Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 492: A humiliating defeat

Chapter 492: A humiliating defeat

Alex felt strange as he walked through the snow, he couldn’t be sure if it was due to worry about what was happening at Victoria’s castle or if it was just the biting cold.

He pondered options that could be helpful given the current state of things.

With the enemy quite prepared, it was difficult to make plans that could potentially overturn whatever they had in store.

But this wasn’t his first time against insurmountable odds, so why did it feel like this time there was no way around it?

He let out a sigh, pausing for a moment as he watched the cold mist escape his lips.

If only there could be a time when the situation wasn’t so complicated.

But perhaps he was asking for too much.

Recalling what Ashtyx had said... He wondered if perhaps this was the Aether’s attempt to deal with him.

It seemed far-reaching... But it wasn’t completely without basis.

Regardless... he decided to focus on getting... through this storm.

The more he tried to move forward... the farther... he seemed to get from his goal.

Even a fool... Would be able to tell... that something was at play.

Then he paused, realizing that not only his sense of direction was off.

Even his mind... was slowing down, making it difficult to keep... coherent thoughts.

Immediately, he snapped, utilizing Mindscape and then he felt it.

Tiny worms that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.

They were numerous and together, they made their way towards his brain, seeking to nest within.

Alex didn’t even hesitate to drive them out, forming a wave of destructive force in his mind to drive out all mental influence.

A cry echoed from somewhere the moment the worms were completely dealt with.

Alex’s expression shifted as he glanced in the direction of the sound.

His eyes narrowed, he took the first step forward before instinctively snapping.

The next moment, an explosion occurred at his location resulting in a smoke cloud and shockwave that swept around the area, temporarily clearing the stormy winds.

The cloud cleared to reveal Alex unharmed with Charlotte standing before him, her sword already drawn and ready for combat.

An eerie silence persisted amidst the howling winds for a time before the origin of the surprise attack revealed itself.

A figure wearing a clown mask and a cloak, stood, radiating an icy chill that resonated with the surrounding cold.

"Who are you?" Alex inquired but the figure gave no response, merely raising their palm toward Alex.

As an eye opened at the center of the palm, yet another beam of light shot forward with murderous intent.

***

By the time he arrived with Lucille, it was a bit too late.

The enemy was quick and incredibly smart.

To think that they had waited for him to let his guard down before launching such an attack.

It was frightening to think that a place like the Abyss known for its madness would be capable of such incredible planning but perhaps that was where he got it wrong.

The Abyss was indeed a mad place but sometimes not all things regarded as mad were foolish.

It could be said that they were a bit too smart for their good.

Regardless, this was hardly the time to dwell on such thoughts as he closed his eyes to try and feel for his clone within the barrier.

The connection felt far away despite being so close.

"It’s falling apart." Lucille pointed out that she did not attempt to move.

Alex made to snap only for her to grab his wrist.

"Do that and you risk losing yourself in the Abyss."

Realizing he may have lost his cool due to urgency, Alex took a moment to scrutinize the barrier as it fell apart, quickly realizing that the space left behind was too chaotic to attempt teleportation.

Which meant there was no other choice but to wait.

Though Alex wasn’t in danger of death, thinking about how his carefully picked team was about to die left him with a terrible heartache.

He hardly had the time or energy to scout for new blood.

Cursing inwardly, he could only hope for the best.

***

It was a humiliating defeat for all involved.

None would have expected it and though they could not be fully blamed for the outcome, they all accepted that their actions so far had been lackluster.

Watching as death approached with the walls of the crimson barrier crashing down in quick succession, all struggled to ponder what they could have done better to salvage their situation.

But it was pointless and so, the moment the temporal lock faded, Arthur was the first to act, his howls accompanied by a wave of heat that melted the solidified blood.

Meanwhile, Douglas couldn’t even make a move, dropping to his knees as he stared wide-eyed at where Emily once was.

"We have to get out of here," Arthur exclaimed loudly as he watched even more chunks of the crimson barrier fall.

Alex shook his head. "We can’t. The space surrounding the barrier is unstable. If we move, we risk death. Our chances are greater here."

"Damn it." Arthur cursed and was just about to howl again when everything suddenly disappeared.

Before they could figure out what was happening, there was a voice.

My, my, I wondered why a beacon of mine was present here. I thought to ignore it but the scent of value was so strong, I had no choice but to breach worlds to arrive here.

Nadia swiveled back only to grow frightened at the sight behind.

A humanoid female stood in the middle of the magic circle she’d drawn, her curvaceous body formed from precious metals and her eyes glowing with an indescribable emotion that left Nadia listless.

"Amase." Arwen blurted out as she placed a palm over her mouth, struggling to hold back the vomit threatening to come out.

Ignoring them for a moment, Amase glanced at the falling chunks of crimson and snorted.

A wave of her hand caused the chunks to disappear after which she refocused on the group before her, all gathered in one spot for easy viewing.