Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Young Aether had no intention of seducing anyone, least of all his friends’ wives or children.

The very thought was absurd to him.

He had never looked at Lily with anything resembling lust or romantic interest. He simply wanted her to feel appreciated, to know that someone had noticed how hard she had been trying.

That was still true now.

He might not have been born in some Brothel City, nor did he pretend to understand every hardship a person could endure, but he could recognise pain when he saw it.

He had seen it in Lily’s eyes, buried beneath her smiles and the quiet way she carried herself.

Especially for a child to carry such burdens... that was no simple feat.

People her age were supposed to worry about ordinary things, to laugh without wondering what tomorrow would bring. If someone her age had gone through what Lily had endured, many would have abandoned their families, broken beneath the pressure, or perhaps done things they could never take back.

But Lily hadn’t.

She kept moving forward.

And perhaps that was what Young Aether admired most in people. Not their strength when they stood at the top of the mountain, but their willingness to rise after being thrown into the valley.

It was the stubborn little spark that remained alive even after everything else had been taken from them.

That kind of hope had always caught his attention.

Lily had that hope.

It was fragile, sometimes barely visible, but it was there. And without realising it, she had earned a place in his heart that made him want to see her smile a little more often.

He wanted to cheer her up. He wanted her to understand that she did not have to carry everything alone, that if something went wrong, there was someone she could turn to.

He would be there to protect her if things became too difficult.

He would be there to embrace her if the world ever rejected her.

There was no lust behind those thoughts.

No seduction.

No hidden mission.

Just the simple desire of an uncle doing his best to support a child who had been forced to grow up far too soon.

That was all!

Unfortunately, that was not exactly something he could explain to another person without sounding suspicious.

If he were an old uncle with grey hair and a wrinkled face, perhaps nobody would think twice about it.

But what happened when the supposed uncle was very young, sexy, handsome, and carried himself with the understanding and patience of someone far older?

And Handsome! Just in case!

Any girl could be swayed by such words.

And Lily was no exception.

At her age, she had barely interacted with many people outside her own circumstances. She had never had much reason to place high hopes in the opposite gender, nor had she experienced many people treating her with genuine warmth without asking for something in return.

So when someone like Young Aether looked at her and spoke those words with complete sincerity, it naturally struck somewhere deep inside her.

Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her clothes.

Her lips trembled faintly.

The warmth in her chest became almost painful, and before she could stop herself, her eyes began to glisten with tears. She looked at Young Aether as though she were standing at the edge of something she had desperately wanted but never dared to ask for.

For a moment, it seemed as though she might simply throw herself into his arms and cry.

[+2000 AP]

Young Aether noticed the sudden rise in affection, and his entire body stiffened.

His expression immediately became serious.

No.

Absolutely not!!

He had seen where this road could lead, and he wanted no part of it.

With practised speed, he activated his visor, the black screen sliding over his face.

He straightened his posture and spoke with exaggerated seriousness.

"No need to cry, Lily. It is your UNCLE’S duty to look after you. Even though I LOOK YOUNG, I am still an OLD MAN! Therefore, I possess the wisdom of an OLD MAN trapped inside a YOUNG BODY!"

He deliberately emphasised every particular word, as though he were delivering an important declaration before an entire kingdom.

Lily stared at him for a moment.

Then, despite the tears still gathered in the corners of her eyes, she let out a small laugh.

She shook her head and carefully accepted the red-wine lotus flower bouquet from his hand.

"Thank you, Unc..."

Young Aether finally relaxed.

He lifted a hand and wiped his forehead, even though there was no sweat there.

"Good. Crisis averted."

Lily’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"Oh, right. Where are the flowers for your Ex?"

"Of course, here," he replied.

He casually brought his other hand out from behind his back.

Lily’s eyes fell upon the second bouquet.

She froze.

For a moment, the faint smile on her face remained.

Then it slowly disappeared.

Her gaze moved from the bouquet in her hands to the one Young Aether had prepared for his ex.

The difference was... obvious.

Her bouquet was beautiful. The red-wine lotus flowers were carefully arranged, their petals deep and elegant, with every detail chosen deliberately.

But the other bouquet...

It was on another level entirely.

The flowers were fuller. More carefully arranged. The presentation was more elaborate, and even the smallest details seemed to have received far more attention.

Lily stared at it silently.

She didn’t need to ask.

She didn’t need anyone to explain it to her.

Just by looking at the two bouquets side by side, she could tell exactly where Young Aether had poured his heart.

Her eyes slowly narrowed, and her expression became strangely sour.

"Let’s go," Lily said, her voice carrying a faintly annoyed tone.

Young Aether blinked.

Why had she suddenly become annoyed?

He wondered for a moment before simply shrugging his shoulders and getting into the car.

"Here. This is for you, buddy~"

Young Aether handed a single flower to Noah.

Noah stared at the deep-black flower in his tiny hands.

His eyes slowly narrowed.

Then he opened his mouth.

"No, no! It’s not food!!"

Young Aether immediately yanked the flower away just as Noah was about to put it into his mouth.

"Wwwaaahhh!!"

Noah cried out, extending both hands toward the flower as though Young Aether had just stolen the greatest treasure in existence.

"Nope!"

"WAAHH!!"

"No way!"

"WWARRRRHHHH!!!"

"I ain’t giving it to you, brat!"

"..."

Noah went completely silent.

His tiny eyes narrowed into an intimidating glare as he stared at Young Aether.

Then, apparently deciding that he needed a more fearsome appearance, Noah pulled his black mask back over his face and let out a low growl.

"WRRRRHH..."

He stared at Young Aether as though that terrifying little growl would somehow make him surrender the flower.

Young Aether stared back for a second.

Then he chuckled.

"Oh~ I am so scared~ Hahaha."

Noah puffed out his cheeks in annoyance and turned away.

He began playing with his toys, but the pout remained firmly planted on his face.

Young Aether couldn’t help but smile.

He really was such a cute little guy.

"Unc... how is it?"

Young Aether looked toward Lily.

She had placed the red-wine lotus in her ponytail, and the flower’s deep colour complemented her red-wine hair beautifully. The petals rested against her hair like a small crown, giving her an unexpectedly elegant appearance.

"You look so bea—"

Young Aether’s eyes widened.

"Ugly shit!"

He immediately corrected himself.

Nope.

Absolutely not.

He wasn’t downloading that PDF file.

Lily slowly turned her head and gave him a completely deadpan expression.

She stared at him for several seconds before shaking her head.

"I’m not a child who can’t understand your obvious reaction."

With that, she started the car and drove away.

Young Aether chose not to respond.

Instead, he leaned back in his seat, his gaze drifting toward the map displayed before him.

The destination was getting closer.

And with every passing second, his heartbeat grew heavier.

Another hundred meters.

His heart leapt.

Another hundred.

His fingers tightened slightly.

The distance continued to shrink.

Was he expecting something?

Was he afraid?

Was he really going to kill her?

What exactly was going through his mind?

Honestly, Young Aether didn’t know.

Just yesterday, he had said that if he ever saw her again, he would kill her.

He had said it without hesitation.

Yet now, as the distance between them grew smaller and smaller, those thoughts were becoming strangely muffled, as though an invisible fog had settled over his mind.

One part of him wanted them to pay the price for everything they had done.

Another part wanted her to be happy and simply move on with her life.

Why was he so confused?

Was it because he had been all talk and no bite?

Young Aether looked down at his hands.

They had turned cold.

A thin layer of sweat formed across his palms, and he slowly clenched his fists.

He swallowed, but his throat felt dry.

He had to face her.

He had faced Nunu, hadn’t he?

Then what would be so difficult about facing Pene?

He could do it.

He would walk up to her.

He would face her and...

And...

’And what?’

Young Aether froze.

He suddenly realised he had no idea what he was supposed to say.

What was he even going to talk about?

He had spent all this time thinking about meeting her, yet he hadn’t actually thought about what would happen once they stood face-to-face.

Then a soft electronic chime rang through the car.

<<Destination Arrived>>

The sound snapped him out of his thoughts.

Young Aether blinked and looked through the window.

An apartment building stood before them.

Lily glanced at him before looking toward the entrance.

"According to Father, the person named Penelope is staying in Door Number 23," she said.

Young Aether nodded, but then he suddenly shook his head.

"L-Let’s go home, dear... L-Let’s go home."

Lily frowned as she looked at him.

"Uncle... are you all right?"

She had noticed the strange twitching of his body. His shoulders trembled violently, his fingers spasmed, and the muscles along his neck tightened as though something inside him were trying to tear its way out.

Then she saw it.

Thin strands of black smoke were leaking from his body.

They weren’t drifting naturally.

They crawled.

They slid across his skin like living things, curling around his arms and shoulders before sinking back beneath his flesh.

Young Aether’s eyes shook violently.

Something was crawling through the back of his mind, dragging something dark and hateful toward the surface.

"KILL HER! KILL HER! KILL THAT BITCH WHO ABANDONED US!! KILL HER!!!! EVERYONE DESERVES PAIN AND SUFFERING!! LIKE US! SHE NEEDS PAIN... MAKE HER FEEL THE PAAAIIIINNN!!!! KILLLLLLL!!"

The voice didn’t merely echo inside his head.

It seemed to come from everywhere.

His eyes rolled backwards.

For a moment, nothing remained within them except darkness.

A blackness that seemed to possess no bottom at all.

"L-Lily... L-Let’s go... I-I don’t care, just... go back..." he said in a strained, painful voice.

Lily’s expression immediately filled with concern.

"Unc... should I call the medics? You seem to be in pain..."

She leaned toward him, reaching out as though she wanted to help.

Then she stopped.

Young Aether’s head slowly tilted toward her.

His neck made a faint cracking sound.

"Uncle...?"

His lips parted.

A black substance seeped from between his teeth.

Then, without warning, his entire body turned pure black.

The next instant, he shot toward her with terrifying speed.

"LET’S gO BEForE I KilL TheM alL!!!!!!"

His voice no longer sounded entirely human.

It was layered with something deeper, something monstrous, as though several voices were screaming through the same throat.

"I’LL DEvOur YOUR SoUl AND FLeShHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

Young Aether’s mouth stretched unnaturally wide.

Far beyond what a human jaw should have allowed.

His face distorted around it, his cheeks pulling backwards as an enormous, predatory grin split across his features.

Lily’s blood ran cold.

Her body refused to move.

She couldn’t even scream.

The creature before her no longer looked like the uncle she knew.

It looked like something that had crawled out from beneath the world itself.

For one horrifying instant, she saw her own death rushing toward her.

The monstrous mouth opened wider.

And just as those impossible jaws were about to devour her—

"WWAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

Noah suddenly burst into tears.

The sound pierced through the darkness.

The monstrous entity froze.

Its entire body jerked backwards.

The darkness twisted violently.

The monstrous grin collapsed.

Then everything was pulled backwards.

The sound of wet slithering echoed through the car.

Then came the bones.

CRACK.

CRACK.

CRACK.

His shoulders snapped back into place.

His jaw compressed.

His fingers twisted before returning to their normal shape.

The unnatural darkness vanished beneath his skin.

"...:

Young Aether’s face became visible again.

He blinked.

His vision slowly cleared.

And then he saw them.

Lily.

Horrified.

Frozen in place.

And Noah.

Crying uncontrollably.

"I... I..."

The words died in his throat.

Young Aether stared at their fearful expressions, unable to find anything to say.

His gaze slowly dropped toward his own hand.

For the first time, he looked at his own body as though he were afraid of what he had become!

His face turned solemn.

Without saying another word, he opened the car door and stepped outside.

Lily remained seated inside, frozen in horror.

She hadn’t moved an inch.

Even after Young Aether disappeared into the apartment building, she remained staring at the place where he had sat.

Noah continued crying, his tiny hands reaching toward Lily.

"Waaaahhhhhhh!"

It was almost as though he wanted to be held by her.

****

**

Meanwhile, Young Aether walked up the stairs in silence.

His gaze remained blankly fixed on his feet as they carried him upward, one step after another.

His breathing was uneven.

His head throbbed violently.

He clenched his forehead as a deep, stabbing pain spread through his skull.

Something was still moving inside his thoughts.

"W-What have I done? Those were just children..."

A dark voice answered.

"Children?"

"Hehehehe~"

"You have killed countless innocents and children, and now... you suddenly care about children?"

Young Aether’s breathing stopped for a moment.

"You think a few tears are going to make you innocent?"

The voice whispered directly against his consciousness.

"You think you can suddenly pretend to be human again?"

"Hehehehe..."

"Don’t FUCK WITH ME!!!"

Half of Young Aether’s body trembled violently.

Pain ripped through him.

His left eye twitched.

The muscles on one side of his face suddenly contorted.

For a brief second, his mouth stretched into that same grotesque grin.

Then the distortion slithered away, leaving his ordinary face behind.

Young Aether gritted his teeth.

He grabbed the railing tightly as another wave of pain passed through him.

The metal railing creaked beneath his fingers.

He bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood.

A thin line of red slipped from the corner of his mouth.

Finally, he reached the second floor.

He stood there for several seconds, breathing heavily.

His eyes settled on the door at the end of the corridor.

Door No. 23.

His heart began beating faster again.

THUMP.

THUMP.

THUMP.

Young Aether closed his eyes.

The image of Lily’s terrified face flashed through his mind.

Then Noah’s crying.

He forced those thoughts away.

When he opened his eyes again, A sly smirk appeared across his face.

"Let’s see what this bitch has been doing~"

He walked toward the door.

He pressed the calling bell once.

No response.

He waited.

Nothing.

He pressed it again.

Still nothing.

Young Aether’s eyebrow twitched.

He pressed the button repeatedly.

Ding.

Ding.

Ding.

"Come on, bitch. I know you’re inside... just fucking open it. I won’t kill you," he muttered with a sly grin while continuing to press the calling button.

Then—

THUD!

The door suddenly parted.

A feminine voice came from behind it.

"Can’t you wait a few seconds?"

As the door parted, Young Aether’s heart stopped.

He slowly tilted his head upward.

And then he looked up.

And up.

And... up.

Standing before him was a man who looked like Hulk’s long-lost son.

Young Aether’s eyes widened slightly.

"Child? What are you doing here?"

The Hulk’s son folded his arms and spoke in the most feminine tone Young Aether had ever heard in his entire life.

And, judging by the height difference, Young Aether genuinely looked like a lost child standing before him.

"P-Penelope?" Young Aether barely managed to ask.

"Yes, it’s me. And you?"

"..."

Young Aether’s lips twitched.

Was this guy seriously messing with him?

He looked the enormous man up and down.

Then back at his face.

"Penelope... when did you change your gender?"

The Hulk’s son frowned.

"Brat, I have been a man since birth. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"Darling, who is it?"

A distinctly masculine voice echoed from inside.

A woman stepped into view.

Young Aether stared.

She looked like She-Hulk’s long-lost daughter.

"Oh? Who is this cutie?"

Her voice was deep and unmistakably masculine.

Young Aether’s expression slowly emptied.

The woman continued to speak in the most manly tone Young Aether had ever heard in his entire life.

"I don’t know, dear, but it seems he lost his parents. Maybe we should provide him with shelter."

"Oh? Such a cute boy..."

She leaned forward slightly, her enormous frame looming over Young Aether.

"Here, I have lots of toys for you to play with. Come inside, child~"

"No, dear. We should give him to the authorities."

"But he looks so small. Can I keep him?"

"No!"

"..."

Young Aether stood there in complete silence.

One should know... Young Aether was hearing their completely mismatched voices with his own ears, and every word sent another shiver down his spine.

He slowly reached for the door.

Very slowly.

He placed his hand against it.

Then he began closing it.

Neither of them stopped him.

The door gradually shut between them.

Click.

Young Aether stood in the corridor for several seconds.

His face remained completely blank.

He turned around.

Then he simply walked away.

His expression said everything.

I have had enough of this shit.

After descending the stairs, Young Aether let out a long sigh and shook his head.

"Looks like it was false..." he muttered.

There was obvious relief in his voice.

Yet beneath that relief was a strange trace of disappointment.

He had come all this way expecting something completely different.

And instead, he had encountered... whatever the hell that was.

When he finally reached the apartment entrance, he looked toward the parking area.

His footsteps stopped.

The car was gone.

Young Aether stared at the empty space where it had been parked.

His lips slowly parted.

"Figures..."

He sighed and shook his head again, this time with even greater disappointment.

Of course they had left him behind.

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