Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 678: A ridiculously large metal orb

Chapter 678: A ridiculously large metal orb

The sound of continuous blasts of energy echoed alongside the searing of flesh and blood, resulting in a cacophony that echoed across the mostly silent landscape of the Abyss.

Ignoring the screeches of the insectoids, the Fixer continued his task with a single-minded focus, working at a rate that Ulysses confessed was completely inhuman, which was understandable considering the individual in question was not human, to begin with.

Slowly but surely, the damage to the submarine was fixed.

Unfortunately, Ulysses was quick to notice that though it was fixed, it looked lackluster compared to what he recalled.

It was almost like the difference between a brand-new device and one that had been used for two years.

This was to be expected considering the original creator was the Goddess of Automation herself.

Even as the Fixer was currently enjoying her blessings, there was no way he would be able to replicate her handiwork.

It didn’t help that the Goddess was in a weakened state and that they were in the Abyss.

If Ulysses were to guess, he anticipated that the lifespan of the ship would be drastically halved which was quite heartbreaking considering he had hoped to turn it into an exploration vessel after the journey with Alex.

Regardless, he would have to accept things as they were for now.

Perhaps, in the future, if the Goddess once again claimed her throne, he would be able to request another ship.

Just then, he noticed that outside had grown silent with the cries of the insectoids no longer being heard.

"I think it’s done," Ulysses remarked though he expected no response from the Fixer.

He didn’t immediately push the button to call off the cannons as he opted to inspect outside first.

"Allow the cannons to blow off some steam, else they might not last for too long." The Fixer suddenly said, with Ulysses rushing to do as instructed, only to pause.

"How do I..."

"The button on the left side of the red button. Push down on it and hold."

"Ah, alright," Ulysses said as he pushed down on the button.

The next instant, the crisp sound of steam being released echoed across all cannons causing the entire ship to be briefly shrouded in a white mist.

"... That’s a lot," Ulysses muttered as he took his finger off the button.

Letting out a sigh as the white mist rapidly cleared up, he walked over to the navigation chart and utilized the telescope to inspect the area around them.

Ulysses froze as he laid eyes on the charred remains of the insectoids.

They floated about, causing the area around the ship to resemble a terrifying battlefield.

To think that he had considered fighting so many at a time.

Ulysses trembled at the horrifying fate that awaited him if they had defeated him.

What if, just like Baba Yaga, they decided to turn him into a limitless supply of meat?

Just the thought alone caused him to despair before he quickly caught himself.

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he couldn’t help but think out loud. "I wonder if these insectoids are related to an Otherworldly. Maybe they are like a colony and the queen is the Otherworldly."

A funny thought but surprisingly not far from the truth.

"It’s known as the Hivemind." The Fixer remarked as he got to his feet.

Ulysses turned back to look at him. "You are done?"

"Not yet. I need some more materials to finish the work."

"But..."

"There’s a storage unit. I’ll get it from there."

"Alright." Ulysses breathed out a sigh of relief before pausing as though recalling something, his expression turning grave. "There’s an Otherworldly close by?"

"Indeed. Don’t worry, it’s incapable of movement. The only that you need to worry about are the insectoids that it births, and even then, if you kill enough of the disgusting fuckers, it will leave you alone."

"Oh, that’s good news."

The Fixer chuckled. "You worry too much. Most Otherworldly in the Abyss are dormant."

"How do you know that?" Ulysses couldn’t help but ask.

"Because the Abyss is a constant threat to Eventide. Naturally, the Goddess would take precautions to learn more about it so that if it ever poses a threat, we can better react to it."

"Couldn’t it corrupt her?"

The Fixer’s expression shifted, almost as though Ulysses’ words were the ultimate form of heresy but then he let out a resigned sigh.

"It almost did. We had carried out explorations back then to ensure that the Abyss never posed a threat to mankind. This happened during the War of the New Age."

"What happened?"

"I don’t know." The Fixer admitted in a heavy tone. "I wasn’t part of the explorers. I had only worked in building the ships they used."

"Oh."

"However, none of them returned and the Goddess was forced to fight against a terrifying corruption that almost destroyed her. Luckily, She was able to deal with it. Ever since then, all explorations into the Abyss ceased."

Ulysses grew frightened at the notion that there was actually something on the Abyss that had nearly corrupted the Goddess of Automation, a being that was without a doubt, one of the strongest entities on Eventide.

He didn’t even dare to feel curiosity towards such a thing.

The fear that it would come for him ensured that he remained ignorant.

"Anyway, the bottom line is that the Otherworldly are mostly dormant unless something or someone draws their attention. So we should be..."

A sudden tremor in the ship caused the Fixer to pause, his expression shifting as he immediately knew that something was wrong.

"Don’t tell me that’s an Otherworldly," Ulysses muttered.

Instead of a response, the Fixer closed his eyes and reached his hands out.

The next instant, several wires emerged from the ship and pierced his skin, allowing him to access the ship at a deeper level.

At that moment, he was the ship, and the ship was him.

Then, he saw it.

A ridiculously large metal orb covered with pins, accompanied by four slender pyramids with a metallic texture that continuously rotated about it.