Hunter of the Evernight-Chapter 829: Head off

The shared dream of the Nester family was to one day map out the entirety of Eventide, with some even taking it a step further to wish for a map encompassing all dimensions, including Eventide.

Ulysses had begun to doubt that dream from the moment he watched his father and other extended relatives of his die in an unknown place.

That doubt only grew as he returned to Scholastica to learn of the death of not only his mother, but also a sister he knew nothing about.

This meant that he was the last member of his family, an orphan in a sense.

Sure, the extended Nester family still existed out there, but the nuclear unit that consisted of his father, his mother, his sister, and him now only had him to serve as a reminder that such a unit once existed.

It was a terrible thing, terrible enough to force him to decide not to continue on the path of a Nester.

But as he stood on the balcony of his bedroom, staring at the night sky, which was graced by the brilliance of the Nighteye, he realized that doing so would not honor the memories of those who had passed.

Every single member of his nuclear family had died living the life of a Nester.

The best way to honor them would be to complete what they had started.

And with what he had within, Ulysses thought he had a really good chance of doing so.

Clenching his fist, he muttered. "I won’t stop, I promise."

It was a heartfelt promise, one he truly intended to keep.

Just then, he felt something come over him, causing him to gasp as he thought those above had heard his promise and had given him their blessings.

It was a dumb thought but Ulysses didn’t bother trying to think too much about it. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Just then, there was a knock at the door, prompting him to walk back into the room to answer.

He opened the door to find Kallias on the other end, a smile plastered on his lips.

"Uncle, you are here?" He seemed pleasantly surprised as he asked.

"Had something important to talk to you about," Kallias said. "May I come in?"

"Of course." Ulysses stepped aside after which Kallias walked in, then he closed the door.

"Is everything alright, uncle?" He asked with Kallias replying.

"Of course. We had a meeting today. They agreed to keep the name, Codex of Duality."

"That’s good news."

"Indeed. Also, they have approved funding to begin a study on the Codex and what it could potentially mean for us."

"I reckon great things."

"I reckon the same," Kallias remarked. "Which is why I want you to join us."

"I would be honored," Ulysses remarked. "But are you sure other TruthSeekers would be okay with this?... I mean, I’m not exactly a part of the community."

"It doesn’t matter," Kallias remarked smilingly. "What matters is that I want you on the team. So, do you accept?"

"Absolutely. When do we start and what do you need me to do?"

"We start tomorrow," Kallias remarked. "And as for what you do?... Well, you said your cells are in a constant state of dying and regenerating, right?"

Ulysses nodded. "Something like that."

"Tell me, would it be possible to create another living being?"

Ulysses pursed his lips, taking a moment to ponder before ultimately replying. "I should once I go further up in the Abyss Wheel but it would be an empty husk. A Soma without pneuma or Avatar."

"That’s more than enough," Kallias said.

Then, he suddenly pulled out a revolver and shot Ulysses in the head, shocking the young man greatly.

Before he could figure out what was happening, Kallias shot him five more times, causing his head to explode like a watermelon. After this, Ulysses’s headless body dropped to the ground with a dull thud, his heart still beating vigorously.

Kallias approached the young man and watched as tendrils of flesh began to slowly join together, a phenomenon which fascinated him greatly.

"Interesting." He murmured as he then loudly remarked. "Come in."

Just then, two men walked inside, and on closer observation, they appeared to be part of the group that had accompanied Ulysses and Kallias to the Unending Carnival.

"Take him to the lab. We have to begin testing as soon as possible."

"Understood."

The two mercenaries picked up Ulysses’ headless body and began to drag it away, of course, not before taking out a dagger forged out of Quillion and stabbing it into his neck stump.

Once they were gone, Kallias took his leave as well, not even bothering to take care of the bloodstain on the ground.

***

/2 weeks later/

The news of Sklaviunt’s disappearance spread across the entirety of Henos, causing further panic among those who already felt like the continent was on the brink of falling apart completely.

To investigate the truth of the matter, Lyssandros, in a bid to further his campaign to unite the continent, sent out a party to speak with Scholastica about the incident only for the party to be turned back at the gates, followed by the announcement that the city would be closing its gates to any and all visitors, to embark on what they described as a journey into the unknown.

None thought much of the declaration, after all, it was hardly the first time such a thing had happened and so, though a few thought Lyssandros would be offended, the aspiring emperor instead respected the wishes of Scholastica and to ensure that no one would be affected by the situation in what was once the location of Sklaviunt, he dispatched a company comprised of one of his best commanders along with a thousand men to secure the perimeter.

Hopefully, that way, they would be able to buy time long enough for the leadership of Scholastica to finally address the matter, strange as it was.

And so, life continued in Henos, with most unaware of the storm brewing on the horizon.