Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 212: Strangled

Chapter 212: Strangled

Alex tossed and turned in bed, his mind a rough mess as he pondered what he’d learned today.

It was a bit much for him to take in all at once but regardless he was thankful he was no longer completely clueless about the circumstances around him.

Currently, in a city on the precipice of destruction, Alex was left to ponder what to do next.

He had the option to quickly head for the Labyrinth of Dread but with the presence of strange creatures called Shadows and a cult worshiping a god that hasn’t been born yet, Alex was left to grapple with where he fit into such a chaotic picture.

"What to do..." Alex muttered as he sat up, his gaze unfocused as he couldn’t help but place his right palm on the scar on his chest.

It still throbbed from time to time but it was at a manageable level.

Pursing his lips, Alex soon decided on meditation with his eyes closed in a bid to converge his thoughts.

As he did so, a strange image soon emerged within his thoughts.

It was of a young faceless girl standing at a distance with a warm smile.

She seemed to say something but Alex was unable to decipher it.

As he stared at her, he couldn’t help but think that he knew her but attempts at a recollection only left him with a painful headache.

He tried to come close, hopeful that maybe her face would be a bit clearer, but hardly had he taken a step forward when he realized his sudden lack of breath, and no matter how much he tried, the suffocating pressure only grew worse.

Realizing that it wasn’t a figment of his imagination, Alex’s eyes snapped open just in time to realize that he was being strangled.

Grabbing at his neck, it quickly became clear that his attacker wasn’t a corporeal entity.

"...!" He relaxed his body and completed the Rule of Triune almost instantly, at which point his eyes flashed a bright yellow.

He hurriedly snapped his fingers just as he was almost out of breath and teleported from his bed to the living room, allowing him to barely escape the unexpected attack.

Feeling his neck, Alex took deep breaths as he stared at the passageway with shock and utter confusion. "What the hell was that?... Could it have been a Shadow?... But how come?... And why?"

The fact that the Shadow had appeared literally out of nowhere and had come for Alex left him flustered and completely out of it.

It would seem more questions would be added to Alex’s already growing list of queries.

At that moment, the shadows in the passageway seemed to come alive, dancing and moving peculiarly.

Alex readied to snap again only for the shadows to settle down, leaving him perplexed.

"What just..."

Just then, the sound of footsteps cut him off.

Soon, Gerald arrived, clutching an effigy of an angelic symbol in his right hand.

"You are awake?"

"Mn." Gerald nodded as he scanned the passageway before shifting to the living room. "I sensed something so I thought to check."

"Oh."

"Did anything happen?"

"I was attacked," Alex replied as he inhaled deeply before adding. "By a Shadow."

Gerald’s expression shifted as he grew vigilant. "A Shadow?... In here?"

"It must have left when it sensed your presence," Alex replied before asking. "How come it attacked me despite me not stepping ever since I woke up."

"Hah, I have no idea why it would target you but I will tell you this... Shadows are capable of entering a house even with abundant lighting."

"But you said it attached itself to others because it can’t enter alone."

"And I also said those creatures mess with us just because it’s fun."

"..." Alex remained silent as he soon realized what Gerald was trying to say.

A minute of silence passed before Alex muttered. "What now?"

"I’ll inspect the house, don’t worry."

"I’m not worried about that. Shouldn’t you be worried that the Shadow could attack Rebecca?"

"I’d be more worried about it than Rebecca in such a scenario."

"... I see." Though curious to understand what he meant, Alex shifted his attention to the effigy Gerald was carrying.

"What’s that?"

Gerald glanced at the effigy before sighing. "A keepsake from the church of Angelica. They distributed it to all remaining Popolis survivors after it was made known that we couldn’t leave the city as it carried the risk of the Shadow spreading."

"How does it work?"

"Based on what they said, it’s set to create a flash of light as long as the user recites the first verse of the Noxus."

"The entire thing?" Alex raised a brow.

Gerald let out yet another sigh. "Unfortunately so."

Alex was inclined to comment but before he got a chance, Gerald turned and left, with the latter more interested in inspecting his household to ensure the Shadow was truly gone.

Watching Gerald’s back leave, Alex finally let out a sigh of relief as he pondered the image of the girl he’d seen while meditating.

Despite having no memory of her, Alex got a familiar feeling when he saw her, almost like they knew each other but his memories painted a different picture, prompting him to ask questions.

Who was she?... Did she have a connection with the girl in his dream and most importantly, did she have a hand in his current situation?

Left with even more questions with barely any answers to the growing list, Alex retired for the night and this time, he slept with no disruptions.

***

Alex awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and ready for a new day.

Getting out of bed, he did a few exercises to loosen up his stiff body before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

As he got out of the toilet, he slowly made his way back to his room while pondering his potential plans for the day.

But just as he passed the living room, an audible ’what!’ escaped from there prompting him to look in.

There, Gerald sat on the couch with a piece of printed paper in his hands.

Alex raised his brow, curious about the situation. "Is everything okay?"

"..." Gerald let out a heavy sigh as he glanced at Alex, a hint of melancholy visible in his eyes. "Watson is dead."