Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 420: Beating the Unbeatable

Chapter 420: Beating the Unbeatable

The Emperor was unbeatable, at least from Alex’s perspective.

Even with the combined might of the Constellations, there was no way they’d be able to win as they were up against a man who despite his mental deficiencies, had the potential to visualize the end of their existence.

This meant that even if they had indeed claimed Ashtyx, it was but a temporary victory.

Enoch’s threat of crossing worlds was no fluke and Alex was not one to underestimate an opponent, especially one that had proven himself increasingly capable.

But even at that, they had only one option if they wished to advance and that was to defeat the unbeatable Emperor.

So how could one defeat an unbeatable opponent?... There would be myriad answers for different circumstances but concerning Enoch, Alex saw only one way forward and that was an opportunity Ana’s timely report on what she’d learned about the Gryphon had brought about.

Enoch had attempted to accommodate Ashtyx eight times so far and on each occasion, he always failed due to losing his pneuma to the aether.

All things considered, he would surely be cautious to avoid having to spend another hundred years planning.

However, what if he was provided an opportunity to ply a different route?

Enoch’s desire to free his lover and the people of Thebes from their time in Limbo ensured that he would be open to suggestions and if the suggestion was reasonable enough, he would be sure to accept it.

Thus, Alex formulated a plan and the plan was simple; get Enoch to accommodate Ashtyx.

He gave the Emperor hope that Evernight would allow him to better resist the Call to Origin and even showed him how effective it could be.

After that, it was a game of wait and see.

Naturally, he couldn’t try to backstab Enoch by not doing anything as knowing how perceptive the Emperor was, Alex knew he would be quick to catch on and that would spell his end.

So he had to hope that even with his help, Enoch would still fail to accommodate Ashtyx.

And indeed, his gamble had paid off nicely.

Enoch’s pneuma resisted his attempts to remind himself of his identity as it surged forth out of his body, intending to rejoin the aether.

Help me!

Enoch cried out in terror as he reached out to Alex with his authority, exerting an unprecedented pressure that left Alex on his knees and bleeding profusely from his orifices.

But that changed nothing and soon, Enoch’s pneuma escaped its mortal bindings and merged with the aether causing the surrounding air to be suffused with a radiant golden glow.

Enraged by his failure, Enoch’s divinity erupted and swept across everything in an omnidirectional wave.

Watching as the meeting hall was erased from existence, Alex clicked his tongue. "Good riddance."

The next moment, everything was gone.

***

Those waiting outside were caught off guard by the golden wave of energy seeking to destroy all.

The instinct to run arose but to where?... That was the question.

Unwilling to remain idle any longer, Ana took a step forward and utilizing the Blessings of the Dark Moon, unleashed a stasis that caused the destruction to continue at a snail’s pace.

"What now?" Arwen inquired worriedly as she saw Ana struggle to keep the technique active.

"We can’t stay here." Ana strained. "Douglas, get Victoria, we are leaving now."

"What about Alex?"

"He’ll handle himself. Let’s go now!"

Heeding her words, Douglas utilized Motion to get Victoria from her room after which they all disappeared in a flurry of black and white.

The golden wave once again continued and within seconds, the Island of Evernight was erased from the dimensional map.

***

Back at the capital which had once again returned to utopia, a man sat in a coffee shop, his gaze set on the palace seated at the center of the city.

At first glance, he seemed akin to a statue as he remained inert, with no sign of life.

However, it didn’t take long before his expression distorted into one of pure anguish as he gritted his teeth.

It would take until a few seconds after that he would regain himself enough to figure out his bearings.

Not daring to touch the cup served to him, he rose to his feet with much struggle and slowly made his way to the palace while staying as inconspicuous as possible.

His steps were measured, his intent unknown as he continued his trek with visible tiredness.

Suddenly, however, all those about him paused and looked in his direction, their gaze scrutinizing him as though he were an outsider.

Once they’d confirmed him as an anomalous entity in their midst, they moved to ensnare him with hurried steps.

Having expected this, the man wasn’t flustered and so calmly responded with a snap of his fingers.

The emergence of a black and white flame tongue served as a herald to the mighty conflagration that came next as the entire city was swallowed by the black and white flames.

Under normal circumstances, such tactics would have been a waste as though the aetheric constructs in the capital were susceptible to the properties of Embers of Twilight, the Emperor’s endless flow of Spirituality ensured that they would be able to overcome it with ease.

However, the Emperor was currently... indisposed and so for that reason, the Capital was as good as defenseless.

The entire scenery melted like wax when set alight, quickly revealing the truth behind the utopia yet again.

Taking a moment to calm himself, the man continued on his way forward until he arrived at the ruin of what was once the Imperial palace.

There, he found a young baby seated at the center while holding a golden rock with an uneven surface.

The man grew apprehensive on seeing this but soon calmed down as he sensed the flow of Spirituality in the area.

He turned his gaze upward, finding that another pod had been breached at some point with the entire situation further shedding light on the unnatural ritual Enoch had utilized to prolong his life.

The man took a deep breath before approaching the baby and without effort, lifted the stone from the child’s grasp.

The unassuming stone brimmed with unnatural divinity, marking it out as the Godstone that had been the cause of conflict between the two men.

The baby’s face distorted before it burst into tears.

Sensing as his body was slowly being ruined from the inside, the man couldn’t help but shake his head.

Even as a baby, Emperor Enoch was still so formidable.

A new level of respect emerged in Alex’s heart for him as he turned and with a snap, disappeared from the ruins.

It wouldn’t be until an hour later before an old man wearing a white robe approached the baby and with a smile, picked him up before leaving through the secret passage he arrived in.