Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 684: Sir Kallimedon

Chapter 684: Sir Kallimedon

In some place within the Abyss, where large mushrooms persisted atop a lone island, each one large enough to cover an entire city, a golden glow suddenly erupted above this island, followed by the emergence of a brass submarine that looked as though it had been through better days.

The submarine plummeted helplessly onto the island, slamming down onto the earth and kicking up a great degree of dust.

Mushrooms in that area had somehow managed to evade being crushed and now, were bending inward, seemingly in a bid to crush the submarine.

However, just as they were close to doing so, the body of the submarine gave way to several energy cannons that opened fire without hesitation, destroying the mushrooms in a terrifying display, kicking up dust, pollen, and a lot of mushroom bits.

Within the submarine, the Fixer, still connected to the submarine, was seated in a corner, his expression the epitome of depression as he muttered.

"I ruined the work of the Goddess."

Meanwhile, Ulysses and Elena breathed relieved sighs as only they understood just how close to death they had been.

"Where are we?" Ulysses inquired after taking some time to calm his nerves.

Elena replied. "I have no idea. I just chartered a course far enough from the Otherworldly and took it."

"I think that’s for the best," Ulysses admitted even though the fact that he was now off course from his intended destination was quite glaring.

"What now?" Elena asked.

"Well..." trailing off, Ulysses turned to face the Fixer who was still in his feelings.

He got to his feet and approached the Automaton, closing the distance until there was an arm’s length between them before proceeding to slap him hard across the face, catching Elena and, in extension, the Fixer off guard.

"You..."

"Can you still fix the ship?" Ulysses asked, cutting the Fixer off before he could scold him.

The Fixer hesitated before ultimately nodding. "I can, but its lifespan would be dangerously low. If you don’t leave the Abyss soon, then it won’t last very long, and even outside, you would need to outfit it with parts from mundane airships if you wish for it to continue working for a few years."

"Then fix it. We’ll keep watch to ensure nothing bothers you."

Letting out a sigh, the Fixer got to his feet only for something to fall out of his bag and hit the ground, resulting in a soft clang, drawing the attention of the trio aboard the submarine.

It was a gun, but nothing like what Elena or Ulysses had come across.

Upon laying eyes on the gun, The Fixer’s eyes widened briefly before he realized his mistake.

Overtaken by his desire to fix the Goddess’s creation, he had temporarily forgotten about the reason he had left Cinerath in the first place.

"What is that?" Ulysses asked, breaking the silence.

The Fixer picked up the gun and placed it back in his pocket.

Then, he asked. "Where is Alexander Regulus?"

"... Okay?" Ulysses didn’t know how to feel about having his question completely ignored.

"Why do you want to know?" Elena stepped up to ask.

The Fixer replied. "The Goddess sent me to meet with him."

"Why?"

"We need his help."

Ulysses and Elena exchanged looks before the former inquired. "For what?"

The silence that followed was short-lived as the Fixer answered.

"To kill a god."

***

"Ladies and gentlemen, please, welcome the incumbent leader of our association, Sir Kallimedon."

The hunters in attendance murmured among themselves as they clapped, some excited to finally be meeting with the mysterious head of their organization, while others displayed a hint of wariness, and some others didn’t seem to care much.

Meanwhile, the trio, unable to ask questions given the current situation, could only watch as things proceeded.

Soon enough, Sir Kallimedon appeared.

He was an aged man that seemed to be in his fifties.

Wearing a blue tonga, he seemed more like a noble who belonged in a council than the leader of the Hunter’s Association, but regardless, no one judged his taste in wears as they waited patiently for what he had to say.

"Everyone, I am glad to finally stand before you today with good news." He began in a powerful voice.

One would immediately tell that he was a skilled orator, and so he was quick to draw the attention of the audience to what he had to say.

"Several years ago, the tragedy that was the fall of Erethetri happened, resulting in the deaths of thousands. Our predecessors, the first Hunters, had sworn to do everything in their power to bring down the creature responsible for the tragedy, but unfortunately, they failed. They passed on their legacy to the next generation, and even those ones failed to defeat the Beast. And so began the subsequent failures of the generations after, all of whom were unable to defeat the Beast."

Silence followed as everyone listened well with a melancholic atmosphere quickly settling on the audience.

"At a certain point, the Hunters Association grew disillusioned as we felt that we couldn’t win against the undefeatable foe that is the Beast. But that, my friends, is about to change."

Ana, Nadia, and Arwen exchanged looks as they wondered what Kallimedon had in store.

It seemed they had come at the right time.

"The reason our predecessors failed is because the Beast is no ordinary mutant. No, that creature is an abomination of nature that shouldn’t exist."

’More like a Branch of the Absolute.’ Ana thought to herself as Kallimedon continued.

"So just as it is said that to kill a god, another God is required. That also means that to kill an abomination, an abomination of our own is required. Wouldn’t you agree?"

A series of responses were heard with most confused on what Kallimedon meant.

"For years, we have slowly been creating an abomination of our own and now, we are at the final step. With the wave of change sweeping over the continent, it is time to perform the last rites of the ritual. So everyone I ask of you to perform your duties as hunters and make the ultimate sacrifice."