Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 619: The cry of a woman

However, despite his unmatched aura, Adrian remained calm as he took a step forward and intoned.

"Raphael, it’s been a while." He intoned, causing the Titan’s expression to shift, clearly shocked by the way he’d been addressed.

Who are you to say my name so casually?

"Do you not know who I am?" Adrian inquired as a faint smile appeared at the corners of his lips. "Look closer."

Raphael, clearly confused at first, instinctively did as Adrian had asked, the mortal’s form reflecting on his pupil-less eyes.

A moment later, a gasp escaped his lips as he remarked.

So it’s you.

"Indeed."

How did you find a human body strong enough to contain your presence?

Taking steps forward, Adrian replied. "All it takes is a little subversion. Regardless, this is not my full power. Despite being the Hero of Light, he can only contain a minuscule aspect of what I am and even that is suppressed."

Why are you here?

"You should know already."

You expect me to guide you on my Wheel?... That ruins my chances.

"I doubt it. I am only here to deal with a problem. Once that problem is resolved, then you may take this mortal to do with as you please. Do not worry, they aren’t truly dead."

Raphael’s gaze turned thoughtful as he pondered Adrian’s proposal, weighing the pros and cons while regarding the figure.

Soon enough, he remarked.

Fine then, but don’t expect that I would reduce the trial difficulty for your sake.

"I never asked for that. Now then, what is my first trial?"

A sigh escaped Raphael’s lips as he glanced in a certain direction, causing an arched gate, forged from silver and covered in white feathers to emerge from the ground.

Glancing at the tree-like symbol at the center of the gate, Adrian’s expression turned melancholic.

Understand what it means to be at war. That is your first trial.

"Understood."

Saying that Adrian was kicked out of the floating city rather unceremoniously, with Raphael letting out yet another sigh.

He seemed to be torn between worry and excitement for what was to come.

***

It had been roughly ten days since Nadia and the others arrived in Henos.

They had been lucky enough to convince the captain of their ship to join them in their quest to reunite with Alex, though that was partly because the captain had a rather vested interest in Nadia.

Apart from the occasional flirting she had to endure, Nadia felt the captain had done right by them so far, helping them get suitable lodging in Pheripolis as well as serving as the bridge that allowed them to communicate with the locals in search of information considering none of the girls were learned in Kantoj.

In any case, they’d found themselves stuck since they arrived, unable to leave the city, not because they didn’t want to but simply because they couldn’t.

Word on the street claimed that Henos was currently a big battlefield with the strongest members of the Solomon Alliance fighting amongst themselves for various reasons while the barbarians gathered under the banner of King Ull, who claimed to be the son of God tasked with creating an empire similar to Zion, Salem, and Judah, though which God he was the child of was up for debate.

As it was, Pheripolis was one of those that were still marginally peaceful though the situation was slowly devolving by the day.

Tensions were high and the people were scared that they would be targeted by King Ull and his budding barbarian empire.

On the plus side, Arwen had become quite docile since their arrival in Henos.

She’d been a headache aboard the ship, causing incidents that could have ended badly had Nadia, Victoria, and Elena not been waiting to stop her.

Of course, though she was docile, Nadia didn’t dare think the danger was averted after all, there was always a calm before the storm.

Putting aside the terrifying corruption of her avatar, Nadia was not about to forget about Arwen’s identity as a Banshee.

The chances of being attacked by denizens of the Wailing Peaks were high, so they didn’t dare to let their guards down.

Considering it would take a while before they would be able to leave Pheripolis, the group turned the lodge they were staying in into a mini fortress, making use of formations to ensure that they would be prepared for anything.

Letting out a sigh, Nadia stood at her bedroom window, her gaze fixated on the sky as the Lightbringer shut its doors followed by a shrill sound accompanying the opening of the Nighteye.

This scene caused her to recall an experience in Bonehaven when she and Alex had witnessed the opening of the Lightbringer together.

Those were the best of times before everything went to shit.

As a single tear trailed down her cheek, she sniffed before closing the window and making her way downstairs to join the others for dinner.

Everyone was already present when she arrived with Alice gesturing for her to sit by her side.

Feigning a shy demeanor, Nadia sat down as she requested with Alice making a passive comment on her appearance.

Their host quickly served them a traditional dinner with eggs from quails, which was even more common than chickens in Henos, along with olives, cheese, and bread.

As they got down to eating, Elena was the first to speak, posing a question to Arwen.

"Have you had any dreams lately?"

Pursing her lips, Arwen nodded. "But it’s no longer as scary as before."

"You no longer find it scary?" Nadia muttered.

"I guess so. I tried communicating with the burning skeleton, but all I got in response were curses, so I stopped trying."

Nadia, Elena, and Victoria exchanged looks with Alice, not bothering to comment.

As much as she was interested in Nadia, she wasn’t about to risk her life on things she had no understanding about.

Just then, they all heard the cry of a woman.