a circle. Watching her. Fear was written plainly across their faces.

Nyx swallowed, lips trembling as she spoke, her voice barely holding together.

"A... Aether needs our help."

Her breath hitched.

"He... He is stuck somewhere... dying..."

Her fingers clenched weakly against the grass beneath her.

"Again... again..."

The last word sounded like it hurt to say.

A shudder ran through the group.

"W-What about Aunt?" Selene asked, her voice shaking despite her attempt to stay composed.

Nyx shook her head slowly, weakly,

"I... don’t... know..."

"Aether... needs... help."

They exchanged looks, silent understanding passing between them, before nodding one by one.

The bond between Nyx and Aether was undeniable. Through it, she could feel his pain, his fading presence.

Xara took a steady breath, straightening her posture, forcing strength into her voice.

"We are going to perform the ritual," she said firmly.

"To change the ownership."

Nyx’s eyes widened in alarm. She shook her head immediately,

"N-No... you cannot..."

Frowns spread across the group.

Nyx was refusing?

Refusing to let go of Aether’s ownership?

This was not about ownership.

This was about saving Aether.

If it were truly about power, about control, they would already be fighting each other for it. Everyone knew that.

Xara exhaled slowly and knelt beside Nyx, lifting a glass of water with careful hands. Her voice softened, carrying both urgency and reassurance.

"Sweetie, listen to me," she whispered.

"We need to save Aether. Right now."

She leaned closer.

"You said it yourself. He needs our help."

"We will give it back to you. I promise. Just let us save him first."

However,

Nyx pushed the glass away weakly, her hand trembling as it knocked aside.

"N-No..."

She shook her head again and again.

"I can’t..."

She didn’t want this ritual.

The group stiffened.

Why was she so stubborn about it?

They were ready to return it.

Ready to give everything back.

Then why the hell was this bitch clinging to it like her life depended on it?

Irritation began to simmer around the group.

Did she really think ownership mattered more than Aether’s life?

"What an ungrateful bit—" Aqualina started, fury finally boiling over.

Before she could finish, Nyx’s chest suddenly glowed.

Light burst outward.

Thud!

A tall, muscular, ghostly woman appeared before them in a kneeling position, one knee pressed firmly against the grass, head slightly lowered in formal reverence.

Shock rippled through the group... None of them had ever seen this figure before.

Except Nightfire.

Nightfire quietly stepped back and slipped behind Thalia.

"My Queen," the woman spoke, her voice cold, controlled, and sharp as steel.

"I heard your call."

Scarla slowly lifted her gaze, eyes sweeping across the gathered women with measured scrutiny, weighing them, judging them, memorising every face.

Several shoulders tensed immediately as if they sensed danger.

For a brief moment, some of them wondered if Nyx had summoned an attack.

If ownership was about to be enforced through blood.

Nyx’s voice broke the silence,

"Pact... tell them..."

Scarla blinked once, confusion flashing across her face. Then understanding dawned. She straightened slightly and nodded.

Turning to the others, she spoke clearly.

"My Lord’s pact with My Queen must not be changed under any circumstances."

Her eyes hardened.

"Even if it means he is facing death."

She paused, then added with solemn weight.

"That is what my Lord told both My Queen and me."

Eyebrows lifted in disbelief.

"What do you mean?" Xara demanded, "Aether is trapped somewhere, dying, and you expect us to sit here and do nothing?"

Scarla raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. Only now did she fully understand the situation unfolding before her. She nodded a few times slowly before her expression turned serious.

"I do not know why he said it," she admitted. "But when he spoke those words, he was not joking."

Her voice lowered.

"He was absolute."

Nyx forced herself to speak again, breath shaky.

"L-Life... line..."

Scarla nodded immediately.

"Yes."

She glanced at Nyx briefly, then back at the group.

"He said, My Queen is his lifeline across every reality. Or something along those lines."

Her lips curved into a faint, amused smile. "He tried to sound poetic. Failed miserably."

She shook her head lightly, remembering Aether’s awkward seriousness when he said it.

A few lips twitched despite the tension.

Except Sandra.

Her expression hardened, and her eyes narrowed.

She knew that bastard better than most. When Aether spoke like that, when he included others instead of whispering only to Nyx, it meant something far deeper.

This was not romantic nonsense.

This was a warning.

"It doesn’t matter," Xara snapped, turning sharply, "His life is on the line. I cannot ignore it for his silly promises with you!"

She raised her hand, but Sandra grabbed her shoulder.

Xara turned slowly, eyes cold.

"What?"

"I think we should not do it," Sandra said calmly.

Xara’s frown deepened, "Bitch."

Her voice rose.

"His life is on the line, and now you want to worry about his words?"

She gestured angrily toward Nyx.

"He is fucking dying again and again. That’s what this bitch said, didn’t she?"

Several people flinched.

For a moment, it felt like Xara had transformed from a Friendly Neighbourhood Mother to... Bitchy Neighbourhood Karen!

The tension between Xara and Sandra thickened, ready to explode.

Before it could, Sera stepped forward.

She slammed her hands onto both women’s shoulders, "Oi, bitches. Now is not the fucking time to bitch about this."

She leaned in slightly, gaze murderous.

"If any of you fuck with my darling’s life," she growled, "I will personally fucking kill your asses."

Another layer of tension crashed into the already fragile balance, making the situation even more volatile.

Helena flushed deeply, face burning with embarrassment.

Kaelen and several others stared at Sera in utter shock.

They had never seen this side of the Archpriestess.

The woman revered as pure, calm, and innocent now stood swearing, threatening murder without hesitation.

Anyway,

Everyone stood frozen in uncertainty, as no one truly knew what the right choice was anymore.

Aether had warned Nyx clearly, almost desperately, not to change the ownership.

And yet... He was in danger.

And the ritual remained the only guaranteed way to bring him back.

While the group stayed tense and conflicted, struggling to process the weight of the decision, Scarla leaned closer to Nyx. Nyx’s lips moved weakly as she whispered something directly into Scarla’s ear.

Scarla listened carefully, her expression sharpening as she absorbed every word. After a moment, she nodded several times.

"My Queen says you should use a force slave summoning," Scarla said clearly, her tone steady.

"The same method a Master usually uses to forcibly summon their Slave from anywhere, regardless of distance."

Selene frowned immediately,

"But it didn’t work before," she said softly, "When my brother tried it... It always failed completely."

Scarla nodded again as Nyx whispered once more, her fingers twitching weakly.

"My Queen says you have to believe her," Scarla continued. "If you do not, then there are no other options left for us."

Silence followed.

Faces grew heavy with thought.

It was not about trusting Nyx or doubting her.

It was about placing Aether’s life directly on the line, whether to ignore his promise or not.

If they did this, they might see Aether again.

If they did not, they might lose him forever.

They could summon him back without risk if they performed the ritual to change ownership.

"I... I believe in her."

Everyone turned.

Nightfire stood there with her hand raised awkwardly, shoulders tense, voice hesitant but sincere.

"I mean," she added quietly, "I know her better than any of you. I know what she is capable of when it truly matters."

She swallowed, then forced herself to continue.

"Why don’t we at least try? Just once."

Several brows furrowed.

Then Raven stepped forward.

"Yeah."

She nodded slowly, her heterochromatic eyes glowing faintly with resolve.

"She is worried about Aether just like we are."

Raven looked at Nyx and offered a small, reassuring smile.

"If we do not believe her, then who will?"

A ripple of surprise passed through the group.

It was the first time they had heard Raven speak more than a few quiet words.

One by one, everyone’s gaze shifted toward Nyx.

She looked fragile, drained, barely holding herself upright.

Right.

Who would believe her if they did not?

She was their sister, whether bound by blood or by fate.

Nyx gave a faint smile, weak but grateful.

Xara bit her lip, frustration and fear warring behind her eyes. After a long moment, she let out a slow breath, shoulders lowering slightly.

"Fine."

She met Nyx’s gaze directly, "You better not make a mistake."

Xara stepped toward the carved magic circle and altered it carefully. The changes were subtle, minor adjustments meant to stabilise the flow, nothing drastic.

Then she straightened.

"Everyone, get back."

Everyone stepped away, even Scarla, giving the circle space.

Xara nodded once and turned toward Nyx.

Nyx pushed herself upright slowly. Her legs trembled violently as she stood, her balance wavering. Scarla moved instinctively, ready to support her, but Nyx steadied herself through sheer will.

She took a deep breath.

Then raised her palm.

The flower-shaped tattoo on her hand flickered violently, glowing brighter.

Her voice came out strained and broken,

"In... the... name... of Sacred... Arcane... I... Nyx... Shadowfall..."

She swallowed, forcing the words out through pain.

"Summon my contracted party..."

"Aether."

Nyx declared the summoning, her voice echoing weakly yet firmly across the space.

The Origin crystals nearby reacted instantly. One by one, faint cracking sounds echoed as they broke apart, dispersing into countless shimmering particles that lifted slowly into the air.

Those particles gathered and flowed toward the magic circle in spiralling waves, intertwining into radiant streams of rainbow-colored light.

Everyone watched in silent awe as the colours surrounded them completely.

The rainbow hues fluttered through the air like living energy, brushing against skin, hair, and clothing.

And then,

Sssssnnnnnggg!!!!

A piercing resonance tore through the air.

The symbols carved into the magic circle shimmered violently, pulsing and distorting as they flared between bursts of black and white light. The opposing colours collided again and again, as if two hostile forces were attempting to devour one another from within the circle.

The air screamed under the pressure.

The ground cracked faintly.

The entire mountain trembled as raw, uncontrolled energy surged outward in waves.

But,

"It’s not working?" Xara muttered.

Her eyes stayed locked on the circle.

The Origin Crystals were being drained slowly, their energy sucked inward without mercy. The magic circle glowed brighter and brighter, flashing violently with black and white light.

Yet nothing else happened.

No form appeared.

No presence answered.

No sign of Aether emerged.

Just as everyone began to believe the summoning had failed completely,

Scarla’s eyes widened in sudden horror.

Her breath caught sharply as she noticed Nyx’s trembling hands.

Nyx was undoing the Pasa rope.

The rope Aether had given her.

The rope meant to keep her alive!

"No..." Scarla whispered instinctively, her body tensing as dread flooded her senses.

Nyx’s fingers shook violently as she loosened the knot.

Not even fully unwrapping, just the moment the knot finally came undone,

"Heheh~"