Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 563: Atlantis

Chapter 563: Atlantis

It took but a moment and a simple exertion of Ana’s Will for the advancing murlocs to turn to dust, leaving behind the few pieces of clothing they’d still had on as a reminder that there were once living entities present.

Furrowing his brows, Ulysses commented. "I could have sworn I saw one of them wearing Mr. Vissarion’s clothes."

"I saw it too." Alex concurred, pursing his lips for a moment before adding. "It would seem they were also Storm Wheel Mystics."

"But then why are they out here wandering?" Ulysses inquired.

That, my Organic friend, is a question we might only be able to get the answer to once we find our way into the castle.

"Everyone ready?" Alex asked, prepared to snap.

Ana replied. "A moment please."

Taking a deep breath, she exerted her Will once again, enveloping Athena in a temporal bubble that prevented entities from boarding the ship.

Humphrey also acted, transmuting the air to create a mirage that effectively hid the existence of the ship.

Satisfied with their preparations, they turned to Alex who snapped a moment later.

A deluge of darkness intertwined with light engulfed them before disappearing, leaving the deck of Athena devoid of living beings.

***

Black and white light erupted before the castle entrance, quickly dissipating to reveal Alex and the others.

Their closeness allowed them to gain a new perspective of the towering edifice tethering on the brink of collapse.

It seemed enormous, almost comparable to the city of Thebes, though with very different architecture.

At the gates stood two enormous standing statues, each one depicting an armored knight wielding spears with the armor appearing somewhat different from the armor styles once utilized by man before the advent of the industrial age.

The gate they guarded had an arch, and on the arch, there seemed to be something written, but alas, no one was able to decipher it.... Or not.

"Welcome," Ulysses muttered softly, seemingly in an attempt to read out what was written.

Alex glanced at Ulysses. "You can read it?"

"Somewhat. It’s really strange, I have no idea what language this is. However, it does have similarities to the Altan language of the Oceanic Enclave."

"Is this normal for all Nester family members?"

"More or less. The blessings of our ancestors, the Traveler, allow us to read ancient texts and languages with minimal effort. Of course, the languages we can read need to have been deciphered already."

"But you said he died. His blessings persist even after death?" Alex inquired with a raised brow.

"... I think so," Ulysses replied, though he didn’t seem too certain.

Mystics don’t die straightforwardly, let alone deities. Even if a deity’s physical body is destroyed, the concept they represent remains and that is something that cannot be permanently erased.

"I see." Alex nodded thoughtfully.

It also helps that Ulysses holds the essence of his ancestor, allowing him to easily access the boons of his deific power.

Hearing this, Ulysses instinctively reached for his stomach and placed his palm over his abdomen, faintly sensing the delicate balance between the Traveler’s divine essence and the Lord of Flesh and Blood’s corruption.

"We should get going. The longer we stay here, the harder it gets to breathe properly." Ana suddenly remarked. "I dare say only those of the Storm Wheel would be able to survive for as long as possible."

"Yet they can’t come here lest they wish to turn into raving monstrosities." Alex intoned.

"I should be able to help with that," Ulysses remarked as he exerted his Will in an amateurish manner while pulling out a mystical card from the emptiness of space.

Fiddling with it for a moment, he went ahead to modify the bodies of Alex and Ana, allowing them to be able to breathe in the wet environment.

"What did you do?" Alex asked out of curiosity as Ana took a deep breath, enjoying the lack of restriction.

"I just adjusted the state of your lungs. It won’t last long but if I keep at it, it should be able to keep up for an hour, I think."

Ana nodded in approval. "You see and just a moment ago, you were saying you wouldn’t be helpful."

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Ulysses didn’t give a response while Alex turned his attention back to the towering gate covered in moss and creeping vines.

Allow me.

Humphrey took steady steps forward, quickly arriving before the gates before proceeding to push at them, forcing them open with no signs of struggle.

The gates swung open just as a lightning bolt flashed overhead, revealing a grand courtyard almost large enough to fit a thousand people.

With hanging gardens and water fountains, the most eye-catching decoration was the statue of a humanoid figure wielding a bident made with alabaster.

The humanoid figure appeared to be a man with a full beard and long slicked back hair.

The man had a muscular physique that didn’t seem to lose out to the Beastmen, but that was where his human features ended as his lower body was a fishtail, marking him out as not just any humanoid, but a merman, a Cryptid species never seen before.

"Atlantis." Ulysses and Ana blurted out instinctively as they gazed upon the statue with admiration.

"What?" Alex glanced at him.

"This castle, it’s related to the ancient Kingdom of Atlantis!" Ana said in excitement, reminding Alex of her reaction when they first found themselves in Isena Thalore, the lost city of the Elves.

Ulysses remarked. "Who would have thought?... The Enclave had been built on the remains of this ancient civilization but due to their actions, very few things were preserved. This is perhaps the first structure from the ancient era to still be in its original state."

Before Alex could say anything, both Ulysses and Ana rushed forward to inspect the statue, studying the murals depicted on the base with the aid of the intermittent lightning flashes.

Letting out a sigh, Alex decided to let them do as they pleased.

"Kids, am I right?" He intoned casually in faint amusement only to be met with silence.

He glanced to the side only to realize that Humphrey had also succumbed to his scholarly interests, taking his time to study the intriguing murals drawn on the water fountains.

Massaging his temples, Alex couldn’t help but wonder if they were here for an important matter or to explore.

Perhaps, he should not have agreed for them to come here.