Stellar Echo: Heart of the Myst-Chapter 180: VOL 3 - 18: Don’t worry about the consequences.

Chapter 180 - VOL 3 Chapter 18: Don’t worry about the consequences.

"By the way, since we're going to be teaming up, I think it'd be better if we just used our names. All that 'Disciple this, Disciple that' gets a little annoying."

Trying to shift the topic, Erik spoke casually, which brought a smile to the girls' faces as they responded with enthusiasm.

"I was just about to suggest the same, Erik." Elara said with a cheerful smile, followed by Zoe, who added in a similar tone.

"Yeah, addressing each other so formally makes us sound weird—so we're counting on you, Erik."

"And I'm counting on you too, Elara, Zoe."

Erik replied with a calm smile, and with that, the group of four stepped aboard the ship—only to be greeted by the intense gaze of four Master-levels of immeasurable power.

"Hello." Erik greeted the group of Master-levels calmly. Standing before him were Ryoma, Thalia, Eleonora, and Sigrún—who all seemed to be waiting for them.

"Erik, come with us."

After smiling in greeting, Eleonora spoke with elegance. Erik nodded in response, then turned to say goodbye to the girls as they made their way toward their respective masters.

"See you later."

"Of course." Zoe replied with a beautiful smile, nodding her head, followed closely by Elara, who waved her right hand gently.

"See you soon, Erik."

"Fufu, yes—we'll see you later, Erik."

At that moment, Thalia added with a smile, prompting an annoyed tongue-click from Sigrún, while Erik simply nodded before turning around and following his masters, who quickly began leading the way deeper into the ship.

Erik followed Eleonora and Sigrún through a majestic hall with an incredibly high ceiling, which connected to several corridors—all illuminated by glowing runes carved into the walls, floor, and ceiling.

They took one of the corridors, where Erik saw enormous windows revealing the space elevator port outside, along with various holographic displays, even though from the outside the ship looked entirely metallic.

Shortly after, the group arrived at a door that opened automatically, and they entered what looked like a sci-fi presidential suite. The floor was a sleek jet-black adorned with softly glowing runes, massive windows offered a view of the exterior, and elegant, luxurious-looking sofas completed the space.

As Erik admired the stunning room, he suddenly felt the warmth of two bodies embracing him. Before he knew it, he was lying on a bed, tightly hugged by Eleonora and Sigrún, both wearing expressions of sadness and guilt.

"Did something happen?" Erik asked, a little uneasy. While his masters were, to put it mildly, very affectionate, their expressions immediately put him on alert.

"Erik, forgive us for leaving you alone. You must have felt so lonely and sad watching everyone say goodbye to their families..." Eleonora said, full of sorrow and regret, her face resting on Erik's shoulder.

"Yeah... we didn't want to leave you there by yourself, but that old bastard didn't let us bring you with us—and we couldn't stay with you either, or the jealous ones would've started questioning your achievements, saying we were giving you special treatment in public..." Sigrún added as she clung to Erik's waist and buried her face in his chest, full of frustration and pain.

Erik, upon hearing his masters' words, let out a quiet sigh of relief—glad it was just that silly misunderstanding and not something serious. Still, he now found himself at a crossroads: should he stay quiet and enjoy the affection, or speak up and clear things up?

(Well, taking advantage of situations like this has never been my style...)

"Ah, don't worry about that. I didn't feel lonely, sad, or anything like that. In a way, I'm used to it. A long time ago, I came to understand that those kinds of things don't really involve me, and I don't feel anything when I see them. So there's no need to make such a big deal out of it. Besides, I wasn't alone—Seraphina, Liliana, and her friends were with me."

Erik spoke with a smile as he gently stroked the silky hair of his masters. His words caused the eyes of the two breathtakingly beautiful women to grow glassy with emotion as they hugged their beloved disciple even tighter.

"Don't say things like that... Maybe you were unlucky and lost your parents early on, but we're your family—and we'll always be with you..." Eleonora said in a trembling voice, holding back tears.

"Yes, Erik. You might not have a family now, but that's only temporary. In the future, we'll be surrounded by chubby, beautiful children running around everywhere..." Sigrún added with a hint of sadness, her cheeks adorably tinged pink, yet her gaze remained sincere as she looked at Erik.

Without saying a word, Erik leaned in toward his beautiful blonde master and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips, leaving her completely stunned. Then, as he pulled back slightly, he looked directly into her eyes and spoke with a warmth that filled the room.

"Thank you, Sigrún."

Erik smiled affectionately as he watched the surprised expression of his master, who was now turning a deep shade of red. He then felt a tug on his coat and turned to see Eleonora, her face completely flushed as she spoke in a barely audible voice.

"W-we'll also have lots of chubby, beautiful children..."

Hearing his master's words, Erik couldn't help but smile warmly—amused and touched at the same time. He leaned in toward the golden-eyed beauty and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips, which only deepened the color in her cheeks.

"Thank you, Eleonora..."

Seeing the two ethereal beauties—who just minutes earlier had carried themselves with elegance, charm, and power—now clinging to him like shy teenagers, burying their faces against his body, Erik leaned back onto the pillow and closed his eyes as his mind drifted into thought.

(Children, huh? ... Honestly, one of the biggest regrets of my life. I still curse the day I let myself be convinced not to have them—believing all that nonsense about them being a burden, complicating life, and so on. How the hell did I ever fall for that? Who the hell even came up with something like that? If it was premeditated, whoever planned it is an absolute villain—damn insidious.

(A large part of society—including myself—believed those stupid lies and willingly jumped into the grim, dark pit of loneliness and eternal regret with arrogant smiles, thinking we were the smarter ones...

(Near the end of my life, the thought that it might have been premeditated terrified me. Because if there truly was a mastermind behind it, then that person could only be an absolute evil genius—someone who managed to make human civilization self-destruct from within, like a Trojan horse...

(I just hope that, unlike me, humanity in my past life woke up in time—realized that all those lies were just half-truths. That, in the end, the greatest accomplishment in life is to have children. Everything else becomes meaningless when you've got one foot in the grave... just funny stories to tell at dinner.)

With a heavy sigh full of endless regret and the bitter loneliness that lingered from his past life, Erik continued thinking about his final, isolated years—letting his mind drift down an endless spiral of thoughts until, eventually, he fell asleep without even realizing it. Sigrún and Eleonora noticed this right away and carefully removed his armor, leaving him dressed only in a simple dark outfit.

After watching their beloved disciple sleep peacefully, Eleonora turned off the light. She and Sigrún then lay down on either side of Erik, embracing him lovingly before closing their eyes and drifting into a warm, peaceful sleep. Even though their bodies didn't physically need rest, the mental pleasure of sleeping beside the man they loved was greater than anything else.

...

...

...

In the center of a luxurious and elegant suite that radiated a mystical atmosphere thanks to the magical lights illuminating it—complete with beautiful leather sofas and large windows revealing a distant asteroid field—Erik stood surrounded by Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina, who were checking his appearance and explaining several things before disembarkation.

"Erik, once we step off the ship, we'll be face to face with people from other factions, and those bastards love intimidating the weak—but they're cowards in front of the strong. So act proud and upright. Don't let them look down on you." Sigrún said seriously, to which Eleonora added in a similar tone.

"Remember that we're right behind you, so you have no reason to fear anyone. None of them are worthy. You can look down on them all you want."

"Also, once inside the ruin, you must stay alert at all times and never trust anyone too easily. Plenty of people will be more than willing to stab you in the back for a few miserable gains, some petty grudge, or simply out of envy." Sigrún added immediately as she adjusted Erik's elegant dark blue leather coat, meticulously ensuring every detail was perfect.

"Yes, Erik. A ruin like this—where the elders can't interfere—will inevitably give rise to twisted ideas in many people who see it as the perfect place to settle old scores or give in to their worst impulses, thinking they'll get away with it. So don't trust anyone lightly and stay on guard at all times." Eleonora said seriously as she brushed Erik's star-like hair, making sure it looked flawless.

"Also, you must be especially careful with the other factions, young master. Those people will go for the kill the moment they get the chance against anyone from the Arcane Order, so you must not be lenient with them—strike to kill from the start." Seraphina added seriously as she polished Erik's boots, making sure they were spotless and gleaming, completing her young master's flawless, impeccable look. freewebnøvel.coɱ

"I understand. I'll act with authority and strike to kill when it comes to members of the other factions." Erik replied with understanding, making a mental note and wearing a faint smile, to which Eleonora quickly added in a stern tone.

"But that doesn't mean you should go around killing at random, Erik. Even though it's common for the other factions to attack us, not all of them do. You must first assess their intentions. Still, if you're in danger, don't hesitate—have no mercy and don't worry about the consequences."

"I understand." Erik nodded seriously, at which point Seraphina spoke while double-checking the appearance of her beloved young master.

"You must also remember to keep your wealth well hidden, young master—especially anything you find within the ruin. It's happened many times that large groups gather to attack someone who's found riches in a ruin, intending to rob them."

"And always keep your weapons ready. No one knows what could happen, and in a fight, even a second's delay can be fatal." Sigrún added quickly, urging Erik to draw his machetes, at which point Eleonora added with equal seriousness.

"And most importantly, don't take unnecessary risks. Even if you can gain valuable things in there, ultimately, you are our disciple—and there is nothing in this galaxy that we cannot obtain for you. So just treat it as a journey to gain experience and a bit of reputation. Retreat immediately if things get complicated."

"Understood. I won't take any more risks than necessary."

Erik replied as he pulled a pair of dark blue machetes from his storage ring—matching his outfit—with golden details on the elegant hilts and runes engraved all over the blades, which, along with the edges, glowed with a soft golden light.

He carried the machetes to his left hip, where they hovered in place as if held by an invisible sheath attached to his belt. The three stunning women standing before him watched with visible satisfaction and a subtle sparkle in their eyes.

"Yes, you look perfect, fufu."

Feeling like she was falling in love with her Erik all over again, Eleonora commented with satisfaction, to which Seraphina and Sigrún nodded in full agreement.

"Definitely worthy of being my first disciple and my future husb—"

Sigrún spoke with a hint of pride, but as she reached the last part, she suddenly realized what she was about to say, and her face turned a deep red—prompting smiles from the other three in the room.

"You look wonderful, young master. Without a doubt, you'll be the center of attention when we disembark." Seraphina added playfully, giving Sigrún a bit of breathing room. Sigrún, after feigning a light cough to hide her embarrassment, spoke, trying to sound calm.

"Well, we're running late. Let's go."

***

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