"It's taking too long," Alfred mumbled to himself, pacing outside the massive doors of the icy mansion. He hesitated, wondering whether he should peek inside to check on the situation.
He sighed heavily, "Sigh... I hope everything's fine," he muttered under his breath.
Alfred wasn't particularly concerned about Mortir. The old patriarch had faced far more dangerous situations, even surviving encounters with the Empress herself. If anyone could handle this, it was Mortir.
Alfred's real worry was Victor.
If sothing happened to Victor, the consequences would be catastrophic—not just for Mortir but for the entire Frostblade family. They'd face the wrath of the Pyra Empire, a nation brimming with prideful dragons who wouldn't think twice about annihilating their enemies.
"!!" A shiver ran down Alfred's spine at the re thought. "I pray everything works out..." he mumbled again, his voice barely audible over the howling winds outside.
.....
...
Far from the Frostblade mansion, over a vast expanse of endless water, two figures hovered in the sky.
There was nothing but water around them—a boundless, unbroken mirror of liquid stretching as far as the eye could see.
"Ether..." Mortir growled, his voice low, nacing, and filled with rage. His eyes locked onto Aether, who floated lazily in the air, an infuriating smirk playing on his lips.
Aether's fingers absently ran through his white hair, the strands flowing freely in the brisk wind,
"So," Aether began, his sly smile widening, his voice practically dripping with amusent. "What do you think of the twist, old man? Enjoying the show so far?"
Mortir's face twisted in fury, the vein in his temple pulsing with barely restrained anger. "So it was you all along?" he spat, his tone sharp and accusing.
He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. None of this added up—how could Aether have grown this powerful?
He'd spoken to the boy only hours ago, before talking to Victor!!
None of this made sense!!
"Tsk, tsk, co on, old man," Aether taunted, clicking his tongue and shaking his head mockingly. "Do you really still believe a slave could never rise to this level? That's such outdated thinking, truly. Offensive, even. Almost hurts my feelings... sob, sob~" He rubbed his eyes softly yet, his expression was infuriatingly smug.
Mortir growled deep in his throat, his fury barely leashed, before forcing a grin to his face. "You've picked up a few tricks, haven't you... slave? I'll give you that."
"Oh!" Aether feigned surprise, raising his eyebrows dramatically. "There it is! Finally! There's the ugly, snarling beast hiding underneath all that noble pretence." He leaned forward slightly,
"You know, it was sickening, watching you parade around like so noble, righteous guardian. It almost made my stomach crunch... No, scratch that—it did make puke. Yack!"
Mortir straightened, his hands clasped behind his back, his voice was icy and precise as he replied, "Now I understand why Selene has been acting strangely... I thought she'd rely moved on from Ether, but no. She's part of your little sche, isn't she? Clever, Ether. Very clever indeed. You almost fooled everyone."
His lips curled into a grin, but the smile was devoid of warmth. "But it ends here. You've ripened enough, and now it's ti for to harvest the fruit!"
With a sudden flick of his wrist, the calm waters below exploded into motion, churning violently before rising in massive droplets that hovered ominously in the air. They froze mid-motion, transforming into razor-sharp, glistening ice axes that shot toward Aether with lethal intent.
ZZZZZZ!
Aether raised his hand with the ease of swatting away a fly. Purple flas erupted around him as they surged forward to et the icy projectiles.
The axes shattered mid-air with deafening blasts, shards of ice scattering like glittering dust.
"Not bad..." Mortir murmured, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized the flas. Their intensity far exceeded his expectations, 'Does he have a fire affinity?' he wondered. He didn't act imdiately—this was still a test, a dance to gauge Aether's true capabilities.
Aether didn't miss a beat. With a flick of his wrist, the purple flas coiled like serpents, transforming into a barrage of fiery projectiles that shot toward Mortir like arrows loosed from a bow.
SSSSHHHHHH!
Mortir waved his hand dismissively, and the ocean responded to his will. A massive wave surged upward like a living wall, colliding with the fiery onslaught and extinguishing it with loud, angry hisses.
Sspsshh!
Sspsshh!
Sspsshh!
...
....
"Not bad at all," Aether said with an approving nod, his smirk never faltering.
They circled each other like predators, testing the waters—neither willing to reveal the full extent of their powers just yet.... Because none of the knew about each other power's extent!
"What do you say, Aether?" Mortir began, his voice suddenly soft, almost fatherly. "You're like a son to . I'll forgive everything if you surrender now." Despite his tone, his eyes glead with murderous intent, sharp and cold as daggers.
"Hah!" Aether laughed, shaking his head. "Co on, old man. I'm not so naive kid you can fool over and over again. Those days are—"
Before he could finish, Mortir moved. He was a blur, a shadow of death, appearing before Aether with an ice axe in hand. The weapon ca down in a deadly vertical swing.
Aether's pupils dilated in alarm, and he tilted back just in ti. The blade whistled past his throat, narrowly missing.
Sssshinggg!
But Mortir wasn't done. Another axe was already in his other hand, swinging horizontally toward Aether's side. The movent seed impossible; Mortir's arms crossed like scissors, and yet—
Crack...
His elbow bent backward, rubber-like and unnatural, the blade slicing toward Aether with terrifying speed. Only a last-second Phantom Step saved Aether from being bisected.
Mortir raised an eyebrow, his expression briefly flickering with surprise. "Impressive speed," he muttered under his breath, 'He's faster than I anticipated... but it doesn't matter'
Aether stared in disbelief as Mortir's arm fluidly returned to its original position, 'What the hell is this old man?' Then he rembered—the aquatic races. Their bones weren't rigid like others; they were flexible, almost liquid.
'But I read it was rare and looking at him, he could bend 36--'
"You shouldn't let your mind wander during a fight, Aether," Mortir said coldly, his figure flickering as he appeared before Aether once again. Both axes swung in tandem, deadly arcs of ice aid for the kill.
This ti, Aether reacted. His left hand shot out, intercepting Mortir's right hand and redirecting the weapon's trajectory. He twisted Mortir's arm, aiming to disarm him, and followed with a powerful kick--
Bloopppp
Aether's foot struck Mortir's torso, but instead of feeling solid flesh, it t sothing pliant, rubbery. Mortir grinned wickedly, "This is why you never fight against Experience ones"
His rubber-like muscles twisted around Aether's leg, locking him in place.
In one fluid motion, Mortir's axes slashed through Aether's body and cut him into pieces,
Chucckkk
Chuccckkk
Chuccckkk
Chuccckkkk
Of course, Mortir didn't kill him—he couldn't afford to. The treasures Aether held were too valuable.
Instead, he left Aether limbless, gripping him by the throat with a triumphant sneer.
Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire
"You should've stayed silent, Ether," Holding Aether like a limbless duck, Mortir with a wicked grin, "You should have known that just because I'm cursed and old doesn't an I'm weak. I have decades—no, centuries—of experience, unlike you, you arrogant slave!" He spat on Aether's face, his disdain palpable.
Aether's heart pounded with pure fury, 'Damn it,' he thought, 'I let my guard down...'
Mortir's grin widened further, his eyes mocking, as if he could read Aether's thoughts. "This ti," Mortir purred, voice thick with triumph, "I'll make sure to drain everything out of you, you filthy, pathetic slave—"
Clap, Clap
The sudden sound of clapping echoed through the tense air. Mortir's eyes snapped to the source...
Before him stood... another Aether.... This one had an almost pitiful expression!
Mortir's frown deepened in confusion. "What the—"
He whipped back to the Aether he was holding... Only to see, the tortured expression morphed into a wicked, malicious grin, one that send shiver through Mortir's spine. The mont lasted only a heartbeat before the Aether before him evaporated like mist, leaving only an eerie, lingering laugh.
"Heheh..."
Mortir's mind spun. He blinked, eyes wide, trying to process the sudden turn of events.
"What in the—" Before he could finish his thought—
Step.
Aether appeared before him like a ghost, moving faster than his mind could follow, and with an explosive impact—
BOOM!
Mortir was sent rocketing into the sky, his body twisting through the air like a ragdoll. He was completely disoriented, unable to comprehend what just happened. There was no way Aether could have reached him so quickly.
But then—
Step..
Aether appeared directly above Mortir, his leg extended in a vicious arc. Mortir's eyes locked onto Aether's foot just as it ca crashing down—and he froze, realizing too late what was happening.
Aether's leg was coated in a layer of ice, the chill radiating from it like an impending storm.
'Ah...' Mortir thought with a sickening clarity, 'So that's what he's done...'
His rubber-like body was a gift and a curse. While it allowed him to flow freely like fluid... the drawback was that it was vulnerable to ice. Ice would freeze his body, preventing it from shifting. It made him rigid.
That's why Mortir always tried to end fights before his opponents discovered his weakness...
The mont Aether's ice-covered leg collided with Mortir's body, the impact sent a shockwave through the air.
BOOM!
Aether's kick landed squarely on Mortir's stomach, and the force of it sending Mortir hurtling downward, his body crashing into the ocean
Splasshhh...
For a mont, there was nothing but silence. The waves cald, the ocean eerily still.
Aether hovered above the water, "Co on, you fucking old man," he called, voice laced with amusent, "I know you're still alive. Don't keep waiting."
Splassshhhhh
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