Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 551: The Spirit World

Chapter 551: The Spirit World

Aelenius ignored the clamoring citizens of Albanum as he rode his horse forward, slowly making his way through the numerous wreckage toward the center of the town that was a bit more organized, perhaps owing to the magnificent church situated at the central square.

It stood as a beacon of hope at some point but after the last incident, no one had dared to go close.

Some had said that the priest had committed atrocities, destroying the sanctity of the hallowed grounds which was why a monster managed to get in without issues.

Others claimed that the church had lost its purity the moment the town was stained with the blood of the innocent.

Regardless, what was rampant now was the fact that no one dared to approach the church, merely watching from a distance as Aelenius approached without fear.

"Go in and check." Aelenius calmly intoned as he came to a stop several meters away from the stairs leading up to the church.

Four of his men nodded as they swiftly got down from their horses, after which they pulled out their swords and made their way up the stairs.

Though Aelenius seemed relaxed, that was hardly the case as his senses were on high alert and his palm rested on the hilt of his blade, prepared to act once the bait he had thrown managed to give him an understanding of what he was facing.

Due to the overflowing yin permeating the atmosphere even after the end of Astra, he couldn’t quite tell what sort of dark entity he was facing.

The men stepped in one at a time, nerves of steel accompanying them as they showed no fear entering into the belly of the beast.

Minutes passed, but it seemed like there was nothing in the church, causing Aelenius to let out a sigh.

It seemed the enemy was not lying in wait which meant he might have to draw them out.

Just as he got down from his horse, he heard something strange causing his ear to twitch.

The next moment, there was a loud bang followed by a faint whistle and then a dull thud causing him to glance in the direction the sounds had come from.

His gaze fell on the unmoving body of his subordinate whose body was bloodied with numerous cuts across his body, showing that his death was caused by the sword.

Aelenius frowned as he realized that he had underestimated his foe.

Following that, screams echoed from within the confines of the church accompanied by the crisp sound of metal clashing against metal before finally, pained cries erupted.

It wasn’t until almost a minute later that someone stepped out of the church building, covered in blood and cuts, with his sword at his side.

"Monster, there are monsters everywhere, monsters!" The man seemed to have lost his mind as he mumbled incoherent rubbish before proceeding to raise his sword and rush forward like a madman intent on killing all those in his path.

Aelenius didn’t hesitate to act as he quoted scripture. "The divine fist of the Lord shall come down, bringing down justice to the sinners and heretics."

Following that, he clenched his fist and shot out a blow while exerting his Will.

The head of the crazed subordinate exploded like a watermelon a moment later.

Seeing the blood and brain matter of his subordinate, Aelenius clicked his tongue as he finally had an understanding of his opponent. "Will you come out here or would you like me to bring you out myself?"

Seconds ticked before the doors swung open and Nadia stepped out, her form wreathed in malevolent shadows interspersed with crimson red.

Her very presence elicited terror in the faint of heart as those who had followed Aelenius and his group let out screams as they ran away, hoping to distance themselves from her.

Even Aelenius’ subordinates were partially affected though their courage managed to beat down the terror in their hearts.

Aelenius sneered. "So it was just a pathetic Devil Wheel Mystic, I never thought I’d get the chance to kill the likes of you so quickly. It must be my lucky day."

Nadia offered no response, her expression impassive as her eyes glowed with malicious intent.

***

The Spirit World existed as a sort of supernatural ecosystem for Spirits.

There were forests, fog-covered lands, deserts, tundras, and so much more, each environment tailored to different types of Spirits that thrived in such places.

Spirits didn’t have superpowers, but compared to humans, it appeared that way.

It was just like how a spider could weave webs or how a feline could see in the dark.

These were just characteristics they possessed, but from the human perspective, they could be regarded as supernatural powers.

Of course, that didn’t mean Spirits were ordinary animals, as they existed as more ethereal creatures than physical, allowing them perks like longevity and a capacity to affect the aether in minute amounts.

Separated into classes for human understanding, the ones at the top of the food chain were Greater Spirits, of which The Witch of Fables and Basilisk were regarded.

Such beings could be regarded as rulers of the Spirit World, with each having their territory separate from one another to prevent conflict.

The Witch of Fables and the Basilisk were perhaps the only Greater Spirits that had no issues sharing territory within the fog lands since both were almost always asleep for some weird reason.

Others, like the King of Spiritual Flames, who persisted in the volcanic regions, and the Frost Queen, who reigned in the tundra, were not as welcoming and were even aggressive to those who did not pay homage.

It was in one such environment Victoria ended up in her quest to find the perfect match for her familiars.

The three-eyed foxes, also known as the Kitsune, were known for two things, one of which was their flames and the other, their ability to trick the eyes with mirages.

With careful thought, Victoria decided to gain materials to upgrade the flames of her bond as she understood that her offensive capabilities were quite lacking.

This was why she stood at the edge of the territory of the King of Spiritual Flames, her gaze sweeping over the extensive volcanic region that seemed to stretch on for as far as the eyes could see.

As space and time were relative in the Spirit World, with no real constraints as was the case in the real world, Victoria didn’t dare to think that the Greater Spirit ruling over this region was far away.

Even though he was no deity with omniscience over his territory, that didn’t mean he didn’t have other ways to keep watch to prevent intruders from easily entering.