Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 546: Alex, I’m free

Chapter 546: Alex, I’m free

What is death?

Is it merely a cessation of life?... Or was it something more?

Perhaps, it could be likened to inexistence, or were the concepts the same?

Mortality and Immortality, Life and Death, Existence and Nonexistence.

In truth, all things suffered some form of mortality, even though they couldn’t be considered truly alive.

This brought the question, was there a way to achieve true immortality?... A state that would persist even after an inevitable end.

Arwen pondered this as she sat, listening to the voices of souls long passed.

She was forced to experience the deaths of many, while also living out their lives.

At some point, she began to lose her individuality, slowly falling into the cesspit filled with the foreboding miasma of death.

However, just as she was about to be submerged, she felt something grab her and with a forceful tug, free her from the shackles placed upon her by the dead.

Her eyes flung open to find Elena standing before her, with a backdrop of golden rays behind her illuminating the cemetery they were in.

"You are beautiful," Arwen muttered in a dreamy tone.

Elena’s expression was sour as she remarked. "Are you crazy?... What were you thinking?... If I hadn’t come to check on you, you’d have lost yourself."

"Ah, apologies, I guess I got carried away."

"Are you being serious?"

Arwen offered no response, merely flashing a smile which caused Elena to let out a resigned sigh.

"What did you even hope to accomplish by coming here?"

Arwen’s eyes lit up as she replied. "I wish to understand death, Elena, and where else to start my morbid studies than in a cemetery?"

Elena glanced back, her gaze sweeping over the numerous tombstones erected behind her.

Arwen rose to her feet, causing her to turn her attention back to her.

"If you’ll excuse me," Arwen remarked as she sidestepped Elena and moved, taking steady steps as she quickly arrived at the center of the cemetery.

Elena followed closely behind, watching as Arwen conjured a tongue of white flames that burned brightly, illuminating one-half of Arwen’s face, causing the flesh to give way, revealing a portion of her skull.

A moment later, the flames engulfed Arwen’s body, causing her youthful appearance to disappear, before being replaced by a skeletal frame wearing rags and covered in white flames.

"This..."

Before Elena could complete her statement, the flames washed over the tombstones in the cemetery, after which a series of sounds were heard, followed by the dead rising from their resting place, each one covered in the white flames controlled by Arwen.

Arwen let out a laugh as she exclaimed. "It works!"

"This is..."

"My first attempt at controlling death, Elena," Arwen remarked with a touch of pride. "With this, I begin my journey to conquer death."

Then in a lower and melancholic tone, she added. "Maybe then, I can reclaim what it has taken from me."

***

"What happens if I recall its image?" Victoria inquired as she sat within the tree house forged of paper owned by the Witch of Fables.

You would undoubtedly run mad. The entity you saw is not something you can hope to fathom. Even I did not dare look at it on that fateful day.

Victoria grimaced. "But I still feel it watching me. It’s almost like it imprinted on me in some form."

Such entities should be capable of such. My advice is to not focus on it as the more you focus, the thinner my seal gets. If the seal breaks down, it might just materialize a new form from the image ingrained in your mind.

Victoria nodded. "I understand."

Now then, on to more pressing matters. You wish to sign a contract with me?

"I do."

Alas, I cannot accept your request.

"But..."

Do not fret. It is neither because you are lacking or that I do not like you. But I give away something the moment I sign that contract and that, I cannot accept.

"I don’t understand."

It is best not to. However, that doesn’t mean that I cannot aid you. To my understanding, the Spirits that serve as your familiars are Lesser Spirits.

"That is indeed the case."

Then would you like to upgrade them?

"How?"

There is a way. But to do that, you would need to find Spirits similar to your familiars and claim a part of them. Once you have claimed parts from three Spirits for each, you may return for further instructions.

"I understand." Victoria remarked as she rose to her feet. "I’ll set off at once."

Alright then, but be careful, I do not have to make you understand the dangers of wandering the Spirit World.

"Thank you for the warning."

You’re welcome. Also, have this.

As she spoke, several pieces of paper floated into Victoria’s hand, quickly outlining a small journal.

Within the journal was written information on several types of Spirits.

You will need it.

"Thank you."

With that, Victoria took her leave, after which the Witch of Fables let out a drawn-out sigh.

***

Alex sat on the balcony, staring down at the coffee cup in his hand.

He swirled the coffee gently, his image reflected on the black surface.

Just then, he heard footsteps as Ulysses stepped out to join him.

"How long before we are good for travel?" Alex asked.

Ulysses replied. "Two weeks or more. Astra causes the beasts of the sea to be quite agitated, and considering the effects of the Bloody Banquet, it would be twice as bad. Any ship attempting to travel before the beasts calm down would be nothing short of suicidal."

"I see. What about an airship?... Since low visibility is no longer a problem with the end of winter, we can consider flying."

"I would not advise air travel over the Azure Seas."

"Why?"

"The Oceanic Enclave."

Alex raised a brow as he glanced at Ulysses. "What is that?"

"Just like Zion, they are an Empire but they do not rule over lands and instead rule over the Azure Seas. They do not allow air travel over the Azure Seas, so if they caught an airship over their waters, they would not hesitate to shoot it down, and you’d be a fool to face them on the sea, considering the Storm Wheel holds absolute control over the sea."

"I see," Alex muttered, realizing that there was still much to learn about Eventide.

"So sea travel is best but only after the sea calms down, unless you are sure of being able to take on the sea beasts in their home turf."

"Just for clarity, these beasts are just Mutants, correct?"

"More or less, but they have a significant advantage over their land counterparts."

"What advantage?"

"Some say it’s because the reason for their mutation is different from the reason for the mutation of land Mutants."

"... I see." Alex furrowed his brows as he fell into deep thought.

Just then, he heard footsteps coming from within the house.

At first, he thought it was Ulysses, but then he recalled that Ulysses was standing beside him, causing him to frown as there was no one else in the house save for an unconscious Ana, whom he had moved from the southern outpost to keep a close eye on her.

Intruder!

He immediately leaped to his feet as Ulysses instinctively backed away from the door.

A moment later, a familiar face was revealed under the illumination of the Lightbringer.

"Alex, I’m free," Ana muttered with a brilliant smile.

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