Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 661: Two options

Chapter 661: Two options

As Ana, Nadia, and Arwen made their way into Tesus, marking the town out as the first stop on their quest to locate the Beast, Alex and Victoria took a detour from their intended destination to pay a visit to an old friend.

To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Dark Lord?

The Witch of Fables inquired as she revealed her form to Alex and Victoria.

Currently, within her treehouse made out of paper, Alex, donning a dark brown leather jacket with a white shirt and a pair of khakis and boots, made himself comfortable before proceeding to take out the sword he had strapped to his back while Victoria, donning a blood red chiton with a similarly colored ampechone, stood guard beside him.

The gray eyes of the Witch landed on the weapon, seemingly scrutinizing it before finally speaking up.

Where did you find such a powerful weapon?

"I made it," Alex replied. "What do you think?"

It is indeed powerful but the power within is unstable. I doubt you would be able to take it on in your current state.

"Hence the reason I am here."

If you wish for my aid in calming the storm you wield, I would have to disappoint you because I am incapable of such a feat.

"It’s too powerful for you?"

The difference between myself and the entity within that blade is not something that can be bridged in my current state.

"So my trip here was pointless," Alex muttered with a tired sigh. "And here I was hoping for at least a lead in dealing with this problem."

If you wish to one day serve as the master of that blade, there are two ways to go about it.

"I’m all ears," Alex replied.

The first is to wait till you get to the 7th Lock.

Alex raised a brow as he questioned. "Aren’t you the one that asked me not to cross the 7th Lock?"

That, I did.

"Now you want me to cross it to dominate this blade?"

You do not need to cross it. With what I have in mind, Alexander, you may never have to consider becoming a deity. I will tell you now that crossing the boundary between humanity and divinity is a process that cannot be reversed.

As ominous as her words sounded, Alex didn’t ponder on it too deeply as he still had trials to deal with before crossing the bridge concerning the concept of divinity.

"And what if I don’t want to wait till I hit the 7th Lock?"

Then your other option is to find something to fight the storm within that weapon. I may not be able to take on the entity, but that doesn’t mean my fellow Rulers would be incapable.

Alex raised a brow. "Are you telling me to hunt down a Greater Spirit?"

The Witch of Fables offered no response, merely shrugging in a manner that told Alex that indeed, that was what she was telling him to do.

"Who do you suggest we go after?"

In your current state, I doubt you would be able to take on a Ruler by yourself.

"Even with your aid?"

Even with my aid. You must understand something, Alexander Regulus. My current strength is not all that I am truly capable of. Due to reasons I cannot share right now, I am only able to utilize half of my true strength.

Alex frowned, finding her state quite similar to Ana before he helped her.

"You are corrupted?"

A melancholic smile adorned the corner of the Witch’s lips as she replied.

I wish. Being corrupted by the Abyss seems a much better alternative than what I have to endure.

Alex glanced at Victoria who seemed just as perplexed as he was with a dash of curiosity added to the mix.

"So how do I go about hunting a Greater Spirit if you won’t help?"

I could help but you would need to improve what you have to make up for my lacking strength.

"Any suggestions?"

You, I’m afraid, would have to figure that out on your own.

"I see." Alex looked troubled but understood that there was nothing he could do about the current situation regarding Excalibur.

The thought to seek Nyx’s aid in subduing the Artisan’s essence within the blade came up once or twice but he continued to push it aside.

After what had happened between him and Nyx, Alex wasn’t so keen on getting indebted to Nyx in any form.

In truth, Nyx was one of the reasons he decided to forge a GodKiller, hence the reason he hadn’t considered telling him anything about it.

Faced with godlike entities capable of snuffing him away, Alex needed something to give him courage, a nuclear option of sorts that ensured that if it ever came down to it, the entity would think twice before attempting to take him on.

Seeing as Alex was still deep in thought, The Witch turned her attention elsewhere, her gaze quickly falling on Victoria’s silent figure.

You seem well, child; it’s good to see those horrid scars are gone.

"All thanks to the master," Victoria said with a hint of pride. "He deemed me worthy to regain what I had lost."

That is good. However, I must warn you to be careful while treading the Spirit World.

"Why?" Victoria asked with a slight frown.

Those you stole from aren’t very happy. Their subjects no longer feel safe under them so they would seek to end you to prove that they are still worthy of being considered Rulers.

"I see," Victoria muttered, clearly troubled that she was being targeted by rather troublesome adversaries.

Just then, the Witch shifted her gaze to peer into the distance, her expression shifting ever so slightly as she sensed something approaching.

Leave now.

As she said that, she transformed into several pieces of paper before flying out of the treehouse into the distance.

Realizing that something was wrong, Victoria remarked. "Master, we should take our leave."

"Alright." Alex nodded, still in deep thought concerning Excalibur.

As the two left the Spirit World prematurely, The Witch of Fables made her way to the border of the land of fog where Basilisk was already present, her serpentine eyes narrowed as she stared at a figure approaching.

It was a horned giant covered in flames with a single eye, wielding a spear that burned with an incandescent light.

His gaze fell on the Witch and then on the Basilisk, both of whom did not back down despite being smaller than him.

A silent showdown persisted for a brief moment before the giant turned and left.

Only after he was gone did Basilisk look away, her gaze falling on the Witch as though blaming her for what had just happened.

The Witch let out a sigh.

It’s his fault for allowing a vampire to raid his territory.

Basilisk, though incapable of speech, did not hesitate to judge the Witch with her eyes before going back into the fog, leaving the Witch to stand guard at the border for a little while longer.