Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 288: Location

Chapter 288: Location

"Human, you..."

"Shut up." Alex cut Alejandro off, the latter glancing back at him as he added. "I know what you’re about to say and though honorable, it’s stupid."

"But..."

"This Platadoris guy knows you and Ana are the heavy hitters of our group. I don’t know why he wishes for you both to remain but one thing is for sure. If his reach encompasses the entire Wandering Forest, I doubt we’d be able to return to Aragon unscathed. So instead of risking my life with a retreat, I’d rather we stay together."

"I see. Then let us go together in good faith. May Viracocha grant us victory in this battle."

It would seem I was lenient. Regardless, if you wish to refuse my concession, I have no choice but to retract it and punish your lot in kind.

With that, the corrupted mutants and vines attacked.

Alex exclaimed. "Ana!"

Reacting to the call, Ana stretched out her hands and immediately, time stopped.

"I can’t hold them for long." Ana quickly cried out.

"You won’t have to." Alex calmly replied before glancing at Alejandro. "Your men are currently in my domain. Would they be able to handle the situation if I brought them back out?"

"Of course but why do you ask?"

Taking a deep breath, Alex explained. "You and Ana can’t be exhausted before we find Platadoris. You need to be in top shape and so that means, only myself, Ara, and your men can engage in battle with the vines and mutants but I’m worried that since your men share the same Power with you, it would end up helping Platadoris to adapt to the Beast Wheel."

"Ah, if that is the case, do not fret. Except he manages to adapt to the Powers, then there is no reason we should worry. Each Advancement in the Beast Wheel brings with it a qualitative change in our strengths."

"Advancement?" Alex raised a brow, his curiosity pushing him to inquire further but upon seeing Ana’s strained expression decided to hold that thought for now.

So he turned to make his move. "Ara."

"Yes, Master."

"Summon as many High Spirits as you can, understood?"

"Mn."

"Good." Alex nodded in satisfaction before going ahead to snap his fingers thrice, they were starting to feel a little sore.

As his shadow stretched and writhed like a living thing, quickly filling with twinkling lights, a portal opened, out of which the BeastMen that had been saved initially poured out in droves.

Though dazed, a single order from Alejandro got them to their feet at which point Ana dropped the Paused Time.

"Open sesame!" Victoria intoned loudly as she utilized the Blessings of the Dark Moon.

As a Spirit gate opened, waves of High Spirits rushed out meanwhile, out of Alex’s shadow, several monstrous wolves emerged with Charlotte at the lead.

The battlefield immediately turned chaotic.

As for the BeastMen, several shed their mortal guise, taking on forms of wolf-like beasts that were larger than anything Alex had ever seen.

They charged forth and moments later, filled the surroundings with scorched earth and searing heat.

"I doubt it would be wise to wait like this. The enemy had the entire Wandering Forest to draw toward our location." Alejandro couldn’t help but voice out his concerns, earning a mocking grin from Alex.

"Who said anything about waiting?"

Pa

Alex teleported to the sky before using Skywalker to remain afloat.

His gaze scanned the situation below, seemingly in search of something though what it was, he wouldn’t say.

Digging into what he’d managed to glean from the short conversation with Platadoris, Alex had managed to sort out a few discrepancies.

The enemy was indeed out for them, judging from how much damage he’d done already but then his manner of speaking, of trying to get them to separate... the act of being a villain.

Indeed, Alex couldn’t help but feel like Platadoris was acting.

His lines were so generic it felt fake and the tone held an undertone of pleading, whatever the reason for that still unknown.

Regardless, Alex knew that making conjectures wouldn’t be able to stop the fighting so there was only one path to take; find the enemy and figure out what his true endgame was.

Of course, locating Platadoris was easier said than done.

The Wandering Forest was 80% forest life and given enough time, a Tree Spirit should be able to push their roots deep enough to be able to connect anywhere.

He guessed it was how Platadoris was able to discern his borrowed authority.

He’d been watching them from the very beginning.

Assuming their enemy had the scope to watch the entire forest, it meant everything they’d said was heard by him which meant, him sharing what he had in mind with his group would surely reach Platadoris ears... if he had any.

Judging from how Ana was unable to truly decipher Platadoris current location, it meant the latter was taking steps to ensure he wasn’t discovered but that didn’t mean his hiding was foolproof.

Alex took a deep breath and relaxed his nerves, focused his senses on the extension of himself currently burrowing through the ground... then he found it.

But as he had found Him, Platadoris had discovered him as well.

Human!

"Checkmate," Alex muttered as he quickly detached from the connection he’d made with one of Platadoris’ vines, shifting his gaze ahead and laying eyes on a place covered by tall trees.

Pa

Then he moved.

***

It was a tree like no other.

Delicate vines hung down from its branches and even wrapped around its bark.

Its large canopy dwarfed all others, giving it a feeling of being the center of the forest.

Alex stared at it for a few seconds, unwilling to take a step forward as he pondered how they hadn’t discovered the tree before.

It just went to show how good Platadoris was at hiding... so much for a god.

Just then, two flashes of black and white erupted behind Alex with Ana, Victoria, and Alejandro emerging from it.

"Master."

"Platadoris is inside." Alex calmly remarked, his gaze still scrutinizing the peculiar tree.

Alejandro glanced at Alex before shifting his attention to the tree. "Are you sure?"

"I swear on my life."

"Then I shall burn it." Alejandro hesitated no longer as he stepped toward the tree, his hand already glowing white from the intense heat he’d gathered.

However, before he could touch the tree, it suddenly gave way, revealing an entrance.

Please, do come in.

Platadoris voice sounded from within.

Alejandro glanced back at Alex before going ahead to step in with the latter as well as Ana and Victoria following closely behind.

The space within the tree was larger than it seemed to be from the outside.

"This is most likely his true domain," Ana muttered with Alex nodding in understanding.

They were in the enemy’s house so they had to be extra careful.

Of course, they had to meet him first and so they soon arrived before a throne room with a strange-looking being seated on the throne.

He looked so humanoid that if not for his skin which was made of brown bark and hair made of vines, he would have passed off as a normal human.

Of course, not every part of him was okay with the left portion of his body seemingly covered in mushrooms with black goo spilling out from them.