Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 394: Infiltrating the Archives

Chapter 394: Infiltrating the Archives

/1 day later/

Alex stood at the edge of Lake Rhodes channel donning what could only be described as a makeshift swimsuit and goggles, his gaze trained on the waterfall several meters away before it shifted to the flowing waters before him.

He watched it flow undisturbed, noting the fishes swimming within.

Taking out a pocket watch, he noted the time; barely an hour had passed since the Lightbringer’s opening.

Just then, the waters began to surge forth in waves, causing the schools of fish within to frantically swim away, seeking cover from what they considered dangerous.

For Alex however, it was the signal to begin.

Taking a deep breath, he filled up his lungs before proceeding to leap into the waters, allowing its currents to lead him toward the waterfall.

The primal urge to swim in the opposite direction welled up within but it was child’s play to quell it as he remained calm, aware that any form of struggle would lead to unsavory consequences.

Soon, he was inches away from the curve after which... he fell.

He closed his eyes and braced himself for impact, setting his body in a way that the force would be dispersed evenly.

Of course, despite his best efforts, it stung like hell when he hit the water surface, Alex barely stifling the urge to scream out as his body sank.

Gritting his teeth, he continued the trip down, only stopping once he had arrived at the seabed populated by seaweeds and other peculiar sea creatures.

He instinctively glanced ahead, his eyes falling upon the hidden structure that was the Archives of Antiquities.

Its first floor was above water so Alex guessed that he was looking at the second and third floors with the remaining 3 floors further underground.

Shaking his head to get rid of unnecessary deductions, he prepared for the next phase of his plan.

Putting down the bag he carried, he took out a canister filled with a liquid that glowed with a faint golden-yellow incandescence.

He placed it on the seafloor and held it down with one hand while using the other to begin finger counting.

Meanwhile, within the dense forest surrounding Lake Rhodes, Ana and Arwen were standing before a similar-looking canister, their expressions the epitome of nervousness.

"Will this really work?" Arwen was forced to ask as perspiration peppered her forehead.

Ana managed a weak smile as she tried to joke. "Are you doubting the efficacy of the Concoction brewed by Nadia and yourself?"

"Not at all but... what if it doesn’t work?... What if he gets caught?"

"He won’t. Let’s trust in Alex’s plan, the same way he trusts in us, alright?"

"... Alright."

Though she said to trust Alex, Ana couldn’t help but worry inwardly.

However, realizing something, she muttered. "Aren’t we meant to be counting right now?"

"Oh no."

Realizing they might miss the window, Ana unleashed her will on the world, utilizing her control over the temporal powers to pause time for a moment, albeit to recollect when they were to activate the Concoction known as Golden Bloom.

With the moment’s end, Ana remarked. "Now!"

Arwen reacted immediately, activating the substance before instinctively backing away though Ana was quicker as she rushed over and disappeared a second later, after which...

Boom

The explosion was terrifying but surprisingly caused no damage, instead only leaving behind a resounding boom that echoed for miles and miles on end.

As for Alex, still stuck underwater, the Bloom kept on the floor suddenly shook before the golden liquid within disappeared like a lie after which the ground below began to give way, crumbling to dust as though it just suffered an incredibly powerful blast.

Once it got large enough to contain him, Alex allowed the water flowing through the hole to take him, keeping his figure straight to avoid crashing against the widening walls.

Soon, the makeshift water slide ended with Alex finding himself in an underground cavern several kilometers below the earth, stretching as far as the eyes could see.

He looked around, noting the normalcy of the rocks about him before hefting his bag on his shoulder and continuing forward.

As he walked, he counted, making sure not to take a wrong step or make a wrong turn as he continued before finally coming to a stop, roughly 3 hours after the trek began.

Letting out a sigh, Alex put down his bag and began to take out its contents which consisted of armor, a pair of tonfas, a black bottle with strange-looking centipedes, snack bars he’d personally made, and a bottle of water.

Putting the armor on, Alex placed the tonfas at his side before helping himself to the snack bars which tasted like utter crap but still did the job he hoped it would accomplish before drinking from the water bottle to regain some strength.

Once done, he picked up the bag and placed it over his shoulder before picking up the canister containing centipedes.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the canister and watched the centipedes emerge from within.

The centipedes could pass off as normal if not for the blood-red draconic scales lining their backs and the pincers that looked more like fangs.

They clambered onto Alex’s palm before digging in, earning a suppressed groan from him.

It only took a few seconds before Alex’s complexion turned slightly pale, an indicator of blood loss.

Soon, the centipedes reemerged from where they’d entered before turning their beady black eyes to reflect Alex’s visage.

Alex clicked his tongue as he set his palm on the ground, seemingly communicating with the mutants after which they turned and made their way off his palm and onto the ground.

They crawled up to the ceiling before they began to burrow, quickly creating a hole that would barely fit a man.

Adjusting his palm to rid it of the numbness, Alex snapped causing light and shadow to meld after which a man with his exact features and appearance emerged.

"What is it?" Alex’s clone inquired.

Pointing at the hole in the ceiling, Alex replied. "I need a boost."

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