Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 797: A Promise to the Gods: Curse

Marisandra Naiadia's POV

"W-What? A curse?" I felt my breath hitch as the words echoed in my ears.

A curse?

Arcane's tone turned into a sly one, "Because you have dared to defy the very nature of the order, we have come here to deliver you...." A pause before,

"Curse"

Before I could react, Mother added Her tone was calm yet carried an undeniable weight of finality,

"No one can go against the Law of Nature, child. If your actions go against its balance, then you must bear the consequences of your defiance."

My mind reeled at their words, struggling to comprehend. "B-But… but you gave me a w-wish for what I have done… didn't you?" My voice trembled as tried to gaze at them with disbelief,

"You acknowledged my actions, even rewarded me for them, so what are you talking about now? A curse? Why?"

It didn't make any sense.

First, they granted me a wish, something beyond the comprehension of any world.

It was an acknowledgement, a recognition of the impossible feat I had achieved.

I understood that. But now… a curse? Just what kind of twisted logic was this?!

Both Mother and Arcane spoke in unison, their voices eerily synchronized, their expressions unwavering,

"This is how it must be. A wish and a curse—two sides of the same coin. They are the price of your actions, the result of defying the fundamental laws of these worlds."

My fists clenched tightly at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as frustration and anger surged within me.

Then, in a voice that resonated with absolute authority, Mother declared,

"I, Mother, the Creation of every beginning, hereby cast a curse upon Marisandra Naiadia, the woman who carries the blood of a mermaid!"

Her voice, powerful and ethereal, echoed around me like a divine proclamation. And then—pain.

A burning sensation ignited in my eyes, so intense that I couldn't hold back the scream that tore from my throat.

"ArrrrHHhhhhh!!"

It wasn't just pain—it was something far worse. It was as if something deep within me, something at the very core of my soul, was being scorched beyond recognition. The agony was indescribable, spreading through my body like wildfire, searing into the essence of my existence.

And then… something changed.

The overwhelming darkness that had been my only reality until now began to shift, like curtains being drawn open.

The void that had once surrounded me so completely started to lift, peeling away in layers I had never imagined.

For the first time in my life… I...I saw light.

The sudden brightness stabbed at my eyes, a stinging sensation I had never experienced before. I blinked rapidly, rubbing at my face as I tried to adjust. And then… I saw them.

Two figures stood before me.

One was clad in a gown so pure white it seemed almost otherworldly, golden threads woven into the fabric like magic itself, tracing intricate patterns that shimmered under an unseen light... And yet, despite the purity of her attire, her body leaked black nasty mist!

"Hello~" Arcane's voice was playful, almost teasing, but as I looked at her, I realized something unsettling—I couldn't see her face. It was as if something was blocking my vision, preventing me from truly perceiving her features.

And then… my gaze shifted to the second figure.

She was draped in a gown as black as the void itself, with the same golden threads tracing across the fabric in elegant patterns... Yet, unlike Arcane, the mist that surrounded her was pure white.

"Hmm…" Mother nodded, her expression unreadable—or rather, just like Arcane, I couldn't see her face either. It was as if something was deliberately keeping their true forms hidden from me.

I frowned, confusion clouding my mind. Just what was happening here? They had called this a curse, and yet… they had given me my eyes? Was this supposed to be some kind of twisted punishment?

I was about to ask when suddenly—

"Do not forget.... What happened today is a secret!"

Before I could even react—

Thud!

A force struck me, and I felt my body collapse onto the ground. A sharp pain shot through me as I groaned, my vision swimming.

My surroundings blurred and shifted, the strange realm I had just been in disappearing in an instant. When I blinked, I realized I was no longer there.

Instead, I was somewhere completely different.

Darkness surrounded me once more,

"Who are you?"

A voice rang out in front of me. I lifted my head weakly, my body aching, and the first thing I saw was… a foot.

My gaze trailed upward until I met the eyes of a woman standing before me, her expression sharp and filled with suspicion.

"W-Who the heck are you?" I managed to ask, my voice hoarse as I forced myself to sit up despite the pain.

The woman's lips twitched slightly as if suppressing the urge to sigh. "I am the Principal of this academy," she stated firmly. "Now, mind telling me how exactly you ended up here? Near the Origin Pillars?"

"...Origin what?"

.....

..

Third Person's POV

Sandra stared intently at Aether, watching as he processed everything she had just told him. She could see the gears turning in his head, connecting the missing pieces, drawing conclusions she could only guess at.

"I see..." Aether finally muttered, his voice carrying a hint of disbelief, though his expression remained composed.

Sandra hesitated before asking, concern evident in her voice. "Did you... get punished?"

She knew the gods had warned her not to tell.... But now.... she told everything and waited for the punishment that they said.... Yet, as far as she could tell, she hadn't suffered any consequences.

So did that mean Aether was the one affected instead?

Aether barely had time to react before—

🔔

[⚠Warning: A powerful curse has taken hold of you!]

His eyes widened slightly. 'Wait! I'm actually getting cur—'

Before the panic could fully set in—

🔔

[⛔️Notice: Arcane blessing has removed the curse!!]

Aether exhaled in relief, a small smile forming. 'Of course, my goddess would never let me suffe--'

But just as he was about to relax—

🔔

[⚠Warning: A powerful curse has taken hold of you!]

🔔

[⛔️Notice: Arcane blessing has removed the curse!!]

Aether's expression twitched.

🔔

[⚠Warning: A powerful curse has taken hold of you!]

🔔

[⛔️Notice: Arcane blessing has removed the curse!!]

Aether's eye twitched harder.

'That bitch is seriously not giving up, is she?' he thought dryly before glancing at Sandra and sighing. "So... you're getting cursed?"

Sandra blinked and quickly checked her Log. After scanning through the details, she frowned and shook her head. "No…" she said firmly, her voice steady but uncertain. Her gaze shot back to him, now filled with worry and concern. Her brows knitted together as she asked, "Wait… don't tell me you're the one getting punished?"

Her voice sharpened as she took a step closer, hands on his chest, her eyes scrutinizing his every move, "This is exactly why I told you not to mess with things beyond your understanding—!"

Meanwhile, 'Why not her?' he wondered, feeling an unreasonable sense of injustice. If they were going to curse someone, shouldn't she be included too?

🔔

[Because that was a lie.]

'Huh?'

[The gods could never punish her for something so trivial. They only said that to ensure she kept the secret.]

🔔

[⚠Warning: A powerful curse has taken hold of you!]

🔔

[⛔️Notice: Arcane blessing has removed the curse!!]

Aether's eyebrow twitched violently, 'Then why the fuck am I the only one getting cursed by that crazy bitch?'

[Well, you know how it is… she just wants to use this as an excuse to kick your ass!]

Aether's lips parted slightly before pressing into a tight line. His Log was definitely starting to sound way too fluent. That concerned him even more than the damn curses.

'You're getting way too comfortable with me,' he noted warily, his eyes flicking to the screen.

[Negative!]

Aether exhaled sharply, his lips twitching again as the system notification reverted to its usual stiff, robotic tone.

Before he could react, Sandra grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently. "Aether! Are you really getting punished?!" she demanded, her voice rising with both frustration and concern.

Aether chuckled despite himself, trying to ease her worries. "I'm fine… really. There's nothing to worry about."

🔔

[⚠Warning: A powerful curse has taken hold of you!]

🔔

[⛔️Notice: Arcane blessing has removed the curse!!]

Well, aside from that nonsense…

Aether straightened up, adjusting his posture and giving her a reassuring nod, keeping a serious expression.

Sandra, however, was unconvinced. Her eyes narrowed, her lips pressing into a thin line. "I don't believe you. Show me your Log. Now."

Aether blinked, suddenly on guard. He was about to change the subject when—

"I am serious."

Sandra's voice dropped into a deadly serious tone. There was no way she was letting this slide.

Aether took a deep breath, realizing he had no way out of this one, 'Alright, Log… You know what to do, right?' he thought, amused.

[Of course!👍]

Aether smirked. "Alright then, let's both show our Logs. Fair?"

Sandra stared at him for a moment, her eyes narrowing further before she finally nodded. "Fine."

With synchronized movements, they summoned their Logs, their fingers pressing against the right corners of their respective screens. At the same time, they uttered each other's names.

"Aether"

"Marisandra"

The black screens flickered before loading the data. And then—

Aether saw…

/ 

Name: Marisandra Naiadia

Sex: Female 

Race: Mermaid [The Meridian Bloodline] 

Level: None

Title: The Sole Empress of Aquaris Naiadae, Power of Arcane's chosen, Tyrant Empress, Sinner Empress, Royal's Disgrace, A Wisher, A Curser, Master of Water Arts, Master of Ice, Sovereign of the Ocean, Calamity, The Blind Monarch, Mother of her Mother, The Weeping Tyrant, Ocean's Wrath, Twisted Fate, The Inevitable One!

Attributes: None

/

Aether's eyes skimmed over her ridiculous collection of titles, his lips quirking slightly in amusement. 'That's a lot of damn titles… and yet, it doesn't mention anything about creation or about her special bloodline... hmmm.' He frowned slightly, making a mental note of that.

Meanwhile—

Sandra, on the other hand, was completely frozen, her eyes scanning the information before her in utter disbelief.

"What in the…" she whispered, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at Aether's Log.

/

Name: Aether  

Sex: Male  

Race: ___________ [Unique Ether Bloodline + Crimson Elixir of the Null (Mutated)]  

Level: 90  

Title: The Progenitor of Unknown Species, Eternal Contract to ########, The Only Holder of Ether and A Past-less, Future-less Entity, Loving Step-Father, Eternal Sovereign of Draconic Pride. 

Skill Sets:  

Active Skills: Absolute Freedom, Master Puppeteer: Strings of Dominion, Crimson Veil: Wrath of Dominion, Chrono Traverse.  

Passive Skills: Seal of Aethernal, Umbra Sanctum, Spectral Phantom, Venom Apex Resilience.  

Unique Skills: Clarion Energy, Rebirth, 3 Seconds, Forbidden Language: 80% Comprehension. 

/

Sandra's jaw nearly dropped. "What the hell is this…" she muttered, still processing the absurdity of what she was reading.

It wasn't even a usual log that she saw.... it was beyond that!!

Aether grinned, watching her stunned reaction with satisfaction. "Hehe… Impressive, right? Now, fall for me even more~" he teased with a haughty laugh.

Though, as much as he was enjoying this moment, the damn notifications hadn't stopped.

🔔

[⚠Warning: A powerful curse has taken hold of you!]

🔔

[⛔️Notice: Arcane blessing has removed the curse!!]

'Tsk… Come on, bitch!' he mentally cursed, glaring at the constant notifications. Just how many times was she going to do this before getting bored?!

__________

[Author's Note: Should I use '!~Ding~!' or Just '🔔'? Which felt good? or should I add both of them? Any comments are welcome!]