《HEX: Aspect Of The Void》


 Chapter 1 - PROLOGUE

    WAR!


    That was the only word to describe this deadly urrence. There were tremors, destructive sts of wrath. The minor gods could do nothing but cower in fear and helplessness as the Primordial ones were engaged in deadlybat.


    "Is this the end...?" Loki said, cowering in fear.


    He had witnessed the destruction of his older brother, Thor, who was foolish enough to stand against one of the Primordials, the one who instigated the conflict they were all experiencing.


    "Why did it have toe to this?" Hephaestus gritted his teeth.


    His forge had been destroyed, along with over One-Third of the entire Heavenly Realm.


    "At this rate... We''ll all be killed!" Anubis groaned.


    He had suffered a great injury, which cost him his right hand and left eye. This was caused by a mere fragment of the radiation from thebat.


    "I was foolish enough to draw closer to witness the fight... And now I''ve forever lost parts of my body." The god of the dead bellowed.


    He looked at his fellow god, Osiris, who was struggling to breathe now. For one who was said to guide fallen ones to the afterlife, the one who weighed their actions and delivered judgment to them... He was the one who now feared death.


    Anubis was powerless as he watched hisrade breathe hisst. Even gods could die... It was an easy task for the Primordial ones who stood above the rest of them.


    As the gods looked above them, watching the heavens get torn apart and everything they had gloriously enjoyed get destroyed and consumed in the conflict... They only had one thought.


    "It''s all ''His'' fault!"


    "Curse ''Him''"


    "Why did ''He'' have to do this!"


    These were the thoughts of the gods as they watched the devastating war between the Primordials. The cause of this conflict was the ''He'' whom they all despised and raged against. He was none other than Hexarion, the Primordial of the Sixth Aspect.


    They could do nothing but watch... And pray. The gods all prayed in their hearts that the one who caused all the havoc and chaos would be vanquished by the 5 Primordial ones who rose against him. They were the mightiest and as such only they could defeat Hexarion.


    "We pray Primordials..." The gods, the ones who were to be worshipped, now prayed with all they had. "PLEASE PASS YOUR JUDGEMENT ON THE EVIL ONE... HEXARION!"


    [MEANWHILE]


    The Primordial gods gazed at their enemy. He had been severely wounded by their assault on him, yet he would not relent.


    "Stop your foolishness Hexarion. A single Primordial can not hope to defeat 5" Leviathan stated.


    Hexarion remained silent.


    "Tch, let''s just end him. The realms are suffering from the aftershock of our conflict. The time it will take to properly repair them is considerable. All because of your foolish tantrum!" Gilga said in annoyance.


    The other three didn''t even bother speaking or reasoning with Hexarion. There was only one solution and end to the conflict at hand... The destruction of Hexarion.


    "What makes you so certain... that you are able to achieve that?" Hexarion said slowly with a crooked smile.


    Since no Primordial one had ever been destroyed in the past, they were unsure whether even they could kill Hexarion, however, Leviathan was certain of what to do.


    "No matter what farce you may make... Or what doubt you seek to nt, there is no question about it, your foolishness ends here." Leviathan stated withposure.


    Hexarion''s smile disappeared. It was just like Leviathan to see through his guise.


    "It is true that as long as you possess an Aspect we are unable to kill you since it is essential part of this world''s existence. Without it, the entire universe will fall out of bnce, just like the rest of ours as well." Leviathan said.


    "Then..." Gilga protested. Was there really no way to permanently get rid of the bastard?


    "However, that brings us to the solution. We will take your Aspect from you, you are unworthy of possessing it. And thereafter, your destruction is only inevitable." Leviathan stated with authority.


    "Heh, and how do you n on doing that?" Hexarion said, feeling cornered.


    "I possess the Aspect of Law! Imand the nature of this world and I can even see the unwritten rules of our existence. While it is impossible for me to do it alone, we are numbered 5. And therefore Hexarion..."


    "No..." Hexarion said, dreading what wasing...


    "...You are hereby..." Leviathan continued.


    "Stop this..." Hexarion appealed.


    "...Stripped of your Aspect!" Leviathanmanded.


    "NOOOOOO!!!!" Hexarion bellowed, as his entire body throbbed and from within him came a dark orb.


    Within the orb was a purplish dark whirlpool. The whirlpool swirled within the orb and was like a ck hole. The orb slowly began to separate from Hexarion, who could do nothing but groan. His entire body was paralyzed. Then finally, it separatedpletely from him, leaving Hexarion''s face drained and shocked.


    The orb began to draw closer to Hexarion again, seeking it''s owner once more, however, The Primordial ones wouldn''t have it. Bybining their powers, they made a constraint and restrained the orb. It''s golden cage glowed and the chains of pure light enveloped the orb. This sealed it''s power and slowly it drifted away from it''s owner. The constrained orb floated and finally found its ce beside the 5 Primordial ones who now stared at Hexarion''s frail body and pale face.


    "And now... To end this..." Leviathan dered.


    "You all... You know I''m right..." Hexarion said weakly.


    "You are only foolish... Your wish will never be actualized. For the sake of order... This world will not be destroyed." Leviathan replied.


    "I was foolish wasn''t I...? I trusted you all enough to reveal these things, and you stabbed me in the back...?" Hexarion groaned.


    "It was you who betrayed us!" Sol finally spoke up, as he couldn''t contain his displeasure.


    "I see... It was my mistake then... But know this... This isn''t over, not by a long shot!" Hexarion said with a weak smile.


    "Of course it is. This is the end of the line for you... Older Brother." Leviathan said.


    The 5 Primordials stretched out their hands, and respectively used their Aspects, glowing in the already damaged Heavens.


    The Aspect of Life and Death


    The Aspect of Space and Time


    The Aspect of Matter and Creation


    The Aspect of Energy and Power


    The Aspect of Law and Dominion


    The use of these Aspects consecutively blinded the gods who were watching the fight, and the light spread throughout the heavens and even the other realms. The Aspect''s powers converged together and poured down on the emaciated Hexarion, too weak to fight back.


    "Your end is now... Farewell our Older brother..." Leviathan, as well as the other 4 looked down at Hexarion as he slowly disintegrated.


    "We''ll see about that..." Hexarion thought to himself, and with a final chuckle and smile, faded away.


    "It is done..." Leviathan sighed.


    The Primordials looked around them, witnessing for the first time, the chaos that had been wrought. Suddenly, one by one, they began falling from the heights which they were and crashed to the ground.


    "Looks like we used up too much power..." Sol said as he winced.


    "Yeah... I have never felt this drained..." Gilga said in exhaustion.


    Avalon and Chronos also wheezed and throbbed as theyy on the ground, something they had never done before.


    "Any less, and we would not have been able to vanquish him... He wasn''t the oldest for nothing." Leviathan stated, looking the mostposed out of all of them, but still plenty tired.


    Slowly, the gods began to gather, and then render their apuse and cheer to the Primordial ones for performing what no one could, destroying the one who would have ended everything.


    "All hail the Primordial ones!!!" They cheered and worshipped.


    "Hail"


    "Hail"


    "Hail"


    They hailed and cheered.


    The Primordial ones smiled. Finally the only one who could stand in their way was gone, and even though they possessed his aspect, they couldn''t do anything but keep it sealed.


    Leviathan could, however, not shake off the bad feeling he had concerning Hexarion. Not only had he stirred conflict among them, but he had caused this much destruction. Things might have even ended differently if they had not struck first and caught him off guard.


    But that was all in the past. They had won. The humans and inhabitants of the other realms were under their control and there was finally going to be order once more. They had won, but at what cost? Nearly half of the heavens had been destroyed, one third of the gods had died, and even the other realms had suffered damage.


    Such was his power... The Primordial of the sixth Aspect.... The Aspect of the VOID!

 Chapter 2 - Return Of The Evil One

    I woke up with a slight headache. My eyes slowly opened and I felt a tiny tingling sensation pulsing from my eyes. It was as though it would be the first time I would be opening them. That was true.


    I rose from where my body wasid and looked around me, still in a daze.


    "Where am I...? Who am I...?" I asked myself.


    I was still feeling a sense of confusion concerning my existence when I noticed something in the dark, empty room. A book...


    Other than the stylish, yetfortable preservation contraption which served as my resting chamber, there was a table a few meters from it. On that table was a book.


    I paid no attention to the contraption which I once lied down in and just stood from, though it seemed strange. I went toward the book, as though I was drawn to it.


    The pattern that was inscribed around it was so familiar to me. I used my hand to feel the book, texture felt so nostalgic as though I had a connection to it.


    "Maybe this will help me discover who I am, what I am..." I thought to myself.


    As I opened the book, a brilliant sh of light shone, enveloping the room and blinded me for a moment.


    As soon as the light prated my eyes and was sent through my nerves I could see it. Memories upon memories upon information began to enter my entire being. I was flooded with stockpiles of knowledge that I never knew existed. It was overwhelming. Painful did not even begin to describe the feeling I was feeling.


    "Please. Stop." I pleaded.


    It didn''t stop. I wanted it to stop. It felt like my brain would explode from all that I was experiencing. Millions of years, eons shed through my mind as I experienced every second of it. I don''t know how much time passed while I was in this haze, but it felt like an eternity in a moment.


    Then all of a sudden, it didn''t hurt anymore. The pain was gone, most of it anyway. There was only one pain left. The one in my heart. The pain of betrayal. I felt rage rise from within me... Rage unimaginable. It choked me and I felt ovee with it. I clutched my chest as my heart was beating with rage.


    Then I began to take slow deep breaths, I closed my eyes and calmed myself. Sooner orter I had toe to peace with it. And the sooner the better.


    That very moment, I decided to let go of my feelings of betrayal and regret. Instead, I would turn those feelings and fuel my conquest of revenge on the ones who wronged me.


    "I remember now... I remember everything" I said to myself.


    Indeed I did, those countless eons I spent with my siblings, the ones I spent with myrades, the gods. Everything was restored. Even my final moments, were all restored.


    "Leviathan. Avalon. Sol. Gilga. Chronos." I mentioned the name of my younger siblings.


    "I''m back!" I smiled with a wicked grin.


    [MOMENTS LATER]


    After finding the book and recovering my memory I left the room, destroying everything within it and not leaving a trace. Since it was designed that way, it wasn''t too difficult. I had made the entire structure as a countermeasure in case things went south with my siblings, though I couldn''t imagine them actually betraying me and me having to resort to it.


    In simple terms, It was a body I made for myself to inhabit. However, unlike other beings which existed in the world, this was made without the contribution of the other Aspects, not even mine. I made a body that was not reliant on the 6 Aspects, and as such, Independent of any interference from my siblings. The true definition of freedom.


    I kept the body in a contraption simr to a coffin to preserve it and also sealed the entire room in which I had kept the body. I used so much power that even if the entire had been destroyed the room would still be kept intact. I also kept a boundary and camouge which prevented anyone to venture anywhere within 50 meters of the location.


    I spent so much time on its creation that being in this body now felt sofortable. It suited my tastes in every way. I essed my entire body and confirmed everything was just as I intended.


    The features of the body include;


    - Young adult male (19 years to be exact)


    - ck hair, Red eyes, and a handsome face (Intentional)


    - A good body build, a bit over six feet tall with a well-proportioned figure


    - Arge pool of energy which has umted over a long period due to the cycle process I imputed into it (The more time passes after its creation the more energy it stores)


    - Perfectly healthy and immune to natural physical ailments


    - The most important being that it is entirely non-reliant on any of the 6 Aspects to exist or function.


    A perfect vessel for me.


    That said,pared to my past stature, this body was extremely weak. I had not only lost my aspect, but also all my divine powers and attributes. The only thing I had going for me was the knowledge of my past life as well as the anomaly of my body''s existence.


    "This much is enough," I said to myself.


    "It might take me longer, but I''ll definitely achieve my goals... No matter what it takes and who stands in my way!" I resolved.


    "Well, first of all, let''s take care of this shall we?" I said, talking about my nakedness.


    I immediately manifested clothing for myself. It was a dark inner shirt, a ck and red cloak, and ck trousers. My shoes were also ck. This outfit suits me perfectly, and as much as I would admit, it looks really nice.


    "This should be enough," I said to myself.


    I walked away from the deserted underground region where I woke up from, and following its destruction, I headed west. It wasn''t long before I was in a forest-like region.


    "As I expected, I feel no exhaustion even though I have been walking for hours now," I noticed.


    "It must be another perk of this body," I added.


    I had gauged my entire form earlier before leaving in the underground room which I stored my new body. Since it was something I made myself I could turn off certain features or add others to suit my taste. For example, turn off pain receptors or remove exhaustion from my senses.


    My new body was perfect and I couldn''t wait to take it on a test run. That said, it would be more optimal for me not to get into any unnecessary conflict which had no bearing on my goals.


    I estimated it would take me a few more hours to finally leave the forest I was in, and I was steadily walking with that in mind.


    Suddenly, I heard a voice.


    "Humans," I told myself.


    I enhanced my senses, especially my hearing and sight in order to better observe what was happening.


    About 50 meters from where I was, there were 5, no, 6 humans clustered there. They were all wearing armor and looked heavily built.


    "Are they... Soldiers?" I asked myself.


    They looked different from how I remembered them. They wore armor made with Iron, and one wore a bronze-ted one.


    "Interesting. Humans have advanced this far, just how many years have passed since I died?" I asked myself.


    However, the most interesting aspect of things was what they were doing. In their midst was a female. She wasn''t human.


    "Elf? No... She seems more like a fairy, but... Where are her wings?" I was a bit puzzled.


    "Don''t tell me...?" I considered the thought.


    If what I thought was true, then it would be interesting to observe the situation even more. Back when I was still a Primordial, soldiers were guardians of their people. While they were not as fancy as what I was seeing now, they were still impressive. However, from what I was observing, that didn''t seem to be the case in this situation.


    They seemed to be bullying the elf/fairy girl. She had bruises on her body and she seemed to be in pain. I felt no remorse or sense ofpassion for the girl. It was just the nature of the world anyway. However, I continued to observe the situation.


    I couldn''t understand theirnguage. That must have also changed over the years. I would have to learn it eventually, perhaps this was a good opportunity. The soldiers sneered andughed at the weakness of the girl, who sat helplessly and rested her back on the trunk of one of the trees.


    One tried grabbing her hand and saying words I couldn''t understand, but as soon as he reached for her hand, she used her teeth and ferociously bit him. Blood gushed out of his hands as the bite was deep.


    The man yelled and hit her head with his hard boot. She let out a painful voice but still stubbornly struggled with her teeth still sinking deeper into his hand. He kept hitting her until she had to let go of his hand. She looked weak, she would soon pass out anyway.


    "HHUAIE AUHBW PAOAUE AUUYS KJAUE" The soldier groaned in pain.


    "The bite must have hurt for sure" I mused to myself.


    Okay, I got bored of the situation quickly. None of what was happening was my concern. Thest thing the girl did caught my attention, but what of it? Her fate was sealed. She was either going to be raped, killed, or tortured by the soldiers. Even the soldiers would have their reasons for being so rough on her.


    I began to walk away from the scene.


    "Not my problem" I shrugged.


    "Why...? I trusted... You... Why...?" I heard her voice as she muttered.


    "She spoke in the old tongue that I understood?" I asked myself.


    Did she know I was present? No... She had no way of knowing. There was only one other exnation.


    "I know all thenguages of the old races, she must have spoken in her native dialect. Interesting, so there are somenguages that remain the same" I thought to myself.


    I couldn''t exin why, but I felt drawn to her. Maybe it was due to her desperation and her fragile nature. No, that wasn''t it. Maybe it was due to the fact that she was in grave danger and she kept fighting. No, that wasn''t it.


    Suddenly, her face turned away from her assaulters and I had a clear glimpse of her face, and for the first time I saw it... Her eyes.


    "Those eyes....They look just like mine did. You... You understand don''t you... What it means..." I said to myself, turning back to the direction where she was.


    "UEJEN WHJEI KOAEH" A soldier said, raising his sword at her, and from the aim, it was going to reach her shoulder.


    It would be a non lethal wound, but it was sure to cause her pain. I had seen enough of that.


    I quickened my pace and within a moment I was there. The soldier noticed me, but before he could stop the momentum of his sword, it was headed for my chest.


    "Pathetic" I stated.


    The sword connected with my cloth, but before it could even prate, it broke.


    "UUWH EHHA HEYWU WKWDET WIOUNS DA" The soldier stated with shock, and the look of the others were simr.


    Surprise. Shock. But not fear... Not yet anyway.


    "Those eyes are of one who has been betrayed by those they have trusted the most" I said.


    I looked at the unfortunate soldiers who stood before me. They would have to die.


    "It''s nothing personal" I thought.

 Chapter 3 - First Kill

    I looked at the 6 soldiers in front of me. I wasn''t adamant about killing them. If they retreated I would have no reason to go out of my way to kill them. After all, nothing good woulde out of starting an unnecessary conflict.


    "HUIWY WYEI DHGET NOWUR" The soldier whose sword had broken said to me, still pointing his broken sword at me.


    The disrespect irked me. Even if the rest could be spared, at least this one had to die. I walked closer to him, and he began to panic. In this frenzied state, he raised his sword against me, but I easily evaded it. Not because it could in any way harm me, but it just looked so filthy.


    I swiftly appeared behind him, and as soon as I did his neck twisted. Immediately, his dead body fell to the ground. I gazed at his body and thest expression disyed on his face was fear.


    "Toote for you" I said to him, not that he could hear me.


    "AHAYYW AYWIW MKSOS WUWUS WWSBU" The remaining soldiers ranted as they saw this sight.


    "What a bother," I thought to myself.


    I couldn''t even understand them. That was annoying. I decided to try something. I looked at the 5 soldiers who seemed furious at me for killing theirrade. If only I could hear them then maybe I would be able to understand some of their dissatisfaction.


    Moving swiftly once again, I moved behind all of them, and in one fell swoop, I struck down four of the five, leaving one alive. The one with the bronze armor. He seemed to be of higher rankpared to the rest. Before he could respond to me, I grabbed his head with my hand. I tightly gripped it and activated one of my body''s features.


    In order to adapt to any situation, I had devised means by which I would get by. One of such means for adaptation was Memory Collection. I could ess memories of people and learn what I could learn from them.


    To be honest, I was a little skeptical about this, since as a Primordial I knew what all gods and man didn''t. Even my siblings didn''t know as much as I did in certain departments. However, I am d I included this feature. Thanks to it, I would be able to ess this man''s memory.


    It wasn''t the life of the man in particr that I was interested in, but the current state of the world, thenguage he spoke, and whatever information he possessed. However, since this feature only works in a straight fashion, I had to ess all his memories from scratch to finish.


    Since he was a soldier, he was fairly aware of matters in thend. I learned a lot from him, a lot of which disappointed me. I decided to sort out the memories I uncoveredter and focus on the girl I saved. I twisted the neck of the servant and disposed of his body by flinging it away.


    I walked toward the already brutally bruised girl. Her ears were pointed and long. A feature exclusive to elves and fairies. However, she was not in possession of wings, which would make her an Elf. But... I still had a notion she was a Fairy.


    I gazed at her, and she looked frightened of me. Who could me her? I just singlehandedly killed four soldiers effortlessly. The same soldiers who were too much for her to handle. The natural state of a being who was facing a more powerful being is ''Fear''.


    I stared at her. She was really injured. Perhaps I should heal her. That would be good. I stretched my hands toward her. She immediately growled, showing her intentions to bite me as she did to the other soldier. I found that cute andughed.


    She seemed surprised at my reaction, but not as surprised as I was. After all, this would be the first time I wouldugh in this new body. It felt... Strange.


    Once again I stretched my hand toward her. She initially wanted to but found herself hesitating to carry out the act.


    "Smart choice" I mused to myself.


    My hands glowed and her body glowed as well. Immediately her body began to heal. The wounds she had closed, and the parts which were injured glowed more than the rest. This was when I saw the brightest glowing from her back.


    My eyes widened at the realization. She was indeed a fairy, but...


    "Those bastards..." I said to myself.


    I wasn''t really angry at them for doing what they did. They were too low for my wrath, however, I still felt a stirring within me. I couldn''t exin it so I just calmed it down till it died out.


    The Fairy girl saw that I noticed her back, and she looked away in shame and embarrassment. For fairies, losing their wings would be the most shameful thing they could ever imagine. Death and defilement would be even better. I wondered how it had happened, what led to it... The cruelty was certainly repulsive to me.


    After a few seconds, I was done with healing her. She hesitated, but finally, she looked at me and struggled to open her mouth.


    "T-Thank y-you..." She stuttered.


    "You''re wee," I replied.


    She looked surprised that I understood her. I had the appearance of a human after all, and she had just spoken in Fairy tongue.


    "Y-You understand my words...?" She said, questioning herself even more.


    "I do" I responded.


    I wanted her to exin the reason behind the eyes she gave. That was the sole reason I saved her. I would have my answer even if it meant I would drain the memory from her, though I suspected it wouldn''t have toe to that.


    Before I could ask her I noticed a presence.


    "Looks like we have an intruder," I said to the girl.


    Emerging from the forest was a well-built man. He looked older than the soldiers I had just killed and was wearing a more distinguished armorpared to them. It had bronze color, but with silver designs on it.


    "A higher rank I suppose..." I said to myself.


    He paused as he approached us. He looked at the dead bodies around him, even the leader of the bunch. He closed his eyes for a bit and then finally he opened them. His expressions remained the same. Calm, stern, and resolved. I could tell this was a man who had witnessed countless deaths and was aware of his strength. A survivor.


    "Did you do this?" He asked me.


    "Ah" I was relieved. I could finally understand theirnguage.


    At least the bronze armored man didn''t die in vain.


    "What if I said I did?" I said, replying to him in the samenguage, though it felt strange to me.


    I was getting used to it though.


    "Do you know who I am?" He asked in a menacing tone.


    I remained silent.


    "I am their leader." He added.


    "You sure aren''t acting like it. Shouldn''t you be a bit sad for them?" I retorted.


    "Why should I be? Such weak men do not deserve my sympathy or grief. They were simply weak, that is how the world is. The strong prey on the weak." He said.


    Finally, someone gets it.


    He understood the nature of the world, so was he going to let this slide...?


    "However, as their superior and as a warrior, I can not let this go unpunished. For your crime of killing 6 warriors of the Western Kingdom, I, Sir Leon Bertuli will dispense justice." He dered, drawing his sword.


    I stared at this man, overall he was vastly stronger than the ones I had previously faced. He was still weaker than me though.


    And what was with his noble speech on justice, especially after kidnapping and brutalizing the Fairy before me, going as far as taking away her wings. How repulsive!


    "What is your name?" He asked me.


    "It would be wasted on your ears" I replied him.


    What purpose would it be to tell someone who would die my name?


    "Ho, you''re fairly confident in your skills then. However, you are too confident." He replied, taking a battle stance.


    I kept staring at him. I looked at the Fairy girl and she seemed greatly terrified of this Leon guy who just showed up. Was he that strong?


    Of course, I had seen him in the memories of the soldier whose memory I collected. He was one of the Imperial Knights of the Western Kingdom. He was also the leader of their whole group, and they had captured the Fairy girl. She managed to escape but they caught up to her in the forest region and finally I showed up.


    For him to be among the Imperial Knights he must be fairly strong. I watched him take his stance, It was good. All that was left was his actual attack.


    He leaped toward me at full speed. It seemed he was serious about killing me. Interesting.


    I dodged the first sh, but it seemed he had anticipated that too. He twisted and turned revealing his sword''s sh headed my way. I jumped and avoided the hit once again, but he quickly leaped and with great force he once again shed vertically at me with his sword.


    I was impressed. His swordsmanship skills were good. Perhaps I too should respond in kind.


    I lifted my right hand and then a katana appeared in my hand. I used the katana which instantly appeared to parry the sword and the impact sent both of us backward.


    "I''m surprised. I didn''t know you were the user of ''The Arts''"


    "I''m not sure I know what you mean" I replied.


    "What else would you call that move just now. Summoning a sword just like that?" He stated.


    It seemed I still had a lot to learn in this world. I scanned through the memories I received from the dead soldier and indeed I saw mentions of "The Art" which the man before me was mentioning.


    "It looks like I won''t have to hold back against you after all. I will also use The Art... One which devastates enemies and renders all things no naught." He said to me.


    I was curious to learn what he would say. The soldier''s memories of Arts were limited. So there were different kinds of Arts?


    "This is the end of the line for you!" He stated.


    "Art of the Ultimate Destruction... Hex!" He dered, and suddenly a massive rush of power swelled from within him.


    I was conflicted about how to feel. There was mostly shock.


    "H-How is this possible..." I said to myself.


    If that was what I thought it was then I might be in more trouble than I realize.

 Chapter 4 - The Art Of Hex

    "Prepare yourself, kid. This is as far as you get." He said.


    I knew he wasn''t bluffing. Arts were deemed to be absolute forms of power. During my life as a Primordial, no such things existed. Humans relied solely on their wits and natural abilities. That was why they had so much faith in the gods since they used their supernatural powers to help humanity.


    For Arts to exist, supernatural work was at y, and the natural couldn''t trump the supernatural. But what was this I was seeing? It was so familiar for some reason.


    "H-How do you know Hex?" I asked the man.


    "Heh, do you finally realize now?" He said to me confidently.


    I was beyond surprised, or did I hear wrong? I would soon find out. The Leon guy now had my attention. I was unsure of the oue of the battle before me... As long as Hex was concerned.


    "Hex #98 ''Orb of Destruction''" He dered.


    "98?" I grimaced. I had to get away.


    Suddenly, a crimson ball of mes appeared in front of Leon. The heat radiated around him, causing his image to be distorted.


    "Be burned to nothingness." He said,unching the ball of crimson mes to me.


    I was too stunned to react properly, however, in the split second that the mes nearly reached me, I managed to dodge. The me grazed me, however, so I felt its heat.


    "Impressive, however... You''re finished." Leon said.


    The ball of red mes returned from the direction in which it was headed and connected with my back, causing a fiery explosion.


    The pressure caused even Leon to cover his face. The smoke generated was also great.


    "That is why I told you not to get overly confident," Leon said with a confident smile.


    "I have to admit... You had me for a second there..." I said, emerging from the smoke.


    Not only had the mes charred my outfit, but the smoke was also annoying. I couldn''t properly breathe or see. It was utterly annoying.


    With the swing of my sword, I cleared the remaining smoke in the area, making everything clear once more.


    "I-Impossible!... You survived?" Leon''s face exhibited shock and nervousness.


    If I had to guess, I''d say what he just used was a surefire attack, a one-shot move that always worked against his opponents. This was it?


    "You... I''ll ask you again... How do you know Hex?" I said, mildly annoyed.


    "M-My Hex... How can you survive it?" Leon said, still shaken.


    I was beginning to get pissed. Not because of Leon''s actions or even him refusing to answer my question for the second time, though that did tick me off. What ticked me the most was...


    "You call that Hex?" I said to him.


    He looked surprised, why wouldn''t he be?


    I was surprised too. When he mentioned Hex I was a bit apprehensive. Without appropriate precautions, the damage could be great, even for me. How did the humans get to know about it in the first ce? Was it due to my absence? If that were the case then things must have gone fairly well.


    Still though... I couldn''t help but express my disgust at the awful and pitiful disy he had just shown me. Why was I so agitated? Because Hex was...


    "I''ll show you my ultimate move. A more powerful one! The Highest Hex I have mastered!" Leon interrupted my thoughts.


    "Hex #95!" He dered.


    Energy burst from within him. Was he nning on using up all his remaining energy?


    Within Leon''s thoughts, he was conflicted. No one had ever survived any of his Hex. He had only mastered two out of the Hex made avable to the Imperial Knights. The one he most often used was #98 "Orb of Destruction."


    However, he had his final trump card. His most destructive move. While this would use up all his energy and he would be worn out after its use, the power it offered was worth it.


    "With this, I''ll destroy this person. After he is dealt with, the fairy should be no big deal." Leon thought to himself


    He looked at the stranger before him. He was still confused about what Art he used. There were only two types of Arts. Hex, and the other one. The other one was not one just any person possessed. It is said that the other was one endowed upon an individual by god. Unlike that, Hex had to be mastered.


    It was the product of the greatest researcher known to mankind. The entire archive was discovered nearly 3,000 years ago, right after the Dark Ages. It contained a means by which humans could ess the supernatural. The man''s name and identity remain a mystery to this date, but his legacy remains. That is the greatness of Hex! The unstoppable Art of destruction!


    "Hex #95" He shouted, pouring all his energy into this final move. "Orb of Implosion"


    Immediately, all his energy converged, forming an orb that was dark purple. It began swirling, sucking everything in its path. Like a mini ck hole, it absorbed things within it endlessly. It grewrger andrger. Leon held it with both hands above him.


    "Descend!" He said, bringing his hands down and directing the orb to my location.


    The orb rushed at me, devouring everything in its path. This was... This was...


    "Pathetic!" I said out loud.


    I couldn''t contain my displeasure anymore. Any further and it would have driven me to utter embarrassment.


    I stretched forth my hand to the orb and made a sigh.


    "Disperse" Imanded.


    The ball of distorted space immediately dissolved and imploded, disappearing from sight. Before it reached me its form had entirely faded away.


    Leon, who was looking exhausted after expending his energy, now had the look of terror in his eyes.


    "Oh? Where did your confidence go? Exhausted after only two Hexes... Truly pathetic." I said to him.


    He shook his head as though he could not believe what he had just seen. A Hex being so easily countered by a human? Impossible!


    Leon was dumbfounded. He could not utter sensible words and choked on what to say.


    "H-How... W-Who A-Are Y-You..." He managed to say.


    "It would be wasted on you," I told him.


    "However, I will tell you one thing... This pathetic disy you just showed me isn''t at all what Hex is." I added.


    He required an education. It was the least I could do after seeing such rubbish.


    "Let me show you... What Hex really is." I told him.


    "Hex #99," I said, mentioning the least powerful Hex


    Theo looked at me with despair as he saw what was forming on my index finger which was pointed above.


    "Orb of Beginning," I said.


    He was nearly in tears as he looked above him and saw the giant structure resting on my index finger. His legs were no longer able to support him and he fell on his knees.


    The white ball suddenly began topress in size until it was merely a tiny ball of light that danced around my finger like a firefly.


    "Do you realize now, Your foolishness?" I said to him.


    He had the expression of absolute fear. His body trembled... He could tell that within the small orb that was on my finger was a more devastating energy than his two attacksbined. I took no pleasure watching him lose all will to live, and from the looks of things he wasn''t capable of learning anything.


    "H-How...?" He let out.


    "Do you even know what Hex is at all? Interfering with the Aspects that make up the world. Do you think it is possible with your energy alone to do that?" I said to him.


    "How can you...?" He asked.


    I smiled at the ignorant human.


    "By attracting the very essence of the Aspects around. That is the way to use Hex. You get exhausted after using two of the lowest Hexes, and only at this low level of mastery and output. However, I merely used a fraction of energy to attract phenomenally greater essence from around me. Causing me to effectively alter the very Aspects that build up the world." I said to him.


    "Who... Who are you...?" He asked again.


    "I am the true creator of Hex, the one who stands above everything you know," I answered him.


    "I am Hexarion," I said.


    "The Evil one... The Demon God... Y-You can''t be.... Impossible... Inconceivable!!!!" Leon was now in a frenzy.


    "This is why I didn''t want to tell you anything. Your mind is too small toprehend anything." I said to him.


    "Arghhhhhh" He roared, attempting to stand and attack me.


    I sighed. Such a pointless struggle.


    Pointing my index finger at him, Iunched my "Orb of Beginning" to him.


    As Leon rushed to me in desperation he thought to himself.


    "Is this the end for me? No, It can''t be! I dedicated my whole life to strength. I even got the opportunity to learn Hex, the ultimate Art of destruction... Yet... Yet... I would have sold this fairy and gotten so much money. The boys and I would have had our fill of some good beer at the local pub. I would have risen in ranks until I became truly unstoppable. I would have..." He thought to himself.


    "Goodbye. I can''t say it has been pleasant." I said as I watched the white orb contact his body and cause it to fade away, like dust.


    Leon''s desperate face began to fade away, along with his entire body, leaving the armor and other clothing he was wearing. Everything, other than Leon himself remained, falling to the ground. The wind howled and took away the fragment of dust that Leon had turned to.


    "From dust, back to dust..." I said, turning away from the pitiful sight before me.


    "Now... Where were we?" I said, turning to the Fairy I had just saved. She was nowhere to be found.


    "Oh don''t tell me..." I thought to myself.


    "That foolish girl," I said, vanishing from the ce I was staying and on my way to catch my little runaway.

 Chapter 5 - Wingless Fairy

    "I must get away," She thought to herself, running as fast as she could.


    What she had just witnessed... Was a monster beyond any she had ever seen. The way he instantly killed the 6 soldiers who assaulted her without any effort or emotion. The way he instantly healed her, she wasn''t sure how. And to have been able to withstand not just one, but two Hexes? Without using any form of defense? She could not do anything but flee for her life.


    Not only was he a monster beyond any, but he was also a master of Hex. Initially, she was too engrossed in what unfolded before her eyes to even say a word. However, after she had witnessed this total stranger use a Hex so powerful that it turned his opponent to dust, she couldn''t wait anymore.


    "Am I next?" The thought rang through her head.


    But he saved her from the soldiers and even healed her. Surely he didn''t mean her any harm... Did he?


    "No! Don''t be fooled by that! All humans are the same... They''re all the same" She said to herself, picking up her pace as she ran through the woods.


    She wasn''t sure if she could even outrun him, but she had to try. If she didn''t struggle till herst breath then she might have as well been dead.


    "I can''t die now... I must live!" She told herself.


    As she ran, her leg hit one of the roots which had risen above ground, causing her to stumble. Due to the sudden change in momentum, she could not regain her bnce and fell to the ground.


    "Argh...." She winced at herself.


    She wasn''t used to moving on foot. The bnce dynamics were weird now that her wings were gone.


    "My-My Wings..." She cried to herself.


    However, this was no time for that. She had to escape first, or else...


    "There you are" A voice came from behind her.


    Her eyes widened as she recognized the voice. Oh no, it was...


    [My Turn]


    It didn''t take me long to find her, the runaway fairy. With my heightened senses, it was no big deal, she hadn''t gotten very far anyway. I watched as she ran from behind her. The struggle in her movement, she clearly wasn''t used to moving without her wings, so their removal must have been recent.


    I watched as she approached a root in her path.


    "She''s going to stumble and fall now," I said to myself, and so she did.


    I let out a chuckle, foolish girl. It was high time I ended this farce anyway. I approached her slowly, noticing the scars on her back where her wings were supposed to be. It had healed finely thanks to the Hex I used on her, but still. The fine line of scars would still remain on her bare back, a fine reminder of what she had lost.


    "There you are," I said, watching as she turned her face in surprise at the sound of my voice.


    "P-Please spare me," She said to me.


    Was she trying to garner my sympathy? I expected more from her. Was she not going to fight back? Or after seeing the vast difference between us had she decided pleading was the best solution?


    As I ruminated on her words, she suddenly sprung up, a sharp tree edge on her hand intending to strike me down.


    I smiled at the sight "Now that''s more like it"


    She charged at me with a fierce look in her eyes, it was amusing. While I was only interested in her for her story, I found everything she did to be entertaining. The unrelenting dance of desperation.


    The wood was filthy so I dodged it, and, using the force of the wind by flicking my finger, I pushed the branch away from her. She was stunned to see her only weapon fly from her hands. She looked at where it had gone to and returned her gaze to me. The distance was iparable.


    She then did the most amusing thing thus far. She raised her fists and took a fight stance against me. I could see her body trembling and her hands shaking, yet she wouldn''t give in.


    "Hahahahahahaha" Iughed uncontrobly. This fairy was so amusing, never ceasing to amuse me.


    She looked startled to see meugh. She didn''t know what I found about her to be so amusing.


    "What do you want from me?" She asked me apprehensively.


    Her tone was disrespectful, but I tolerated it.


    "Tell me why you have those eyes..." I asked her.


    "Eyes? What?" She said, further confused.


    "What happened to you fairy? Tell me. Do that and I''ll let you go" I said to her.


    She hesitated at the words, she looked unsure whether or not to trust me, but it wasn''t as though she had a choice.


    She dropped her fist and fell to her knees. She looked downcast as though reliving the entire thing. The memory must have been too painful for her.


    "D-Do I have to say it?" She asked me.


    "Yes. Tell me, or else there would be no point" I told her.


    What form of expression would she make as she told me? Anger? Rage? Self Pity?


    "I was banished from mymunity... I did something I shouldn''t have done" She started by saying.


    She looked up at me to see whether or not I was listening, I was.


    "Continue," I told her.


    "I wandered around on my own for quite a while until I met them. They were adventurers... They gave me warm food, good shelter, and lovelypany. I was happy." She said with a sad smile.


    "But... I didn''t know... If only I knew... That they... That they... " She said, ovee with emotion as she recounted the painful experience she had.


    "Continue" I nudged her.


    "They sold me to the soldiers. The soldiers who I had grown to respect in the town where we stayed. They sold me to them to repay their debt. Fairies are a raremodity and go for a high price and they told me they would be set for life after selling me. Everything we had together, they were all lies!" She said, tears streaming down her face.


    "T-They cut off my wings since I was too powerful and I resisted. They said they would sell them as a separatemodity, and I would be sold as a ve! T-they weren''t even sorry." She was crying now, struggling to speak as she raised her voice.


    "Why? How could they do that to me? I thought we were friends? I thought I had finally found where I belonged. Everything was all lies. They took everything from me! Why?" She bellowed in pain and sorrow.


    "How could they...? What did I do to them to deserve this? I never did anything wrong! I have never done anything wrong! Why do they keep betraying me after everything? Why do they keep leaving me? What did I do?" She cried as she screamed at herself.


    I could tell, that she wasn''t only talking about the soldiers and adventurers. Even before that... She had been betrayed. She must have had a whole lot of pain, too much for her to bear. The pain of betrayal and loss, just like me. The only thing left that I needed to know was this...


    "And? What are you going to do about it?" I asked her.


    The answer she would give after seeing what she saw and after experiencing it all. I wanted to know. She had to tell me!


    "I-I don''t know! I''m too weak... I know I am. Too weak to seek revenge. Too broken to hate them, even thinking about them hurts so much! I just want to live. Is that so wrong? I want to live. I want to be happy? Why can''t I just be happy? I just..." She cried at her powerlessness and weakness.


    This girl... Despite the strong front and tough act she had been pulling earlier, I had realized.


    "You... You hate yourself don''t you?" I said to her.


    She froze at my words. She was speechless as more tears streamed down her face. For the first time, she felt it... Someone understood her to her soul. She was exposed, at her weakest and finally, she heard what she had been thinking and drowning herself in all this time.


    I took her head and hugged her. She rested her head on my shoulder, still frozen. She had to let it all out.


    "It''s not your fault" I whispered to her.


    "It''s okay now... It''s okay" I told her.


    Tears welled up in her eyes as she bowled and cried. Endless tears streamed down as even I felt her pain from her wailings. The pain of this girl was much. She had lost it all, but unlike me, she couldn''t do anything about it. She was powerless and without purpose.


    She was going to live her life in emptiness and despair, that is if she had not met me.


    "I will give you purpose. I will fill your emptiness. I will be your everything." I told her as she cried and rested on me, like a tender and fragile baby.


    "Come with me Fairy," I told her.


    She raised her head from my shoulder and while her body was still on mine she looked at my face. Her eyes were swollen due to her crying and her face was wet from the tears. Our eyes interlocked.


    She looked into me and I looked into her. She then sniffed and smiled at me. This was the first time I saw her smile.


    "Talia..." She said to me in a low tone.


    "What does that mean?" I asked her, a bit confused.


    She then let out a softugh. I liked it.


    "It''s my name... My name is Talia" She said shyly, still smiling at me.


    "Well then Talia... What will you do now?" I asked her.


    "What do you want me to do?" She responded.


    We bothughed at this statement.


    I rose up and from where I knelt with her, leaving her still kneeling. She looked up at me, and I looked to the sky above me. I then turned back down to face her. My smile vanished and a serious tone took over.


    "My name is Hexarion, the one this world knows as the Evil One..." I looked at her face.


    She wasn''t frightened and looked expectant. Good.


    "Talia... I want to destroy this world" I told her finally.


    "Will you help me?" I stretched my hands to her.


    She smiled and took my hand.


    "This world has had iting a while back," She said, rising from her low estate.


    I smiled at her statement.


    "When do we start?" She told as she gazed into my eyes.


    That''s the spirit. I liked it. Talia, this wingless fairy... She would be my first piece in the whole game. And she wouldn''t have it any other way.


    "How interesting" I mused to myself.

 Chapter 6 - City Of Artia

    I learned quite a few things from the soldier whose memory I took, and after cross examining it with Talia, I had gotten a good grasp of the situation I was in as well as the condition of the world and how much time had passed since my demise as a Primordial.


    It had been over 3,000 years since I died, making my body over 5,000 years old. Humanity had gone through several evolution and instead of being a unified race they had separated and built several separate civilizations. This is why I couldn''t understand theirnguage as well, they had evolved beyond that.


    The current nations of the world are known as the four Great Kingdoms. They are; The Southern Kingdom, Northern Kingdom, Eastern Kingdom, and finally, the one I was currently in, The Western Kingdom.


    Each of these kingdoms had their features and natures as well as their peculiar currency andnguage. Since I was new to the world, I had to at least interact with it and get a good look myself.


    I saw Talia''s tattered appearance. Her body was not in its best shape. What kind of master would I be to allow my subject to look this badly?


    "Let''s get you all freshened up first" I told her.


    For the first time she noticed her appearance and was flushed with embarrassment. She had the look of a teenage girl, about 16 by human standards, though I knew she must''ve lived far longer than that since she is a Fairy. I looked around the woods for a the perfect ce for her for her to bathe and clean herself and found the perfect spot.


    "Let''s go" I said.


    "W-Where?" She said in surprise, already finding me take my leave.


    She followed me hurriedly, not wanting to be left behind.


    "Good" I thought to myself.


    She''s going to make a good pawn.


    After tidying Talia up in a nearby stream I found in the woods, I generated a proper attire for her. I took a good look at Talia now. She looked lovely in her ck gown. Her flowing dark long hairplimented the dark color of the gown. Red ribbons were tied on both sides of her hair. Her pink eyes and pinkish shoes shone with mor.


    All preparations had been made, it was time to leave the woods and head to a human settlement. And so Talia and I ventured out of the forest region and took the route which led to the nearest city.


    It seemed this was also the destination of the soldiers who intended to sell Talia. As for her wings, it had already been taken in advance and would be in the market. A fairy without her wings is a bit shy of useless, so I decided my first goal would be to reacquire her wings. Only then would she able to serve me appropriately.


    However, to obtain the wings, a major factor is involved... Money.


    Needless to say, I''m broke. Talia is also broke. The little money we have now is as a result of plundering the dead soldiers, not that I liked the idea.


    Without wasting much time we arrived at the city of Artia, one of the trading hubs of the Western Empire. It was a lovely sight to behold. Humans moved up and about the city and I saw countless items for sale. Weapons I had never seen before were being sold, as well as minerals and precious items.


    However, I could discern that most of what was being sold was worthless. Call it a special feature or just my ability to notice even the slightest details. Only a few were actually valuable, but I saw buyers purchasing even the non valuable items for high prices as well


    "Fools" I said to myself with a smile.


    In order to obtain the wings I had to look for where the money really was. As a major trading hub, Artia was known for its hugemerce. Even the streets were filled withmodities. However, human nature never changes. There should be a spot where only a select few could have ess to, where only the most exquisite goods are sold.


    If I was to find my prize, my best bet would be the most secluded and expensive ce. However that in itself posed a major problem. MONEY.


    "However..." I smiled to myself "Money isn''t everything."


    Now, to deal with my most immediate problem... Talia''s chatter.


    "Whoah... So amazing!!! Look at that dress, it''s so pretty. This city is so huge! I''ve never been to any ce as grand as this!!!" She kept saying.


    One major thing I havee to learn about Talia is this... She is way too lively. Always makingments on everything, so bouncy and full of energy. To be very honest, I was feeling drained.


    "You talk a lot don''t you?" I told her finally when I couldn''t take it anymore.


    She fell quiet after I said that, and I was relieved thinking she got the idea I was passing across. I couldn''t be more wrong.


    After a few seconds of silence she began bbering again.


    "Isn''t she a bit too cheerful for someone who just lost her wings?" I asked myself.


    This continued for quite some time until I found the ce I was looking for.


    They call it an auction site, a ce meant only for the rich and special privileged where goods are sold only to the highest bidder. I saw several, however, one caught my eye. The most prestigious one which stood above the rest.


    "Bingo" I smiled.


    ording to the information I obtained, Fairies are quite rare during these times. Fairies can prove to be troublesome for humans to deal with, however, a Wingless fairy would still be very valuable, especially one as attractive as Talia. Though she was quite a handful, she still looked like a beautiful youngdy.


    Then there was the issue of Fairy wings. Even more valuable than the actual Fairies, the wings are the most coveted. They would sell for a ridiculously high price. The reason for this, other than its attractive nature was the vast energy stored within it.


    The wings of a fairy contain the most of their energy. Should a human obtain it and use it appropriately, they could obtain powers akin to fairies. Such an item could only be found at the highest level of trade.


    "All that''s left is to do is to seal the deal." I said.


    "Oh? My wings are there?" Talia asked me with an innocent look in her eyes.


    I was tempted not to answer her, but after realizing she would keep pestering me until I gave her a response I gave it a second thought.


    "Not necessarily right now, but they will be. What we need right now is information." I told her


    I approached the building. From my appearance and Talia''s, the receptionist assumed we were high ss individuals. She greeted us with utmost curtsey which made me smile. Finally, someone treated me right.


    "Let''s get down to business" I said firmly.


    The receptionist smiled with respect, though I could tell she was intimidated by my demeanor. If only everyone had hermon sense, especially those soldiers, they could have lived.


    "Wee to Imperius Auction Center, Artia''s number one Auction house. What can we do for you sir?" She asked me politely.


    "I would like to acquire an item, one with the utmost rarity." I told her.


    "Oh, well sir. You havee to the right ce. Here at Imperius we only offer the best of the best to our members." She told me.


    "Hmmm, Membership?" I said to her.


    "Yes sir. Should you so desire, you can be a member and obtain all privileges of Imperius Auction center" She said.


    Here came the tricky part.


    "How much?" I asked her, gulping within myself.


    "For our basic Membership n, it''s 50,000 Gold Coins, however, seeing as you are a man of high standing and the item you seek is of the rarest quality I would rmend the Premium Membership, the highest form of membership apart from the ones attainable by the Royal family and nobles." She said.


    I coughed within myself.


    "How much is that?" I asked her.


    "Fifty Million Gold coins" She told me with the brightest smile I had ever seen.


    Sweat formed on my face. Calcting all the money we had on us... It was only 30,000 Gold coins. Not even enough for a Basic Membership n.


    Talia and I exchanged nces. I knew she was thinking the same thing I was.


    "We''re screwed"

 Chapter 7 - The Root Of All Evil

    I maintained a calm expression as I looked at the receptionist''s expectant smile.


    50 Million? That was a little over our budget, or rather it was ridiculously unachievablepared to the 30,000 coins we possessed. How did the world turn out this way? 3,000 years ago things were not as expensive as this, that much I knew.


    My mind began calcting, if this was just the money for membership, how much would the actual goods being auctioned cost. I looked at Talia who was beside me, perhaps we could just give up on obtaining her wings.


    "Talia, maybe..." I said as I turned to her direction.


    The eyes she used to look at me made me give up on giving up on her wings. Her eyes sparkled with eagerness as though she expected me to pull off some kind of miracle. I mean, I wasn''t some messiah who could duplicate certain loaves and fishes. I don''t even have my divinity anymore. What could I possibly do?


    In the past, as one of the 6 Primordials, I had an unlimited supply of things and my treasures were limitless. Money, weapons, books, everything. My collection far exceeded that of the others, even Leviathan. This is because as the Primordial of the Void Aspect, I was usually associated with nothingness. Having an endless void and emptiness I satiated them with things of intrigue such as research and collections.


    It was due to this I developed Hex and created countless objects, including the body I possessed now. With the benefit of hindsight I am grateful for those times. If only I had those things with me now. Hold on a sec, a thought just appeared in my mind.


    A lot of my treasures would have been long lost and dispersed, but I clearly remember one of such treasures. Not only had I kept it hidden in a particr location, no one knew where it was. An item which would serve my ends now that I am broke beyondpare. "The Root of All", one of my good ones. If I could find it then maybe at least it could turn this situation around.


    "This information has been helpful, however, as we are now we do not have cash at hand. It would be tedious carrying such arge amount around anyway." I said to the receptionist, still maintaining my dignity.


    "Oh, sir do you not have a Coin Card?" The receptionist asked me with a confused and surprised expression.


    "C-Coin card?" I asked myself.


    In a moment I dug through the memories of the soldier I had drained, and found mentions of it.


    Tch, I didn''t have enough time to go through the man''s entire memories and so I had merely skimmed through it. However, it seems there can be important information to be found among the seemingly irrelevant memories.


    A Coin Card in simple terms is an item which contains the wealth of a person, or rather, a vast amount of money. It is connected to the treasury of the owner. Since it is mostly used in very advanced and expensive transactions, it is a must have for the rich. I mean, it''s not like they would be carrying sacks of coins just to buy expensive things.


    A Coin Card is expensive, and so only affluent people can have them. There are also different qualities of Cards, depending on how much can be connected to a Card at a time. For example, some cards may be able to transact 5 million coins, while others could go as far as hundreds of millions.


    Since this particr Auction House deals with the best even among the rich, a Coin Card is a given in its transaction, and to be without it is even unthinkable. They call it a ''Cashless Transaction''. This was why the receptionist was surprised by me not having one.


    I processed all these in a few seconds and smiled.


    Here I am, utterly broke and cashless, but not in a good way. My knowledge of the world is also insufficient. I can''t embarrass myself further than this, especially after being treated so courteously by the Receptionist whose worth is most likely higher than mine.


    [By The Way]


    Hexarion and Talia''s Combined Net Worth - 30,000 Coins


    Receptionist Net Worth - 2, 390, 450 Coins


    [Back to the Present]


    "Of course I do, what an insulting thing to say to someone of my standing. Do you know who I am?" I said, ying my intimidation card, the only one I currently have.


    "Eeek" She shrieked in fright.


    "Know your ce" I furthered.


    "I''m sorry for misunderstanding sir. Please forgive this woman''s ignorance." She immediately pleaded.


    "As long as you know" I said with authority.


    Now, how to get out of this sticky situation. I had no other choice...


    "Hex 90" I muttered, reducing the quality and power output to the barest minimum.


    "Haze" I said, and immediately purple smoke formed around the receptionist, slowly enveloped her face.


    Whew! That was a close call.


    Normally, Haze is supposed to affect the target''s mind, causing control, hallucinations, and total madness leading toplete insanity and depravity. However, this time I watered down it effects so she would be in a slight daze, not recollecting our encounter in the slightest.


    And as honorably as we entered the building, we exited.


    Talia looked at me, expecting me to say something.


    "What is on your mind?" I asked Talia.


    "Oh, uh... I was just wondering what you would do now." She said.


    What a dense girl. It was gettingte already, finding amodationes first, yet all she can talk about is the auction matter. I woke up from my 3,000 year long slumber in the morning. I spent hours roaming around the woods and I met her and the soldiers by afternoon. After saving her , I got her freshened up and we got to the city in the evening. Of course we explored the city and even found the Auction House which we just left.


    "It''s getting prettyte. We should find a ce to rest" I told her.


    "Oh yeah. I''m pretty tired myself." She said, suddenly yawning and smacking her lips.


    "Could''ve fooled me" I said in a low tone.


    "What was that?" She asked, not properly hearing what I said.


    "Nothing" I quickly answered to shut her up.


    And so we ventured around the city to find a ce to rest. Of course not just any ce would satisfy me, The Lord of Chaos and Ruler of Darkness. A ce worthy of my tastes would be my choice.


    However, with only 30,000 coins, we couldn''t afford all the hotels we found and had to settle for one of the cheaper inns. How can someone survive with so little money?


    We lodged into the inn, and since we don''t have any real luggage it was a fast and smooth process. The inn had two beds side by side. It wasn''t veryrge, orrge at all for my tastes, but at least it was bearable.


    Talia jumped on her bed and in a few moments she was already fast asleep.


    "This girl... Isn''t she too carefree?" I asked myself.


    Normally, wouldn''t these sort of people be recoiling from trauma and have trouble sleeping or even talking much. Instead they would be reserved and keep to themselves, then after some time passes the ice melts around their hearts and they find happiness. But not Talia.


    She was a loudmouth during the day as well as a quick and deep sleeper at night.


    "Good grief" I smiled at the sight of her sleeping, as though nothing had ever happened to her before.


    The innocence she has is amusing. She is like a nk canvas I can dye in any color I so desire. Good. I look forward to her future.


    Now, to think about what to do next.


    My item, "The Root of All" is one of a kind. Having it will take care of immediate problems, no doubt. With it, I could also put off finding the rest of my items, or rather I might not even need to, except for a few.


    The tricky part is how to obtain it within the shortest amount of time. Talia''s wings could be sold any time from the present moment, and while I know it''ll take a while before the Auction opens for the Wings, time is still of the essence. Or is it?


    I smiled to myself.


    Thews of the world do not apply to me, the Aspects do not apply to my body. That includes the Aspect of "Time" as well. Unfortunately, Talia is still bound by this, so she would be a liability for me.


    "I guess I''ll have to be done before she notices my absence." I said to myself.


    That''s right, this very night I would find the item I so desperately need and be one step closer to the Destruction of the world.

 Chapter 8 - How To Kill Time

    Everything that exists in the world is made up of the Aspects.


    Water. Land. Animals. Minerals. Fire. Monsters. People.


    However, the concentration and the proportion of the Aspects in anything and everything differs. For example, Animals have more "Life" Aspect concentration than Land, and Fire has more "Energy" Aspect concentration than Animals.


    Since everything and everyone is made up of Aspects, it means that they are bound by them. But, with the body I possess... I am not bound by it. As a result, none of the Aspects make up my self, making me immune to their general effects.


    This has various advantages for me.


    For one, I am able to use Hex unlimitedly. Since I am not bound by Aspects, I can defy them. Unlike any Hex user that exists, I only need to interfere with the natural order of the world for me to use Hex. However, they need to transform the Aspects which are within them into the desirable result. How sad.


    I rose from my bed. Talia was fast asleep, meaning I could go wherever I wanted. If all things go smoothly I would be able to return return before long. The location of the item I seek is in a ruin, thousands of miles from my location. Normally it would take me a great deal of time and journeying to get there, in which Talia''s wings would have been long gone by then. However, using Hex, especially with my current body, that isn''t necessary.


    "Hex #71 ''Warp'' " I said.


    Immediately, I disappeared from my location, or more like I warped.


    Using Hex to distort Space-Time, I am able to close the distance between myself and my target. The target in the case is my item. Of course Hex isn''t omnipotent. There are conditions to be fulfilled before certain effects can be actualized. For this particr Hex one needs to fulfil two conditions


    One is the exact knowledge of the target. That is, the appearance and sufficient traits unique to only that particr target and no other. The second is the location of the target. Since Hex is like a machine, or more urately a "Code", whatever is imputed in it is carried out. Like Hacking into the system of the world and the Aspects, such is the nature of my creation.


    Since I fulfilled both conditions, I was able to sessfully warp to my destination. However, as expected I was warped to the entrance of the ruin and not the exact room where my item is located. The reason for this is due to the barrier I ced around the ruin. It can only be removed by another Primordial, and I''m sure even they do not care for such an object.


    With my current Ability I do not have enough power to break the barrier that surrounded the Ruin, or even scratch it for that matter, but...


    "There''s always a loophole" I smiled to myself.


    I walked toward the entrance and entered the ruin normally. Normally, the barrier would have sent my entire body disintegrating into nothingness, since any thing that touches the barrier would be reduced to nothing. But my case is different.


    The way the barrier works is that it automatically destroys any and all Aspects thate in contact with it, and since all things and beingsprise of Aspects they are eliminated. However, since my entire self is independent of any Aspect, the barrier might as well not recognize me. This made it a cakewalk for me to get in.


    I couldn''t use Hex to get in immediately because Hex uses Aspects, like a hack. So it is technically an Aspect filled mechanism. This means I had to manually enter the ruins. Well, it isn''t all bad though, might as well stretch my legs.


    I walked for several minutes noticing nothing had changed since I created the ruin. No surprise there. Since the barrier blocks out all Aspects then concepts such as time and change do not apply within the ruin. Meaning no matter how long is spent in the ruin, no time at all passes in the world.


    "This will be a good ce to train and orchestrate things" I said to myself.


    I arrived at a checkpoint, and before me was arge gate. The gate shone so brightly and it was so massive that you would have to raise your head almost to the ceiling to see the top of it.


    "The entrance of the Store room... Or so it appears to be" I said with a smirk.


    Of course this was a dud, a distraction to throw any invader who managed to infiltrate the barrier. Of course for the gate to still remain standing and the barrier to be intact, it means no one had gotten in. Still, I was a very cautious and meticulous being at the time. Or maybe it was because I had a lot of time on my hands.


    I made so many traps in so many of my dungeons and ruins that were most likely never going to activate. The Giant Shiny Gate, for instance. It was supposed to swallow whoever opened it and consume them in an eternal void.


    "Such a waste" I mumbled.


    I turned from the gate and saw a very opening in a corner. Most would be too distracted by the gate that they would fail to notice the opening. I smiled and approached the opening. As I got closer, the opening grew wider until it was enough for me to walk throughfortably, and so I did.


    After a minute of walking through the opening and passing a cave like space, I finally got through the exit. One would expect this particr ruin, due to its high difficulty, to contain magnificent gold and priceless treasures in abundance, but... The Store Room contained none of these things. As I entered the room, the entire space was filled with absolutely nothing, entirely nk. There were a few rocks and stones here and there but nothing worthwhile.


    "Or so it seems" I smiled.


    I walked forward and looked to the ground. There it was... The object I travelled thousands of miles for. The treasure of the ruin. "The Root of All".


    It was a ring, it was ck in color, with purple inscribing on it and a dark purple jewel affixed on its center. I picked up the ring and blew on it. Of course this was just for effect, there was no dust in the room.


    "There you are" I said to my prized item.


    Normally, someone ought to judge the quality of a dungeon or ruin based on its difficulty. In essence, the more dangerous it is, the greater the rewards. This particr ruin was nigh impossible to infiltrate meaning a great treasure would exist within it. Entering a deserted room with no single treasure in ce could mean two things for most people.


    One, another person hade before them and had made away with the treasure


    Two, the entire thing was a bust in the first ce.


    However, I''m not entirely unfair. I''m a rewarder of hardbor. It would be entirely unreasonable to go through all the trouble ofying all these traps and barrier for nothing to be inside the ruin. Even if I was inconsiderate of the treasure seekers, I wasn''t so bored as to create an entire ruin and put so much work in it just for nothing.


    The empty room is also to throw invaders off. The treasure in the room is but a single object. The ring I hold in my hands. Its worth is proportional to the entire ruin, meaning even this ring is as valuable as a room filled with gold and priceless weapons, maybe even more.


    This is because...


    "Root of All" I stated.


    The purple jewel glowed and buzzed, showing it had awakened.


    "Show Inventory" I said. "List Object quantity and quality"


    "Confirmed" The Jewel responded to my instructions.


    Immediately, a screen appeared before me, disying everything in the inventory.


    The Root of All is akin to a Coin Card, only phenomenally more superior. Coin Cards merely connects the treasury of the owner to the card, however... This ring, ''Root'', is the treasury itself. Also, it is not only limited to money, but...


    "Coins are numbered 999,999,999,999" The Root said


    Good, I smiled to myself.


    "Sacred Grade Treasures are numbered 99,000"


    "Divine Grade Treasures are numbered 9,999"


    "Primordial Grade Treasures are numbered 9"


    "Failures are numbered 100,000,009"


    "Misceneous are numbered 999,999,999,999,999..."


    And so on.


    I smiled to myself.


    "Who''s broke now?"


    The Root, in short, contains my most basic and essential items. Though some were really useless to me, I still had sentimental value for them.


    The items I didn''t put in other ruins, dungeons or in other ces are contained in the Root. This ring is one of my most valued treasures and its recovery is essential if I am to live in the current world.


    "Now then, time to head back... I wonder how much time passed since I left the inn..." I said to myself.


    TIME PASSED: 1 minute.... 12 seconds.

 Chapter 9 - Unwinding

    After picking up my lost item, I left the ruin and it automatically self destructed, leaving no trace behind.


    I then decided to think about what to do next.


    "Now then... Should I return?" I asked myself.


    However, I wasn''t feeling tired or sleepy. After awakening, it has been non stop movement for me, but my body doesn''t feel fatigue for the most part. If I return to the inn I would most likely have to wait till the next day before revisiting the Auction house since their business time would be over.


    "Here I am, in a foreign region of this new world. Maybe I should try exploring it a bit" I thought.


    That wasn''t a bad idea. It would be better for me to obtain even more information about the new world I found myself in. The memories of the soldier didn''t prove to be very valuable as he was merely a low ranked soldier.


    "I''ll need to catch a big fish." I said.


    To my knowledge I was still in the Western Continent. I wasn''t sure of the region though, and so I had to explore.


    The night felt cool as I breezed through the ins. It felt nice, being out in the open in this brand new world, better than a crowded city or a bug infested forest. However, this still doesn''tpare to the Heavenly Realm, not in the slightest.


    "You all must be living it up there uhn?" I said, thinking about the traitors i had for siblings.


    I looked ahead and saw a veryrge mansion. It was a few hundred kilometers, not too far for me to dash toward, though I could warp there if I desired.


    "Let''s have some exercise" I decided.


    Picking up pace, I ran straight toward the huge building, nearly resembling a castle. The owner must be an affluent person, good. This would be a worthwhile trip, no doubt.


    In a few minutes I was at the gate of the veryrgepound. I could tell that the entire building, including thepound was blocked by a barrier.


    "Hmmn, an item''s effect?" I said, noticing the source of the barrier emanated from a single spot within the garden.


    It was located at the center of thepound, however it would be impossible to reach by normal means since it is inside the barrier. For the owner to own such an Item, they must really be well off and powerful.


    "They call them Relic these days don''t they?" I said to myself.


    In this world, ording to the memories I took, humans do not possess any special ability in any sense. Other than their ingenuity and wits, they are a normal species, just like I remember them in the past. Unlike Fairies, Elves and other beings who can to some extent manipte their Aspects and that of their environment, humans do not have such things.


    However, unlike before, humans have gotten power from Arts, one of which is Hex. I do not know of others, but I would like to find out. Other than Arts, those who do not have the ability or discipline to learn Arts rely on special items to protect them or fight. These are known as Relics.


    Though, the useless memories I obtained had very little information on Relics, I was able to piece a few things together from what I learned.


    Relics are objects imbued with the power of Aspects, granting them various abilities. These include weapons or even mere objects used by gods. In fact, any item from the Heavenly Realm is a Relic, no matter of insignificant it is.


    It seems due to the war I caused 3,000 years ago, quite a number of these objects scattered all over the world as a result of the damage dealt in the Heavenly Realm and the other worlds. These Relics have empowered humans, causing them to evolve further and even given them an edge against other races since humanity has always been creative.


    I smirked, looks like I caused quite a bit of trouble for the suckers even in my death.


    "Well, lets see what kind of man we have here then" I said.


    "Hex #95" I casually raised my hand.


    Immediately, a ck orb akin to a ck hole materialized in front of me.


    "Swallow all" I smiled.


    The orb wasunched to the barrier and as it touched the barrier, it negated the orb and it sizzled. After a struggle between the orb I created and the barrier defending the building, the barrier prevailed to my surprise.


    "Looks like its stronger than I gave it credit for." I said in amazement.


    The Hex I casted was one of even higher quality than the one the Imperial Knight used against me, however, it wasn''t as though that was the highest It could go.


    "How about this then" A smile formed on my face.


    Many orbs of simr properties and size appeared in front of me at the same time.


    "Lets see how long it''llst" I said,unching seven of the orbs I had prepared in midair.


    The seven simultaneously bombarded the barrier and shattered it immediately. Since the barrier wasn''t strong enough to fully counter all of them, the five orbs which were left bombarded thepound, destroying the grounds like bombs set off.


    "Looks like I went too far" I winced at the loud sounds they generated.


    Fortunately, I positioned them in a way that none of them went near the source of the barrier. I wanted to investigate it further. Casually, I walked into thepound. It was a very tasteful one, filled with lovely ins and a lush garden, though it looked like a mess due to the five Hex orbs I used.


    I walked to the jewel which generated the barrier. Cutting down the pir which raised it up, I used my hand to catch the Relic as it fell. It looked like a blue Jewel. It shone brightly before when the barrier was still active but it now looked dull.


    "Maybe its out of energy" I said to myself.


    I started hearing noises from around thepound and within the mansion itself. Looks like themotion I generated had broughtpany.


    "Intruder!" I heard the men say from a distance.


    "Should I confront them?" I thought to myself.


    Since I was bored, I decided to take my time. If I ended it too quickly then I would have nothing left to do.


    In no time at all I was surrounded by the guards of the manor. I was impressed by the formation they took, they must be well trained. A person who looked like the leader came forward and pointed his sword at me.


    "Are you the one responsible for this assault?" He asked me in a rude tone.


    What is it about these guards that make them think they can act so defiantly before me?


    I calmed myself down, If i lost it I might not take enough time to appreciate and enjoy the night breeze.


    "And if I am?" I asked him.


    I heard the guards murmuring among themselves.


    "Impossible, he looks like a kid"


    "How old could be possibly be? 18?"


    "He broke the barrier?"


    "There''s no way a youngd his age could cause this much damage"


    "I see you like to crack jokes. Tell me boy, who put you up to this?" The Chief guard said.


    I remained silent.


    "Answer me! Do you not know that merely trespassing in this territory is akin to treason, yet this much destruction has been made and you im to be the sole culprit." He told me.


    I sensed a tone of pity in his voice. He must think I''m in big trouble.


    "If you confess and mention your allies in this futile attempt then at least your life will be spared" The man ventured on to say.


    "A young man your age... You still have your life ahead of you... Don''t throw it away. Now stand down, surrender and do the right thing" The Chief Guard said.


    I felt nauseated by his self righteousness, I had had enough.


    "Distasteful" I said silently.


    "What was that, young man?" He said to me, not properly hearing me.


    "Urgh, you disgust me" I red at him.


    He sounded like my siblings, so pious and self righteous, however... When you look under the surface they all show their true colors, totally distasteful.


    "Begone" I said, summoning one of my orbs andunched it at him.


    The dark orb sucked at everything as it neared him. I saw his face as it depicted terror. It started with his armor, then his attire underneath it and then it got to his body. His flesh began to get sucked into the orb as he screamed. They peeled off his body as the orb demanded more. His eye fluid, his tendons, his mucus, everything was sucked dry, down to his bones. After it had sucked him, of course it exploded, scattering the blood and flesh of the Chief Guard all over the area.


    The Guards who stood witnessed all this before they could react. As soon as the blood sttered on the grass, some on their own armor, they stared hard at the ground, at the blended body of their leader and then their faces turned to me. Their murmurings turned into deadly silence and their unserious faces turned into looks of terror. Their expressions contorted into that of total despair and fright. I loved it.


    "Arghhhhhhh" The shriek filled the air.


    "Who''s next?" I asked, summoning more orbs around me.


    The Guards shook their head in fear, dropped their weapons and took to thier heels. They screamed as they ran. The nking sounds their swords made as they touched the ground was mixed with their cries of despair.


    "I could just let them go" I said to myself, after all they are all fodder.


    "But..." I was a bit bored. " I have to entertain myself a bit"


    Iunched several orbs at my fleeing enemies and as they got decimated before my eyes I felt my tension being relieved. It isn''t everyday one gets to see people desperately trying to escape but being ripped to shreds by mini ck holes. Their blood and flesh sprayed everywhere and their terror filled the air. Since their bones were grinded by the orbs, they all came out liquid or close to it.


    "Ah, finally. Talia''s positivity and overbearing attitude was getting too tiring. With this I can unwind a bit." I said, smelling the night breeze filled with scent of blood and death.


    Soon, the noise quieted down. The screams stopped.


    "Are they all dead?" I asked, too caught up in my own moment to have noticed how quickly the bodies went.


    "Oh, one escaped though" I noticed.


    "It seems he went to inform those inside. Interesting... Good. Let''s unwind more.." I said, approaching the front door of the lovely mansion.

 Chapter 10 - Taste Of Malevolence

    I tried opening the door of the mansion, but it was sealed shut. I guess I had to put a bit more effort. I pushed a little harder and the door budged, flying across the room.


    The manor''s interior was even more lovelypared to the exterior. The designs on the walls and the paintings hung on it. The paint and the entire structure of the house were all exquisite.


    "Compare this to that lousy inn" I said to myself, a bit jealous.


    Everywhere seemed quiet, as though it had been abandoned.


    Well, since its night I expected as much, but themotion should have alerted everyone in the house so they had to be hiding somewhere.


    I walked down the hallway and got to the main room, the parlor. A very huge painting was affixed on the wall. It was that of a man, most likely in histe fifties and he had a burly look, a fat stature and a well trimmed beard. He wore fancy clothes and looked regal.


    "Most likely the owner of this house" I muttered.


    This was a good opportunity for me to obtain memories of a high ranking member in society. A good opportunity indeed.


    Suddenly I sensed something nearing me. It was...


    Boom!


    A projectile hit me, or rather, was supposed to. I had instinctively generated a shield using a Hex when I sensed the iing projectile and as such I was protected.


    "Keep firing!!!" I heard someone say.


    More projectiles were fired, and though they did me no harm the mere sound generated by the impact was annoying. Not only that, the dust and smoke that filled the air obstructed my vision a bit and also wasn''t pleasant to my nose.


    "I''ll have to enhance my sight. How tedious." I stated.


    By enhancing my sight, I was able to see where the projectiles were beingunched from.


    "Above me uhn" I said, looking up.


    About 30 men holding strange weapons aimed at me. They concentrated on my location and fired once more.


    Bang! Boom!


    The sound was truly unpleasant, especially since I wasn''t the one making it.


    What was that though, the weapon. The most advanced long ranged weapon humans had in my time was the bow. The weapon before me was far more destructive and also faster than those. The memories of the soldier also had no trace of this weapon.


    "Tch. Useless" I muttered.


    "Hex #90" I said.


    Purple smoke filled the entire area, and also went up to where my attackers stayed.


    "W-What is that?" One of them said.


    "Don''t lose eyes on the target!" Their leader reminded.


    However, it was toote. The Haze of hallucinations and madness was in effect.


    I heard screams and screeches from them. They began to shoot at each other.


    "M-Monster!" One soldier said, shooting hisrade beside him.


    "S-Stay away from me! Stay away!!!" Another said, killing his partner.


    They killed themselves in terror, fright, and utter confusion.


    "I wonder what they saw." I said, still looking up as they died.


    Before long, they were all on the floor, as good as dead.


    "Oh shit, I wanted to know more about the weapons" I quickly realized.


    I leaped andunched myself to the floor they were on. I saw most of them were already dead, some breathing theirst. From the looks of things there was no hope for any of them, they had lost too much blood.


    "Hex #61" I said, facing one of the soon-to-die guards. "Blessing of Life"


    The soldier, whose intestines were already out and was trying so hard to put them back in despite its fruitlessness, began to glow. His entire wounds disappeared and he looked good as new.


    He was surprised at what just happened, but I didn''t even give him a chance to react or think any thoughts.


    I grabbed his head and used my ''Memory Drain'' on him. His eyes rolled and his face grew pale as I extracted his life''s information from him. After the transfer wasplete I dropped him on the floor, drool on his face and his body twitching from the aftereffects.


    "He''s as good as a vegetable now" I said, turning away from him and leaving the scene.


    Memory Drain transfers information from a target to myself at hyper speed. In merely a few seconds, all the individual''s life will be showed to me and stored within myself. Though it is merely a copy, the original memories are still with the owner. However, due to the speed of the transfer, humans are unable to cope with it. Their minds melt from the drain and it leaves them permanently scarred, turning them into vegetables incapable of thought or movement.


    I learned quite a bit from the shooter I drained. The weapons the soldiers were using to fire at me are known as ''Guns''. It has an intriguing mechanism and to be honest I''m impressed the humans havee this far in the aspect of technology. Its one surprise after the other.


    I also learned about the owner of the house and other valuable things. The house belongs to a hotshot noble, with ties to the royal family, the details are unimportant. I also got the detailed outline of his house system and the rooms, including the owner''s chamber of residence. I began to head there.


    "This should be fun" I said.


    On the way to the master''s chambers I met more meaningless resistance, however none was worthwhile. The barrier from the start was the only impressive defense so far, and that is just disappointing.


    "Lets just hope there''s a more impressive struggle up ahead."


    There wasn''t.


    After a disappointing march in the mansion, I finally arrived at the master''s bed chambers. I initially thought he would have escaped to a secret tunnel or a hidden room or something, but that didn''t seem to be the case. I sensed multiple presences behind the door I stood in front of.


    "Looks like he has a bit more backbone than I thought" I smiled, readying myself for more action.


    He must have prepared his guards for a final struggle against me, with him leading the charge. A foolish decision, but I had to admit he had guts, contrary to my impression on royals and nobles.


    I opened the door, readying myself for what awaited me.


    "Hehehehe. Why don''t you do it right, do it better!" The Lord of the house said.


    I was dumbfounded from what I saw.


    In his bedchamber, I found no army or defenders or even a struggle. It was... An orgy.


    The lord of the house was on his bed with severaldies wrapped around him and caressing him. Otherdies were dancing around the room, entertaining him. They all seemed to be in a merry mood. Food, sex, partying... Not what I expected.


    "What the...?" I found myself blurting out.


    Suddenly all eyes turned to me. Oops.


    "W-Who are you? How dare you?!" The Lord of the house said in anger.


    Thedies, most of whom were naked or half naked hid themselves and covered themselves in whatever they could find. They looked ashamed of themselves, well they ought to be. This wasn''t the first time my eyes had seen a naked woman, Talia was one. I personally saw to it that she bathed well.


    However, for some reason this was different. For one, this would be the first time I would see so many at once, especially in a room connoting a sensual setting.


    "Answer me! How dare you interrupt your Lord''s night! You will severely suffer for your disturbance! Guards! Guards! Seize this man at once!" The fat man yelled.


    No one answered.


    I felt bad for him, he was flustered, but so am I. What kind of scenario would allow a person walk into a room full of naked people having carnal affairs. The very thought sickens me. Besides, doesn''t this fatass know what is happening? Since I couldn''t take it anymore, I finally decided to speak up.


    "They won''t answer you" I said.


    "Wha...?!" He responded in shock, clearly this had never happened to him before.


    "Don''t you have any idea what is going on outside? Didn''t your guardse to warn you? Can''t you even hear the noise andmotion?" I said, getting irritated by the man before me.


    "Hey! Watch your tone young man!" The idiot responded to me.


    This guy... He had no regard for me neither could he read the situation at all. Even the whores in his bedchamber were smarter than him since they were already exhibiting signs of nervousness and fear. But this man... There are two things that can make a person react this way in the face of danger.


    One is that the person is crazily strong and utterly confident in their abilities.


    Secondly, they have no idea what is happening and are oblivious of the danger.


    However, there is also the third reason. Or rather, the reason behind the second one. That is, such a person has never experienced a taste of said danger before... And in this case it was the taste of danger in its purest.


    "You! What is the meaning of this? What did you do?" The pot bellied idiot jumped from his bed and yelled at me,ing closer to me with only his towel covering his nakedness.


    I red at him as he approached me.


    "Don''t take a step closer" I said in amanding tone, emitting some pressure.


    The room vibrated and the women in the room shuddered in fear. The cold chill filled everywhere and anyone who had sense could tell that I was not to be trifled with


    "Hey you! Are you dumb? Answer me before I change my mind and have you executed!" He yelled at me and continued to approach.


    I was right, this person had never experienced any form of danger or malice in his life. I had to teach him what it meant... To make ignore my warnings.


    I snapped my fingers, and immediately all the women in the room began to swell up and in a split second they exploded. Their blood and flesh sttered everywhere in the room. The walls, the ceiling, the floor, the man.


    "W-W-What.....?!" The man''s eyes widened at the sight of gore before him.


    "Urghhhhh, Arghhhhh, Eeeek!!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.


    "You''re too loud!" I said to him.


    I raised my hands to indicate I could snap and he would share the same fate as the women.


    For the first time, pure fear filled the man''s eyes. He fell on his knees in a helpless fashion. His body trembled with worry and chills. His instincts were screaming at him. Sweat poured all over his naked body and as he raised up his head and looked at me, he knew.... The true meaning of Malevolence!

 Chapter 11 - The Sword Of Rupture

    As the man''s sweat began to mix with the blood that stained his body, an unpleasant odor began forming. Unlike the fresh breeze tainted by the smell of blood, this wasn''t satisfying in the least.


    There was no fun in doing this, there was no struggle or desperation, only powerlessness.


    The look in eyes showed someone who was used to being on the dominant side of things and not on the receiving end.


    I was underwhelmed by the situation. I thought this would be the boss room and it would be more exciting but it seems even I can be wrong.


    "Get up, now!" I said to him.


    He muttered to himself, in a slight daze.


    "I don''t like repeating myself" I said to him, slightly annoyed.


    He snapped back to reality and stood up, his feet trembling.


    His slow and pathetic reaction was really annoying me. I felt disgusted.


    "Are you really a human?" I asked him in disgust.


    He was tongue tied, any word or carelessness could mean his death. He was walking on a fine line and the slightest offset of bnce would lead to his demise. I sighed.


    "Lets just get this over with" I said to myself in disappointment.


    I would use ''Memory Drain'' on him and that would be the end of it.


    I moved closer to him, raising my hand to carry out the deed. His scared eyes begged me to stop, though he couldn''t mouth any words and his body wouldn''t move. I raised my hand as it almost reached his face I felt a presence behind me.


    I instantly leaped away from my location and as soon as I did, I saw a de slice through the air of my previous location. If I hadn''t dodged it, it could have sliced my head clean off. I was already separated from the Nobleman and I was standing in the corner of the room. Who could the attacker be?


    "I''m impressed. To think you were able to dodge my de..." A voice said, emerging from the door which leads to the room I was in.


    The intruder entered the room slowly. His steps were careful and intentional and even I could tell that he was unlike the other ones I had faced thus far.


    The Nobleman''s face brightened as he saw the intruder.


    "Knight Gwain! Bless the Heavens you''re here! Dispose of this man immediately!" The Nobleman shrieked.


    "Yes sir, that is the reason I am here. Please get behind me as things could get dangerous from hereon out" The Imperial Knight Gwain said.


    "I see..." I thought to myself.


    It seemed the Imperial Knight was called upon by the soldier that escaped the other time and not the Nobleman. This would exin why he was surprised at both the assault I made and the intervention of Gwain altogether. He wasn''t informed of anything happening. Most likely because he had strictly forbidden anyone from interrupting him whenever he is in his private chambers, drowning in his lust.


    "Fortunately a guard made it to my premises and informed me of the situation. While it is unfortunate that so many have lost their lives, it is indeed a miracle that you have survived Milord." Knight Gwain said to the Nobleman.


    "Indeed. It is regrettable.. Now that you''re here, however, I have nothing to fear." The Nobleman replied.


    "Indeed sir" The knight responded.


    "Do take care of this assant, however do not kill him, I have some things I would like to ask him, such that he will be begging for a quick death." The Nobleman said.


    "Do so, and you will be wellpensated. Your reward for this service will be great." He added.


    "Yes Milord. I appreciate it sir" The Knight said with a bowed head and then turned to my direction.


    I patiently watched as the entire exchange went on and I could''ve interrupted their discourse, but I waited.


    "This had better be worth the wait" I said.


    "I assure you, nothing would be better for you. I do not know why you have chosen this foolish course of action. To dare to attack a Nobleman, one of high standing for that matter... How foolish" Gwain remarked to me.


    Me? Foolish? The pride of humans, especially these knights knew no bounds.


    However, for the sake of the battle I chose to ignore it.


    "A youngd your age... With this much skill and talent in the Arts you could have joined the Imperial or even the Royal Knights. However, unfortunately for you... This is as far as you go" Gwain continued.


    "You''re pretty confident. What makes you so certain you can win?" I asked him.


    "Hoh? You mean to question my skills as an Imperial Knight?" He asked me.


    "Not really, its just that I fought one of you Imperial Knights just the other day and he also had a great deal of confidence in his skills but he turned out to be pretty weak in the end" I remarked.


    Gwain paused for a while and looked at me seriously.


    "Did you kill him?" He asked.


    I shrugged.


    "A foolish question I have asked. On my way here I saw the trail of bodies you left...Someone who has no qualms with taking this many lives... You definitely killed him." Gwain concluded.


    I smiled.


    "Let''s give it up for the great detective" I joked.


    "That''s enough idle chatter. You have enraged me. Not only have you taken so many lives, but you also took the life of a fellow Imperial Knight. ording to the code we live by, I shall avenge my fallenrade." Gwain said in a noble fashion.


    The self-righteous behavior again... How utterly distasteful.


    He took his stance, holding his de which was still in its sheath. For the first time since he entered I noticed his de. It was a single edged one, a katana. Not only that, but it emitted a form of energy radiation.


    As I was observing his de, he immediately unsheathed his katana andunched at me. He shed horizontally, but I dodged by flying up. I saw the look on his face, and he was... Smiling?


    Suddenly, I felt a tear on my cloth and I realized he had cleanly cut the chest region of my outfit.


    "Wha-?" I said in shock.


    "Looks like I missed" He said with a smile.


    I looked at him, still a bit confused. Did he use some form of Art, or...?


    He sheathed his sword back and took his stance again. This time the energy he was releasing was greater than before.


    "I''ll end it with this" He said.


    With an even greater speed and force he dashed at me again and shed vertically this time. I dodged by dashing backward. However, I felt my cloth torn again, this time from my groins up tip my cor. The rip came as a surprise to me as I was sure I had dodged his strike.


    He sheathed his sword again and stood upright. He had an impressed look in his eyes.


    "I''m surprised, for you to have dodged not just one but two of my shes. If I count the one you evaded when I first arrived that makes three. Indeed you are quite formidable." He remarked.


    I wasn''t sure at first, but now I had no doubt.


    "That de of yours... Its a Relic isn''t it?" I asked him.


    He seemed surprised for a moment but quickly regained hisposure.


    "Indeed. It is the de of Rupture" He told me.


    "I''m guessing its ability has something to do with how I''m suffering damage even though I clearly dodged your strike." I said.


    "That is something I can not say" He said slyly.


    "This man is quite shrewd. Not only does he possess a Relic, but he doesn''t expose its abilities. Indeed he is different from the one I faced previously" I found myself thinking.


    "If I had to take a guess I''d say its Ability is to ignore distance and get a clean hit on an opponent no matter how such a person evades. So far an opponent is in your Area of Effect." I said to Gwain.


    He smiled.


    "Maybe. Maybe not." He replied.


    "So he''s going to be tight lipped about this eh?" I mused to myself.


    If he won''t tell me, I''ll just have to find out.


    He took his stance and began to attack once again, I dodged every of his moves but somehow I kept getting hit. My clothes were already a mess at this point.


    "You''re pretty skilled. For me to have missed for this long." He said.


    "I''ll have to get serious" He said with a tone of finality.


    "Finally. Lets see what you can do" I said with a smile.


    He held his de, while still sheathed and rushed at me. I stood, waiting for him to approach. He used his de, while still sheathed tounch multiple blunt attacks on me which I parried with my arms. As he made a move to strike me again I held his de, however since it was just the sheath, he removed his de and he struck at me. I leaped away and as usual, my attire cut even more.


    However, I was with his sheath this time. I noticed something when he attacks. After making his attacks that ignore my dodging, he would sheath his de back and unsheathe it. That could be a condition for using the troublesome ability. If this was true... Then there was no way for him to use the ability unless he got the sheath back.


    "Check" I said with a smile and looked at him.


    "Checkmate" He said as he took his stance and released the most energy I had seen since we started fighting.


    He raised his sword and prepared a clean and powerful vertical sh. I saw his smiling and confident face as he looked straight at me.


    It was then I realized what he had done. Since the start of the match he had been sheathing his sword at every interval to make me believe his ability was dependent on it, but the truth was that he could use his ability without the sheath. And since I had let my guard down and was in midair, I was the perfect target for him.


    Since the start of the match... He had been waiting for this decisive moment!


    "Sword of Rupture.... Strike!" Gwain dered, entirely guaranteed of his victory.

 Chapter 12 - Tremblings

    "Sword of Rupture... Strike!" Gwain yelled his move as he brought down his de with his full power.


    The st generated destroyed the walls of the room and the destruction was great. Smoke filled the air and all the furniture and essories in the room became badly damaged.


    "Huff... Huff..." Gwain let out indicating exhaustion.


    He had poured out a lot of energy in thatst move in order to finish Hexarion, the assaulter, off.


    "Anything less and the bastard might''ve survived it" He said in a smile.


    Looking at the location in which his enemy once was and finding nothing, he was assured of his victory.


    "This de rends everything, even to the smallest level. There should be nothing left of him now. I have to admit, he was indeed a worthy foe. Only three people have pushed me to use that move." He grimaced.


    He looked behind him and saw the Nobleman cowering and hiding his face in fear.


    He smiled at the sight.


    "What a jackpot!" He said to himself.


    "After this aplishment I''ll move even further in rank. At this rate it won''t be long before I be a High ranking Knight... With this I''ll be one step closer to bing the Chief Knight!" He grinned.


    He then proceeded to calm the Nobleman down, indicating he had won the fight.


    "It''s over now Milord. I have vanquished the enemy. I am sorry that I could not hold back to capture him alive. He was more dangerous than I had foreseen." Gwain said in reverence.


    "Whaaaaat? I wanted to torture him some, but it''s fine. You''ve done me a great service. I''ll be sure to reward you greatly, noble Knight!"


    "Thank you sir" Gwain said with a hidden smile.


    "What a fool. How shameless can these nobles be?" He thought to himself.


    "A few seconds ago he was looking as helpless as a drowned rat, but look at him acting all mighty and proud now. Well, as long as I get my promotion I don''t care" He said inwardly.


    "Sir, why don''t we..." As Gwain was talking... He suddenly felt a presence behind him.


    His eyes widened at the simr presence he had felt throughout his battle, only this time it was stronger. He slowly looked back, dreading what he might see.


    "Hoh, That was your hidden move? Your ace?..." The voice appeared behind him under the guise of the smoke and dust all around the room.


    "I-Impossible..." Gwain said as he recognized the voice... It was...


    [My Turn]


    It was Me!


    "...Seems pretty weak if you ask me." I said, appearing triumphantly.


    "H-How can this be! I was sure I hit you for sure." Gwain said in disbelief.


    I looked at his face which was clearly indicating confusion. Perhaps I could exin a few things to him.


    "You know, I''ve finally figured out the trick behind your fancy weapon." I said, throwing his sheath back to him.


    It fell right beside him, but he didn''t bother even looking at it. Instead he stood from his crouched position and maintained a guard stance.


    "You''re bluffing!" He said to me.


    "W-What''s going on here? I thought you killed him!!!" The Nobleman said.


    He was beginning to panic, however Gwain ignored him and faced me. Smart guy.


    "You, what did you do?" Gwain said, pointing his weapon toward me.


    "You know... I really don''t like how you point that silly weapon at me." I said with a menacing tone.


    He felt a shiver and lowered his de a little, though he was still on his guard.


    "That''s better" I said to him.


    "Your weapon, your enemies assume it ignores distance and hit a person regardless of whether or not they dodge, isn''t that right? To be honest I also fell for that assumption at the beginning."


    Sweat fell from Gwain''s face and he remained silent, proving my point.


    "However, that isn''t the case at all. Your de merely sends out invisible shes toward your enemies. You aim at your opponents and send out those des at them. Since they cant be seen or perceived it seems like an immediate strike, though it is no more than a glorified long scale sh." I said.


    "Hmph, what do you have to back up such a theory?" Gwain replied nervously.


    "Your facial expression tells it all Gwain" I wanted to say, but I decided to utterly break his spirit and went for the truth.


    "You gave yourself away" I told him.


    "I... I did?" He said, trying to understand what I meant by those words.


    "After attempting and failing tond decisive hits on me, you mentioned ''missing me'', saying things like "I missed". However, if your de truly ignores distance and evasion, there''s no way you could''ve missed me. The attack would havended on me" I told him.


    He was shocked at my analysis.


    "However, you believed you nearly got me, and the tear on my clothes were proof of my narrow escape" I continued.


    "But if you had noticed me missing sooner you would have known my de was not ignoring distance. I mean, none of my attacks reached you. That means you were fast and perceptive enough to dodge invisible and non sensible shes.... Why then didn''t you act on it then?"


    "Truth be told, your attack did hit me... That''s how my clothes got torn so badly, and that''s why I initially thought your de ignored distance." I said.


    "B-But there''s no way Inded a clean hit! Even after our exchange you remain unharmed. I never once saw you take damage." He protested.


    "Yes, that''s true" I replied.


    "I remain unscathed even after our exchange, but not because your attacks didn''t hit me..." I continued.


    "No-No way..." His eyes widened.


    "It''s just that your attacks were just too weak. None were strong enough to damage me." I inly told him.


    "That''s a lie! You''re lying!" He shouted.


    "There''s no way a Grade 3 Relic wouldn''t do damage to you. It''s Grade 3 you piece of shit!" He continued, losingposure!


    "Grade 3? Interesting... I had to get this man''s memories." I said to myself.


    "You say that as if your weapon is so special." I told him with a smirk.


    "Shut up! What do you know? Do you know how hard I''ve worked to get to get a hold of this Relic? How many bastards and idiot nobles like this one I had to suck up to in order to rise to this point?" He yelled at me.


    "H-Hey! How dare you c..." The Noble said in annoyance.


    Immediately Gwain looked at the noble with bloodshot eyes. The Nobleman froze up at Gwain''s coldblooded murderous look.


    "Shut up..." He said to the fat and helpless man. "...Or I''ll kill you!"


    "Finally, he is showing his true colors" I smiled to myself.


    "I like this version of you better!" I said to him.


    "I don''t care" He said to me, taking an assault stance.


    "I don''t care anymore. I''m going to kill you. Nothing will stand between me and my promotion!" He said to me with a crazed determined look.


    I sighed.


    Its not like I don''t like guys who are determined, but when a person is ignorant of their ce... As someone older it is my responsibility to teach them what their ce is... In the pecking order.


    "You sure have a lot of confidence in your de" I said to him.


    "Of course, its one of the best!" I said.


    "It is?" I said in surprise.


    "The Sword of Rupture is a Grade 3 Relic damnit!!! You have no idea how powerful it is! I''ll be going all out now!"


    "But..." I said.


    "Isn''t your de a katana, not a sword? Why is it called The Sword of Rupture?" I asked.


    "What? What does that matter? It''s a de mightier than any sword! What does naming have to do with any of this? Do you think you''ll get away with this after how much you have humiliated me?" He replied in irritation.


    I couldn''t control myself anymore. I immediately burst into uncontrobleughter.


    "Fufufufufu....FuaHahahahahahaha" Iughed.


    "Wha...?!" Gwain was confused.


    "What''s so funny?" He yelled at me.


    I slowly stopped, calming myself down.


    "Oh its nothing. Your ignorance is just too amusing" I said still chuckling a bit.


    "You..." He groaned in anger.


    "Maybe its time I showed you... Just what a true de is like" I said to him.


    "Come to think of it, I do have a weapon called that" I realised.


    "Root" I said, activating my ring.


    The jewel shone purple and I stretched forth my right hand, where I wore the ring on.


    "Sacred Grade Treasure: Number 78,907" I called.


    The jewel glowed even brighter.


    Suddenly a sword materialized out of the light and I held it in midair, sping it with my hand which I had stretched forth.


    "What... What is that?" Gwain said in shock at the sight before him.


    "Allow me to show you, one of my Treasures. Item 78,907 of my Sacred Grade items. The Sword of Rupture.." I said with a smile, wielding an actual sword.

 Chapter 13 - Relics Of The Present

    The sword was decorated with dark blue designs and had a ck appearance. It also had blue aura pouring out of it.


    "T-That is... Not possible." He said in surprise.


    "Now then,e at me" I beckoned to him.


    He remained still, his body refusing to move.


    "Oh, have you finally realized... Just how worthless your Relic is?" I mocked.


    "Shut up..." He said in a low voice.


    "What was that?" I asked in a mocking tone.


    "I said SHUT UP!!!" He yelled as he rushed at me.


    I smiled as I watched him wield his de and dash toward me, ready to strike.


    "Sword of Rupture" I said.


    The dark blue sword hummed in response. I raised it slowly.


    "Strike"


    Immediately, the knight before me was engulfed in blue energy which consumed his body. His entire self was immediately torn apart in the highly dense sh of my sword.


    "The final reason why I believed your de could ignore distance and evasion... Is because that is one of my own sword''s abilities. How disappointing" I said in a bored tone.


    Before he fully vaporized, I touched his head and got the information I wanted. Ignorant and weak things like him have their uses after all.


    His entire self faded away, clothes and all. His de fell down, surviving the hit.


    "It must be pretty durable" I said, picking it up.


    "Root" I called.


    "Store item inside Treasure Space" I said.


    "Confirmed" It said, absorbing the de.


    "Item is too weak to be kept as a Special Grade. Reconfiguring. Item is too weak to be kept as a Failure. Reconfiguring. Reconfiguring... Item will be kept as a Misceneous under ''Junk''" Root said.


    "Harsh" I winced at The Root''s bluntness.


    If only Gwain could hear how useless his Relic is. For it to be ced under Junk. How hrious.


    "Eeek" I heard a squeal.


    It came from the downcast noble. He had seen his noble knight die in a single half assed hit. His only chance of survival, dead, just like that.


    "Oh yeah, the Noble" I said, remembering he was still in the room.


    Well, I was bored already.


    "Consider yourself fortunate" I said to him. "I''ve had my fill of fun for tonight"


    "Oh... You, You''ll spare me? Thank you! Thank you!" The noble said, even bowing to me.


    Desperation and the instinct to survive drive even the proudest of men to stoop as low as possible at the slightest glimmer of hope.


    "Well, I''m not entirely unreasonable" I said to myself, exiting the room.


    The Noble wheezed as I walked past him, and finally breathed a sigh of relief as soon as I was out, he was truly happy to be alive.


    "Oh wait" I said, popping my head back to the room.


    "Eeeep" The Noble said, startled.


    "Crap, I almost forgot..." I spoke, walking back into the room.


    "W-What is it?" The Noble said, still scared of my presence, but more rxed knowing I had spared his life.


    "Anything I can do for you?" He said, straining himself to smile, nervously.


    "...Your memories... All of them!" I said in a grim tone.


    His eyes immediately switched from hope to despair as his entire face contorted into fright as I used my hand to collect what I wanted.


    "ARRRRRGHHHHHHH!!!!" His scream filled the manor.


    I exited the manor after I was done with my business there. I saw the damage I had caused since earlier in the night.


    "Wow, I must have really been stressed." I said, surprised at how much damage I had caused.


    However, this much is nothing.


    I remembered something I had taken, the Jewel that caused the barrier around the manor. I brought it out of my pocket and looked at it closely.


    "Looks like a Grade 4 Treasure, or should I say Relic?" I said with a grin.


    Of course, to the gods and owners of these Relics, they are known as Treasures, like the ones I possess. However, humans have given them the title ''Relics''.


    Relics are divided into several categories. They are ranked from Grade 9 to 1 and then there is also the Ultimate Grade. Grade 9 is the weakest Grade, while Grade 1 is the most powerful. Ultimate Grades are even more powerful, however they are rare and as such only royals or equivalent powers possessed them.


    There are also the Irregrs. Irregrs are Relics which do not fall under any of these categories and their full properties and uses remain unknown. Of course the most powerful of them are the Ultimate Relics, whose power, ording to the memories I collected, are akin to the gods. I guess these Ultimate Relics would be the weapons or personal effects of the gods I killed and the ones who were destroyed during the war 3,000 years ago.


    I wonder what Grade my own Treasures would fall under if I were to ssify them by the human standards.


    Most likely my Special Grade would be Grade 2 or so Relics. My Divine Treasures would be their Ultimate Grade Relics. Primordial Grade Treasures should be non equivalent to any relic since all the Primordials are good and well, if there are any, it''ll be my own Treasures. Even then, I doubt any human possesses any Primordial Treasure. If one possesses such, then this world would have been long destroyed.


    "Well, for a Grade 3 Relic to be ssified as Junk by The Root, maybe Relics aren''t so big a deal after all." I found myself thinking.


    Though, it could have been that the humans who have been using it did not consider refilling the Relics with Aspects in order to maintain its original power. If that is the case then the Relic could have been more powerful some time ago.


    "So the more time passes, the more the proficiency reduces, after all humans don''t know how to refill Relics with Aspect properties" I said.


    This means I can''t underestimate any Relic as long as I don''t know its abilities. After all, some might be trickier than the ones I faced tonight and can also contain more Aspect concentration.


    "Root." I said.


    "Store this one also in the Treasure Space" I said, talking about the barrier jewel.


    The Root absorbed that too and also put it in junk.


    "As expected..." I smiled awkwardly.


    Needless to say, I have to research these Relics and learn more about this world. Thanks to the memories I collected from those two, I have a better knowledge of this world. Their sacrifice wasn''t in vain.


    "Well, this just got needlesslyplicated" I said to myself.


    ording to the memories I collected, I''m in it for the long haul.


    [MEANWHILE]


    "What did you just say?" A man, appearing to be the one in charge yelled.


    "Sir, errm... We lost Sir Gwain. His life signature has vanished." A Knight said, flustered.


    "...And the Relic?" The man said impatiently.


    "Also gone. We sent men to check hisst known location. There seemed to have been a huge ughter there. It was Duke Northenheim''s manor." The nervous knight said.


    "Tch... And Sir Gwain''s body?" The Commander asked.


    "Nowhere to be found, most likely it was taken by the perpetrator." The Knight said.


    (P.S His body was entirely obliterated by Hexarion''s sword actually XD)


    "Any survivors or witnesses?" The Commander said, calming himself.


    "A-About that... There appear to be two..." The Knight said a bit nervously and unsure of what to do.


    "Spit it out! Who are they? What are their conditions?" The Commander bellowed impatiently.


    "W-Well, it''s better you see for yourself" The soldier said, leading themander to the shelter where the two survivors were kept.


    "We had to ce them here since they seemed to be unresponsive. We restrained one though... His behavior was too erratic" The Knight said, leading the Commander to the room where they stayed.


    "Gahhhh! Arghhhhh! Wiooohnkadhbdalhbedyl!!!" Unintelligible words came out of one of the two who were in the room.


    The other looked lifeless, his mind waspletely broken and only drool dripped from his mouth. A living vegetable.


    "My God... Is that who I think it is?" Themander said, walking to the madman who was bellowing loudly, unting his fat body and screaming.


    "Yes sir, initially we were unsure of what to make of him, but after proper identification we confirmed his identity." The Knight said.


    "Duke Northenheim" The Commander said, shocked to see a member of High Nobility in such a insane state.


    "Who could have done this?" The Commander gritted his teeth.


    "Most likely the perpetrator behind the ughter of the Duke''s household and also Sir Gwain''s killer" The Knight behind the Commander answered.


    "I know that already!!!" The Knight shouted, silencing the nervous knight.


    "But who... Just who... Would have the mind to do this to the Emperor''s distant rtive... His cousin?


    [MEANWHILE]


    "Atchooo" I sneezed.


    Maybe the cool breeze of the night gave me a cold?


    "Nah, I''m immune to that" I smiled, lying down on the bed in the inn I rented and looking at Talia who slept soundly beside me,pletely unaware of the incident that had just taken ce.


    "Now then.... What''ll happen next?" I smiled in anticipation and closed my eyes to sleep.

 Chapter 14 - Ancient Coins

    The next day I went to the Auction House alone. I told Talia to remain in the room, though she protested a lot. However, as the master I have the final say.


    This time I am confident in myself. After all I hold riches iparable to most men.


    "Good morning sir" The Secretary greeted me.


    She looked shy, did she just start working here?


    I noticed the one I met yesterday was not the one at the counter, I guess they must have shifts.


    "I would like to purchase a rare and highly valuable item at this Auction House, I heard this is the best in town" I started.


    "Y-Yes sir, you didn''t hear wrong" She said nervously.


    Now I see why she was employed. Hermunication skills and confidence were unimpressive, however... Her cute act of nervousness and shyness was her appeal. At least for men who are into such women, they would obviously be attracted to the Auction House more.


    "Too bad its me" I said to myself.


    Consider me unimpressed. I even prefer Talia''s assertive nature to that of a introvert. How boorish.


    "Now then, I want a Membership of this Auction House" I demanded.


    "Y-Yes sir. What kind would you like? W-We have the Basic n, Special n, Deluxe n and the Premium n avable. There is also the Royal n, however, it is not avable for most individuals" She stuttered as she spoke.


    "This girl is no good" I thought to myself.


    The other one was more polite and also rmended the n that would best suit me based on my appearance. Unlike this waste of space, the other one actually got the job done. Sigh, sometimes one just has to work with what they get.


    "Then I want the Premium n, I won''t settle for anything less than the best you have to offer" I spoke.


    Why? Because I''m rich!!!


    "S-Sir, that would be 50 Million Gold Coins" She told me, expressing surprise that I would go for such a high n without the slightest bit of hesitation.


    I smiled. I have billions in my ount, what is a mere 50 million to me?


    "May I have your Coin Card sir?" She said, shyly stretching her hands to me."


    Coin card? Oh shit! I totally forgot about the whole payment system.


    "About that... Do you ept payment other than that of Coin Cards?" I said, bing a bit nervous.


    "We don''t normally do that, since everyone who uses this House possesses a Coin Card." She said, bing a bit confused at my question.


    "You see... I just recently ran into some bit of trouble and had my Coin Card taken away. Of course I have your money... I won''t be able to use the Card for my transactions" I said, making excuses in a dignified manner.


    "O-Ok sir, of course there is no rule prohibiting other transactions. But... How are you going to bring an entire 50 million coins for the transaction?" She asked me, her surprise getting more.


    I smirked.


    "Root" I called.


    My Treasure glowed and Imanded it to give me 50 million coins.


    "ess Coin Treasury. Withdraw 50 million coins" I said.


    Immediately, the light glowed and then treasure chests began appearing before me. The chests themselves were of course pure gold, with adornments of various kinds.


    "Each chest contains a total of a million gold coins" I told her.


    "These are 50 chests, your money in full cash!" I dered.


    Her eyes sparkled, and even the attention of the other staff and people around the Auction House were drawn by the scene I created. They all marveled at my brilliant splendor.


    "Is that a Relic?"


    "A Relic wielder is here?"


    "How rare!"


    "And he''s so young too... And handsome"


    "Must be the son of a noble"


    "Shhh, he''ll hear us"


    "Yes, worship me some more" I thought as I bathed in their praises.


    Looks like I have narcissistic tendencies... Oops.


    The secretary moved from behind her counter and opened the chests to confirm the coins stored within them. She brought out a device I had never seen before and stretched it toward the coins.


    The device glowed and then the glow grew brighter and brighter until finally it died down. Her face was in shock the whole time. I wonder why?


    "S-Sir... There seems to be an issue with your payment..." She said, looking down and not making eye contact with me.


    I wonder what the matter is now.


    "What do you mean?" I said in slight irritation.


    "Eeek" She shrieked a bit in fright.


    "Well, sir... These coins aren''t the currency of the Western Continent... But..." She said in nervousness.


    "Hoh..." I said, still making a dignified look.


    But my mind was in total chaos.


    Crap! I forgot again. The world has progressed over 3,000 years since myst time here. My money is worthless. And here I thought I was rich!! I''m totally broke!


    "I-I see..." I said, feeling flushed with embarrassment.


    After all my brilliant disy, my entire wealth looked nothing more than fake money.


    I expected people to boo me or make fun of me, however, their looks of admiration rose even more as they saw the contents within the chest.


    "I-Is that what I think it is?" Someone said.


    "The ancient currency?" Another grimaced.


    "Oi... Aren''t those entirely rare?" Someone said.


    "50 million of them? Who is this man?" One other said.


    The receptionist began to get flustered and nervous to the point that her voice was drowned by the endlessments and spections of the crowd.


    I was still confused on what was going on, then someone nudged me. It was none other than the secretary I saw yesterday. What a relief, a sensible person arrives.


    "Sir, I need you to retract these chests immediately and follow me. This ce is too public for the transaction we are going to be having." She said with a serious expression, looking around her.


    "Ok...?" I said, returning the chests back to Root.


    She signaled the other shy secretary to keep her mouth shut and remain by the counter, indicating that she would deal with the situation.


    I left with the secretary and she took me to a separate room. There were sofas opposite each other and then a table in between them. Freshly brewed tea was on the table, as well as cookies and fruits of various kinds. Even I could tell, this was a room for the VIPs.


    "Tell me what is going on." I asked her as I entered the room.


    "I apologize for my discourtesy, the situation was too urgent that I had to take action immediately" She said politely.


    Now that''s more like it.


    "The matter at hand is a very sensitive one. The money you possess is a treasure as rare as Relics themselves, and you just brought out a whole 50 million." She said to me seriously.


    I was dazed. Sure I did see mentions of the Ancient currency, and the high demand of it, in the memories I took, I didn''t think those currency were referring to what I had.


    "I see..." Was all I could say.


    "Yes sir, as it stands now you are a center of spection and suspicion. A stranger with that much ancient money... It is unheard of" She said to me.


    "Is that so?" I said, crashing to a sofa while she remained standing.


    "So tell me for reference... Just how valuable is the Ancient Currency?" I asked her.


    "That..." She said, looking flustered a bit.


    That piqued my interest, It seems things were getting quite interesting.


    "That''s enough Lorna... I''ll take it from here..." A voice said as a person emerged from the entrance of the room.


    A man in histe thirties said as he smiled at me. He wore a very luxurious and formal outfit, obviously a big shot in thepany.


    "Who are you?" I asked the man in a foreboding tone.


    The secretary looked at me with shock, as if surprised by my impudence.


    "S-Sir I..." Lorna, the confident secretary said, melting down before this top figure.


    The man let out a heartyugh, as if he was amused by my reaction. The impudence!


    "Ah, forgive me for the unsightlyughter. Indeed you must not be from around here... I am the head of this Branch of Imperius Auction Center, Julius Bodenheim at your service." He introduced himself.


    "I see... Then you must be the most influential person in this entire building" I said.


    "That is correct" He answered me swiftly and promptly.


    Impressive. This man could be worth my time.


    "You may leave" He told the secretary, who appeared flustered anytime she heard his voice.


    You disappoint me too, secretary. I guess all of them are the same.


    Lorna immediately bowed her head and took exited the room quickly. Just like a loyal pet... How unsightly.


    "Now, lets get down to business" Julius said to me, sitting down opposite me.


    "That''s my line! I believed I asked a question before you interrupted me" I said, maintaining my dominant demeanor.


    "How valuable is the Ancient Currency, correct?" He said.


    I remained quiet, expecting a proper reply.


    "It is the most powerful currency in this entire continent, no, this entire world. After the Great Cmity over 3,000 years ago, civilization fell along with the valuable money they used. Normally, money used by ancient civilization would be deemed useless since they were obviously less advanced than we are." He said, pausing to gauge my response.


    I remained expressionless, waiting for him to finish his story.


    "However, some of the money spent back then was discovered and it turns out that these currencies contain supernatural energy, as though they are Relics." He said.


    Now this is a surprise. I''m certain they didn''t have such properties when I was still alive.


    "Don''t tell me..." The thought suddenly came.


    Due to the war, and the leak of energy from the heavenly Realm, the currency might''ve absorbed Aspect properties, granting them special natures. How amazing. The question that remains is whether the coins are the only things of the past which absorbed those special properties.


    "I''ll have to find out" I told myself.


    "Hmmmn, interesting..." I said.


    "Other than that, the coins themselves have even greater value, as the minerals used to create them have even more purity and a higher concentration of gold than the ones we are using now." He added.


    "In order words... These aren''t worth 50 million gold in your currency." I concluded.


    "That is correct" He told me.


    Wow, how did things get so interesting. What to do now?


    "If I may say something..." Julius beckoned to me.


    "What is it?" I asked him.


    "Would you like to trade those 50 million gold coins in your possession with us? I promise to give you the bargain of a lifetime" He proposed to me.


    I smiled.


    "Things certainly are getting interesting aren''t they?" I mused to myself.


    I''m so d I didn''t bring Talia along.

 Chapter 15 - The Devils Bargain

    It''s truly amusing how the human mind works, especially after the passage of time. Humanity has advanced so much that even I do not know what goes on in their heads.


    "A bargain of a lifetime uhn?" I repeated to the young looking man in front of me.


    He smiled at me. Something about him made him likeable, at the same time it threw me off.


    "Could it be...?" I asked myself.


    I smiled. So that''s how it is.


    "Firstly, I''d like to know the value of a single Ancient Coin. We can move further up in our negotiations from there." I said to Julius.


    He initially looked a bit taken aback, but then he proceeded to speak after making an afterthought.


    "It is difficult to estimate its value since it is not something fixed. It changes based on demand, as well as other factors. However, currently a single Ancient coin is worth a million coins." He said to me.


    My eyes widened, I was surprised, though I immediately cautioned myself. However, I noticed Julius had already seen my surprise, maybe he was even looking forward to it. What a shrewd man.


    "That''s quite a huge sum" I said, sipping my tea.


    "Indeed. It is unnaturally high now since there is a high demand of it." He told me.


    "I see, then... How much do you want to purchase it off of me?" I asked him.


    He paused. Perhaps he wasn''t expecting me to be so straightforward.


    "I''ll buy it at market value" He said finally, smiling.


    What? I wasn''t expecting this.


    "Why?" I thought to myself, though I didn''t voice it out.


    "You must be surprised and questioning my decision. Normally I ought to haggle on the price and settle for a discount. To be honest on good days I should be able to settle for a discount of 30 percent since we''re dealing in bulk" He said.


    "Hoh, and why would I agree to such?" I said, amused by his calctions


    He smiled.


    "For one, ording to the events that have happened so far... It seems these coins are of very little value to you. The fact that you were able to so casually demonstrate them proves my point." He said.


    "True. I didn''t think much of it at the time, but after this recent discovery concerning their actual value, don''t you think I might change my mind?" I asked him.


    Two can y this game!


    He nodded, still maintaining his professional outlook.


    "That is a possibility, however, I highly doubt it." He said.


    "Really? Why would you say that?" I asked with a mildugh.


    "You don''t seem to be that kind of person." He told me inly.


    I paused at his words. What did he mean by that?


    "What is that supposed to mean?" I further asked.


    He smiled, and then stood from his seat.


    "I''ll be honest with you, I''m currently in the possession of a Relic which allows me to gauge a client, and even to an extent, charm them." He said to me, showing me a ring he wore.


    I was surprised. Not because of the Relic, I had noticed that from the start of our conversation.


    "You''ve surprised me. I didn''t think you would tell me this easily. I was wondering how long we would be ying this game." I smiled.


    Heughed lightly.


    "To be honest, I had a feeling you already noticed. That''s one of the reasons I came clean. I''m even more surprised that you''re not upset. Most people would be" He confessed.


    "Why would I be? You are simply using what you have to get what you want. Isn''t that trade in its simplest?" I remarked.


    It seems my respond truly amazed him that he burst intoughter and lost hisposure for a moment.


    "I apologize sir, you''re a rather peculiar one. I have never met anyone like you" He said, calming down.


    "Naturally" I replied.


    "So, what did your Relic tell you?" I asked him.


    "To be frank, the Relic had no effect of you. I was surprised initially since its a Grade 5 Relic, and it works for nearly everyone, unless you''re under the protection of a more powerful contradicting Relic" He said.


    "Well, if you could count this as one" I raised up my hand, showing him my ring.


    "As I thought, you are a Relic wielder, you''re no ordinary man. To also be able to resist my charm, the Relic must be a very high Grade one." He remarked.


    "Yes, indeed" I said, noticing we were diverting from the main topic.


    "Let''s continue where we left off. You said I don''t seem like the kind of person who would change my mind even after finding out the real value of my coins" I said.


    He smiled sheepishly, also noticing he had diverted from the matter at hand.


    "Oh, that..." He said.


    "Was that also an effect of your Relic?" I asked.


    "No. It was just a hunch" He told me.


    "A... Hunch?!" I asked.


    "Yes, exactly. A hunch!" He repeated.


    "As a merchant, especially one of my standing and experience, hunches and gut feelings are very important. I just had the notion that you have little use for the coins, even with their high value" He said.


    I smiled. This man is sharp, very much so in fact.


    If I could, I would love to drain his memories, but it would be such a waste since he''ll be very useful for me on the long run. Fine, he deserves my attention. In my opinion, he is the first human to truly impress me in this new world.


    "You have my attention now." I said to him.


    Not only was he honest with me about the current market value, he also agreed to buy my coins at the actual market price. By using Hex of Truth, I am able to detect lies. He spoke the truth very often, but I know he''s still hiding something and I intend to find out.


    "While I appreciate your good deal, I still remain undecided. A merchant such as yourself would never propose a losing deal." I told him.


    "Well..." He said, hesitating a bit.


    "Want to know what I think?" I asked him.


    He remained quiet. I went on.


    "For you to know the exact market price of the coins, as well as the high demand of it, you must have a personal interest in it, or rather, one of your clients do. Auctioneers such as yourselves have connection to top tier members of society as well as a very widework of information. You must have discovered with certainty... That the current market price for the coins will skyrocket drastically." I said.


    He looked surprised by my deductions


    "This means if I sell it to you at the current market price , when that timees you''ll make unimaginable profit. Am I wrong?" I said to him.


    "T-That is correct sir" He said in amazement.


    "Knowing all this, what stops me from waiting for the prices to jack up before selling my coins to the highest bidder?" I asked him.


    He paused at my question.


    I have big ns for this man, if he can just ovee this hurdle... Then, for sure...


    "I doubt you''d want to do that" He said.


    "Hoh? Tell me more" I said.


    "There are a couple of reasons for this" He said.


    I silently waited to hear what he had to say.


    "Firstly, Inconvenience. I doubt you''d have the means of selling so many Ancient coins at once. Besides, doing so will draw a lot of suspicion and attention on you, which I''m sure you wouldn''t want." He said.


    "How sure are you I don''t like the attention?" I asked him naughtily.


    "Well, if we take into ount the fact that you are a Relic user and I have never heard of you, plus the fact that you followed our secretary when things were getting too crowded for you back at the desk, then we have our answer." He replied smartly.


    "Fair point, continue" I said.


    "Secondly, you could attract unwanted attention. From top criminals in the underworld to even the Royal family. A person with so many ancient coins will disrupt the bnce, and in that state of chaos, you won''t even have national stability talk less of a market stable enough to sell your coins." He pointed out.


    True. I will most likely be able to take down these enemies, but it won''t make sense for the whole conflict to start because of a couple million coins that I don''t need.


    "There''s also the fact that if you''re willing to sell so many coins at the same time, the market value will decrease. You could decide releasing it at small quantities until your stash is exhausted, but I doubt you want to wait that long to sell your coins" He added.


    True. Thest thing I want to be is a merchant. Why would I contribute to the economy of the world I''m going to destroy anyway.


    "Finally, the issue of our Auction Center. It seems there is something of interest in this Auction House, and you do not actually have the currency we do. This means you''ll need to sell some of your coins anyway, in order to get the proper currency to use... Why not just sell them to us? I can guarantee that no other ce will buy this many coins without any questions as to their origins and even with the full market price. Of course with confidentiality as well..." He said.


    I smiled. I wasn''t wrong. This man is indeed very shrewd, the most I''ve seen so far. His analysis and deductions are on point as well. He even said some things I never even thought of.


    Iughed. How amusing, and interesting!


    "Very well... I''ll sell them to you!" I told him.


    His face brightened up as soon as he heard that.


    "Then..." He said.


    "But... I''ll be changing the terms" I said.


    "Sure, what would you like to add?" He asked.


    I smiled.


    "Everything... This Auction Center, I want everything you have!" I dered.


    His pleased look turned quickly to shock. He definitely wasn''t expecting this.


    "So.... Do we have a deal?" I asked with a dark glow gleaming in my eyes,

 Chapter 16 - Its A Deal!

    A bead of sweat dropped from Julius''s face when I stated my condition.


    "What? But t-that is..." Julius said, losing a bit ofposure.


    Perhaps I should have broken it down to him, since I merely told him my intention.


    "Rx Julius, what I really mean is not possession, but rather ess." I said in a calm manner.


    Julius calmed down a bit, but from his expression I can tell that he still doesn''t fully understand my intentions.


    "I want ess to everything your Auction has, even the hidden goods that are not avable to others. Everything!" I said.


    "Just ess? That is all?" Julius asked in surprise.


    "What ever else will depend on your response..." I said.


    Julius became calm upon hearing this and fell silent. My bet is that he is weighing his choices and trying to reason a way toe out profitable and bnce the scales.


    "While it isn''t all that difficult to do, what you''re asking goes against thepany''s bureaucracy. Premium Membership allows the members ess to almost all goods, but the Royal Membership guarantees ess to all. That is what you want" Julius said, looking ufortable.


    "Exactly" I responded, ying along with him.


    "But, you see... That Membership is exclusive only to the Royal family and those with deep ties to them. Even those with enough money to qualify, some of the richest of our customers can not obtain it. It''s simply exclusive to the Royals." He said.


    I understand what he is trying to do. From the minute I made my objectives clear to him, he already epted them. What he is doing now is just groundwork. If he epts too hastily it will make him seem too desperate, which will in turn make him lose his bargaining power and standing... Something he can not afford. It''s fine though, I''ll allow it.


    It all works in my favor anyway.


    "However, I am willing to make your case the exception" Julius said.


    I knew it. For the price of 5 million ancient coins who wouldn''t abandon protocol for such an opportunity? I also understand he is trying to make it seem like he is doing me a favor by granting me this membership. Such a shrewd man, I like it.


    "That''s good. And in the spirit of that, I will tell you the specifics of my immediate desires." I said.


    Julius payed rapt attention.


    "First, a proper Coin Card. As you must already know, I do not possess one. Though I could certainly use this Relic I have for that purpose, I would like to avoid standing out too much. Can you make that happen?" I asked.


    "Of course. Usually, Coin Cards are acquired through certain process in order to be guaranteed for only affluent people, and it might get difficult or tedious of you''re not as famous as others. However, Imperius Auction House offers these services. Using the reach of this establishment, I can easily obtain one for you. It depends on the one you would like..." Julius said with a smile.


    The look on his face tells me that he''s surprised by the little requests I''m making for such a huge amount of money. Don''t worry about that Julius, I intend to fully collect.


    "I want the best possible one. Also, link the Coin Card ount to your Auction House. This means that my money will be under the management and security of this establishment. In essence, you''re my bank." I said.


    "That can be arranged" He said.


    This way, there will be no stress in managing my finances, everything will be handled by Imperius. Also, this makes me a huge stakeholder and well respected customer, deepening my connections with this establishment. Good...


    "Anything else?" He asked.


    "Yes, both my membership card and Coin card will be under an Alias. You should understand what I mean" I told him.


    "I understand. After causing such a stir earlier, you don''t want your identity to be connected to this new one, thereby giving you a fresh start in the Auction House" He said.


    Good, he gets it.


    "So far, calcte the costs incurred for all the things I have mentioned. How much do they remove from the Ancient Coins I have?" I said.


    "Not even up to a thousand. You still have plenty more to spend" He told me.


    "Good, then I''ll be requesting for onest thing. The main reason I''m in your auction house... The Fairy Wings merchandise you intend to auction" I said.


    His eyes widened at my statement.


    "Surprised? I''m sure you''re wondering how I know this. You haven''t even publicized it yet. Well, don''t bother thinking about it. The important thing is that I want it" I said with a casual smile.


    "Ah, well... About that..." He said, trying to y coy again.


    I am not about to y this game with him concerning this particr subject matter.


    "Let me make this abundantly clear to you. If I do not obtain those wings, all our earlier discussions and bargains are meaningless. I might as well just leave now" I said, rising from my seat.


    "Wait, I understand the situation. But its not as simple as that" He said to me.


    I remained standing, staring at him and expecting an exnation before my patience runs out.


    "The thing is, our priviledged members already know of the Fairy Wings, and it is going to be the ''Main Item'' of next week''s auction. Selling it to you now will not only reduce the profits this organization will gain, but also the credibility. As for profits, I am aware you are able to fullypensate us, but there''s the master of trust and credibility. The auction business operates on good name and trust." He said.


    Well, these are all within my expectations. However, there is always a loophole. That is not for me to figure out, after all... I''m not the desperate one. If pushes to shove, I can just obtain the wings by force. Though that will be distasteful. This is more fun.


    "However, there is a way we can go about it..." He finally said.


    The words I have been waiting to hear.


    "Go on" I said, returning to sit down.


    He heaved a sigh of relief. It is clear who has the power in this negotiation.


    "I can guarantee the item is yours, but can you still allow it to be up for auction. No matter how high the bid gets, you can always bid more. The money will be taken from your ount with us, so there is nothing to fear." He proposed to me.


    "Nice Idea. See? You can always find a way if you try" I said with a smile.


    Heughed nervously.


    "Well then, that about concludes it. How much is the total estimated expenses?" I asked


    "Approximately 2,000 Gold coins, including the estimated budget for the wings. That still leaves 49 Million and 998 Thousand coins left." He said to me.


    "Okay. I''ll sell them to you at the market value price, just as you offered. You can just fix my money into my ount with you. That way, I can just withdraw on demand." I said.


    Julius looks so surprised and happy. The deal appears to be in his favor since he can decide to pay me in installments, after all I won''t spend all the money at once. There''s also the fact that there was no way he had the entire money to buy the whole 50 million coins from me in the first ce. This actually benefits both of us.


    I can finally sort out all the messy details without getting directly involved. I have a connection with an influential person andpany... Plus, right now... He owes me!


    "I can''t believe it" He said to me.


    Normally, he would try to hide his excitement, but I''m sure after our negotiations it has dawned on him that I''m a more superior bargainer and it would be wiser for him to just be straightforward with me.


    "If there''s nothing else, then..." I said to him, standing up.


    "You have a deal, sir!" He said to me, rising up as well with a smile.


    He stretched forth his hand to shake me, well... Why not? I shook him back.


    "Just in case..." I thought.


    I used a Hex to enforce the deal we just made, thereby binding him to our contract. This way he won''t go contrary to any of the terms stipted. I doubt he will do it of his free will, but still, I have learnt that being careful never hurts. That''s how I''m still alive today.


    However, this Hex is more effective when there are clear and express terms to follow, that''s why I''ll need us to have a written contract and not just oral agreement.


    "Indeed, but just for reference sake, let us review the contract in detail" I said to him.


    "Sure, but lets do so in my office. It will be more fitting" He said to me, guiding me to his office.


    And just like that, I have an additional pawn.


    Obtaining Talia''s Fairy Wings, getting the best membership at the best auction house, getting the best coin card and an almost unlimited supply of funds and establishing an influential connection... All without lifting a single finger or Hex.


    "It sure feels good to be rich" I said to myself, leaving for Julius''s office to sort out the details.

 Chapter 17 - [Bonus ]The Auction (Pt 1)

    After sorting out the details with Julius, I received my one copy of the written agreement and left the Auction house. Julius gave me the details of the date of the auction, and the time everything I had arranged for will get to me.


    ording to him, I will have to wait for a few days before everything is sorted out. Fortunately, the auction is next week, about 5 days away. My proper credentials will be ready before the date of the auction.


    However, since I am now affiliated with the Imperius Auction House, I can not return to that small inn my money could afford at the time. Its time to live decently at least. Though my Coin Card isn''t ready yet, a simple letter from Imperius Auction House is enough to allow me ess to the best of hotels in Artia.


    I asked Julius to write a rmendary letter to the hotel I''ll be lodging in. While he was doing this, I used one of my many treasures to create a telepathic link between Talia and myself.


    "Talia, it''s me" I transferred my thought to her.


    "Oh....What''s the matter?" She responded slowly.


    I could hear her yawning in the background.


    I had given her the other part of the treasure I used tomunicate with her in case she needed to reach me. I guess that wasn''t necessary.


    "Meet me at the Tarius Hotel. We''ll be spending our nights there from now on" I said, deciding not toment on her sleepy andzy behaviour.


    "Whoah? For real? That ce is really fancy! Does that mean everything worked out with the auction? Did you get my wings?" She asked excitedly.


    "Just get there. I''ll exin the situation when we meet. I must not get there before you" I sternly said.


    There was a short silence on her end before she finally answered.


    "Understood." She answered.


    Good. Looks like she understands her position perfectly. Despite how expressive Talia is, she doesn''t lose sight of her rtionship with me, and she can tell when I mean business. That''smon sense, a trait others would do well to have.


    "Now then... I best be on my way too" I told Julis, who had prepared my letter already.


    I decided to walk to the hotel and take in the sight of the city. It wasn''t a bad experience. I noticed the presence of many ves though. They looked dirty and miserable. Even men who belonged to the middle ss has a ve or two. People who sell in stalls or merchants who have shops have ves who do the heavy lifting or serve as security. Of course, these ves range from humans to other species, though humans seem to be the mostmon. ves of other races will naturally be more expensive.


    It looks like this town is very tolerant toward ve trading, or rather its part of business. I heard from someone that there''s nothing you can''t find for sale in Artia, you just have to look deep enough. While that is indeed arguable, the morals of trade are loose here and while I know the world has changed since my death, I''m sure not every ce is as morally loose as this.


    "Humans selling their fellow humans asmodities, what a sight" I mused to myself with a smile.


    Moving on, I eventually got to the hotel and I met Talia waiting for me, good girl.


    "Master, you''re here" Talia said to me, bowing her head.


    I told her to address me as Master in public, seeing as she resembles an Elf. Besides, my real name, Hexarion stands out too much. ording to the legend of the people, I''m some sort of Demon god. The one who sought to destroy the world and caused the Great Chaos over 3,000 years ago. My name is considered a sphemy and it is both hated and feared. Well, they aren''t so wrong about that. In any case, I need to create an alternate identity for myself. I have Julius working on it, so in the meantime this will have to do.


    "Yeah, let''s go in" I said.


    The both of us walked to the Hotel, and after showing them the letter we were immediately allowed in. Our room was in an exclusive suite, specially made for VIP guests. Oh Julius... You sure know how to treat a guy right.


    I smiled at the luxurious room. This is merely the beginning, soon I will possess more than this, but there''s no need to be in a hurry. I can take my time.


    I called Talia after we settled in and told her about the deal I made with Julius.


    "Oh, that''s a good thing... Right? But what about me? You didn''t mention any Coin Card or Membership for me. Am I also sitting this one out? Please let me go with you. I don''t want to be alone" She pleaded.


    Of course I wasn''t nning on leaving her behind.


    "You''reing with me. Premium members and above are allowed to bring an additional member into the auction to serve as their aid orpany" I said to her.


    Her face gleamed. She must be happy. Normally, it would have been preferable if the both of us had our separate Membership and Coin Cards, but it''ll raise too much attention that way. Okus, Julius is already making an exception for me. Doing the same for my servant will definitely not fly.


    "It also works out well this way" I said to her.


    Now then, its time to wait for my package to arrive, and then after that, we prepare for the Auction.


    [3 DAYS LATER]


    Just as Julius said, the package arrived in three days. Both my Royal Membership Card and Special Imperius ount Coin Card. Looking at the information disyed, everything is in ce.


    Both cards have affiliations with Imperius, meaning the identity of the owner can be changed and edited by Imperius. Pursuant to my wishes, Julius has made my new identity for me.


    "Rio Xarion... That''s my new identity from now onward" I smiled to myself.


    Now then, for further preparations.


    I gave Talia an identity concealing ring which makes her appear as a human to whoever sees her, unless she gives them permission to see her true form. This is to avoid unnecessary eyes looking in our direction. Of course, I can always see her true form so its powerless on me. I also decided it is high time we changed our clothing.


    Our current clothes were made by me using Hex to manipte matter and turn them to clothing. But since its merely matter woven to form clothes, it''s not very durable. It also has no real benefit or special properties. Now, with ''Root'', I can finally choose from the clothes I have stored there. Not only are they exponentially more durable and even more regal, they possess special features.


    "Time to do indoor shopping" I smiled to Talia, who seems very excited with this.


    After hours of sorting through the clothes and testing them out, though most of the time was eaten up by Talia, we finally got our outfits.


    I wore a ck and gold regal attire, with dark shiny shoes and dark gloves. Talia went for a dark red gown, with ck leggings and shoes. She also wore dark colored gloves and had red ribbons for her hair. These clothes had the special abilities of magic resistance, stain resistance, wear resistance, damage resistance, auto repair feature and color change feature.


    I can''t even recall what pushed me to have started designing clothes in the past. I must have been bored out of my mind then, with nothing to do.


    With the ring Talia had, preventing her identity from being exposed, and the shapeshifting function of my body, no one will recognize the both of us. This way, we draw no attention to ourselves.


    "It''s almost time Talia, how do you feel?" I asked her.


    The looks in her eyes could tell it all.


    "I can''t wait" She said.


    [AUCTION DAY]


    Talia and I walked into Imperius Auction House. There were so many people at the entrance, however we didn''t need to join them since our Membership is of the highest rank. A personal attendant escorted us to where we will be staying for the auction. Unlike the general hall, which was on the first floor, we were taken to a higher level. We entered through a special door which led to the same massive hall, except we were in an upper level.


    I am able to see the rest of the bidders sitting on their seats downstairs, I could see almost everything from the angle in which I sat. The ce Talia and I have to ourselves is exclusive. A private chamber to be precise. Also, our identities are kept safe. A ss barrier protects the open room from any eye. The other bidders can see our private room from where they sat, but they can''t see who is inside. However, I see them all clearly. Truly, there is no such thing as equality.


    I looked and also saw the Premium members sitting in a special section. They had a more elevated seat than the rest, but nowhere near where I sat. The difference between the two memberships is just this vast.


    I was curious about how I am to bid if anything catches my eyes, so I asked our personal attendant and guide.


    "Yes sir. When you want to bid for an item, all you have to do is press this button." She said, pointing to a button right beside my seat, to my right, on a vertical desk within my arm''s reach.


    "It will send a light and buzz signal from your room so everyone can see you bid for the goods. Normally, this ce is sound proof, however, after pressing the button, everyone will be able to hear whatever goes on in this room, so you''ll be able to speak out the amount you''re willing to bid." She exined to me.


    I understood everything perfectly, so I sent her off. She excused us, leaving the room.


    "If you need me for anything else sir, I''m right outside this room." She said, exiting.


    I smiled. In this massive theater filled with so many people, I will be the one to get the grand prize. I already know this, but I find it amusing that they do not even know of it at all.


    A man suddenly entered the stage, introducing himself as the person who will be presiding over the auction. He was short and fat, also had a mustache. However, I could tell... This guy is also a shrewd and experienced business person.


    I rxed on my chair, same with Talia, who sat to my left side. We both braced ourselves for what woulde next...


    "Now then, LET THE AUCTION BEGIN!" He announced.

 Chapter 18 - The Auction (Pt 2)

    Hours into the auction, and I have just one word to say about it... Unimpressive.


    Most of the items up for bid are relics and rare objects. Of course the crowd ate it up, but as for me, they were not in the least attractive. Unfortunately, my grand prize will be thest item for auction since its the main object for today''s events. This means I''ll have to wait through this entire boring session.


    "I have to say though, it''s a bit awkward not buying anything" I thought aloud.


    I looked toward Talia, who was watching the auction in earnest. I suppose the anticipation for obtaining her wings is her motivation. Unlike her, I don''t really have a personal interest in this auction. But, who knows... Something interesting could happen. The night is still young.


    "And now, we move on to the next bidding session" The auctioneer announced.


    Suddenly and slowly, one after the other, I saw people proceeding from the backstage. They were in chains, and from their appearances I could tell.


    "ves" I said.


    Talia looked ufortable at the sight. Who can me her? Had it not been for my intervention she would have been one of them.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the ves and a major attraction for today''s auction." The man announced.


    In total there were 7 ves. Five male and two female. However, as I would expect from Imperius, they chose quality over quantity. Of the seven, four are beastfolk, two are Elves and finally thest person... Is that...?


    "We have seven of the best and highest quality ves for bid here. We''ll start with ve A" The auctioneer announced, beginning the bid.


    Of course the bidderspeted amongst themselves for the vemodities and bid as much as they could.


    "Do I hear 50 million?" The auctioneer asked, on the matter of the Elf girl who is next.


    Everyone would love to have an Elf as a ve, and so they all jumped into the bid. Both of the Elves are female, so the appeal is through the roof. Elves are natural beauties and are usually considered pure. The perfect prey for rich men with sadistic tendencies or very strong libido.


    "Buzzzzz" A sound echoed through the room.


    "100 million coins" Someone dered.


    100 million? Who would spend so much on a single Elf girl?


    I looked at the origin of the sound, it was someone in his own exclusive bidding room, just like man. He must also be a Royal Member at Imperius.


    "100 million, any one bidding higher?" The auctioneer said.


    "Going once, twice..."


    "Sold!" The auctioneer said, confirming the sale of the first Elf ve to the Royal Member.


    Well, that''s no surprise. I doubt anyone in their right mind would waste that much money on a single ve... Well, unless he is a Royal, like that guy.


    "Now, for the other Elven beauty" The auctioneer said with a smile.


    "100 million" The same bidder said.


    There were grumblings and murmurings made by the other bidders, but there was nothing anyone could do about it. In the end, money and power are the things that matter in this world, the auction house is no exception.


    "Going once... Twice... Sold!" The auctioneer dered.


    After that, it was clear that the audience was displeased.


    "Now, now... There''s still one more ve to be sold" The auctioneer said, reasoning with the audience.


    Of course this didn''t make the crowd any happier. Thest ve isn''t a female, and isn''t an Elf. Just some random dude... Or so they think.


    "Please everyone calm down" The auctioneer said.


    Suddenly, the crowd stopped their murmurings and anger and started to let out chuckles and some even bursted outughing.


    The auctioneer was initially happy about this and took credit for the sudden change of heart among the audience. But for those of us who are watching the auctioneer and the auction, we know what''s really happening.


    "Look behind you" One of the bidders said,ughing even more.


    The auctioneer turned back only to find thest ve, which was supposed to resemble a teenage boy with tattered clothing and unkept hair, but what he saw was something else entirely. He was looking at... Himself.


    Not only was the ve now identical to the auctioneer, but he was making weird poses and dancing in a funny manner. It was funny to everyone because it seemed like it was the auctioneer who was doing it. His fat and short figure dancing all around cracked everyone up.


    It turns out the final ve is a shapeshifter, a breed capable of changing their appearances to whatever suits them. One of the most notorious and haughtiest races in this world.


    The auctioneer gushed with so much embarrassment. He was now mad.


    "Y-You! How dare you? Who ordered you to turn? Change back! Change back now!!!" The auctioneer shouted at the ve.


    The ve, still with the appearance of the auctioneer finally stopped his silly tricks. He then cracked a mischievous smile and then changed his head back to his original form, but left the physique of the auctioneer andughed, continuing his silly antics.


    The audienceughed even more at the silly sight. The auctioneer was red with anger and reached within his pocket to bring out some sort of scroll. The scroll glowed and suddenly the ve started screaming, kneeling down and holding his head.


    "I said... Change back!" Hemanded.


    The ve immediatelyplied, still screaming and groaning. I looked closely and saw the reason why.


    "ve Crest" I said.


    It is only natural that ves have one. It prevents a ve from going against their master and also allows the master tomand the ve to do anything or simply punish them. Normally, as the original owner of a ve, no scroll is needed to enforce the ve crest. However, since the auctioneer is not the original owner, he needs a scroll to act as a medium for enforcement.


    Needless to say, the ve won''t be disobeying the auctioneer or pulling any other funny tricks anytime soon.


    The audience booed the judgement of the auctioneer and some still let out some chuckles.


    "Now then..." The auctioneer cleared his throat to regain hisposure andmand decorum.


    "Let us proceed." He smiled.


    "We''ll begin the price from 500,000 coins. Any takers?" The auctioneer asked.


    No one responded.


    "Any takers?" He repeated.


    No one wanted the ve.


    The auctioneer had a conflicted look. The ve he was supposed to sell... No one was interested in buying him. At least, that''s what everyone thinks.


    A buzz was sounded, and a voice came forth.


    "I''ll take him"


    Everyone turned toward the direction of who said that... It was none other than me.


    I have to say, I am interested in this shapeshifter. Not just because of his little stunt earlier, though that relieved my boredom for a bit, but there''s something else. Besides, he seems like an interesting character.


    "Any higher bid?" The auctioneer asked.


    No one responded. Of course, who would be interested in a troublesome sneaky little shapeshifter. It will most likely cost them more to maintain such a ve than to actually use him. Besides, it is a general rule that shapeshifters can not be trusted. They''re one of the most scorned races. And, after the stunt the ve just pulled, no one would like to have it as their ve.


    "Going once... Twice.... Gone! Thest ve has been sold." The auctioneer announced, a sense of relief was in his voice.


    I can''t say I me him. That particr ve must''ve been a handful.


    "Now then,dies and gentlemen. The moment you''ve all been waiting for." The auctioneer dered.


    Everyone''s voices could be heard at this point. It is finally time to bring out the main sensation of today''s auction...


    "I hereby present to you... The Fairy Wings" The auctioneer dered.


    Everyone cheered and marveled at the wings which were brought to the stage. Even I have to admit, they are indeed beautiful, a perfect fit for Talia. The wings are abination of many colors, brimming with purple and red hue, with blue glows around the edges and it emanated a bright low glow.


    I looked beside me to see Talia''s reaction to this sight. She was crying. I saw the longing in her eyes, the craving she has for what was once hers. I smiled. Within a matter of time, those wings will be mine. I guess its time for me to now actively participate in the auctions, because from now on... Things will start to get very engaging.


    "This should be fun" I said with a smile.

 Chapter 19 - The Auction (Pt 3)

    The audience was in a frenzy, they all admired the beautiful wings that originally sat behind Talia''s back.


    "They''re pretty, your wings..." Imented, looking to her direction.


    She blushed, turning her face so I couldn''t see. What a childish reaction.


    "I can see why those guys betrayed you for them" I added.


    She kept quiet, but had a disturbed look on her face.


    "What''s on your mind?" I asked.


    "Are you really going to get it... For me?" She asked suddenly.


    Why is she asking me this? Is she suddenly beginning to doubt me... My capabilities? I have to say, I am honestly disappointed. She has such little faith in me?


    "I-It feels so unbelievable... Like I''m dreaming. You already told me you will get it, and I still believe your words... It''s just that, this feels so unreal" She said, sobbing.


    Urgh, tears? For real? Well, I can''t say I''m all that thrilled by her mushy attitude, but it cleared my earlier notion. She does trust and believe me, she is just finding it difficult toe to terms with reality. I guess she still has little self worth in her eyes. It''s one thing if she feels inferior to me, but for her to carry it, even in little matters like this. That''s a problem.


    "You should have a bit more confidence in yourself" I told her, before facing my front to fully concentrate on the auction.


    Her eyes looked at me with a happy and surprised look. She nodded her head rapidly, pped her cheeks and then faced the stage as well. Good, I saw all that with my enhanced vision, which allows me to see things I''m not looking at directly.


    "We''ll begin our bid from..." The auctioneer began


    Everyone held their breath, a moment of suspense ensued.


    "5 Million coins!" He announced.


    Immediately, people started bidding crazily for the wings. In my mind I yed the event which would have taken ce if I didn''t obtain Root and have the ancient coins and Imperius Auction House on my side. I clearly remember the Membership price for Premium was 50 Million. And now the mere starting price of Talia''s wings is equivalent to 10 percent of that amount. These people have crazy money to spend. I''m really happy I decided to find Root, my beloved ring.


    That said, only the Premium members will be bidding at this point. The regr and special members can only watch. There''s no surprise there. If they had that much money in the first ce, they would have gotten Premium Membership. Other than exclusive bidding rights on some items, Premium Members and above have some closed bidding events, with only them in attendance. This is the advantage of Premium and Royal membership.


    "103 Million" A person bid.


    "121 Million" Another said.


    I just sighed. This has gone on for too long. In order not to waste anyone''s time, lets put this to a close. Julius told me the estimated value of the wings is 2,000 ancient coins. An ancient coin is currently equivalent to a million regr coins.That gives me 2 billion coins in my disposal for this auction.


    I''m not a big fan of waste. I mean, spending so much money on something that originally belongs to someone who belongs to me. That just means I''m buying a property I''m naturally entitled to. However, since I have enough at my disposal, plus for the sake of good rtions with Imperius Auction House and beyond, I''ll participate this time.


    "500 million" I bid.


    Everyone was surprised by my rash bid. I just increased the bar at a remarkable rate. No one was bidding again. I''m certain its for two major reasons. One, they simply do not have enough money topete with the likes of myself. For me to bid 500 million, I have more in store, I''m sure they all know that. The second reason is simply because I am of Royal Membership, and while my identity is hidden, there is the general assumption that I''m a Royal. No one in the room would dare to bid so seriously against a Royal.


    "600 Million" A buzz, followed by a voice was heard.


    I recognize that voice. It''s... Of course it makes sense. The only one who will oppose me, one of Royal membership, is another Royal. The Royal who obtained the two Elves, he also wants the wings? Howughable. Well, he must have very deep pockets. Let''s see how far they run.


    "1 Billion" I raised the stakes.


    I''m not one for bidding little by little to minimize cost. I prefer having an undisputed and overwhelming win. Now then, let''s see if our Royal can keep up.


    "1 Billion, 100 Million." He said, after a while of silence.


    "1.5 Billion" I said immediately.


    "O-One Billion, 550 Million" He croaked.


    Okay, now I know he''s reaching his limits. Let''s kick things up a notch shall we?


    "2 Billion" I dered.


    The crowd let out noises of shock and surprise. Even among the rich, 2 Billion is a lot. Certainly, not the kind of money one spends on Fairy Wings, which, while are very special and potent, are simply not worth that price.


    The Royal remained silent for a while. Just for amusement sake, I decided to use my enhanced vision to see his face and reaction. It was just as I expected.


    He was biting his nails and looking really frustrated and angry. I can tell he doesn''t have enough funds to continue. I guess that''s a wrap. Time to end this...


    "2.1 Billion coins" He spoke up surprisingly.


    He''s bluffing. He doesn''t have the money, at least not anymore. After all he recklessly bought two Elf beauties at the price of 100 million each. He also purchased other items as well. The only reason he''s doing this is to spite me. By raising the price, I''ll have to bid higher and he''ll bid higher again until I''ve lost a lot of money meaninglessly. However...


    "How foolish" I smiled to myself.


    Fools like this need to be disciplined.


    Suddenly, there was an inte announcement in the room. I don''t know how the voice was projected, probably another Relic, but Julius announced in the auction.


    "Sir Forbio, that''s enough. As a measure against intentionally puffing of the prices of the items for certain reasons, we request for your Bank Statements and the capacity of your Coin Cards. Both are below 2 Billion. With all due respect, do not bid any longer when you have no means to back your bids. It reflects badly on the other Royals." Julius said.


    "Well then, you may continue." He stated, before the inte disconnected.


    Well, I expected that. For such a prestigiouspany, they would have certain measures concerning the handling of problems in bidding.


    "Y-You bastard! Come and say that to my face. I dare you. Do you know how much i..." He rambled.


    "It doesn''t matter anyway..." I said to myself.


    Looks like I''ll have to shut this idiot up myself. Sorry Julius, I''m going over the budget a tiny bit.


    "What''s the matter Royal? Cat got your tongue? Come on... Say something, hahahaha"


    "5 Billion coins" I finally said.


    "W-What?" He blurted out in surprise.


    I smiled. It was checkmate. When Julius spoke, it was already his Check.


    "And so I announce this Auction sale officially over!


    After no other resistance, I obtained my items. Most people get their properties at various people responsible for giving their goods. However, I''m headed off to... Julius''s office. I smiled.


    "Let''s go Talia, time to get your wings!" I said to as we walked.


    "Yeah!" She smiled.


    Finally, this long chapter is closed. Moving onto the next phase will be done after this. To destroy everything, I''ll need to carry out my grand n. Of course, first things first.


    "Now than, time to obtain my ve and fairy wings" I smiled.

 Chapter 20 - Taming A Slave

    Julius smiled upon seeing Talia and myself and took us to where our merchandise are stored. ording to him;


    "Sir, I immediately had them ced in the most secure spot in this entire Auction House after you bid for them"


    It''s fine though, as expected everything is going ordingly. I ended up spending a bit more than the estimated amount, but its inconsequential anyway. After all, what I am gaining will be far much more.


    Julius opened the door to a luxurious looking vault. Not only did it look truly exquisite, but it also looks highly fortified. I sense divine power from the vault itself so it must be powered by a Relic. How interesting.


    I entered the vault and saw the wings on one end, and the shapeshifting ve on the other end, standing and folding his hands. Of course chains were tied to his feet, both hands and his neck. He didn''t seem to mind though. The ve looked at me, I stared back. The ve kept looking at me with a re. How audacious.


    Perhaps he needs to be disciplined. Even Talia had enough sense to show fear when she first saw me. Oh yeah, I haven''t shown this foolish ve any of my powers yet. He must take me for a stupid rich person who bought him, ignorant of his race''s notoriety.


    "Kneel" I said to the ve.


    The ve smiled a mischievous smile which can be somewhat tranted to


    "Or what?"


    "You''d do well to remember your position, filthy mongrel" Julius addressed the ve, upon seeing his reaction to me.


    He was frowning.


    "You''re fortunate that someone bought you at all, considering your race''s evil name." Julius added.


    The ve shrugged.


    "Not like I wanted to be sold in the first ce, or even caught for that matter" The ve said nonchntly.


    "What was that? What did you just say?" Julius asked, enraged and unable to understand the Shapeshifter''s words since he used an Ancient Tongue.


    "That''s enough Julius" I raised my hand.


    The ve smirked at Julius and gave him a cocky smile, knowing Julius could not do anything against him, sly bastard. I''ll have to make him subservient. To know his ce.


    "Looks like I was right. I''d like to have a word or two, privately, with my ve."


    Julius gritted his teeth in annoyance as he left the room, leaving Talia and I.


    "First things first... ''Root'', obtain the Fairy Wings in this vault." I said.


    ''Root'' responded and glowed, shining and sucking the wings within itself. It''s more convenient this way. I looked at the ve shapeshifter and looked really fascinated by my ring, ''Root''. If I''m right, I assume he wants to steal it. How utterly nd.


    "Looks like I''ll have to give you a short education" I said, turning toward him and eventually reached him since this vault isn''t that big.


    He red at me and gritted his teeth. He continued to re at me, which I found repulsive.


    "Your eyes... I don''t like them" I said, snapping my finger.


    Immediately, his two eyes exploded. His eyeballs popped out f their sockets and blood gushed all over the floor of the vault. The eye jelly, mixed with blood made a very disgusting and noticeable puddle on the clean ground.


    "ARGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed.


    He desperately tried using his chained hands to hold his face and wail even more.


    "My eyes! My eyes!!!!" He cried in agony.


    Just as Fairies need their wings for their special abilities and a fairy without one is useless, so also Shapeshifters require eyes to change to their targets which is their specialty.


    "Still feeling peachy?" I asked him.


    "S...S-Screw you!" He grunted.


    He still needs more. His mouth, they said some things I don''t appreciate. I assembled matter using Hex and created a thin sword, immediately lunging it to the ve''s mouth and slicing his tongue.


    "Gwoughhhhthuhhhh" He groaned. He fell on his knees now. His body is already trembling, that''s a good sign.


    Now, just one more push should do it.


    "Next is... Let''s see..." I smiled, observing the fool.


    He cried out, and from what he was trying to say I can surmise he''s pretty spent.


    "Gahhhhmnoughhh" He let out in pain.


    How utterly sad seeing one of the shifting creatures so miserable. Perhaps it was a waste buying him. I expected more.


    "Let''s see... I should just end this now, you''ve been a waste of time." I told him, readying to snap my fingers.


    "W-Wait!" He said, rushing his words while groaning due to the pain in his eye sockets and mouth.


    How clever, he transformed an unhurt part of his body to his mouth Lets hear what he has to say.


    "Y-You can''t just do this to me" Heined.


    "Why not. You''re a ve, or better yet, you''re now my ve. As your master, I have full control and domination over you. It''s that simple." I said to him.


    I have to say, this is a pathetic one. I was so sure would be useful. Was I wrong?"


    I raised my hand to snap the little fool into his death.


    "I never asked for this. I never asked to be captured and sold. It''s all the fault of you humans!" He yelled.


    I snapped my fingers, his right hand burst into chunks of flesh and scattered all over the room.


    "GAHHHHRGHHHHH" He screamed.


    "How utterly pathetic. You havemitted three sins today, ve" I told him.


    He groaned and grunted while holding his right hand which had gotten destroyed.


    "Firstly, you are disobedient. Secondly... You give too many excuses and mes. If you''re unhappy about something, then change it. If you can''t, look for someone who can, instead of whining . Finally... You insulted me. How dare youpare me to humans?" I said to him in irritation.


    He was now muttering unintelligible words, the pain was getting to him too much, and naturally he would have passed out at this point, but all this is as a result of my influence. He''ll feel every single pain without relief, until he is properly learned.


    Slowly and suddenly he looked to Talia''s direction. She was merely in one corner of the room, observing what was going on in silence.


    "H-How can you serve this kind of master...? How can you...?" He winced and groaned again.


    She remained silent. She could not answer, this entire ordeal probably reminds her of how I rescued her from the soldiers. The blood and all that. It could be trauma, or... It could be that she fears if she speaks, she could be next.


    Well, she''s not wrong! One of the reasons I let her stay to watch this is to show her the reality of things. Yes I go out of my way for her, like buying her wings for a ridiculously high amount of money, but that''s merely because she''s more useful to me with it. Same with the other things I''ve given her. Her clothes, essories etc. In the end she is merely a pawn in my game.


    And the thing I like about Talia is that she is aware of this, unlike this bratty shifter.


    However, seeing as I''m no waster of resources, I won''t just throw this one away. Since I bought him, I might as well just refine and transform him into the image I want him to be. However, that doesn''t excuse his stupidity. He needs to at least die for that.


    I summoned a sword by using the surrounding matter and pierced the ve from his face. The sword passed through his skull, past his temple and finally exited it, appearing on the other side.


    "Gurghkh" He coughed out blood and fell to die.


    He groaned and moved around a bit before dying due to loss of too much blood and the extreme pain appearing all at once. He finally breathed hisst after some grunting, leaving his dead and lifeless body.


    "There''s no way you can survive that" I said to him, though he is dead.


    He will definitely die, but..


    "HEX #39" I said "Causality Reversal." I said.


    Immediately, the ve began to rise from where he fell from. The blood he lost started entering again, and within a few seconds, he was fully healed and standing as I met him when I first entered the room.


    "Y-You... I, but I died just now. What is happening?" He asked in utter confusion.


    "Let''s try this again, one more time..." I said, ignoring his questions.


    He looked at me, but immediately looked away. Good, but that''s not all.


    "... Kneel!" Imanded him.


    With his legs shaking, and his pride alongside his ego broken, he knelt before me. Tears rolled down his eyes and his lips trembled. . See? It isn''t so hard.


    His entire wounds and pain had been reversed by my Hex, but not his mind. He still remembers every pain he felt, every drop of blood he lost. And seeing as I''m able to return him to his original state, its always an option to restart the process again from scratch.


    At least he has enough sense to do the needful and bow down before his new master


    "Now that''s more like it" I smiled wickedly.

 Chapter 21 - Ambush

    My new ve looked terrified and nervous as he knelt on his shaky knees. It didn''t have to be this way if he had just been obedient on the first try. But still, didn''t he give up too easily. I was sure I had to do it a couple of times before he finally broke. But for him to fall so soon...


    "How boring" I sighed.


    Well, enough of that, I''ve gotten my goods, its time to get out of here. Judging by the time the Auction started and the time spent, this should be night already. I really want to go back to the hotel and enjoy myself, especially after such a boring event.


    "Stand. We''re leaving" I said, turning away from him.


    I walked toward the entrance and Talia immediately left her corner and joined me. The ve I just bought stood slowly and hesitantly. He walked toward Talia and myself, uncertainty in his steps and caution in his movement. He walked behind us as we left the vault. I saw Julius waiting for us by the entrance.


    "Are you done, sir?" He asked me with a tone of courtesy.


    Ah, Julius, you never cease to amuse me.


    "Yes. We''ll be heading back now" I told him.


    "Oh, it''s gotten prettyte though, might I advise you stay here for the night. Though not as good as your current hotel, Imperius Auction House provides high quality amodation and reception." He offered.


    "No thanks" I said tly.


    "B-But, its unwise to leave an auction sote and walk the dark streets, especially with the kind of item you purchased" He appealed.


    This guy, he''s pretty smart. I''m sure he intentionally set up the date of the Auction to fall in the evening, ensuring we would finish in the night. I''m certain most of the participants are lodged in the Imperius amodation, for exorbitant prices no doubt. This is a good strategy for business, however... It won''t work on me.


    "That''s not a problem. Besides, no one knows I''m the one who bought the wings" I said.


    "But they can identify your ve. As long as they see him with you, they''ll be able to tell" Julius argued.


    True, my identity was hidden from everyone, so there is no way anyone can tell I''m the current owner of the wings. But, that all changes since I also bought the new ve. Everyone knows the same person who bought the shapeshifter is the one who bought the wings. Since the shapeshifter had his face seen by everyone, merely walking with him gives me away. But...


    "I can just have him transform to something or someone else" I smiled.


    Julius was lost for words, he didn''t expect thateback. I''m sure he is well aware I bid 5 billion on Talia''s wings, a ridiculous amount. He might be thinking I don''t care about how I spend money since I have so much. It''s partly true, money has never really a problem for me... Well, for the most part. However, I hate being yed.


    "Oh, Julius..." I smiled to myself.


    It won''t be long now before everything falls into ce.


    The three of us left the Auction House and decided to walk, not getting any cart or carriage we spotted around us for transportation. Julius was also curious about the location of the Fairy wings, which he eventually realized is inside ''Root''. I had the shapeshifter change his appearance, allowing us to blend in, or rather out.


    It was really dark out, with people still all around, the night market seems lively as well. It seems this city never sleeps, however there''s no doubt that the night had very few peoplepared to the day.


    I thought about certain things as we walked, including the way forward in a way that includes them, my new servants. I just enjoy walking sometimes, it clears the mind and affords a good time for productive thought, though flying is better.


    Suddenly I saw a silhouette dash behind me. I looked back and then another one passed there. These silhouette are fast, they most not be amateurs.


    "Master, what''s the problem?" Talia asked in a curious matter, trying to look at the same direction I am.


    "It''s nothing... I just thought I heard something." I replied.


    I decided to snap out of my thought and concentrated on my senses. It turns out I was right, we''re being followed. The shapeshifter remained silent, not saying anything.


    We kept walking until I couldn''t stand it anymore. This has to end.


    I intentionally took an alternate route, we ended up in an abandoned construction area. The woods creaked and the smell of fresh concrete was in the air. This should do it. I stopped walking and so did Talia and ve num 2.


    "That''s enough,e out" I said, looking toward the direction I sense the enemiesing from and hiding.


    No response.


    "I saide out... Now" I dered.


    No response.


    Well, I can''t say I didn''t try to be reasonable. They just didn''t listen.


    "HEX #33 Spatial Interference" I said.


    Immediately, the hidden enemies appeared in front of me, still having the same position as at when they were hiding. Their eyes widened and looked surprised by what I did. They were all dressed in ck, having ck masks as covering for their face, having swords on their right side and daggers on their left.


    "You''ve been following me since I left the auction. What do you want?" I asked them calmly.


    "The Wings... Give it up!" The head of the bandits, or whatever they are, said to me in a harsh and impatient tone.


    How dare he? I have the mind to mete out punishment on him, but doing so will not benefit me. Besides, it''s only a matter of time before their employeres into y.


    "Or what?" I said defiantly.


    "We''ll make you!" The leader threatened.


    The bandits drew their des at me, prepared for assault. I sighed, this is a waste of time, unless...


    The entire number of the thugs are 35. By using Hex #33, Spatial Interference, I can manipte the space within my range, as well as knowing every thing and object within said range. This means that currently, I know the position, numbers and other in-depth details of everything in my range. Not only that, I can change the location and other details of such objects.


    Thirty five skilled assassins... This is a perfect opportunity.


    "New ve, you''re up." I said to the shapeshifter behind me.


    "W-W-What?" He let out,pletely surprised and caught off guard.


    I smiled.


    "It''s time to prove your worth. I didn''t buy you for decoration, you know?" I told him.


    "B-But I can''t..." He said, looking anxious.


    This shapeshifter isn''t wrong, but he isn''t right either. I can understand that he is indeed weak. For him to be captured in the first ce shows hecks strength. I''m sure he''s not like Talia who was betrayed. However, there''s something about this shapeshifter that draws me to him.


    "Do it" I told him.


    "B-But I already told you..." He tried to exin.


    "HEX 94, Orb of Protection" I said, generating a small orb which expanded into a small field surrounding Talia, the shapeshifter and myself.


    "With this, they won''t be enough to touch us." I smiled


    "Ah, what a relie..." He heaved a sigh of relief.


    I immediately snapped my fingers and suddenly he was outside the field. He eyes expressed shock as to what I did.


    "What are you doing? Let me back in! It''s not fair" He yelled, banging the transparent barrier blocking us.


    "I''ll let you in, but only after you defeat them" I said to him.


    "But how can I...?" He whined.


    "That''s enough!" I said to him, shutting him up.


    He looked surprised by my outburst.


    Spatial Interference allows me to see qualities and properties of objects within my range. As my ve, he is an object, and as such I can see his properties as I please. Using this, I havee to discover something about my ve. Perhaps this is the reason I felt drawn to buy him.


    "You''re not a shapeshifter... Are you?" I asked him.


    His eyes widened in shock. His face told it all, like he is saying


    "How did you know?"


    "You''re another variant of Shifters... A Shadowshifter" I said.


    "Y-You knew... H-How. Why would you..." He muttered.


    "Oi, that''s enough! You ignoring us uhn?!" An underling yelled, drawing close to my ve and raising his sword to strike him.


    I wouldn''t do that if I were you, small fry.


    "Shut up" He muttered, immediately drawing spikes from beneath him, from within his shadow.


    The spikes pierced the entire body of the assaulter, who twisted and turned as he was ripped and drilled into by the sharp shadow spikes. Blood gushed out of the holes the spikes had pierced and from the mouth of the impatient bandit.


    "Gurghhh" He finally let out, before being tossed aside by my ve''s shadow and dying.


    The other bandits grew apprehensive and cautious, taking a guard stance.


    "Fine... I just have to kill them all right?" He finally resolved, turning away from me and facing the enemies.


    "Yeah, make it quick" I told him.


    "Understood" He said, almost mechanically.


    I smiled, I know I made the right choice buying him after all. Why?


    Shadowshifters are beings who can basically manipte their shadows. They are very rare variants of the Shifter race... But that''s not all. They are extremely weak during the day. However, the closer it gets to midnight, the stronger they be. During the night they are nightmares and are phenomenally more powerful and unstoppable. And that works perfectly well for me now because...


    "I''ll end this quick... Before it getster than it already has" He said, ncing at all 34 of his enemies.


    ...Guess what time it is now?


    Night!

 Chapter 22 - The Shadowshifter (Pt 1)

    Shifters


    A race which possesses the special ability to alter the appearance and properties of themselves. Basically, they can alter their own Aspects, allowing them to change their naturalposition.


    Various kinds of Shifters exist. Shapeshifters, even the Beastfolk are a variant of the Shifters since they can transform into animals. However, one of the rarest variants is the Shadowshifter. They are special breeds, and the reason isn''t far fetched. Because, unlike other Shifters capable of transforming themselves, Shadowshifters possess the ability to transform extensions of themselves... Their shadows!


    And right now... I have one as my pawn.


    My new ve is now facing off against 34, formerly 35, trained assaulters. Their identities are hidden so they can''t be mere bandits. Well, this should be fun to watch.


    "Come at me" The Shadowshifter said to his enemies.


    They looked nervous, after all theirrade just died at the hands, or rather, shadow of the person in front of them. However, the missiones first.


    "Don''t get close to him. Use ranged weapons!" The leader of the masked menmanded.


    Immediately, they responded, sheathing their swords and like clockwork, bows appeared in front of them.


    "Is that the work of an Art... Or is it a Relic?" I asked aloud.


    Of course they couldn''t hear me. No matter, this just makes me more interested in the fight.


    "Draw your bows" The leadermanded.


    I didn''t notice before, but they actually have arrows located on their arm protectors. Three arrows for each hand. They could have more on their legs as well.


    They drew their bows, steadying their arrows and readying themselves to fire. I looked at the Shadowshifter he didn''t leave his position. His shadows were dangling about, like ck whips all around him. What does he n to do against 34 simultaneous arrows?


    "Fire!" The leadermanded.


    They all released their arrows at the same time, they must have practiced the timing well. The arrows flew to my newly acquired ve, but he didn''t seem daunted. He merely closed his eyes and the shadows immediately moved and converged, forming a dark barrier around him. His entire body was covered by his shadow, protecting him from the arrows.


    The arrows pierced the shadows, but didn''t prate it entirely. Slowly, though, the arrows got sucked into the darkness of the shadow, disappearing from sight.


    "W-What is that?" One of the masked men asked in disbelief.


    The shadows slowly parted, revealing my ve. He sighed, turning his face to his attackers.


    "You can have your arrows back..." He said,manding his shadows, which brought out the arrows, but from their sharp end.


    The arrows faced the respective attacker, from all directions.


    "Unsheathe your swords. Defend yourselves. The enemy is..." The leader yelled to his men.


    "... That is ... If you can catch them" He said.


    Immediately, the arrows wereunched, at nearly greater speed than they were fired. The enemies were assaulted by the fast arrows which targeted them. Some were fast enough to defend themselves, though only barely. Some sustained injuries on their hands or legs, however... Some weren''t so lucky. They were shot in their vitals. Head and heart, the speed and precision killed them instantly.


    "9. 10. 11... So I only managed to get 11 uhn" He sighed.


    The assaulters could not believe it. Just like that, their numbers were reduced to 23, some of which had injuries.


    "W-What is this person?" They mumbled among themselves.


    Well, he is a Shadowshifter.


    "I did say I would end this quickly didn''t I?" He said, entirely focused on his opponents.


    "Move backward. Stay on your guard" The leader instructed.


    The remaining survivors leapt back at the instruction of their leader, who sustained no injuries at all.


    "I''ll end it with this next move" He said, once again raising his shadow.


    The shadows grewrger and longer, and became crooked in a sense. If I were to describe it, they looked like the limbs of...


    "Form: Spider" He stated.


    The shadows, which initially had a form of smoke like and semi solid appearance suddenly became more rigid. They had a solid look, like metal and their edges looked sharp. The crooked shadows numbered 12 in total, moving and dancing around him.


    "Go" He said,unching the shadows.


    "Everyone... Eva..." The leader quickly said.


    Before he couldplete his sentence, the first head had been severed. Quickly following this, several others followed suit. The shadow spider limbs shed, they pierced, they severed, they danced all around, iming one life after the other... Until none was left, except one.


    "I suppose it would make sense that you''re thest to survive." The Shaowshifter said, looking at thest one standing.


    "What have you done... You killed all my men" The leader gritted his teeth in rage.


    "Well, it was them or me, I picked me. Besides, why are you angry? You were just about to kill us too weren''t you?" He shrugged nonchntly.


    "N-NO! This wasn''t the deal. We were never told of this. We..." The leader said, looking both frightened and angry.


    "No matter, you must die here" My ve answered him, cutting him short.


    "You little..." The leader said.


    He looked around him, at the dead bodies of his fallenrades and subordinates. Their bodies were so brutalized and covered in blood, it made him sick.


    "I-I know I have no chance against him. I have to... I have to live!" The leader thought within himself.


    He quickly reached for something hidden in his ck attire. His sudden movement got my ve to be wary, making him narrow his eyes and brace himself. The leader brought out some form of ball. It looked like... A bomb?


    "I''ve been saving this as ast resort, but I have no choice at this point" The leader pondered within himself.


    It was all or nothing!


    "Eat this!!!" The leader yelled, throwing the ball toward my ve.


    The Shadowshifter looked flustered by the bomb as it drew closer to him.


    The ball flew toward him, spinning and making a weird sound. It began to glow brighter and eventually it...


    BOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!

 Chapter 23 - [Bonus ]The Shadowshifter (Pt 2)

    The bomb generated a small, but powerful explosion, at least by normal standards. The smoke it also made was impressive. It covered the entire area, interfering with normal vision. Fortunately, nothing about me is normal.


    I immediately activated enhanced vision and senses to continue watching the fight. I saw everything.


    The leader ran as fast as he could, leaving my ve in the clouds of smoke. His face looked desperate and his breath was heavy.


    "I have to get away. I have to get away!" He cried within himself as he ran.


    "You nealy had me for a moment there..." The Shadowshifter spoke in a low but grim tone.


    The leader''s eyes bulged as he turned his face back in surprise. The bomb didn''t do anything to him?


    The shadow cocoon which blocked the explosion cleared, revealing my ve unscathed.


    "... For a second there I thought that was a sh bomb" He smiled.


    The leader picked up his pace as he desperately tried to escape, but it was toote for him.


    A shadow whip rose from within his shadow andunched itself toward the desperate and strugling leader. Within moments it caught up with him, and went for one of his legs.


    "Gwahhhh" The Leader cried.


    "Come" My ve said in a low tone.


    The whip dragged the leader back to where it came from, the Shadowshifter.


    "Let me go. Let me go. Let me..." The leader screamed, drawing his sword and dagger.


    He used his des to sh the shadow many times, growing desperate with each strike. The shadow didn''t budge.


    "Fly" Hemanded.


    The whip threw the leader up, suspending him in midair. His eyes widened with surprise and shock, rendering him unable to do anything.


    "Pierce" He said with a tone of finality.


    Numerous shadows with pointy ends rose from beneath him and drilled holes into the suspended man. His limbs, his chest... His entire body was pierced, causing blood to gush out.


    "C-Curse you... Sir . This wasn''t... What you told us..." The leader muttered, before breathing hisst, dying on the spot.


    "Return" My ve muttered.


    It was only for a split second, only for a few moments, but I saw it. His bloodthirsty smile. He enjoyed it... Or did he?


    The pointed and blood stained shadows returned to where they came from, vanishing from sight. He sighed, obviously displeased with what he just did.


    After witnessing everything I pped, truly impressed by not only his ability''s potential, but also his precision and cold bloodedness. I could use that.


    "Well done" I said to him, undoing the barrier.


    I walked toward him slowly with a smile.


    "How did you know... How did you discover that I''m a Shadowshifter?" He turned and asked me, looking serious.


    I halted my movement and noticed something. Bloodlust is oozing from my ve, is he really serious?


    "You really want to do that?" I asked him, looking amused.


    He suddenly retracted the killing intent as though in an afterthought and sighed, scratching his head.


    "Sorry about that. I find it hard to control it whenever I use my ability thiste. Thankfully I was able to end things before the fight stretched for a longer period" He said.


    I sense no malice or falsehood from his statement. He must be telling the truth. I see, so that''s why he wanted to end things quickly. He can''t fully handle the power of darkness and the consequences it brings.


    "That''s alright" I replied.


    "As for how I came to know about your special identity... I always had the suspiscion you weren''t all you seemed. That''s why I bought you at the auction." I said.


    "And here I thought it was due to my sense of humor" He grumbled.


    "Do I look like the kind of person who appreciates that kind of thing?" I smiled.


    He paused as he looked at me intently.


    "Yeah... Nope. You don''t." He said with a casual look, after careful consideration.


    "Well, as I was saying. I didn''t know what exactly you were, but I knew you weren''t a mere shapeshifter. After spending more time with you, I noticed the power of darkness emanating from you, though it was only faint." I said.


    "Power of darkness?" He said in surprise.


    "Heh, it seems that even you don''t know the full nature of what you are. The power of darkness resides in all creatures of the night. They be more pronounced the darker it gets and the closer it is to the darkest point, midnight." I said.


    He looked relieved, as though I just answered a question on his mind.


    "The darkness became more and more pronounced as time passed, until it got to a point I was certain. I knew you were definitely a Shifter, but the attribute of the Power of Darkness is exclusive to the Shadowshifter variant, especially one of your level. Other variants, like the night species beast people, possess a simr attribute, but the Shadowshifters ''Darkness'' is more pronounced" I said.


    He slowly took in what I told him.


    "However, after thinking about it. You were able to shapeshift during the auction, and then you shadowshifted just now. You''re neither a shapeshifter or Shadowshifter... You''re both. A Hybrid" I smiled.


    He looked shocked that I figured it out.


    "W-Wow... You''ve figured it all out" He said, having a defeated look.


    "Hybrid?" Talia, who was silent throughout the entire exchange finally spoke up.


    "A mixture of both variants. Your parents must have been from the different variants to give birth to you. Who are they?" I asked.


    "I don''t know... I never knew them. I grew up on my own and..." He started his story.


    "On the second thought, that can wait" I told him.


    "Wait, what? I was just about to get really emotional here" Heined.


    "Later" I stated, turning from him and facing the empty street in front of us.


    The alleyway was dark, the street was empty. The earlier bomb should have attracted some attention, yet no one can be sensed for a great distance. No one except for a few. And I''m positive they are not friendly attention.


    "We still havepany" I said.

 Chapter 24 - A Difficult Enemy

    "You cane out, I know you''re there" I said calmly.


    I have been feeling it for a while now, but chose not to say anything and merely focus on my ve''s battle. But now that it''s over, it''s better not to leave any loose ends. Besides, our stalker is most likely behind this little mishap.


    "My my, looks like you''re more capable than I gave you credit for" The mystery person said, walking forward.


    He stepped out of the darkness and drew closer to us. Of course I already saw him clearly before he stepped out, but now he was visible to everyone. He had a sadistic smile and a confident look, as though we were at his mercy.


    He looked like a young man, mid twenties at most. He had brown hair and like colored eyes. He also dressed in an exquisite and shy apparel, even more so than mine.


    "You are...." I said slowly in reflection.


    I recognize his face. He is the...


    "The person you humiliated and stole from" He said, his face turned intense as he let out a frown.


    "I don''t remember stealing from anyone, or even embarrassing anyone. You must have me mistaken with someone else" I shrugged.


    "Oh, I doubt it. You are the one... Who dared defy my bid and stubbornly coveted my wings. How dare you humiliate me?" He said scowling.


    I knew it. He was the one I saw using enhanced sight in the other Royal Members private bid room. Don''t tell me... He sent attackers after us for such a petty reason?


    "If I remember correctly, you were the one who bid higher than your capacity. Besides, if the wings were truly yours to begin with why would they be on sale?" I retorted.


    Okay, thatst statement is me shooting myself in the leg since that exins my case.


    "Shut up! Do you know who I am? Who do you think you are?!" He yelled in anger.


    This man... Is starting to piss me off.


    "Hey, don''t you think that''s enough!" Talia suddenly spoke up against the man.


    "What? Who the hell are you?" He asked.


    "None of your concern. But you should stop now. It''s not toote to turn back" Talia said to him.


    I smiled.


    I see what she is trying to do, but she''s wrong about one thing... It''s already toote for him. It was already toote by the moment he attacked me with such small fry, an insult to me.


    "Shut up bitch! I didn''t ask for your opinion!" The man said.


    Well, serves Talia right for ying peacemaker.


    Now it''s Talia''s turn to get upset. From her expression I can tell, she is also getting pissed off by this guy. As for my Shadowshifter, he remained quiet and seemed exhausted. Well, that''s enough fighting on his end for tonight. As for Talia, without her wings she''s also useless to me inbat.


    "I didn''t want to do this, but, looks like I''ll have to personally take care of the trash" I said to myself.


    "I take it you''re the fool who hired these other fools to attack me" I said to the idiot before me.


    "F-Fool? Me? How dare you!!!" He yelled.


    Good grief, this man is an eyesore. I can''t stand his presence. It would be best to just kill him off instantly, and the fact that he''s alone makes him a cheap target. However, something seems off.


    Why does he seem so confident when he obviously appears to be alone. He just witnessed dozens of people die by my ve yet he shows no fear. Perhaps he has a Relic he can rely on, or he''s a user of Arts.


    No, Art Users are not usually of Royal blood. He must have a Relic on him, I can sense some on him, but none of them are worth any attention. This is what he''s so proud of?


    "Pathetic" I muttered.


    To finish this quickly I have to use Hex, one he has no chance of stopping.


    "Hex #89 st of Destruction" I said, raising my hand.


    As I raised it, from it produced an intense surge of energy. The st rushed to my target, who seemed nervous at this point but still smiled with both anger and bloodlust.


    As the st drew nearer, immediately someone appeared beside the foolish royal and stretched their hands. The hand stopped the st and redirected it upward, preventing any substantial damage around them other than the charred path of the energy surge.


    "Another person?" I asked.


    "Hehehehehe" He chuckled.


    "Are you unharmed sir?" The new person asked the royal.


    This person wore a white hooded robe, with golden designs on it. They also emanated some form of aura that seemed... Different.


    "Yeah, thanks to you" He smiled.


    My eyes widened at the sight.


    This is strange. This person seemed to have appeared right beside the man when the Hex was about to hit him. Not only that, but I didn''t sense their presence until they appeared. Was it teleportation? No, it didn''t seem like it. It felt more like the person had been there all along, I just didn''t notice them.


    "Is that even possible?" I asked myself.


    I have enhanced senses. No human should be able to hide from me, especially in in sight. But, am I even sure this person is human? Judging by the way they easily countered my Hex.. There''s no way this one is ordinary. I can sense it though... This person is human, but there''s something else...


    I can now understand why the man looked so confident earlier, it''s because he has someonepetent as his guard uhn.


    Well, no matter. It''s just a little power anyway. There''s no need to get worked up over it.


    "Who are you?" I asked.


    The person kept quiet. This irritated me.


    "Hehehehe, do you understand your situation now? Your ves don''t seem to be much of a threat, leaving only you to fight. But I''ll tell you this now... You can''t beat this one" He smiled cockily.


    The kind of thing I hate the most.


    "Hoh, this fool is getting pretty confident just for blocking a single Hex. Let''s try this again shall we?" I said.


    "Hex #89 st of Destruction" I said again, increasing the power by arge extent.


    The output was over double the previous one and twice as fast. It destroyed the neighboring buildings and charged for the Royal and his hooded friend.


    The Hooded person stretched forth both hands and they glowed. Immediately, the Hex began to disperse as soon as they came into contact with their hands, and it dissipated.


    Not just once, but twice now... How unbelievable. To think there exists a human who can counter my Hex. This is a first for me. Who is this person?


    "Evil. Your power is evil" The hood robed person finally spoke up.


    Evil? What did they mean?


    "You... You''re using the Art of The Evil One, aren''t you?" They said with a tone of disgust.


    "Wow, you could tell?" I said dryly.


    But indeed I''m surprised. They dissipated my Hex with just her hands. And what was with that glow? Was it a Relic? No! What else could it be?"


    "And for this reason, it is only natural I would be able to stop you. For you see... I have been chosen by god, the holy one, to bring down the works of evil and to subject it to divine power" The person dered, putting down the hood and allowing me to see HER face.


    The woman looked quite young, with deep blue eyes and white hair. Her face remained cold and expressionless as she stared at me. I could initially tell with the voice she used that she possessed an effeminate attribute, but I couldn''t be too sure since I was having difficulty reading her.


    More importantly, what did she just say? Chosen by god? Divine power? Don''t tell me...


    "You''re using Divine power? How?" I asked her.


    The woman red at me and walked forward, leaving the Royal behind her.


    "I am the sword of god, chosen to purge all that is evil from this world and destroy his works. I have been bestowed power from the heavens for this very reason. Do not think your worthless and evil Art can harm me in any way, for before you is an even more superior Art!" She said, raising her hand which glowed with white light.


    She''s... Using another Art? There are two types of Arts. Hex, and the other. That''s what she''s using? But she mentioned being chosen by god and her Art being more superior to Hex. No way, does this mean...?


    "So you guys also had the same idea, uhn? Who would''ve thought you would resort to this" I said to myself.


    And those whom I am referring to are none other than the gods.


    It seems this girl''s ability is somewhat rted to the Divine Power used by gods, though it is considerably weaker. Nheless, it is genuine divine power. This only means one thing.


    "The gods are granting their powers to humans... That is the nature of this second Art" I said, looking at the girl in front of me.


    "Correct. Now, tremble and vanish before the sight of the invincible Art... GRACE!" She dered, causing her lights to shine even brighter.


    This could mean trouble.

 Chapter 25 - Art Of Grace

    This could be troublesome.


    The power I''m sensing from this woman is different from others. Usually everything in this world isprised of Aspects, even the gods. However, the gods possess exclusive authority over their Aspects and also their area of influence. Like Thor, whom I killed. Other than his Divine Treasure, which could summon lightning, he could manipte his energy aspect, using his hammer as a conduit.


    The same goes for the other gods. Primordials control Aspects, while gods control various subcategories of the Aspects. This Art... It seems it functions the same way. There is no way a mere human can achieve this level of power, and I''m not sensing iting from a Relic either. Which leaves only one exnation.


    A god granted her that power.


    "But which one...?" I asked myself.


    "Begone" She said, releasing the light which she summoned from her hands. The burst of radiance charged toward me in multiple directions. I leaped from my location, dodging them as they intertwined and chased me. It seems they have a homing function. In that case...


    "Hex #94, Orb of Protection" I said, releasing a barrier around myself.


    The lights proceeded to attack me, inevitably shing with the barrier. However, instead of being stopped by it, they shattered it, causing the lights to prate and sh with me.


    **Boom**


    The explosion caused a blinding light to surge, brightening the dark night around us.


    "It''s pointless" The woman said, walking closer to me.


    I have to say, I''m impressed. The barrier failed, or rather... It was invalidated.


    "Impressive, to have nullified my barrier" I said with a smirk, appearing from the smoke.


    "How can this be... You are unharmed?" She said with a shocked expression.


    "That level of attack won''t be enough, little girl" I said to her.


    "In that case, I will just have to take you even more serious" She said with vigor.


    I smiled. Let''s see what she can do. I would like to see more of this new Art.


    She pped her hands together, and the floor beneath her shone a brilliant white light.


    "Hoh, that''s interesting" I said.


    It''s clear that the Hexes I''m using aren''t working, however... There''s another one I''d like to try.


    "Hex #90 Haze" I whispered.


    Purple smoke immediately filled the area and crept up to the woman. I smiled, wondering what effect it would have.


    "Like I said, your actions are pointless" She said.


    Immediately the white light beneath her shone, dispersing the purple smoke that was surrounding her.


    "Where I stand is holy ground, no evil of the enemy will befall me, no curse of the wicked will afflict me." She recited.


    Like a violent wind, the light sent the smoke flying and in no time everywhere was clear. The Hex that would drive anyone to madness was so easily handled by this human, or rather, her Art. I now understand why many, including herself, consider this an invincible Art. In the first ce it is a power unachievable by a human. Power granted by a god... How interesting.


    "You''ve shown me something interesting tonight, little girl" I said with a smile.


    She frowned at my words. Her re tells me what is going on in her head. She sees me as an enemy that needs to be exterminated. But why?


    "I have a question for you" I said to her.


    She looked apprehensive but remained quiet, as though telling me to proceed.


    "Why do you despise Hex so much?" I asked her.


    "W-Why?" She said in a mocking tone, as though she couldn''t believe I asked her that.


    "It is an evil Art, contrary to the will of the gods. It perverses the very nature of the world, and as such it can not be allowed to exist." She said to me.


    "Really? I''m guessing your so called gods told you that" I smiled.


    "You would do well to mind your tone" She spoke in anger, ring at me.


    Hoh, this girl is quite confident.


    "The gods have indeed denied their association with the evil art of Hex. They are displeased by it and have ordered us to erase every trace of its existence from this world." She said.


    As expected of them, those gods can be shrewd in times like these.


    "But why? Hex allows even regr humans to possess power, no matter how little. With enough knowledge and practice anyone can use it. Isn''t it a liberating power?" I said with a smile.


    "Liberating? What else do I expect to hear from a ve to darkness" She said, shaking her head.


    "Only a few know this, but Hex is the art created by the wicked one, Hexarion the Evil Lord himself. There is no good that could evere out of obtaining power from evil" She preached to me.


    I sighed.


    Looks like this one has been brainwashed by the teachings and doctrines of the gods. I would like to know more, but I doubt she will be willing to divulge all her secrets to me. In that case there is only one thing left to do.


    Trying to reason with her or talk things through won''t work. She''s too far gone in the stupid and holy doctrines of the idiot gods. Nothing I say will get through to her. After all, I practice the evil art, Hex. However, I''m surprised by her rtionship with the Royal behind her. Doesn''t the Imperial Army use Hex? After all, that Imperial Knight used two low level ones on me. And he learned them from the Army.


    This woman is associated with that Royal. Doesn''t that mean she''s working hand in hand with the Imperial forces who practice Hex? I guess I''ll have to ask her.


    "You im Hex is evil, yet you work for a nation who incorporate such an Art in their military forces" I said to her.


    "W-What?" The woman''s face expressed surprise.


    I smiled. As expected she knows nothing. She is a chosen one by the gods and is fairly powerful, but it turns out she''s just as naive. I guess that is what makes her a perfect tool for the gods to use. Stupid humans who follow their every whims without question. How utterly pitiful.


    "Why don''t you ask your Royal friend over there? He should know a thing or two about it" I said, referring to the Royal she was fighting for.


    He looked nervous as he tried to hide his expression.


    "Lord Phobio, is this true?" The girl asked him with an innocent face.


    "O-Of course not. How can you believe the words of the servant of darkness. The Royal family is an ally to the Holy Fellowship. We follow the doctrines of the gods and heed the words of the Apostles. In exchange, we lend your power in defeating the threats to the kingdom and exterminating the scourge of the evil" The man bbed.


    The woman, as though reflecting on her actions nodded her head and turned back to me.


    "You''re right sir. I apologize for wavering and falling prey to the words of this unholy man" She said, ring at me.


    The Royal heaved a sigh of relief and looked at me with a confident and wicked smile. This woman is definitely just a pawn to him, contrary to her opinion of him. Maybe I ought to say more.


    "Look around you, little girl. Look at the lives lost thanks to the order of your Royal friend. Surely you are aware he sent these people to attack us, causing them to die brutally" I retorted.


    The woman shook her head and frowned even more.


    "No. Do not try to use words to cover up the truth. Wasn''t it your ally who killed these people? Why me your actions on Lord Phobio? You caused the death of these men here. Besides, as servants of evil, they were well within their rights to eliminate you. No evil one or practitioner of evil must be allowed to live" She said to me, reciting the words as though they have been programmed into her.


    For real? Her devotion is admirable, but it seems she is even incapable of personal judgement. I should''ve known better. Oh well, I''ll get my answers, one way or the other.


    "Enough conversing.. I shall end this battle right here and now!" She said.

 Chapter 26 - Apostle Of Light

    She removed her cloak, revealing a light armor hidden underneath the covering of her discarded outer garment. Her armour was white, with silver designs around it. It was well fitted, leaving enough room for white silk around the majority of her arms and legs. The armour only covered the the vital parts of her body, ensuring better agility, quicker movements and flexibility.


    She drew her sword which was ced in the sheath by her hip. From the looks of it, the sword seems to be a Relic. However, unlike the others I have seen with humans so far, this one is brimming with divine power. Taking her stance, she readied herself and looked at me with a decisive expression. Looks like she ns to go all out now.


    "Prepare yourself, your end is nigh, thou heretic" She said.


    She immediately dashed from her location,unching herself with full speed to my location. Her body was covered with white aura, making her movements phenomenally faster. She raised her sword to attack me at full speed. Quickly, I materialized a sword of my own to parry, however, her sh immediately broke my sword and nearly hit me. Twisting my body, I dodged the strike, jumping away from her. However, it seems she predicted this, as she immediately reacted to my withdrawal byunching herself to my location, shing me with her sword.


    I boosted my speed, causing me to move even further from the range of her strike. However, by extending the aura of her sword, she increased the range of her strike, causing me to be in its area of effect.


    "Begone! Holy Light Strike!" She said, bringing her de down in a swift and powerful manner.


    "Hexarion!!!" Talia screamed.


    However, it was toote. The sword descended and the sh of light covered everywhere.


    The light shone brightly, and the sh fell, causing the building behind to be neatly cleaved in two, as well as the ground. The pressure and destruction blew Talia and the disoriented shadowmancer away, causing them to hit the debris and fall on the ground.Smoke filled the air and sizzling sounds were heard. The ground which had been affected was red hot, same with the building behind which was caught in the strike.


    "May the gods save your soul from eternal anguish as it fades into the afterlife, may you find peace instead of eternal damnation. May the mercy of the..." The girl prayed, seeing nothing but smoke and no remains of her foe.


    "Yeah, yeah. That''s enough" The Royal, Lord Phobio said.


    The girl frowned, looking at him with a re.


    "A prayer must be made to the perished souls so the gods may look upon them with mercy when they go to the afterlife." She said.


    "I get it, I get it. But more importantly, what of the Wings?" The Royal asked.


    "Wings? Oh, you mean what this man stole from you during the auction. Unfortunately I did not sense any item of such with him. I have yet to harm hisrades, perhaps they will provide us with the location of the Wings" She answered.


    The Royal smiled, pleased with the work of the Apostle he brought to handle his enemy.


    "Hehehehe. I knew it would be a good idea to involve one of the Apostles" Lord Phobio said to himself.


    "Their powers are invincible. Perfect for squashing any of my enemies. Now then, once I obtain the wings I''ll be able to obtain even more power and influence. I better hurry though. No one knows I came here, not even father."


    "Then let''s waste no more time" Lord Phobio said, walking toward Talia and the Shadowshifter, who were blown away by the Apostle''s attack and were lying on the floor.


    "Where... Are the wings?" Lord Phobio asked in a condescending tone, looking down on Talia and the Shadowshifter.


    "Tch" The Shdowshifter grunted.


    He knew he was powerless in this situation. The woman''s power was far beyond anything he had ever seen Plus, she used light as her major source of attack, an element that is the natural enemy of his Shadow. Besides, if his master couldn''t beat her... Then what was he supposed to do.


    "Hexarion... Master Hexarion..." Talia sobbed.


    The Apostle''s eyes widened at the sound of the name Talia so carelessly mentioned. Immediately she pointed her sword at Talia in a fierce manner.


    "Shut up, you wench. How dare you mention the name of the Evil one so carelessly in my presence. I intended on sparing your life since I do not sense any trace of the impure Art on you, so do not make me change my mind!" She said in anger.


    "Well? I won''t ask again... Where are the wings?" Lord Phobio asked with a wicked grin.


    Talia merely looked down and the Shadowshifter, or rather, Hybrid, red at both of his enemies. Any wrong or sudden move was definitely going to cost him his life. The Apostle''s speed far surpasses his own. Lord Phobio seems like an easy target, but there is no way the Apostle will let himnd a hit.


    "You deserve some punishment don''t you? Very well!" Lord Phobio grinned.


    He used his hand to hold Talia''s long hair, which was a mess due to the earlier attack of the Apostle. He dragged it up forcefully, and faced Talia directly to her face. Talia''s face was that of defeat. She seemed lost, devoid of hope. Hexarion, her everything, her reason for living... Was gone.


    "Hey you, answer me!" Phobio said, pping Talia on her face to cause her to respond which she didn''t.


    The Apostle looked at what Lord Phobio was doing and was clearly displeased with it. She initially made an attempt to protest, but decided against it.


    This caused him to smile sadistically, no one could stop him anyway.


    "Hehehehe, you look broken already. Oh well, I don''t mind having fun with you. But first, you''re going to tell me... Where. Are. My. Wings?" He said.


    Talia muttered words he could not understand, saying nothing more.


    "Hey bitch! I''m talking to you!" He said in anger, raising his hand to p Talia again.


    Suddenly a whooshing sound was heard, and then a ng. It happened so fast that no one could tell, not even the Apostle. What happened... Was something that they could not exin.


    "Arghhhhh!!!!!" Lord Phobio screamed, looking at his hand.


    His hand was not attached to his arm, where did it go? He raised it to p the uncooperative girl, and now it was unattached to his arm. Blood poured from his arm as he screamed.


    "My hand! My hand! Where is my hand! Garghhhh" Lord Phobio cried, letting go of Talia''s hair.


    He used his other hand to hold his cut off arm and wailed in pain. Tears streamed down his face as he rolled in pain.


    Pain unimaginable seared through him. As he screamed and bellowed in pain, the question remained.... What exactly just happened?

 Chapter 27 - Strike Back

    "It hurts, it hurts it hurts!!! Ahhh, my hand!" He cried and screamed.


    Of course it would hurt. For someone who has hardly experienced pain, a lost limb is enough to drive them unconscious.


    "L-Lord Phobio. Please be calm" The Apostle said, quickly sheathing her sword and hurrying to his side.


    She closed her eyes and ced her hand on him.


    "Holy Light of Healing" She said.


    Tiny balls of light danced and radiated around him. His arm began to shine and suddenly, the wound on his arm closed. The blood stopped flowing and the pain went. However, his hand was still not there.


    "My hand! What of my hand!" Lord Phobio said, looking angry and desperate.


    "I have just administered first aid treatment. Full restoration must be done at ater time, after we have secured these two and are in a safe location"


    "No! Do it now! I want my hand now!" He yelled.


    "I can''t sir. To be honest I have expended more energy than I ounted for in this fight. I will need proper rest to recover them. Restoring an entire limb is too much to ask in my current condition, we must be in a stable ce for that to be done." The Apostle replied, sounding slightly upset.


    This caused Lord Phobio to cease his grumbling andining, appearing a bit nervous.


    " Besides, even restoring your entire hand is beyond my power... We will probably have to solicit help from another." She said calmly, though she was obviously angry at his impertinence.


    As she was talking to him, the Hybrid looked at this opportunity as a chance to escape, deciding to make a break for it while the enemy was distracted. However, before he could take a single step he felt the gaze of the Apostle on him.


    "Don''t even think about it. Take a step and I''ll make short work of you" She said with authority.


    "Scary" The Shapeshifter thought nervously, returning to his position.


    "F-Fine! Whatever you say! But what was that? What caused that? H-How did this happen?" Lord Phobio asked.


    "I-I do not know... I didn''t notice until it was toote. The loss of your hand, that is" She said, contemting on the matter with confusion.


    "My hand... Where is my hand..." He cried, remaining unpacified, like a baby.


    "Looking for your lost limb eh...?" A voice suddenly appeared.


    Talia''s dead expression suddenly changed at the sound of the voice she heard. Could it be...?


    Everyone looked to the direction it came from, some distance from them, from the shadows emerged a figure. It appeared to be holding something.


    "Do you mean this?" The man appeared, dangling the hand of the Lord Phobio casually.


    "Y-You..." Lord Phobio said in utter shock.


    "How can this be?" The Apostle said in disbelief.


    The Shadowshifter''s eyes widened at the sight of the one who appeared before them. It was unexpected to say the least.


    However, of all of them, the one who was most affected by the stranger''s sudden appearance was Talia. Her eyes lit up as she gazed upon the man she dedicated everything to... Her hope and reason for existing.


    "Master Hexarion... You''re back..." She said, with tears welling up in her eyes.


    I smiled at the sight of everyone. Looks like it was all worth it.


    "Naturally, now then... Let''s continue where we left off.


    I flung the hand of Lord Phobio to the side and with a st from my fingertip I destroyed it in an instant. Phobio''s expression made it all worth it.


    "My Hand!!!!" He cried.


    "Lord Phobio, please calm yourself." The Apostle protested.


    I stared at the both of them, it would be in my best interest to wrap things up as soon as possible.


    "Hex #33, Spatial Interference" I said, changing the location of Talia and my new ve.


    They appeared some meters behind me, just as I wanted.


    "Hex #93, Orb of Protection" I said, casting a barrier to protect them.


    Now there''s nothing holding me back.


    "L-Lord Hexarion..." Talia sobbed.


    "Not now Talia" I chided her.


    She suddenly regainedposure and nodded her head like an obedient girl. She decided to stay calm and not interfere with anything anymore. Good.


    "Now then, where were we?" I asked the two people in front of me.

 Chapter 28 - Absolute Despair

    "I''m surprised. I didn''t think you would survive that" The Apostle said calmly, though I can tell she''s nervous.


    I shrugged.


    "I told you... Such attacks won''t do you any good against me"


    "I was nning on observing your actions for a little while longer, until you did something I could not overlook" I said.


    "You mean assaulting your friends? How amusing. So even worshippers of evil have such things" She said with a slight smile.


    "Friends? You''re funny little girl. They are no more than my ves, tools to achieve my ends. However... No one is allowed to ce their filthy hands on said tools without the permission of the owner, it''s simple andmon sense really." I said.


    She frowned at myment.


    "In fact, you''re so wrong on many things that I just want tough on your ignorance and stupidity. However, I do not me you... Your kind has always been the most pathetic" I said with a smile.


    "You... How dare you. Do not be so conceited just for surviving my attack" She said in anger.


    "Conceited? Far from it. In my eyes it is you all that are being conceited. To think a human would speak so daringly to me... How utterly conceited can you be" I said to her.


    "You heretic. Who do you think you are?" She said, drawing her sword from her sheath and pointing it at me.


    Tch. That again?


    "Know your ce, fool" I stated, snapping my fingers.


    Immediately, the sword corroded and rusted, turning to dust.


    "W-What? How can this be... A Holy sword..." She said in surprise.


    "Hex #99, Orb of the Beginning" I said, using the weakest Hex.


    The white orb formed andunched toward her.


    "I told you already, that won''t wor-"


    Before she couldplete her words, the entire armor she wore turned to dust, leaving only her undergarments.


    Her eyes widened with surprise, and slowly... Despair and fear crept in.


    "You thought my Hex won''t work on you? Well, I suppose its only natural to think so since I only used them at a certain level of power. However, I''ll fill you in on something, little girl. With the right amount of effort, even the least of my Hex can easily kill you" I said, smiling sweetly.


    Her face was beginning to show fear.


    "I-Impossible...J-Just who... " She muttered and stuttered.


    "You asked who I am... Perhaps I should educate you a slight bit." I said, slowly walking toward her.


    She took a step back, showing signs of nervousness.


    I smiled and began my introduction.


    "I am he who knows the end from the beginning. The one who swallows worlds and possesses the secrets of the birth and death of the world. The one who achieves chaos, the one who brings despair and the one who consumes all. The evil one and the lord of primordial destruction. I am the author of nothingness, and the very personification of nonexistence. My name is Hexarion, Primordial of The Void"


    My eyes glowed and my lips widened with a dark grin.


    "N-No... No way... That is impossible" She said, now in panic.


    Her legs shook as she walked backward as I walked forward. She shook her head in despair as I drew nearer. She finally hit a dead end, the wall behind her. With nowhere left to run she looked at me with utter fear.


    "You ignorant fool" I smiled wickedly at her.


    "N-No..." She shook her head.


    Her face contorted into that of fear, like that of a child in the presence of overwhelming darkness. Like a powerless one watching an unstoppable evil approaching. Such was her expression in the face of me, the evil one.


    "Now then, why don''t you show me more of your ''INVINCIBLE'' power" I said with a smile.


    She was already shaking in fear, and the sight alone... Caused me great entertainment. The situation where one who believes they possess an unstoppable power and thinks they are the inevitable winners, possessing the light of hope... But then they are shown an even greater and unstoppable one, causing the light of hope to die out and leaving despair to crawl in... The look such a person makes in the sight of undeniable fear and despair... Ah, It truly is amusing.


    How refreshing.


    "I-I... I refuse to bow down to evil!" She cried, mustering all of her energy into a condensed light beam and charging it,unching it toward me.


    "Evil be extinguished in the face of the power of the gods, the darkne..." She shouted as the powerful force approached me.


    "Sigh. This is why I said this could be troublesome. I''m trying to avoid using any decent level Hex here. Doing so will definitely alert the gods. However, I guess at this point it is inevitable isn''t it?" I sighed.


    However, there is indeed another way to deal with things like these. I just didn''t want to use it in the beginning. But, I guess doing so now will be good... To entirely break her spirit.


    "ROOT" I called out.


    Immediately, a purple portal appeared above me. Root and I are connected by thought, and so... In face of things like this I do not need to issue it a direct order for it to take action.


    "<GENERATING COUNTERMEASURE>" ROOT responded.


    Immediately, a gold cannon appeared from within the portal and fired an equivalent amount of energy to the light. The sh between the two caused a massive explosion, destroying everything within a couple dozen meters from us.


    After the explosion cleared, of course my ves were well protected thanks to my HEX. The Apostle''s body looks severely damaged, but she is still alive. Phobio''s body was already dust, however I still have use for him.


    "Hex #39, Causality Reversal" I said, returning him to his original state.


    Though he''s still missing his hand. He was in so much shock that he could not even move and just spoke jumbled and unintelligible words. His mind broke quicker than I thought.


    The Apostle''s eyes widened at the sight of the miracle-like act I just performed.


    "T-This... Is Hex?" She asked, questioning herself more than me.


    I smiled, walking slowly to her.


    She was scared. She didn''t want to die. Her eyes pleaded for mercy.


    "P-Please... I beg you... Please spare me... Please..." She pleaded, tears streaming from her eyes.


    I smiled.


    "Don''t worry. I have no intention of killing you." I said, closing my eyes and smiling warmly to her.


    Her face lightened up a bit in relief at my words.


    "After all..." I said.


    Within a split second I was in front of her. I used my hand to hold her face and raised her up.


    "W-What are you... Please, no..." She pleaded.


    "... I require your memories" I smiled wickedly.


    "Don''t worry, it won''t hurt one bit" I said, alternating back to a sweet smile.


    I used Memory Drain on her, absorbing all her memories and within a moment I was done.


    "What a rush" I said, releasing my hand as her seemingly lifeless body fell on the ground.


    "Uh.. Urgh..." She mumbled.


    Her body twitched nonstop and drool came from her mouth like an invalid.


    Her nearly naked bodyy on the floor as she was paralyzed.


    "Now then, for you... My dear Phobio" I said, leaving her and turning to the insolent Royal who started this whole thing.


    What shall I do with him?

 Chapter 29 - Revelation

    "To be honest, I''m kind of grateful to you for being so stupid. After all, thanks to you I now know so much more. You should be honored, I''m thanking you personally Phobio" I said, walking toward him.


    As his eyes looked at me, his dead expression suddenly changed back and he regained his consciousness. He screamed at the sight of me and kept shouting the same thing.


    "M-My Hand... Where is my hand... My hand... My... My..." He said in madness.


    Guess he''s too far gone for redemption. But this is indeed a good thing. I can use him.


    "Hex #93" Orb of protection" I said, encasing him in my protective barrier.


    "ROOT" I called.


    "Take this man" I said.


    Immediately, he was sucked into the ring as he kept screaming the same mad words.


    "M-My hand.. My-My..."


    Within a moment he was gone, finally. His voice was getting on my nerves.


    "W-Why... Are you doing this...?" I heard the voice of the Apostle.


    My eyes widened as I looked behind me.


    Truly her body was paralyzed, truly she was in a pathetic state. But, she still remained conscious.


    "I''m surprised. You remain conscious even after being drained" I said, walking back toward her.


    Well, maybe it''s not too surprising. She is an Apostle after all.


    Her dead looking eyes show she is indeed worthless, and she is aware of this. Someone who felt she had power, now knowing the true extent of her powerlessness. However, I can tell she is indeed kindhearted. One of the few truly good people in this world. Unlike certain pretenders and self righteous people, she truly believes in good. After all, she even prayed for my soul after thinking I died.


    Through her memory, which I''ll sort out moreter, I can see she is indeed a kind girl. She was raised in an orphanage and from an early age she loved to help others. She helped the sisters in the orphanage, helped her peers and seniors. She was an exemry person. She had two major friends and she was happy indeed.


    When she turned 13, a crest appeared on her body, and not long after some higher ups came to get her. They said she had been chosen by the gods and took her to the Sanctuary, the headquarters of the Apostles. I do not know the ce, since the location isn''t stored in her memory.


    She was educated in the ways of the gods and received countless orientations to the point that all she could think about or do was the Will of The gods. After she turned 17, she was finally dispatched as an Apostle apprentice and yearster she became a full fledged Apostle.


    What a pity, she''s merely 21 years old and yet...


    "You ask me why I''m doing this... Let me tell you something" I replied her.


    I crouched so I could be on equal height with her and converse better while looking in her eyes.


    "Everything you know is a lie, everything you understand is an illusion. The Will of The gods? What a farce. Exterminating the art of Evil from the world? Who decides if such a thing is evil? You just witnessed how I returned that man back to existence. Do you think you could have achieved that? You im Hex is a power of evil, however... For you, whose power brought such chaos, and mine which healed the entire body of a man, I wonder which is more evil" I said.


    "There is but one reason why the gods forbid Hex, and why they grant powers to humans like you called Apostles and chosen ones. It is for ''Order''. They maintain their authority over you humans and are threatened by humans obtaining even the smallest bit of power beyond their control"


    "Of all humans, only very few are given power by the gods and the rest are subjected to that power. This world is controlled by power. The strong rule and the weak are trampled upon. Such is the very nature of this world, and the sad truth of your existence. The Grace which you''re so proud of is merely a leash the gods use to control you, and the reality you all live in is merely a cage that prevents you from realising the true nature of the world. You are all merely livestock in their sight, and livestock should continue to remain that."


    "However, with Hex, a power that defies thews of this world, the ordinary livestock bes free from its cage and removes its leash. They be independent and flourish outside the domain of the higher powers. That, little girl, is the truth that you have been turned from. The very meaning of this world..." I said as I looked into her tearful eyes.


    "... And that is why I will destroy this world!" I dered.


    Tears rolled down her eyes as she felt pain within herself. Her whole life was a lie, everything she knew, everything she was told, everything she fought for. All lies. Regret began to form in her mind as she remembered all the times in the orphanage, when she was truly happy.


    "This is the end..." I said


    She looked at me and shook her head. She didn''t want to die. Her eyes begged me. She wanted to live, to see return to the orphanage, to find her friends, her family. To live a good life and be happy.


    "Don''t worry. I told you already, didn''t I? I won''t kill you" I said, turning away from her.


    "Goodbye, Flora" I said, walking away.


    "T-Thank you" She managed to croak, as tears streamed down her eyes and she wept.


    She felt a myriad of overflowing emotion. Sorrow. Pain. Regret. Sadness. Nostalgia. Gratitude.... But not anger.


    What a sweet girl indeed.

 Chapter 30 - Merciless

    I released the Hex protecting Talia and my new ve. They immediately rushed to me as I moved some distance from Flora, the Apostle.


    "Master Hexarion..." Talia said, rushing to me, but ultimately stopping before reaching me.


    She sensed something was off, and so she decided to back off for the moment.


    I ignored her and walked toward the Shadowshifter, nodding my head to him slowly.


    "Do it" I told him.


    He understood immediately.


    He brought out his shadow, and they formed a sharp spike de.


    "Thank you... Lord Hexarion..." Flora restated, her eyes still closed and tears of gratitude streaming from her eyes.


    Of course, I gave my word to her and I will naturally keep it. I won''t kill her... But I didn''t say the same for my ves.


    Immediately the de of the shadow neatly cleaved her head, cutting it cleanly off.


    "L-Lord Hexarion...?" She said in confusion, her tears flew like tiny pearls, illuminated by the moonlight in the night.


    "I see... Now... Andre... Maria... Sister Nara... Old man Joeran... Everyone... I''ll be... Coming to visit you all... Very... Soon..." She muttered to herself, before she finally died.


    Her head rolled on the floor and her body gushed out blood. I looked at the head of the dead apostle and smiled. The expression on her face was that of a peaceful smile. She remained a kind hearted girl until the end uh... How wonderful.


    "And that''s settled. Good job" I said to my ve.


    Talia had a sick look on her face. She looked at me with shock and disbelief.


    "H-How could you kill her...? You said you wouldn''t..." She said.


    " ...And I didn''t" I responded, cutting her short and walked away.


    "Let''s go" I told her.


    I walked away slowly, alongside my new ve, leaving Talia behind.


    She remained standing as she stood in front of Flora''s dead body already covered in blood.


    "She was lost... She was betrayed... She was powerless... Just like me! Why didn''t you save her? Why didn''t you save her like you saved me?" Talia cried.


    She must have seen herself in Flora, a girl who was merely a tool in the hands of the world. Yet, I made a different call when it came to her.


    "Indeed. You both bear many simrities. However, as for the reason I disposed of her...It''s simple." I said, pausing my walk.


    Talia looked at me, with tears in her eyes and a look which needed an exnation.


    "Anger... She possessed none" I said.


    Talia''s face turned in surprise.


    Anger? Just because of that?


    "Without anger, she has no major drive and she won''t function in the way I require her to"


    "Because of that, she won''t be useful to me. It''s that simple. I do not save things I do not need. She was worthless to me in the end" I retorted.


    Talia''s face widened even more in surprise.


    "Because... Of that...?" She asked in surprise.


    I looked at her in the eyes and smiled slowly.


    "Of course... So, Talia, it''s my turn to ask you a question." I said, maintaining my gentle smile.


    "Y-Yes?" She said, not knowing what to expect.


    "So far, have you been useful to me?" I asked her.


    Her eyes widened at the realization. Of course she could not answer the question. Her eyeballs rolled and her mouth tightened. She looked at me and the ve beside me. His shadow was rising, ready for action. As soon as she answered me with the truth, her fate would be decided. For she knew what her answer would be... It was none other than


    NO


    "Oh, don''t give me that look Talia" I said,ughing a little at the look of fear and danger she had.


    She never fails to amuse me.


    "You don''t need to answer that now. Maybe another time..." I said with a smile.


    I turned away from her and kept moving, my new ve walked behind me, returning his shadow back to the ground.


    Talia''s body trembled and her mind had different thoughts. However, one thing was clear.


    "If I''m not useful..." She said to herself, then turning to see the head of Flora.


    She knew her fate.


    "I-I must be useful!" The thought hammered in her head.


    And as she watched my new ve and me walking, she realized the distance between us. And so, in order not to get left behind... She decided.


    "I''ming... Master Hexarion." She shouted, running to walk by my side.


    I smiled as she ran to catch up with me.


    I looked at my new ve. He seems even more tame and loyal than earlier. It must be because he has seen a portion of my power. Now, he won''t dare defy me... Good.


    "Do you have a name?" I asked him.


    He was surprised to hear my voice suddenly and responded as fast as he could.


    "N-No my Lord. I have no memory of my parents, and I have lived by myself until I was captured." He said.


    I smiled, then stopped walking while looking him in the eye.


    I ced my right hand on his shoulder.


    "Very well. From now on, your name shall be... Shamac" I dered to him.


    "Sha-Mac... Yes my lord." He said with a smile and bowed his head.


    I removed my hand and kept walking. He followed me, maintaining a small distance between us as he walked behind me. Looks like he instinctively respects the hierarchy between us. I can''t say I dislike hismon sense.


    "Master!" Talia yelled as she ran to my side, gasping for air.


    I smiled at her and she shed me her usual enthusiastic smile. Immediately, she started heaving and breathing heavily. Just how little stamina does this girl have? Well, it''s fine though. That will soon change anyway.


    As for Talia, now that she has seen this side of me, she''ll learn to grow beyond her present self. I look forward to seeing that. Maybe I was a little scary to her just now and she''s scared I''ll dispose of her soon, but her fears are misced. This is because...


    I don''t n on killing Talia anytime soon.. She''s too amusing after all.

 Chapter 31 - Aftermath

    We got to the hotelte, thanks to the little nuisance we encountered on our way there. I had Talia make arrangements with the Hotel management for an additional guest, or rather, member who would be staying with me from the moment onward. This makes us three registered in the Hotel amodation.


    Shamac, my new ve, a hybrid shadowshifter and shapeshifter. Talia, the wingless fairy. Myself, the rich mysterious person. This makes my group three now. If I include the Imperius Auction House and Julius, that makes it considerable. However, I still do not consider Imperius under my control for the time being, though they are as good as that. Still, my influence and reach is nowhere near satisfactory enough, but all in due time. I have enough of that at least.


    I don''t need to change my suite though, since it was the best from the start. Having one extra ve in it doesn''t pose much of a difference. After Talia dealt with the minor details we went to our suite and I crashed on sofa. Talia, surprisingly, maintained her standing posture. Same with Shamac. I ignored them and closed my eyes for a bit.


    Not that I am exhausted or anything, but there is so much to think about. The entire Apostle incident we encountered this night, and the implications it brings.


    However, I can at least say the entire saga actually benefits me since I have discovered even more information about the current world. Not only that, but I got my hands on the memories of an apostle, how fortunate. This way I know who the current enemies are.


    For now, the Primordials and gods are most likely unaware of my resurrection. They are most likely beginning to notice some glitches in the current world system, since whenever I use Hex it causes an imbnce. This is why I avoid using powerful Hexes.


    However, looks like I''ll need to up my game in theing battles. The major reason for this is the troublesome art the gods themselves invented... Grace.


    That pesky Art interferes with any imbnce my Hex creates, rendering it null. In basic terms, my Hex is like a virus in a system. It maniptes the flow of Aspects and bends them to my will. However, since it is a foreign and unnatural element, it is bound to leave traces of corruption and imbnce wherever I use it.


    Grace is however an antivirus, making it the perfect counter for Hex. It uses divine power, a higher level of Aspects to intercept and fix any alteration my Hex makes. As soon as Hex tries to manipte an Aspect, this divine power flushes it out. How annoying.


    Though it seems the gods didn''t invent Grace as a method to deal with me. If I had been revived with my full abilities such minor tricks wouldn''t even be in my notice. From what I have learned, Hex has gotten renown in the current world. Humans with Hex are able to alter Aspects to an extent, making them a threat to the gods.


    In order to maintain the bnce of power they created this farce called the Apostles, making humans their pawns in exchange for a fraction of their power. These humans believe themselves to be righteous, among the few chosen and those who are deemed worthy to possess power. What a joke!


    Then there''s the problem of the Royal family. I have already killed a high ranking noble with ties to the Royal Family. Then with the abduction of this other one, that makes it two times I''ve gone against them. Normally they pose no threat to me. However, with this troublesome alliance the Apostles have with them, things could go awry.


    Traces of the use of Hex can be linked to me if I''m careless. I guess that''s enough messing around for now. It''s time for business.


    Apostles and Royals... These two are merely immediate threats. The primary goals are the gods, most especially the Primordials. Then, ultimately The World itself. However, for now its too early to worry about the little ones sittingfortably on my throne. I''ll first need to solve the little things first. The existence of Grace was unexpected for me, so I''ll have to tweak my ns a bit.


    "Well then... For the most immediate matter to attend to... Talia''s Wings" I said aloud, heaving a sigh.


    I sat back up, looking at my two ves who merely stood and watched me. I expect this behaviour from Shamac, but Talia''s attitude surprises me. Is she still hung up over what I told her earlier? It would be good to correct her misconception, but I''ll have her think what she wants... For now!


    "ROOT" Imanded


    My ring glowed purple, responding to my call.


    "Bring forth the earlier collected Fairy Wings" I said.


    Immediately, the purple ring spat out the wings from its subspace. The wings emerged from a purple portal until it was fully out and the portal faded. I looked at Talia to see her reaction. She gazed longingly at her wings, however she did her best to hide it.


    I smiled.


    Normally I prefer the expressive version of my fairy ve, however this expression of difort she has, coupled with her anxious behavior, also has its charms. However, now is not the time to indulge in entertainment.


    It''s now time for business.


    "Talia, step forward" I told her.


    She immediately stiffened and gulped. She hurriedly moved to my side, a little distance from her wings which floated directly in front of me.


    "Do you want them?" I asked her.


    "Y-Yes I do!" She said with all honesty.


    Good to know she is still quick witted and hasn''t lost her decisiveness. It''ll be boring having only ves who tremble at my every word. One of the reasons why the Heavenly Realm was so boring to me was due to the same reason. The way they addressed me, while it was respectful, just made me ufortable.


    ''Great Lord Hexarion'' this


    ''Supreme One'' that


    ''Lord of Chaos'' this and that


    It got tiring at a point. I eventually avoided socializing with anyone and secluded myself, burying my entire being into creating Treasures, tinkering around with Aspects, and making fun little games known as Dungeons.


    Well, enough about thinking about those fun times, now is the time to bear fruit to the entire reason we got ourselves into such a big mess. Restoring Talia''s wings to her.


    Attaching her wings is no big deal for me. However, I''m thinking of trying something else. The Fairy wings contain a decent amount of Aspect essence, however this much isn''t useful enough for me.


    "ROOT" I said internally.


    "Analyze data and essence acquired from Fairy Wings recently extracted from storage"


    The ring glowed, and then secondster it responded, showing me its usual window in front of me and answering to me directly in my mind.


    "<<Analysis Complete>>"


    "<<Now able to Replicate the entire structure of selected item>>"


    As expected.


    "<


    >"


    I smiled. Looks like the ROOT''s functions are still intact.


    Basically, ROOT retains the information of any object within it even if such item or object is removed. Using the vast resources within ROOT, it is possible to analyze the entireponent of the object as well as duplicate it. After all... It is ultimately made up of Aspects. All that is required is to configure the appropriate amount and vo! A perfect replica.


    Of course, ROOT can''t make something from nothing. Other items will be sacrificed in order to produce the Replica of another. Depending on the Aspect essence required, the quantity and quality of the items consumed also varies. Fortunately, I have a lot of items in stock... Also, the essence in the wings aren''t too high.


    "Confirm" I responded in my mind.


    "<<Select Amount of Copies>>" It stated, disying it in its usual icon in front of me.


    "Let''s start with 8" I said, confirming the production of 8 more wings indistinguishable from Talia''s wings.


    "<<Notice: Sufficient Resources Avable for Replication>>"


    "<<No high grade object is required for catalyst>>"


    "<<No problems encountered>>"


    Anytime from now, and...


    "<<Replication Complete>>"


    Immediately 8 purple portals opened up, bringing out 8 wings simr to the original one of Talia.


    Talia and Shamac were surprised by the sight before them.


    "W-What are... These all look like my..." Talia gasped.


    Well, technically, they kind of are...


    "Lord Hexarion... What do you intend to do with these?" She asked me, still very stunned beyond words.


    "I thought that would be clear by now" I said.


    She still looked somewhat puzzled.


    "You are going to merge with all 9 of these wings... Or die trying" I said to her with my usual dark smile.


    She lost the right words to say,pletely shocked and caught off guard by my words.


    "Now then, Talia... I ask you again.... Do you still want them?"

 Chapter 32 - How To Be Of Use To The Evil One

    Talia gulped as my statement resounded in her ears.


    "... Merge with all 9 of these wings... Or die trying"


    Talia knew the implication of my words. She isn''t guaranteed to survive this process, in fact... She is most likely not guaranteed to live through it.


    Why?


    A fairy''s wings are a part of them from the time of conception. At this point, the wings are in an immature state, same with the child. As the little fairy grows, so do the wings, until they finally reach the age of maturity. The reason for this is the amount of Aspect the fairy can handle. An average mature fairy''s wings has 10 times the total amount of Aspect than a child''s.


    Imagine grafting an adult fairy''s wings into such child. The amount of Aspect essence will be too much for the child to handle, causing an overload. This means certain death. This is a simr process I am going to carry out on Talia right now.


    9 times the usual amount of essence, merging altogether with an iplete fairy. It sounds like a death sentence. Even I can not guarantee her safety... Or can I?


    "I''ll do it! I want them!" She dered outright.


    I know Talia is usually very decisive, but this is a bit too much. She is literally signing up for her death.


    "Are you sure... This will most likely kill you" I further asked.


    "I-I''m sure..." She said, though I can tell she she''s scared.


    I sighed. Isn''t she trying a bit too hard?


    "Look, Talia..." I said to her


    "I-I... I want to be useful to you too, Lord Hexarion!" She blurted out.


    Oh? Interesting.


    "Ever since I met you, you''ve been nothing but kind to me. Even though I know you do not treat others the same way. Others like Flora have suffered at your hands, yet you still choose to help me. I mean, I attacked you too. I ran from you. I don''t deserve this special treatment from you! I... I just want to repay your kindness to me. I know right now I''m useless, so I want to be someone you can use... Someone who can help you too..." She cried out.


    My face fell a bit as I heard her words. Emotions overflowed through me. They were not, however, feelings of gratitude or happiness or even satisfaction. They were those of pure anger and disgust.


    "You? Help me? Howughable!" I said to her with an icy re.


    She was shocked to see my new expression. An evil aura filled the room, causing her body to begin to tremble.


    "Do you think a mere fairy like yourself can be of any help to me? Me! The Primordial of the Void?" I asked her in amanding tone.


    She could not reply and kept shivering due to the intense pressure in the room. Even Shamac, a creature of the night appeared ufortable but struggled to maintain his stance. I suppose he is able to withstand some of it due to his affinity to darkness. But affinity can only help you so much.


    "Know your ce!" I told her.


    She nodded vehemently as her knees gave out and she crashed on the floor. Partly kneeling and seated on the floor, she was unable to move a muscle, save for shaking at the sound of my voice.


    This girl''s words usually amuses me, due to its stupidity and immaturity. Just as an adult would take pleasure in watching young children express themselves with their little childish minds. However, amusement has its limits. What she has just done is insult me.


    True, I have fallen from great heights and I do not possess the same powers as I did in the past. However, I am still worlds apart from this insect. With a snap of my fingers she could vanish, turning to nothing but dust. Yet she dares speak to me of help?


    "You will do well to know this... The reason I saved you back then was for one reason and one reason only. It was on a whim! I chose to save you because I wanted to. You piqued my interest and you managed to maintain it. Besides, it just seemed more preferable having someone by my side at the moment." I told her.


    She gulped and shut her eyes, mustering all her strength to speak up.


    "B-But... You said you would give me purpose. You said you would be my everything..." She stuttered.


    Impressive, even now she still manages to talk back to me.


    "I did say that didn''t I? I am your EVERYTHING! But... that doesn''t mean that you are mine. It is something far beyond your reach and you have no right to even imagine it. If you want to render help then you must be capable of providing it in the first ce, or else whatever you say, even with the best of intentions are merely empty words. And one of the things I despise most... Is emptiness" I told her.


    "P-Please don''t despise me... I only wanted to hel- I mean, be of use to you" She begged.


    Looks like she finally understands. Good.


    I banished the evil aura surrounding the room, causing the pressure to vanish and the intense atmosphere returned back to normal. This caused a great sense of relief to my two ves in the room. They both exhaled heavily, relieved by the absence of the overwhelming darkness.


    "That much is eptable. These 9 wings will certainly provide you with the capacity for that. Any more than these 9 will mean 100 percent certain death, and any less will be useless to me. This will provide you with the minimum requirement of power to posses before you can be considered ''of use'' to me" I said to her.


    "I-I understand..." She said, still quite shaken.


    Her expression became a mess and she entirely seems to be in a state of depression. Well, we can''t have that. It looks like I''ve been a bit too harsh on her, at least ording to her standards. In order to have my ves working at maximum capacity, plus in order to still be amused by Talia''s childlike nature, I need to give her some carrots.


    I bent, squatting in front of her and gazing into her teary eyes. She seems genuinely sorry, but also scared and heartbroken. If nothing else, I know this girl''s devotion to me is genuine. I can''t say the same for Shamac''s loyalty. Though he won''t try anything stupid since he realizes the vast difference in power between the two of us.


    "Talia... I need you. That much is true." I whispered to her, still interlocking with her eyes.


    Her expression lit up at the sound of what I said.


    "R-Really?" She asked me.


    I nodded, affirming her words.


    Suddenly her face clouded over, as though remembering a dark thought.


    "B-But... You said ..." She muttered, remembering the chastisement I gave her.


    "Look, Talia... You''re currently too weak to help me in any way. Even with the 9 wings you''ll merely be on a level in which you can be of use. However, being of use, and being helpful are two different things. Youck the qualities to be a help to me" I told her bluntly.


    "The current you, I mean. However... I can''t say the same about the you in the future."


    Her face brightened up after hearing this.


    "Y-You mean...?" She muttered.


    "... Yes Talia. You have the potential to be that." I said.


    "L-Lord... Master... You mean you still want me? You won''t discard me?" She asked me with a teary expression.


    "Of course not, as long as you remain of use to me" I told her with a smile.


    She nodded vehemently after hearing this.


    "I won''t let you down! I''ll make sure to always be good and be of use to you. And one day, I''ll make sure I be worthy enough to once again express my desire to help you!" She said, forming her hands into a fist and having a determined look in her face.


    That''s the spirit. Honestly, this girl is just like a kid, so easy to handle. Its like all her brain cells have been fried or something.


    "Good, you never cease to amaze me with your unique way of expressing yourself" I said to her, rising to my feet.


    "That makes me happy lord. That I am able to be of use to you in your amazement. I''m so happy" She smiled, having a pure and grateful expression on her face.


    I really do not like such looks, the front of purity and goody goody fa?ade, unless they are genuine. Hers is genuine. It seems like she''s very much attached to me now, even more than before.


    However, its not too bad. She is the most devoted anyone has ever been to me. Her only fault is her weakness. But now, I am even more motivated to ensure this girl survives this process and stays by my side.


    Not just because of amusement, but because I want to see what bes of this statement she just made. Whether she will be by my side as I watch this world burn, or whether she will be one of the tools I will have to dispose of along the way.


    Either way, I will end up winning. However, If I am to pick between the two... I want her by my side. The reason is simple.


    I want to see just what kind of expression her face will be making when that timees.

 Chapter 33 - Metamorphosis

    "Are you ready?" I asked her one final time.


    She nodded her head and tightened her lips, preparing herself for what would begin. I stretched by hands to her, since she was still kneeling on the floor. She gratefully took it and I effortlessly raised her from the floor. She smiled for some unknown reason, but I''m just going to ignore that.


    "Let us begin!" I stated.


    Shamac merely watched the whole thing y out, silent the entire time. I guess being a shadowshifter really does suit him. I connected my thoughts and used my energy to sync all 9 of the wings in order for them to obey mymands.


    Even if I can''t guarantee Talia''s safety, I can at least increase her chances of sess. Currently, the chances are barely 10. Since I''m avoiding the use of any Hex for the time being, at least until things go down, I don''t see myself using Hex to help if anything adverse happens to her or she dies.


    I must not lose focus on my original goal. Besides, just as I found her I''m sure there are countless others like Talia who will be willing to sacrifice everything for me just for the slightest hint of protection and an action on my end that will trigger within them a sense of overwhelming gratitude.


    Such is the characteristic of the weak.


    The 9 wings which hovered above slowly descended, surrounding her. I used my energy which was already cloaking them to condense all the wings. Slowly, they began to shrink and change shape. A ss-like substance began to form around the condensing wings. Eventually, the wings which were a couple feet tall were now barely the size of a thumb each. Not only that, but they had taken the shape of a round orb, coated with the ss like substance.


    The essence within the wings, having being extracted and calcified, are maintained within the outer shell. This proves to be the most efficient way to handle this. These 9 orbs began to glow different colors. From red to blue, to green, purple and the likes.


    "It''s time" I said.


    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She then squeezed her face tightly, bracing herself for impact.


    No impact came.


    After remaining in the same frozen and bracing position for a minute, she grew ufortable and most of all curious. She peeked, opening only one of her eyes to see what the holdup was. The orbs still floated steadily about her, glowing in their radiance. Surprised that there was no change, she opened but of her eyes and loosened up.


    She looked at me in a confused manner and beckoned to ask, since she was confused at this point.


    "W-What''s going on? I thought you said it was ti-?"


    She was still moving her lips when suddenly energy bursted from within the orbs and flooded her, sending her screaming in pain.


    "AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" She screamed and bellowed in pain.


    The sound was unpleasant to me, so I shut off the sound receptors in my ears, muting all the noise around me. Since I can manipte my bodily function, it''s not impossible for me to block off sound or switch off some of my nerves and receptors. I merely watched her lips move and her face squeezing and expressing anguish.


    The multicolored essence flowed from all 9 orbs, covering her entire body in its power. This sudden rush of essence is enough to kill most, as they can not handle it, Talia is no exception to the rule. She sees to b fighting it now, however... At the rate this is going Talia is not going to hold out for long. She will die.


    Her skin began to crack and her body grew pale. The cracks began to shine, matching the colors of the orbs. More cracks appeared and soon enough it covered most parts of her body. How useless, her body can''t even handle this much. It just goes to show how durable the gods made the body of mortals. Fragile and weak.


    "Her body has started breaking down" Imented.


    From the side, I can see Shamac looking with shock as he watched Talia die slowly and in pain.. I can pretty much guess what is going on in his mind. He''s surprised by myck of enthusiasm or emotion while watching Talia''s worsening condition. He most likely expects me to stop the process or intervene in some way. I''m not inclined to do so though.


    I sighed.


    Perhaps I ought to increase her chances a bit.


    "ROOT" I said.


    "Misceneous Treasures"


    "[Category: Sealing]"


    Immediately ''Root of All'' showed a window before me and disyed all the items registered under the sealing ss. I browsed through them, reading their qualities and description, though I pretty much know of them.


    I also know which one I''m going for.


    "Item 32" I said..


    "Cocoon of Darkness"


    After choosing the item, purple-ck energy wrapped around Talia, since I chose her as the target. I am able to decide where my items appear, so far as the prescribed location is within range.


    The dark mass of energy hardened and formed a giant lump, with Talia inside it. The lump beamed with purple light which glowed and dimmed with patterns. The orbs, which were still pouring out the essence were outside the cocoon shaped lump. They transferred their energy to the cocoon, which absorbed the Aspects and transferred them to Talia.


    I looked at Shamac and saw his reaction as he saw the cocoon. Surprise filled his face as he saw the strange giant lump before him swallow such intense amount of essence with no sign of having its fill. Other than surprise, he had a more perplexed expression, wondering what exactly the ''thing'' I brought forth was.


    "No need to look so surprised" I told him.


    He looked flustered and tightened up when he heard my voice. Looks like I caught him off guard.


    "M-My lord... If I may ask, what exactly is that thing?" He asked me carefully.


    He''s so different from Talia. I doubt he will ever address mefortably the way she does, one of the reason I would prefer it if Talia lives through this.


    "It''s an item from my Treasure here. It''ll take too long to exin it in detail, but lets just say it will increase Talia''s survival rate drastically.


    "B-By how much?" He asked me.


    "A lot. If she doesn''t survive the rush with the cocoon helping her, then she never had a chance to begin with." I told him.


    "T-Then..." He said, looking back at the cocoon, which bulged and contracted itself.


    "The Con is able to preserve anything within it. Using it on her will stop her breaking down process entirely, allowing her body to take in all the essence." I said.


    "But that means she''ll survive the..." Shamac cut in.


    I red at him.


    "Do not interrupt me. I''m still talking." I said.


    "Uh.. I''m sorry about that" He said mildly, shrinking back.


    "It''s fine. As long as you understand." I responded.


    "What I was about to say before you interrupted me was that the tricky partes after I remove the cocoon. With it gone, nothing will be present to preserve her body, therefore nothing stops it from breaking down or downright exploding due to the excess amount of Aspect essence" I said.


    Shamac''s expression changed to shock.


    "All we have to do now is wait... And see what happens next" I said to him, turning back to watch the cocoon as it twitched.


    Talia remained inside, in a peaceful slumber, like a child in the womb.... Awaiting her rebirth or her destruction.

 Chapter 34 - Integration

    After some moments of waiting, the lights in the 9 orbs slowly dimmed and finally flickered before dying out.


    "Looks like the absorption process is over" I said aloud.


    It''s finally the moment of truth.


    "What will it be Talia?"


    I waited for a few more moments until the Cocoon of Darkness stopped its pulse and beating. The steady humming and glow of purple light around it ceased and the Cocoon stopped moving entirely. This shows it has transferred all the essence to Talia. The entire absorption process is over. I have to do this anyway... The sooner the better.


    "ROOT" I muttered, raising my hands to the direction of the cocoon.


    "Return" Imanded, taking away the cocoon from Talia, who was within it..


    The solidified purple womb immediately returned to its original gooey form and returned to the ring it came from, entering a purple gate generated by Root.


    With the cocoon gone, I could finally see Talia. She was naked, her entire clothes had disintegrated and turned into essence along with the essence of the 9 wings she absorbed. This is to be expected since it''s the work of the cocoon. The only question that remained... Whether or not she would live,


    "Urghhh..." Talia groaned as she slowly opened her eyes.


    Immediately, her eyes met mine. She gazed intently at me with a weak smile.


    "I-I did it... Lord Hexarion. It was so painful, but... I did..." She said with an emotional expression.


    Unfortunately this moment was short-lived.


    "Guahhhhhh" She suddenly screamed.


    The cracks on her body returned and multicolored energies emerged from within her, illuminating and covering her entire body.


    "H-Help! It hurts..." She screamed.


    The cracks spread even further within seconds. I stared intently at her. If anything isn''t done soon, she''ll die in less than a minute.


    I can''t have that!


    I have already resolved not to use Hex no matter how dire her condition may be... Or even at all, until this entire Apostle incident dies out. Since it leaves traces, it won''t be long till I am discovered.


    However... There''s always more than one way to do anything.


    "ROOT" I said.


    "Recalibrate Item 32 [Cocoon of Darkness] of the Sealing Category Misceneous Treasures" I stated.


    "<<Select method, form, properties and design>>" ROOT responded.


    However, there is no time to start doing those things. I''ll leave them forter.


    "Use Preset #12" I said.


    "<<Confirmed.>>"


    "<


    >"


    After it said this, the gem on the ring shone bright purple. Finally, with a few seconds the icon appeared to me.


    "<<Recalibrationplete>>"


    Just what I was waiting for.


    "Commence integration with target." I said.


    The icon disappeared, and suddenly, as the lights radiated out of Talia''s cracks, rendering her incapable of speech and even any rational thought at this point, a ck-purple substance surrounded her. The dark energy shrouded her decimating body, covering her entire flesh with its dark materials.


    "I didn''t want to have to resort to this..." I said.


    "W-What did you do?" Shamac asked me with curious nervousness.


    I turned to him and smiled.


    "You''ll see"


    The vast amount of energy which was leaking out of Talia, breaking down her entire body, suddenly stopped. The energy kept whirling around her as the room was filled with a pressureparable to the one I released earlier, only fainter.


    "This better be worth it" I sighed.


    After whirling, the dark energy concentrated on Talia''s body, shrinking in size until it was a perfect skin suit for her. All parts of her body, even her face, were covered in the ck purple energy. They were all covered by the now darkness which had now taken the form of fabric.


    "Complete Integration" I finally ordered.


    The dark material which was worn by Talia''s entire body suddenly seeped into her skin, disappearing from in sight. As it entered into her, the cracks which were there closed instantly, causing her to regain her normal form in no time.


    Before long, the process ended, and Talia fell to the ground. I can tell she''s exhausted, she has to be. Absorbing so much was too much for her from the start. I suppose I was wrong to think some form of special power will awaken within her if I pushed harder.


    "W-What happened...? Last thing I remember was..." Talia mumbled as she regained consciousness, holding her head and rising up slowly.


    Shamac remained silent and looked at me. She also looked at me. It seems both of my ves expect an exnation from me. Oh well, I can just indulge them.


    "You weren''t strong enough to handle that huge amount of essence, Talia." I told her.


    Her face paled when I said this. She had a sad and disappointed expression.


    "T-Then... Does that mean I''ll die... Soon? Without actually doing anything for you?" She asked.


    "No, that''s not true." I said.


    She snapped out of her pitiful state and her face brightened at the sound of what I just told her.


    "Y-You mean...?" She asked excitedly.


    "Yes. You have sessfully absorbed the 9 fairy wing essence, and no... Your life isn''t in any immediate danger" I said.


    "B-But you said..." Talia said, confused.


    "My lord, if you don''t mind my asking... What did you use on Talia to stabilize her?


    "The Cocoon of Darkness" I answered.


    His eyes widened in surprise.


    "B-But how is that possible. The cocoon looks nothing like what I saw wrapped around her. I mean, it had an identical feel. But everything else about it was different" He asked, even more confused.


    "ROOT can do many things. One of the things he can do is customize the items within it. The form of the Cocoon you saw is a customization I made beforehand, in the past." I replied.


    "What''s going on? Cocoon?" Talia asked in confusion.


    She was entirely lost in the conversation.


    Shamac looked at me, and I shrugged, giving him the permission to tell her.


    He looked at his fellow ve, prepared to exin what transpired within her while she was not in her right state of mind.

 Chapter 35 - Agenda

    "Basically, you were about to die but master used a dark cocoon to keep you alive. However, after you came out, you nearly repeated the destructive process. I don''t know how... But he had something wrap itself around your body and sealing your cracks. It stopped your destruction" Shamac said to Talia.


    Talia''s face brightened up when she heard this.


    "Hexarion... You used an item to save me? Thank you. I am grateful" She said with a shy smile as she bowed her head in thanks.


    Whatever, that doesn''t matter to me.. What matters is that Talia can now be useful to me. Her powers even exceeds what I initially predicted. Could it be because the wings resonate with her well since she is a fairy?


    "B-But... If it worked, where are my wings?" She asked, suddenly looking behind her and seeing no wings.


    Shamac also noticed and got confused as well. How funny these ves are.


    "The wings are within you. I condensed everything into essence. You''ll most likely never have a proper wing any longer" I told her,


    "W-Wha...? Talia expressed surprise.


    "But in return, you''ve been granted phenomenal power. By condensing the Aspects that make up your wings, even absorbing one of the essence will make you more powerful than you would be with wings." I said,


    It''s a waste to have so much Aspect essence concentrated on the wings, It''s more efficient having the pool of Aspect within oneself. Another w in the gods'' creation. Though, knowing them, they most likely did this intentionally.


    "Besides... It''s not like you can follow me around with wings behind you" I added.


    Shamac and Talia both realized I made a good point...Naturally.


    "But where is this cocoon? I mean, you said it wrapped around me" Talia asked.


    "It''s within you" I told her.


    "W-Wha...?" She expressed surprise.


    "Or rather, you''re wearing it right now" I corrected.


    "Wearing... It?" She repeated.


    "It was the only way to ensure your survival. The Cocoon has the ability of preservation. Transforming it into an attire for you, covering your entire body, it serves as a preservation for you... As well as a limiter" I said.


    "Whoah..." She let out in surprise.


    "Until your body fully limates to that power, the full apparel will keep your newfound power checked. However, that should pose no problem... For now" I said.


    Talia stared intensely at her skin and pinched at it, dragging her skin to feel any form of clothing on her.


    "It''s useless... Don''t even bother." I said to her.


    She looked at me with embarrassed surprise.


    "It haspletely integrated with your body. As of now there''s really no difference between ''you'' and ''it''. Do you understand me?" I asked.


    She nodded her head obediently.


    I sighed.


    To be honest, this opinion has always been avable since I started this risky venture. However, I didn''t want to waste my resources. Dark Cocoon is a huge mass of a single Aspect, mine. This makes it very unique to me. And, very difficult to rece.


    One can not make something out of nothing. In the same vein, one can not make nothing out of something. This means items made using my Aspect can not be reced or replicated by ROOT. Also, since I lost my Aspect I can not make more.


    Meaning... I sacrificed a one of a kind item for Talia. She better be worth it. If pushes to shove, and she proves useless and not worth the investment, I''ll have to retrieve the cocoon. The issue that lies there is that both Talia and the Cocoon have merged. In order to obtain the item... I would have to kill Talia.


    And after going through so many pains to nurture her, that isn''t something I want to do yet.


    "I... I can feel it. My body is brimming with so much power. Yet somehow it''s not overwhelming me. It''s like a dam surrounds my Aspects essence within me" She said, paying close attention to the changes in her body.


    Shamac didn''t know what to say at this point. However, he had to contribute somehow. And contribute he did.


    "My Lord... If I may venture to ask... What do we do now?"


    I was initially silent after he asked me this. But, soon after I let out a grin. This grin became a chuckle which turned intoughter.


    "Fufufufuahahahahahahaha" Iughed heartily.


    "You ask a good question. What the next step is eh?" I smiled.


    "I have stayed in Artia for over a week now... It''s time for us to leave this ce" I said.


    "Oh? Then when do we lea-" He replied.


    "However... I''m not one to leave somewhere without making some form of mark in it... So how about I initiate a takeover" I said to him.


    "T-Takeover?" He asked in surprise.


    "Yes. I''ll be in control of this territory. Of course, it won''t be direct, since we''ll be leaving soon" I smiled.


    "B-But then why do you want to take over the city? Who would you even ce over it...?" Shamac asked, a little concerned.


    "Hoh? Is that concern I see? Toward me?" I asked.


    "N-No my lord" He quickly corrected himself.


    Smart kid.


    "I will establish this ce as the first of my strongholds. I''ll need them in the future" I said.


    "As for your second question... I have just the person in mind" I smiled, thinking of a certain master of the best Auction House in Artia.


    "T-Then... Do we begin tomorrow?" Talia asked.


    "No. While it is indeed the next step of the n... There''s something that muste first." I said, looking at both of my ves.


    " As your master, I deserve every right to every part of you. As such... It''s time the both of you prove yourselves to me!" I said.


    "It can''t be... Could our master be...?" Shamac thought a dirty thought.


    "Hexarion... Wants to...?" Talia also thought to herself too, blushing.


    "In order to test your capabilities, I will witness them with my own eyes." I stated.


    The two expressed some form of disappointment and relief at the same time, unique to the both of them.


    "So, my lord... What you man is that..." Shamac asked me.


    "Indeed. The both of you... Will fight! I dered.


    In order to decide if they are truly worthy of me, to continue to be with me on this journey... I must see with my very eyes.... The extent of their capabilities, no matter how little!

 Chapter 36 - The Better Slave

    I let them sleep for the night since they were both exhausted. As I lied down on my veryrge bed, I engaged in some thoughts.


    Even though my body doesn''t require sleep, I actually wanted to sleep. The events of the day was more than I bargained for, and it''s only going to get worse from hereon out.


    That''s why I need my pawns to level up faster. Now that both of them have sufficient power, it''ll serve my ends well. It seems it''ll be interesting... Them fighting each other.


    "At least I have something to look forward to tomorrow" I smiled.


    It''s going to be entertaining.


    "ROOT" I said.


    "Better make the appropriate preparation before tomorrow" I said to myself, giving ROOT certainmands and specifications, relevant to tomorrow''s fight.


    After I was done, I shut down most of my body functions, resulting in sleep. Tomorrow is a big day after all.


    [The Next Day]


    "Both of you... Take to your positions. You begin on my mark" I said to the two ves who stood opposite themselves, ready to fight.


    They both had determined looks on their faces, meaning I can expect an interesting match.


    "Begin!" I dered.


    [Earlier Today]


    This morning, after waking and freshening up, I decided upon the venue for thebat session.


    "A pocket dimension?" Shamac asked me.


    "Yeah" I told him.


    I exined to them about where they would fight.


    There''s no way they can fight anywhere in the city. Plus, I can''t transport them anywhere far away with Hex, and even I could, I am currently avoiding using Hex for now.


    "We''ll use a spot within ROOT" I said to them.


    They still looked confused, and so I decided to exin.


    "Root contains a near infinite space. However, not every space within it is a treasury. There are other spaces and sections within it. For example, where I ced that snotty Royal, Phobio in." I exined.


    He should be enjoying himself quite well where I put him... Or maybe not. Anyhow, he''ll be useful to meter on, so his stay in ROOT won''t be for long.


    "So, we''ll be entering... Your ring?" Talia asked, looking unsure of the whole idea.


    "That''s one way to put it. Well then... Off you go!" I said.


    "ROOT" I said.


    I dragged the two of them into ROOT, cing them in one of its fields which I designed the night before. Since I know both of their races, I need topensate for their strength and weaknesses and ensure they are not handicapped in order for them fight at full strength.


    I designed the ce to be filled with nothing but earth and grass for miles, I also made it dark out, making a false moon and dark clouds, a perfect replica of the night. Of course, I made enough lightings with the stars, so there should be no problem with visibility. This way, Shamac won''t be at a disadvantage, since he is only able to use his power well in the night.


    As for Talia, fairies are a race naturally blessed with Aspects, allowing them tomunicate with and coax the Aspects in their immediate surrounding. Mostly theymunicate with nature, that is, the earth. Putting these things into consideration, I designed the space they are in.


    "Whoah" Talia said in awe, looking around her.


    "One would think we''re actually in the real world" Shamac muttered.


    " It depends on what you actually consider to be real." I said, also appearing within ROOT myself.


    " I just realized this... If you''re here, does it mean there''s no one with the ring currently? How are we supposed to get out then?" Talia said, looking worried.


    "Rx. This is merely a projection of myself. My physical body is still with the ring." I said.


    "O-Oh..." Talia said with an awkwardugh.


    I smiled at her sheepishness, looking at both Shamac and her.


    "As I was saying... This is a ''real'' world as well. It is a world within a vast pocket dimension. This means what generally applies in the world you know is present here. The concept of pain, exhaustion... Even Aspects... Everything has been perfectly mimicked. That said, I don''t want you to hold back. In the case of any severe injury I am here, so knock yourselves out." I said to the both of them.


    They both nodded, having a look of resolve on their faces.


    While they are both trying their hardest to hide it, I know the both of them feel threatened by the presence of each other. Talia feels Shamac will be my new favorite, since he seems more useful, powerful and subservient. Shamac, while initially didn''t seem to really care for Talia, has recently also started feeling threatened by her. Due the vast amount of power she gained yesterday, she may be more of a valuable asset than him.


    How funny.


    While I said this is abat session for them to show me their abilities, I know it has a different meaning to them. This is apetition, and the result of this battle will decide who the more useful ve is. Well, this works to my benefit anyway. This means they won''t hold back.


    Time for some entertainment.


    [The Present]


    Shamac materialized his shadow, causing it to rise. The ckness hardened and turned into sharp and spiky extensions. Heunched the sharp edges at Talia, who quickly dodged them. She backflipped, dodging the barrages of attacks that came her way.


    I''m surprised. I didn''t know she was this agile.


    "How about this then?" Shamac said.


    He increased the numbers of the sharp edges, sending them in all directions of Talia, cornering her. She saw the shadows approach her in a swift manner. Left, right, forward, behind. They wereing from all directions.


    "No you don''t" She said.


    Suddenly, the ground quaked. The earth moved, defending her from all sides. The shadows collided with the hard earth, causing it to shatter. However, this gave her enough leeway to avoid the shadow attacks.


    Shamac looked taken aback by the sudden development, but quickly regained hisposure.


    "So, you can control earth" He said to her.


    "That''s not all I can do" She said, raising her right hand which glowed green.


    Suddenly, nts sprouted from the ground, forming tentacle like leaves. They surrounded her, dancing around her in a coordinated fashion. This way, it looked simr to Shamac''s shadows.


    "I''ll be able to handle those troublesome shadows with this" She said.


    "You think those can defend you?" Shamac said, slightly irritated.


    Topare his shadows to some overgrown nts... How insulting.


    Heunched his shadows once again to her direction. However, immediately they got close enough, the tall vines around Talia parried them, countering the force of the shadows with their own.


    "W-Wha...?" Shamac looked surprise.


    "Did you really think they were normal nts?" Talia smiled triumphantly.


    "I''ve coated them with my Aspect, making them as strong as steel. They are also able to immediately sense danger and react to it. None of your attacks will reach me" She said.


    Shamac gritted his teeth. If what Talia said was true... It means her vines are perfect counters to his shadows. He refused to ept that.


    Launching more of his ded shadows at her, he sent them flying at even higher speed than usual. However, each of them were dealt with by Talia''s enhanced nts. The nts and shadows pped at each other, attacking and defending together. They both seemed to be equally matched, however, as they attacked themselves, Shamac found himself at the disadvantage.


    "My nts are more than your shadows" Talia dered.


    Sheunched some of her nt whips at Shamac, who was defenseless, thanks to sending his shadows after her. His eyes widened as he quickly recalled his shadow back to himself. He barely made it in time, as the shadows immediately parried the attacks of the nts, causing them to withdraw back to Talia.


    "Tch, almost got you there" Talia said in disappointment.


    "I see..." Shamac said, with a dark undertone.


    "Looks like I need to take you more seriously." He added.


    "Form: Spider" He muttered.


    Immediately, his shadows hardened and curved, producing sharp ends. He brought out 8 of the shadow limbs and red at Talia.


    "Let''s try this again, shall we?" He said.


    Launching the crooked and pointed shadows to Talia, he had a wide grin on his face. Once again, Taliaunched her nts to counter the shadows. However, as they made contact, her nts got battered, causing them to get destroyed.


    "What?" Talia let out in surprise.


    The shadows still approached Talia at high speed. Topensate, Talia quickly brought out more vines to stop the shadows. The nts rushed the shadows, but the result was the same. They got ripped apart, no match for the shadows.


    "H-How?" She panicked.


    She hurriedly dashed back, creating more distance between her and Shamac. The spider limbs chased after her, but she relentlessly dodged them. The impact they made on the ground, and the destruction they caused around her was immense.


    "W-What are those things made of?" She thought within herself.


    As she created more distance, the shadows stopped abruptly, unable to reach her.


    "Tch" Shamac let out.


    The drawback from using Form: Spider is distance. While it is incredibly denser and more powerful, its range isn''t as far as his regr shadows and other forms.


    "Return" He called them back.


    Talia breathed heavily, sweat dripping from her face. If not that the shadows stopped unexpectedly, she would have been hit. And judging from the density of the shadows, able to destroy even her nts which were as hard as steel... She had to avoid them at all cost.


    So far, her entire body functions are enhanced by the Aspect essence she absorbed. Though most of the essence have been sealed off, since she can''t handle it, she is still able to draw out more power from within the pool within her. Thanks to the cocoon''s effects, she has 8 seals within her, due to the 8 extra wings essence within her, which limits her powers and allow her to moderately use them.


    However, its clear that her base form won''t be able to beat Shamac. In that case...


    "I should be able to handle the power of one more wing" She said to herself.


    "1st Seal break"


    Immediately, a massive surge of energy built up within her, generating a bright light and pressure that wasn''t present before. Shamac covered his eyes in order not to be blinded by the brightness, and raised his shadow as a defense against the surge of energy which Talia released.


    After a moment, the light dimmed, causing Shamac to look to the direction of Talia in order to resume his fight. However, what he saw made him shocked beyond words.


    "Y-You..." His mouth opened in surprise.


    Her fairy wings pped slowly, as she flew, raised above the earth. Her brightly colored white wings glowed in radiance as she smiled, looking down to see Shamac.


    "Ah, I''ve missed this view... Everything below me... Even you, Shamac" She said to him as she watched him from her elevated position.


    He couldn''t reply her, but he had a frown on his face. His shadows won''t reach her from her newfound position and mobility.


    "Looks like I can handle this much after all" She said to herself with a relieved look.


    She then turned to Shamac, who looked above him with a re on his face.


    "Let''s finish this" She smiled, regaining confidence.


    After so long, she finally regains her ability to fly... Of course she would be excited.


    "I''ll test my newly acquired powers on you" She dered


    From where I sat and watched, I smiled at the sight before me.. Looks like the fight is just beginning.

 Chapter 37 - Talia Vs Shamac

    The wingless fairy finally obtains her wings, along with an explosive amount of power.


    The Hybrid is in his natural domain, the night. Holding the initial advantage, he seems to now be the one cornered. A sudden turn of events.


    "How interesting" I smiled.


    "So you grew a pair of wings... So what?" Shamac retorted


    "That''s no guarantee you can win against m-"


    Before he couldplete his sentence, his eyes widened as he sensed something approaching his domain. Before he could react, a vine whip charged by him, shing a portion of his cheek.


    "Tch, looks like I missed." Talia muttered to herself.


    Shamac''s face was filled with shock.


    "My shadows... Couldn''t even react on time... Just how fast...?" Shamac''s thoughts rang.


    "It seems I can''t afford to mess around anymore. I''ll be going all out now!" He said seriously.


    "I wouldn''t have it any other way!" Talia said excitedly.


    "I said that but... It looks like since this is my first time with this power, I''ll only be able to maintain it for about 10 minutes before the dam shuts again. I better finish this quickly!" She thought within herself.


    Her eyes glowed brightly, causing the vines around her to glow bright white. She flicked her hands a bit, manipting the movements of the vines. They all shot up, ready to strike their target.


    "Bigger. Faster. Tougher." She said, her eyes glowing brighter.


    Immediately responding to her words, the nts grewrger in size and their green colors changed to a silver light color, like metal. Their ded edges and intimidating size made Shamac''s shadows seemed diminished. However... It wasn''t as though Shamac was done for just yet.


    "Form: Anaconda" He whispered.


    His shadows immediately bursted forth in a muchrger size than before. With a slithery form and a veryrge body, it was evenrger than Talia''s vines. However, unlike the previous form... It was only a single shadow.


    "You have a bigger shadow construct, however... I win in the matter of numbers!" Taliamented.


    "Ever heard of the term ''Quality over Quantity''?" Shamac responded.


    Talia waved her hand,manding her fortified and overgrown nts to attack Shamac. Their speed was outrageous, closing the distance between them and him with a second. Their sharp edges and pointed end aimed at all points in his body, leaving no room for escape. Simultaneously, they went for the kill. However...


    The shadow construct of Shamac slithered and rolled around shim, protecting him from the multiple assault of the vines. Due to the shadow''s bulk and thick build, the vines were unable to prate the dense mass of the shadow.


    "Form: Porcupine" He quickly said.


    Immediately, the shadow brought forth spikes out of the mass protecting him. However, their strength was not able to ovee the durability and toughness of the upgraded nts. The spikes merely prodded at the silver ted nts and caused no noticeable damage.


    The vines continued attacking his shadow, aiming to break through to him. Of course he had some spaces opened within his shadow. He still needed air, and in order for him to still have sights on Talia and observe what the situation outside, he required visibility. Since the vines had been amped up, they weren''t small enough to prate the little spaces he had left open.


    "Tch" He let out in frustration.


    "That all you got? Then..." Talia said, from her safe distance.


    She brought forth her hand and began to condense some form of light on her palm.


    "Shit! Don''t tell me..." Shamac said in surprise.


    "I am in a major disadvantage. [Anaconda] is currently protecting from from the non-stop barrage of these annoying vines. My shadow doesn''t have infinite durability and it is only matter of time before they are breached." He thought within himself.


    "She is keeping a safe distance, so I can''t reach her unless I use a far reaching form of my shadow. But that will weaken my defense. Her attack speed is too fast, so I need my shadows close by at all times. How annoying" He added.


    The lights condensed more, forming a bright ball of white essence on her hand. It kept growingrger, and proportionally more dangerous.


    "And then there''s that! The biggest problem so far. My attribute is weak against light. How is she able to manipte light based essence so fast? Isn''t this just unfair? This is a terrible matchup!" Heined.


    However, the thought struck him.


    "No, no... Think straight Shamac. You''re panicking." He calmed himself down.


    <BANG>


    The anaconda form shadow sounded, indicating the durability was already reaching its limit.


    "Think... Think..." He closed his eyes intensely to concentrate.


    <CRACK>


    The shadow began to slowly chip away and break part.


    Suddenly he opened his eyes and his eyes shone with an idea.


    "T-That''s it! I see, so that''s how it is!" He said in realization.


    Suddenly tremors filled the entire ce Shamac stayed in, meaning his time of hiding was up.


    "It takes too long to prepare, but since I had so much time on my hands while you were busy ying ''hide''... Here''s a present for you" Talia smiled and dered.


    The brilliant ball of light, now as big as an adult male''s head floated above her palm as she readied herself tounch it.


    "Your shadows won''t do you any good in blocking this anyway, so you might as well give up now" She said.


    He didn''t respond, but tightened the shadow even further, leaving no room at all, no matter how little.


    "Fine, have it your way" she sighed.


    She immediately, without hesitation,unched the light ball at Shamac. Light travels at 299,792,458 meters per second. In that vein, the time it took for her attack to reach Shamac was beyond any of their perceptive or cognitive processes.


    Before even Talia could react further, her attack reached the already battered shadow defense of Shamac. The light explodes, causing a blinding hot radiation which disintegrated the shadow, rendering any defense it made entirely pointless. The darkness faded away, and smoke covered the scene.


    Hisses and seething sounds generated from the hot light explosion, and the charred ground glowed amber from the impact.


    Talia, after recoiling from the impact herself, finally regained bnce in her flight.


    "Whoah, what was that? I didn''t expect it to be so powerful!" She eximed.


    "I couldn''t even react to the st till it was toote" She added.


    She stared at the charred ground and the smokey area of impact she caused, and even she grew a bit nervous about the power she unleashed. Even her vines which were in the area suffered considerable damage, having burn marks and iplete structures.


    "He''s still alive down there... Right?" She asked herself.


    She flew closer to the site and observed it closely. She gazed as hard as she could but...


    "There''s no sign of him... Don''t tell me, did I overdo it?" She thought in panic.


    She looked toward my direction and I merely smiled, not giving her any expression other than that.


    "Looks like Hexarion isn''t angry. That means It''s all good. He''ll most likely use Hex to revive him... Or maybe there''s an item that can help with reconstructing him." She muttered.


    As she was busy contemting on what her next course of action should be, after all she won the fight, she didn''t expect what came next.


    <Splurge>


    Talia''s eyes widened and her facial expression changed from that of panicked victory to shock and surprise.


    "Y-You..." She muttered, blood suddenly flowing from her mouth.


    Her stomach had been pierced by the hands of an unexpected assaulter.. Shamac himself. He suddenly appeared from behind her and drove his hand through her with such speed that she didn''t notice until her body was prated.


    Blood dripped from her bloodied dress, and still attached to her body were the cause of her injury... ws.


    "Celebrating so soon?" Shamac smirked as he smiled from behind her.


    "H-How?!" She let out in pain.


    "I... I was sure I..." She groaned.


    "Oh, that. Indeed you had me at a tight spot back there. But you seem to forget Talia..." He said slowly.


    His other hand quickly morphed into arge drill, readying himself to pierce her again.


    "... I''m not just a Shadowmancer.... I''m a Shapeshifter as well" He smiled wickedly, thrusting his hands and lunging for her head.

 Chapter 38 - Decisive End

    "This is the end of the line for you!" Shamac dered, lunging his drill hand toward her, aiming for her head.


    Herst attack could have killed him, so it is only fair he returned the favor.


    While he was still within his shadowining about the unfairness of the fight, a sudden thought popped into his head. His master, Hexarion made the match so bnced out that both of them could fight at full power. Hexarion must have known Talia would be capable of such feats, which meant the sudden development battle was within expectation. Since this was the case... He also had something he could use to bnce things out. After realizing this, it didn''t take him too long to figure the rest out.


    "Partial Shapeshifting" He smiled.


    By manipting his own Aspects, he is able to transform a part of his body, rather than a whole. Not only is the process much fasterpared to full transformation, it is more efficient and saves energy. The final and most most beneficial feature of this partial transformation... Is that he can shapeshift into many things at the same time.


    "I''m sure she''s shocked as to how I survived that light explosion. Well, I didn''t. That''s because I wasn''t in it in the first ce" He thought within himself.


    Before she finished preparing her light attack, he had covered his entire area with his shadow. Talia misinterpreted this as him strengthening his defense, however she was wrong. He didn''t want Talia to see what was urring within the dark confines of his trapped space. He shapeshifted into a mole-monster and quickly dug his way away from his position. By the time Talia''s attack wasunched he was barely outside the area of effect. Fortunately, he wasn''t hit.


    Thanks to the smoke andmotion her attacks caused, he blended with everything, transforming into no more than a bug. It helped matters that Talia decide to draw closer to the area he was hiding. Using her panicked state and confused status at that moment, he quickly flew to her back and transformed back. Since this happened so fast, and she wasn''t even paying attention to her surroundings, he was able to drive his w into her, leading them to the present.


    His w was lodged deep within her body, causing her immense pain and restricting her movements, and his drill was about to finish her off. The perfect strike. However...


    "Arhhhhhhh" Talia screamed.


    Suddenly, her wings began to glow brightly. The radiance blinded Shamac, causing him to cease his attack on her. As soon as the stun of the light wore off on him, he hurriedlyunched his drill to finish the job, however, at this point he was already surrounded by many amped vines, curtesy of Talia. They lunged at him at great speeds, and though he had Talia in his grasp, literally, they were going to reach him before he reached her.


    "Tch" Shamac groaned.


    He immediately transformed into a gnat, dodging the barrage of vines which relentlessly charged at him. Due to his new change in size, the nts missed him. However, the pressure of their attacks alone sent Shamac flying back, due to his small constitution.


    "Damnit" Shamac muttered.


    Talia had sessfully generated some distance between the both of them again. Was he back to square one again?


    "That was a close one. I won''t be letting my guard down like that again" She said to him, as she touched the bloody wound he inflicted on her.


    Slowly, light particles danced around it and the wound healed within moments. Shamac''s jaw dropped at the sight of this.


    "For real? Isn''t this just cheating?" He wailed in his little insect form.


    She snickered at him andughed heartily.


    "Now then, let''s resume. This time we''ll have a decisive battle. So prepare yourself!" She said.


    Talia knew her time was running out. Thanks to the use of the light explosion and then the healing of her body, she had expended more power than she originally nned. She couldn''t have foreseen the possibility that he could have somehow escaped the st. With less than 3 minutes left in her powered up form... She was desperate.


    "I need to bring this to a close... Quickly!" She resolved.


    "I agree" Shamac said.


    "In that case... I''ll show you what I''ve been saving up. With this... I''ll win!."


    "Form: Armor" He dered.


    Immediately, his shadows covered his body, as though as he was wearing a dark garment. The darkness merges with his whole body, leaving no ce uncovered. From the darkness of his shadow, his eyes glowed purple. A smoky aura emanated from the shadow and even Talia could tell that this form was dangerous.


    I watched this happen and to be honest, I''m impressed he came up with that. Talia has proven she won''t be caught by his shadow extensions, and with her wings, she has better mobility. She can also attack from a safe distance, and of given enough time she is still able to produce one more of the light st that will be fatal to Shamac.


    Using this new form, Shamac has ensured greater mobility, offence and defense for himself. Since he usually stays within a spot and it is difficult for him to move properly when controlling his shadows, he is at a disadvantage when fighting Talia who can overwhelm him with numbers. She also has the attribute he is weakest against, light. Knowing this, the best approach to make is to make the battle a close ranged one. Talia isn''t too impressive in a close range battle. She can be clumsy, and her personal offensive ability is low.


    Shamac understands this and so bybining his shadow with his body, he aims to close the distance between himself and Talia. If he seeds, it is his win. If Talia stops him before he reaches her, it is her win.


    "Let''s see what it will be" I muttered.


    Shamac took his stance and readied himself. His entire capabilities were heightened by his shadows. Plus, he still had his shapeshifting abilities, he wasn''t going to lose.


    "Here Ie" He whispered under his breath.


    Talia scowled at Shamac''s new form. Overall she had the advantage, she had more power, more resources at her disposal. Yet...


    "What''s this ufortable feeling I''m having? I won''t lose! I can''t lose" She said, raising two of her hands to attack.


    Raising more of her nts from the ground and powering them up, sheunched them at Shamac.


    In his dark shadow armor, he dashed with great speed. With nimbleness and peerless agility, he dodged the first wave of vines, climbing their surface to gain higher ground. The othersunched at him from all directions, ensuring he had no way of escape.


    "Don''t think I can''t attack too!" Shamac dered.


    Bringing out des from within his shadow armor on both hands, he used them to sh at the vines, cutting them instantly. Talia''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "He... cut them?" She stuttered.


    "This armor is even denser than my previous constructs. The des are sharper than Spider, the defense is greater than Anaconda... And the speed is higher than Whip." Shamac said.


    "The smaller I make my shadow, the higher the quality. With the shadows only having to cover my body... They are currently at their peak!"


    Cutting off more vines that attacked, he dashed even further to Talia, who was already in a panic.


    "2 minutes more" The thought rang within her.


    "Damnit damnit!" Sheunched more nts at her.


    "I''ll just overwhelm you with their numbers!"


    Shamac smiled within his armor. True, if the number of vines were too much, even with his armor he wouldn''t be able to cut them all. However...


    "The numbers and powers of your attacks are meaningless if they can''t hit me!" He said.


    He was just going to avoid them all, only cutting down those which stood in his way. He was running out of time too.


    "I can''t maintain this forever, you know?" He muttered.


    In a race against time they shed with all they had. Shamac used the vines she sent as a tform to reach even higher until he got to her domain, the air. Before Talia knew it, Shamac was already a few steps away from her. Realizing the distance was to her disadvantage, she began to fly away from her position to create more distance from him, while still maintaining sight of him.


    "If I just remove the vines..." Talia said, deactivating her vines so he couldn''t reach her anymore.


    Having no more tforms to climb on, Shamac lost his footing and began to fall, along with her vines.


    "Ha! It''s my win! Now, eat this" She said, preparing her final attack, another light ball.


    Shamac smirked.


    "So you fell for it... How funny." He muttered.


    "Like I told you before... You seem to forget, I''m a Shapeshifter."


    Suddenly, wings grew from behind him, and his shadows covered them as well, increasing their power. He suddenly boosted himself from his position, rising higher into the sky to reach Talia.


    "Shit, it''s not ready!" Talia said.


    "Raaaaahhhh" Shamac yelled as he stretched forth his hands toward her.


    She stopped hesitating and decided to fire the light ball on her hand that way. There was no longer any time left. Shamac wasn''t expecting this. Even a ball of that side would send him back down and since it would just ignore the defense of his armor, it would damage him greatly.


    "Almost there!" He desperately said, trying to reach her before sheunched it.


    However, he was toote. Her hands, directly in front of him, had the light ball readied forunch.


    "Die!!!!" Talia yelled.


    Suddenly, the light dissipated, and Talia''s wings disappeared.


    "Wha...?" Talia said in surprise.


    Her time was up.


    With the light gone and her overwhelming power sealed away, Shamac rose even further unrestrained. Retracting his des and giving her an old fashioned punch in her stomach she coughed hard with saliva.


    "Gahhh" She let out.


    However, Shamac wasn''t done yet. Heunched more fist attacks on her until she could no longer resist any longer. Then, stretching his hands, he reached for her legs,


    "Haaaaaaaa" Shamac said, grabbing her legs.


    "P-Please don''t..." She begged.


    Shamac didn''t pay her any heed. He backflipped and flung her straight to the ground with as much power as he could.


    "Kyaaaaa" She screamed as she was sent flying to the ground.


    "Serves you right... Bitch" He said with a wheeze.


    Suddenly a massive surge of pain enveloped his entire body. The searing agony spread throughout every part in an electrifying way.


    "Shit, it''s happening already?" He groaned.


    "The aftereffect is... Urgh"


    He lost consciousness as a result of the pain and exhaustion.


    His shadows faded away and he lost control of his body. Paralyzed throughout his entire body, also dived into the ground. Of course Talia crashed down first, followed by him. The both of them crashed to the ground and lost consciousness immediately, having severe injuries from the fall, Talia''s worse of all.


    I slowly flew to the scene of the fall and saw the two unconscious ves. I smiled.


    "Great fight" I stated.


    This fight ended just the way I expected. No victor, no loser.


    "As I thought... You both have your different uses, but you''re useful in the end" I said.


    When these two wake, we''ll begin things properly.. The countdown for destruction starts now.

 Chapter 39 - Commencement Of The Game

    "Wake up already sleepy heads" I said.


    The two ves groaned and mumbled loudly. Slowly, they stirred themselves back to full consciousness. They looked around themselves and found out they weren''t at the same location anymore. They noticed their wounds were still present and their attires still had their ruined form.


    I''m sure they are surprised I didn''t heal them or fix their clothes. But why should they be? I''m their master, not the other way around. Plus, I already decided not to use Hex for a while, though there are still items I can use. There''s also the final reason... Well, let''s hear what they have to say.


    "We are...?" Talia asked, looking around the unfamiliar room.


    So they won''t address the matter of their current state, eh? Smart ones.


    Shamac also had a strange expression on his face, but he refused to speak about the room. He was more interested in another matter.


    "Master, what happened... Who won?" He asked me.


    Talia heard this and her face immediately changed and clouded over. It must due to the fact that she failed, despite her power up.


    "We are currently at the apartment of one of my friends." I said to them, answering their Talia''s question.


    They both looked surprised. They must be surprised due to my choice of words. Well, that much is expected.


    "As for who won... No one did"


    The both of them made surprised expressions.


    "No one? But that means...." Talia said.


    "Yes. The both of you passed out before a winner could be decided." I said.


    Talia heaved a sigh of relief when she heard this. Shamac looked disappointed at himself. It must be frustrating. After all the effort he put, yet he couldn''t beat her.


    "However, I have to admit. Based on the events of the battle, If I am to decide upon the winner based on performance, I''ll pick Shamac."


    Talia''s eyes widened when she heard this.


    "B-But why? He clearly struggled when fighting me. If not that I ran out of time... I would''ve..." She protested.


    "Excuses" I cut her short.


    She shut herself up when I spoke.


    "In terms of power and overall advantage you, Talia, were superior. However, Shamac''s skill and good use of what he had was vastly iparable to yours. If you had been more earnest, perhaps the fight would have turned out differently. You weren''t prudent and cautious, since you were more powerful. You recklessly used your essence, shortening your time even more. Your attackscked efficiency and you had no proper defense" I said to her.


    She looked sober when I mentioned these.


    "If not for the drawbacks of Shamac''s form, he would have won. Yet do you see him protesting over the stalemate? That alone proves him to be the winner" I added.


    Shamac remained expressionless, however he also had something to say.


    "You shower me with undeserved praises master" He said.


    "Of course. It''s good you know" I said.


    "It took you too long for you to realize the other advantage you had and for you to utilize your Shapeshifter abilities. Though I already observed you can''t properly use the two of your variant abilities simultaneously, but you''ll need to work on that. Combining those two efficiently will be your greatest weapon in the battles toe" I said.


    "I understand. Thank you for your reproof master" He said earnestly.


    I can''t say I''m displeased with that.


    "Now that we have that out of the way, there''s something I need to tell you" I addressed them both.


    They both had expectant looks on their faces and expected the words I have to say. Well, it''s going to happen anyway, might as well just have it out of the way.


    "By this time tomorrow... I''ll be in control of this entire town" I told them.


    "W-Wha... How is that possible?" Talia let out in surprise.


    "M-Master, are you serious?" Shamac asked.


    "Yes, of course." I said.


    "Then master... What do you need us to do?" Shamac asked earnestly and excitedly.


    Talia also nodded her head with him in agreement and looked at me expectantly. Stupid girl, and yet she was asking me how possible it is for me to control a measly town? Even Shamac has a better perception of my person and capabilities than her at this point, and she has been with me the longest.


    He knows very well what I''m capable of, at least in the little capacity of his knowledge. As much as I would like it for them to be by my side when it happens... They will serve more useful purposes.


    "The both of you... Will be captured and tortured by my friend, until finally I obtain you back by some miracle tomorrow." I said to them.


    "Wha-?" Talia asked in confusion.


    "Look around. I said this is the ce of my friend didn''t I? Well that is ording to the narrative." I smiled.


    "Narrative? Master I don''t under-"


    Before Shamac couldplete his sentence, I drove my fist deep into his gut, forcing him into unconsciousness. He gagged and fell down immediately.


    "Hexarion, what''s going on? What are you...?" Talia protested, a bit scared from the tone of her voice.


    I used my hand to grab her by her throat and raised her up.


    She used her hands to hold my hand and had a scared and shocked look on her face as she choked. Tears formed around her eyes and saliva was falling from her mouth as she was slowly losing oxygen and couldn''t breathe.


    "I know this makes no sense to you, but that doesn''t matter to me. Exining will be a waste of time anyway. Just do what you always do Talia... Be pathetic" I smiled.


    She lost consciousness too, as her hands dropped and her face fell. I released my hand and her body fell to the ground. Her head hit the floor and caused a bit of a loud noise. Well, she''ll be fine. Fairies have sturdy skulls after all, and for Talia I''m sure they are extra hard.


    I walked away from them and opened a portal in front of myself. The purple rip in space warbled in front of me and I slowly entered. I looked back at the two of them and smiled before entering the portal and disappearing from the room.


    "Let the games begin"

 Chapter 40 - A Dark Place

    [IN AN UNKNOWN LOCATION]


    "So, Is it ready?" A man asked as he puffed out smoke from his mouth while holding his cigarette with the tip of his fingers.


    The man was seated on a veryfortable couch, with a ss of wine on a table beside him, as well as a te which he used to dust off the ash already forming as his cigar burned. He was wearing a regal attire, with gold rings on each finger and had blonde hair and beard. He had a hard look, with a very expensive looking walking cane beside him.


    In front of him was a woman, the one he was talking to. She wore sses and had a stern and serious expression on her face. She wore a suit and had an opened book with her. As his secretary, she was required to do this much.


    "Yes sir. It turns out we''ve somehow mysteriously gotten someone who ims he has the coins we require." The other man said.


    "Oh? How many does he have in stock?" The man asked.


    "He ims they will be enough to entirely supply the amount we require. He didn''t say any more." She said.


    "We require a million coins, you know? How can a single person have that much? What a joke." The man said with irritation.


    He despised when others wasted his time or took his words for granted.


    "But sir, the source of this information is legitimate. And thepany he represents, the ones who are in possession of the coins we need, are very reputable."


    "The name" He asked.


    "He goes by the name Julius Bodenheim, from the Imperius Auction House." She said.


    The man''s face slowly changed to surprise.


    "Oh? Then the information must be credible. However, isn''t this surprising... How did they get their hands on Ancient coins so quickly?" He said, half talking to himself.


    "Well sir, our people did some investigating and we interrogated those who frequent the Auction House, as well as bribed some of the workers there. After extensive research and investigation, a certain matter seems consistent." She said.


    "What did they find out?" He narrowed his brows and dropped his cigarette.


    "Prior to Imperius''s acquisition of the Ancient coins, and before Mr Julius made it known to us, a certain man attempted to pay a very huge amount of Ancient coins to the receptionist at the counter." She said.


    "W-What?" The man asked, surprised at the absurdity.


    "Yes sir. As bizarre as this might seem, those who we interrogated and bribed and were eyewitnesses, corroborated with the story. It seems to be true. However, they weren''t able to see or know much further since the strange man was taken within Imperius and concluded his transfer within the confines of one of their secret rooms" She answered.


    "This is indeed absurd. What is the rough estimate of the coins he wanted to pay?" He asked, picking up his wine ss and sipping from it.


    "They weren''t certain, but from most of their reports, we have calcted the money to be at least 10 to 20 million Ancient coins" She said, still maintaining a straight face.


    The surprise from hearing that huge amount caused him to spit out the wine he had swallowed, some of which poured on the cloth of his secretary. She didn''t pay it any heed though, and kept facing the man she reported to.


    "That is... Impossible!" He said, his hands shaking as he tightly gripped his wine ss.


    "There is no way we can be certain of this information, however, at this point it is certain that Imperius has Ancient coins in stock, and not just a small amount." She said.


    "True. No wonder that bastard Julius was so confident he could supply me the coins I require." He muttered.


    This was an unexpected development to him, something he could never have foreseen. A single man paying so openly with Ancient coins? And with such great an amount in the first ce. Is he stupid?


    "With that much money Imperius will be thergestpany in the entire Western Kingdom, and even one of thergest in the internationalmunity... But isn''t it strange?" The man said.


    "What would you mean by that sir?" The woman asked.


    "They haven''t made their possession of Ancient coins known, neither have they publicly announced the amount or registered it in ordance to the Royal decree. Something feels off." He said.


    The woman paused, slowly thinking upon his words before she finally spoke.


    "True. We were only directly reached to by the man Julius, but not in thepany''s capacity. It seems they do not have the intention of making this known anytime soon. The Royal decree imposes a 10 percent levy on the possession of such coins. A huge amount such as that would be a very great deal to any organization." She said.


    "No. Imperius Auction House has deep ties to the Royal and Noble faction. They have more to gain than lose, even with the levy imposed on them" He reasoned.


    "Then..." She said hesitantly.


    "It must be that man, Julius Bodenheim. He must be the one who directly obtained possession of the coins. Most likely, the Higher ups of the Auction House don''t know of their existence yet. He also most likely shut the mouths of the ones who know of its existence with some money or threats." He added.


    "You mean..."


    "Yes. Currently, our dear Julius Bodenheim is hoarding the coins for himself and selling them in the ck market, which has even higher prices than the normal market prices. Also, he has no need to pay levies to the Royal family since he keeps it under the radar. A profitable venture if I do say so myself." He said, impressed by the man he has not even met.


    "But wouldn''t that be reckless? What if he is found out? He has such a big name attached to him after all." She asked curiously.


    The manughed when he heard her question.


    "It seems you know nothing about business and dealings when ites to the ck market. Under here, we all operate on illegality. No one is able to implicate the other due to the illegal nature of both buyer and seller. In that same vein, even we can not do much against his business in the underworld since we also require and acquire our goods through illegal means." He exined.


    "So, what you mean to say is... Our hands are tied on the matter. Should we proceed with the purchase of the coins we require?" She asked.


    The manughed even further after hearing this.


    "Oh no. Far from it!" He said, still chuckling.


    "As one of the overlords of the underground ck market, I can''t say I hate smart guys like him. But..."


    Suddenly his face grew grim and deathly serious. A cold expression appeared that even sent shivers down the spine of the secretary.


    "... You see, our young chap made a fatal error in judgement. He was wrong to assume that in the ck market, he could refuse to pay any levy to whom it is due. For the surface, one pays their dues to the Royal family. It is only natural for Royalty to exist also in the underworld of trade. However, he jumped the gun and began to sell without our blessings yet" He said.


    "S-Sir, what should we do about it?" She asked, her brows furrowing as she also had a more serious countenance.


    "We''ll have to nip him in the bud... And then we''ll have our prize"


    He smiled evily.

 Chapter 41 - Foreboding

    [IMPERIAL KNIGHTS STATION]


    With very high fortifications and walls, the structure stood tall and grand. Knights appeared at every corner. Some were on duty, while some just ran errands or interacted with one another. They all had armor, though with different colors and appeared vignt, as they were trained.


    A mysterious looking woman walked past the armed men who stood guard and even those who conversed. She wore a white hooded robe which covered her face and a long, white gown which covered her entire body. She smiled as she passed by the Imperial Knights, however, none even noticed her. As though she was invincible, she slowly walked to her destination... The head office in the entire structure.


    Within the inner walls, in the office of the Commander in charge of the station, a heated meeting was being held, between the Commander and two of his subordinates.


    "So, where have your investigations gotten you to?" The Commander asked the two Imperial Knights who stood in front of hisrge chair and office table.


    He wore a gold ted armor, with a dragon design on it and various inscriptions were written on it. Around the room were many medals and prizes of glory tomemorate his achievements. The room was painted white and illuminated with light crystals, a very prestigious ce fit for a man of his caliber.


    "We have some clues, but nothing definite sir" One of the Imperial Knights responded.


    "What" He bellowed.


    "How can you say you do not have any concrete result in your investigation on the cause of the incident behind the insanity of His Royal Majesty''s cousin? You have no idea who and where the perpetrator is? You have no idea where and how to find him? What have you been using this past week for?" He growled angrily.


    "S-Sir, everything is just too inconclusive and bizarre. In the first ce it is unnatural for anyone to break into the house of a high Nobleman and ughter the people within the household. It is even highly irregr for such a person to break through the Noble''s barrier and even defeat an Imperial Knight in possession of a Relic. There are just too many unknown variables." One of the Imperial Knights said.


    "We weren''t even able to figure out and track his movements. It seemed as though he suddenly appeared out of thin air and disappeared in like manner." The other one said.


    "What about the cause of Duke Northenheim''s insanity. That is a clue, no?" He demanded.


    "W-Well, sir... The truth is we have found no identifiable cause of his current state. We initially thought it was as a result of an Art, however all our Hex experts do not recognize the condition to be an effect of it. As for Grace, we are currently at peace with the Apostles, so it is highly unlikely they would cause such an ailment to befall the Duke in the first ce" They answered.


    "No, in the first ce the massacre of so many isn''t the style of the Apostles. The ideals of those goody-two-shoes and their professed righteous faith won''t allow them tomit such an act..." The Commander said.


    "Oh? Goody-two-shoes you say?" A voice suddenly rang.


    The Commander and the two Imperial Knights shook with surprise and looked around them, but couldn''t find anyone. Immediately, they drew their swords and were on guard, looking around them for any sign of an intruder.


    "Swords? How foolish" The voice sounded.


    Immediately the sword turned transparent and incorporeal, vanishing before long.


    "What...?! How is this..?" One of the Imperial Knights said.


    "That power... Is it...?!" The Commander said, suddenly realizing the intruder''s identity.


    Suddenly, a woman materialized right beside the Commander and used held his own sword which faded away a few moments ago.


    Her hood was down now, making her face show clearly. She had grey colored hair and brilliant clear eyes. Her eyes were white and she had a clear and smooth pale skin.


    "Please, by all means... Continue your conversation" She smiled, cing the sword as close to his neck as possible, his life in her hands.


    "O-Of course I didn''t mean it that way... The great gods are indeed the righteous ones. Forgive my blunder, o Apostle" The Commander said nervously.


    The woman smiled at the mildly trembling Commander and withdrew the sword from him.


    "How fake. It''s so clear you lot are merely heathens who know nothing about the righteous ones in the heavens" She sighed, returning the sword back to the Commander.


    "I really do not know why the Prophet puts up with you imbeciles"


    The other two Imperial Knights shook in their boots at the sight of the Apostle before them.


    Imperial Knights of high ranks all know of the existence and power of Apostles, beings who transcend the power of normal men. With the blessing of the gods, they are invincible against the power of men. They also possess Relics of high caliber, making them even more formidable.


    The fact that their Commander was quaking in his boots was enough proof of the power of the Apostle before them.


    She proceeded to seat in the Commander''s chair, then gazed daringly at the man who merely looked away ufortably.


    "Tch, crazy bitch" He thought within himself.


    "What can we help you with, o chosen one of god" he asked her, moving himself to where his own subordinates stood, facing her as a superior.


    "There has been an unfortunate incident that has ured. One of the Apostles has been killed" She said, crossing her legs and looking stern.


    They all widened their eyes in shock. An Apostle? Killed? Impossible... Who would dare!


    "We have no knowledge of this whatsoever... In the first ce there''s no way we would be able to kill one of you..." The Commander said in defence.


    "I am well aware. Though she was an inexperienced and newly appointed Apostle, I''m sure none of you here could be capable of killing Flora" She said.


    "Well... Maybe with ''that'' you might have stood a fair chance, but then I''m certain none of you would dare anyway. You''re all spineless weaklings after all. As expected of heathens."


    The Commander restrained himself from responding to her words. One of the things he came to learn in his long service within the Imperial Army was that...


    "Apostles are always right"


    He swallowed his dissatisfaction and tried his hardest to maintain his courteous tone.


    "Then why have youe here...?'' He asked meekly.


    "There''s a high possibility that the killer of that Apostle is also the culprit behind your whole unresolved incident." She said.


    "R-Really?! How did you...?" The Commander asked in surprise.


    "Do notpare the capabilities of the chosen ones to that of you mediocre heathens. In any case, since you have an interest in the matter I will be requiring your assistance" She said.


    "Assistance? But what can we even do in this situation. If this person is even as powerful as an Apostle.. Compared to that, we..." The Commander protested.


    "Silence. You think I need to be reminded of your inculpabilities? However, even heathens like you have their uses" She said.


    The Commander fell silent and the Imperial Knights were too scared to even move.


    "Ready a small elite force. We move within the hour!" She dered.


    "So soon?" He asked in surprise.


    "Anyints?" She asked him, looking back with a threatening re.


    He swallowed his words and looked sober.


    "I didn''t think so. I''ll be back within the hour. Prepare yourselves soon... For we are headed to Artia, for battle!" She said.


    Immediately she vanished once again, leaving the awestricken Imperial Knights and the humiliated Commander.


    "You heard her!" The Commander barked at his subordinates, who quickly sprung back to life.


    "Gather the Terrible Trio... Tell them a direct order hase, and it''s time for battle.


    "That is their specialty after all" The Commander growled.


    The Imperial Knights excused themselves, leaving only the Commander in the room. For fear that the Apostle might still hear him, he didn''t say anything outwardly and only heaved a huge sigh.


    "Artia eh? I wonder.... What will happen to that town after that Apostle is done with it"

 Chapter 42 - [Bonus ] On The Move

    "We are all ready miss Apostle" The Commander said to the Apostle in front of him with his head bowed.


    Behind the Commander were two high ranking Imperial Knights. They also followed their leader''s lead and bowed their heads too.


    "I thought the Terribles were supposed to be three. Why are there only two here?" The Apostle said, noticing the number of the trio was notplete.


    "Well, the thing is..." The Commander said, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.


    "He was also done in by the perpetrator of the Duke incident. Knight Gwain, Rank 3 of the Terrible Trio." One of the bowing knights said, raising his head to address her question.


    "I see... How interesting. Looks like you must be really motivated to have revenge against your fellow knight''s death." She retorted.


    "Indeed,dy Apostle. The very thought that the culprit is still out there vexes me to no end" He said as a scary look appeared on his face.


    "Such unrighteous emotion is an abomination to an Apostle. However, for a heathen I suppose it will suffice. If it will enable you to discharge your duties properly then It will be tolerated." She said.


    "I thank youdy Apostle" He said.


    The Apostle turned and looked at the other surviving member of the Trio. She still kept her head bowed, even after the rest had lifted theirs. She wanted to address the matter, but chose to ignore it entirely. After all, she could tell why her face was hidden.


    "Such a filthy heathen. She reeks of bloodlust" The Apostle thought within herself and walked away from them.


    The Trio member had a contorted and ugly smile stered on her face as she bowed her face. her eyes widened and were bloodshot. Her breathing was uneven and her face depicted pure depravity.


    "I can''t wait... To kill some more... Big brother Gwain... I am going to kill some more!" She muttered underneath her breath.


    "Hehehehehehe" Her silentughs caused her entire body to tremble.


    She, however, restrained herself since she was in the presence of the Apostle. The urge to kill... She would finally satisfy it.


    "Ah, I can''t wait" She thought in depraved ecstasy.


    The Apostle saw the forces which had been gathered for their venture to Artia. The Commander and the Terribles. Along with ten other high ranked Imperial Knights which included his subordinates from earlier in the meeting he was having.


    "That makes their numbers 13"


    "That will suffice. I''ll be doing most of the work anyway" She sighed.


    "Ready yourself. We depart this very moment" She said to the Knights who stood rigid in attention.


    Some Imperial Knights were confused though.


    "How will we be able to reach the City of Artia from this distance? We haven''t had time to prepare for a long journey... Won''t we just drop dead before reaching there?" The knights mumbled among themselves.


    "Shh, be quiet. She''ll hear you" Another Knight cautioned.


    It was toote, however. The Apostle stared at him, hearing all he had said thanks to her high sensory capabilities.


    "As expected of filthy heathens. Have you no faith?" The Apostle said in disgust.


    The Imperial Knight froze as he met her gaze and trembled when he heard her voice.


    "I am so deeply sorry! Please forgive my impudence!" He cried out.


    She shook her head and sighed, turning away.


    "It is not in my ce to forgive your blunder. For it is not me you have dishonored, but the high ones. Your sins will be judged by the gods. I am merely the sword they use to enact their judgement." She said, walking a distance from him.


    She then turned and faced him. Her looks of seriousness and her re of disgust unnerved him. He couldn''t contain himself anymore.


    "Ah, screw it! I''ve had enough of this!" He said, unsheathing his sword.


    "Oh? It would appear that the filthy heathen wants to fight back" She said with even more hatred in her eyes.


    "You walk in here like you own the ce and talk down on everyone here. Even the Commander, you make him appear to be nothing before you. All because you just happened to be lucky and picked by the gods. Without their power what are you? Unlike you entitled brats in the Apostacy we worked hard and long to attain our level of power and status. Yet you look down on us like some cheap knockoffs" The man yelled.


    His body didn''t stop trembling, his lips quivered as he spoke, but his eyes... His eyes bore resolve in his words. If he was going to die anyway, he was going down with honor.


    "Myrades, fellow knights. Are we going to tolerate this woman and allow her to insult us and our Commander further. What of our pride as knights, no... As humans! Who are we? The sword of the Empire and the Shield of his Majesty. Will we bend and kneel to one who insults our very honor? No, I think not. Let us work together and show her who''s boss. Together we can certainly take her on!" He cried.


    "Who''s with me?!!!" He dered.


    There was silence... Deafening silence.


    He looked around him in surprise as he saw his fellow knights,rades in arms, look away from him. They didn''t share his resolve... Their eyes were that of culled livestock.


    "Lady Apostle, I am so sorry for my subordinate''s behavior. I shall dispose of him personally"


    As soon as he heard this, the Knight''s eyes widened in shock. The betrayal pierced his heart. Even though he spoke for all of them, they were all never on his side to begin with. Tears streamed from his eyes.


    "C-Commander...." He croaked.


    The Commander red at him coldly, and as the knight looked at the faces of the other knights... What he saw was the same. The same cold eyes. It was then he understood.


    "So I''m going to die for nothing... Eh?" He smiled sadly.


    "Do not insult me Commander. I have already said it haven''t I? I am the sword of the gods. I will be the one to render judgement on this sphemous heathen" She said.


    "I-I apologize" He said, stepping aside.


    She looked at the Knight as he had the expression of despair and betrayal on his face. She smiled a bit.


    "Do you see now? This is the sinful nature of you heathens. At the sight of power you all cower and tremble. However, I admit it. You are different. In the presence of my overwhelming power you were still able to take your stand. Impressive" She said.


    "If not for your heretic and sphemous expressions, I might have praised you a bit. However, you have enraged not only the gods, but even me as well. As a de I possess no emotions of my own. Therefore, your vile words have stirred in me things that ought not to be, poisoning even myself." She said with a frown.


    "It is only right that you be gone from not only this world, but also the afterlife." She said.


    The knight''s emotions of betrayal slowly began to transform. After hearing the words of the Apostle they were fully changed. All the emotions he had now... Were pure anger and hate.


    "Damn You!!!" He yelled.


    "Hex #93"


    He stretched forth his hand to activate his art, but nothing urred.


    "You are already far beyond redemption. Begone from this world and the next... Being forever trapped in between them. Limbo"


    Immediately, her eyes glowed white as she gazed upon him.


    "W-What is this... What is happening to me...?!" The man yelled in confusion, pain and anguish.


    His entire body began to turn transparent and go incorporeal. As his entire self began to fade from existence he screamed and groaned.


    "Please stop! Please, ahhhhh. Please sto-"


    Finally his voice couldn''t be heard anymore. He couldn''t be seen or heard... Forever rendered nonexistent by the power of the Apostle.


    "A-Amazing" The Commander said, gulping down his own saliva.


    All the Imperial Knights were moved with fear, knowing what would happen to them should they cross the line.


    "What a scary power..." One of the Terribles muttered.


    He definitely didn''t want to get on her bad side.


    "Kill. Death. How amazing. How amazing it must have felt to kill him. His screams. Ah, how exhrating. I can''t wait. I also want to kill too. Kill...." The other member muttered to herself with a dark smile.


    "How bothersome. We''ve wasted too much time" The Apostle sighed.


    "We''ll be using a ''scripture'' to travel to Artia" The Apostle announced.


    "Be grateful you heathens. You shall witness the power of the gods with your very bodies" She said.


    She brought out a scroll from her robe and opened it. She closed her eyes and concentrated.


    "Hearken to my voice bearer of secrets. Heed my voice keeper of records. Let the inscriptions be made manifest upon this mortal ne and shew thine great miracle upon thisnd." She chanted.


    The writings on the scroll immediately shone a white light. The light surrounded the entire area, like a brilliant bang, covering them all. As soon as the light subsided, they were no longer in the ins of the Imperial Knight Station... Rather, they were...


    "Do you see it everyone? The magnificent power of the high ones" The Apostle dered.


    The Knights marveled at the change of scenery that had happened in the blink of an eye and in the sh of light. They could see the busy city a small distance from where they all stood. The power of the gods was indeed too amazing to scoff at.


    "Here we are... The City of Artia. Here we will find our prey, and I will render righteous judgement upon this great sinner."


    "I, Saint Lauria, swear upon the god which I serve and granted me this Grace.... Hades" She said decisively.

 Chapter 43 - The Trade Underworld

    "Hahahah" The burly manughed.


    "The city sure has changed since thest time I was here"


    He smoked his cigarette as he looked around him. Beside him was his attractively stern Secretary.


    "Ka, what do you think?" He asked her with a wide grin.


    "It looks the same to me, though. Maybe it''s because I''ve been here more recently?" She said with her usual serious face, half asking.


    "Yeah. I suppose that is true" He replied.


    "Sir, where are we headed to?" She asked him.


    He removed the cigarette from his mouth and squashed it, throwing it on the street ground.


    "Oh, just to see some old friends" He smiled.


    They walked the rest of the journey in silence until they finally got to the front of one of thergest establishments in the area.


    "Urian Boutique" The secretary read the sign out loud.


    She looked at her boss with a confused expression.


    "What is he looking for in a store that sells female clothes?" She asked herself.


    Knowing the kind of man her boss was, when he said he wanted to see some old friends, she thought he was going to some dark alley or crooked establishment... But this?


    "What are we doing here?" She asked him.


    He merely smiled and ignored her question. He walked into therge store, leaving her nearly behind. She hurriedly picked her pace to catch up with him.


    The store looked entirely feminine. With pink and white paint used on the walls and glittery ornaments all around. The decorations were made to appeal to the females alone. Then themodities, female products filled the entire stock, to be expected after all.


    Ka silently followed her boss as he walked to the shelves and after careful observation, he picked one of the clothes he found at a far corner. Surprisingly it was a male''s outfit


    "How is this here?" Ka asked herself.


    The Boss walked to the counter with this cloth and dropped it before the receptionist who stood behind the counter with a smile stered on her face.


    "I would like to buy this" He said to her.


    She looked at the outfit and her cheery expression immediately changed. Her eyes became a bit serious as she gazed at the man who wanted to buy the out of ce cloth.


    "I apologize sit, but there must have been a mistake in the cement of goods outside. This cloth doesn''t belong to the counter. I will have to return it to the storeroom" She said.


    "Why don''t I take it for you?" The Boss said.


    "That is againstpany protocols sir" She responded.


    "Oh, but you seem to be quite busy. Plus... I do not mind." He replied.


    She sighed.


    "Fine, do you know the storeroom?" She asked.


    "I''m a regr" He answered.


    She then resumed her smile.


    "Thanks for buying from us customer"


    He turned away and went deeper within the store. They passed all the sections where shoes and clothes were disyed and went even deeper within the hallway they found by the corner. The hallway was nothing special, it was decorated also brilliantly and had several decorations on it.


    "Where are we going sir" Ka asked her boss.


    Again, he ignored her and walked down the hall. At the end of it, he saw a sign stered on a door by the right.


    "Storeroom" Ka read aloud.


    "Is he really going to help her take this cloth to the Storeroom? Something doesn''t seem right." She thought within herself.


    The Boss opened the door and entered the room. Ka expected to see something out of the ordinary, but all she saw was a regr in looking store. Suddenly a wide smile appeared on the face of her boss.


    "Hahahahaha" Heughed.


    Ka started feeling weirded out. All the seamlessly meaningless activities that her boss just did, plus his current outbursts, everything startled her. Had he finally gone mad?


    "What''s going on here?" She wailed within herself.


    "Ah, Borgos never changes" He said, mildly chuckling.


    He stepped forward and dropped the cloth on the floor. After this, he pped three times and said;


    "Okay, I''ve yed your little secret code game long enough. I''ve forgotten the next step so let''s just step now" He said aloud, his voice echoing in the room.


    "I have business here that concerns you and the others... Especially you" He said with a menacing tone.


    Suddenly a distorted noise rang through the room and static sounds were heard before a voice finally came forth.


    "<<For real? Come on. The next step is to put the male cloth among the carton in the secondyer of the second shelf, p twice and say the secret code. You still remember the secret code right?>>" The voice said.


    "What do you take me for? Of course I do." The man said.


    He smiled as he inhaled slowly.


    "The denizens of darkness and the ones who stay in the shadows need not see the light, but they still do in order to remain hidden amongst them who dwell there"


    The static returned, and then the voice appeared again.


    "<<Fine fine. You''ve convinced me. But next time y the gamepletely. It''s kind of a waste when my rare visitors don''t evenplete the trial I so painstakingly invented. It ruins the whole thing.>>" Itined.


    "Well, you are wee to just install a simple hidden passageway like the rest of us. No one asked you to overdo your whole charade." The man said.


    "<<Come on, what''s the fun in that? In any case, you maye in>>" The voice responded.


    Suddenly, a door mysteriously appeared on the wall, being invisible until that very moment.


    "I''m with a visitor. Hope you don''t mind" He said.


    "<<As long as they are from you, it means they are trustworthy. If they aren''t... Then they simply won''t be allowed to escape.>>"


    Ka gulped as she heard this. However, she calmed herself and maintained her calm demeanor.


    The boss walked toward the door and opened it.


    "After you" He told her.


    She nervously obeyed and walked into the room. After she did this, he walked into the room too, closing the door behind them.


    The room led to an underground structure, with stairs leading them further down. Ka kept moving down even though she didn''t know where she was heading to. However, for her boss not to speak she must be heading the right way, since it was the only way to begin with.


    They finally got to thest stair and found yet another door.


    "Step aside" He told her.


    She obeyed immediately. He opened the door and within it was something unexpected.


    A man sat down at the center of the room, facing the door where they came out from. All around him were naked women, some were massaging his legs while others his shoulders. Some danced in the room, offering him entertainment. The room was vastly furnished with many gold and precious essories and the color of the room was white, with goldced designs and a purple carpet.


    "C''mon, what took you so long? You should''ve been here a few seconds ago" The owner of the voice said, seating on a massive couch.


    "My secretary is a bit of a slow walker" The boss answered, moving to seat on another couch by the right of the man.


    "Oh? Secretary... That''s new" He smiled, staring at Ka.


    Ka stood right beside her boss, trying to maintain a poised stance but she couldn''t help but notice the women, over a dozen, who flocked around the man,pletely ignoring anything else, including them. Some licked his legs abd caressed them with their breasts... Utterly undignifying.


    "You don''t have to stare so hard" The man said with a smile as he followed her gaze.


    "I-I''m sorry sir" She quickly said.


    He smiled at her.


    "You didn''t tell me your visitor was ady, and quite a catch if I may add" He said, gazing intensely at Ka which made her ufortable.


    "She''s not for sale. Besides, don''t you have enough already?" The Boss said sternly.


    "Oh, Zad, you know me. I can never have enough of them" He said freely, referring to all the women around him.


    Upon closer observation, Ka noticed something was wrong with the women. Their eyes looked dead and some were drooling from their mouths. Others had weird looks on their faces. They were most likely under influence.


    "So you''ve noticed." The man, whose name is Borgos, said.


    "They have all been drugged by my newly made aphrodisiac concoction. It''s really famous on the ck market, you know? The women lose their minds and be nk tools for fun games such as this. Truly entertaining wouldn''t you agree?" Borgos said with a wide grin.


    In all honesty she felt sick within her. Such perversion was too much for her to stand. However, she endured it.


    "Indeed sir" She said calmly.


    "Enough of small talk Borgos. I''vee under business" Zad said.


    "Always the killjoy aren''t you? Fine. What is it?" Borgos asked.


    Zad red at the women who still rendered services to Borgos even in the presence of visitors.


    Borgos sighed and shrugged,


    "Fine fine"


    He pped one who was working on his shoulder and punched the stomach of the other beside him. He also kicked the ones by his feet, causing them to crash on the floor since they had no strength.


    "Can''t you see I have visitors? Leave us now you whores" He barked at them.


    Mechanically, they stood up and left the room lifelessly.


    He smiled as he watched them leave. He then turned to Zad and gestured for him to continue.


    "Now, where were we?"


    "A neer has been making quite the buzz in the market due to a very uniquemodity he is selling. The ie he is getting is astronomical to say the least" Zad said.


    "So? As rulers of the underworld that''s not really our concern, is it?" Borgos said nonchntly.


    "That would normally be the case. However... This certain individual has refused to pay the dues required of him" Zad continued.


    The casual face of Borgos immediately changed to anger.


    "What?" He said.


    "That''s not all!" Zad said.


    "What he sells are Ancient coins... And from my sources he has lots of it. Lots as in millions of them!" Zad emphasized.


    Borgos''s eyes widened as he heard this. Suddenly he started to chuckle andugh aloud.


    "Then what else is there to wait for! We discipline him and take over his goods for his wrong actions right?" Heughed.


    "Indeed" Zad said.


    "Then shouldn''t you have called a meeting between us Rulers? Why did you have to personally visit me?" Borgos asked.


    "For two reasons. One of which is simple... This person is residing in this city, Artia, which is your domain in the underworld." Zad said.


    "Oh? Interesting... And the second one?" Borgos responded.


    "I would like us to have the coins for ourselves alone" Zad said with a crooked smile.


    This statement inspired a like crooked smile from Borgos as well. Both Rulers looked at each other with an evil grin.


    "So, Old friend... What do you say to a good ol fashion plunder?!" Zad asked.


    They both smiled in agreement.


    "Of course.... I''m in!"

 Chapter 44 - Stirred Troubles

    Julius smiled as he sat in his office. Heid his back on his chair and bnced himselffortably there, humming to himself.


    "So far I''ve been able to sell a million and half Ancient Coins. That''s over two trillion coins already, just in the past week, since I sell higher than the original market value" He calcted.


    "If I subtract the money owed to Mr Rio Xarion out of it, I still have nearly a trillion left."


    "It was a good idea not to tie any of this to thepany itself. This way, I''ll be able to earn even more than some Royals will ever receive in their lifetime. At this rate... I''ll be even richer than the King." Heughed.


    "I''ve made sure to shut the mouth of all my employees who even know about this remotely. Whether by force, or by using some leftover scraps from what I possess. No one can threaten my business as I stand now... Hehehehe" He chuckled.


    He remembered how he met the fortunate stranger who actually had 50 million ancient coins, and happened to be at his doorstep. What were the odds?


    "Lady fate sure loves me" He smiled.


    "I''ve ended up making so much money that I''ll soon be able to pay off his debt while having more Ancient coins in stock. Then there are those foreign buyersing in the next month. Oh, this is just too exhrating. To swim in money like this... So this is what it''s like?" He grinned.


    "After serving so many rich brats and wasteful idiots in this auction I finally have the means to establish my own, and soon I''ll have more than enough to even buy the entire Imperius Auction House of the Western Kingdom"


    And all of these things are thanks to one man!


    "Ah, I don''t even know his real name, but he sure is a stroke of good fortune." He said.


    "When dealing with him I had the greatest gut feeling I ever had not to get on his bad side. Fortunately, it looks like I impressed him with my words and managed to convince him to sell those coins,"


    "I''m surprised though. I never expected him to take the deal. There was never anything to gain from taking the deal, even I know that much, especially after realizing the full extent of his means. Even with his conditions, they are nothingpared to the value of the coins he sold to me at market value. Heh, what a fool" He snickered.


    Thanks to the rich sucker''s wastefulness, he was going to be stinking filthy rich in no time at all.


    "Luck is truly on my side" He closed his eyes as he smiledfortably.


    "S-Sir... Sir!!! We have a problem!" One of the employees of thepany rushed into Julius'' office in panic.


    It was Lorna, a receptionist of the Auction House, and she was sweating profusely, with a desperate look on her face. Julius frowned his face as he felt the disturbanceing from the staff.


    (Who remembers Lorna here? Hexarion''s favorite receptionist)


    "How many times have I told you not to disturb me whenever I''m resting? What''s your problem? How dare you!" He said, exhuming more authority than usual.


    "B-But sir, it''s really urgent." She responded anxiously.


    "Tsk, Lorna..What could possibly be worth disturbing me at such an inoportune time? We have no important auction to be held today. We also have no notable visitors or appointments today. What requires my attention so urgently?" He asked her with annoyance.


    Then suddenly a thought shed in his mind.


    "Could it be... Another cash opportunity like with that man? In that case... Maybe it wouldn''t be too bad for me to go out an check things for myself"


    He smiled. Lady luck still had more in store for him, and of course he would seize every opportunity thates his way. After all, this is how he got to be the head of this branch of Imperius Auction House at such a young age.


    "Fine Lorna. Lead the way" He sighed, standin up from hisfortable chair.


    "Might as well just see what it is" He thought.


    Lorna quickened her pace as she ran back to the reception. Julius, noticing the urgency in the matter decided to hurry himself up too.


    As they got closer to the reception, Julius could already hear some noise.


    "Oi! I said bring the man in charge of this establishment here right this instant!" A thick and gruffy voice was heard.


    Before Julius could properly analyze and react to the voice he heard, he was already at the reception.


    His eyes widened as he saw the sight in front of him.


    "I said... Where is the one in charge here?" Arge, tall and huge looking man said.


    He was well built, had no vest on him and wore a very tight red and ck trouser, with dark shoes to match. His muscles and biceps gave him the look of a warrior and his height resembled that if a giant.


    He threw a table at the reception away, flinging it so effortlessly as though it was merely a piece of cloth.


    Julius froze at the sight if the monster of a man. There was only one thing the giant man asked.


    "Where is the one in charge here?!"


    As soon as he was visible on the reception, all eyes in the room went to him. Before he could do anything to escape view or turn back, he was noticed even by everyone in the reception, including the menacing giant.


    "So it''s you" The man said, ring at Julius.


    Julius gulped as the man approached him.


    "Ie bearing a message from my boss." He said to him.


    "W-What are you talking about? What boss? Do you understand the repercussion of this tantrum and mayhem you have caused here today. This form of behavior is punishable by long service term in prison, even longer since this is a very well established and reputablepany." Julius said, putting on his brave front.


    "Buahahahaha" The manughed.


    "What are you going to do about it? The man asked Julius.


    Julius didn''t want to further provoke the man and so he chose the peaceful way out.


    "What do you want to say?" Julius finally gave in.


    "Wise choice" He smiled at Julius, who tried to hide his embarrassment and difort.


    "You, Mr Julius have highly disrespected and dishonored my boss" The man said.


    "Dishonor? Me? Who is this person you speak of? And how is it rted to this Auction for you to damage this Auction this badly. DO you have any idea how much-" Julius said in feigned anger.


    "Oh? My business is with you and you alone! This Auction House is just coteral damage. Besides, I have it on good authority that money is not a problem for you"


    "Like I said, who is this master you speak of?" Julius said, trying to figure out the identity of the master of such a ruffian.


    "Could it be... Mr Rio?! No, it can''t be... This isn''t his style. Then who?" She agonized within herself.


    "A Ruler of the underworld table of the ck Market... Mr Borgos" The man smiled scarily.


    "W-What?!" He said, looking terrified to hear that name.


    It was a name he heard only in the lores and gossips in the ck market. Yet, he never expected it to be in reality.


    "Mr Borgos is a myth... Same with these so called Rulers of the ck Market." Julius said defiantly to the huge man.


    Immediately, before Julius could react, the man grabbed him by the neck and raised him up.


    "Oh, but ''he'' is very much a real deal within the Trade underworld. He is a member of the Rulers, head of the ck Market system, as well as the one in charge of this city, Artia." The man said to Julius, who started choking bit by bit.


    "Anyway, my message is this; You, Julius Bodenheim will forfeit all your assets gotten from the Ancient coins, whether liquidated or not. You will also give, as a price for the offence youmitted, not informing the Rulers of such a scale at that kind of level, and refusing to pay the award orded to them which is stipted in the ck Market codes, and tribute to their authority... The remaining Ancient coins in your possession.


    Julius''s eyes widened as soon as he heard this.


    "T-That''s..." Julius stuttered as he heard the man. Sweat formed on his face and it took all he had to maintain some degree of self control. The hands of the man wasn''t tight on his throat, however it was still greatly ufortable for him.


    "Re-Release me this instant!" Julius said to therge man.


    "You have less than 12 hours to decide. I''ll be back soon. This time... I''ll be prepared to take it by force!. Be ready with your answer by then..." He said, releasing Julius from his great hand.


    He fell on the cold tile floor and winced in pain.


    "<<Coughs>>"


    Julius coughed and had some drooling from his mouth as a result of the man''s grip.


    "The message has been delivered" He said and then he finally left.


    "W-What was that?" He asked himself.


    "Boss, sir... What do we do?" Lorna asked.


    "Will you shut up? I''m trying to think!" He told her.


    He slowly rose up and dusted his stained outfit. Almost immediately, while Julius was still taking away the dust, another receptionist ran to Julius.


    "Urgent news sir! It''s..." The girl said.


    "Will you zip it? Can''t you see I''m thinking. What could be more important than the situation we are facing now?" The Julius said.


    "Oh?" A voice came from behind him.


    He recognized the voice all too well! The deep and calm voice which contained a dark foreboding. Julius froze at the sound of his voice. The shadowy silhouette walked forward slowly, as his face was revealed in the Auction House.


    "M-M-Mr...." Julius stuttered as he finally saw the person. It was....


    [MY TURN]


    "Looks like you''ve been busy... Julius." I said with a cold expression on my face and my eyes glowing purple.


    "Is anything the matter? I asked.


    With my grim look, stern face and evil looking re, I gazed down upon my loyal dog and faithful pawn. I then looked around the Auction House. It was a terrible mess. I turned back to look at a scared and nervous Julius. He was shaken by thetest developments and demand of the strange aggressive visitor.


    I smiled inwardly.


    "All the pieces are finally beginning to move, eh?"

 Chapter 45 - Game Pieces

    "Um, nothing at all sir Rio." Julius smiled nervously.


    "We just had a little ident here, nothing too serious..." He rubbed his hands together and calmed himself.


    I loosened my face and smiled at the small man. I am not with my ''Rio'' alias outfit. I''m sure Julius is surprised by my bold appearance in the Auction House in my normal look, considering the scene I caused thest time.


    "Is that so?" I said.


    "Yes sir." He nodded.


    It''s funny how this man is lying to me after experiencing in ourst encounter that I can see through his ruse. But since he appears to be shaken, it''s only natural that he isn''t thinking straight and being his usual calctive self.


    "How does it feel, Julius, to realize you''re no longer in control of the situation?" I asked myself.


    "S-So, sir... What brings you here? What can I help you with?" He asked me with a forced smile.


    What a shameless man. He''s still trying to curry my favor, pathetic. It''s fine though, everything is proceeding smoothly on my end.


    "Would you like us to take this meeting to the Special Guest Lounge or my office. This ce is currently a mess sir, unsuitable for a man of your caliber " He said still trying to butter me up.


    "It''s fine, I won''t be staying long." I told him coldly.


    His face dropped to that of disappointment.


    "I''ll be starting a little venture and I require arge amount of coins. So I''ll be withdrawing some of my money from my ount" I told him.


    Julius gulped as I told him this. With trembling lips he asked me...


    "How much"


    I smiled.


    "2 Trillion should be enough... For now" I said.


    He nearly choked on the numbers I said. Of course,pared to the money I possess in the Imperius Auction House, 2 Trillion is certainly little. But...


    "S-Sir, I''m sorry but we do not currently have that amount present with us. If we have a little bit of time, then maybe.." He tried to exin.


    What a fool. Does he think I don''t know about the whole ck market shady deals he has been up to, or that the money isn''t connected to Imperius but him directly. I am certainly aware of how much he has currently made, and yes, it is above two trillion.


    But, there''s no need to rush this game. I have done what I came here to do.


    "I don''t expect you to have it immediately. I''ll be back in 12 hours time. Have it by then, no excuses" I said.


    "12... 12 hours? But that is..." Julius weakly protested.


    Yes I know, that is when the action begins. The ck Market Rulers and even the Apostles, plus, my own little mechanism I have in ce. But, as of now he has no other cards he can y or excuses he can give.


    I red at him and immediately he shut his mouth. I walked away from him, and headed toward the exit. Before getting there, I paused and looked back at him.


    "I''m currently in search of two of my ves. Have you seen any of them?" I asked.


    "Uh? No... no I haven''t..." He said to me in confusion.


    "Oh? I see. Fair enough. I trust your words." I smiled to him.


    "Y-Yeah..." He muttered nervously.


    "After all... We are friends" I said and walked away, leaving the messy hall.


    Julius'' face twitched as he made a disturbed and anxious look.


    The staff, who were the only ones present in the hall looked at their boss with strange looks, wondering what was going on with him.


    "What are you all looking at?!" He yelled at them.


    They shook at his words.


    "You imbeciles! Continue your work this instance. You aren''t paid to ck off, are you?" He fumed.


    They hurriedly dispersed and continued their duties. Cleaning the mess and ensuring no one else woulde into the Auction House in meantime.


    A sign was ced at the entrance of the huge building which read:


    "Currently Closed"


    They also locked all entrances and quickly fixed the mess that was all round the reception hall.


    Julius walked away to his office in agonizing thought.


    "What was that just now?!" He asked himself.


    "Why is this happening? Why now?! I''m so close to being the richest and most influential person around. I''m so close to achieving phenomenal wealth. Why is everything crumbling down now?"


    "I thoughtdy luck was..." He groaned.


    Then suddenly his eyes widened and a little beam of hope lit up there.


    "No, it''s not the end. I still have time" He said to himself.


    "I can... I can still make it. I have 12 hours don''t I? I can easily gather up all the Ancient coins and money I have with me in that time. Using some of the Relics we have prepared for auction, I can make my escape. Yes!"


    "I''ll move to the Southern Continent. I have some old friends there, plus there are lots who will be interested in MY ancient coins." He smiled widely at himself.


    "Yes... Yes! After I''m done here, I''ll just go home to get some of my personal effects and I''ll be on my way."


    He quickly ran to his office to make preparations. He mmed the door to his office shut as he ced his hand on the wall, and the brick there pressed further down, indicating a hidden mechanism. The wall beside him parted ways, showing a hidden entrance to somewhere. He quickly entered and pressed the wall within the secret passage, closing the walls.


    Lights automatically appeared, brought by luminous stones which littered the cave-like structure.


    "Almost there" He muttered as he hurriedly walked through the passageway.


    Getting closer to the end of the passage, golden light shone at the end corner, indicating something glowed there.


    He finally turned as he got to the end of the passage and there ity, the Ancient coins.


    "My precious!" He smiled with greed lit in his eyes.


    The treasure coins glowed with bright golden radiance, drawing Julius'' attention to them.


    "You''re all mine"


    "Arpazia''s mirror" Julius said, bringing out a mirror from his pocket.


    The mirror shone brightly, making Julius close his eyes as a result. Finally the light dimmed and when he opened his eyes, the coins had vanished.


    " Hahahaha!" Heughed.


    "With this Relic I can trap anything within it as long as they are not living. I''ll be making my escape now!"


    He grinned widely as he ran quicky, leaving his secret room.


    He went to the treasure room of the Auction House and used his mirror to steal the items of his choice.


    After this, he finally ran to the exit of the Auction House, one only essible to the staff.


    "S-Sir?!" The guard stationed there asked in surprise as he saw Julius frantically run towards the exit.


    "Out of my way!" Julius yelled.


    The guard was taken aback, but let him pass. After all, he was his boss.


    Julius exited the building and hurriedly ran to his house.


    "Hahahaha! I''m home free" Heughed as he ran, the wind brushing on his face and the people staring strangely at him.


    He didn''t care. He wouldn''t be seeing their faces anymore anyway. He might as well just go wild and unleash his true self hidden behind his calm facade.


    It didn''t take long for him to get to his house. It was a luxurious apartment, a storey building with a goodpound and lush garden.


    He payed none of these any kind as he dashed into hispound and quickly unlocked the door of his house.


    "It''s thepany''s house anyway! What do I care!" He muttered to himself.


    With the money he currently possessed, he could afford hundreds if not thousands of the same house.


    "I''ll just get my personal effects then I''m out of here!" He said.


    As soon as he opened the door he was stopped dead on his tracks.


    "W-What is the meaning of this...?!" He asked aloud.


    In his living room, the parlor,y both Talia and Shamac, wounds all over their body, tied up and unconscious.


    "These are..."


    Julius knew Instinctively.... He was in big trouble.

 Chapter 46 - Convergence (Pt 1)

    "This is..." Julius said in shock as he saw the bodies of Hexarion''s ves.


    He recognized thedy as the person who followed Hexarion to the Auction and he knew the ve since he was bought from the Auction. However, he wasn''t sure how they got to his house.


    "Is this a trap set up by the Rulers? If Sir Rio finds out they are here... Then.."


    He panicked within himself as he looked around him frantically. He quickly shut the door of his house crashed his butt on the floor as he sighed. Why these events were happening to him, he had no idea. Suddenly something sparked in his mind.


    "What am I so afraid of? It''s not like I n to stick around for longer" He thought aloud.


    "Even the money he gave me to keep, I''ve taken them all haven''t I? I''ve gone past the point of turning back."


    "I only need to make my clean escape and I''ll be home free" He said with a smile.


    Yes, he wasn''t done yet! But he was going to be...


    "Mr Julius Bodenhim" A loud voice emerged from outside his house.


    Julius''s heart nearly skipped a beat when he heard themanding tone suddenly sound. Who was it this time?


    "Who is it? What do you want?" He yelled from within his house.


    "I am an emissary from the Royal Household, Representative of His Majesty and enforcer of his will. Julius Bodenheim,e out of your abode immediately!" The man ordered.


    "The Royal Family? What do they have to do with...?" Julius said.


    He was even more confused as to why an emissary could be in his house, especially at such a time as this. He quickly peeped through a window blind to see just who the Royal Family decided to send to his house so suddenly. His eyes widened and his face immediately darkened at the sight he saw. What he saw that was outside his house shook his entire body.


    "H-How can they...? How is this possible?" He said in shock.


    Surrounding his front entrance was an army. Soldiers belonging to the military of the kingdom. From the looks of their numbers alone, he estimated they were at least a hundred.


    "Why are there so many? And on such short notice? How can this be happening to me?" Julius muttered to himself.


    "Julius Bodenheim, I repeat. Come out of your abode immediately" The Generalmanded


    Beads of sweat fell from Julius who was shaking in panic. Maybe they found out his involvement and trade with the ck Market and refusal to pay his dues of Ancient coins to them. If that was the case, then he was indeed in a big mess, bigger than the ves of Hexarion in his house.


    "What would happen if they see them here though? They could get the wrong idea" Julius panicked.


    If he got roped in this mess as well, Hexarion, his most powerful benefactor was definitely going to turn his back on him.


    "So you were the one with my ves after all. Look at all these wounds they have on them. You treated them this way even though I''ve been so kind to you? Why did you do it... Why?" He pictured Hexarion say.


    "But I''m innocent. I''ve done nothing wrong! I just met them in my house. It''s all the Rulers'' fault. They must have set me up.


    But what of the Ancient coins he stole?


    "T-There''s no way they can pin that on me. With my Relic, there is no trace of the item within it unless I ''unseal'' them.'' He reasoned to himself.


    "What business does the Royal Family have with me? I am merely a manager of the prestigious Imperius Auction House. I have done nothing to trespass thews of thend or the will of the Royal Household" Julius said aloud to the people outside, hoping he convinced them.


    "Do not even try to lie. Sufficient proof has been rendered against you. Should you desire to further defend yourself after these allegations have been rendered against you, then you will do so at the Royal Capital where you will be taken to for judgement." The general responded.


    "Proof? Who?" Julius'' thoughts were scrambled now.


    "Till now I''ve made sure to always maintain good rtions with everyone I encounter, especially if they have connections and authority. With my ring which charms most of the people I converse with, I''m always in their good grace. Who would go against me that has ties to the Royal Family?" He thought within himself as he gritted his teeth.


    "What have I done to deserve this treatment? I haven''t done anything wro-" Julius cried, trying to defend himself.


    "Enough of your nonsense. Come out immediately. You have been used of treason against the state, trading in the ck market, embezzlement of Company funds, Illegal possession of both human and material property. Come forth from your house and face your rpense." The general spoke impatiently.


    They were going to storm his house.


    "I have another secret exit in my house. If I just go through there, then maybe... Maybe I could..." He said to himself.


    Pulling himself together and smiling, he ran quickly toward his room which has the secret exit installed within. Bangs were heard from his door, indicating forceful entry by the army.


    "I have to hurry" He said to himself.


    "Just as in my office I designed a structure underground that leads to a different exit from my house, just in case I needed to make a quick break from robbers or assants. I never thought I would be using it due to circumstances like this" He huffed.


    He removed a carpet beside his study and a secret door was there. He removed the key to the hidden door which he had made as a ne and tied around his neck. Without wasting a single second, he unlocked the door and entered the hidden passageway.


    "This leads to an exit in a ce some distance from my house.. If I escape through there, with all attention focused on my house, then I''m free" He grinned widely.

 Chapter 47 - Convergence (Pt 2)

    A normal ground in an open field suddenly began to shake and spike up. After some while, it finally pushed up, leaves and dirt and all. A door structure opened up, and Julius emerged from within the hole artificially made by someone.


    "Ah, I finally made it out. Ah, that was more ufortable than I thought, but fortunately... I am finally..." Julius gasped as he climbed out.


    He smiled to himself in a satisfied manner.


    As he opened his eyes and looked around him, his speech was cut short. His limbs lost all feeling and he slumped to his knees. His eyes bulged as he saw the soldiers who appeared all around him.


    "N-No way... How could you have known?" Julius stuttered.


    Surrounding him were soldiers who numbered nearly thrice as much as the ones in front of his house. They had known all the while that he had a secret exit and even counted on him to use it. Was this checkmate?


    "I-Is it all over for me?" He asked himself in despair.


    "No! I refuse to ept that. It can''t end now. My life is merely just beginning. I won''t go down like this" He said to himself.


    If only he knew who ruined him... And why?


    "Oh? Long time no see Auction Grandmaster" A voice appeared from behind the soldiers who surrounded him.


    Immediately, the soldiers parted ways and bowed in the presence of the person who approached Julius.


    Julius'' eyes widened as he saw who it was. It all made sense now that he thought about it, but it was still very much unbelievable.


    "Long time no see, Julius Bodenheim" The Royal sneered at the kneeling Grandmaster.


    "Lord... Phobio...?" Julius said hesitantly.


    Phobio grinned widely as he saw Julius kneel before him. The man who embarrassed him in the Auction House. He was finally given the opportunity to have his revenge on him by his new master''s benevolence.


    "W-Why are you doing this?" Julius asked him in shock.


    "Uhn? Why? You have the gall to ask me that? How dare you?" Phobio barked at Julius.


    "You not only captured and took me hostage, you also took the ves of sir Rio, your friend and partner and decided to make a fortune off us. Fortunately, sir Rio managed to save me from my bonds while still searching for his ves." Phobio said.


    "W-What?!" Julius said, utterly confused.


    "Since sir Rio is a neer in town and has no influence, I decided to rely on mine as a member of the Royal family. After reporting this to my family, they were more than happy to help in assisting to bring you down. After further investigations, your other shady and illegal activities were brought to light one after the other! What an utterly repulsive and sad excuse for a human being you are Julius" Phobio continued.


    "But I... When did I...?" Julius stuttered, trying but failing to form the right words.


    "Fortunately, we were able to apprehend you before you absconded and got away with everything." Phobio said, signaling the soldiers to draw closer.


    "You know... I was all for arresting you since the previous day, but sir Rio, in his generosity and kind heart decided to give you one more chance toe clean. That is why he visited you this morning and asked you for the truth. But you still refused toe clean, even to your friend. What a traitor!" Phobio said, shaking his head.


    "F-Friend..." Julius muttered.


    Rio and him were never really friends. They merely had a professional rtionship. They never got close enough to...


    Suddenly Hexarion''sst words yed back in his mind.


    "Fair enough. I trust your words... After all... We are friends"


    Now that he remembered, those words seemed strange, but he never thought much about them until now. His eyes bulged entirely upon the realization...


    "So that''s how it is uh.... I was yed from the very start" He mumbled to himself.


    His eyes fell into emptiness and his body refused to respond anymore. He hadpletely lost.


    "Silent now I see... You better be. Well, boys, pack him up. We''ll be taking him into custody now" Phobio said to the soldiers.


    Three of them moved to capture Julius and take him with them.


    "None of you should take a single step! That prey is ours" A menacing and dark voice came forth.


    The soldiers looked at the two men who walked confidently and behind them were dozens of heavily armed men. Zad puffed his smoke into the air and dropped his cigarette on the ground, cing his hands into the pocket of his dark coat. He and Borgos smiled as they walked slowly toward the soldiers from their distance.


    "What did you just say?" Phobio said with a frown.


    "You heard me kid, don''t make me repeat myself. That prey is ours... Scram!" Zad said with a menacing look on his face.


    "Halt" A voice appeared.


    Suddenly a bright light shone, adjacent to the both sides. Both groups turned to see what caused the suddenmotion and from within the light emerged the third group. Ady d in a dazzling white and silver hooded robe, with the hood down, led the small group who slowly approached both group.


    "The sword of god hase. All ye heathens cease your activities and hand over the practitioner of the dark arts to the Apostles in the name of the gods." The Apostle said to the both groups.


    "You came deadst young miss. What makes you think you have the right to order us around like that?" Borgos said to her with a sly smile.


    "You would dare question the words of an Apostle?" She asked with irritation.


    "And? What if we refuse those words?" Zad asked her defiantly.


    "Then face utter annihtion... Thus sayeth the gods" She said, her eyes glowed white.


    All three sides, pitted against one another and ready to destroy the others... They all converged on the stage with only one intention.


    To Win!

 Chapter 48 - Prelude To The Chaos

    [Moments Ago]


    "This city reeks of the Art of evil" Lauria, the Apostle muttered to herself.


    She walked in the busy city alongside the Commander, whose name is Gerund.


    Prior to their entry into the city, she held a short meeting with the 12 Knights whom she brought with her.


    "We''ll be splitting up from this moment forth" She said to them.


    "It will be less conspicuous this way, and we''ll have a better chance of not alerting the perpetrator as well as cover more ground." She added.


    "I see"


    "That is true"


    "As expected of the Apostle of the gods"


    The Knights murmured among one another as they sang her praise.


    This, however, did not make her happy, but rather irritated her even more


    "Silence heathens." Shemanded.


    There was immediate silence in the area.


    "We split in groups of twos. However my group shall beprised of three. I''ll be with the Commander and one other Knight." She said.


    After she made this statement, they divided themselves ordingly, making 5 teams of two and one team of three, making 6 teams in total.


    "We meet here in 3 hours time. Scout the area before then and be prompt." She dered.


    "Yes ma''am" They said in unison.


    "Depart!"


    They all left at the sound of her voice, leaving her, Commander Gerund and Imperial Knight Lester behind.


    "We should be on her way as well" She said, leaving for the city to enact justice by the will of the gods.


    Now in the city, the first thing she noticed was the presence of an imbnce and anomaly in the natural order ordained by the gods This malfunction she sensed could only he caused by one thing... Hex.


    "Just as the reports say. The enemy is a practitioner of the evil arts... A ve beyond redemption." She said to herself.


    Lauria also observed the state of the city and overheard the conversations of the inhabitants, though she didn''t want to.


    "Filthy heathens" She mumbled.


    They talked about something she couldn''t ignore, so she decided to pay closer attention to their words, despite her personal reservations about it.


    "Did you also feel it? The entire city trembledst night" One of them said.


    "I didn''t just feel it, I saw the explosion from my home. It was just right there" One said, pointing straight to the south of the city


    "The light filled the entire city and for a moment you would think it was day!" He added.


    "Do you think this is a sign from the gods?! What could it mean?" Yet another asked.


    "You''re all fortunate. It looks like I missed out on quite a lot. I just returned here this morning afterpleting the delivery of my goods to the neighboring town. Ah, I''m so jealous" Another of them said.


    "But did you see what happened afterward?" He continued.


    "No... No one could even get close to the area of effect or anywhere around it. We all watched from a distance"


    "Ah, I see... How regrettable" Hemented.


    Lauria frowned and decided she had heard enough. She quickly walked away from the ce and headed to the direction one of the people pointed at.


    "W-Wait up..." The Commander said, surprised by her sudden increase in pace and tried to catch up with her. The other Imperial Knight was also surprised, but he dared not speak.


    Lauria ignored the two of them and kept with her pace, engaging in deep thoughts.


    "The light was most likely Flora''s doing. To think she gathered this much attention and still ended up losing? How unbefitting an Apostle" She said to herself.


    Before long she arrived at the destination she was headed to, the site of the battle which took Flora''s life.


    "This is..." Lauria gasped with a look of slight surprise on her face.


    "There''s so much here... So much perversion. A very high density of the evil Art is present here. The perpetrator was definitely here" She muttered as she payed close attention to the vast destruction around her.


    She saw a massive scar on the ground which filled the entire area. Buildings and structures all around were in shambles, no surprise there.


    "She caused this much destruction andmotion, yet she was taken down...?!" Lauria said, clenching her fists.


    "Just how little did she learn at the Sanctuary?!" She said with a hushed tone.


    "For her, one blessed with the Grace of Light, to be defeated by a being of darkness? How ironic... But don''t you lose heart wherever you may be Flora. For this senior of yours will make sure the person responsible for this pays the price" She furrowed her brows.


    "Scour the area... See what you can find." She said.


    After a thorough investigation of the grounds, one of the Knights, found something and beckoned to the Apostle to determine its worth to their current mission.


    "This is ..." Lauria said, noticing the brand around the knives and chain she saw on the floor.


    "Where did you see this?" She asked the knight suddenly.


    "A-Ah... I saw it buried under the piles of diet and rubble, so I decided to show you.


    "Good. I recognize this symbol. It is the sign of the Imperius Auction House." She said.


    "Auction House?" The Commander asked, in confused.


    "What does that have to with our current investigation" He asked Lauria.


    "It has everything to do with it, dimwit. By finding this clue we''ve tied the involvement of the Auction House, whether directly or indirectly. Seeing as how we are currently in need of information, thanks to these very small pieces of weapons and the insignia on the chain, we have enough concrete reasons to investigate the Imperius" She said.


    "I-I see That makes sense" Commander Gerund said, rethinking his words.


    "As long as you know. Now then... As much as I do not want to do something as debasing as entering into an Auction Hall, we must fulfill the will of the gods "She said.


    "Let''s head there now"


    She went ahead hurriedly, walking away from the wreckage of a scene.


    When she finally got to the entrance of Imperius, what she met there was enough to add validity to her suspicion.


    "There is also a strong trace of the forbidden art here... I was right to think Imperius had a hand in the entire incident with Flora... They may even be the ones behind it." She whispered.


    Something strange, however, was the sign which read "We are Closed" in front f the entrance.


    "Closed? During the day? Impossible... Unless..." She thought aloud.


    Realizing her prey might get away, she quickly kicked the entrance door open, creating a loud bang. She crashed onto the reception hall, prepared to have to battle her for, or any stallers he had.


    However, she didn''t meet any of such. What she saw, to her surprise, was a messy hall, and panicked staffs trying to arrange and fix the ce up.


    They were surprised by her sudden entry and looked shaken by her appearance. She didn''t have time to be concerned for their feelings or businesses. After confirming the staff were not a threat, she furthered to ask them one question.


    "Where is the man in charge?!"


    The staff pointed to his office, however, upon getting there he was nowhere to be found. She immediately knew something was amiss and decided to pursue her target.


    "He must have somehow known I was on his trail... But how? This man is definitely formidable. To be able to evade me this way... Just who is he?" She asked herself.


    But, realizing that the time she allocated to everyone was nearing an end, she decided to return to their agreed rendezvous point.


    "Tch" She let out in frustration.


    After meeting up with everyone, she asked for their reports. Most of them were useless and irrelevant squabbles. Fortunately, one of them had important Intel.


    "I heard from someone that they saw the Grandmaster''s housepletely surrounded by the soldiers from the Royal Military forces." The Imperial Knight said.


    "What? Even the Royal family is involved in this? How deep does this person run? To think he was this notorious..." She mumbled.


    "We have to make our move quickly then... He is to be rightfully judged by the Apostles, no one else may im prize of him" She said.


    "So, what do we do now? Commander Gerund asked.


    "Someone as shrewd as he is will always have a secret ce of escape. If we ignore his house and instead locate his secret exit, then we will be able to corner him, leading to our victory." She said thoughtfully.


    "But how do we find his secret escape route? It''s hidden for a reason... That will make it hard to locate the exit..." Gerund protested.


    "Be silent" Shemanded.


    "You test my patience heathen. We Apostles are blessed with extrasensory perception by the gods, allowing us to sense, locate and determine, to an extent, the properties that make up this world. Therefore... if i concentrate, I should be able to locate any hidden structure built in my vicinity" She said.


    "I-I apologize for doubting your capabilities. Please forgive me" Gerund said to her nervously.


    She huffed and shook her head slowly.


    "You''re all the same, you heathens. I''m hardly surprised anymore." She sighed.


    "Now then... Let us get going. We haven''t all the time in the world"


    And so they left, in search for the Grandmaster''s hidden path. They found the oath and pursued the trail leading to the exit. But, upon getting there they were toote. Two groups in conflict had begun to im share of an enemy that wasn''t theirs to have.


    "Halt!" She shouted.


    Bringing forth her sword, Lauria raised it high and it shone a white light, drawing the attention of the parties to her.


    "No one is getting in the way of the judgement if the gods... No one!" She said within herself.


    Anyone who tried to get in her way.... Would be destroyed!

 Chapter 49 - Let There Be Blood (Pt 1)

    The in field, now upied by three factions, was filled with tension and strife.


    The Military Soldiers, numbered 250


    The Members of the Trade Underworld, numbered 120


    The Apostle''s Knight group.... 13 in total.


    They all stared at one another, and for a tiny moment, there was a still silence.


    The Apostle huffed, she couldn''t take it anymore.


    "It seems you heathens are prepared to die" She said with a re.


    Phobio suddenly stepped forward and smirked at the Lauria.


    "That''s a treasonable thing to say to a Royal, the son of the King himself" He said to her.


    She gazed at him emotionlessly,pletely unmoved by his talk.


    "That doesn''t matter to me in the slightest. If you step in my way you will be cut down" She said to him with resolve.


    Phobio was taken aback by her statement and appeared flustered. He immediately pulled himself together and clenched his fist.


    "H-How dare you say that? Have you forgotten about the Alliance you have with the Royal Family? I-If you do this, then..." Phobio said nervously.


    "I am well aware of the pact between the Apostles and this Kingdom. That is why, despite my disposition, I am giving you an opportunity to live. Should you step down now, I will spare your lives." She said back.


    Phobio knew those weren''t empty threats. As an Apostle, she could make that happen. Apostles are incredibly powerful, and that is why the Royal Family thought it wiser to be allies to them, rather than bing enemies or neutral party. If the Apostles wished, they could most likely even size the throne. As an unchecked mass of unbelievable power, backed by the gods, there was really nothing anyone can do to stop them.


    "Y-You... How dare you talk to me like that. And you Knights! Have you forgotten to whom you swore loyalty to? This Kingdom! You would dare side with that, that bitch who threatens your prince?!" Phobio barked, turning to the Imperial Knights who were behind her.


    The Knights felt conflicted on what to do. Naturally, they are to side with Phobio and the Royal faction. However... They were well aware where the tip of the scales were tilted to in this battle.... And what would happen if they chose to leave the winning side.


    "Lady Apostle... The young man has a point. It''s treasonable to do something like this. Especially since we weren''t here first. Why don''t we just..." Gerund said in a hushed tone to Lauria.


    She immediately red at him, causing him to cease his speech.


    "No" Lauria stated.


    She turned toward the Imperial Knights who were behind her and addressed them.


    "Should any of you desire to take the side of the Royal military, I will allow it."


    The Imperial Knights were surprised to hear the words she spoke.


    "I will let you move over to their side within 2 minutes. If any of you wish to change sides, do it now." She said.


    "T-Then..." Gerund said hesitantly.


    "But, know that once you have crossed over you be my enemies, and I will not hesitate to cut you down along with the rest" She said.


    The Imperial Knights froze. None of them moved an inch. Why? None of them wants to die.


    "Looks like you heathens would rather be traitors to your own kingdom than lose your life. How utterly disgraceful. You''re all worse than trash" She said to them with a smile.


    None of them could reply her or look her in the eye. They knew she was right, but what was most precious to them was their life, not the life of a snobbish Royal kid. For that reason, they swallowed their pride as honorable Knights and remained subservient.


    "Well, I suppose trash has its uses... And I''ll make sure to put you all to good use. Consider yourselves honored and blessed among men, to be able to be of service to the servant of the gods" She said.


    "Y-Yes Apostle" They all responded.


    "Tch, useless imbeciles" Phobio grunted.


    In numbers, Phobio''s side was superior. But, even with sheer quantity, it would be impossible to face quality, especially if the quality referred to Imperial Knights. Imperial Knights are bestowed upon with Relics or the Hex art, sometimes both, giving them a massive advantage in battle against regr swords and armor.


    Phobio felt cornered.


    "General, what are our chances?" He asked a man beside him.


    The man wore a highly decorated armor which stood out among the soldiers. He looked to be in his mid forties and had a very tall and buff build. He had a scar on his forehead, indicating a great level ofbat experience.


    "I would advise you not to engage." He said to Phobio.


    "What? How can you say that even after she insulted me, even the Royal family" Phobio growled.


    "I understand your anger. I am also highly infuriated by her audacity and her words against his Majesty and this Kingdom." He replied.


    "Then..." Phobio retorted.


    "But young lord... There is a reason why the Royal Family has tolerated them for this long. It is because they are simply a great force to be reckoned with. The Apostle aside, even the Imperial Knights are a problem. I suppose I am able to y one or two of them, but the other soldiers won''t even stand a chance. It will be in your best interest, as well as the best interest of the soldiers to standby young lord" He said.


    Phobio gritted his teeth in frustration as he red at Lauria who smirked at him.


    "Then there is the ck Market trash. They also possess arge number, though not asrge as that of our Soldiers. The major problem with them is the mystery surrounding them. They have more experience than most of our forces, especially when ites to killing. It will be difficult to face them without help from the Imperial Knights." The General said.


    "So what do you propose?" Phobio asked.


    "We wait. We let the Apostle''s forces deal with the other enemies and wait for the reinforcements who were sent to the Grandmaster''s house to return to us. Afterward, we can begin our own counterattack." The General said with a confident smile.


    "Oh... That sounds nice" Phobio smiled too, regaining his confidence.


    "We''ll just watch the fight until the Deputy General brings the second unit here. Then I''ll make that bitch pay for insulting me" Phobio smiled evily.


    The General sighed. He knew the truth of the situation.


    "Even if our other forces join with us, It''ll be very difficult to win against them" He said within himself.


    However, he couldn''t tell that to Phobio, especially with his seething anger.


    "Hopefully, Lord Phobio will change his mind after witnessing their power" He huffed.


    "Looks like the soldiers won''t be attacking us. What a bunch of spineless losers. All you heathens are the same. You will always consider your life above anything else. How disgusting" She sneered.


    The Forces of the trade Underworld couldn''t take it anymore.


    "Oi, bitch. Seems like you need to learn your ce here" One of the minions of the Rulers said defiantly.


    He looked like the right hand man of Borgos and he had a ruffian look. He drew his sword out and pointed it to her.


    "Before you start dishing out threats why don''t you look at your numbers? We''ve got the advantage in both quality and quantity." He sneered.


    She red at him and her eyes shone white.


    "You would dare point your de at the gods'' chosen?" She said.


    Suddenly, the de he pointed toward her vanished, fading away from sight.


    His eyes bulged with surprise when he saw this.


    "What the?!" He let out.


    Sweat dropped from his forehead as he began to feel fear.


    Suddenly, the sword that vanished appeared from behind him and pierced his head, passing through his skull and appearing between his eyes. His face was filled with inexplicable pain and shock as blood flowed from the area of impact, down to his jaws.


    "Gurgh" He let out, coughing blood and falling down immediately.


    The thick red liquid oozed from his corpse and it covered the area of his body.


    "What... What just happened?" Borgos said in shock.


    Lauria closed her eyes, returning her eyes to their original color.


    She sighed, resuming her re.


    "Your period of grace is over. Imperial Knights... Kill them all" Shemanded.


    "Yes ma''am" They immediately responded.


    The Imperial Knights charged forward, each with his own Relic, ready to y their opponents.

 Chapter 50 - Let There Be Blood (Pt 2)

    12 Imperial Knights


    120 Mercenaries


    The difference in numbers are tenfold. The scales seemingly tilt toward the more popted group. However... In warfare onees to learn, that in a fight... Numbers aren''t everything!


    Kill them all" Borgosmanded his goons.


    He was infuriated by the sudden death of one of his right hands. The fresh corpse stilly on the ins as he looked at it.


    "How dare that bitch! Women are merely toys to be used as I please. Yet she dares to..." Borgos gritted his teeth.


    The tough skinned mercenaries roared as they charged forward to kill thier foes. They payed no heed to the dead body of their fallenrade, their heels stomping it as they rushed to fight.


    "Heh, unlike those noble beats, Mercenaries do not fear death since they live thier lives on the battlefield. They live to kill" Borgos smirked.


    "They caught us off guard with that first strike, but ultimately victory is ours" He added, turning toward Zad who was silent the while time.


    "Why are you looking so dull? Don''t tell me you''re having second thoughts now" Borgos asked him.


    Zad smirked as he stared at Borgos who grinned ear to ear.


    "Na. It''s just boring. At this rate we''ll win without me having to go all out." He shrugged.


    "After all... None of those Imperial Knight phonies can beat me, not with the power of my Relic" He grinned widely.


    Borgos joined his friend to smile as they watched from a distance, the battle unfolding.


    "There''s no doubt about it... I have drawn the strongest card!" Borgos smiled to himself.


    They had the perfect blend of both quality and quantity. A bnced formation.


    "With Zad''s sheerbat prowess and my human resources, we''ll be done with this fight in no time. And then... When this is all over, I''ll be taking home the grand prize. The Ancient coins"


    Zad silently nced at his friend who was making a calctive smile and grinned to himself.


    "Damn Borgos. As sly as ever, I see. But that''s what makes you so predictable. Inbat Ability, you''re the weakest in this battle. By relying on your resources and my fighting ability you think you''ll stand at the tip once the dust settles..."


    "But you don''t know that the battlefield is different from the market and trade arenas. In this world of des and blood... Only the strongest wins!" He dered within himself.


    "Guahhhhh" A cry was heard from a distance which shook both men from their thoughts.


    Their eyes both widened at the sight before them. They didn''t expect this...


    "Wahhhh"


    "Keukkkk"


    "Buahhhhh"


    Noises and screeches of men rang throughout the battlefield. And every single one of them... Were mercenaries.


    "We must dispose of every single one of them... Hurry" The Commander said to his Knights.


    They all scattered and individually carved up the bodies of the mercenaries.


    The Mercenaries, finding out they were at a disadvantage in a one-on-one fight, decided to gang up on the knights. Five surrounded Gerund as they readied their weapons, ready to strike.


    "Good stance... However, you can do nothing against overwhelming power beyond your capabilities" Gerund said, stretching forth his hand as though to reach something.


    A spear suddenly appeared within his palm, which he clenched tightly after receiving it.


    "Behold the Gale Spear!" He said to the Mercenaries who looked flustered and hesitant to engage.


    After careful deliberation, they decided to attack. They simultaneously rushed at him from all directions, aiming for at least one tond a hit on him. However...


    Gerund raised the spear above his head and, using his two hands to spin the spear, he started to generate a whirlwind around himself.


    The wind spun around him, generating cutting des made of thin air. They immediately sliced up the mercenaries who approached him, killing them all in one move.


    "Ah, it''s been a while. I''ve grown rusty" He said, noticing the damage he caused around him with dissatisfaction.


    The other Imperial Knights each used their Relics and swiftly paved their ways through the mercs.


    "Isn''t this exciting? I don''t remember thest time we got to fight so freely!" One of them said with a smile.


    In times such as this, the Imperial Knights barely have much work to do in the department of warfare and battles. They mostly patrolled the area and served as the watchdogs and escorts to nobles and influential men. One of the things they thirsted for was now made avable to them. Who can me them for letting a little loose?


    "This is boring" One of the knights muttered.


    One of the Terrible Trio, she looked at the frenzy before her with her empty-looking eyes and had a disappointed expression on her face. She stayed away from the battle crazed area and maintained her distance from the majority of the fight. As she watched the battle with her empty gaze she couldn''t help but feel even more empty. She wanted more, she expected more..This wasn''t what she was promised.


    "You must have some nerve. Spacing out in the middle of battle" A group of seven mercenaries said, approaching her with wide grins on their faces.


    She was alone and even seemed defenseless and small.


    "Oh? A girl among the Imperial Knights. How rare!" One of them eximed.


    "Well well well, aren''t we lucky? Even look how old she looks. Hah, I didn''t know the Kingdom enlisted young and bloomingdies, such as soldiers. What a waste" Another said with a smile.


    "It''s our lucky day. Why don''t we have some fun with her first before killing her off?" They said amongst themselves.


    "Oi, why don''t you say something little girl? You''re scared? hehe, guess you shouldn''t have messed with us in the first ce!" They menacingly said to her.


    "Weak..."


    "What was that?" One of them said, drawing his ear closer in a mock fashion with a smirk on his face.


    "You''re all too weak... We are both tired, of weak blood from weak people" She mumbled.


    Weak?!


    These words hit the men like a sledgehammer. As proud men of battle, their egos were bruised.


    "You bitch!" One of them yelled, raising his sword against her.


    She stared at him nkly, looking unmotivated to even move a muscle.


    "Don''t look down on me!" He yelled.


    Suddenly, as he was about to bring down his sword to smite her, he stopped dead in his tracks


    "Gertur?!" Another mercenary called, referring to the stationary man.


    "He can''t hear you." The female knight said In a low tone.


    "W-What?!" The Mercenaries said, suddenly feeling chills.


    "After all... He''s dead." She stated tly.


    Suddenly, the man''s body vertically sliced open from the top to bottom in a clean cut.


    "Splurge!!!!"


    Blood gushed out as his body split into two and fell to the ground.


    "H-Howe?" They asked in surprise.


    Then they noticed the hand of the youngdy. She was holding a small dagger. It didn''t look like anything so special, yet they could feel a very malevolent aura emanating from it. Their instincts screamed at them.


    ''Run''


    But it was toote.


    "Shino is so hungry right now. She''s saying even you guys will suffice for now..." She said to the mercenaries.


    Every fiber in their being told them to take their chances and run, but their pride wouldn''t let them.


    "Then... Die, and be nourishment for Shino." She said.


    She raised her dagger and suddenly it brought forth many des in an instant, piercing the six remaining Mercenaries at once.


    Slowly, their dying bodies began to get drained and their flesh squeezed, the emaciation made them barely recognizable.


    The des which pierced them were retracted and returned to the dagger.


    "Shino still hasn''t had enough... And neither have I. How boring" She muttered, turning to leave.


    The dry bodiesy on the ground as she passed by then, not giving them a second look or thought.


    The battle raged on and it was clear to everyone at this point who the winner would be.


    Borgos began to panic and had a flustered look on his face. Did he miscalcte?


    "At this rate..." He contemted.


    "Oi, Old friend... Don''t tell me you''re having cold feet already." Zad smiled at his partner in crime.


    Borgos immediately came to the realization he seemed to have lost.


    "Oh Yesss, how could I forget. We still have a trump card! We can''t lose!!!" Borgos smiled.


    "This is good... It would be boring otherwise." Zad grinned as he slowly walked to the battlefield.


    "Looks like I''ll be joining in the final after all" He said as he kept advancing.


    "Men, fall back" Borgos ordered.


    For Zad to do his thing, it was best for the others not to be within range... If they valued their lives.


    The mercenaries halted their battle and obeyed their boss, retreating to their positions. However, from the looks of them, the surviving members were a few above 20. This greatly surpassed their imagination, especially since the enemy camp had suffered no fatalities in the fight. However... That was soon about to change.


    "Let''s get started shall we?!" He smiled as he faced the 12 Imperial Knights all by himself.


    "The Battle is just beginning!"

 Chapter 51 - Rampage

    Zad cracked his neck as he bent them side by side, flexing his muscles and getting ready to fight. He gazed at the Imperial Knights and smiled.


    "I''ll win"


    He clenched his fist to activate his Relic, and suddenly the ten rings on his fingers began to glow.


    The knights were taken aback by this development and became wary of their opponent.


    "What''s wrong? Won''t you attack?" He asked them.


    The remained silent and took their stance, staying on guard. Their eyes remained fixated on him, readying themselves to fight.


    "Ten Rings, activate" He grinned.


    Suddenly energy surged from the rings, covering his entire body with intense aura. The power flowed throughout his body and around him. The ground on which he stood began to respond to this new surge of power, breaking down from the pressure alone.


    "What is that?" The knights said, holding their ground in face of such great pressure.


    "Let''s have some fun shall we" He grinned wildly.


    Before even thest words he spoke entirely registered in the knights, he vanished from their sights.


    "Wha-" They let out.


    Suddenly, he appeared beside one of the knights and drove his fist into the stomach of the flustered knight.


    "Guackkk" He spat blood.


    The knight instantly fell down, his body throbbing in pain.


    He tried to move his body, but only his hands were willing to obey him. As he stretched his hands weakly to reach the rest of hisrades, his vision dulled and his entire body felt hot from the blow.


    Zad, upon seeing the struggle of the man, raised one of his legs up and smashed it on the skull of the knight. His skull shattered and brain sttered and his blood oozed around the ins, instantly killing him.


    The Imperial Knights were surprised by the sudden appearance and attack of Zad. However he didn''t even give them enough time to react on this emotion.


    He disappeared again, leaving the bloodied corpse of the knight he crushed behind.


    "W-Where...?!" Themander gritted his teeth.


    He appeared once again in front of another Knight. Heunched his ballistic fist at the man. The knight dodged it, only barely and had a look of fright, the fear for his life. Zad wasted no time and instead used his legs to kick the side of the knight.


    "Guarghhh" He yelled, feeling his ribs crack all at once.


    He fell on the ground, wiggling in pain.


    "Cheh, how noisy." Zad grunted, finishing him off as he did the former.


    "W-What is this guy?!" The Knights said among themselves.


    "He''s not even going to give us the chance to use our Relics?!"


    "Is it teleportation?!"


    They were all flustered and dreaded who would be next.


    "Cheh, at this rate..." Themander groaned.


    "Fall back everyone" He ordered.


    The Knights affirmed and made their way to retreat back to their positions.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" Zad smiled widely.


    He vanished from sight and appeared behind a fleeing knight.


    "You''re all going to die here" He said, using his fist to drill a hole into the frightened knight.


    "Blurghh" He let out before dying.


    Phobio and his soldiers all watched in horror as they witnessed the massacre which took ce before their very eyes.


    "Who is that man? Is he a monster?" His General said.


    "B-But... You can take him on, right General?" Phobio asked, his voice trembled as he spoke.


    The General could not utter a word... Because he knew what his answer would be.


    At best he could manage to fight against two or three Imperial Knights, but this person was owning them and easily subduing them like child''s y. Who wouldn''t be frightened by the sight.


    "Young lord... Maybe we should retreat..." The General advised Phobio.


    Phobio shot him a bad look which made him swallow and retract his words. He forgot about his fear of the Apostle and all his mind could think about was... How deadly the man who fought was.


    "After them, we are next" He gulped.


    The soldiers were shaking as well, the fear of such a one sided battle and knowing their turn would soone.


    Zad rampaged, killing Knight after knight before they could even react.


    "L-Lady Apostle... please save us" One of the knights cried out.


    Lauria merely gazed at them, refused to lift a finger as she watched calmly.


    "There''s no need for me to save trash such as you heathens. Die and be useful even in your death" She said.


    "Wha....?! Guakkkk" The Knight let out as he was killed mercilessly.


    "And that makes 9" He muttered, looking toward the remaining 3 survivors.


    "It''s good I save the best forst. I can tell... You three are different from the rest of them, aren''t you?" He said to them with a grin.


    Themander as well as the two members of the Terrible Trio were left. Though from the looks of things, they too weren''t long for the world.


    "You beast" Gerund said to him with a re.


    "I can''t die yet... I am yet to avenge sir Gwain and render justice upon his killer" Eric, a Terrible said, clinging tightly to his de


    "S-Strong... This man is strong. I can''t wait. Hehehehe" Pheobe, the other Terrible muttered to herself with a sick grin.


    "I''m so happy, I can''t wait... Watch me big brother Gwain. I''m going to kill some more"


    "And... After I''m done with you three, I''ll head for my grand prize. The lil bitch over there. Apostle or whatever, it doesn''t matter. You''ll all die by my hands. It''ll be fun killing all of you as you scream to my ears" Zad smiled.


    As heughed heavily, he suddenly felt a chill behind him.


    "What did you just say?" Lauria asked in a low foreboding tone.


    "What was that just now? Did I just get shivers?!" Zad asked himself.


    "How dare a filthy heathen like you taint the name of Apostle... This I will not overlook" She said, slowly walking forward.


    Zad felt an auraing from her which gave him a bad feeling. Cold beads of sweat began to form on his face.


    His instincts told him...


    "That woman.... Is dangerous!"

 Chapter 52 - Execution

    "If you want to live, I''ll advise you to walk away now" Lauria, the Apostle said, referring to the three Knights who had already taken their stance to fight.


    Upon hearing her voice, the Imperial Knights obeyed and retreated, though Pheobe did this reluctantly.


    "Tch, I wanted to fight him" She muttered.


    They went to stay behind the Apostle, who was already seething with anger.


    Zad was so preupied with his thoughts on Laura, that he didn''t notice in time the retreat of the Knights.


    "Where do you think you''re going? You think just because you''re hiding behind that bitch I can''t get you?" He said.


    Vanishing once again, he made for the fleeing Knights.


    "You''re mine!" He grinned widely.


    As soon as he appeared tond a strike, two des appeared right in front of him and nearly pierced him. Instinctively he twisted, dodging them as fast as he could. He leaped away from the Knights who managed to escape from his grasp.


    "Tch, what was that just now?" He asked himself.


    Lauria red at the Zad and continued moving forward. She finally stood before him.


    "You, what kind of art are you using? Or is it a Relic?!" He asked her with amanding tone.


    "How impudent" She muttered.


    Five des appeared above him and descended with great force on him.


    "Tch" He said, quickly backflipping and turning his body to avoid their strikes.


    "How is she doing that?" He asked himself.


    "It seems you move faster than the des" She said to him.


    Zad smirked. She merely surprised him is all, in overall power and speed he had the advantage.


    "My Relic, the ''Ten Rings'' is a set item that activates when all rings are synchronized. It took me a great deal of pain and time to obtain the set, but it was well worth it." He said to the Apostle.


    "This is a Grade 2 Relic that boosts my Ability beyond the bounds of any human and raises all my capabilities beyond the maximum. I can move faster than the eye can process and a single hit from me can kill any person." He smiled at her.


    "Do you understand now, little bitch? You''re no match for me. Those swords will never reach me. You''repletely out of your league here. Surrender and maybe I''ll make you one of my secretaries. Heh, though Ka might not take that so well. After all, she''ll be havingpetition." He grinned.


    Laura, who was initially ring at him, suddenly bursted intoughter.


    "Wha-?!" Zad said, taken aback by her reaction.


    "So that''s all it is... How disappointing." She said to him.


    "What did you just say you little bitch" He said to her in anger.


    "Hey, I think I''ve been lenient with you enough. Call me that one more time and you''ll suffer for it" She said, suddenly ring at him.


    "W-What does this bitch thi-" Zad stuttered, he was flustered by her gaze.


    Before he couldplete his words, a sword suddenly appeared by his legs and pierced his knee.


    "Guahhh" He let out in pain.


    He staggered on his feet and quickly removed the de from his body. He groaned as he took in the pain.


    "I couldn''t react in time?!" He asked himself.


    "I thought I told you not to utter such drivel" She said to him.


    "Gahhh, You little... This is nothing. I''ll heal in no time" He groaned.


    "Oh? You''re quite confident in those toys aren''t you?" She said to him.


    "I wonder what happens when they''re gone" She muttered.


    "What are you talking about, you..."


    As he was talking, he suddenly felt his power diminish and the energy which flowed through him left him instantly.


    "W-Wha-?!" He muttered.


    What just happened?


    His eyes widened as he looked at his fingers... They weren''t there anymore.


    "Where are they... My rings... Where are they?!" He asked crazily.


    With bulging eyes and gritted teeth he looked at Lauria, who merely sighed and said.


    "Looking for these?"


    Suddenly, the Ten rings fell one after the other to the ground, appearing out of thin air.


    "How did you... Who are you?!" He asked her, as his body trembled.


    "Shit, the aftereffects!" He thought.


    As a bacsh from unleashing so much power and straining his body, he experienced temporarily restriction in mobility. However, Zad knew that the trembling experienced by his body was not only due to the effects of the Ten Rings power leaving him.


    It was also fear!


    "You called me a bitch severally. However, that is not the reason I am going to execute you today. For you sphemed and ridiculed the title of Apostle granted to us by the gods. As such, you have not only insulted me as well as myrades, but the gods themselves." She said.


    A de immediately appeared on her hand as she called grabbed it, moving slowly to Zad.


    "N-No, stay away from me..." He said, attempting to escape from her.


    Three swords appeared and pierced his second, uninjured legs and hands.


    "Guarghhh" He screamed.


    He fell to his knees and was still struggling to get up.


    "What an eyesore. Stop squirming..." Lauria said.


    Five swords appeared and stabbed bis back all at once.


    "Puarckkk" He spat out blood from his mouth as he stopped struggling and was renderedpletely immobilized.


    "Much better. Now then... She said, raising her sword.


    "M-Mercy..." He begged in a ragged voice.


    "I... Was... Wrong..." He croaked.


    But it was toote.


    "Receive your judgement, filthy heathen!" She said, bringing the sword down in one decisive swing.


    <<St!!!>>

 Chapter 53 - Annihilation

    Blood scattered everywhere as Zad''s head rolled on the ins, his face still had thest expression he had before death.


    Complete terror!


    "Now then, who''s next?" Lauria asked, turning to the remaining Mercenaries.


    The Mercenaries totally lost their will to fight after watching the most powerful get trumped so easily. With only a few of their numbers left, they stood no chance at all.


    "She easily took down... A Ruler?!" They mumbled.


    No one wants to die... Not even steel-hearted men of the battlefield.


    They all dropped their swords and ran away, screaming pathetically. Abandoning their Ruler, Borgos, who merely stood dumbfounded, they fled desperately.


    "H-Hey,e back here. Don''t leave me... You bastards!!!" Borgos yelled.


    His legs were shaking and he could not even move. His knees gave out as he copsed on the floor, unable to move.


    "Zad got defeated...? And now it''s my turn... Shit! shit!! shit!!!" He thought within himself.


    Noises of desperation and cries filled the field as the Mercenaries hurried to safety. They hoped, they prayed, they begged as they ran, for the Apostle not to give chase to them and let them go.


    Lauria sighed. Of course, she wasn''t going to do that. She, as the hammer of justice that renders all evil to judgment, had to perform her duty. It also didn''t help their case that she totally despised heathens.


    Phobio and the General watched as the Mercenaries ran for their dear lives and cried like babies. A thought appeared on the General''s mind whether he and his troops should do the same.


    "What''s taking our reinforcements so long?" Phobio said impatiently.


    He was nervous and anxious. He didn''t want to die.


    "She''s in an entirely different league from Flora," He said, remembering the Apostle he had by his side when fighting Hexarion.


    "She... She won''te this way will she?" He gulped.


    The soldiers were already uneasy and tension grew among them. They contemted staying or escaping. They picked thetter.


    "Uooohhhhh" The Soldiers ran away as well, following the Mercenaries to escape the Fate which awaited them. Together with the mercenaries, they stampeded and made for their escape.


    Only the General remained by Phobio''s side, refusing to leave even though every fiber of his being wanted to.


    "I... I can''t abandon the young prince" He said to himself as cold sweat appeared all over his body.


    "Filthy heathens, the lot of them. They''re a bit much, but I''ll have to take care of all of them" She sighed.


    Her eyes glowed white as she prepared herself tounch a decisive attack to end both soldiers and mercenaries alike.


    Suddenly a multitude of swords appeared in the sky. innumerable and unmeasurable des, suspended in the air.


    The fleeing men witnessed this and gasped. Tears fell out of the eyes of some as they saw the sharp edges of uncountable swords.


    "You... You can''t be serious... This is..." They gasped.


    They picked up their pace and pushed their legs further to try to escape the endless swords.


    "Descend" A voice let out.


    In a sh, the swords fell with immeasurable force and rained down upon them.


    The des stabbed, pierced, butchered, sliced up, carved up, impaled, killed, mutted, and stabbed again...Over five des pierced a single soldier. Some received as much as fifty des as each de ovepped and continuously rendered the bodies into mincemeat. This process was carried out instantly until every single one of the fleeing soldiers and mercenaries was dead.


    The sea of corpses brought forth blood which filled the field they were in. The des stood, as their edges were still in the corpses, with their handles facing the sky. Dust and smoke filled the surrounding area thanks to the sparks caused by the swords and their stirring of the ground.


    Phobio felt sick. So many lives... Lost... Just like that.


    "Wow, Lady Apostle... That is impressive! What strength. So this is the power of the gods bestowed upon men" Commander Gerund said in awe.


    "T-That wasn''t me..." Lauria''s voice sounded.


    Gerund gazed upon the Apostle and was surprised by what he saw.


    Her eyes bulged with shock as she couldn''t exin what had just urred. She looked perplexed at the ughter that had just taken ce.


    "What could you possibly mean, Miss Apostle you surely..." He ventured to say.


    "Who... Who is that?" She said, noticing a silhouette appearing from the smoke caused by the sudden impact of the countless swords upon the earth.


    A young man of about 19 years stepped forward. His dark hair and purple eyes were the first to be noticed among his appearances. He had a grin on his face and he walked calmly, with his hands in his pockets and an air of easiness around him.


    "W-What is he...?! How can this be...?!" Lauria said, her eyes bulging even further and her face showing slight hints of fear.


    "L-Lady Apostle... What do you mean? Is that man..." Gerund asked.


    "That is no man!" She interrupted him sharply as she raised her voice.


    Gerund immediately kept quiet and withdrew from speaking. He looked at the trembling apostle, he was full of surprise. She never showed any form of hesitation or fear before so this was new to him. She clenched her teeth and red at the approaching figure.


    "How can it be... That I sense no Essence from him?! This is impossible!" She said with trembling.


    Like a nk figure in an entire world full of color, an anomaly that shouldn''t even exist. That was what she saw with her Extrasensory perception. He didn''t have any Aspect, something everyone and everything possessed.


    "That being... Who is he?!"


    [My Turn]


    I smiled as I casually approached the few survivors of the battle, after decimating the useless ones who retreated.


    There''s Phobio, his general, three Imperial Knights who appear to be of higher ranks than the ones who died, the Ruler in charge of Artia''s ck Market sector Borgos, and finally, the Apostle.


    From my distance I can see the expression the Apostle is making, priceless.


    After observing everything thus far, it''s time for me to join in on the fun. After all... Everything is going ording to my n.


    "Time for the final act" I grinned widely.

 Chapter 54 - Mastermind

    Everything so far has yed out just as I wanted.


    "Root" I whispered.


    Immediately, all the des that we''re all around the fields vanished, re-entering my Treasury. They glowed purple as they ventured into purple sub-portals and disappeared.


    Everyone''s eyes are on me at the moment, most of them have looks of confusion, some fear... However, the only expression that really catches my attention is that of the Apostle.


    "What... What is that?!" She muttered to herself.


    "There''s... No Essence....No element which exists in all things that exist. Is this real?" She asked.


    Oh? She must be talking about Aspects. Of course, someone of her level won''t know about Aspects, however, she must be able to perceive them as forms of essence that flow through everything. That''s how they''re able to disrupt Hex, the gods sure gave them some nice perks.


    By now she''s most likely wondering why and how an anomaly like myself is present. Not only that, how I was able to kill so many at once. This much is no big deal though, but to her, for a stranger with no trace of Essence to suddenly appear out of the blue and kill those people, it seems downright impossible.


    Well, all will be revealed soon anyway.


    I walked closer to them, hands in my pockets, with a casual stride. The sea of blood was of no concern to me since my attire is immune to stains anyway.


    "Looks like the final yers for thest act are all here" I announced to them.


    "S-Sir Rio!!! You''re here!!! It''s me, do you remember? Your loyal servant Phobio" Phobio shouted, waving at me excitedly.


    He has a look of relief on his face, confident of my presence which ensures his security against the Apostle.


    The Apostle continued to gaze at me, unable to properly render a statement to me. Her mind is probably still processing how I exist, or if I exist in the first ce. She should think harder.


    Finally, she spoke.


    "Just what... What are you?" She asked me with a re, her hands trembled as she made a sword appear on her hand and took a defensive stance.


    A perfect reaction in the face of something impossible.


    I smiled at her, ignored her question then looked at Phobio, who continued to wave at me.


    "What a kid," I said under my breath.


    Finally, I turned away from both of them to see the object of the whole conflict and the center of attraction for this entire game.


    "Hello, Julius. How have you been?" I smiled at him.


    He slowly gazed up and his eyes met mine.


    "It... It was all you..." Julius muttered.


    "Indeed. You''ve done well so far. You were the perfect pawn" I said to him.


    "H-How... Why?!" He asked me in utter confusion.


    I smiled.


    "I do not need to tell you... But it would be boring if you were to die off without knowing anything, now wouldn''t it?" I asked him.


    "I told you from the very beginning, didn''t I? The cost for the Ancient coins was everything. Now I''vee to collect what is due to me" I said.


    "B-But that was... You said..." He protested weakly.


    "Who cares about the trivial details. Julius, this very day... I''ll be in control of everything in this city. And you''ll die knowing it''s all thanks to you" I said to him with a smile.


    "I-I don''t understand... I thought..." He muttered, still failing toprehend my words.


    Maybe I ought to take them all back to exin everything.


    "H-Hey! Answer me!!!" The Apostle shouted in an enraged tone.


    Perhaps she should also listen to this, this way it''ll clear some of her confusion.


    "Everything you''ve thought since the moment you met me has been a lie. You''ve only believed what I want you to believe." I said to him.


    His eyes bulged as he heard this.


    "The deal we made, the rtionship we had, the money you received... They were all part of the n" I said.


    Finally, I get to tell this fool what I''ve held within me for so long. He actually thought he was being smart and lucky for sealing such a deal with me. I certainly looked like a fool when I agreed to such a deal with him, but I''m in it for the end game, which will always result in my win.


    "I admit, the exposure of Ancient coins to the staff and those present in your shop by me was a blunder on my part. Icked enough information to actually know the value of Ancient coins. But, as soon as I knew... Everything from that moment on was my n in motion" I said.


    "W-What do you mean... That I was being yed into signing a deal that would benefit me?" He asked.


    "Exactly" I smiled.


    "You served as a beacon to draw attention to Artia, and you were the bait that brought me the tools I need for my n to be fully realized," I replied.


    The Apostle and her Imperial Knights watched and heard the conversation between Julius and myself. She conflicted within herself.


    "B-But... The Grandmaster is the perpetrator. I clearly sensed the Evil Art, Hex, in his Auction House, and even now I still perceive the aura of Hex emanating from him. He is the Hex user I''m searching for! Who are you?" She asked me.


    I turned and smiled at her.


    "I am the true mastermind and culprit behind everything so far," I said.


    "W-What?! B-But that is..." She said, refusing to ept my words.


    "Think about it reasonably, do you think this foolish excuse of a man would have been able to pull off a killing spree at the house of that noble, or killed that annoying imperial Knight? Besides, even after the show of raining des, I gave to you... Do you still doubt the validity of my words?" I asked her with a smile


    Her eyes suddenly widened,ing into the realization that I was actually telling the truth, which means...


    "You''re the Hex user!" She shouted.


    Hex user? Don''t make meugh.


    "Y-You killed sir Gwain! How dare you?! You murderer! I''ll take your life with these very hands!!!" One of the surviving Imperial Knights said to me in anger.


    Looks like he was acquainted with Gwain, the Imperial Knight I killed back then. He wants revenge? How stupid... Oh wait, I probably shouldn''t say that.


    "So you seek revenge against me... How utterly amusing and foolish" I said to the young man.


    "You... What would you know about it? You monster!" He yelled at me with seething anger.


    What a childish man.


    "I understand more than you think. I too desire revenge against some people. The reason I consider your revenge to be foolish doesn''t dwell in the act itself, but the man enacting it" I said.


    "W-Wha...?!" He said in confusion.


    "We both desire revenge, however, there are two major differences between the both of us, that makes mine entirely legitimate and yours utter nonsense" I shook my head.


    "One. You do not have the power to enact the revenge you seek. You are simply a mere speck of dust trying to battle an immeasurable void. It is foolish to even fantasize about such a grand idea as revenge" I said to him.


    He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, unable to respond to my words.


    "And the second... You seek revenge for the sake of another, whereas I seek revenge for what is truly mine! My revenge is mine and mine alone. And that, young man, is why you are foolish and undeserving of such a gratifying quest such as revenge" I said to him with a tone of finality.


    His face fell and he was unable to let out another word of defiance. Good, one insect has been shut up.


    No more interruptions. A good viin is allowed toplete his evil monologue.


    "Ever since the incident with the noble and that Imperial Knight, I knew it was only a matter of time before you would investigate trace my steps to Artia. The appearance of the Apostle, Flora, made me aware of the existence of your organization and strengthened my conviction more. It wasn''t going to be long before Artia was targeted due to my involvement." I said.


    "However, I am one who can discern the oue of events and orchestrate everything to always fall into my favor"


    "I sold the Ancient coins to Julius and used Hex on him within the Auction House, not only to ensure he wasn''t going to betray me but also to leave the mark of Hex on him." I smiled.


    "Then, that means...!" The Apostle eximed.


    "Indeed. The Hex traces you sensed from Julius was ced upon him by me." I revealed.


    "You see, before I killed Flora, I took all her memories and went through them. I know who you are, Lauria" I said to her, my gaze piercing hers.


    "H-How do you...?!" She muttered in surprise.


    "I also know quite a bit about your little cult. I knew it was only a matter of time before you were sent to investigate Flora''s death, and you would approach the Imperial Knights due to their peculiar situation concerning the ughter that urred in the manor. Since both of them had the element of Hex involved, it was only sensible that you would connect the dots. Using what you discovered, you woulde to Artia to find the perpetrator, and what was the one thing you''d be looking out for the most?" I asked the audience.


    "H-Hex..." Lauria muttered, looking frustrated.


    "Exactly! Since I had already ced the mark on Julius and created such a big mess in Artia thanks to my fight with Flora, all I needed to do was ce a little hint within the rubble to lead you to Imperius. Fortunately for me, the unlucky prince, Phobio happened to be in my care at the time. I used some of the items he had on him and made it seem as though the Imperius Auction House was involved. That led you on a wild goose chase, pursuing a mere pawn in a gamerger than any of you couldprehend" I said.


    Everyone around me couldn''t believe what they were hearing. I orchestrated so many things that just seemed to be natural events to them.


    Of course, that isn''t all.


    "Y-You used the entire Imperial Knights and the Apostle... Just to capture me?!" Julius said with a croak.


    "Of course. But who said I stopped there?"


    Their eyes widened as I said this.


    "There''s more?" Lauria thought to herself.


    "I only mentioned how I brought one of the three opposing forces here, what do you think happened to the other two?" I grinned.


    "No... You didn''t..." Julius said with a despaired face.


    "Yes. Yes, I did."


    They all looked at me with shock written on their faces. What else could I have done?

 Chapter 55 - Endgame

    "B-But how?! Even you can''t possibly be connected to the ck Market''s underworld! You said it yourself! You do not have enough information concerning Arita. How were you able to...." Julius asked in a desperate manner.


    "I''m a fast learner" I cut in.


    "Besides, it wasn''t too hard for me since one of the effects of the Hex I ced on you is to give me information as to the motives and actions you take concerning the agreement we made. Your entire deals with the ck Market were all seen by me. I know of everything you did and intended to do. The existence of the ck Market was a massive bonus to me and it became an integral part of my n" I said.


    "W-Wha...?!" Julius said in surprise.


    "Isn''t it only natural? For every organized body, there is bound to be a leader" I said, looking at the copsed Ruler of the Arita ck Market section.


    "To be honest, not much work was needed to pit the Rulers against you, since your greed and inexperience was enough to make you enemies of them. All I did was fan the mes you started. Thanks to themotion I made with the Ancient Coins I openly disyed at the reception, the sources of information for the Rulers became more concrete and sufficient for them to carry out a solid investigation on you and confirm your possession of the Ancient Coins. I also generated uneasiness within the ck Market and interfering with the business of the Rulers, making them desperate for the Ancient coins in your possession. This made them act rashly and hurriedly, leading us right to this moment" I concluded.


    "No way... Even that too?! Then, even the Soldiers who came here... They are all...?" Julius mumbled.


    I paused for a moment, looking at Phobio, who also seemed anxious of what I was saying. His General looked at me with the expression of wariness. He was on his guard, hoping to protect the prince should I attempt to do anything to him.


    Why would I do that though? I don''t n on harming Phobio anytime soon. Why? Because... He is by far one of my most useful pawn in this entire n and in the ones toe.


    "To be honest with you, Phobio is a major catalyst for this entire event which ured. He kick-started the whole thing when he chose to attack me with the aid of the Apostle, Flora." I said.


    "W-What? Flora?" Lauria gasped.


    "Yes. He attacked me alongside her, on the night after the Auction. Of course, I won, killing Flora and capturing him. After a very thrilling mind breaking session within Root, he received the proper education and orientation he required, making him a servant of mine in every aspect." I smiled.


    "He will never defy me. He will always answer me. He will maintain his natural personality, but underneath all that is a machine I have programmed for my use." I revealed.


    "N-No... That isn''t... That''s not what I..." Phobio stuttered to respond.


    "Phobio... Kill your General." I said.


    Immediately, Phobio took the sword of the General, whose sole focus was on me, and ran the de through the heart of the unsuspecting General


    "Guarghhh" The General vomited blood as he looked at Phobio with shock.


    "Y-Young... Prince..." He muttered as he fell to the ground dead.


    What an end. He refused to betray his lord even when everyone did, only for him to die a dog''s death at the hand of the one he swore loyalty too. This is why humans are so pathetic.


    "W-What have I done.... Why did I...?" He muttered in confusion as he looked upon his bloodied hands and dropped his sword, shaking inplete terror and shock.


    "Good job, now sleep" I said to him.


    Suddenly, he gave himself a mighty jab, his elbow sinking into his body, causing him to enter into shock and fall unconscious.


    He fell into the pool of blood he caused by killing his only loyal servant.


    "Oops, I forgot to tell him about the reinforcements who were stationed at Julius'' home..." I realized.


    They''re all dead anyway. I killed them. Since they''ve already yed their role, they won''t be useful anymore at this point.


    "You monster! You vile creature! What have you done to them? You im he is your servant yet how can you treat him in such a way? Do you even possess any form of decency?" Lauria yelled out in anger at the sight she beheld.


    I wonder why she''s making a big fuss over this. He''s only unconscious. I won''t kill him now, he''s still plenty useful to me.


    "It seems you did not understand when I mentioned us being enemies initially" I replied her.


    "B-But that changed, hasn''t it? You became allies didn''t you?! He even referred to you as a friend and imed you saved him from... Oh no, don''t tell me. That was a..." Lauria cut herself short, realizing her entire perception of the battle was a lie.


    "Of course it isn''t true. After reprogramming him, I decided to make good use of his ties to the Royal Family. Of course, as one of the lesser ranked princes, he isn''t entitled to much and his influence is very low. But, by creating a farce for him, and giving him a few million Ancient Coins to raise his influence within the pce, everyone listened to his words. The King granted him a small army of 400 to settle the matter with Julius and arrest him, guaranteeing them more Ancient Coins should they seize Julius'' Ancient coins. The temptation for such wealth was too appealing to them so they took the bait, just as I wanted. With that, I was able to get the Army on my side, cornering Julius on all ends." I said with a smile.


    "That is....You did all that?!" Lauria said.


    She is beginning to fear me, I can tell. Enough power to overwhelm a small army, enough wits to manipte events to suit my whims. Everything is way out of her imagination.


    "B-But why me? Why did it have to be me?" Julius groaned miserably.


    "Why you? There''s no particr reason. You just happened to be the Grandmaster if the Auction House I decided to use. me it on your luck, if you will" I said to him.


    "L-Luck... Lady luck...?!" He mumbled to himself in utter devastation.


    "What do you hope to gain by doing all this? All this death and chaos and misery. All that this achieves is just chaos and carnage! What is your end goal?" Lauria asked me with resolve.


    I shrugged.


    "This is merely the first step. Nothing has truly happened yet. Consider this the appetizer before the main course. This is just a testing phase, a premonition of what is toe.".I told her.


    "What is toe...?!" She repeated my words.


    I grinned widely as my eyes shone purple.


    "Utter nothingness"


    "N-No... It can''t end like this. I can''t die like this. Someone help me!!! Apostle, guards, everyone! Anyone! Please someone save me. I''ll reward you handsomely. Just please!!!" Julius begged and screamed.


    Who would have thought such aposed man could be so maddened. That''s human nature for you, so unpredictable and fickle.


    "You''re too loud" I said, materializing a sword and grabbing it with my hand.


    I raised my hands to strike Julius down and silence his pathetic whimpering. But... As I descended my hands, bringing down my sword to shut him up, the de disappeared, fading into obscurity.


    "Oh? I see now..." I smiled, gazing toward Lauria, the Apostle.


    "No more... I will not allow you to do any more!" She said with resolve.


    "So you''re saying you''ll stop me?" I asked her with a rxed smile, turning away from Julius and giving her my attention.


    "Yes. With everything I have, I will stop you... And I will put an end to this game you have created." She said, summoning a sword to her hand and taking a stance.


    Her eyes glowed white indicating she was ready for battle.


    Interesting, let''s see what you''ve got, little Apostle. Entertain me some more!

 Chapter 56 - Despondency

    She suddenly dashed toward me at full speed, closing the distance between us within moments. As she used her materialized sword to aim for my head with a sh, I bent down immediately, dodging her first strike.


    Suddenly, three des appeared from above me and descended, aimed at my back. I leaped away, barely escaing their attacks. Behind me, five more appeared. Theyunched at me with full force as I was suspended in the air, locking me between escaping the des from whence I leaped from, and the ones which quickly approached me.


    I smiled.


    Within a fraction of a moment, I slightly altered the structure of my body, decreasing my weight drastically. This allowed me to float slightly higher and at faster speeds. I dodged the five des with far greater ease, ensuring a safending on my two feet.


    "That was a nice exercise" I said to her in a rxing tone.


    "Y-You... You dare look down on me? You... You..." Lauria shouted in anger.


    I''m sure she doesn''t know what to call me. I don''t fall under the category of heathen. To her, I''m someone she doesn''t understand in the slightest. And for humans, the natural response to the unknown is... Fear!


    She made a mass of over ten des appear in every direction around me andunched them straight at my vitals. I enhanced my body even more and dodged most of them, using my hands to deflect some if needed, until all of them were on the ground and I remained unscathed.


    "H-How are you... How are you able to react to the effects of my Grace?" She asked in unbelief.


    I shrugged casually.


    "You... I''ll make you pay for that!" She growled.


    She''s flustered. It''s in obvious. Her attack patterns are too predictable and her reactions give her next move away. If only she could be calmer, maybe she would be able to perform better. It''s time to give her some motivation.


    "Let me know when you''re ready to get serious... Apostle of Hades" I smiled to her.


    Her eyes widened in surprise when she heard that.


    "H-How do you know that?" She asked with a shocked expression written all over her face.


    Well, from Flora''s memories that much is obvious. Besides, the move she repeatedly does is one of Hades trademark specialties. Swords appearing out of nowhere, it sure sounds like a hax. However, once you know the true mechanics behind it, it bes quite nd. Enough of that, maybe she''ll be able to show me something new.


    "You shame your god with your pathetic disy ofbat. If this is how the Apostle of Hades, one of the well respected gods, fights, then he mustn''t be such a big deal after all." I taunted.


    Her face switched from indecisive fear to pure hate and anger.


    "How dare you heathen... You would dare sully the name of god with such vulger lips" She red at me.


    Her face squeezed tightly as veins appeared in her forehead. Her fists clenched in a resolute manner and her eyes burned with such passion. Oh, this will be quite interesting.


    I can sense an unusual amount of power rise from within her. This is it, with this she''ll finally fight in earnest.


    People have various fuels which drive them to bring out their best in a fight. For some it is ''to protect someone precious to them'', for some it is their pride, some anger. Fear stands as a beseter for most of these fuels, causing them to waver or dwindle. So, in order to ensure an optimal performance in a fight, all that is needed is to produce a far greater fuel which overshadows the fear.


    I have sessfully done that. Now it''s time to enjoy a more thrilling battle.


    "Let''s go"


    "Fine. Since it''s death you seek so badly... I''ll grant you a fate worse than death!" She said.


    Immediately she dashed toward me, generating two swords, holding on on both hands. As she closed the distance, she threw them at me. I generated a sword of my own to parry the attacks, but immediately it vanished.


    "Oh right, I forgot" I said.


    She''s able to make objects disappear and also make others objects appear. A very scary ability that''s not just limited to objects, but also people as well... Or so it seems.


    Her swords drew nearer to me and I had to enhance my body even more to parry the both of them. As I did this, a grin formed on her face.


    From underneath me, massive des surged forth, piercing my entire body and rendered me immobile.


    "Ah?" I let out in surprise, as the des dug even deeper.


    "Not so cocky now are you?" Lauria smiled as she walked closer to me.


    "Y-You..." I muttered to her.


    "Oh? You still have the nerve to speak? I suppose the swords aren''t plentiful enough to silence you!" She said with a re.


    Immediately, she made seven more swords descend upon me. They pierced my shoulder, my back and my legs.


    "Garghh" I groaned.


    "That''s a much better sound" She said with a pleased expression.


    "You... You... " I still muttered.


    She looked irritated by my persistence and considered using more des to shut me up.


    "... You should really look behind you" I finally said.


    Her eyes widened upon the realization, which is....


    "Don''t tell me!" She gasped, turning back.


    "Hi there" I smiled to her, lookingpletely uninjured and unscathed.


    Before she could react, I sent a thin de to pierce her shoulder.


    The de flew and drilled a tiny hole through her, and went flying away.


    "Gahhhh" She yelled, quickly leaping away from her current position which has beenpromised.


    "H-How did...?!" She asked in surprise.


    She used one of her hands to hold her injured shoulder as blood dripped from the gaping hole my attack made.


    She looked toward the direction of where she had caught me with her des earlier. She saw a distorted image of me.


    Suddenly, the image buzzed and glitched before fading away. Her eyes widened with shock and she suddenly realized.


    "H-Hex?!" She blurted out.


    She''s a bit slow on the uptake, isn''t she?


    "You are aware I''m a user of Hex, shouldn''t you have expected this much? Hex isn''t only used for frontal or direct attacks, you know? It can also be used in ways like this. Hex #90, Haze." I smiled to her.


    I have discovered that Apostles do not passively interfere with Hex, rather it is an active action. Therefore, they can not disrupt my Hex if they are not even aware that it is in action in the first ce. She must not be using her Extrasensory Perception. I wonder why... Maybe she can''t? Oh, I see now.


    She''s concentrating mode on ''that", for her Grace to work properly.


    "I won''t fall for that trick again!" She said with a re, realizing she had been fooled.


    With this, I suppose she''ll be more alert and adept of her surrounding.


    I shrugged. It''s not like I n on using that same move again.


    "Time for ying is over. If I can''t win against you inbat, I''ll just use overwhelming power to defeat you" She said.


    Suddenly, dozens of des appeared at both her sides and they all faced me.


    "I wonder... Can you dodge them all?" She smiled at me.


    I don''t need to. To be honest I''m a bit bored of all that melee exercise. I should also draw some cards now.


    The issue that faces me now seems to currently ce me at a disadvantage. I can''t use Hex since she''ll be able to Interfere with it anyway. Any high tier Hex will cause unnecessary attention which I do not require at the moment. Using Root is also an invalid since she''ll just make whatever I bring out disappear. When considering these factors, she has the advantage.


    "But..."


    I smiled.


    This much is nothing.


    "ROOT" I said.


    Purple portals opened by both my sides as well. Within the portals came forth several des, matching hers in number.


    " I don''t need to dodge. I''ll evenly match your attacks" I said to her.


    She smiled widely.


    "We''ll see about that!"


    Immediately, her des wereunched and in response mine were alsounched at the same time. Immediately, my des vanished due to her interference.


    However, new des immediately emerged from the portals to rece the old ones and parried the des she summoned.


    "What was that?!" She said in surprise.


    I''m sure she didn''t expect me to bring out more des from the portal. If that''s the case, she''s in for quite the shocker.


    "Don''t you dare smile now. This is far from over!" She dered, summoning even more des, over twice the initial amount.


    I increased the number of portals I had and continued spitting out des the more sheunched hers. Sparks were sent flying as each de collided.


    Of course, my des easily overpowered hers, but immediately after her des were destroyed, she made mine disappear.


    This continued for quite a while, until she began to look worn out.


    "What''s wrong?" I asked her with a slight grin.


    "Done already?"


    Her eyes bulged at the sound of this, causing her to grit her teeth and clench her fists in anger.


    She''s not backing down, good.


    "You heathen! Heathen!! Heathen!!! How dare you make a mockery of me!" She said with rage.


    Immediately, she proceeded tounch even more swords, making them fly at even greater speed than mine. The disappearing rate of my weapons was also increasing rapidly, so I also increased the firing rate of my ROOT portals.


    The des shed and nked, creating force in the distance between the two of us.


    "Not yet... Not yet...!" She groaned.


    The des continued their flurry of attacks, matching one another with their edges, while she caused as many of my des as she could to vanish. She couldn''t do it to all of them at once though.


    Even she has her limits.


    After a while, the round was over and both my des and hers ceased.


    Suddenly she let out a cough and fell on her knees which wobbled. She ced one of her hands on her chest and ced the other on the ground to support her wobbly body, letting out a very shaken expression.


    "Al-Already...?! How is this possible?!" She muttered to herself, looking at me with a suspicious gaze.


    Immediately I let out a wide grin.


    "What seems to be the matter?! Run out of ''space'' already?" I smiled at her.


    Her expression grew even darker as I said this as she wondered how I knew the things I said.


    "I suppose this is your limit. You are only human after all..." I said to her in a taunting manner.


    She clenched her teeth as she gripped the dirt on the ground with her hand. Her hand which she ced on her chest tightened on it. Her knees trembled and her body shook, but she still had that passionate and fiery look in her eyes.


    "No... Not yet... This isn''t over yet" She stood up forcefully, fixing her gaze on me and determined to end me no matter the cost.


    I smiled in amusement, waiting for what next she would try.


    Her eyes glowed white and immediately, hundreds of des appeared from behind her and by her sides, far greater in proportion to thest set.


    "With this, I''ll end you" She said confidently, looking at me with a determined expression.


    "Oh really...?" I said to her.


    Looks like she''s finally going all out. However... It is all the same anyway.


    "ROOT" I whispered.


    Immediately, a giant ominous purple portal opened behind me, creating countless little duplicates beside themselves until they numbered thousands upon thousands, reaching high above and spreading themselves across the field.


    Lauria''s eyes bulged and her agonized look intensified at the sight before her.


    "W-What is... This...?" She asked in amazement.


    "You still have that much?!" She eximed, looking at me with fearful desperation.


    Beads of sweat appeared on her face and I can tell she wasn''t expecting me to pull this up, since I have been matching her numbers.


    That look on her face, as despair slowly seeps in and creeps upon her devout faith... It truly is a sight to behold.


    "When the power you so rely on proves insufficient and your utmost trust in it''s potency is betrayed... Only then will you know the true meaning of despondency." I mused to myself.


    She''s now having a taste of that.


    "Oh, don''t be surprised now." I said to her, stirring her from her jumbled thoughts.


    "There''s still plenty in stock. Now then, let''s see how long you can keep this up.... Little Apostle" I grinned evily.

 Chapter 57 - Final Act

    Lauria... The Apostle of Hades.


    She has disyed two major abilities. The first is to make physical objects vanish, disappearing from sight and substance. Her second allows her to summon des in any number she so desires.


    But, are these two abilities so distinct from each other? Or...


    "Let''s see how long you can keep this up, little Apostle" I said to her.


    She looked flustered and discouraged, seeing as she was outgunned in every way. Not only are my own weapons superior to hers in quality, now they have also vastly surpassed hers in quantity as well. Her Grace won''t be able to make all these des disappear instantly.


    I don''t want to be the one to spell it out for her. Rather, I want her to be so cornered that she''ll have no choice but to reveal the fatal loophole in her seemingly overpowered Grace.


    "There can''t be much left that you can take. I wonder... Will you be able to handle a thousand more? Maybe two, three? I can''t tell. But there''s only one way to find out, isn''t there" I grinned.


    Iunched a fraction of the des suspended in the air at her. They rushed toward their target at full speed, however, she predicted this and quicklyunched hers as well. She used her Grace to take out some of my des and her swords shed with some as well. But those still weren''t enough to stop everything.


    "Tch" She grunted.


    She hurriedly dashed away from her position and leaped backwards, barely avoiding a fatal hit. That''s fortunate. It won''t do for her to die so quickly, now will it?


    "Bastard" She said underneath her breath.


    Her vision got blurry and her head started to spin. She felt ufortable all of a sudden and nearly copsed from the strange feeling squirming about in her body.


    "You... You..." She huffed as she red at me.


    Maybe I should just tell her. It''ll save me the trouble of waiting for her to reveal everything she has. After all, she''s being this way because she isn''t aware I know of the nature of her Grace.


    "When will you start using my weapons that you took?" I asked her.


    Her eyes widened in surprise at the sound of my words.


    "Oh? Don''t make such a pathetic face. You''re most likely wondering how I know something like that since you''ve taken such great pains to hide it. Well, don''t bother any longer. I know the secrets and mechanics of your Grace." I told her.


    "How impudent of you. You dare say you understand the workings of the blessing of god?" She responded defiantly.


    Looks like I haven''t pushed her enough. But at this point I want to end things quickly. There''s no more time to y around.


    "The Grace of Hades you use... It''s called [REALM OF LIMBO], isn''t it?" I asked her.


    Her surprised face grew even more intense as she couldn''t fathom how I could know such information. Poor girl. She possesses so much confidence in a power that isn''t even hers and look what it causes. Uncertainty and despair lie at the end of anything one doesn''t fullyprehend.


    "Hades, the god of Limbo. I suppose it is to be expected that your Grace will have the same attribute as his. You are only able to use a small fraction of it, but for most opponents it''ll be more than enough topletely overwhelm them. However, I am different" I said to her.


    "Who... Are you...?" She asked me with emotions tilting more to nervousness than curiosity.


    "Both abilities of yours, the one that makes an object disappear and the one that summons swords, they are actually one and the same. You only fool your opponents into thinking they are distinct from each other." I revealed.


    She clenched her teeth when she heard this.


    "It is all connected to your actual Grace. [Realm Of Limbo] is an alternate space created by you, or rather, the Grace you possess which allows you to transport anything inside it, or bring anything out of it. Since it does not exist in the bounds of reality, it isn''t connected to any world, making it seem as though you render such object nonexistent." I exined.


    "T-That is..." She muttered, unable to fully express words.


    Her Grace is just a miniature version of Hades Divine Power. The entire scape of Limbo is his domain, and that expanse of space is nearly infinite. He isn''t one of the top gods for nothing. Compared to him, however, this Apostle''s power is nearlyughable. Just from taking in a few hundred of my des, her storage is running very low, and that is affecting her body since it is directly connected to her version of ''Limbo''.


    Well, to be fair she must have taken in a lot of other objects, not just my weapons, but still... Just how little is her space? I also wonder...


    "Why do you only use swords?" I asked her.


    She was taken aback by my question and was fazed, unable to render a proper response.


    "Normally, you should be able to bring out anything you send to your ''Limbo'', yet you only use swords. Do you not have any other thing in your arsenal?" I added.


    Within her she was having conflicting thoughts as to what she should do now that she has been exposed.


    "This heathen... Damnit! I didn''t want him to know of the connection between the both my abilities, that''s why I never used any of the weapons I collected from him. I only used the ones I had in my possession prior to meeting him." She thought within herself.


    "Besides, how can an Apostle such as myself stoop to the level of using such an evil entity''s own weapons? I just couldn''t! But, to think only his weapons would take such a huge chunk of my ''Realm''... I miscalcted"


    I smiled as I watched her agonize internally.


    "You should use your Grace without holding back, since I n on ending it in the next round" I said to her.


    When she heard this she gritted her teeth.


    "This is no time to be indecisive, I have to finish off this bastard... But how?" She deliberated within herself.


    How does this heathen know about my Grace? No, at this point there''s no use thinking about that. I have to end this quickly. My ''Realm'' is at its limit, I can''t push it any further... I''ll just have to use all I have to defeat this bastard, no matter what it takes!" She resolved.


    Looks like she''s ready now.


    "I have tolerated you long enough heathen. Behold your punishment!" She dered.


    "[Realm of Limbo] OPEN!"


    Suddenly, like lightening, a blinding light shone. For a split second, out of reflex, I covered my eyes to avoid the blinding re of the light. I immediately adjusted my eyes to be able to see in such a condition without side effects and opened them to witness what new trick she performed.


    "Oh?" I said with an amused smile.


    All around her were thousands of weapons, not just swords. There were axes, spears, bows, arrows, hammers, shields... So many weapons and objects floated in the air all about her. Not just around her, but they spread and surrounded me too. Among the floating objects, most of belong to me.


    "So she''s finally decided to use mine as well. Heh, she must be desperate" I muttered to myself.


    From the looks of it she has used up most of her actual weapons in our earlier exchange, leaving only a few left, with other non attack objects like shields and ropes. The bulk of her offensive power lies in my weapons, which I must say, are of great quality.


    "That''s quite the number of good cards you have" I said to her.


    She ignored my words and raised her hands, steadying the weapons among her arsenals, aiming them at me.


    "This is the end, abomination!" She said in spite.


    Abomination, eh? That''s a new one.


    "I agree. This is the final act" I replied.


    Currently, her total number of weapons exceed mine. Not only that, but now that she has emptied her ''Realm'', she should be able to take in even more of my own weapons.


    "How smart, impressive. But then, this is what you should have done anyway" I said, half talking to myself about the Apostle.


    I can decide to match her summoned objects with mine, or even overwhelm her numbers. However... Maybe I ought to show her a little bit of despair.


    "ROOT..." I whispered.


    "Return..."


    All my weapons among her arsenal immediately vanished at once. As they returned to ROOT, they left the sky whence they were suspended, leaving empty spaces behind. Within moments, the filled expanse of space and field which contained her summoned tools was rendered nearly empty. Topare the numbers of offensive objects she has... Maybe a few hundred.


    Her eyes widened as she couldn''t fullyprehend what just urred.


    "Eh?" Her expression grew empty and nk, devoid of hope.


    "You were saying?"


    As I said this, a wide grin formed on my face. Slowly, the harsh reality is seeping into her. Now, with even less than her cumtive offensive power and my overwhelming advantage, she suddenly began to tremble in fear.


    "N-No... This can''t be it. It can''t end like this... Just when, just when I..." She stuttered as she said to herself.


    Her eyes shook as she spoke silently, unable to think of any other route to follow. I suppose this is the end. A bit disappointing, but what can I say? The real funes afterward.


    "Tomemorate the end of this grand event.. Maybe I ought to try something else too?" I announced.


    "ROOT"


    Immediately, all the portals around me closed. After this, in the sky a massive portal appeared and something equally monstrous started emerging from within it.


    She slowly looked up at the appearance in the sky. He eyes bulged and her countenance changed from that of mere defeat and frustration... Toplete terror!


    "W-What is... What is that?!" She asked herself.


    Her body refused to move, as she could only tremble and feel a myriad of emotions surging through her.


    "Run"


    "Escape"


    "I''m... Dead?!"


    Within the ''Root of All'', I possess several treasures. They are ssified under many categories and have grades. There are the Sacred Grade Treasures, Divine Grade Treasures and even the Primordial Grade ones. Failures and Misceneous also exist. So far, I have been spamming Failures at her. But now... I want to switch things up a little.


    "T-Those are... Relics?!" She muttered with trembling.


    From within the massive portal emerged hundreds of my Sacred Grade Treasures. Any more and it could mean trouble.


    "I-I.... I... "She stuttered, unable to speak any intelligible words.


    "Well, the final act is over. Time for the ''Curtains Fall''" I smiled casually.


    "Descend"

 Chapter 58 - Hero Of Justice

    I wanted to be a hero... A champion of justice.


    My whole life I grew up with that hope, that dream. Of course many peopleughed at it when I told them about my heart''s desire, but it didn''t matter to me. After all... I had ''them''.


    My loving parents who cherished me, their only daughter. They supported me and believed in my dream, never once making fun of me for it.


    My bright smile and optimistic nature was like a light which radiated around my household. We were poor, just like everyone in our little town. However, we were happy... I was happy. And someday, I was going to change everything and make sure everyone lived a life offort which we all desired.


    "Oh? Our daughter is gonna save the world someday, isn''t that right?" Dad would always say.


    "She''ll catch all the bad guys and make sure wemon folk have a better life" Mom would always respond.


    "I promise! I''ll be a hero who will save everyone and make everybody happy, that way... There''ll be justice for everyone" I would always, always answer them.


    "If everyone is happy, then I''ll also be happy as well!"


    How wrong I was...


    There''s no such thing as justice for everyone, and... Not everyone deserves happiness!


    It happened a week before my 9th birthday. The Raiders came to our town in the dead of night, piging all our crops, destroying our homes with fire as they filled the air with screams of pain and fear along with their cheers of pleasure.


    They were warriors from another region, barbarians in their own right. They took among us, male for ves and they raped our women, taking them away only after satisfying their lusts. The healthy looking children were also taken for unknown reasons.


    My father was killed trying to defend my mother and myself from them. He was killed mercilessly in front of me, causing my body to break down and I could not move a muscle after I witnessed his death. My mother, she was raped and tortured before my very eyes.


    The men passed her around among themselves and defiled her over and over again as she begged them to stop. I watched them from a small distance while on my knees, unable to move. I couldn''t even shed tears or let out a croak. My body just couldn''t stop trembling.


    After she was used up by fifteen or so men, she was discarded and tossed aside.


    "She''ll soon die anyway" They said.


    "Ah, what a waste. She was a beauty too"


    "Maybe we overdid it a bit, she''s all messed up now."


    "Nah, if we don''t take our time to enjoy some of them, the boss will hoard all the good ones for himself."


    "Hehehehe, you''re right about that. Ah, I feel so refreshed now."


    After having their way with my own mother... She was tossed aside like a broken doll. My father''s dead body was on the floor as his eyes were wide open and seemed to be looking at me.


    "Run" His eyes told me.


    However, I couldn''t... The fear and despair had seeped into me. It was so deep that I couldn''t do a thing about my body as I slowly watched the men approach me with the same lustful expression they had when they gazed upon my mom.


    "Should we have fun with this one too?" One of them asked, licking his lips in anticipation.


    I could smell their terrible breath and bloody musk from where I knelt. It felt so unpleasant and terrible. The entire room felt so disgusting, I thought I would puke. But I swallowed it, unable to even release the pent up disgust which swirled within me.


    "No, let''s stop here. If we take too long the boss might get suspicious" Another replied the man.


    "Ohhh, that''s a good point. Looks like I get to pass up on enjoying another beauty." The man said with his lustful gaze still on me.


    "Whoah, For real? You know she''s old enough to be your your daughter right? You pervert"


    "Oi, don''t pretend as if you''re not thinking the same thing I am"


    "Well, I can''t deny that"


    "Hahahahahahaha" They bellowed, enjoying the thrill.


    "How can theyugh like that?" My younger self asked herself countless times.


    My mother had just been raped mercilessly, my father was killed in cold blood, yet these men seemed to be fine. They were happy... Happiness... They had it. But, I wasn''t happy... How could I be? Even though I said the happiness of others made me happy... This wasn''t what I wanted. The depraved men enjoyed themselves...


    But at what cost?!


    They caused us to experience pain in exchange for their own pleasure.


    That was when it started dawning on me... Happiness isn''t for everyone.


    After I experienced this, I was rounded up by their group and was put in a cage with fellow children such as myself. They all had empty looks of despair in their eyes. One of them turned to me and asked me with the voice of emptiness.


    "Hey, Lana... You said you wanted to make everyone happy... Does that include these men?"


    His words hit me. I couldn''t respond to his words and he didn''t say any more than that.


    We were taken to abor camp, a ce where I spent the next year of my life living, if you could call it that.


    We were used as manualborers. The male among us had to go through rigorous training, killing a lot of them. While the females... We... We were told we were to be raised as nothing more than breeding tools.


    Every night, I had to service at least a man until he was pleased. I adapted quicker than most for some reason. I didn''t want to die, but... That wasn''t all. By rendering my services to them, even at the expense of my own body and pride... I made them happy. Wasn''t this what I wanted?


    The sentence carried out by me, I carried it out dutifully. Before long the men began to make personal requests for my services. I began to service even more than the rest of us did. I did what I was asked dutifully.


    "Good girl"


    "You''re the only one for me"


    "Ahhh, I''m so happy right now. You really are the best!"


    I receivedpliments like them, signifying I did a job well done.


    "Are you happy? Am I doing it right? Should I do it this way? Do you prefer it that way?" I asked them, pleasing them in whatever they desired as they burnt out their lust on me.


    It finally got to the point where the men no longer wanted any other girl but me.


    "No one does it like Lana" They said.


    I was relieved... At least the other girls wouldn''t have to go through what I was going through. And by sacrificing myself, I would make both the girls and the men happy. Making everyone happy... Maybe that was possible after all.


    I was wrong!


    "Who does she think she is?"


    "She''s just some used up slut like the rest of us."


    "She thinks she''s so special because they all want her instead? Who knows what she does with them?"


    "I bet it''s so so disgusting! Just look at her"


    "Some hero she is"


    These words that came from the very girls I tried to save. They weren''t happy, they were dissatisfied. I tried to help them, yet they hated me for it.


    "It''s... it''s not like that... Everyone, I just wanted to..."


    No one heard me out. In the end, I was left all alone, nothing but a toy to be used and used until I ended up being broken and tossed aside... Just like my mother.


    "Maybe... I deserve this" I thought to myself.


    I gave myself up to the inhumane treatment I received... This continued until I became 10 years old.


    Then... Salvation came!


    "All of you are now under the judgement of the hands of god, the Apostles! Surrender now and allow yourselves to be purged by god''s gracious mercy"


    Without any prior signs, these people d in white appeared at ourbor camp.


    "Intruders! Get them!!!"


    The men all charged and armed themselves to fight the people in white. However... Within moments, they were done for. The men stood no chance, the strong men we grew to fear and obey... They were all nothing but specks of dust before the brightness and power of the people on white.


    "Foolish creatures. Die, and atone for your sins in the afterlife!" One of the white robed people said.


    Using strange powers and techniques I had never seen before, they immediately cleaned up the entirebor camp. They let us children, survivors, live.


    They assembled us to the camp square and lined us up in rows. I looked around myself and the view was so surprising and strange to me


    "Were we always this few?" I asked myself.


    Out of over a hundred children taken, I could barely see 30 left.


    Were the rest ...?!


    "We''re so sorry we didn''t arrive here on time. A lot of you have been lost due to ourck of diligence. We apologize" The ones in white said, bowing their heads to us in apology.


    I didn''t know what to say.


    "W-Who a-re you people?" One of the children asked the strange people who killed the men of ourbor camp.


    A white robed woman, who stood out among the rest, stepped forward, creating a miniscule distance between herself and the rest.


    "We are Apostles, little ones. Sent here by the gods themselves! We havee to save everyone and make you happy!" She said with a warm smile.


    From that moment on, my life changed once again....

 Chapter 59 - Hero Of Justice (Pt 2)

    "We are Apostles, little ones. Sent here by the gods themselves! We havee to save everyone and make you happy!" The white ddy said with a warm smile.


    As she spoke those words, something within me started to feel pain. My face began to soften as I heard those words.


    "You must have been in so much pain before our arrival, but do not fret... The gods did not abandon you. For we have been sent to help you" She answered.


    "You are safe now... Everything is alright"


    Immediately, something broke within me..The tears I had not shed since the death of my parents came flowing down. It poured and flowed, showing no signs of stopping.


    "Wahhhhhh" I cried uncontrobly.


    The other kids also suddenly burst into tears as well. After so much pain and suffering... After so much unhappiness and emptiness for so long... Finally, finally...


    "Little girl, it''s fine" The woman in white drew closer to me and hugged me softly.


    Her scent was so sweet, like flowers just in bloom. A scent I wasn''t sure I still remembered after spending so long taking in the countless odors of various men.


    Her white attire rubbed against my rough and dirty clothes. I was taken aback by this and tried to move away from her grasp.


    She brought me closer to her chest and didn''t let me go.


    Her skin was smooth as she patted my rough and dirty hair. She smiled softly as she held unto me.


    "B-But ... I''m so dirty.... I... I am so... Do I also deserve to be saved? Am I not too...?!" I hed and said with a broken and trembling voice.


    "It''s not about whether or not you deserve it. It''s whether or not it is willed to be given to you. Consider yourself honored... You are blessed among others who couldn''t make it." She said to me.


    Me? Honored?!


    "B-But... I''m so... hic... I''m so..." I said to her.


    I don''t deserve to be saved. I am just a sacrifice meant to make others happy. Happiness isn''t meant for others anyway. After all, if I can make as many people as I can happy... That would make me... A hero...


    "We, as the chosen ones of God, don''t care about any of that, now do they?" The woman said to me, pulling my face out of her warm chest as she gazed up my eyes.


    "Because... We make sure only the good guys are happy, and we punish the bad guys!" She said to me.


    "P-Punish... The bad... Guys?!" I repeated.


    She nodded her head as she smiled at me.


    "Yes, they''re nothing but heathens. Like the men who held you all captive. They don''t deserve any happiness or mercy or love or pity... Only judgement. And it is our duty to see to it that they are judged well, and to make sure Innocents like you end up being HAPPY.


    These words hit me like a sledgehammer. So it wasn''t me who was doing anything wrong. It was them... My dreams, they were wed. Since I made room for people like those men in my ns for a better world, it was greatly in error. As the woman just said... I can''t save everyone... But I can save only the good ones!


    So that was what made me so different from them... They were...


    "Lady... Are you per chance... A hero?" I asked her as my voice shook in her presence.


    She paused, not responding for a while. I suddenly got nervous, perhaps I had said something wrong to her.


    "Pfft" She suddenly let out.


    "Eh?" I let out a surprised look.


    Sheughed heartily, still holding on to me.


    I didn''t know what to say as I just watched her brilliantlyugh.


    "Yes my little girl... I suppose you could say I am! I am a hero" She said, looking at me with a brilliant gaze and a soft smile.


    What I spent so long doing, what I gave my all to do... That wasn''t my dream... That wasn''t my purpose!


    That wasn''t being a hero!


    A hero decides who is worthy of saving and separates them from the trash of this world.


    From that moment on... I decided to be a true hero, based on the image ''she'' set before me. Because... On that day...


    "It was you who saved me... Lady Gratiana" I smiled with tears streaming down my eyes when I saw her years after.


    After the rescue, we children were sent to the Sanctuary, where we received proper treatment and care. Many of us had troubles recovering from the trauma we experienced back at the camp, but I had no such issue. Because, I now had a new reason to live. As a hero... I was going to be just like the person who saved me! I too would save many others and make them happy! Also, I would make the heathensy dearly for their sins. After all, they deserved no mercy at all!


    "Heathens are the trash of this world, and trash do not deserve happiness!" I recited to myself every day!


    The people at the Sanctuary made us stand before a special glowing orb, exining to us that it was a test to see who the gods had chosen. And so one by one we stood, waiting for our turn.


    When a child stood in front of it, the orb would glow, the brightness differed for each person who stood in front of it. This continued until it was finally my turn.


    When I stood before the orb, the light glowed brighter than any if the others and it''s brilliant ray illuminated the room.


    I was so surprised and flustered, thinking I did something wrong. I was eventually calmed down by the Apostle, Gratiana, who bent down and held my shoulders. She looked at me with a warm smile and said to me...


    "Congrattions Lana, you can be a hero too... Just like me!"


    "A Hero?!" I asked, almost in disbelief.


    That was how it all started. I was chosen and trained until I became an Apostle, and even had my name changed from Lana.


    "Henceforth, your name is called Lauria, you will begin a new life here in service of the gods and prove useful to them in all ways... Wee to the Apostasy... Lauria" An elder said to me as they newly prepared the name for me.


    I swore to be the sword of the gods and the shield to the righteous, to serve them in all ways and repay them for the new life they gave me. Above all... I became the Hero I always wanted to be. I contracted with Hades after I had gained enough experience and eventually became a mentor to a younger, more inexperienced Apostle.


    Flora!


    "Sigh, Flora... How many times do I have to say it. When facing bad people, you do not need to hold back. Heathens need to be uprooted from the core!" I told her many times.


    "B-But... If there''s still hope for repentance then..." She protested weakly.


    "No... Heathens do not deserve repentance. In fact, they don''t even seek it. The lot of them, all they have awaiting them... Is the righteous judgement of the gods!" I told her.


    Flora was too pure and kindhearted. Nothing wrong about that for an Apostle, but... She showed mercy to the wrong opponent. And she died.


    "Flora is dead?! Howe? Who did this?!" I asked the Apostle who reported the news to me.


    "I don''t know the details myself. But I was asked to give you this scroll. it''s concerning your next mission. I think it''s connected to Flora''s death so you should be able to get your answers from it".He said to me.


    I didn''t say any more and just nodded. He smiled and walked away.


    "Flora... You must have gone too easy and all kindhearted on your opponent again. But don''t worry... As your mentor... I''ll make sure they don''t get away with it! I promise... All trash like heathens do not deserve to live. I''ll make sure to destroy whoever it is... With my very own hands!"


    Or so I thought... But now, my life ends anyway. With hundreds of highly powerful Relics in the sky all aimed at me... This is the end for me. Lady Gratiana... I am sorry for not living up to your expectations. In the end... I couldn''t... Be a hero like you... I''m... Sorry...


    I closed my eyes as the multiple Relics descended upon me. My life ends here... As Lauria the Apostle, chosen by the gods as a hero of justice.


    But why... Still why....


    "Why am I not happy...?!


    Tears of sorrow and regret fell.


    I truly was the happiest, back then... With my parents... I truly wish... I could return.... To that time.

 Chapter 60 - Breaking The Limit

    "Descend"


    The Special Grade Treasures of mine fell from thier heights and rained down from the portal.


    I saw her face as the treasures fell, that is a face of regret. Well... Not my problem.


    "Why.... Why am I still not happy?!!" She yelled out in tears.


    Suddenly, all her remaining summons gathered around her and converged above and in front of her.


    The Relics descended in many directions, so not everything was going to hit her anyway.


    The ones which went toward her, shed with the shields and her other weapons and objects.


    My treasures easily destroyed them, but they kepting and shielding her from that. What a desperate rat.


    "I... I can''t die now!" She cried.


    The debris of flying and chipped away armor and shields were sent flying in many directions and the collision between my Treasures and the earth, as well as her own items caused sparks, smoke and rising dust, temporarily impeding my vision.


    I quickly adjusted my sight and heightened my senses, but...


    "What a surprise... She''s not there?!" I muttered.


    I couldn''t sense her anymore.


    "How is that possible...?!" I asked myself.


    Then it suddenly struck me, so that''s how it is. Such a sly woman until the very end. She wants to live that badly? However, she won''t be having her wish so easily. Time for a hunt.


    I looked around me, surveying the area to decipher where she could have fled to. I looked eastward and I saw the woods.


    "Bingo" I smiled.


    I retrieved my Special Grade Treasures into ROOT and walked toward the direction I set for myself, cing my hands back into my pocket.


    "H-Hold it right there!!!" A voice suddenly yelled after me.


    I looked back, only to find the three surviving Imperial Knights.


    "Oh, you guys... I totally forgot about you" I muttered to them.


    "Y-You... How dare you. You murdered sir Gwain and now you''ve also killed our Apostle. You monster!" One of the Imperial Knights, a young man, yelled at me.


    What a loudmouth. His tone and volume is annoying. But from his words, I''m certain they are not aware the Apostle is still alive, well not for long.


    "With my very hands... I''ll end you!" He growled, drawing his sword which glowed green.


    Is he an Idiot? He basically just saw me own their leader, the Apostle. Surely he understands he stands no chance against me. Even someone like him should know that. But what''s with that look in his eyes? Does he think if he tries hard enough things will work out somehow for him and he''ll push through?


    Such childish hope, such utter foolishness... It''s certainly nice to uproot them myself.


    Since these Knights have no way to interfere with my Art, maybe I ought to try it out.


    "HEX #99" Orb of Beginning"


    Many white orbs appeared around me and hovered about.


    "H-He uses Hex?! No... Come back young man!" The Commander let out.


    But it was toote. The young knight ran forward with his Relic on hand.


    "I''ll surpass you, Sir Gwain... Right here and now!" He said under his breath.


    "I''ll win! Surely, I''ll wi-"


    I cut his thoughts short as I sent the white orbs to him.


    He used his high speed to evade them, twisting and using his footwork to close the distance between us. He''s pretty good at running, but I have no time to waste on such small fry.


    Ibined all the white orbs surrounding me and added a little juice to it, until it inted and turned to a giant orb, as big as a massive boulder.


    "Try dodging this" I said.


    I immediatelyunched the orb and it charged toward him. Despite it''s size, it''s even faster than the smaller ones.


    The young Knight couldn''t evade the orb since it''s surface area was toorge, and since he was already in motion, he couldn''t avoid the hit.


    "Rahhhhhhh" He yelled, raising his sword to sh through it.


    Such foolishness.


    As the orb approached, his face tightened more in resolve.


    "There''s a wall in front of me...Higher than my limits, the enemy is stronger than my capabilities... I know that!" His thoughts flowed.


    "But, what kind of knight would I be... To refuse to stand in the way of evil and fight till myst strength to vanquish the enemy! If the foe is higher than my limits Then I just have to surpass it and rise above the challenge..."


    "... Such is the nature of my Relic!"


    He inhaled deeply and concentrated all the power he had into his sword, making it glow even brighter than ever before.


    "Limit Breaker!" He dered.


    He brought down his hand and with all his might shed the massive orb.


    As his sword came in contact with the orb, it disintegrated it immediately, rendering it to nothing but dust.


    "N-No... W-way...." He muttered as the white orbs reached him too.


    His ''Limit Breaker'' allows him to ovee any obstacle by raising his power to match the strength opposing him. Whether raising his power by twice, thrice, maybe more... He always ended up oveing the challenge.


    But...


    The obstacle before him transcended his limits by far. He couldn''t ovee this one! By the time he came into this realization, it was toote.


    The orb consumed both him and his sword, turning them to dust, along with the ground in contact with it.


    The white explosion made a loud ''BOOM!'', before finally quieting down. After the dust settled, nothing could be found of the foolish young knight, or his trusty weapon.


    "I can never understand some humans" I said, shaking my head.


    I nced at the remaining two Imperial Knights and smiled. The one who looks to be themanding knight was shaken with fear, a natural response. The other one, a girl, was also shaking. But it wasn''t with fear.


    "Is that... Excitement?" I asked myself.


    Her cheeks were red and her eyes bulged with her grin widening. She hugged herself tightly as she gazed at me intensely.


    "S-Strong... So-Strong" She said.


    What a sick girl.


    But with this, i find a good opportunity or those two.


    "ROOT"


    "Summon Talia and Shamac" Imanded.


    <<Confirmed!>>


    <<Materializing the Fairy [Talia] and Shifter Hybrid [Shamac]>>


    Immediately, my two trusty ves appeared from within Root.


    "Wha- Where are we?" Talia let out with surprise.


    Shamac also looked shocked by the sudden change of environment andndscape. They still had their wounds, and were still roughed up, so they were disoriented.


    "Wee, you two" I said to them with a smile.


    Their countenance changed when they heard my voice. Fear filled them as they stepped back apprehensively when they saw me.


    Their reactions are to be expected. After all, I nearly killed them to enact my n. However... They are still my ves.


    "The both of you, pick one knight each and kill them off for me" I told them.


    "Wha-?!" Talia said in surprise.


    She definitely wasn''t expecting that.


    "B-But Y-You..." She wanted to protest.


    "It''ll be a bother to exin everything to you now. Do as I say" I interrupted, staring intensely at her.


    "But master... We are not currently in the right state to fi-" Shamac tried to give an excuse.


    I used Hex to immediately heal the both them.


    "O-Oh" Shamac let out, before shutting his mouth again.


    "Well then, I trust you won''t disappoint me... I''ll see you allter" I told them before walking away.


    The both of them are surely still confused by what is going on, they''ve missed a lot of events after all, but this is a good opportunity to test their worth and pit them against professional fighters. If they can''t handle this much, then I''ll simply have to dispose of them and find recements.


    Besides, I shouldn''t be the one to take care of the trash, I leave that to my servants. My true target is up ahead.


    "Warp" I said.


    Immediately I teleported from my location, disappearing from the sight of all the people present.


    "Don''t disappoint me, you two" My voice echoed as I vanished.


    Talia and Shamac swallowed nervously after Hexarion disappeared. They looked at their opponents, Imperial Knights... They had to pick one.


    "Dibs on the hot chick!" Shamac let out immediately.


    With Hexarion gone, his natural teenage self resurfaced.


    "What are you even...?" Talia sighed in disappointment.


    "What? You expect me to pick the old geezer? No way!" He told her.


    The two Knights looked at them awkwardly as the two ves argued about sharing them.


    "That''s enough!" Gerund suddenly let out.


    "You two... Tell us where your master is, or die!" He said, summoning his spear Relic.


    He smiled within himself.


    "The one to fear is gone now. If we take care of these small fry, we''ll be able to survive!" Gerund thought to himself.


    "Hey, we''re fighting them, get ready!" He said, referring to his depraved knight, Pheobe.


    She merely smiled with excitement, not able to withold it anymore.


    "Finally, I''ll be able to kill some more?!" She said excitedly.


    When he heard this, Shamac immediately became creeped out and her obsessive gaze unnerved him. He could sense her bloodlust.


    "You know what? On the second thought I''ll take on the old geezer, yes. He reminds me of my grandfather, you know?'' Shamac let out an awkwardugh.


    "Lies. You don''t even know who your parents are" Talia responded to him with an unbelievable look.


    But the matchup was fine with her as well.


    "Fine. We''ll do it that way!" She said with a smile.


    Shamac heaved a sigh of relief.


    "What do you both think you''re doing. Where is your master? Tell us now and maybe we''ll spare you!" Gerund asked in amanding tone


    "Shut it geezer." Shamac said to him.


    Gerund was surprised by the ve''s reaction toward him.


    "How dare you... Do you know who I am?!" Gerund growled in rage.


    "Yeah yeah, you''re an Imperial Knight and all that. Look, we don''t even know where the master is right now. So why don''t we just get this over with?" Shamac said nonchntly.


    "I''ll slice you up real good" The female Imperial Knight smiled, licking her dagger.


    "Gross" Talia said in disgust.


    The match was set.


    Talia versus Pheobe, the female Imperial Knight


    Shamac versus Commander Gerund.


    While Hexarion had other businesses to attend to.

 Chapter 61 - True God

    "Huff... Huff...."


    Lauria ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She was feeling lightheaded and her entire body ached, but she still persevered.


    Her right hand was already cut off from her body, an injury she sustained when the Treasures descended upon her from the sky. But with this, she considered herself fortunate, since she would have lost her life otherwise.


    "Thank the gods... At thatst moment with thest of my Grace Essence, I used everything in the [REALM OF LIMBO] to defend myself." She said to herself as she ran.


    "As a result, I don''t have any more Grace Essence, and all my items have been exhausted... Fortunately, I still have this!"


    She referred to the robe she wore, a helm which she used to cover her body, including a hood for her head.


    "The Helm of Invisibility"


    As an Apostle, she was not only given a Grace, but also a Relic that represents the god she serves


    One of Hades'' Treasures, the Helm of Invisibility, erases the presence of they that wear it. Since it was a Relic, she didn''t need any Grace to operate it.


    "At thest minute, I activated the Helm and made my escape, thereby erasing my presence. This is the only way out, I can''t die now!" She said to herself as she ran through the woods.


    Due to her training as an Apostle, she efficiently avoided tripping on any roots, but she grew weary as she continued running.


    "I''ve lost too much energy and blood. S-Should I rest?" She asked herself.


    "Even if he is to give chase to me, it''s not like he''ll be able to find me since my entire presence can''t be perceived" She muttered.


    As she still deliberated on what to do, she suddenly heard a whooshing sound in front of her and looked before her to see what the cause could be.


    Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks, not because of the break she wanted to have, but because of what stood in front of her, or rather, who... Her eyes bulged as she saw him.


    "N-No, there''s no way he can see me. Don''t panic!" She told herself.


    His gaze suddenly fell on her and his piercing eyes locked with hers. She didn''t want to believe it, but maybe... Maybe he...


    She saw his lips moving as they mouthed the words


    "Found you!"


    [MY TURN]


    After Warping from the ins using Hex, I appeared in front of the Apostle, Lauria''s location. I suppose it isn''t much of a Hunt.


    Hex #71 ''Warp'' only works on two conditions. I need to know the precise location I''m heading to, and sufficiently detailed information of the target.


    After realizing she used the Helm of Invisibility to escape me, which is why I couldn''t sense her, I used its traits to satisfy the second condition. As for the first... There is a loophole.


    Everything belonging to Root is avable to me, whether their location or properties. When I used my Special Grades to attack and injure her, a minuscule portion of my treasures seeped into her body. I simply used Root to trace its location, thereby satisfying the first condition.


    With those two conditions satisfied, I suppose it''s not even a bother to find her.


    "Found you," I said to her with a smile.


    "No, he shouldn''t be able to see me," She said to herself.


    I sighed.


    "You know, that Helm won''t work on me again," I said to her.


    Her eyes widened when I said this, she had a look of shock.


    "I can clearly see you now" I added.


    She was taken aback by my words and tried to run away. Immediately, I appeared right in front of her and used my hand to hit her face, sending her flying away. She crashed and hit her back against a tree and coughed in pain.


    Her hood fell, causing the effects of her invisibility to be disabled.


    "H-How?" She muttered.


    "I thought you noticed already. My body isn''tposed of any Aspect" I told her.


    She looks like she wants to say more, like ask how that is even possible, but she didn''t.


    "Your Helm did work on me initially, but after figuring out your trick, all I needed to do was adapt my senses to be able to perceive you," I said.


    "The Helm of Invisibility makes one immune to the perception of others, but that is only because they are bound by Aspects which dictate their level of sight and senses. I am bound by no such rules, and as such, whether you use your Relic or not... It''s all the same to me. What you have there is no more than a piece of cloth to me, rags even" I said, noticing how worn out it was looking.


    It must be due to the fight we had.


    She remained silent, unable to render a word. I moved closer to her as I saw her helpless state.


    "Have you given up already? Don''t you have any more fight in you? Come on, stand and entertain me some more" I said to her with a smile.


    She looked away from me, with emptiness in her eyes.


    "Just kill me already..." She muttered.


    Those words surprised me, she really isn''t going to struggle anymore? I suppose she has realized how futile her attempts will be.


    "You win... So just end it already" She said again.


    I bent toward her and grabbed her by her neck. She isn''t even resisting me or trying to struggle. She doesn''t have much stamina left and from what I can tell, her Divine energy is depleted.


    She''s as good as dead now. I might as well make her useful while I can.


    "Memory Drain"


    Her memories flooded into me within a moment and I saw the rush of her experiences. Memories upon memories ovepped as they transferred into me.


    "So that''s it..." I said, finally realizing who the Apostle, Lauria is.


    Her face, which was in pain due to the memory Drain now twitched. Her tongue stuck out and drool fell from our mouth. Tears also appeared in her eyes as her body convulsed and shook.


    "Just like Flora, I guess you''ll still maintain your sanity even with Memory Drain," I said.


    She slowly turned her head toward me, pleading with her expression as she looked at me desperately.


    "P-Please... K-K-Kill me..." She begged me with a hoarse voice.


    Flora begged me to spare her, but this one wants me to kill her. I suppose she''s tired of the emptiness that is her life. After all, her life has been filled with so much tragedy, even after she was supposedly rescued by the Apostles. But I know the truth, things she doesn''t know. Maybe I ought to show her. If she still survives after receiving them, then I''ll have to change my ns a bit.


    "Memory Feed," I said, inverting the effects of Memory Drain while tweaking some things.


    Using this, I can transfer information from myself to others, but also at high speed. This is enough to melt the brains of most people, but as an Apostle, she should be alright. However, considering how I''ve just used Memory Drain on her already, she might not survive it.


    "Well, she was going to die anyway" I reasoned.


    I activated this and she screamed due to the inrush of information entering her.


    I showed her what I wanted her to see, the true purpose behind the Apostles, and who the gods really are. Of course, I altered some things and made sure she believed them utterly. Finally, I revealed my identity to her"


    After I was done, I let go of her neck and her body fell to the ground. It looks so lifeless so I suppose she didn''t survive the transfer. I expected this much. Looks like this is the end of the Apostle Lauria.


    "Urhhhh" She suddenly let out.


    I turned back in surprise, she''s still alive?


    Her body stirred and moved slowly, showing she isn''t long for the world.


    "Any moment now... And she''ll die" Imented, watching her slowly writhe pathetically in herst moments.


    What a cockroach. She just won''t die easily. But...


    "I suppose you pass" I smiled.


    "Hex #50, Invigorate"


    Immediately, her entire body glowed and all her clothes dissolved into the white light. Her naked body remained, shining in radiance. Her lost arm appeared and all her wounds healed immediately. Her battered up mind and body were restored fully, transforming her into a fully functional being.


    She looked around her with surprise, not entirely understanding what happened to her. She noticed her body was naked and quickly covered herself with her hands, at least what she could cover.


    "So, what do you think?" I asked her.


    As she heard my voice she immediately looked up and saw me smiling at her.


    Her body trembled with emotion as she quickly lowered her gaze and stared at the ground ufortably.


    "Can you stand?" I asked her.


    She nodded and slowly stood up, embracing her naked body with her hands.


    "So... All you showed me... Is it true?" She asked me.


    Tears flowed from her eyes and down her cheek. She still gazed down, not meeting my eyes.


    "Yes, they are the truth," I said.


    "Then... I... What have I done? What am I?" She questioned herself.


    I smiled and walked closer to her.


    "That doesn''t matter anymore. If you don''t know who you are, then all you need is a new identity. I will give you one" I said.


    She looked at me with her tear-filled eyes and her lost expression captivated me.


    "Y-You will?" She asked me in confusion.


    I nodded.


    "Henceforth, you are no longer Lana, the pitiful young girl, neither shall you be Lauria, the Apostle who lived a lie..."


    "From now on, you shall be called Ana... And your purpose shall be but one... Seeking only the Happiness you so desire" I said to her.


    The tears flowed even more as she smiled unbelievably at me. Her face gleamed with such a look as though finally she had been truly saved by my words.


    "And so I ask you, Ana... Do you know who I am?" I asked.


    She smiled and nodded, going to her knees. She knelt and bowed in front of me with a smile of satisfaction and utmost respect and loyalty.


    "Yes my Lord... You are Hexarion, Primordial of the Void. You have shown me the truth and it has set me free. I, Ana now swear with all I am, that I will obey my purpose and seek only the happiness you have shown me. That Happiness will be... My utmost service to you, my one true Master!" She said with sincerity.


    Good, looks like it worked just like I intended.


    Using Memory Drain Reversal, I fed her with information from myself, revealing the depravity of the gods and the true reason behind the Apostle''s existence being nothing but a farce. And by altering some of the memories given to her, I have be the one thing in her mortal life she will never doubt.


    I am now her god!

 Chapter 62 - [Bonus ] A Girl Called Ana

    What I did to her is quite simple.


    Firstly, I told her a tragic little tale of her town''s invasion and how it was actually in the notice by the gods. After all, nothing happens without their knowledge, at least ording to the humans. They watched her struggle and suffer as well as the other children but refused to help.


    Just as they watch countless humans and people suffer without helping.


    "If the gods are omnipotent and love you all, why aren''t they helping? Why can''t they make everyone happy?"


    By nting that little doubt in her mind, her faith slowly and assuredly crumbled. After that, it only took a little bit more.


    The Apostles, by painting them as people used by the gods and puppets who also used her, she didn''t want to be that person anymore. Being used by selfish gods who sit back and watch as everyone suffers without a care. Perhaps they even enjoyed witnessing such tragedy. With that, I exposed my Identity as the one who valiantly tried to stop the gods and their evil ways, but was betrayed and taken down by them unfairly.


    Well, thest part isn''t entirely urate, but let''s just go with that. After all, they did betray me, but it''s not like I stood up to them for the sake of the humans and absolute good or any of that nonsense. Notwithstanding, she took in my every words and altered memories.


    Using these elements, I built three strongholds in her mind.


    The gods are an absolute evil


    The Apostles are merely puppets being used by that evil


    Hexarion, the Primordial of the void is the absolute good.


    With these three, the only natural conclusion her frail mind woulde to is...


    "I want to serve Absolute Good... I want to serve Lord Hexarion"


    Easy! And that brings us to where we are now, her swearing absolute fealty to me, her new lord and master...


    Her god!


    After a short while of silence between the two of us, the newly reformed ex Apostle spoke up.


    "Uh-Um... Master Hexarion..." She said hesitantly.


    Het face flushed with an embarrassed expression I don''t quite understand. What''s with her strangelycent behavior?


    "What is it Ana?" I asked her.


    "Well... I-I... I was wondering if I-I could get something t-to wear" She said awkwardly.


    Oh? So that''s what all this is about? She feels ufortable that I''m seeing her naked body. Other than the smooth and pale skin she has and her slender figure, I see nothing of notice.


    "Well, there''s no problem with that, but your flustered expression piques my interest. Are you embarrassed that I''m seeing you like this?" I asked her.


    Her eyes widened with surprise when she heard this and her face turned redder than before.


    So I was right..But why?


    I have seen Talia naked countless times, and Ana''s body isn''t too different from hers. Other than the fact that her proportions are slightlyrger, and she has a much lighter skin, she''s essentially the same.


    She followed my gaze as I thoroughly analysed her body. Her hands tightened around her chest region even more as she bowed her head.


    "M-Master... I-If you keep staring at my body that way..." She muttered to me.


    Her body? Is there anything special about it? It''s just a bunch of Aspectsbined together in the form of flesh, blood and bones.


    "Are you questioning my actions, Ana?" I asked her in amanding tone.


    "B-But my Lord... Seeing me naked is a bit..." She muttered shyly.


    What a child. Looks like there''s still quite a bit about humans I have yet to entirely grasp. I''ll have to scan through the memories in my collection find out the reason behind her shy protest.


    After going through my acquired memories, I found some very interesting things. Things are beginning to make a lot more sense to me now, so that''s why she...


    "...Sex..." I uttered.


    Ana immediately reacted to that statement as she made a more embarrassed look. Her body quivered when I mentioned that word. Based on her reaction, I suppose that''s the right trigger.


    "Reproduction and Pleasure... I see. ''They'' did have such an idea when making your species." I muttered, half talking to her.


    But I still don''t understand, if it''s such a normal function of humans then why is she so embarrassed about it?


    From what I''ve seen, I now know why she''s reacting in such a shy and embarrassed manner, after all being naked in front of someone of an opposite gender is something that only happens in very intimate or romantic rtionship.


    But that doesn''t mean I understand it. After all, ves and servants can be required to be stripped of all wears and pleasure their master in whatever way they can. Is it not only natural that she understands this since I am her current master.


    Besides, I can basically see her body anytime I want even with clothes on, so there''s really no point. But exining all this will be a bother, so I''ll just leave it as it is.


    "Master Hexarion... D-Do you find my body to be so appealing to you...?" Ana suddenly asked me shyly, ncing at me but quickly taking her eyes off of me.


    Oh? She''s a bold one. From the memories I''ve revised so far, it''s rare for women to take the lead in situations like this.


    As for appeal... I''m not sure how to answer this. I mean, do humans see naked goats or pigs and find then appealing to them? As a higher being, why would I be attracted to the body of... Meat. We''re just too different when ites down to it. I almost feel insulted by her insinuations, but I''ll let it go. After all, she doesn''t know any better.


    "I''ve tasted the bodies of gods like Aphrodite and even the prideful Athena... Why would the body of a mortal even move me?" I said to her nonchntly.


    When she heard this, her face fell in a bit of disappointment as she looked back down.


    "O-Oh, I see... I''m sorry for asking such a useless question..." She muttered.


    She quicklyposed herself and let her body go, cing her hands by her side in a straight fashion,ying everything bare before me.


    Much better.


    "Though, I have to say... Compared to the other humans, you''re pretty... what''s the word? SEXY?" I smiled to her.


    She deserves apliment after all. The quality of her body isn''t half bad. wless skin and excellent proportions, a rival to Talia''s, if I do say so myself.


    "W-W-Wha?!!!" She let out in shock, tightly hugging her body back and looking away shyly.


    I''m surprised by her sudden outburst, but that''s enough of that. We''ve spent enough time on meaningless chatter.


    "You wanted clothes, correct?" I said to her.


    Before she could formte a response due to her embarrassed state, I took the initiative.


    "ROOT" I said.


    My ring glowed purple as it shone.


    "T-That is...?!" She said as her eyes widened, noticing the ring which caused her most of the troubles she encountered when she fought with me.


    "Clothe Target with Optimal material" Imanded.


    ROOT buzzed as I said this and took actually immediately


    <<Confirmed>>


    <


    >


    <<Scanning target for Optimal attire>>


    <<Scanningplete>>


    <<Initiating Command>>


    Immediately, Ana''s naked body was immediately covered with a white short gown. It had no sleeves and a glowing white ne, matched with the same materials for her bracelets and earrings. Her shoes were glittering white, with silver designs on them.


    Of course, underwear was also provided for, brightlyced white lingerie with soft andfy materials. I still wonder to myself why I made items like these in the past.


    "White indeed suits her, but it''s too much" I muttered.


    "Adjust color bnce" I told Root.


    <<Confirmed>>


    <<Adjusting>>


    <<Completed>>


    <<Additional Clothing will be provided>>


    Leggings appeared on her legs, ck in color and they covered her entire legs, toes included. A ck choker also appeared around her neck to match the leg material she had on. Though the designs also have it a prestigious look.simce the patterns were silver and matched the color of her other essories.


    "Much better" I said with a smile.


    "T-This is..." She gasped in surprise.


    My Treasures really look good on her. Now I can say I find her slightly appealing. It''s a wonder how just the right set of essories can make someone shine so well.


    "Thank you so much Master Hexarion... I am undeserving of such extravagance. I promise to cherish these which you have given me till myst breath." She said with all seriousness.


    Ana is too earnest. I''m sure it''s a good thing on the long run since she longs to please me. As long as it''s not overbearing, then I can tolerate it.


    "You''re now my subject. You deserve at least this much" I said to her.


    She blushed as she smiled at me with admiration.


    "Master....!" She beamed.


    I mean, I can''t have the servant of a Primordial wearing rags, now can I?


    It''s about that time then.


    "Let''s head back. I''ll like to see how far the two ves I left back there have gone" I said to Ana.


    She made a puzzled look.


    Oh, right. She doesn''t know about Talia and Shamac. Well, she soon will.


    "If they fail to meet my expectations, then I suppose you''ll be recing at least one of them" I smiled.


    She nodded diligently, ready to do whatever it takes. I can''t say I dislike that.


    Now then, let''s see what my little ves have been up to.

 Chapter 63 - Slave Fight

    "This is yourst chance, tell me where your master went to!" Gerund asked, pointing his spear toward Talia and Shamac.


    Shamac sighed and shrugged.


    "Oi, geezer. Are we going to fight already or what?" He asked.


    Gerund was really enraged by the casual and disrespectful behavior of a ve, one who wasn''t even human to begin with.


    "Commander,mander... Can''t we just slice them up and carve them into beautiful bloody sculptures? Maybe they''ll be willing to talk then?" Pheobe said with an obsessive smile as she nced over to Shamac.


    Immediately Shamac shivered at her gaze.


    "They''ll be too dead to answer anything, you little..." Gerund said as he sighed.


    "I can''t deal with this girl" He groaned to himself.


    Having lost every other member of his best forces, leavinng only her standing, he needed cooperation with her. Pheobe was often known as a ''wild card'' even among her peers. One of his deadliest subordinates, and if he was being frank with himself, she also gave him the creeps assionally.


    "But... Despite her oddities, she always gets the job done. She''s the perfect killing machine, and it''s good I have her by my side now" Gerund thought.


    Seeing as conflict was inevitable, he took his stance, same with Pheobe and readied himself.


    "I''ll deal with the cheeky brat. You handle the girl" He told Pheobe.


    "Hehehehe, roger that sir." She grinned.


    "You must be quite confident in your skills if you think you can beat me-" Shamac smiled smugly.


    However, before he couldplete his statement, a concentrated gust of wind blew to his direction, sending him flying far away from Talia. The wind came from none other than...


    "Gale Spear" Gerund muttered.


    "I''ve separated the both of them now. Make sure to deal with her quickly. Don''t mess around too much" Gerund said.


    "I''ll try my best sir" She replied.


    Gerund nodded. That was good enough for him. He immediately dashed to the location where he sent Shamac flying to, leaving Pheobe with Talia, who silently watched the whole exchange.


    With both teams separated and conditioned to fight one on one, they steeled themselves for battle.


    [SHAMAC]


    "Ahhhhh, that was too sudden" Shamac groaned, rising from the ground.


    "Damnit, now my outfit will be all stained. Oh wait, it isn''t. Ah, Master Hexarion''s clothes suree in handy in situations like this" He noticed.


    "Looks like you must be fine since you still have the energy to speak so casually" Gerund said, appearing before Shamac.


    "Ahh, you! You blew me quite a great distance from Talia. I can''t even see her from here." Shamac said.


    "I suppose that works in your favor. After all... You won''t experience as she gets brutally killed" Gerund replied.


    "Uh? Killed? Talia?" Shamac said in a bit of confusion.


    The suddenly he let out a heartyughter.


    "Hahahahahahaha. Oh, you guys are just too hrious. Sorry to break it to you, but even though I''m not sure of the oue of my fight with you, I can definitely say for sure... Talia will win!" Shamac smiled confidently.


    Gerund was surprised by his certainty. Was there something about her he didn''t know?


    "Well, that doesn''t mean I won''t try my best as well. To be honest I''m at a bit of a disadvantage here since it''s just evening. But, the master said we should do this and I can''t afford to disappoint him." Shamac said, readying himself.


    "Cheh. Cheeky brat. Do you really hope to defeat a Commander in the Imperial Forces? How conceited can you be?" He said, raising his Gale Spear forbat.


    "You guys are the conceited ones in my opinion. It''s not like that matters though, since you''re going to die here anyway." Shamac said with a grin.


    "Come, kid... I''ll show you the difference between us!" Gerund challenged.


    Shamac smiled, but a bead of sweat dropped from his face.


    "If I''m being honest here, I''m at aplete disadvantage. His weapon has a longer reach and wider range of damage as well as area of effect. Plus, it may have other properties I''m not aware of. Then as a Commander, I''m sure his skills are no joke. Ahhh, what a pain." Shamac thought to himself.


    "Right now, since It''s evening, I can still use my shadows, but their abilities will be very limited, meaning my main weapon for this battle is my shapeshifting ability. Ah, I wish I practiced using that for fights more instead of ying silly tricks. But it can''t be helped. From this point on, I won''t only be fighting battles in the night time, but also during the day as well. I need to get stronger!" He added.


    "Now is the perfect opportunity! I''ll win this fight for sure!" He resolved.


    Immediately, he transformed himself into a menacing tiger and crouched.


    "Grrrrrrwlllllll" He growled.


    "Here Ie!" He said to himself.


    Immediately, on all fours he ran toward Gerund, ready to devour his prey.


    [TALIA]


    "So I guess that leaves us girls" Talia said as she nced at Pheobe.


    "What''s your name?" She asked.


    Pheobe was surprised by the sudden question.


    "Why do you want to know? You''re going to die here anyway" She replied.


    Talia sighed.


    "Good point. There''s no point in exchanging names when one of us is going to die anyway. Though it still feels strange. Fighting someone I don''t even know... Weird" Talia mumbled.


    "What nonsense are you spouting? Enough talking! I wanna Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!!!!" Pheobe grinned maniacally.


    "All this talk of killing... How can you say it so easily? To tell you the truth, I don''t want to kill you, or anyone for that matter... But... But..." Talia said with a sad expression on her face.


    Her hands shook slightly as she was losingposure and giving in to emotion. Pheobe saw this and grinned widely.


    "This is a perfect chance"


    Without any form of warning, she immediately dashed toward Talia and brought forth her dagger to strike.


    Talia saw this and quickly reacted by leaping away from her location, dodging the initial strike of the dagger. However...


    "Wake up... Shino...." Pheobe grinned with a sick smile.


    Suddenly the little dagger erged, and from its sides it brought out de extensions like branches. The de extensions shook slightly as she pointed the now erged dagger toward Talia who was in midair.


    "Butcher her!" She said with excitement.


    The branches of des were immediatelyunched and lunged at Talia, whocked the mobility to dodge the blow. However...


    "Vines" Talia whispered.


    Suddenly, the nts on the t ins they were on rose and grewrger. They immediately surrounded Talia and parried all the des that wereunched at her, protecting her from harm.


    "W-What?" Phoebe let out in surprise.


    She retracted her des back into the dagger as it returned to its original shape.


    "I truly do not want to fight you, not to talk of killing you. But... If that is ''His'' wish... Then I have no choice..." Talia said, rising to the air.


    Immedaitely, she unlocked the first seal and her brilliant wings emerged, shining brightly. Phoebe was dumbfounded by the sight before her that she couldn''t speak, only make amazed expressions.


    "So beautiful... So bright... So pure!" He mind rang.


    Talia sighed, as she slightly raised her hands.


    Immedaitely, the nts around he grew and with her strengthening essence, they changed their colors to silver. Their numbers and size made Phobe seem so small in front of them.


    "Amazing... So amazing..." Pheobe said as her entire body trembled.


    Her face blushed as she gazed excitedly at Talia.


    "Y-You... You''re strong!!! Ah, finally. You''re so strong and so beautiful! Ah, I can''t wait... How will those wings look like as they are dyed in your blood. How will your body look like in tiny pieces, ah, how your blood will greatly satisfy Shino! Finally, we have someone fun to y with" Phoebe dered excitedly to Talia.


    A bead of sweat fell from Talia''s face due to the difort she felt by the words Pheobe spoke. They were... Disturbing.


    "My name is Pheobe... What is yours?" She asked excitedly.


    "It''s Talia" She answered, surprised she suddenly wanted to share names.


    "Ah, Talia... Want to know a secret? I love strong people. I love beautiful people. I love how they look after I carve them up. I love killing them and seeing their innardse out with such hue of red as the blood gets taken in by Shino... Oh, such bliss. And you, Talia, are both beautiful and strong... Let''s have some fun Talia." She said with aroused excitement as she drooled with pleasure.


    "I wonder... I wonder what kind of face you''ll make when you die... Oh, I can''t wait. Shino can''t wait too! Big brother Gwain, I''ve found a strong one! I''ll kill her real nice!!!" She licked her de.


    Talia remained silent as she watched Pheobe''s depraved expressions and behaviour. She still didn''t want to kill, but...


    "I will dly do anything for Hexarion!" She said to herself.


    After granting her this power, he gave her a task to do for him. She wanted to carry it out without fail, and that is why, even though she didn''t want to, she was going to do it! She didn''t want to be worthless to him. She didn''t want him to throw her away. She would do just anything to please him. Because to her, Hexarion was, is...


    "He is... My Everything!"


    And so she readied her strengthened vines, while Pheobe prepped her dagger.


    Only one was going to live.

 Chapter 64 - Shamac Vs Gerund

    Shamac growled in his wile feline form as he rushed toward Gerund, who maintained his stance with his Gale Spear.


    As he advanced closer, Gerund lifted his spear and spun it, causing a whirlwind around himself. Shamac halted abruptly, unable to get any closer due to the wall of wind which served as a boundary between them.


    Not only that, but he noticed the floor around Gerund, where the whirlwind was spinning started getting cracked and damaged.


    "That''s dangerous..." Shamac muttered.


    The wind was not just for defence but offence as well, so Shamac knew if he moved any closer he was going to get skewered.


    "Tch, let''s try this then!" He said to himself.


    He immediately Shapeshifted into a hawk and took flight, diving into the sky.


    He flew higher and higher until he could see the eye of the whirlwind.


    "Heh, I''ve got you!" Shamac grinned.


    He dived back down, heading for the opening above the whirlwind where he could prate and hit his unsuspecting target.


    "The whirlwind indeed is great for offence and defence, but in doing so it reduces his visual perception. He can''t see my actions from outside the strong whirlwind. Which means... "He won''t see thising!" Shamac concluded.


    He increased his falling speed and retracted his wings, causing a free fall of great force.


    Suddenly, Gerund looked up, locking eyes with him and let out a smile.


    "H-He knew?!" Shamac said hesitantly.


    Immediately, Gerund pointed his spear upward, and it started to generate arge proportion of wind. The winds swirled and concentrated on the tip of the spear, ready to beunched in one powerful strike.


    Shamac, due to the instability of the winds and the force he was using to dive downward, coupled with the whirlwinds that surrounded him was, by definition, trapped. He could go no other way than down, which appears to have been Gerund''s n all along.


    "Now die!" Gerund smiled.


    "Wind Strike"


    He released the concentrated wind and itunched straight for Shamac, parting the whirlwind that surrounded them both. Such was the force of the wind strike.


    "Shit!" Shamac groaned, unable to properly p his wings.


    The wind flew upward, causing even the clouds in the sky to part slightly due to the pressure. The earth around Gerund reverberated in shock due to the impact of the release.


    Finally, everything settled down, and Gerund ced his spear down, the tip touching the ground as he used it to support his own body.


    "Huff, Huff..." He let out in mild exhaustion.


    "It''s been a while since I released so much power. I suppose this is what I get for being holed up in my chambers and office all day." He said to himself.


    "Anyway, looks like it''s all finished... When I get back, I should take some more training and sparring sessions to get back into shape. The only problem is finding the right sparring partner. I definitely wouldn''t want it to be Pheobe. That girl is just something else" He muttered to himself, turning to the direction where Talia and Pheobe were located.


    "..."


    "I know right? That girl gives me the creeps" A voice appeared amidst the wreckage and dusty area.


    Gerund''s eyes bulged in shock as he heard the voice behind him. He turned back immediately and he saw what he didn''t expect.


    "You... How are you still alive?" Gerund asked, looking at Shamac''s slightly bruised body.


    Shamac, now in his normal form, turned his neck to his side and cracked it, letting out a moan of relief. He had a slight smile on his face.


    Whether it was a smile of confidence, or that of gratitude since he survived, Gerund didn''t know.


    "... And she''s such a beauty too. Ah, what a waste." Shamac continued grumbling, ignoring Gerund''s query.


    "Bastard! You dare ignore me?!" Gerund let out in annoyance.


    Shamac finally looked toward his direction and smiled at him.


    "You want me to tell you how I survived?" Shamac asked slyly.


    Gerund gulped as his eyes remained fixated on Shamac, preparing himself for the answer.


    "I don''t wanna!" Shamac finally said in a tease.


    "You...." Gerund growled.


    Shamac''s smile grew even wider when he saw Gerund''s expression.


    "I was lucky toe out of that with barely any injury" Shamac said to himself, remembering how he narrowly escaped the Wind Strike''s force.


    When he saw the wind approaching him at a fast rate and he also heading toward the wind, unable to dodge it''s attack. The first thing he did was p his wings to ensure his dive speed was lessened. After that, he had no other choice at the moment but to use his shadow.


    "Since it''s evening, I can still use a portion of it''s power. Fortunately, since the wind attacks were concentrated on a single spot, I was able to cluster my shadow into a single shield to block by body. Ah, I''m so happy I had a small body then." He sighed.


    Due to his small mass, and the concentration of the wind, he was able to create a smaller shadow, which means more power than a wider spread one.


    Of course, some of the wind''s force affected him, giving him slight bruises, but he was able to escape nearly undamaged.


    Of course, he wasn''t going to tell Gerund that. He preferred the air of mystery that surrounded his survival. It made Gerund more wary of him and slightly hesitant. That works to his advantage.


    "Now that I''ve seen just what your Relic is capable of, I suppose it''s time I showed you my best as well" Shamac said, taking a crouching stance.


    "What are you doing?" Gerund asked, feeling a sense of foreboding.


    "I''ll have to end this quick..." Shamac muttered.


    Since it was evening, even if he used his Shadow Armor, it wasn''t going tost long and the duration time would lessen. With the drawbacks outweighing the advantages, he had to look for another alternative.


    "I don''t like using this form since it makes me feel all jumbled up inside and out afterwards..." He continued.


    His main weapon in the current battle was shapeshifting. As such, he was going to pull his most powerful offensive card in that department.


    "Not to mention, I look really silly in it... Ugly and gross." He added.


    But...


    "But, to defeat you... I''ll be going all out!" Shamac said, firmly maintaining his crouching position.


    Suddenly, a massive amount of built up power began to well up within him and his entire body started morphing rapidly.


    Gerund braced himself for what was toe. His eyes widened at the sight before him.


    "What is he turning into? Is that a spider? A bird? an octopus? Just what is.... That?!" Gerund croaked as he saw the unbelievable sight before him.


    From looking down, Gerund''s face began to rise, looking at the tall gait and stature Shamac was taking.


    "N-No, that is... Oh God!" He said in horror.


    "Shifter Type: Shape..."


    A deep and hoarse voice echoed throughout the entire area, emanating from Shamac''s new body.


    "Form: Chimera"


    The new body Shamac now had possessed six hands and four legs. He possessed an extra four spider limbs behind him. Wings also formed at his back, and arge reptile tail wiggled in his caudal region.


    His six hands were from various animal species. The ws of a lion, the hoof of a calf, therge limb of a bear, the nimble hand of the wolf, the stic hand of a serpent, and the talons of the mighty bird of prey.


    His four legs possessed the speedy limbs of the cheetah and the pronghorn.


    Antlers protruded out of his head, and a horn came from out of his forehead. His hair was long and flowed with tentacles.


    He had eight eyes, each with various features, from thepound eyes of insects to the sharp eyes of birds. His jaws and sharp teeth were sharper than des and as he breathed out, steam proceeded from his mouth.


    "Roarrrrr!!!!!!" He let out in a terrifying shriek.


    With Gerund facing this monstrosity before him, he could not help but quiver a little.


    "You''re going to die here... Imperial Knight.... I''ll make sure of it!" Chimera Shamac growled.

 Chapter 65 - Mad Dance

    ''ng!''


    ''ng!''


    The vines and des flew as they strung at each other.


    ''Bam!!''


    ''Bang!!!''


    ''Krrrriiiiiihhh!!!!''


    Sparks flew as the the enhanced nts shed with the branch des of Pheobe''s dagger.


    The exchangested for some moments as both sides remained in their positions, their gaze transfixed on the other''s movements and strikes.


    Pheobe''s eyes gleamed with excitement as she shed and weaved her now erged weapon to find an opening to strike Talia down. But since the vines around Talia were greater in size and numbers, they were able to parry all other attacks and even engage in counterattacks.


    "What''s the matter? Will you keep staying in defense forever? Why don''t you attack for a change?!" Pheobe taunted.


    Talia maintained her cool. Inasmuch as she didn''t want to kill Pheobe, she had no choice in the matter. But she didn''t want to be impulsive. If she overexerts herself, she would go down. However, by using the minimum amount of power to attack, she would be able to draw the fight to her advantage and overwhelm her opponent with greater force and numbers.


    "Bah, this is no fun!" Pheobe said.


    Suddenly, she ceased her strikes and leaped back, preventing the vines from striking her since she stopped attacking. She finallynded safely outside the range of attack, beyond the reach of the vines and smiled widely.


    "You''re really strong Talia. No one has managed tost this long against me other than big brother Gwain and Commander Gerund." Pheobe said with an obsessive look.


    She licked her lips in anticipation and decided to take things to another level. She took a deep breath in and finally released a surge of energy, with waves being emitted from her body.


    "What is this...? Something is different about her now" Talia asked herself, noticing the change in Pheobe''s energy.


    "Ha... Finally I can let loose. I''m so happy, Talia is so strong that I''ll be going all out! Shino is happy too, let us go all out together!" She said, licking her dagger again.


    The sight grossed Talia out, but she did her best to control herself. She maintained a calm demeanor and gazed down at Pheobe, who wasughing maniacally.


    "I can finally use it! Finally..." She mumbled.


    "Now that that Apostle isn''t here... I can finally use it... Hex!" She grinned widely and widened her eyes, directing them to Talia.


    A bead of sweat dropped from Talia''s face.


    "Hex?!" She asked herself.


    "Isn''t that Master Hexarion''s... She can also use it?"


    Talia slowly started to lose herposure. Since she had seen Hex and it''s effects, she knew better than to underestimate such a powerful Art.


    "Out of us Terrible Trio, my Relic is the weakest. Big brother Gwain possessed the Sword of Rupture, and Big brother Lance possessed the Limit Breaker. But Shino isn''t as strong as those Relics. Shino just likes to feed endlessly on blood..." Pheobe said.


    Talia felt the aura around Pheobe grow even more as she spoke.


    "But... Even though Ick the strength of a Relic... I possess something the other two do not! Mastery of the Art of Hex!" She smiled.


    "I don''t like where this is heading to..." Talia said nervously.


    "With this Art, I''ll show you just why I''m ranked as a Terrible, why I possess the title of ''Fiend of the Battlefield''!" She grinned.


    Due to the Apostle, Lauria''s presence, she could not use her Hex Art since it is considered sphemy and an abomination to the gods. But now, she was finally able to let out all the pent up bloodlust she had been witholding.


    Transforming the depraved emotions into power, she gripped her dagger tightly and readied herself.


    "Hex #85... Crimson Armament"


    Suddenly, her entire body be enveloped in a blood-like aura. The dark red energy covered her entire being, generating an ominous feel throughout the battlefield.


    "T-That is..." Talia stuttered as she stared in surprise.


    "You''ll have to forgive me... When I''m in this form, I lose all form of reasoning... From this point on... We won''t have our fun talks anymore... Now then... Time to dig in!" Pheobe grinned in a devilish manner.


    Immediately, her eyes glowed red and she crouched. Her teeth brought forth drool as she growled like a wild animal hungry for prey.


    "Grauuuuuhhhh" She let out.


    Immediately, she dashed, on all fours, she ran straight for Talia.


    Nervous about the new state her enemy was in, Talia ascended higher into the sky, ensuring she was far above ground, unable to be reached by the berserk Pheobe.


    "With my current height there''s no way she can re-"


    As Talia was still grimacing on the distance she had made, Pheobe immediately created wings behind her from the crimson energy which enveloped her. She took to the sky, leaving a trail of red energy behind her as she elerated at great speed.


    "W-What?!" Talia said in shock.


    Before she could fully make sense of the situation she found herself in, Pheobe appeared in front of her in a sh.


    "She''s fast!" Talia noticed.


    "Rarghhh" Pheobe let out as she used her ws, which had been further enhanced by the red cloak , to strike at Talia.


    Talia dodged as quickly as she could, backflipping in haste. This let her avoid the attack, but Pheobe wasn''t done yet. Within a moment''s breath, she leaped in to get Talia, and once again closed the distance.


    She raised her fist to hit Talia, but she quickly flew backward, missing the attack only by a little, however... Using the crimson energy, the aura extended, forming a fist-like structure and reached Talia. The blow hit her stomach, causing her to cough out in pain.


    "Keukk" Talia groaned.


    She was sent flying by the blunt hit and crashed down to the ground.


    "Gahhh, it hurts..." Talia said in pain, holding her stomach.


    Before she had enough time to think about her predicament, Pheobe descended to the ground, facing Talia with a wild look on her face.


    "Blood... Blood!" She said mechanically.


    "Need... Blood... Give me... B-Blood..."


    She drooled even more as she spoke, with no signs of intelligence, only instinct.


    "Damn... To think she''s this strong!" Talia groaned to herself.


    "I have to-"


    Before she was done with her line of thought, Talia crouched and dashed to Talia again.


    "Tch!" Talia said, stretching her hands immediately and sent nearby vines to attack Pheobe.


    The vines lunged at Pheobe, who ran rapidly, dodging their every strike as fast as she could. None of them could reach her as she turned and twisted her body to avoid them, tearing through the ones that blocked her path, while outrunning the ones which chased her.


    Talia used this opportunity to ascend to the sky. However, as she took flight, Pheobe immediately noticed and released a powerful surge of energy, destroying all the vines around her.


    She immediately red at Talia, once again summoning her crimson wings for flight and flew to reach her prey.


    "I suppose I have no choice..." Talia said to herself.


    As Pheobe reached out to grab Talia with her crimson energy hands, Talia immediately flexed her hands.


    Suddenly, light radiated around her and the force pushed Pheobe away, repelling her back to the ground.


    She crashed into the ground with a great force, shattering the earth she met.


    "Grughhhh" She let out as she lifted her face up to gaze upon her enemy.


    Light filled the evening sky as Talia floated in the air. Light particles floated around her in the shapes of tiny spheres which glowed brilliantly with white light.


    "... I''ll have to stop holding back as well." Talia said, raising one of her hands.


    Immediately, giant vines emerged from the ground , glowing silver white as they danced around her. With her powerful vines swirling around her and the light orbs surrounding her, she gazed down at the deranged Pheobe who only growled in madness as the red energy grew even wilder, consuming her body further.


    "Now... It''s just a race against time. Who will go down first? You, with your Crimson Armament, or me... With my first Seal unlocked and set at maximum." Talia grimaced.


    "Garuuuuwllll"


    "Let''s end this.... Pheobe!"

 Chapter 66 - Curtains Fall (Shamac)

    [Shamac]


    "Form: Chimera"


    The most powerful form Shamac currently possessed. Combining various animals and partially transforming parts of his body to them, he has an overwhelming advantage in offense, defense, perception, speed, and instinct. With this, he was resolved to win.


    "Y-You monster!" Gerund shrieked as he saw the horrific transformation Shamac made.


    "Sigh, this is why I hate using this form... It''s too unsightly, even for me. But I can''t afford to be picky right now" Shamac thought to himself.


    "Die, you beast!" Gerund shouted.


    He again drew his Gale Spear and rotated it as fast as possible, generating a vortex that swirled and went straight for Shamac''s chimera form. The massive gust of wind and the twisting current burst forth and neared him with unimaginable speed and power, destroying the ground in its path.


    Shamac used his hands to cover the rest of his body and head as the wind made contact with him, crashing and shing with his monstrous physique. The sh between the two sent shocks radiating throughout the area, raising an unbelievable amount of dust around them and blowing away all in its path.


    The waves finally subsided and the dust settled, making everything clearer and the result of the attack visible for Gerund to see.


    "Hahahaha, I''d like to see you survive that, you bea-" Gerundughed triumphantly, but stopped midway as he saw the unbelievable.


    "Haaa, that was a strong one. Good thing I had the right defense." Shamac said with his husky voice.


    Gerund''s eyes widened as he saw Shamac looking entirely unscathed from the attack he just rendered.


    "H-How... Impossible!" He said in disbelief"


    "Heh, good thing I used my Reptile skin coating to block the attack. Don''t you know? Reptiles have unusually dense skin" Shamac said to Gerund with a triumphant tone.


    "You... When I''m done with you, not even your bones will be left!" Gerund said, raising his spear above his head and rotating it.


    Slowly, the wind began to gather around the spear, spinning and turning. The pull of the wind began to attract the earth, the grass, rocks, and everything around them. It attracted Shamac too, drawing him closer to the twisting wind, but Shamac remained rooted to the ground.


    Before long, it resulted in a massive twister, iparable to the one Shamac experienced before. It blew away everything around them, drawing them to therge whirlwind in a systematic fashion, and even began to break off the surrounding earth. Shamac stood his ground as he watched the massive tornado growrger andrger.


    "Looks like I can''t mess around anymore. The more I dy, the stronger that twister gets. Besides, I can''t maintain this form for too long." He said to himself.


    "I''ll end it with this one move"


    Gerundughed crazily as he was within the safety of the giant mass of twisting wind of his making. He raised his Spear andughed even more.


    "How''s this? Think you can also block this? Go ahead and try! I''ll skewer you into unrecognizable pieces you damn beast!" He dered.


    Even though he couldn''t see Shamac, he knew he was trapped. The tornado had a strong pulling force that would prevent Shamac from escaping. Even if he managed to maintain his position, eventually the wind would reach him and swallow him. Once that happened, he would be torn apart and skewered by the wind, resulting in his loss.


    "Hehehehehe, serves you right. You monste-"


    As Gerund gloated, suddenly a crack appeared beneath him. Initially, he didn''t notice, until the crack grew wider and the sound was too loud for him to ignore. He looked beneath him and saw the massive crack, as though... There was something beneath him...


    "Bingo!" Shamac''s voice rang out.


    "Wha-" Gerund let out in shock.


    Before he could react, two of Shamac''s hands emerged from the ground and grabbed Gerund''s legs. Two more grabbed his hands and finally, his tail coiled around his neck, firmly gripping it.


    "Gurghhhh" Gerund let out in a choking sound, unable to release himself from Shamac''s constraints.


    Shamac finally emerged from within the cracked and gaping hole in the floor. He grinned widely in his monstrous form.


    "Got you," He said to Gerund whose face depicted a mix of utter shock and fear.


    He gagged due to the tail around his neck and could barely let out an intelligible sound. However, from his eyes and lip movements, it was clear he was asking... How.


    "How... How did you..."


    Shamac grinned widely.


    "I don''t wanna tell you!" He said teasingly, winking with half of his eight eyes.


    "You... You bastard... You beast... You..." Gerund yelled, straining his voice to speak as he choked.


    Immediately, Shamac used his tail to snap his neck, causing him to cease his struggle. The bone snapped and Gerund''s struggling face filled with desperation grew lifeless as it hinged on Shamac''s tell, unable to show any more than it had.


    "You were too loud, old geezer. How annoying." Shamac said.


    The spear Gerund held slipped from his dead hands and fell on the ground at the center of the raging wind. As soon as it did, the wind it was causing to rage forth slowly ceased, stopping its rampage and destruction.


    "Whew... Finally" Shamac said to himself.


    Slowly, his body began to morph back, until he returned to his regr look. He slumped a bit but quickly regained his posture.


    "Ah, looks like I won... Old man." Shamac said with a huff.


    His two hands still held Gerund, while the others returned to within him. As he raised Geruns''s lifeless body, he stared at the wind which was subsiding around him and smiled.


    "I believe he mentioned something about skewering" Shamac grinned.


    He threw Gerund''s body to the wall of wind surrounding him and immediately, the Commander''s body tore apart due to the remaining pressure left in the whirlwind and got skewered in the process. Blood sprayed out of his chopped-up flesh as his bones were also ground by the torrents.


    Finally, the winds died down... Leaving the victor of the match toe out of the confines of safety. Shamac smiled as he nced at the hole in the ground a short distance from himself and remembered how he managed to escape the massive whirlwind.


    He dug.


    His Chimera form is ever-changing, able to quickly transform any part of his body to whatever part he needs. Using the features of the armadillo and mole, he was able to quickly dig into the earth and by calcting the distance he needed to travel along with the sounds and vibration generated by the whirlwind, he was able to return to the surface at exactly the location he wanted.


    It also helped that Gerund was ranting in the victory that was never given to him. It allowed him to grasp the exact location of themander through the cracks he had made, allowing him to immobilize him before resurfacing.


    "Whew... I''m beat" Shamac said.


    Suddenly he started feeling dizzy and his body didn''t feel too good.


    "Urgh, looks like I overexerted myself again." Shamac groaned.


    He copsed on the ground, being unable to maintain his consciousness, he fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 67 - [Bonus ] Curtains Fall (Talia)

    [TALIA]


    Light orbs around her, giant vines surrounding her.


    Talia was determined to go all out. She didn''t have the luxury of being conservative of her power. If she didn''t end it at that moment, then Pheobe was sure to win, given her berserk state.


    The question was... Who was going to go down first? Was Talia going to reach her limit first? Or was it going to be Pheobe? The battle would decide that.


    Taliaunched her enhanced vines toward Pheobe. Immediately, Pheobe reacted, dodging their devastating strikes. She used her great speed caused by the Crimson Armament and began to travel on the vines, aiming for Talia who was above them.


    Immediately she noticed this, Talia controlled the other vines to attack the one she ran on. As soon as they did, Pheobe jumped on another, causing the previous one to be struck down without her on it. The other vine shended on was also struck down as she jumped on yet another. Using this method, she used Talia''s friendly fire to her advantage.


    "Tch, she''s smarter than I thought... Or is it her instinct?" Talia asked herself.


    Suddenly, Pheobe boosted herself upward by using the vines as a foothold, aiming for Talia in the sky. She brought forth her crimson wings and increased her speed even further. She brought out her dagger, Shino, which was also covered in the crimson energy, andunched it at Talia, who was distant from her.


    Ten de branches stemmed from the main de, making them eleven in total which was sent to pierce Talia. Immediately, Talia sent her light orbs to counter the des. They immediatelyunched with their speed and exploded immediately they came into contact with the des. The branches broke off due to the impact of the light explosion, leaving only the main de body.


    "Tch, it''s being strengthened by that weird red energy around her. It extended to the weapon too." Talia said.


    "Gruuuuuwwllll" Pheobe let out as she flew to catch Talia.


    Talia wouldn''t have this and immediately flew away, increasing the energy output of her wings. She outflew Pheobe, superior to her in both speed and skill. As Pheobe chased her in the air, Taliaunched multiple light orbs at her. Due to their speed, Pheobe was unable to dodge most of them, causing them to explode as they made contact with her.


    "Guaaaahhh" Pheobe yelled out in pain.


    However, their small sizecked enough power to deal a decisive blow on Pheobe, though she was badly injured. But, even with such severe injury, Pheobe pressed on, with Shino on her hand, she lunged at Talia.


    "Looks like these small attacks won''t cut it. I can''t afford to drag this out for any longer" Talia said to herself.


    She immediately called upon her vines and they rose to attack Pheobe. This caused Pheobe to dodge their relentless whips and attacks, unable to chase after Talia solely. For good measure, Talia also released thest of the light orbs that floated around her. They flew toward Pheobe and dealt more damage to her, slowing her down for a bit.


    "I only have one shot..." Talia said to herself.


    She heaved heavily and closed her eyes, her entire being became concentrated on her hands which were ced opposite themselves, as a ball of light began to form in between them.


    "... I better make this one count!" She finally muttered.


    The ball grew bigger and bigger, generating even greater light which illuminated the evening sky further.


    Pheobe managed to shake off the vines since due to Talia''s concentration on her light ball, the nts couldn''t optimally function. She charged straight for Talia with a desperate shriek and with full speed, flew with her dagger in hand and the crimson cloak leaving a trail in the sky as she flew.


    "Blooooooddddddd!!!!!" She screamed!


    Talia opened her eyes and released the white energy which had built up in between her hands in one massive beam of light. The beam surged and fell, descending upon Pheobe who desperately reached out to sh Talia.


    "Guarghhhhhhh" Pheobe let out as the light beam sent her flying down.


    The energy utterly overcame her red armament and overpowered her. Immediately the power faded away, her body slowly began to get consumed as her skin burned off, turning to dust. Her weapon cracked due to the pressure and heat of the light as it too started to break down.


    "B-Blood... I... Lost...?" Pheobe muttered to herself as she slowly turned to ash.


    Her face, her body, her entire self burned off due to the immense power of the light.


    "Shino... I''m sorry. This one... Was too strong. No blood... For us today... Big brother Gwain... I couldn''t kill... This... One..." Pheobe muttered to herself before finally turning to ash.


    The light slowly reduced before it finally stopped. The hole it had dug into the ground caused the earth it struck to glow amber as it sizzled due to the heat the light emitted. The dagger Phoebe used, Shino, turned to dust and faded away, along with its master.


    Talia huffed as she saw the sight in front of her. Her vision blurred ad she felt lightheaded. But... She did it! She won!


    "I... I killed her! Hexarion, I did as you said. I-I... Killed someone..." Talia said.


    Suddenly she burst into tears. She cried and cried as she slowly descended from the sky. Her body was weak, yet she sniffled as tears rolled down.


    "How did it turn out this way? I never wanted to... I just wanted... I killed... I ended someone''s life..." Talia sniffed as she spoke.


    Her head began to spin as her body ached and throbbed painfully. Her wings vanished and the power that surged through her was no more. She was at her limit.


    She smiled weakly, grateful she was able to finish the job her lord gave her before she ran out of power.


    "Was I... Of use to you... Hexarion?" She asked herself.


    Her knees gave up straight as she crumbled and knelt weakly on the ground. At any moment she would lose consciousness. Suddenly, footsteps were heard, the sound drew closer as it approached her steadily.


    With blurry eyes, she weakly looked at the figure that approached her. It was an unfamiliar one. A woman... It was a woman who approached Talia. Her face was not visible to Talia since her eyes were blurry and she was on the verge of passing out. She did recognize one thing though.


    White


    Thedy wore white. Was it the Apostle Hexarion was after? She remembered Pheobe mentioning the Apostle stopping her from using Hex. If that was the case, and this was the person. Then... Then...


    "The enemy... I still... Need to... F-Fight..." Talia muttered to herself weakly as she struggled to remain awake as her eyes forcefully shut themselves.


    Thedy crouched as she looked at Talia''s face. A smile was on her face, but Talia couldn''t make out anymore. She passed out and everything went dark.


    Herst train of thought went thus;


    "Hexarion... The enemy... I..."


    Nothing she experienced, and nothing she thought of before passing out,pared to what awaited her when she would open her eyes the next. She was soon going to find out... The fate she was to live in....

 Chapter 68 - Loose End

    Ana and I walked through the woods in deathly silence. She still has a flushed expression as an aftereffect of what transpired between us earlier.


    I''m just going to ignore the look she has on and kept walking.


    I can immediately warp to our destination if I desire, but that means both Talia and Shamac won''t have enough time to defeat the Imperial Knights I told them to. I am a fair person after all


    By giving them enough time, if they somehow end up disappointing me, I''ll rece at least one with Ana. Out of the two, I am nearly certain in Talia''s victory. She is very inexperienced, but I''m sure she''ll be victorious. As for Shamac, it''s not certain but there''s also a high chance of him winning. If he makes good use of his Shapeshifting factor, and uses his wits he''ll be able to secure his victory. Well then, I suppose I also want to see the results of the battle I left in their care.


    Suddenly, I felt a faint sensation in my body, causing me to halt immediately. Ana, who stayed beside me as we walked, halted as well, confused by my sudden stop.


    I looked around myself and focused on a particr location, east of my current position. I smiled.


    "So that''s how it is. I expected this much... You cockroach" I said with a smile.


    "M-My lord...?" Ana said, obviously very confused by my reaction.


    I turned to her when she spoke and observed her expression. She seems interested in what I''m thinking about. Well, it''s not like I''m telling her anyway.


    "Ana, I''ll have to leave you at this juncture" I told her.


    Her eyes widened as she looked at me perplexingly.


    "W-Why? Have I been bad?" She asked me with a teary and desperate look.


    This is why being too enthusiastic and earnest is a bother.


    "Not at all. I just have other businesses to deal with. You''ll continue down this path and rendezvous with my servants. Assist them if they require it, and wait for my arrival." I told her.


    Her face lightened up as she heard this and she calmed herself.


    "O-Oh... So that''s it. Okay my Lord. I will do exactly as you have said." She said energetically. She made her body rigid and made a salute at me.


    "She''s so tense" I muttered to myself.


    Unlike Talia, who is energetic and free, Ana is very rigid and earnest.


    Unlike Shamac who prefers to be silent and subservient, she is able to take the initiative. Looks like I have a pretty good card in my hands.


    "Go" I told her.


    Immediately, she ran ahead, leaving me in the woods alone.


    I watched her as she disappeared into the thick cluster of trees and shrubs.


    "Now then..." I said, enhancing my senses and concentrating on my target.


    "Hex #71 Warp" I said.


    Immediately, I warped to my predetermined location. It was also located in the woods, but east of it.


    My target being none other than the central character in this little game.


    "Where do you think you''re going, Julius?" I asked the person who stared at me with bulging eyes and sweat covering his body.


    Julius, who was tightly gripping a mirror by his side, huffed as he stared at me unbelievably.


    "Y-Y-You... H-How?!" He mumbled, pointing his finger at me in terror.


    I smiled at him and took a step forward.


    "No! S-Stay back!" He yelled fearfully, taking a few steps back.


    His legs identally hit the root of one of the many trees around us, causing him to stumble and fall hard on his buttocks.


    "That''s a much better position" I said to him.


    "Eek" He squeaked.


    Looking at his pathetic face, it''s unbelievable to even imagine that this man was once the distinguished person I met before. I suppose this is what fear does... He looks so ugly now.


    "Did you really think you could escape me? You thought you''d sneak away while everyone was too busy fighting and make your grand exit?" I asked him.


    "How did you... How did you find me?" He asked me with a confused and frustrated look.


    His eyes slowly turned from perplexity to realization. It finally dawned on him that his question was unnecessary.


    For someone who managed to orchestrate such an event, keeping tabs on one of my yers is really nothing spectacr. Surely he has grasped that by now.


    All I did was track down the coins he has in his possession. Using Root, that went smoothly. The rest was up to Hex.


    "W-What are you going to do to me? What do you want?" He asked me with a stuttereing tone.


    Indeed, what should I do? I''ve run out of use for him, and he''ll only serve as a disturbance for my future n. There''s really nothing left for his existence rather than being a bother to me.


    "You''ll die. That much is certain" I said with a tone of finality.


    His face fell when he heard this. I suppose he always knew that would be his fate, but he didn''t want to ept it until I finally gave the verdict.


    "I-I see..." He said, with a short patheticugh.


    "I really thought I had it all figured out... I thought I was the protagonist of this tale. I thought I was the one in control of it all, but I-I guess I was wrong..." Julius muttered.


    "You''re not wrong. You thought what I wanted you to think. You were indeed the protagonist of this tale, for that is the role I made you y. Heh, I suppose in that regard I am simr to ''THEM''." I said with a snicker.


    Julius didn''t understand myst statement, but he didn''t make any attempt to. I could see in his eyes that he still had questions... He had doubts, he still had some little fragment of uncertainty left in him.


    "Why did you do all this? Why would you ruin me? What could you possibly gain from all this... I just don''t understand..." He said, repeating what he asked me back when I first revealed my involvement to everyone.


    It''s going to be a bother, but perhaps I should let him know a bit.


    That should kill some time.

 Chapter 69 - Architect Of Ruin

    I smiled at him and finally spoke up.


    "I''m going to take over Artia. Right now, I''ve brought you, the powerhouse of finance in this city, down. I''ve also taken down the ck Market and they will soon be under my control. I intend on swallowing your entirepany, Julius. Imperius will be mine... And Artia will follow." I said to him with a smile.


    "You... I can ept my defeat and everything else so far. But there''s no way you can take over Imperius. It runs deeper than the both of us. Heh, looks like there''s a bit of a w in your n. Who would''ve thought..." Julius said with a satisfied look.


    This guy... He must be really daft or something lesser than stupid. To think I esteemed him in my mind at a point.


    "Then what do you say about the 50 million Ancient Coins that Imperius owes me? What would happen if they were unable to pay back such a huge bulk of money?" I smiled as I asked.


    "Y-You... What do you mean. That money is with me, you know it. Besides, the deal you made was with me... We clearly agreed on the terms of the con-" Julius protested.


    "Yes, that we did. The contract we agreed upon indeed states the agreement to between you and myself. But... You should also know what happens when the vassal or steward of an establishment makes an agreement within thepany, the authority of said establishment is present in it. I made a contract with you, Julius, but as a representative of yourpany you have involved them as well. What happens when Julius, the Branch manager of Imperius bes missing? Who shall take responsibility for the great loss on my part?" I asked him.


    "You... You think Imperius is as simple as that? You think I matter in such arge establishment? They''ll throw away any affiliation with me and deny everything!" Julius said in protest.


    "I suppose you would have been correct, that is if I was just an ordinary person. But I doubt even Imperius would be able to deny our agreement when I have a written contract with the seal as evidence..."


    Julius let out a loud snicker, interrupting my speech.


    "A written contract? That''s it?! You think that counts for jack in the world we live in?! You think..."


    He was still ranting when I snapped my fingers.


    Immediately his right leg exploded, causing blood to stter all around the forest, and the residue oozed from the hole the explosion made on the remnant of his hind limb.


    "Gahhhhhhh! Guahhhhh" Julius let out in agonizing pain.


    "Be quiet!" I said.


    I snapped my fingers again. This time, the volume of his noise reduced until he went mute. His annoying sounds stopped being audible and this surprised him. Tears streamed from his eyes as sweat filled his face.


    He bellowed and bellowed but his voice couldn''t be heard. Not by me, nor himself. He red at me as his tears flowed, angry at me and himself for his powerlessness. This continued as I watched him cry in futility.


    "Done yet?" I asked him after waiting for his desperate cries to die down.


    His face grew weak and pale. I suppose he has lost a lot of blood and energy. We can''t have that now, can we?


    "HEX# 39 Causality Reversal"


    Immediately, his body returned to it''s original state and the sound resumed.


    "H-How..." He questioned as he looked with unbelief, perplexed by the miracle I wrought.


    "Never interrupt me!" I told him.


    This little worm dares to interrupt me while I''m taking time to exin something his fragile mind can barelyprehend. What an ungrateful mongrel.


    "S-Sorry..." He shook, feeling a cold pressure surrounding his body.


    His face and bodily reactions show that he''s still in shock and his fear has definitely increased. All he needed was a reminder, and now he''s back to his subservient and pathetic state.


    "As I was saying. I have the written contract as evidence... And the Royal family on my side." I said.


    His eyes bulged as I mentioned this.


    "Heh, as you know Phobio is a prince, a legitimate son of the Royal Household. Normally, his words would count for nothing and his influence wouldn''t amount to much..."


    "But, I suppose his level of influence has skyrocketed thanks to the few million Ancient coins I gave him to present to his family." I exined.


    Julius suddenly realized this and his body shook.


    "With Phobio as my pawn, It''s not so easy to discard anything I want. If, by chance I, an innocent merchant and best friend to the prince makes aint to the Royal family due to the money I saved in Imperius and their refusal to take responsibility for my collosal loss. What do you think happens then?"


    "Not only will the Royal Family be gravely upset with Imperius for not paying their dues on the Ancient Coins, but also refusing to do the ''right'' thing to the friend of the prince, who happens to have ess to Ancient Coins" I said with a sly smile.


    At this point, Julius'' face fell even more and he let loose every tense muscle of his body. Looks like he has finally given in now... I can sense it... The despair.


    "The debt Imperius will incur due to your indiscretion, as well as being out of favor with the Royal House... Don''t you think letting go of a branch in Artia is a better deal than the consequence that will unfold if they choose to do otherwise?" I asked.


    "I-I ept it... You win... I... I was wrong" He said, tears falling from his eyes.


    "I assure you, it will all be mine. I told you from the beginning didn''t I? That in exchange for the coins, I''ll be taking everything!" I said with a smile.


    He nodded slowly as tears streamed even more.


    Looks like regret. How unsightly. Does he think I''ll pity him and spare his life as a result of this? How wrong can he be.


    "So, even the Royal Family is part of your grand n... Just how far do you intend to go? When does it stop?" He muttered.


    "In exchange for the brief satisfaction of having so many Ancient coins in your possession, I received everything you had. What do you think happens when the Royal Family obtaines a piece of my treasure?" I asked him.


    "You n on taking over the Royal family too? Y-You devil..." Julius bellowed.


    How shallow.


    "You think too small. But I suppose that is the limit of human cognition. I never operate at a loss. Everything is for my benefit. Obtaining Artia... Even the Royal Family. They are all a means to an end" I said.


    "And that is... The End of this World!" I said to him with cold eyes.


    As he saw this, his body throbbed even further that he nearly gave out.


    "W-Who... Just what are you?!" Julius asked me with sweat pouring all over his body and his face exhibiting pure fright.


    I smiled.


    "I am he who knows the end from the beginning. The one who swallows worlds and possesses the secrets of the birth and death of existsnce. The one who achieves chaos, the one who brings despair and the one who consumes all. The evil one and the lord of primordial destruction. I am the author of nothingness, and the very personification of nonexistence. I am the origin of life and of death. My name is Hexarion, Primordial of The Void"


    He trembled before me, his mind processed so many things. The possibility of me being very Demon God who stood against the Primordial Ones, the very existences who stand supreme in this world. If I was such an existence, he was certain...


    He never had hope to begin with.


    "This... This is what I get for making a deal... with the devil himself..." He said softly.


    Immediately his entire body exploded into tiny chunks of meat, bone and blood. They scattered all around, making his now scattered corpse unrecognizable.


    No one will be able to tell that this used to be Julius. But... For good measure.


    "HEX #64 mes of Pardition"


    ck purple mes appeared and consumed the blood and bones and flesh and other parts of Julius that existed all around me.


    The ck mes burned and within seconds it erased every single trace of Julius'' existence. All that is left... Is the very mirror he clung to until the very end.


    "That Julius... Despite his words and actions... Deep within him, he never let go of his false hope until the very end. The fact that he held unto this proves that" I muttered.


    I attracted the mirror to myself and held it.


    "You did a good job Julius. Now I have a whole bunch of new items to experiment on... But, knowing this world''s standards, they''ll all end up being trash anyway.


    In any case ...


    "ROOT" I called out.


    The first thing I did was remove my coins from the mirror and returned them to my Treasury.


    The things left in the mirror, well... I''ll check them outter.


    I walked away from the scene and headed for Talia and Shamac''s location. I wonder if they''ve rendezvoused with Ana and what their reactions would be after seeing her. I suppose I''ll have quite the sight to look forward to.


    "ROOT. Store Items within Treasure Space" Imanded.


    "<<Confirmed>>"


    "<<Individual Item qualities are too weak>>"


    "<<Items will be analyzed collectively>>"


    "<<Items have beenpletely analyzed>>" "<<Categorized in Sacred Grade Treasures>>"


    "<<Storage Sessful>>"


    Well, looks like together they qualify as Sacred Grade.


    That''s an improvement.


    "Let''s wrap things up, shall we? It''s time to begin the takeover" I said with a malevolent smile.

 Chapter 70 - Encounter

    "Urhhhh...."


    Talia slurred in her sleep as she tossed from side to side. She groaned and mumbled words with no meaning as she disyed a distressed look.


    Suddenly, she opened her eyes and felt the danger she percieved before losing consciousness.


    "Enemy!!!" She immediately screamed, rising from her sleep.


    She looked to her side and around her, discovering she was all alone in a strange room she didn''t recognize. She was still in confusion when she noticed the state of her body.


    "This is..." She said, feeling herself as she discovered that she waspletely recovered from her battle with Pheobe.


    Suddenly, she remembered what happened leading to her passing out. She remembered thedy in white.


    "Who was she? What happened after..." She slowly said to herself, leaving thefortable bed she sat on.


    She walked around therge room and looked around.


    While still being lost in thought, Talia heard a knock on the door which startled her.


    "Eeeep!" She shrieked in surprise..


    Without any word of warning, the handle bent as the door creaked, opening slowly.


    She focused her eyes on whom the intruder might be, or rather was she the intruder? She had so many questions, perhaps this would answer the questions she had within her.


    "Y-You... You are...?"Talia''s eyes widened as she saw the person who entered the room.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you once again, Talia." Thedy in white spoke to her with a slight bow.


    Talia felt ufortable by this and got a little flustered, before regainingposure. Realizing that the person before her could be a potential enemy, she took a defensive stance and stared intensely at thedy in front of her.


    "You can be at ease. I am not your enemy. My name is Ana, and I am a fellow servant to the master we both serve." Thedy in white replied calmly.


    "W-What? Then... You are..?!" Talia stuttered.


    She still couldn''t process it. Where did shee from? Who was she? Did Hexarione into contact with her while she and Shamac were still unconscious?


    "I understand that you have many questions. However, for the meantime you should calm yourself and rx." Ana said.


    Talia still felt unsure of what to do and she hesitated.


    "If I was your enemy, I would have killed you when I saw you that time. You were weakened and vulnerable. Instead I brought you here. That should count for something, right?" Ana said with her still and calm face.


    "She has a point. In that case, I suppose it should be safe for now..." Talia thought to herself.


    She heaved a sigh of relief and stopped her defensive posture, reverting back to her upright stance.


    "I understand." Talia said to Ana.


    Ana nodded slightly and walked further into the room.


    "It''s understandable that you are flustered and defensive. In fact, I am pleased by this act you exhibited. It shows you are no mere fool. For that, you have my respect" Ana spoke with a tone of formality and seriousness.


    "Err... Thanks...?" Talia said, feeling a bit awkward in the conversation.


    "Now then, I''m certain you have many questions. Let us start with answering a few of them." Ana said, picking a seat by the corner of the room to sit on.


    Talia remaining standing and nced toward the bed, which was the only remaining ce to sit on. Before she considered making herselffortable, she had a question burning on her mind that she just had to let loose.


    "Where is Hexarion?" She asked with a determined and suspicious look in her eyes.


    Ana heaved a sigh and met Talia''s gaze, not faltering for even a moment.


    "The Lord has other pressing matters to attend to. He''s currently in the process of taking over this entire city. Since he is so busy, he has entrusted you and the other one to me." Ana said in a slow paced tone.


    "Ah... I see then..." Talia muttered when she heard this.


    She felt conflicted on how to feel. Hexarion entrusted her and Shamac to her?! What did that mean? Did Hexarion feel she was lesser than Ana? Or that Ana was more superior in terms of ability and use to him?


    He didn''t bother to tell her anything about his n. Instead he yed them, used them and suddenly demanded from them. She fulfilled what he told her to, but that didn''t change the fact that she felt hurt by his neglect.


    And then there was the issue of Ana, the new servant. She seemed sincere and honest. Perhaps even a bit too much. Besides, she made a fair point when she said if she was an enemy she would''ve done away with them a while ago. Of course she could also be decieveing her, and there would be arger scale to her n if she was an adversary, but...


    If what thedy said was the truth then that meant something she couldn''t ignore...


    "She''s an enemy... But in a different sense" Talia said to herself.


    It was bad enough that she had Shamac to worry about, now this new one had joined the fray. When would she catch a break?


    "I miss the old times when it was just me and Hexarion" Shemented to herself.


    Of course, with Shamac she feared she would lose her ce with Hexarion, but she had also powered up recently, making her ofbative use to Hexarion. Besides, Shamac was a guy, there was no way he could fill in her role. She used that tofort herself, until now.


    But with this new member, Talia truly felt she might lose everything. Not only was the woman calm andposed, she seemed to know about Hexarion''s ns in total, something even she didn''t know. The fact that she was also kept in charge of them and that she knew of them, but they didn''t know of her proved that she could be higher than them in the food chain.


    And then there was one other thing...


    "This woman... Is pretty..." Talia found herself thinking.


    Her beauty was so threatening that Talia was left speechless. Her attire, coupled with her always calm facial expression made her seem more capable than Talia herself. Her pale skin, vulptious chest and we''ll rounded figure, at least what she could make out from her looks, made her seem like an angel. How was she topete with that?


    Talia was currently wearing in clothes meant for bed, but even if she dressed up, she wasn''t sure she could be a match for thedy sitting in front of her.


    If this was what she, as a woman, felt when she saw her then what about Hexarion, her master?


    "Maybe... He l-l-likes her?" Talia''s thoughts rang.


    She didn''t want to ept it, but what if..?!


    "It seems you have a lot on your mind, then why don''t we invite your friend to this conversation. I suppose even he must have questions as well." Ana said, after watching Talia agonizing over her thoughts.


    "O-Oh... Shamac" Talia said, reminding herself of the other servant and wondered where he was.


    Ana closed her eyes and heaved a sigh slowly. Suddenly Shamac appeared in the room. He appeared on the smooth floor of the room and suddenly his eyes bulged as he noticed a change in his surrounding.


    "W-What?!" Shamac said as he looked around him.


    He saw Talia who stood and looked at him with a stressed expression. She red at him and he red back.


    "So it''s you after all, annoying fairy person. Where the heck am I?!" Shamac asked as he stood on his feet, rising from his sitting position.


    "I wake up in a strange room, and next thing I know I''m in another strange room. What the heck is thi-" Shamac began mumbling to himself.


    "Wee, Shamac, fellow servant of our Lord Hexarion..." Ana''s voice appeared behind him.


    Shamac''s eyes bulged as he heard this and swiftly turned to see who spoke.


    His eyes widened even more as he saw Ana. Her beautiful exhuberance as well as her entire look shocked him, making him unconsciously blush.


    "Y-You are..." Shamac said with hushed whispers.


    His heart beat fast as his eyes couldn''t stop gazing upon the beauty in front of him. He only had one word to describe the simply ecstatic being in front of him...


    "You are... An Angel..?!" Shamac muttered.


    "Tch, he never said anything of the sort when he saw me" Talia muttered to herself in envy.


    And she even had wings too.


    "My my, thank you." Ana said, still maintaining her dignified demeanor.


    Shamac beamed when heard this and his grin widened uncontrobly.


    "Now then. I am certain you also have questions that require answers. Let me address the issues that remain, as our master and lord concludes the state of transition in this city until hepletes the takeover." Ana said to Shamac and addressed the two of them.


    Talia sighed as she sat on the bed since her legs were already feeling weary and Shamac followed suit. There was a lot they were curious about, Shamac even more so since he had no idea what was going on.


    "I will introduce myself again. I am Ana, the former Apostle, and now Acolyte of our Lord and Master, Hexarion. I bring d tidings. Within moment''s time our great master will haveplete control over everything there is in this city."


    "A-Apostle?! Then you are...?!" Talia said with shock.


    Shamac was also surprised as well, but was so preupied with Ana''s beauty that he didn''t mind.


    "That is my past. I am currently Lord Hexarion''s servant. I suppose I should formally say it now that we are all here in this room..." Ana said.


    Her calm and straightced lips suddenly tilted to form a soft smile. She bent her head a bit and gave a charming gaze.


    ".... Let''s get along well, shall we?"

 Chapter 71 - The Takeover

    "Let''s get started on the important details first." The man''s voice filled the room.


    Right now, I''m standing before the entire ck Market body. The buyers, the sellers... The brokers, the intermediaries, the mercenaries. Everyone and everything that is relevant in the secret underground society and it''s structure has beenid before my sight.


    "This man here is your new Ruler! He is to be given the same regard you all show me. No, even more! He is, and will only be the essence ofw and authority in this entire structure..."


    "He is your Ruler!!!"


    The man who is speaking is the one they call Borgos. He is, or should I say was, the Ruler of the Arita ck Market. However, since I basically dismantled his most elite force and revealed myself to be the orchestrator of everything that happened, he became docile and subservient toward me.


    In exchange for his life, he gave me everything he had. His authority within the ck Market as well as the goods exclusive to his production. A form of aphrodisiac drug that is addictive to the user.


    ording to him, it seems to be the trend in brothels and ve management, making it a stable and profitable stream of ie. Also considering dues and royalties received from buyers and sellers alike, I am guaranteed a very high amount of money for every second the ck market operates.


    This is the use I have for this establishment. No one may im to be in control of a ce if they do not have free reign over the dark parts as well. The so-called leaders in this world are merely frauds. Their authority only lies in the light. In the nooks and crannies, in the underworld... Once they fail to control that essential aspect of civilization, then their power is iplete and will crumble eventually. Even those idiot gods understand this concept.


    My goal is to be inplete monopoly of both the legal and illegal parts of this city. Doing that will mean havingplete and total control in the correct sense.


    "Great job Borgos." I said to the man who seems nervous at my every word and trembled.


    The Members of the market fixed their gaze on me. They had confused, yet expectant looks on their faces. Borgos is known as a merciless and greedy man within the ck Market. That much I can tell. For someone with so much influence and authority to cower in my presence is none other than intimidating and surprising to anyone who witnesses it. This alone makes sure I have their undivided attention.


    "All of you are scum. No, you are even lower than scum." I started in my address to them.


    "That is why you are down there, and they are up there. However, it is scum like you that rake in more profit and are more useful."


    Everyone paid rapt attention to my words.


    "Make no mistake, I intend to fully ensure that this market runs as smoothly as possible. That will be for my own ends. You are mostly to continue what you have been doing. However, I will be making slight changes. I presume no one has anyints... Do they?" I asked them.


    There was silence and a bit of murmur.


    "Do not be afraid to mention your opinion. We are in a civilized society after all. This establishment is to the achievement of our mutual goals, isn''t that so?" I added.


    Suddenly, one hand was raised. The man stepped forward and with a hesitant expression, he finally spoke up.


    "My name is Jared, I run the Medicine store around here. I was just wondering about the ''little changes'' you intend to implement here... That is all..." He said before silencing himself.


    I smiled when I heard this.


    "Interesting question. Well then..." I said.


    I raised my hand slightly and snapped it.


    Immediately the man called Jared had his head blown to smithereens. Within a moment, without warning, I destroyed his central body part as it scattered throughout the ce where the crowd stood. Blood sttered around and sprayed on even the rest of the audience who were there.


    Their faces expressed shock and despair as they saw the gory sight I showed them.


    "Anyone else has questions?" I asked the crowd.


    "Like I said... Do not be afraid..." I said to them with an intimidating smile.


    They gulped and shook, maintaining their position. At this point they partly understood just what I meant by changes.


    Not everything needs to be exined with words. With the correct actions, people can read meaning to one''s intentions. That is, if they are not stupid.


    "It looks like none of these ones are stupid" I smiled.


    No one dared to speak or move unnecessary. Even as blood oozed on the ground and the blood which sttered on them dripped down, even as their body itched and every fiber of their being shook, even as they felt great fear and pain ... The despair and intimidation far surpassed whatever difort they experienced.


    However, just one example isn''t enough... To engrain this sight into their memory, they must experience even greater despair.


    I snapped my fingers once again and another''s head exploded.


    He was a random person I chose in the crowd. Someone who didn''t do anything necessarily wrong. But, even this sends another message.


    In this world ofwlessness and selfishness, every man for their interests, only binded by themon goal of profit and bridled by the authority of a Ruler, a greater existence is necessary for absolute control to be enforced.


    An existence greater than the Ruler and even more fearsome and merciless inparison. This way, my image will always remain in their minds. I can kill anyone I want, anytime I want. Their lives are in my hands. With thoughts like these in their heads, they will never turn against me.


    Maybe one more.


    I snapped again and yet another died.


    The remaining trembled and didn''t utter a word. Making unnecessary movements and trying to escape only means death. I''m sure everyone has enoughmon sense to grasp tha-


    "Eeek.... Yahhhhh" A man suddenly burst out screaming.


    It looks like I was too early to judge.


    The scared man rose and swiftly took to his heels, running as far and as fast as his legs could take him.


    "I can''t take it anymore! I could be next, I don''t wanna dieee!!!" He let out.


    I grinned widely.


    This is perfect. One needs to have scenes like this as well.


    My eyes glowed purple as suddenly, the man stopped dead on his tracks and was unable to move anymore. Using my mind to control him, I raised his body high until he began to float.


    "Guahhh... Please, I didn''t... Oh God... Oh... Uarghhh..." He let out as he cried, unable to control his body.


    I manipted his body and ced it above the crowd beneath him, he remained suspended in the air above them in the middle of the crowd.


    "Be crushed" I smiled.


    Immediately his entire body, from his internal organs and bones even to the outer flesh were all forcefully squeezed and crushed, causing blood to spray out, raining down on the people.


    They shook and trembled as the red rain dripped on them. No one uttered a word as they all bowed and allowed the bloodbath to run its course.


    The ones that remained all knew... They were not in control of the situation. The only one in control is me. Using these sacrifices, I have achieved my aim.


    This isn''t a civilized society. This isn''t a fair world. This isn''t a selfish world. This isn''t awless ce.


    Here, I am thew and order, their every deeds are for my satisfaction and purpose, their entire reason for trade and livelihood is dictated by me. That is the change I have brought.


    Everyone here hase to understand that, and so no one is able to object.


    "It appears we havee to an understanding... That''s excellent. Well then, let us continue about our businesses. I expect great things from everyone." I smiled as I exited the center stage and left with Borgos, who also trembled at the sight before him.


    "Just so you know, Borgos..." I said as I walked past him.


    "This little disy wasn''t just for the people down there..." I whispered.


    He shrieked silently as my voice rang through his head.


    "... Remember that" I said and walked away.


    Borgos nodded vehemently as he shook in fright. He followed behind me as we both exited the blood stained arena where the people gathered.


    He turned back at everyone and said to them in a hiss.


    "Clean up this mess!"


    He red at them as they hurriedly went about the cleanup. After seeing this, he quickly ran to catch up with my back.


    After all.... He also doesn''t want to end up like the others.

 Chapter 72 - The Takeover (Pt 2)

    With that out of the way, there''s one less thing to be concerned about. I have sessfully ced the Trade Underworld under my control.


    Of course, Borgos will still run the ck Market as the Ruler. There are several reasons for this.


    The first is due to the fact that I''m too busy and have many other things on my te than to be running a ck Market. Of course this establishment has its uses, but I refuse to limit myself and restrict my activities due to mymitment to such a ce.


    Even with this, the ck Market must continue and it''s survival is essential to the equilibrium in Artia, and so I require a Ruler to be in control while I attend to other affairs.


    There''s also the matter of appearance. Mine as well as Borgos''s. As someone who will also be in possession of the Imperius Auction House, It will be a fatal mistake to be associated too deeply with the Trade Underworld.


    With the controversy that is to ur due to my sudden possession of Imperius, I can''t leave any loose End untied or any form of weakness that can be exploited. As such, I won''t make the same mistake Julius made, thinking he could eat his cake and have it, being a member of the ck Market as well as the head of an upstanding institution like Imperius.


    There''s also the matter of Borgos already being recognized by the other Rulers in the other districts in the Western Kingdom. If I suddenly unt my title around, it''ll attract unwanted attention. It''s not like I view any of the Rulers as a threat to me, but it''ll he inconvenient to have them appearing at this point in time. When the timees I''ll deal with them, but for now, it''s time to focus on more urgent matters.


    Finally, there''s the fact that my goals involve being in control of literally everything. I can''t possibly be present at everyndmark I possess when I obtain control of them. Vassals and stewards are necessary. Trustworthy individuals who would never betray me, whether due to reverence or fear.


    I consider Borgos to be the first experiment in that regard.


    Besides, he''s more experienced than me when ites to the dealings within the ck Market anyway. It''ll be a bother to begin management of such an intricate establishment when I don''t even haveplete information on this era and I''m not entirely caught up with the times.


    In any case, I''ll leave things to Borgos and the rest of them to do a good job for me while I focus on my other goals.


    After the takeover of the ck Market, the obvious next step would be... Imperius.


    To be honest, this is by far the easiest. Using Phobio''s authority as a prince, as well as the Royal decree he brought with him from the King, I obtained Imperius immediately.


    Of course, there''ll still be a lot of intricate matters involved and paperwork as well as meetings with other managers and heads of Imperius who will disagree with my possession of theirpany branch... But, in the end this establishment is as good as mine.


    Not long after I appeared at the Imperius Auction House, I got the appropriate recoetion and was epted as the new owner.


    I walked around the Auction House, having Lorna, the receptionist as my guide. She showed me around the establishment and exined the entire Auction House structure to me.


    She exined the huge loss Imperius was going to undertake due to to Julius'' sudden disappearance with so many Relics as well as the huge debt Imperius suffered due to his actions.


    Of course, the items Julius stole are in my possession, but I have no intention of divulging that information to her. After all, there will be the question of how I came to obtain them. Julius is supposed to be painted as the viin who made away with Imperius'' goods and mine as well, leaving everything in ruin.


    I, of course will appear as a victim of Julius'' selfish actions as well as the savior who will bring Imperius back into the green and cause even greater prosperity for it. With such an image, there''s no way my authority and control over Imperius will be questioned. After all, what matters most in a world such as this is Results.


    There''s also my connection to the Royal family and the King''s order.


    "S-Sir Rio Xarion... Once again, allow me to congratte you on your acquisition of this fine establishment. While we are currently not worth much, I believe with your leadership and resources you will be able to turn things around for everyone. Imperius is truly blessed to have you." Lorna said to me with a charming smile.


    I smiled at the youngdy.


    She''s as sharp as I remember her to be.


    Not only did she efficiently analyze the current circumstances of Imperius to me, she also did so without badmouthing Julius in any direct way. She also used her words to conclude that she has high faith in my abilities and capacity, congratting me in the process.


    While I know she''s also trying to sweet talk me and get on my good graces, it''s not a bad move for a human. She''s going to be a good card I can y in my control of this city. Perhaps even...


    After the tour, I was left alone in Julius'' office, now mine. They already refurbished it while I was having my tour, how quick and efficient. Imperius truly deserves the top spot in Artia when ites tomerce.


    And just like that, I have obtained financial control over Artia, possessing the greatest power in both the legal and illegal trade. But... That''s not enough.


    While I haveplete control in the underworld, I only possess financial power in the regr city. What I desire is absolute control. To to that, Artia''s every affair must be within my sphere of influence. There are two major options I can choose.


    First is to use Hex, but that is one I''m avoiding. Any perceptive person who enters into the city will be able to immediately tell that something is amiss. Besides, I prefer using the will of humans rather than controlling them using Aspect maniption.


    In that sense, there''s the second option to choose from... ''Educating'' the most powerful person in the city, just as I educated Phobio.


    With that, everything and everyone in Artia will be mine.


    Then, with that out of the way, I''ll finally be able to move on to my next n and expand my influence outside this city.


    "It''s about wrapped up by now. I wonder how the ves are doing... Ana should be doing a good job keeping thempany." I mused within myself.


    "It won''t be long now.... Artia is already mine"

 Chapter 73 - Artias Mayor

    It is a race against time.


    My original schedule for the takeover is 24 hours. Within 24 hours I am to take control of the entire City of Artia. With a day gone, I currently have less then 6 hours remaining. But...


    "That''s plenty enough!"


    Using Lorna''s exnation and my connection as the Manager of Imperius, I easily obtained ess to see the Mayor of Artia. Since I can''t wait for a long period of time to be granted an audience with the man, I had to speed up the process.


    The office of the mayor was initially hesitant when faced with the urgency of my visit, but due to the prestige Imperius carries, and the fact that I''m a new Manager, they became morecent and caught and they agreed to let me meet the mayor within an hour.


    "All these unnecessary formalities. The mayor isn''t even that busy a man in the first ce" I smirked as I spoke to myself.


    Most likely, the major work of managing the town is done by the assistant to the Mayor, while the mayor himself reaps the reward of the assistant''s hard work. It''s not umon in this human society.


    ording to the memories I obtained from that Duke in the faraway region, what''s his name again? Northenheim, I''ve learned the true nature of governance in this Kingdom.


    Most nobles and governors hardly do anything. They leave the trivial and important tasks to their subordinates, giving them more than enough time for leisure and depravity.


    With this in mind, I''m certain this Mayor is no different. Therefore, they have no right to make me wait and waste my time. I''m d they decided to allow me to see the man early, if they hadn''t... Then things could have gotten messy.


    I stepped into the office of the most important man in Artia. It was arge office, more than twice as big as Julius'' own, with even greater decorations and more luxurious designs.


    "Oh oh, You must be the new Manager of Imperius." The mayor said to me, noticing me observing the office.


    His grin widened as he thought I was impressed by his status.


    "I never liked that Julius anyway. Heh, but with you... Perhaps you''d be more sensible. That''s why I agreed to meet with you so quickly despite my busy schedule." He added.


    Lies.


    This man must know I am in possession of Ancient coins, plus I have connections with the Royal Family. He''s most likely trying to form a beneficial rtionship for himself. It''s not like that necessarily irks me in itself, but there''s one thing he is getting wrong.


    He''s talking to me with an air of superiority.


    "Oi oi, say something. You can speak, can''t you?" He said impatiently.


    I slowly turned my gaze toward him. Immediately he met my eyes, his arrogant smiley face quickly turned into that of shock and fear. He couldn''t move and he felt a gnawing sense of darkness creep around him.


    "Who are you to tell me to do anything?" I asked him.


    "You fool... By the time I''m done with you, I wonder whether you''ll be able to utter such drivel anymore."


    "ROOT"


    I used Root to absorb him into the alternate world within it. Due to me being pressed for time, I increased the time flow within ROOT.


    "Increase time flow ratio to 100:1" I said.


    "<<Confirmed>>"


    <<Time flow within Root will be augmented>>


    <<100 seconds will move within Root per one second on this>>


    <<Implementing...>>


    <<Implemented>>


    And so, with a passing hour here, 100 hours would have passed within ROOT. That should be enough for him. Men such as these, sheltered, pompous andzy... They break very easily.


    I went to his chair and sat on it as he was currently receiving his orientation within ROOT.


    "Hmmmn, it''sfortable." I noticed.


    I toured his office and made myself at home. I checked his library, his collections, his records. They were all beneficial to me. I obtained some interesting information.


    "Mr Mayor... You''re quite the corrupt man, aren''t you?" I smiled.


    Well, it''s not like that matters to me. Besides, the mayor''s true name is Alfred. D. Dormantio. Dormantio is a noble family, a prestigious one at that. It''s no wonder he was made governor of this city. With such a background as that, his depravity counts for nothing.


    Before long, an hour passed.


    I summoned him back, and of course he was as I expected him to be. He had bulging eyes, salivating mouth and a throbbing body. His tongue rolled around.


    "I-Im S-Sorry.... I''m sorry.... I''m sorry...." He muttered endlessly.


    Ah, he broke too much. But, I suppose this is also beneficial to me.


    "Mr Mayor. Do you recognize me?" I said to him.


    At the sound of my voice, his body immediately reacted as he looked up and saw me seated on his own seat. His eyes beamed as his mouth watered even more.


    "My master! M-Master!" He said, licking the floor of his office as he prostrated to me.


    "Ah, Root... Just what did you do to this guy?" I asked within myself.


    "<<Commencing analysis report>>" Root stated.


    "No, no. That was just rhetorical." I said.


    Root has no form ofmon sense, since it is basically programmed to act ording to mymands. Also, due to it also being able to read my thoughts, It offers an answer to anything I don''t understand or whatsoever I require so long as it within it''s capacity. Usually it''s a good thing...


    But, sometimes it just gets tiring.


    "Good. Now, you''ll still be mayor of this city. But you''ll run it ording to how I want it. Do you understand?" I asked him.


    "Y-Yes master. I''ll do my best!" He said, wagging his tongue in excitement and obedience... Just like a dog.


    I smiled.


    "Now then,e and have your seat... The seat I have given you" I said, standing up from my position and leaving it for him to upy.


    He stood up slowly as he walked toward the chair.


    "You only have one purpose now... Everything you do will be for me. You will live for me. You will rule for me. You will die for me." I said.


    "With pleasure... Master!" He said as he sat down on his chair in a subservient and bowing manner.


    Good.


    "With this, I''ll take my leave. Do well until when next you hear from me" I told him, turning toward the exit.


    "My Lord... A-Are you going somewhere?" He asked me.


    I turned back to look at his distressed face. As soon as I gazed at him, he bowed his head and shook in outright fear.


    "F-Forgive me master... I dared to question your decision and ask such an impudent question." He quickly added.


    I smiled.


    "I''ll be leaving this city soon" I told him.


    He raised his head with a surprised, yet somewhat sad expression. It feels weird since we''ve only met for a little while, but as my servant, he must be dreading my absence. No matter...


    "Run Artia well until my return. Till then... Do well to please me Mr Mayor" I said to him.


    He remained speechless as he throbbed with inexplicable emotions. I opened the door and exited the office, heading toward Imperius to address thest piece of the puzzle before leaving.


    "I''ll.... I will do my best... MASTERRR!!!"


    I heard his loud voice from the hallway and smiled. Whatever ROOT did... I''m impressed.


    "<<Confirm, shall Root exin?>>"


    Sigh, this little... Well I can''tin since I made it this way.


    "Nope" I smiled and walked away.


    "<<:''(:''(:''(>>"


    Now for the final piece, the only thing holding me back... The Imperius board.


    Any moment from now they should be arriving at the branch I own in Artia, or at least their representative will.


    Their purpose is but one... To kick me out of my ownership of Imperius. Whether they will do that by persuasion, negotiation or threats... I can''t wait to find out.


    "Come, you lowly worms.... I''ll show you how to do business"

 Chapter 74 - The Delegates

    This is it!


    Seated before me are the ones I expected... The Imperius delegates. They are two in number, but from their attire and entourage it''s clear that these are very important people in the Imperius Structure.


    They only have one goal... To recover the Artia branch that is in my possession, and to do that, they will stop at nothing. However, they do not understand one crucial factor...


    These jokers have no idea who they are messing with.


    [Moments Ago]


    After leaving the Mayor''s residence, I decided to return to the Imperius Auction House.


    While there are carriages avable for convenient transport, I find myself desiring to walk more often these days. And since my body feels no exhaustion or pain, there''s no downside to it.


    After a while, I got near the premises of the Imperius Auction House. I saw a few sets of carriages parked by the sides of the Auction Houss, as well as a couple of people waiting around the building.


    Also, from outside, I could sense unrest emanating from within the Company. The sign on the entrance also read ''Closed''.


    "Clearly something is wrong" I muttered to myself.


    "Looks like they are here"


    I entered the Auction House and immediately the workers turned their attention to me as I walked in.


    "W-Wee Sir..." They said with hesitant looks.


    Immediately, Lorna ran to me as she looked relieved by my presence.


    "They... They are here sir..." She huffed as she bowed to me.


    "I see... How many?" I asked her.


    "Two of them. About an hour after you left, they arrived here. They made quite amotion when they entered. They have about 30 elite men with them. Fortunately, I was able to calm them down and take them to the highest tier lounge where they are currently staying in." She exined.


    As expected of Lorna, she''s quick and precise on the uptake. That''s why I told her beforehand of their arrival and left the preparations to her, while I went to see the Mayor.


    For them to have caused a scene which made the workers be so hesitant and on edge, it means they have chosen to retrieve this property by force and not in a coaxing manner.


    "Fools" I muttered to myself.


    "Good job Lorna. I''ll be in my office. Tell them I have returned and if they have business with me, they shoulde to see me there." I told her.


    "S-Sir? B-But... They are..." Lorna said in weak protest.


    She is probably intimidated by them and is not in support of my decision. Usually, as the manager of this Artia branch, I''m supposed to go to them in the lounge and wee them. But... Doing that will only encourage their impudent behavior. Right now, I am neither an employee of Imperious, neither do I owe them any form of courtesy. Therefore, should they desire to meet me, they ought to be the ones to make an effort to reach me, not the other way around.


    "Do not fret Lorna. Didn''t you say you trusted me? Were those empty words?" I asked her with a slight smile.


    "N-No, of course not Sir" She said, nowposing herself to resemble the Lorna I prefer.


    "Good. Trust me then. It will all be fine" I said, leaving her.


    I went to my office and sat on my chair.


    "Just as I thought... This is not nearly asfortable as the Mayor''s own." Imented.


    Well, it''s not like that matters. I won''t be sticking around for much longer.


    "Any moment from now..." I smiled as I rxed on the chair.


    Then I heard it.


    Loud noises of protest and annoyanceing from outside my office, in the hallway. There''s no doubt about it, it''s them!


    "That man sure has some gall!"


    "How dare he? The audacity!"


    "Howe we''re the ones who have to see him?! Does he not know even the most proper of etiquettes?"


    They say that, yet they approach the door to my office. They can try to hide it as much as they want and give a guise of superiority, but it''s in as day to me... They are desperate. Desperate to recover their lost branch. After all, Arita is a trade hotspot in the kingdom. Losing such a vital asset... Even apany asrge as Imperius wouldn''t want that.


    "Just wait till I show him!" Their gruffy voices continued.


    The handle suddenly tilted as the door to the office flung open. Standing and fuming at the entrance were none other than the two Imperius delegates. Their re and annoyed looks overshadowed their regal attires and dignified persona.


    "So it''s you... You fraud!" One of them who had a mustache grunted.


    "You dare to make us wait, and then order us to see you in your office? You impudent little..." The other one with a unibrow responded, also in a cross tone.


    They were very much surprised as they saw me. My young looks shocked them.


    "You may leave us, Lorna" I said to the receptionist, whom I promoted to be my personal secretary.


    She nodded and gave an uneasy smile before leaving the entrance. It seems she is still soemwhat worried about my condition. Such an ignorant girl. Well, it''s time to show her, and them, just how inconceivable it is for me to be at a loss.


    "You brat... Don''t tell me... It''s actually you?!"


    "Gentleman, please have your seats... Let''s talk" I said to them.


    "Pshh, you don''t tell us what to do! You should respect your elders and superiors, you little brat." Mr Unibrow stated as he took his seat grudgingly.


    I''m way older than these guys though... Millions of years in fact.


    "It''s only natural for us to seat anyway. We aren''t doing it because you told us to or anything!" Mr Mustache said, also seating down on his chair.


    I smiled gently.


    There are many ways I can take care of these arrogant imbeciles. One of the best ways is to reorientate their minds and make them subject to me, just like the Mayor and Phobio. But, that doesn''t solve the problem.


    The main issue lies in a scope wider than these two that are here. The entire Imperius Market body... They are the true ones behind everything. Even if I get rid of these ones or win them over, they''ll still keep causing trouble for me until I yield this branch. I can''t very well remain in Artia due to their constant interference, now can I?


    A permanent and efficient solution is necessary.... And I have just the thing.

 Chapter 75 - Farewell To Artia

    I have to find a way to deal with this matter once and for all... And the only way to do that, is to exert even more dominance than these two. By showing them an even greater influence and fear than what Imperius has, they will burn it into their minds and report back to their masters like the dogs they are. Only then will they know to leave my business alone.


    Currently, Imperius is one of the biggest powers in this Western Kingdom. The only influence capable of taming Imperius entirely is... The Royal family.


    I have already thought this entire thing out. Just as I exined to Julius, when I''m done with them, Imperius will understand that losing one branch is a far better deal than what would ur should they mess with me. And just like that, I''ll wrap it all up... Without as much as a struggle.


    It didn''t take very long... The truth sank in.


    "T-This is... Y-You wouldn''t..." Mustache said with his eyes bulging.


    "N-No, please reconsider..." Unibrow also added, with sweat dripping from his face.


    "Oh? Where did the tone you used earlier go to?" I asked them.


    My smile broadened as they expressed ufortable and fearful signs both on their faces and through bodily reactions.


    "W-We didn''t... We didn''t mean in that way"


    "Please, we can still negotiate..."


    As the tables turned on them and they pleaded for theirpany, I couldn''t help but snicker.


    So this is what Julius was so confident about? He really thought these bumbling idiots would stand in my way of achieving total control? Looks like Julius was merely a small fish, a bigger fool than I thought he was. Heh, how amusing... Just like that, I win.


    "I told you already Julius... Imperius will be mine" I smiled to myself.


    And now...


    "It''s finally time... To leave this little city." I thought to myself.


    [Moments Later]


    "Goodbye Gentlemen, please kindly send my regards to the Imperius Board. Tell them to consider our discussions, okay?"


    I smiled at the Delegates as they expressed empty and exhausted looks. They entered into their carriages sluggishly and, along with their entourage, left just as suddenly as they came.


    The entire staff of my branch were surprised by how the Delegates looked and they all gazed at me with wonder.


    "How did he... Just what did he say to them?" They thought within themselves.


    Lorna gave me a look of confidence and nodded with a smile. It looks like she has finally realized and now she truly believes in me. Perfect, just what I wanted.


    "It''s high time I checked on my servants. Hopefully they''re getting along" I muttered, signalling Lorna that I''ll be leaving for a while.


    She nodded in affirmation and took control of the branch as I exited the premises.


    I''m trying to avoid using Hex very often since the Apostles will be able to sense it, and with all that has happened in this city, it''ll be easier for them to get on my tracks. In order to ensure that doesn''t happen, I''ll only use it as ast resort... That is, until I crush their stupid little club.


    On foot, it''ll take me approximately thirty minutes to reach the ce I put the ves in. I should use this time to n further on my next course of action. Since so much has changed, I can''t rely on the original n any longer. I''ll have to create more contigencies and make provisions for the newest changes around me, as well as any unexpected ones to ur. Things are bing a little unpredictable, aren''t they?


    I arrived at the house I left them at, a ce provided for me my Phobio, before I sent him back to the Royal Capital. The house is located in the outskirts of the city, plus Iced a barrier using one of my treasures, Alienating it from everywhere else, ensuring it''s safety and non interference with the rest of the world.


    I had hoped they were getting along, but... What is with the sight I see in front of me? The house is badly damaged, unrecognizable from it''s initial look. And that''s not all... My ves are...


    "Is that all you have? I thought you''d be more impressive than this! To be honest, I am quite disappointed in you two." Ana said to Talia and Shamac.


    They gritted their teeth and dashed toward her. Taliaunched multiple light bombs toward Ana and Shamac also sent many giant spikes from his massive porcupine body.


    Ana skillfully dodged the spikes and used her Grace to remove the light balls from her path.


    She immediately closed the distance between them andunched the porcupine spikes to Talia, who dodged them as they attacked her in the air, while also using her legs to skillfully kick Shamac on his head, a ce which was left defenseless.


    The shock from her kick stunned Shamac, but it wasn''t enough to fully incapacitate him. Fully aware of this, she sent the Light bombs she had collected from Talia andunched them toward Shamac.


    "W-Wait a moment..." Shamac protested.


    The little bombs exploded, causing a non lethal damage to him, thanks to him immediately creating protective shells for himself. Still, the impact from the st sent him to the ground. Unable to gather enough strength to maintain his shape, he returned to his normal form... A teenage boy.


    With Shamac out ofmission, only Talia remained. She realized that her light projectiles could do her no good against Ana, plus, since there were no nts around she could not use her Vine maniption. She could only avoid Ana''s attacks due to her advantage in the air, something Anacked.


    Ana as well was at a stalemate with Talia. With most of her arsenal gone, she only had what she collected from Shamac and Talia to go on. They weren''t much, however, so she had to use them sparingly. Since Talia was in the sky, she couldn''t reach her and as such, even though Talia couldn''t attack her, she also couldn''t do the same, putting them in a deadlock.


    "Okay, that''s enough!" I immediately yelled.


    Talia and Ana sharply turned, looking toward my direction, while Shamac sluggishly tilted his head to see me.


    "You guys are such a handful" I said to them with a smile.


    "Master!!! You are back, Lord Hexarion!" Ana said, rushing to my side.


    "Indeed I am." I said, looking at Talia and Shamac who were not too enthusiastic about seeing me. They bowed their heads in respect abd greeting to me, but that was all.


    I know why... It seems I must have hurt their feelings quite a bit, especially with my sudden addition of Ana to their ranks.


    "The both of you managed to kill the Imperial Knights... Good job! You both did well, you surpassed my expectations. Talia, Shamac... Well done." I said to them with an encouraging smile.


    "M-Master..." Talia''s hesitant and pained face melted as she heard my words and witnessed my smile.


    Shamac also smiled, looking pleased with himself and regaining his confidence. He struggled to stand up and rose slowly, feeling sore and pained from the damage he received earlier.


    "It''s good to have you back Boss!" Shamac said, wincing in pain.


    "Yeah... It sure is" I smiled.


    They both slowly approaching me too, with smiles on their faces. I can tell they are still hurt, but now... They definitely feel better, about me and about themselves.


    I can imagine they all have a lot to say... About their experiences, about their feelings, about their new colleague. There''ll be enough time for that as we leave this ce and journey to our next destination...


    The Adventurers city of Lamar!

 Chapter 76 - Journey Of A Thousand Miles

    Are you all ready?" The coachman asked us.


    Myself, Talia, Ana and Shamac all responded positively.


    He looked at us and nodded with his unusually cheerful demeanor.


    "Alright then, let us begin. Giddy up!" He said, using his bridle to take charge of the horses he controlled. Before long, they moved and hurried, dragging along the luxurious travel carriage we sat in, and ventured out of the city.


    Everyone on the carriage, except for myself, looked behind them as they gazed at the city which grew smaller and smaller in their sights due to our constantly increasing distance from it.


    I merely smiled at their disy of childishness and giddy expressions. Even Ana seemed excited, though she tried hard not to show it. Before long, however, she also joined the fray.


    We''ve only spent a short while in this city, yet the events that have ured here make it feel longer than that.


    Before we left Artia, I obviously needed to sort out some things and leave behind a system that doesn''t depend on me to function. I left Lorna in charge of Imperius Auction House, making her the acting manager in my stead. This is the most optimal call to make since there''s no one nearly aspetent as she is there.


    As for my ck Market empire, Borgos is running it smoothly for me, and since I have greatly ensured their obedience, there''s no way any of them will act out of line, even in my absence.


    Before I also left, I ordered the Mayor to call out all the major stakeholders in the city, from the head of the trade union to the head of the tax office, and every other important figure in Artia. Using the huge amount of wealth at my disposal, I sessfully bribed every single one of them.


    It is unnecessary to put every single strategic person under my Influence through forceful mental orientation. By merely giving them the correct Incentives, even an enemy can turn into a harmless ally.


    Besides, even though my mind orientation methods within Root leave no traces of Hex, there''s no guarantee that Apostles who are sensitive to my activities won''t be able to sense it.


    In that case, it''s best I only limit it''s use to the upper echelon, leaving other methods such as bribery and threats for the lesser ones who will have more frequent encounter with those pesky people.


    With everything in order, there''s nothing left for me in Artia. For the next phase of my n, I''ll need a ce with more action andbat activity. The best ce for that, and the nearest one is the Adventurers City, Lamar.


    Lamar, as the title implies, is a city whose major upation and association is rted to the adventuring business and career. Adventurers are individuals who earn wealth and fame through carrying out missions called quests.


    Adventurers, as the title imply, go on adventures. They go through all kinds of things and venture through many different ces. ording to the memories I obtained, they are the ones who recover most Relics that exist in this modern world.


    They also possess incredible strength and prowess which allow them to hunt monsters and ovee several challenges. A lot of them use Arts as well as Relics.


    Top tier adventurers possess more than a single Relic, and are even more proficient in it''s use than the nobles and some of the Imperial Knights I have encountered. After all, they are the ones at the forefront when ites to Relics.


    "A lot has truly changed since I died" I muttered to myself, looking through the windows of the carriages as I viewed the lush forests beside us.


    It will be quite an interesting experience for me, being in the city of Lamar. I''ll be able to obtain very valuable information in form of memories and personal experience.


    Since my knowledge of this world is limited, and the ones I have encountered in the city know very little concerning Relics and how they work, it''s time for me to meet the experts.


    Obtaining the right transportation wasn''t difficult. As someone with high prestige and unlimited connections in Artia, I easily got a luxurious carriage with one of the best coachmen to serve me.


    Since I can''t use ''Warp'' to teleport to the city, for several reasons, and it will take too long on foot, we''ll have to rely on the carriage.


    The pathway looks clean and free, devoid of any ntlife. Since this road is used very often, there can be nothing seen growing on it. Also, since Artia is amerce city, there''s more than enough money to go into the construction and maintenance of roads.


    I chattering soundsing from my side. Talia and Ana were engaged in a heated discussion, something about power levels andbat experience. These people never get tired of this, do they? It looks like Shamac is ying the middleman, being forced to take Talia''s side, but also not wanting to offend Ana since he is clearly attracted to her.It''s almost surprising how well Ana has blended in with the group.


    When I arrived at the house Phobio gave me, I met everywhere in shambles. Fortunately I had already kept a barrier there to keep it isted from the normal world, or else it would have caused quite themotion.


    After I interrupted thest fight, between Talia and Ana, it had no clear winner.


    They exined to me that after Ana had exined my ns to Talia and Shamac, they were both upset with me and threatened by her presence.


    In order to prove her superiority, Talia challenged Ana to a fight. Ana agreed, but on the condition that Shamac joined in to support Talia since she wouldn''t feel it as a challenge otherwise.


    Talia reluctantly agreed, thinking she would quickly make Ana eat her words. Unknown to her, Ana is a beast stronger than the two of thembined. With Grace, especially one from a god like Hades, they stood no chance to begin with. Luckily for them, Ana emptied her arsenal to fight me previously... If not, they would not havested that long against her.


    Even now, since there was no clear victor between them, Talia still argues with Ana, who is also argueing back, who the stronger one is.


    Shamac tries to intervene, but is pushed aside since his words don''t matter due to the fact that he lost.


    How nostalgic.


    This reminds of me of how my siblings also got into arguments and fights over almost every little thing.

 Chapter 77 - Nostalgia Of A Primordial

    "No! Come on... They should have three hands. The right, the left and the back hand. That''ll ensure the most bnce in the new project. Don''t you think so too, big brother?" Gilga, at a time, said during one of the many times my siblings argued about something, directing his questions to me to be the judge in a matter that clearly wasn''t any of my concern.


    "Well... I don''t really..." I responded hesitantly.


    "Come on, big bro Hexarion. This joker can''t be serious. They''ll look too weird, right? Having just two hands will be enough. They should also have two legs. That''ll make them ordinary. Isn''t that the main theme of the project?" Avalon quickly cut in with her soft and sonorous voice.


    "Ah,e on! Why is all this so important anyways? Can''t you just make them have one hand and one leg? Why make things needlesslyplicated?!" Sol butt in energetically.


    "One of each?! This is why no one asks for your contributions Sol, if we took any of your ideas, every of our projects will end up being shapeless and useless blobs." Gilgamented with a snicker.


    "H-Hey! That''s not fair. Big bro, Gilga is picking on me again!" Sol said, ring up.


    The room began to get hot due to the heat Sol emitted and everywhere around the Pce of Primordials began to melt off. The gods who enjoyed their time in the heavenly realm felt this sudden change and felt sweating out of their body.


    "Oh no... Lord Sol is upset again!" They eximed.


    Sol gritted his teeth in the pce and boiled with childish annoyance when suddenly I held onto his shoulder and calmed him down.


    "Don''t mind Gilga. He''s just jealous of your simple ideas. He makes things too needlesslyplicated" I smirked.


    "Really?" Sol asked me innocently.


    "Yeah, your big bro is always right after all!" I smiled with a wink.


    "Ah,e on... Why is Big bro always taking Sol''s side. We can all tell that his ideas are too simple. I mean, thest time we decided to go through with one of his so called ''unique'' ideas, we ended up with slimes! Slimes! And now look at them, the weakest and most useless existence in the entire universe. So needlessly simple, and look how it ends up!" Gilga responded with my words as he whined.


    "H-Hey! What''s so wrong with Slimes?" Sol protested with an emotional tone.


    He was very sensitive when it came to the subject of his most prized creature in all of existence, whose designs were based off of his idea.


    "Slimes simply the best!" He added, looking at my face.


    "Right? Big brother Hexarion?"


    I smiled at him warmly, and patted his head as he blushed with a childish giggle.


    "Of course Sol, they''re the best if you say they are" I said.


    "See? Big bro says they are! Serves you right Gilga!" Sol said, jeering and taunting Gilga, who looked upset and jealous of my special treatment of Sol.


    "N-No fair! It''s always Sol..." Gilga mumbled shyly.


    I could tell he was upset.


    "Why don''t you tell your brother Leviathan your great new idea?" I told Sol.


    Sol smiled as he nodded his head excitedly and bounced out of the room.


    "Second Big Brother Leviathan...."


    His voice trailed off as he left the Primordial Pce Lounge, where we were staying at the time.


    "Don''t you think you''re too soft on him, Big Brother Hexarion? He''ll never grow if you keep encouraging his childish behavior. He''s nearly a million years old and he''s still acting like that." Avalon said to me with a tired smile.


    "Ah, that''s true... But I also feel this version of him is best. You both felt it just now, didn''t you? How his emotions changed everything within this rm. With such a great Aspect, it''s best if he retains his childish and optimistic personality... At least until he can be fully responsible for the Aspect he carries." I told them.


    Aurora and Gilga nodded, realising the gravity of the words I spoke. I turned to Gilga, who still seemed upset with how well I treated Sol.


    "I see you''re upset Gilga. You think I''m ying favorites, don''t you?" I said, drawing closer to him.


    "W-Well, aren''t you? You always praise whatever stupid ideas he brings up. We all know those slimes are very useless. If not for my few tweaks on them, they would have been far worse!" Gilga said in a sulking tone.


    I smiled softly when I heard this.


    "You see... Gilga, whenever Sol brings up any of his overly simple idea, even when we implement it, we use your power to do so. Without you creating them, those ideas are nonexistent. So, Gilga... I think you are more amazing." I said to him.


    Gilga looked at me with awe and surprise as I said those words to him.


    "That''s why, whenever I praise Sol, I praise you too. Those slimes he is so proud of... Are the works of your creation. So when I say they are the best, it is because despite being such an abstract and absolutely simple idea, you brought them out to be the best they could possibly be, Gilga." I added.


    Gilga looked away as he blushed due to my words. He was obviously very happy by what I was saying, but tried to hide it.


    "So, Gilga... You and Sol don''t need to fight about these things anymore. His overly simple nature, and yourplicated methods, they work hand in hand... Don''t forget that, okay?" I said to him with a soft smile.


    He slowly turned to look at me as he looked shy and happy at the same time.


    "So, you''re saying I should also value his input in any project we make?" Gilga asked me.


    "Don''t you think... Sometimes, what makes something so beautiful is it''s simplicity. But at the same time, simplicity without any form of concrete substance is nothing. Therefore, only when the both of you acknowledge one another and work hand in hand will you be able to bring forth the best of your abilities and create the perfect masterpiece... Gilga" I told him, gazing into his eyes.


    He considered my words and fell silent for a few seconds before finally looking back into my eyes.


    "M-Maybe... Maybe I should also consider his idea in this new project. If I consider how I want three limbs for them, and he wants one... By cross-referencing them we have... Two! Two limbs each, that''s it!" Gilga eximed.


    "That''s what I''ve been saying all along" Avalon retorted.


    "Oh shut up! I''ve finally gotten it! Thanks Big bro! I feel... This will be my finest masterpeice yet!" Gilga let out a genuineugh.


    "Yeah! I can''t wait to see it" I said to him.


    "I''m thinking of calling them... Humans. What do you think, Big bro?" He asked me.


    I smiled at the name. It was so simple,pared to the names he usually gave his creations. Dinosaurs, Dragons, Pheonix Centaurs, Minataurs, Lebanon. Compared to those exquisite and morous names, ''Humans'' sounded a little too simple and nd.


    But...


    "It''s perfect" I said to him.


    He smiled even more as he felt much better.


    Just like that, one conflict was resolved, and just as I thought it was all over, another sprung up from it.


    How many eyes the new project should have, how many fingers and toes, their size, their diet... The list never ended, and so the project was pushed back several millennia before the first prototype was made, and then the second and then the third...


    But, those moments, those times of conflict and resolution, of arguments and enjoyment. The early days of our existence. Memories of those times are still burned into my head. However, that''s all they are now... Memories.


    All that is left from those memories, the only concrete thing left... Is my resolve.


    The resolve to end everything and everyone, including the ones called my siblings.


    "Sol, Gilga, the rest of you guys... Just wait for me a little longer. Your big brother ising back. And when he returns... When I return, I''ll teach all of you a lesson you''ll definitely never forget.... Until yourst breath."

 Chapter 78 - A Desperate Situation

    "Huff... Huff" The young man heaved as exhaustion was beginning to catch up to him.


    Still, he lifted his heavy sword with what little strenght he could muster as he huffed even more. He had several injuries, as well as a severe wound on one of his legs and his side.


    "Keuk....It''s no use." His partnermented, returning to his side.


    She was also bleeding all over her hands, with a slight bruise on her head.


    The both of them nced at the bodies of their fallenrades. Three lifeless corpses were scattered around the battlefield, with blood staining everything around them. Some of their body parts were already dismembered and crushed.


    "Our party of five is now... Urk..." The young man groaned.


    His female partner looked at him with a sad look and then turned toward their foe... A monstrous creature of unbelievable mass and strenght.


    "I should''ve known not to take the quest..." The man''s voice quivered as he spoke in regret.


    Because of his impulse, three of his party members were now dead. The remaining one he had was severely injured, and he wasn''t better off either. He should have known better...


    "This monster... We can''t beat it!" He let out in frustration.


    "Grughhhh" The monster growled.


    It was at least 9 metres tall. It had tworge horns protruding from it''s head. With the face and tail of a calf and the body of a giant man, coupled with massive strength it was known for, this creature was none other than... The Minotaur.


    Not just any Minotaur, but a full adult one. With a massive club in hand, It''s red re was enough to send shivers down the spine of the surviving adventurers.


    "We''re... We''re going to die?!" The young man said, slumping to the ground and kneeling helplessly as the giant monster approached them steadily.


    "Nathan, snap out of it! Your words mock the sacrifice made by our fallenrades. Are you not our leader? How can you act like this? They fought till the very end, did they not? They believed in you! I still believe in you... So Nathan..." His female partner said to him.


    Nathan looked up and met her gaze. He saw how bruised she was, yet... She looked much more elegant in that manner. She still trusted him, she still stood firm. Even with such a strong adversity, she still held her ground.


    "... After this is all over, you''re going to do what you promised... Okay?" She said as she smiled at him.


    His eyes widened as he saw this. It was beginning toe back to him... The promised he had made to her.


    "After this is all over... Let''s finally get married, Marie"


    He remembered how he took this job in order to raise enough money to get them a better life as a married couple. Yet...


    If she could believe in him, and muster up the courage to say those words to him. How could he, as a man, not return her sincerity with all of his being.


    "Marie! We''re going to survive this! The sacrifice of our friends won''t be in vain! After this is all over... LET''S GET MARRIED!!!" Nathan dered with a loud voice.


    Marie smiled as Nathan stood back on his feet and they both faced the monster... Together.


    They nodded and exchanged an unspoken understanding with one another. Deep down they knew they might not survive. But, they decided to give it their all and hope for a miracle from the gods.


    "I know... This is impossible... But o gods, please I plead with you... Just this once... Save us!" Marie thought to herself.


    The Minotaur drew closer and then raised it''s club, ready to crush the people who dared to oppose it.


    Nathan clung unto his sword and gripped it tightly. His body throbbed with pain and fear but he would not relent. Marie also held unto her staff as it glowed, indicating themencement of one of her special attacks.


    "It doesn''t have much power left, but... I should still be able to manage onest shot" She told her leader and lover.


    "Alright! I''ll create an opening for you! Once it''s ready, fire it with full power!" Nathan answered her.


    She nodded and raised her staff which glowed even brighter as she closed her eyes. With unwavering concentration, she gathered the little energy left within the staff in her hands.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Nathan charged straight for the monster with his injured body.


    "Oraaaaaaaaa" He yelled, using his two hands to lift his greatsword.


    The Minotaur halted it''s approach and brought down it''s hand which held the giant club.


    Nathan saw thising and quickly leaped away, barely avoiding the strike which caused a massive shockwave.


    With the monster''s hand close to the ground, Nathan used his sword to slice through the tendons of the hand, causing the Minataur''s grip on the club to weaken.


    "Guarghhhhh" The monster yelled in pain.


    Nathan tried pulling his greatsword out, but it remained stuck in the thick hide of the beast. He didn''t have enough strength to remove his weapon from the monster''s body... And the injured beast wasn''t going to give him enough time to gather it.


    "Gurhhhhh" The Minotaur red at it''s assualter.


    It immediatelyunched it''s second hand to crush Nathan, who dodged by a hair''s breath.


    The shock caused by the impact of the monster''s hand in the ground caused Nathan to lose his footing, making him roll on the floor uncontrobly.


    "Gahhh" Nathan yelped.


    The Minotaur wasn''t done with him. It left it''s club and gave it''s full attention to Nathan. He roared as it prepared to charge toward him with full force.


    "Yes... Just like that!" Nathan muttered weakly.


    With it''s back turned away from Marie, it was the best opening she could ask for, and he delivered.


    "It''s up to you... Marie" He moaned.


    Marie opened her eyes slowly as she smiled weakly.


    "It''s ready!" She dered.


    A great mass of energy gathered on her staff as she pointed it toward the nape of the monster''s neck. With the amount of energy her staff was going to project... Surely it would be enough to pierce through the head of the Minataur and cause it''s death.


    "Gr¨ªearv?lr st!!!" She yelled.


    Immediately a massive bolt of energy, in the shape of fierce lightening emanated from the staff and charged straight for the head of the Minataur.


    <Boommmmmm!!!!!>


    The raging sounds of thunder and the shockwaves the massive surge created caused the entire forest to tremble.


    The light dimmed as the lightning flickered before it ceased. Marie''s glowing staff turned entirely dull as it slipped off of her hands.


    "Huff... Huff... Is it... Done?" She asked herself.


    She saw the Minotaur in front of her, it''s head was entirely dismembered from it''s body as it''s charred skin brought out smoke.


    "W-We won?" She said, nearly in disbelief.


    "Huff... Huff... We did it Marie. You were amazing" Nathan said, limping as he approached her slowly.


    "Nathan..." She smiled with tears falling from her cheeks.


    "Finally... We can go home..." Nathan smiled to her.


    "Yes!" She replied.


    They both locked eyes with each other. Their weak smiles and tired body could be seen, but what mattered the most was the fact that they survived together... That was more than enough.


    <RUMBLE!!!>


    Suddenly a sound was heard.... A sound which signalled something far worse toe.

 Chapter 79 - Intervention

    Suddenly, the ground shook and the trees of the forest danced in an unorganized manner. The two exhausted adventurers heard rumbles and felt quakes from the earth. Their eyes widened at the recognition of the sound they heard. It could only mean one thing.


    "Something ising... Something big!" Marie muttered.


    Slowly, yet suddenly, Minataurs began to emerge from thethick forest that surrounded them.


    "N-No, this... This is..." Marie said, her eyes widened with despair.


    "Oh god!" Nathan said as he turned to look at the monsters around then.


    "Four... No... Five?!" Nathan muttered as he stared with disbelief.


    Surrounding them were five Minataurs, equally asrge and definitely as powerful as the one they just defeated.


    "N-No... This is..." Marie said.


    Her legs gave up strenght as she copsed on the floor. Her body trembled as fear and despair began to sink into her. There was no hope... No way out!


    This time, it truly was the end.


    "We''re... Going to die..."


    Nathan''s body was too weak to even fight back. His broken bones and bleeding body were at their limits. His sword was still stuck in the hand of the dead Minataur''s body, but even if it wasn''t, he wasn''t sure he could even swing it due to his exhaustion.


    He looked at Marie who looked helpless and fragile. Out of the two, he knew she was more powerful than him, thanks to her Relic. But, after exerting so much power from it, the Relic was out of energy, which meant it was as useless as garbage now.


    Even if they managed to escape, the Relic was never work anymore since it''s energy had been depleted. They both realised this when they gave theirst ditch option and killed the Minataur. In exchange for victory, they would lose everything else that made them a powerful team.


    After all, Relics have a finite amount of energy imbued in them, and once it gets exhausted, there''s no way to refill it. Such a mysterious and powerful existence is beyond the capability of humans.


    In that regard... Marie was now defenseless.


    "Gurhhhhh"


    Their growls and intimidating re filled everywhere. No ce of escape, no strenght left to fight back... Their death was certain.


    "I-Is this... The end?" Nathan asked himself.


    He was going to die without getting married to the woman he loved, without having children... He was going to die a wretched death, crushed and dismembered as he watched his woman suffer the same fate.


    He didn''t want that.


    "Someone... Please, anyone... Please help us... Help Marie... Please save us!!!" He yelled with thest of his strength as he crashed to the ground as well, having no more strength to maintain his standing posture.


    The Minataurs ignored his desperate cry and continued to near them. Finally one got close enough and raised its club to smash Marie''s body to pieces. Nathan watched as the beast raised it''s weapon.


    Marie''s trembling body could not move as her face could only watch the giant mass of hard wood rise above her body and then slowly decend to render her into nothing but mush and scattered meat.


    She couldn''t let out a word, she couldn''t let out a cry... She could only watch.


    "M-Marieeeee!!!!" Nathan yelled.


    The hand of the monster descended and the club crashed on the ground, causing arge noise which reverberated around the area. A gaping hole was left in the area of impact as dust hovered around the point in which the club struck.


    As the smoke cleared, both the wild monsters and Nathan noticed something... Marie wasn''t there!


    "Gruhh?" The Minataur let out in surprise.


    However, before it could react ording to it''s beastly instincts, it found itself unable to move... Or even think. And the reason was simple.


    It wasn''t alive anymore.


    The Minataur''s head seoerated from it''s body in a clean slice as it fell to the ground where it sent the club. The head rolled on the hard ground as Nathan watched the body fall, crashing heavily on the very ground it treaded on.


    Blood oozed from the Minataur''s corpse, and it ceased to live.


    "U-uh...?!" Nathan could only express weakly.


    "W-What was...?!" He muttered weakly.


    "Young man..." A voice came from behind him.


    His eyes bulged open. That was the voice of a human!


    He mustered up his strength and looked behind him. Tears streamed from his face as he saw Marie''s unconscious body safely behind him, and beside her... Was a man he had never seen before.


    "... Are you perchance an Adventurer of Lamar?" The man asked him.


    Nathan could not express the sight before him. He was dumbfounded to say the least. The man who appeared before him had a long, dark coat as a jacket and a ck inner shirt. He had a confident smile and a youthful expression. The very look... Of a hero!


    "Y-Yes... Yes I am..." Nathan stuttered.


    "In that case, we have much to talk about. But first..." The man retorted.


    He brought out a sharp de from it''s sheath as it shone a bright blue color. He raised the hand he used to hold the de and walked past Nathan, with a confident and intimidating air around him. Nathan followed his movements as his eyes could not be taken off the mysterious person.


    "... I''ll take care of the trash" The young man said.


    "I suppose... I should use the words ''that man'' called it... ''Sword of Rupture''... Strike!" He said, shing from where he stood.


    Immediately, the four remaining Minataurs lost their heads as blood gished out of their necks. Their fresh corpses fell on the ground as they all died.


    Nathan''s eyes widened as he saw this sight unfold before him.


    "T-That was..." Nathan could only let out.


    In a moment''s strike, what seemed like a mere sh of the wind cut through the hide of all four monsters at the same time,nding clean and fatal hits to them at once.


    "Who is this man?" Nathan could only ask himself.


    The man brought down his glowing de, which immediately dimmed, and returned it back to it''s sheath. He turned back and faced Nathan whoy helpless and weak on the ground and looked in wonder at his savior.


    "W-Who... Who are you....?!" He asked the young man.


    The young man smiled at the question and looked at him with a soft expression.


    "My name is..." The man began.


    [MY TURN]


    ".... Rio" I said.

 Chapter 80 - Forest Of Monsters

    "W-Who are you?!" The Adventurer asked me with an expression of both awe and fear.


    I smiled as I locked eyes with him. Just like a hero who saves one in need, like a miracle awaited by those who are desperate, I made my introduction.


    "My name... Is Rio"


    [Moments Before]


    We rode on the carriage as usual, moving steadily along the clear path since we left Artia two days ago.


    The time it takes to travel between Artia and Lamar is approximately 5 days, 3 days if we cut off certain rest periods. With less than one day to go, it''s safe to assume that we are very close to our destination.


    For some time now Talia and Ana have stopped arguing. I suppose traveling together for such a lenght of time is enough to tire anyone out. Shamac is currently asleep, the day is not the best atmosphere for a Shadowshifter.


    I don''t feel exhaustion, so the journey isn''t too ardous for me. But for the rest of them, since we''ve been traveling for two days straight, require rest... Especially the coachman. He''s the only regr human among us after all.


    Other than the little meal breaks we took on the road, and the horses resting up, we''ve been going straight for Lamar.


    It looks like he has reached his limits. Even for one well known to be the best coachman in Artia, he isn''t immune to exhaustion. He is only human after all.


    "Why don''t we take a short break" I said to them.


    Their face brightened up when I said this. We quickly set up camp, however since we weren''t going to take very long, we didn''t set up much. The horses were left to eat from the shrubs in the forest, while we sat on the makeshifts seats that were prepared.


    "We''ll soon arrive at the city within... Five hours... No, maybe four." The coachman told me.


    I smiled. Even from where I sat I could feel the distance from where we stayed and the city.


    "Just a little while longer..." I muttered to myself.


    Suddenly my heightened perception picked up something in the forest. It was a deeper region, further down in the thick woods. I concentrated my sight and fixated my senses on the inner recesses of the massive forest deep within where I picked up the strange signal.


    I smiled as I saw the cause of the sensation triggered by my senses. It looks like things are going to start getting interesting from even before we enter the city. Because the the ones in my sights now are... Adventurers. And from the looks of it, they seem to be in quite the predicament.


    "That is..." I muttered to myself, noticing the beast that gave them such trouble.


    A Minataur?


    It looks slightly different from how I remember them to be, it must be due to evolution during the 3,000 years I''ve been away. The monster is also welding a weapon, that''s new.


    I''m surprised though. To think that a Minataur is giving five adventurers a hard time... How disappointing. If this drags on, perhaps only one or two will survive before that Minataur finally dies.


    "But even then..." I smiled to myself.


    These adventurers don''t seem to know, but even further down the forest are five more Minataurs. They are currently asleep, but should themotion continue and they generate enough noise, the others will awaken. If that happens, then they stand no chance at all.


    This is perfect. I Initially wanted to start my ns from within the city, but this works fine too. Let''s observe them more closely.


    "Mr Coachman, I''ll be taking a little walk while the rest of you rest. It''ll be nice to take a look around." I said, rising from my seat.


    "O-Oh? But but where do you intend to go? We''re surrounded by forests and there are only side areas like these used for camping, but there''s nothing spectacr about them." The coachman responded quickly, surprised by my sudden decision.


    "It''s none of your concern. I''ll be back soon. I''d focus more on resting up if I were you" I replied.


    "B-But sir... That ce you''re heading... It''s called the Monster Forest. It''s notorious for breeding a wide variety of monsters.No one dares to venture anywhere deep into the wild." The coachman protested.


    I turned back and red at him. Immediately, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine as beads of sweat formed on his face. He gulped and kept his mouth shut instantly.


    Looks like gets the message. I nced over to Talia, Ana and Shamac. They all looked at me expectantly, but didn''t utter a single word.


    "You should also remain here. I won''t be long" I said to them.


    "O-Okay..." Talia''s voice trailed.


    I walked to the direction of the mayhem and left mypanions behind. After I had gotten deep enough deep forest, I used Hex to Warp to a closer distance, viewing the scene with a much clearer view.


    The Adventurers look frantic, I can tell. Their breathing pattern and expressions show that they aren''t prepared for this sort of opponent.


    "Tch, the quest didn''t mention anything about an adult Minataur. Those bastards!" One of them said with clenched teeth.


    "There''s no useining about it now. We have to beat this thing in order to survive. Or else..." Another one replied.


    A party of 5 adventurers, yet they can''t beat a single Minataur. I don''t know what to say. It''s either they are low ss adventurers or my standards are just too high for this current world.


    "Let''s do this everyone!" The man who appears to be their leader spoke up.


    He drew his greatsword and pointed it at the Minataur.


    He has a fierce and strangely desperate look in his eyes, something you don''t see very often. Most likely, he has a personal reason for fighting... Perhaps someone to protect? How absurd.


    "Oraaaaa!!!!" He cried.


    The entire team scattered, each taking their positions around the enemy. They all readied themselves to strike.


    The leader charged at the forefront, drawing the monster''s attention to himself. The remaining four, stayed outside the monster''s line of direct sight and prepared to support their leader.


    I smiled as I watched from my distance.


    "Let''s see how this goes."

 Chapter 81 - Rio

    The Minataur raised it''s club and smashed it into the ground. The leader evaded the slow, yet powerful strike. He dashed as fast as his legs could carry him, dragging hisrge sword beside him.


    "Lara, Marie... Now!" He yelled.


    Marie raised her staff andunched several volleys of energy sts at the Minataur, causing it to stumble on its feet. As it was stunned, the next party member prepared her attack.


    Lara, the archer among the party members steadied her bow and focused her eyes on the target. From the tree where she was stationed she focused on the prey... The Minataur.


    She released the arrow,unching it powerfully toward the stunned beast. It''s hissing sound filled the air and within a moment, it pierced the head of the monster...


    "Yes! It hit!" She said with excitement.


    ... Or so they thought.


    The arrow fell, crumbled by its impact with the monster. The arrow did not prate... It got destroyed.


    "W-What?! No way!" Lara, the archer said in disbelief.


    The Minataur turned away from the leader and it''s red re focused on Lara.


    "Get out of there!!!" Marie yelled to her with a desperate tone.


    They all knew what happened when a Minataur got angered... Destruction!


    "N-No... Stay away..." Lara said fearfully to the beast as it approached her, trying to escape from her position on top of the tree.


    There were no other branches around which guaranteed her escape, so she had only one option.


    The monster stretched it''s hands to crush her, but she quickly took the initiative and jumped down, barely escaping it''s clutch.


    "Gahhh" She yelled as one of her legs let out a disturbing crack.


    The bones of one of her legs broke due to the impact. She felt great pain as a recoil from suddenlynding on the floor so unexpectedly, coupled with the pain of her broken bones. This left her stunned for a moment.


    By the time she pulled herself together and managed to rise, it was toote. A dark shadow covered her, and she could feel chills running through her body. She looked above her and saw it... The leg of the Minataur was raised above her head, ready to squash her.


    "Lara!!!" Herrades yelled.


    One of the other party members ran desperately, stretching his hands to save her from her impending and inevitable doom. He pushed himself with all the energy he could muster as he groaned.


    Lara heard them all call her name as she looked in front of her. One of her teammates, her best friend... He was running toward her, he was going to save her. His outstretched arm looked so big. Perhaps... She could be rescued from...


    "D-David..." She stretched forth her hands to grab his, with a slight glint of hope in her eyes.


    <CRUNCH!!!>


    The ernomous hoof of the Minataur crushed her, sending her bloods darting in every possible direction, and the rest of it oozing on the ground.


    "Laaaraaaaaa!!!" David screamed as he witnessed this happen before his very eyes.


    "Y-You... You monster!!!" He yelled at the Minataur who looked unfazed by his threatening re.


    "I''ll kill you!" David growled in fury as tears streamed from his face.


    Punching his two fists together, the chain he had in his neck glowed, causing two red gauntlets to appear on both his hands. A massive surge of energy permeated around his body as he clenched his fist in anger and resolve.


    "Uohhhhhh" He said in concentration, increasing his energy output even more.


    The power he amassed increased threefold as his muscles grew evenrger and his body, more finely toned.


    "I''ll kill y-" He raised his head to re at the beast.


    <SPLAT!!!>


    The heavy club of the Minataur smashed into the body of David, the brawler, causing his increased muscles to burst as blood splurged out of his body.


    "Guarkkkk!!!" He yelled out in shock.


    His bloodied body was sent flying by the powerful swing of the Minataur, causing him to crash into several trees as a result. The impact broke thier barks, as well as his bones, in the process.


    This caused a loud noise which shook the ground. The Minataur turned away from the mayhem he just caused and focused on the three remaining. He growled as he walked forward, leaving the bloodied corpse of the archer, Lara.


    "Huff... Huff... Where do you think you''re going?" A voice appeared from within the destroyed mass of trees.


    "I''m not done with you yet!" David said with his gruggy and exhausted voice.


    He red with his tired looking eyes as he staggered to walk.


    "David, that''s enough... You''ve done enough!" The leader said to hisrade. The rest of the party members couldn''t take looking at their friend, who was all beat up and covered with his own blood, coupled with severe injuries, yet still struggling to fight.


    "Shut up! Stay out if this Nathan! That beast will pay for crushing Lara! It''s mine!!!" David growled.


    He built up his power once again and dashed toward the Minataur, who looked shocked by David''s sudden increase in momentum.


    "Uohhhhhh!!!" David said, raising his fist as he built up arge mass of energy concentrated there.


    "Drop dead!" He said, hitting the Minataur in it''s chest, as it tried to attack him.


    "Guoarkkk" The monster shrieked due to the severe pain it experienced.


    "Rahhhhhhh" David continued to cry as he poured out all his energy in his strike.


    The massive surge of power caused an explosion which blew away the trees in the area, causing an open space around them.


    Dust filled the air as David struggled to still maintain his stance. He staggered as his two hands were already rendered useless by the move he made, and his vision was blurry. He gazed at the monster who was on the floor, looking lifeless.


    "Serves you right... You crazy beast..." He muttered weakly as he smiled.


    The Minataur had a gaping hole in it''s chest, an injury that was fatal to anyone who received it.


    "Lara... I have avenged you... Finally..." He mumbled.


    However, due to his victory, he let his guard down. And that carelessness... cost him his life!


    <SPLURGE>


    Blood burst out of David''s already damaged body as the Minataur''s horn pierced his stomach.


    "W-Wha...?!" David said as he coughed blood.


    His eyes bulged as the Minataur slowly raised him up as he stood.


    Hanging on the horn of the monster he supposedly killed, David realised that he was sorely mistaken. The gaping hole of the Minataur slowly began to regenerate. The monster was not dead yet.


    "I...I..." He muttered, before finally losing consciousness and dying.


    "Grauhhhhhhh" The Minataur roared, it''s voice reverberated about them.


    The waves of sound and wind caused David''s body to slip away from the horns and fall lifelessly on the ground.


    The Minataur red at the remaining adventurers, clearly enraged at this point. Before they could react or counterattack, it used it''s fist to hit the ground, digging out a massive lunp of earth from the cracks which appeared due to its strike.


    "Grrrrrrkkkk" It let out, turning to face one of the surviving Adventurers.


    "Eeeek..." The man yelled, trying to escape from the range of the Minataur.


    But he was too slow, toote.


    The monster threw the rock with absolute precision and power, whirling in the air as it neared it''s target with unbelievable speed. The Adventurer turned back as he saw the massive rock descend on him and realised it was unavoidable.


    "Oh... My go-"


    The rock crushed his body as blood sttered on the ground and on the nearby trees around him.


    "N-No... No way!" Nathan said as he watched his friend die.


    "Lara... David... Jared... They''re all..." Nathan mumbled to himself, facing the ground.


    The other survivor, Marie, quickly left herpromised position and hurried to his side.


    "Nathan... It''sing!" She said to him.


    He looked ahead of himself and saw the Minataur ring at the two of them as if telling them:


    "You''re next!"


    No, he refused to die. He had to live... He had to win against the Minataur. He gripped his greatsword and nodded to his partner who raised her staff as it glowed. They would take theirst stand... Together!


    [My Turn]


    I watched the battle unfold, but refused to intervene in any of the deaths or circumstances they found themselves in.


    Truthfully I don''t need all of them to live, the more people perish, the better for me. If just one or two live, then it''s alright by me.


    As they fought and struggled, I watched them. How weak humans are.


    They finallybined their efforts and defeated the Minataur. They looked so happy and relieved by their victory.


    Unknown to them... The true challenge was on its way. And their victory was shortlived.


    The five sleeping Minataurs approached them and their hopeful smiles turned to looks of fear and despair. As they watched the monsters close in on them, powerless, they could only do one thing... Render prayers of help.


    Now that they are in a desperate situation... Exactly as I nned, I will save them. In doing so, I will make my first debut in Lamar, as Rio a wandering hero... An aspiring adventurer.


    "Rejoice, powerless humans. You are about to be put to good use. By saving your lives, I will achieve one of my objectives." I grinned.


    Well then, It''s about time I joined the party!

 Chapter 82 - Survivor

    That basically sums up everything up till this moment.


    After killing off the monsters and introducing myself, the Adventurer Nathan suddenly bursted into tears.


    "T-Thank you! Oh, thank you!" He cried.


    It''s understandable that he reacts this way, after all he almost died. But that doesn''t make it any less ufortable.


    "You shouldn''t push yourself too much. You''re severely injured. You and thatdy both!" I quickly said in a concerned manner.


    I brought out two health recovery potions from my pockets, items that I prepared beforehand by summoning them from ROOT.


    "Here, have this. It''ll make you feel better" I told him, handing over the small ss vial, containing red liquid which glinted as sunlight reflected on it.


    I turnedand walked over to Marie, kneeling by her side to administer the second potion to her since she was stil unconscious. Slowly and steadily, I fed the liquid to her until I emptied the ss bottle.


    "T-This is..." Nathan said after drinking the potion.


    He noticed his body, which glowed a bit thanks to the effects of the potion. His wounds closed and his internal injury also healed.


    He looked at Marie too, and simr effects took ce on her body too.


    "S-Sir Rio! To use this on strangers like us... Thank you so much sir. I''m so grateful. Oh, thank you so much!" He said, as be bowed his head energetically.


    "It''s fine. Don''t push yourself too much. I only healed your injuries, but your stamina will take some time to recover. It''s just a relief you''re not dead. If only I hade sooner... Perhaps yourrades wouldn''t have died" I said to him in a somewhat sad tone.


    "It''s not your fault Sir Rio... It''s mine. I led my party into this disaster!" He cried.


    He looked at me with such awe and sadness. Then he looked away, facing the ground. His expression was filled with guilt.


    It looks like he''s buying into my nice guy act.


    "No, don''t say that. We are only human, we do not know what the future may bring. I''m sure your friends felt no resentment for you when they died... So do not burden yourself with guilt. You only have to move forward, move on with the one who survived." I said, ncing over at Marie, his lover''s body.


    "Y-You''re right! Thank you so much sir Rio. If only there was something I could do to express my gratitude to you" He said, looking more encouraged as he forced a smile.


    What can someone like this man offer me? Everything he possesses will most likely end up as trash in Root anyway. Well, that doesn''t mean he''s entirely useless. I did save his life for a reason.


    "No, it''s alright. I was just out for a walk when I saw what was happening. My friends and I are actually on our way to Lamar, we made camp somewhere nearby when I suddenly felt uneasy and decided to walk" I told him.


    "You mean... From the road pathway, you walked all the way here?" Nathan asked with surprise.


    "I go wherever my heart takes me. That''s just the kind of man I am" I smiled at him.


    Okay, that was a bit too much. It''s enough to make me cringe. Just what kind of effect will it have on this young man?


    "Oh?! That''s amazing sir!!!" He said, beaming with respect and awe.


    I figured, he ate it up. What do I expect from such a pathetic creature. But I suppose this just makes my n easier.


    "I''m actually an Adventurer in Lamar, my friends also. Our Party was given a quest to stop some monsters here, but the rank of the quest, as well as the details didn''t include the appearance of an adult Minataur." Nathan exined.


    "Oh? I see. Perhaps they didn''t know...?" I said.


    "Bullshit! That error cost the lives of 3 of my friends. If they had been a bit more specific, then this would have been avoided." He banged his fist on the ground as he said with a pained expression.


    Looks like he''s going to have quite the grudge against the issuer of the quest. By the way, isn''t this man just giving excuses?


    He must have known that the monsters here would be very strong since it''s the Forest of Monsters. Besides, he basically just said it''s his fault, and that he left his party here knowing the dangers. But now he''s ming another person. He sure doesn''t know how to take responsibility.


    Such a man is going to get married to that Marie girl? Sigh, youths these days. I''m certain their marriage won''tst as longer than the time I''ll be spending in the Adventurers City


    "I see. In that case, you should be on your way to the city. My friends should be ready to travel now. If you want, I can take you to them." I offered with a smile.


    "Oh... N-No. I couldn''t impose..." He said nervously.


    "Oh no, I insist. Consider yourpanion here as well. It wouldn''t do well to leave you two alone in such a dangerous ce. We can travel together to the city" I told him.


    He ruminated on my words as he looked over to Marie. After thinking deeply for a moment, he decided.


    "T-Then I''ll be in your care. Thank you very much sir Rio. I really appreciate this!" He said with a bowed face.


    "It''s alright... Mr...?" I asked him.


    Even though I already know their names, It''ll be considered strange not to ask of the identity of someone I''ll be traveling with.


    "O-Oh. I''m Nathan, and my unconscious partner here is Marie... We are..." He stopped midway and blushed a little.


    What a child.


    "Okay Nathan. If it''s alright with you, let us start moving. Myrades might be worried about me" I said to him.


    "O-Of course. Right away sir. But... Myrades..." Nathan said, looking at the dead body of his friends.


    Oh, that''s true. He most likely wants to bury them and pay hisst respects to them. Well, humans are sentimental creatures. Oh well, I''ll allow him to have his...


    "... Their Relics and tools can be sold for quite a decent price. It''ll be a waste to leave them this way. It''ll only take a moment, but let me quickly recover them." He said to me with a gleam in his eyes.


    "What?" I asked myself.


    This guy.... Is truly a jerk, isn''t he?

 Chapter 83 - The Journey Continues

    I waited for a while as I watched Nathan pige all the valuables of his deadrades. He did it so skillfully that I''d believe it if someone told me he did this often.


    After some time, he finally finished.


    "All that''s left is to bury them. Sir Rio... May I?" He asked me.


    So it''s now he''s just thinking of burying them? This guy...


    "Sure" I forced a smile.


    I''d feel bad for this guy''srades If I was human, but fortunately I''m not. I''m pretty sure he''s burying them mostly to hide the evidence of his piging. Even if he might have had some sort of friendship with them, it definitely wasn''t very deep.


    Then there''s Marie, his lover. It will definitely be interesting to see how those two end up.


    It didn''t take him very long, with his greatsword he was able to quickly dig therge hole he needed to bury them.


    After dumping their bodies in the hole and covering it back with dirt, he heaved a heavy sigh and nced at their grave with a sense of nostalgia and a sad smile.


    "See you on the other side,rades" He muttered.


    I don''t get this guy.


    "I''m all done sir. I''m so sorry for dying and inconveniencing you" He said to me with a tired smile.


    "It''s alright" I replied, returning his smile with mine.


    I carried Marie, since Nathan seemed pretty exhausted and we walked toward where we camped. It took us nearly an hour to finally see the pathway and I pointed out where the others camped at to him.


    As we got closer, from thier distance Ana and Talia spotted me.


    "Hexa-" Talia almost blurted out.


    I shot her a re and immediately she noticed I was withpany.


    "O-Oh..." She suddenly realised her error.


    She nearly made the mistake of revealing my real name to Nathan. Fortunately I stopped her midway.


    "Rio... You''re back!" Ana quickly said.


    I smiled. Smart girl.


    We got closer until we were finally in theirpany. Shamac and the Coachman were fast asleep, with thetter snoring in an irritating manner. How did the girls put up with this?


    "I''m back" I smiled to them.


    "Um..." Nathan didn''t know what to say as he felt awkward around my servants, though I didn''t reveal their identity to him.


    To make matters worse, the girls totally ignored his presence and focused solely on me.


    "R-Rio, who''s this that you''re carrying?" Talia quickly asked, loomking at Marie, but still not used to my new alias.


    "Well, she''s actually my..." Nathan tried to get into the conversation.


    "Why don''t you wake everyone else up? It''s quite a bit of a story so it''s best if I tell everyone" I told the girls, cutting him off.


    He gave up after that.


    After Talia and Ana woke Shamac and the Coachman up, I briefly exined the incident that ured in the forest. Of course, I edited some details, like me watching as the Adventurers got brutally ughtered.


    "Kyaaa! Lord... I mean Rio is such a noble man. You''re truly the best!" Ana said with an excited smile filled with reverence and awe.


    "Y-Yeah... That was a very good thing you did sir. I''m surprised. I didn''t know you were so strong" The coachman said with a nervous smile.


    Talia and Shamac looked at each other with surprise. The fact that I did a good deed, the fact that my story painted me to be some sort of hero... Of course they didn''t buy it.


    "Wow. That''s so amazing."


    "Exactly. It''s a good thing you got there right in the nick of time"


    Shamac and Talia said sarcastically. They must have figured out I was telling a false story. No matter, what matters is that I''ve introduced them to the ones I saved.


    "In any case, they''ll be traveling with us to Lamar. Since we''ll be traveling together, let''s get along." I told everyone.


    They all nodded in agreement. I smiled, turning to Nathan and nodded.


    "Wee to the crew Nathan. It''ll be a short journey since we''re close to the city already, but... I hope you''ll be happy to join us" Ana said to him.


    "Yeah. A friend of Rio is a friend of ours. You''re wee" Talia added.


    "Yeah bro. You''re lucky to be alive. Heh..." Shamac let out a light chuckle, but after the re from both girls, he stoppedughing and gave an apologetic look for being insensitive.


    "T-Thank you for having me... I mean us" Nathan said with an awkwardugh and looked at Marie who was still unconscious.


    He let out a bright smile at Talia and Ana as he blushed.


    Don''t tell me... This pervert. He''s already smitten by Ana and Talia. I know they''re both attractive by human standards. But for him to be so attracted to them, and have no qualms about showing it so openly... Not only is he irresponsible and a jerk, but he''s also unfaithful? Oh well, not my problem.


    "Well then, we should start heading to the city. It''ll be better to get there while the sun is still out" The coachman said.


    I nodded in agreement.


    Before long we packed up and were soon on our way to the city. Since the carriage had limited seat spaces, I told Shamac to seat with the coachman, allowing Nathan to rece him. He didn''t like it, but it''s not like he has any choice in the matter.


    Marie was ced at the back of the carriage, wrapped in afortable duvet.


    "She''ll be fine" I told Nathan when we ced her there.


    "So, Nathan. If you don''t mind... Tell me everything you know about Lamar... And the adventuring system there" I said.


    Nathan, who was distracted by the beauties he was seeing for the first time, quickly stirred himself at my words and faced me.


    "Y-Yeah. No problem with that" He said, feeling embarrassed that I might have caught him drooling on my rades''.


    "But why do you ask? Is it that sir Rio wants to be an Adventurer?" He added.


    "Yes. Before leaving Artia, I desired the thrill of adventure and so I decided to venture to Lamar to obtain it. As you can tell, I am not one of a normal background. But, I was willing to leave my privileged background to be an Adventurer. That''s how much it means to me." I responded.


    "Wow, how incredible" Nathan responded, moved by my words.


    "Unfortunately, my knowledge of Lamar and it''s system is limited. Plus, Ick the experience you possess. So, if you don''t mind..." I said.


    "Oh, no no... Not at all. I''ll tell you everything I know. After all, I have a big debt to repay for you saving our lives." He said with a determined look.


    What an idiot. As if just telling me a few scraps of information is enough to even scratch the surface of what he owes me.


    I could easily use Memory Drain on him and have only his lover survive the entire experience, after all I need only one of them. But since that will be too much of a bother, I have decided to just let him run his mouthnand tell me what he knows willingly.


    If I''m dissatisfied with what he says, I always have that option.


    Fortunately, since I have the appearance of a 19 year old person, I look young. With this, he''ll be able to let his guard down and divulge whatever he knows.


    It has been nearly three weeks since my revival, yet it feels longer than that somewhat. Unlike Artia, I n on spending longer in this city. Of course I already have plenty information on Lamar, but that is all surface and official knowledge. The information I require currently is one only an adventurer can provide.


    As we draw closer to the city, my ns get closer to fruition..... And the world gets closer to it''s destruction.

 Chapter 84 - City Of Adventure

    "Sir Rio, if you don''t mind my asking... That de you used the other time, it was a Relic, wasn''t it?"


    Nathan looked at the sheathed ''Sword of Rupture'' which was strapped by my waist with curiosity. He must have been thinking of it for quite a while.


    I smiled when he asked me this. His intentions are unclear. He is probably just interested in the weapon since it dealt such a heavy blow against the Minataurs, but it''s also possible he covets it in his heart. Either way, he knows he can''t obtain something like this from me.


    "Yes. It''s called the ''de of Rupture''" I said.


    Calling a thinyered de like this a sword is too inappropriately for me. A katana is a katana, there''s no meaning in giving it an ambiguous identity.


    He kept his eyes fixated on the Relic, so much that it became annoying to me.


    "Would you like to have a look at it?" I asked him.


    "Y-Yes! If you would allow me to!" He quickly answered energetically.


    Of course he would say that.


    I gave him the de, still in it''s sheath. He collected it and observed the structure of the de, refusing to part with it as he unsheathed and sheathed it many times.


    I let him do as he pleased, after all we won''t be together much longer.


    Since I gave the coachman and the horses enough time to rest, we got to the city of Lamar In nearly four hours. The tall walls of the city caught my attention. Guards were stationed on the walkway at the very top of the walls. The giant gate was also an interesting sight. It was bigger than the one at Artia, which doesn''te as a surprise to me.


    Even though Artia is a trade hotspot in the Kingdom, the Adventurers City is still one of major importance. Plus, since a variety of monsters and dangers are associated with the city, the security is bound to be higher.


    Our carriage took us to the gate. The coachman halted the horses, stopping our movements temporarily in order for the soldiers to perform the usual checkup. The coachman showed them his license and the passengers he carried on his carriage, namely us.


    The soldiers stationed outside the gate are two, working in pairs is a verymon thing in this world. Only one left his position to check out vehicle and carry out a short inspection. Of course I''m already aware of this, after all it is a normal regtion followed by anyone visiting the city of Lamar. The soldier who came to inspect our carriage was middle aged, on his way to the old side. He had a cheery face and a gutsy expression. Immediately he saw Nathan, the man looked surprised.


    "Oi, Is that you Nathan? You''re back early, aren''t you? Thought you would be spending longer with your party. By the way, where''s the rest of those young''uns?" The solder asked Nathan.


    Nathan looked downcast, unable to respond to the guard. Catching the hint, the man looked shaken by the fact that the youths he just recently saw leaving the city perished just like that.


    "You mean to tell me... You''re the only survivor?" The guard asked in a sad manner.


    "N-No... Marie was also able to survive. B-But... I couldn''t do anything!" Nathanmented"


    "No, there was nothing you could do. You did your best protecting Marie, Nathan. For that alone you can call yourself a real man" The soldier attempted to lift Nathan''s spirit.


    "W-Well, about that... Actually it was this young master here that saved us from death and helped us reach this city." Nathan said, gesturing to my direction.


    I smirked within myself. I have been waiting for this moment. It looks like Nathan is perfect for this after all. Fortunately, I didn''t kill him, that would have been a waste.


    "Oh? This is... I''ve never seen him before." The guard said, carefully observing my face.


    Is this really appropriate?


    Usually guards are only to conduct a thorough search on the visitors or anyone entering the City of Lamar. However, since there''s currently no haste to move, we are free to converse for the time being.


    "Yo, kid... Is what this man saying true? You really saved his arse from some beasts? The same beasts that killed hisrades?" The man asked me, drawing his face nearer to mine as he stared me straight in the eye.


    I see what is going on. This is exactly as I predicted the situation to flow. Nathan is a veteran Adventurer, so it''s only natural that the guards know him well. Not also that, but for him to have taken a quest to the Forest of Monsters, he must have at least a somewhat noticeable rank within the Adventurers City. The guard will definitely ask of what happened to him and the whereabouts of his partners. After, he involves me in the conversation and my existence is made known to the guards. A great idea, though it''s a bit annoying how this man is being so casual to me.


    I looked over to see the reactions of my subordinate. Of course, the three were surprised the guard said that to me. Talia and Ana were clearly pissed off at the guard for his effontry, but Shamac was more shocked that I didn''t anything to the man.


    "It is true" I responded calmly.


    "Oh? With that sorta face and this kinda fanciful ride? What were you doing in the Forest in the first ce?"


    He must be doubtful, since it looks like I am an entitled person, someone who just has the money to show. Maybe he thinks I bribed Nathan to give me all the credit. How shallow is that?


    "It really is true sir! He used this weapon! You should have seen him. He was awesome!" Nathan said, with excitement clearly written all over his eyes, while also showing the guard the ''de of Rupture'' I lent to him.


    The guard stretched out his hand, indicating he wanted to see the Relic. Nathan looked at me hesitantly, but I nodded.


    He handed over the de to the guard, and after a moment of observed the Relic in his hands, he looked up and stared at me with a surprised look.


    "T-This is... Who are you?!"

 Chapter 85 - City Of Adventure (Pt 2)

    The guard''s shocked expression as his jaw dropped made me respond with a small smile. He looked at the de, then looked at me again.


    "Believe me now?" I asked him.


    A few seconds of silence ensued between us until an unexpected sound interrupted our staring contest.


    "So... Um, we''re pretty exhausted, it''s a long journey after all... Would it be alright if we drive in now?" Shamac voiced out.


    The Coachman looked behind to see Shamac awake. He wasn''t aware of the fact that he has already been awake since a while ago Even Ana and Talia were surprised by his sudden statement. Usually Shamac is withdrawn and silent, no one expected this from him.


    The guard got flustered by Shamac''s question and quickly cleared his throat.


    "Aheemm. Sorry for taking your time unreasonably... Open the gates!" The guard yelled to the others who were behind the walls separating from them.


    Immediately, the giant blockade creaked as it was raised up by a two giant chains at the hinges. The soldiers on top of the wall used their wheels to elevate the giant door until it was suspended above us to pass through and officially enter Lamar.


    The guard returned my de to Nathan, who in turn gave it to me. I collected it and ced it on my waist, though I can still feel both Nathan and the guard''s eyes transfixed on the de... And on me.


    "Perfect"


    The coachman whipped the horses and used their bridle to control them, initiating their movement forward.


    "Wait!" The guard quickly called out to us.


    The coachman stoped the horse quickly and looked behind to see what the issue was. Nathan and the rest also looked back out of curiosity.


    "The monster you defeated with that de... What kind of beast was it?"


    I nced over to Nathan and a bead of sweat dropped down from his face. He appeared nervous. I suppose it''s up to me to speak up then.


    "Minataurs" I said to the guard, then ordered the coachman to continue moving the carriage which he did promptly.


    "W-Wha...?!" The guard said, looking dumbfounded.


    We moved into the city and transversed the streets, making the guard''s figure grow smaller and smaller until he was entirely out of sight.


    Usually, most transport carriages drop the passengers as soon as they enter the city. However, since we are VIPs, the coachman is taking us directly to our ce of residence in Lamar.


    Thanks to the high influence I have in Artia, Lorna, one of my subordinates, was able to pass across a message to Lamar ahead of time and secured the ce where I will be staying for the moment. The coachman has the directions, so that is where he is taking us.


    I looked around the city, using both my normal eyes and my heightened senses.


    The size and poption of this city is nearly twice asrge as Artia. The entire ce is bursting with life and vigor and I could see the streets crowded with many people.


    Out of everything I have seen so far, there is one which stands out the most. The tallest building in the entire city, and clearly thergest. The Adventurers Guild Office.


    Known to be the very core of the city, the Adventurers Guild manages the affairs of the Adventurers of the city, all quests are issued through them, whether directly or from a third party. All activities within the city is monitored by the Guild, especially if it is adventuring rted.


    Since most of the inhabitants are Adventurers, their spouses and children, or aspiring Adventurers, there is no shortage of members belonging to the Guild. The rewards for quests are also issued by the Adventurers Guild. Nathan exined quite a lot to me, so I understand both the official and personal perspectives of the Adventurer Guild and it''s workings.


    Information is power, and I finally have the power I need to kickstart my n in Lamar.


    "We''re here Sir Rio Xarion" The coachman said, calling my alias'' full name.


    Using one''s first name only is a sign of friendship,radeship or familiarity. For the kind of rtionship I have with him, it''s only natural for him to address me by my full name.


    Myself and the rest of the passengers of the carriage stepped out one after the other until we were all dropped off.


    "I have to say sir, this experience I have had has been like no other. It is truly an honor to serve someone like you and I look forward to when next my services will be required" The coachman said to me.


    I smiled at him.


    "I feel the same"


    Those words were enough to melt his heart as he rode away merily, reminiscing on the insincere statement I made. Humans are so gullible.


    "Well, I suppose this is where we split up" Nathan said, carrying Marie in his arms.


    "Will she be okay? She never did regain consciousness throughout our travels" I asked him.


    "O-Oh. It''s fine, please do not concern yourself with that. The truth is that she overexerted herself by using a Relic to it''s limits. Such a task took so much out of her that she would normally be bedridden for days. Besides, the shock she received from those monsters is also a factor. But I believe with enough rest she should be fine. Thank you so much for all you''ve done for us" Nathan said with a smile.


    "Don''t mention it. I''ll see you around" I replied.


    Nathan left us and went his way.


    "Well then, Let''s lodge in for today. It''s been a while since I''ve slept on a bed." I said to my ves.


    "Ah, yesss. Finally! I''ve missed that" Talia said, stretching her body.


    "Indeed, it will be pleasant to have suchfortable ce to sleep. Though I do not mind anything else, as long as it is Lord Hexarion''s wish" Ana stated.


    Shamac remained quiet, I suppose he''s back to his silent treatment since I''m so close to him.


    Well, it''s fine. Tomorrow we''ll begin everything in earnest, so it''s best to rest up for tonight. For that.. I mean my ves.


    This night, I have a different agenda in mind.


    [LATE IN THE NIGHT]


    "Heh, looks like you got it! I knew I could count on you Mr Foryer" A man in a red hood said to another man with a simrly designed one.


    "Yeah. I was nervous when he talked about the Minataur, but it looks like he''s just a regr rich kid after all" The one in the brown hood responded, bringing out an object from his hooded cloak.


    "So far, it looks like he doesn''t suspect anything. That''s good." The red hooded one replied.


    "Yeah. He doesn''t know... That we have his Relic. The ''de of Rupture'' eh? The power I sense from it is immense." The brown hooded one answered.


    "Yeah. He sliced through four Minataurs all at once. With this kind of Relic, we''ll be set for life!" The Red hooded man said excitedly.


    They kept conversing in the darkness of the night and after they finished their talks, they both entered a building which resembled a bar, disappearing from the streets for the rest of the night.


    A silhouette stood on the rooftop of one of the buildings from afar off as he observed the two hooded fellows. A smile formed on the face of the observer as he smiled.


    "Just as expected. This should be fun"

 Chapter 86 - Character Profile: Hexarion

    Name: Hexarion


    Identity: Primordial Of The Void


    The Evil One


    The Demon god


    Age: Unidentifiable


    19 Years (Current Look)


    Affiliations: The Primordials (Formerly)


    Artia''s ck Market


    Imperius Auction House


    (Artia Branch)


    Lamar Adventurer''s Guild


    The Royal Family (Phobio)


    Height: 6ft plus


    Hair color: ck


    Eye Color: Red/Purple


    Notable features: Handsome look, young and smiley facial expression, dignified and regal-looking appearance.


    Allies/Companions


    - Talia


    Shamac''s first ve andpanion after his revival in his new body. She is a fairy who lost her wings when she was nearly sold to very. Fortunately, Hexarion rescued her and she pledged her entire self to his service. Hexarion cares about her as a property of his, mostly because she amuses him and is very invested in her, contrary to his usual style. She was initially weak and helpless until Hexarion grants her an evolution, causing her to grow very powerful. She is capable of flight, light maniption and nt control. She has a very intimate connection to nature.


    - Shamac


    Shamac is Hexarion''s second ve. He is a hybrid shifter. He possesses the properties of both Shapeshifter and Shadowshifter. Hexarion is mostly neutral about him, but considers him useful and observes him regrly. He is able to alter his shape however he wishes. He is also able to control his shadow and create different structures from it. He is weaker during the day, but at night he is extremely powerful and dangerous.


    - Ana


    Ana is a former Apostle and Hexarion''s third ve. As a former enemy, she battled Hexarion and lost woefully. After this, Hexarion maniptes her mind, showing her altered memories. She pledges her entire existence to Hexarion and worships him as her god. She is very devout and faithful to Hexarion. She possesses the grace of Hades which allows her to swallow objects into a separate space and being those objects out at any location she pleases.


    - Phobio


    A prince of the Royal family of the Western Kingdom. He was initially an enemy of Hexarion and attacked him with the aid of an Apostle. Eventually, he was defeated and captured by Hexarion. After using unknown methods to reconstruct his mind within ROOT, he became a loyal servant of Hexarion. Hexarion uses him to take gain connection with the Royal family, giving him leverage.


    - Borgos


    The Ruler of the Artia ck Market, that is, until Hexarion took over. He is currently one of Hexarion''s subordinates, and is the acting Ruler of the ck Market since Hexarion leaves Artia for Lamar.


    - Arita''s Mayor


    Artia''s Mayor is one of Hexarion''ster pawn as he takes control of Artia. He is member of a high noble family, making him a valuable asset to Hexarion. He also undergoes the same reconstruction process as Phobio, and so is a loyal ve to Hexarion.


    etc.


    <em><strong>Introduction</strong></em>


    The Primordial of the void who was stripped of his power and Aspect after waging war against the gods and fellow Primordials in the Heavenly Realm. His goal is to exact revenge on his younger siblings, the Primordials, as well as to destroy the world.


    <strong>Personality</strong>


    Hexarion is a cold blooded and entirely rational person. As someone who has no single shred of human values and morals, he is not bound by emotions and sentiment. He is very driven and will do whatever he wants to achieve his goals.


    He also has a friendly and soft side of himself, which he expresses from time to time. However, he mostly uses this as a front to attract people to him and allow them to trust him. He is highly maniptive, able to use people however he wishes with the big picture in his mind.


    Hexarion is also a master of deception. He is able to fool both his allies and enemies and orchestrates scenes and events to suit his purposes.


    He is highly intelligent and mature, able to discern situations very quickly. He is also able to predict the thoughts of anyone hees in contact with and the most likely issue that would arise in a given situation.


    Hexarion possesses attachments and a deep love for his works. He also has a strong sense of possession when ites to his properties, including his ves. He sometimes acts on his whims, without paying heed to logic. However, he always makes contingencies and preparations made to amodate the decisions he makes on the spur of the moment.


    He is very confident of himself, considering every other being lower than himself. He hardly pays any heed to anyone unless for his amusement. Since he is unfamiliar with a lot of things in the new world he wakes up to, he finds nearly everything intriguing which sometimes leads him to make certain decisions.


    He is also extremely cautious and meticulous. If he senses danger, however slight it is, he prepares countermeasures. However, this is very rare as he finds most struggles to be amusing.


    <strong>POWERS AND ABILITIES</strong>


    - <em>HEX</em>


    Hexarion''s most basic special power. A system of his invention which is highly powerful and versatile. Hex was created when Hexarion was still a Primordial. Using the Aspects as a base, Hex interferes with the system of the world, the Aspects, allowing Hexarion to manipte the elements of existence however he wishes, depending on the Hex used. Hex isn''t all powerful since it requires certain conditions to activate. Hex cuts across several Aspects and is applicable in many areas.


    There are currently 100 Hex tiques that exist. It ranges from #99, being the weakest to #0.


    - <em>ROOT OF ALL</em>


    Root Of All, also referred to as ROOT, is Hexarion''s most used object. One of Hexarion''s most prized inventions. It is a ring which has a purple gem on it, made of properties that have currently not been revealed. It operates in a system which arranges Hexarion''s treasures in an orderly fashion, based on its inbuilt programming.


    ROOT contains several Treasures of Hexarion, with different grades ranging from Sacred to even Primordial Grade, each having various levels of power.


    It also contains Hexarion''s treasury, containing money and misceneous items that prove useful from time to time. Objects such as clothes, essories and even seemingly mundane items are also within ROOT.


    It also contains otherpartments, like Trash and Failures. Hexarion feels a strong attachment to the Treasures contained in ROOT, calling them his most personal items.


    ROOT also contains a very bast and nearly limitless pocket dimension. This massive space can be used however Hexarion wishes. He is also able to alter the properties, appearance and structures of the pocket dimension inside ROOT.


    Most important to note is ROOT''s self consciousness. As an artificial intelligence made by Hexarion, ROOT is designed to automatically act under certain conditions, one of which is when Hexarion is under attack and needs a defensive measure. It is also capable of responding to Hexarion''smands and queries, though it is devoid of emotions andmon sense.


    - <em>NON-ASPECT COMPOSITION</em>


    Hexarion''s new body isposed of non Aspect properties. How this is possible has still not been revealed since everything that exists in the world isprised of Aspects, making Hexarion''s body an anomaly within the world. Since his body is independent of Aspect, normal concepts of existence do not apply to it, unless he wills them to. Generalws and concepts such as exhaustion, distance, physical limitations etc. do not affect him.


    Most importantly, he is able to act without the monitoring or control of the Primordials and gods, since they control and are aware of all things under the Aspects they control. This way, he is able to evade the surveince of the Primordials, keeping his identity a secret.


    - <em>UNPARALLELED KNOWLEDGE</em>


    Hexarion is older than all the Primordials, who are said to have existed since the beginning of the world. With a vast amount of knowledge and an inconceivable amount of experience, it is safe to assume that he is the most knowledgeable being in existence. This makes him highly intelligent and a perfect schemer. He is aware of thews that make up the world, the true nature of everything that is. Using this knowledge to his advantage, he sets wless ns into motions and is rarely ever caught off guard or ced at a disadvantage, even as a Primordial.


    - <em>SELF STRUCTURE MANIPULATION</em>


    Hexarion''s body was made by him, and since it wasn''t created naturally, he is able to alter any and all properties within his body and without. His shape, height, weight, appearance... Everything about his body is under his control and can be changed whenever he pleases. This gives him an unfathomable advantage inbat since he is able to adjust his strength to suit whatever style he wishes.


    - <em>HIGH COMBAT PROWESS</em>


    Hexarion is highly skilled inbat, far greater than even the most seasoned warriors. Other than the unimaginable strength of his artificial body, he also posseses countless knowledge on fighting and is most likely well versed in all styles ofbat since he is able to adapt to any situation he finds himself in.


    - <em>ENHANCED PHYSICAL ABILITIES</em>


    Hexarion possesses maximized physical abilities due to the nature of his artificial body. His strength, agility, durability etc. are beyond the realm of any human and most creatures in existence. Most high level attacks are unable to damage him or even put a scratch on him. His strength has shown no limits, and his high sensory abilities greatly exceed that of anyone else.


    <em>- MEMORY DRAIN</em>


    One of Hexarion''s abilities thate with his new body. He is able to entirely collect the memories of his target so long as he maintains physical contact with them. The transfer of memory information is instantaneous, and this makes most of his targets unable to bear the strain of the transfer. His targets lose their minds and enter vegetative states, or be insane. Hexarion is able to sort through the information he receives at any given time, or simply skim through it.


    - INVENTION


    Hexarion is a master inventor, capable of creating many things which cintain great power. He has made many treasures, those within ROOT, and many others. He also bult several dungeons to keep his treasures in. His inventions are severely powerful.


    <strong>WEAKNESSES</strong>


    - <em>Overconfidence</em>


    While this has not been shown to be a fatal w yet, Hexarion''s ego is something that makes him unable to see himself defeated in any way since he views everyone as beneath him. This caused his defeat at the hands of the Primordials, allowing them to catch him off guard.


    - <em>Divine Power</em>


    Divine power is a major weakness of his. It is able to prevent the activation of his Hex and also interfere with it once it has been activated. It is also possible that they can be able to damage him, but that has yet to be revealed.


    - <em>Arts</em>


    The Art of Hex and the Art of Grace exist in the current world, which differ from the world he used to know. Since he invented Hex, he is familiar with it''s structure and capabilities. However, he still seems cautious when he sees another using it. This implies that Hex is capable of harming him. Grace uses Divine Power to function, and so it is dangerous to him.


    - <em>Aspects</em>


    The Aspects that the Primordials control are everywhere. Since Hexarion''s body ispromised of non-Aspect properties, he is not bound by them. However, they can still be dangerous to him since he is currently existing in the world. He is currently avoiding the attention of the gods and Primordials for this very reason, since if he is found out, Aspects can turn against him which will end up in his loss.


    - <em>Mortality</em>


    Unlike before when he was a Primordial, Hexarion is a mortal being now, with a far weaker body than the one he possessed as a Primordial One. He is capable of dying or getting destroyed. The awareness of this makes him careful not to draw unnecessary attention to himself when it concerns the Primordials.


    <strong>ENEMIES</strong>


    - The Primordials


    - The gods


    - The Apostles


    - The Heroes


    - The World

 Chapter 87 - Adventurers Of Lamar

    The next day came earlier than expected. Sunlight pierced through the windows, stirring everyone who slept on their respective beds. Since they all had different rooms, they turned in their various ces, not wanting to wake up from their blissful sleep.


    I snapped my fingers and immediately they yelled from their various rooms, causing them to rise from their sleep and hurry to get freshened up.


    "You have 30 minutes" I said to them, already dressed and ready.


    It''s finally time to address the issue we came to Lamar for.


    [Moments Later]


    We walked steadily to the giant structure that seems visible no matter where one stays in the city. The massive Adventures Guild building.


    Shamac, Talia and Ana still look like they require sleep, but they''ve rested well enough. I didn''t even sleep at allst night, but I suppose I can''tpare myself to them.


    "Let''s get this over with" I said to myself.


    It didn''t take us very long to reach our destination, since our residence is not far from the Guild building. Therge structure appears even more impressive now that I look at it up close. I opened the door to the building and my ves followed behind me.


    Immediately I entered, I sensed some an energy interference of some sort. Is it a barrier made by a Relic? I looked behind me to observe the others who came with me. None of them look fazed, meaning I''m the only one who felt the strange sensation.


    "How curious" I muttered.


    I decided to ignore the feeling I got and approach the Receptionist desk. There are about 5 receptionists stationed at each stand, so it''s up to me to pick the one I want to go to. I picked the one to my far left.


    She beamed a bright smile as she saw me approaching her.


    "Wee to the Lamar Adventurer''s Guild. How may I be of service?" She asked me with a smile.


    I also returned her gesture.


    She looks younger than the rest of her colleagues, also more inexperienced. For her to be stationed at the far left also means she doesn''t have many patrons and customers. Her inexperience and young age must have something to do with it. In which case, she''ll definitely be overjoyed I chose her station over the rest.


    I''m certain the receptionists get paid ording to how much work they do and the patrons they receive over a period of time. For her, who has very little customers, meaning smaller profit, she is definitely going to be excited to have someone like me.


    As usual, I wore my very exquisite outfit, dark and red, with shades of purple. Just my style. and my servants dressed no less, making us look like very prestigious customers.


    I can tell due to my heightened senses. All eyes are on us. From the Adventurers within the reception area, and those lurking about, to even the other receptionists who shot the one I went to a jealous look.


    They all have an opinion of me which is fundamentalky wrong though. I am not a customer or a patron. I am someone interested in something else.


    "I want to register as an Adventurer" I told the youngdy.


    I looked at her chest region. She had a name tag pinned on her dark purple outfit, a uniform for the receptionists here.


    "Nadia eh?" I said to myself.


    "S-Sir? Did I hear you correctly? You want to register as an Adventurer?" She asked, repeating my words.


    She looked surprised, looking at me carefully. My young looks and expensive looking attire, with simrly dressedpanions do not look like one who would say something of the sort


    "Buahahahahaha!!!"


    I heard cackles ofughtering from behind me and nced back to see what the matter was.


    The Adventurers wereughing, all looking at my direction. They snickered and chuckled with amusement, most likely because of my earlier statement.


    "The lil'' kid wants to be an Adventurer!"


    "Isn''t he just a rich brat? I mean, look at his outfit"


    "Pfft, ssic. The guy thinks Adventuring is as nice as it sounds."


    "Buzz off kid, this ce ain''t fun and games"


    They all made demeaningments and wagged their tongues unnecessarily, jeering me.


    They look like a rowdy bunch. Adventuring is a rough work, and a highly dangerous one at that. But the dangers are worth it, so it''s a high risk, high return venture. A sessful Adventurer is highly respected and honored. This makes many individuals aspire to be Adventurers too, unfortunately greatness isn''t for anyone.


    The annual mortality rate of Adventurers is close to 40 percent. This means every year over One third of registered Adventurers die, mostly as a result of quests.


    Still, many aspire for this incredibly dangerous career. Some seek thrill, some seek exploration, but mostly it''s because of the fame and money associated with the job.


    So for someone who looks so young and rich, it''s only natural for them to look down on my interest in Adventuring and make jests. Since it appears I do not have any need for money or glory, the only assumption they have left is that my reason is for fun and thrill. Someone like that is certain not tost very long in Adventuring.


    A perfect sentence to certain death.


    "S-Sir. Are you sure?" Nadia, the receptionist asked me.


    Is this girl retarded? How many times do I have to state a simple sentence.


    "Yes, I am. All of us want to register as Adventurers. Not only that, but we want to form a Party together." I told her, referring to Shamac, Talia and Ana.


    Parties in Adventuring, are groups of Adventurers who work as a team, share their profits evenly or based on agreements with one another and are officially recognized by the Guild.


    "O-Okay sir. Since that''s the case. You''ll have to fill some forms. There is a separate form for registering as Adventurers which you all have to fill separately. Then there''s the Party form you are expected to fill together. After that, you all will be taken to the examination room for your proficiency tests and rank determination. The forms will be processed after your exam, and you''ll return after three days to see the results." Nadia said.


    "Also, the fee for registration is 10 gold coins" She added.


    "10 gold?" I asked.


    That much is nothing to me, but I''m surprised. The value of money here is very strange. I didn''t expect this much for registration. Most people who register as Adventurers are those of humble backgrounds, with no other job to look to and a knack for the rough life. Having 10 gold coins is not something an average person achieves easily.


    If I am to guess the reason for this absurd price, it''s due to the sudden surge in many individuals who desire to be Adventurers. To thin out the herd they must have raised the price to discourage many from registering.


    Of course, that doesn''t apply to us. After all, I''m rich!

 Chapter 88 - Adventurers Of Lamar (Pt 2)

    "Very well" I said in affirmation.


    "T-Then, I''ll bring the forms. Once you are done, please submit them here along with your fee"


    Nadia brought out 5 forms. Four are for Individual Registration, thest one is for Party Registration.


    We each took our forms, and I took the Party Registration form. The contents are standard I suppose, none are outside my expectations.


    After reading through it, I filled the form with ease. I looked at the content and nodded in satisfaction. It looks good.


    [Adventurer Registration Form]


    Name: Rio Xarion


    Gender: Male


    Race: Human


    Age: 19


    Affiliations: Imperius Auction House (Artia)


    Rtions (If any): Nil


    Next Of Kin: Nil


    Specialty: Trade


    Brief Introduction: I am a young merchant, who suddenly found an interest in Adventuring. The employer of my party members.


    Reason For Choosing To Be An Adventurer: By encountering monsters and obtaining Relics, I will be able to discover new things. The Relics and monster parts I obtain will also be used asmodities for my business.


    [End]


    I should also to check the forms of the rest to see what they have written so far, just in case. I''m very fortunate I decided that, because... Just what is this?!


    [Talia''s Form]


    Name: Talia


    Gender: Female


    Race: Fairy


    Age: 176


    Affiliations: Hexarion''s Servant


    Rtions (If any): Hexarion (Master)


    Next Of Kin: Erm... Hexarion


    Specialty: Anything Hexarion wants me to be


    Brief Introduction: I am a banished Fairy, but I am currently Hexarion''s Servant


    Reason For Choosing To Be An Adventurer: Because Hexarion wants me to.


    [End]


    Just what is this nonsense. And it doesn''t just end here. The foolish even continues.


    [Ana''s Form]


    Name: Ana


    Gender: Female


    Race: Human


    Age: 24


    Affiliations: Master Rio


    Rtions (If any): Master Rio


    Next Of Kin: Master Rio''s loyal Servant


    Specialty: Anything Rio wants me to be


    Brief Introduction: I am Lord Rio''s de and shield.


    Reason For Choosing To Be An Adventurer: Because Lord Rio wants me to.


    [End]


    How is this any better than Talia''s own? She has the sense not to put my true name, but still. At this rate, won''t my n suffer? I should check Shamac''s work before taking action.


    So far his is the most surprising.


    It is... nk!


    [Shamac''s Form]


    Name:


    Gender:


    Race:


    Age:


    Affiliations:


    Rtions (If any):


    Next Of Kin:


    Specialty:


    Brief Introduction:


    Reason For Choosing To Be An Adventurer:


    I looked at him and from the look on my face, he knows I demand an exnation for what he has done or rather, what he hasn''t.


    "I... I can''t read" He muttered in an embarrassed tone.


    My expression changed when I heard this. His words are true. After all, Shamac grew up all alone, away from normal civilization. Later on, he got captured and became a ve. He has received no formal education and as such, can''t read.


    "Very well, I understand" I said to him.


    As for the other two, Talia and Ana... Their forms are unusable. As they looked at me with expectant and proud faces thinking they have pleased me, I sighed. Foolish children.


    "HEX #39, Causality Reversal" I whispered.


    The forms became nk once again.


    They both made protesting looks, but one re from my face was enough to caution them.


    I corrected the errors within them until It became consistent with what I expected.


    [Talia''s Form]


    Name: Talia


    Gender: Female


    Race: Human


    Age: 16


    Affiliations: Imperius Auction House (Artia)


    Rtions (If any): Nil


    Next Of Kin: Nil


    Specialty: Unarmed Combat


    Brief Introduction: I am Rio Xarion''s employee, as well as colleagues to the rest of our party.


    Reason For Choosing To Be An Adventurer: For adventure and treasure. I''m going to be rich!


    [Ana''s Form]


    Name: Ana


    Gender: Female


    Race: Human


    Age: 24


    Affiliations: Imperius Auction House (Artia)


    Rtions (If any): Nil


    Next Of Kin: Nil


    Specialty: Armed Combat


    Brief Introduction: A guard and emoyee of Rio Xarion, as well as colleagues with the other members of our party.


    Reason For Choosing To Be An Adventurer: To protect Rio Xarion during his Adventuring.


    [Shamac''s Form]


    Name: Shamac


    Gender: Male


    Race: Shifter


    Age: 14


    Affiliations: Imperius Auction House


    Rtions (If any): Nil


    Next Of Kin: Nil


    Specialty: Race Attribute


    Brief Introduction: A former ve, freed by Rio Xarion and a fellowpanion of his. Also a friend andrade to the rest of the party.


    Reason For Choosing To Be An Adventurer: To support his friend and sworn big brother, Rio Xarion. To taste the thrill of Adventure.


    [End]


    This is satisfactory. I''ll have to remember to teach Rio how to write.


    We went back to the counter to submit our forms. The receptionist, Nadia read the forms and then faced us.


    "This is perfect. But, I''m sorry... You''ll have to give us an identification that you are truly affiliated with such a big organisation as Imperius." She stated.


    "That''s not a problem" I said.


    I brought out my Imperius Coin Card as well as my newly obtained Grandmaster Card and showed her.


    "T-This is..." She said in surprise.


    "I''d appreciate it if you keep all of this confidential... Especially this Grandmaster Card." I whispered to her.


    "Of course sir. The Adventurer Guild is known for its confidentiality among clients and an Adventurer''s personal information. Only the Guildmaster and the Receptionist know of such information, and we are bound not to reveal it, except under special circumstances" She answered.


    "Special?" I asked.


    "Well, in states of emergencies like natural disasters or monster invasion where such information is crucial, or a Royal ordermanding the release of such information" She replied.


    "Ah, I see. Thank you then"


    My identity as Grandmaster of Imperius may attract the wrong kind of attention, which I''m not ready for now. But eventually... It will be very useful.


    After submitting our forms, I paid 40 gold with the Coin Card and Nadia directed us to the Examination room. From the looks of it, we''ll be taking our exams separately.


    "Don''t disappoint me" I told them, as we each went to our designated zones, secluded from the other.


    I entered mine, Room E-09. As I opened the door and got in, I felt another strange sensation within the room. It is simr to the one I noticed earlier, but slightly different. I tried not to show any reaction and behaved normally.


    I saw a man already waiting for me in the room and he beamed as he saw me. His smile widened as his eyes narrowed toward me. I can tell he has been anticipating this.


    "Wee to your Adventurer Test!" He grinned widely.

 Chapter 89 - Adventurers Test

    I shrugged unenthusiastically. The man in the room in most likely the supervisor for the test I''ll be having. He has rugged appearance and is taller than I am. I can sense faint Aspect essence from what he is wearing, from his clothes to even his essories, they must be Relics.


    I walked further into the room and got closer to him, looking around to observe the room.


    The empty room is surrounded by nothing but brick walls and a sturdy floor. There is a massive gate behind the test supervisor, and beside it are two small levers. Most likely they have something to do with the test. In any case, the sooner I get this over with, the better.


    "So, when do we start?" I asked him.


    "Oi oi, That''s not any way to greet your examiner, now is it?" He said in a slightly annoyed tone.


    I maintained my face of disinterest. This is just something I ought to breeze through. What else does this man want?


    "I''m a senior veteran Adventurer, you know? You ought to show more respect in your words and tone!" He said in a more agressive tone.


    It looks like he expects me to show him some form of respect due to his position. ording to Nathan, if you kiss up to the ass of your test supervisor, he can help you score a few free points and lessen the difficulty of the exam.


    How pathetic. That method is only ever used by the weak. Besides, it doesn''t make sense for someone more powerful to be subservient to a weaker one.


    For him to be a test supervisor, he must be quite the seasoned Adventurer, but what does that matter to me? In any case, he is still my test supervisor so I can''t ignore him.


    "Let us begin already, you''re wasting my time" I said with a stoic expression.


    "You little..." The man said with gritted teeth.


    "You think you''re something uhn? You entitled brat. I see you''ve got spunk, let''s see if you can still boast of that after this is over" He grunted.


    "You want the test so badly? Fine then, Why don''t we begin!" A wicked smile formed on his face.


    He walked over to the gate and pulled one of the levers down. The mechanism creaked as it was brought down by the force of the middle aged man.


    Suddenly the gates opened up, and beyond the gate was a dark passageway.


    "You see, one of the reasons that Adventurers take their tests in different rooms is for confidentiality in their performance and capabilities. But that isn''t all..." He began.


    "It is also because each Adventurer is given a test based on their specialty filled in the form they submit. For you to be in this room, it means your specialty is trade and loot rted. Heh, just what I expect from someone who dresses all fancy"


    "Just cus'' you see Relics and the spoils gotten from Adventuring selling for a high price, you merchants and nobles think you have what it takes to do it yourself and not rely on us. Well, I''ll have you know that looting, trading and obtaining spoils in Adventuring is not as easy and fancy as you think! Now that we''re done with the small talk, I''ll have you introduced to the test you''ll be taking today!" He concluded with a sadistic smile.


    Nathan told me one other thing. If you manage to piss of your test supervisor... Then he''ll rain hell on you during your test.


    I smiled.


    "Bring it"


    Suddenly the entire room quaked. I heard noises of cking hooves and a desperate march. The vibration caused by this strange sound made the whole room reverbete.


    The sound ising from beyond the gates, and the cause is drawing closer. I used my enhanced senses to uncover the cause of the sudden change. I smiled when I saw them.


    Of course, what else would cause such a sound... If not a stampede?


    Dozens of monsters charged through the gates and poured out. They didn''t stop even after entering the empty room, and since I was standing a small distance from gate, they all concentrated on me.


    The size of the monsters aren''t too intimidating, they are just asrge as wolves, but their numbers make up for their size. They all possess massive horns, with strong looking hooves and thick hides. They have piercing and focused eyes all directed in a single direction. They have blunt teeth, so they must not be carnivorous... Still, they don''t seem very friendly.


    My supervisor smirked as he saw this. Since he was by the levers, beside the gate, none of the beasts focused on him since they were fixated on me.


    Is this a joke? This is a test for someone whose specialty is trading, isn''t it? How is a bunch of monsters charging at me supposed to be rted to that In any way. Well, it doesn''t matter. I guess all I have to do is destroy all of them before they reach me. The rest wille after that.


    Before I could attack, suddenly chains appeared with cors attached to their ends. The cors locked on the necks of the dozens of monsters, causing them to halt immediately. I nced over to see the origin of the constraints on the beasts.


    The cors with chain extensions were all connected. They came from none other than the supervisor himself. His hand was stretched and a single chain proceded from it, dividing into many which held down the beasts, paralyzing them.


    "I''m guessing you''re scared shitless right now, aren''t you?" The supervisor made a pleased grin.


    "No, not really" I responded.


    He frowned at my statement, but I only stated the truth. If they drew even a step closer, I would have blown them all away. But for him to stop them, it must mean my test isn''t to destroy these monsters after all.


    "Let''s see if you''ll still be able to p that cheeky tongue of yours" He grunted.


    What''s his deal?


    "Now listen up! I''ll only say this once. These beasts are called Maalu. As you can see, they aren''t toorge and they move in herds. They are usually quite docile, unless they are provoked... Or hungry." He started exining.


    "The issue now is, they haven''t been fed for quite some time now, so they are a little on edge. Oh, but don''t worry. They don''t eat human meat, so they won''t rip you to shreds and devour your flesh. However, they are still antsy and are very defensive, so they won''t hesitate to attack you and trample on you till you pass out or even die"


    I see, so in essence the beasts feel I''m invading their territory. This test recreates a scene in the wild where Adventurers intrude the natural territory of monsters like this.


    "Now then, for the second part of the exnation....!"

 Chapter 90 - Adventurers Test (Pt 2)

    The supervisor pulled down the second lever beside the opened gate and suddenly the ceiling of the room opened up mechanically.


    Within it emerged many shiny stones, falling from their heights and descending on the floor. The stones rained down and fell among the restrained monsters.


    "These stones are called Luminous stones. They shine extremely well in the dark, so they are a verymon and valuablemodity in the market. However, among the Luminous stones that have been scattered around the room, there are duds which resemble the original stones, with only slight differences. Careful observation is required in order to differentiate the genuine Luminous stones from the fakes." The test supervisor said.


    "Now, for your test... I''ll be releasing these monsters now. They are still feeling very irritated, but they won''t attack you unless you bother them. Your goal is to collect as many genuine Luminous Stones as you can from their midst"


    "You may use any method, you can even decide to fight the monsters and then obtain the stones after you''re done. But I wouldn''t advice this... After all, you''re on the clock" The supervisor smiled.


    I looked at him, and then at the monsters. The stones were littered all about, among the beasts who would get nervous and defensive should I make the wrong move. Not only do I have to obtain the stones, but I must only obtain the real ones and not the fakes. Such a test... It''s actually more interesting than I initially thought.


    "You have 10 minutes... Begin!" He dered.


    Immediately he released the cors on the monsters as they vanished back into the glove he wore on his hand.


    "That''s quite the Relic" I found myself thinking.


    This new world has shown me so many new things, a lot of which are trash. But... I can''t deny how much things have changed. It''s all going to get destroyed though.


    The monsters hesitated to draw near me and gathered amongst themselves. They move sluggishly, but it''s clear they are on their guard. The stones on the floor gldittered as their hooves mped the ground, not minding them.


    Now then, what should I do?


    This test is meant to judge how skilled an individual is in collecting loot and treasures in a den of monsters. More often than not, Adventurers find themselves in precarious and dangerous situations. Whether being surrounded by monsters or outmatched by enemies. In such circumstances, an Adventurer relies on his wits to ovee such a predicament. This is no different.


    I am supposed to figure out a way to sneak about the monsters or find a way to collect the actual stones, as many as I can within the time limit, without putting myself in danger. There is the option ofbat, but time doesn''t permit the test participant to fight the monsters and also seek out the real stones.


    After putting all these into consideration, I havee to a conclusion. The difficulty of this test is definitely not in the Beginner level. Looks like Nathan is right. The supervisor raised the difficulty for me. Now this leaves me with two options.


    I could y the part and work as hard as I can to clear this hurdle, surprising him and gaining a high score. This way, I''ll use my intellect ande up with a strategy that works in my favor.


    Then there''s the second option... Overwhelming victory! Considering my mood, I think I''ll go with the second.


    I unsheathed the de by my hip and brought it out, pointing it at my enemies. Since he said I am able to use any method, it means weapons and Relics are allowed. In that case, I should be able to use my signature weapon, ''The de of Rupture''


    The supervisor let out an amusedugh when I did this.


    "You fool. So you''re going withbat eh? Good luck with that! You still have over 9 minutes left. Let''s see just how far an entitled brat like you will go!" The man said.


    His words are borne from ignorance, so I''ll just ignore him. Besides, he''ll soon be eating those words after witnessing this.


    "de Of Rupture... Mutte" I said.


    Immediately, the monsters who paraded about the grounds got sliced and diced by an invisible force. This wasn''t just any regr cut. It was a fine chopping, dicing them into thin and fine pieces. In a moment, these beasts had be little chunks of meat.


    <Splurge!!!>


    Their blood sttered everywhere, but due to the angle in which I cut them up, none of their life juices reached me. The supervisor on the other hand was drenched in their crimson liquid.


    "W-What is.... What the hell is this?!" The Supervisor blurted out in shock, trying to remove the blood that covered his body in futility.


    In a single moment, all 50 Maalus were mutted beyond recognition. Their bones, flesh, internal organs, all finely chopped by my invisible de. The sttered blood on the walls flowed and connected with the pool of blood, oozing, flowing and enveloping the floor beneath me.


    Looking at the scene before me, I let out a satisfied grin. Now this... This is a much more pleasant sight.


    "Then, for the second part" I said, ignoring the stunned and frightened look of the supervisor.


    The Luminous Stones. I understand their basic function. I''m certain I will be able to tell the difference between the original and fakes, after all I have worked with countless minerals before. Even though these ones are extremely poor inparison, they shouldn''t prove to be an issue to me.


    However, I refuse to search for some petty stones myself when there are easier ways to solve this. And by easier, I mean Root.


    "ROOT"


    "Analyze and Obtain all Luminous Stones in the area" Imanded.


    "<<CONFIRMED>>"


    <<Commencing and Executing Command>>


    <<Analysisplete, Retrieving all objects identified as Luminous Stones>>


    <<Retrieval Complete>>


    There they are... The prize of the test. The Luminous stones floated in front of me, all suspended in the air by ROOT''s power.


    They glowed in different colors, glistening before me. Their lights shining and reflecting on the sea of blood and monster parts... Is this what is called art?


    With this, I believe the test is over... I wonder how long has passed.


    TIME LEFT: 9 Minutes 31 Seconds

 Chapter 91 - Convergence

    The hallway seems smaller now that I walk through it again. After exiting my examination room, I returned to the Receptionist to show her the note given to me by my supervisor.


    "Here, the man told me to give you this" I said to Nadia, who looked surprised by my sudden appearance.


    "W-Wha-?!" She eximed.


    "H-How are you here already? The test takes 10 minutes, doesn''t it?" She asked, collecting the smooth parchment from my hand.


    "Indeed" I responded calmly.


    "It''s not even been 3 minutes yet... Even that other guy..." She mumbled to herself.


    She hurriedly read through the note of my supervisor and I could see her eyes darting all around the parchment on her hand.


    Her expression reminds me of the supervisor after Ipleted my task.


    [Moments Ago]


    "H-How is this... I-Impossible!" My supervisor stuttered, staring at the pool of blood and pile of dead, butchered monster corpses.


    I walked toward him, my shoes stepping on the warm red liquid as I steadily approched him.


    Since all my wears have an autoclean function and stain resistance, I don''t get bothered about messes like this.


    "Not even up to a minute... H-How is this..."


    "Supervisor... The results?" I asked him


    Surely he has experienced far more bloodshed and carnage than this since he is a veteran Adventurer. But I doubt even he is capable of dealing with such arge amount of beasts in such a short period of time, that is in a single strike.


    "Oh... Y-Yes. Right away" He snapped, bringing out the parchment In his pocket as he wrote his report.


    Usually, test supervisors write their report as the test goes on, observing the moves and decisions of the participant. But since I finished so quickly and he wasn''t even expecting much from me to begin with, he is just about to start with his report.


    I nced at what he wrote, short and precise... Just like the oue of this test.


    The report read, among a few other things:


    "This candidate... Is a monster!"


    Hepleted his report and hesitantly stretched his hand to give it to me. I did the same in order to receive the parchment, my proof of sess, and leave the room which was already beginning to reek of the stench of monster flesh and blood. Suddenly, he withdrew his hands and gave me a suspicious gaze.


    "K-Kid... Those things you used, they''re Relics aren''t they? They are incredibly powerful... I can tell. But even though they boast such might, howe I have never heard of them before?" He asked me with a stern face.


    I can understand his line of thought. It is suspicious for a young adult such a myself to be with such a deadly weapon as the ''de Of Rupture''. After all,it originally belonged to an Imperial Knight before I killed him and changed it''s name. That goes to show how powerful it is.


    Not only that, but I also used ROOT in the test, to gather the stones, making that two high grade Relics currently in my possession.


    Relics that boast of immense power are very popr. The higher the grade, the more people know about a Relic and its exploits. Unless, of course it is a secret Relic that is kept hidden, most powerful ones are known, especially among Adventurers. The fact that I am in possession of two very impressive Relics that aren''t in any way known, is not ordinary.


    What is more suspicious is that I am unknown. I do not belong to any noble family and my only affiliation is Imperius.


    For someone like me, with powerful, yet unpopr items such as these, to suddenly appear to be an Adventurer is definitely not something anyone can overlook.


    However... I already anticipated this much.


    "I suppose it''s only right you know since we will be colleague from henceforth. The truth is... I am a Dungeon conqueror" I told him with a smirk.


    His eyes bulged as he heard this. He trembled at my words. Normally he would obviously doubt me, but after seeing the irrefutable evidence of my power, he conceded.


    "Then, I don''t need to say any more, do I?" I said to him.


    "I... I understand" He muttered.


    He handed over the parchment to me, and without any further dy I went my way.


    Why did he withdraw his suspicions once I told him of my identity as a Dungeon Conqueror? The answer is quite simple.


    A Dungeon conqueror is someone who has challenged one or more of the mysterious structures known as Dungeons.


    Relics, especially powerful ones are very rare. Since they are objects of the Heavenly Realm that descended to Earth during my war with the Primordials, they are not easy to find. Adventurers stumble upon them during quests, but finding a Relic is a very rare opportunity.


    But with a Dungeon it is different. Every Dungeon guarantees at least the existence of a Relic, most times more. The reason I know this is simple, the Dungeons are my creation. They are ces I kept my Treasures and they are scattered all over the world.


    It is every Adventurers goal to challenge and conquer a Dungeon since the rewards are very much worth it, but a lot of them fail or avoid them since the dangers involved are equally as high. Apart from the rewards, there is also the fact that anything an Adventurer finds in a Dungeon exclusively belongs to that Adventurer, without need for tax or mandatory dues.


    That''s why if I im to be a Dungeon conqueror, it removes the suspicion on how I have such Relics with me, and why no one knows of it. It''s simply because I chose not to reveal it. It also solves the puzzle of the origin of my Ancient Coins. I came up with his excuse during my stay in Artia since I already predicted something like this would ur here.


    It''s always a good thing to n ahead.


    [The Present]


    "Ohhh, Mas- I mean Rio is done already? I should''ve known" A voice came from behind me.


    It is one I recognize very well.


    "Oh? Looks like you did quite well, Ana" I smiled, turning behind me to meet her gaze.


    "Ah, and here I thought I would be the first" Talia''s voice emerged from the hallway, her face looked disappointed when she saw Ana and I beat her to it.


    "Hmmn, that''s strange. Where''s Shamac?" I asked, looking around.


    "That guy... I''m sure he''s goofing off in the test instead of hurrying up!" Talia said in slight anger, raising her fist.


    No, I don''t believe that. Shamac wouldn''t dare ck off in situations like this. In fact, I expected him to actually be...


    "Um, about that. If you''re talking about your friend... He was the first to finish" Nadia suddenly interrupted.


    "What?!" Talia and Ana said consecutively.


    So that''s how it is... I see, so Shamac actually used ''it'' eh? That''s good.... It looks like yet another one of my pawns is reaching my expectations.

 Chapter 92 - Void Dark

    "I don''t believe it! That little runt finished before me?!" Talia protested.


    "It is quite surprising though, to think he was the first... That''s a little..." Ana also added.


    They doubted the possibility of Shamac ever beating them.


    "... It''s true. He was here just a moment ago, but he said he was quickly going to use the restroom for a bit. Oh wait, there he is" Nadia said, pointing behind us.


    We all turned back and saw Shamac waving nervously at all of us. I can tell he is obviously satisfied that he finished first, but he''s trying to hide it. Plus, he probably has mixed feelings of finishing before me. However...


    "Congrattions Shamac, It looks like you''ve once again proved yourself to be worthy of your mantle" I told him with a smile.


    "Haha... You tter me. Besides, if not for you... If not for ''It'' I wouldn''t have been able to pass so easily" He muttered awkwardly.


    I smiled. That''s right. It''s all thanks to the ''thing'' I gave him yesterday, after everyone went to sleep.


    Shamac is weaker during the day. He mostly relies on his Shapeshifting during this time, which he clearly isn''t used to when ites tobat. He is more skilled in Shadow maniption when he fights, that much I have noticed. In order topensate for this ring weakness, I decided to help him.


    After all, I gave Talia extra wings and my Cocoon of Darkness. It is only fair I invest as much in Shamac since he will be of use to me in the future. And to that end... I gave him ''that''.


    [Last Night]


    "T-This is..." Shamac muttered as he looked at the glowing blue Amulet on his hand.


    "It''s called Void Dark" I said with a smile.


    He looked surprised and stared at the amulet once again, drawn to it''s charm.


    "It contains an ernomous amount of darkness within it, and it can also be refilled during nights such as this. Incredibly useful for Creatures of The Night such as yourself"


    "You like it?" I asked.


    "... Erm, well... I-I do..." He stuttered, unsure of how to respond.


    "It is yours now" I told him.


    "W-Whaaaa?!" He let out in surprise.


    He covered his mouth and quickly cautioned himself so as not to wake the others who slept in their various rooms. I doubt they will get up due to his exim though, they are all plenty exhausted after all.


    "Listen to me Shamac... Despite how things went during our first meeting, I actually cherish you quite a bit. If I didn''t, I wouldn''t have bought you in the first ce" I said.


    His face exhibuted surprise by my words. It''s obvious he never expected this. Good.


    "You''re a very rare specimen, and I want you to know that you''re equally as valuable to me as Talia and Ana. You''re unique and no one can do what you''re capable of. That is why I want you to know that you are qualified to receive Treasures from me. Because you are a treasure to me" I lowered my gaze and let out a soft smile, using my hand to caress his hands which he used to hold the amulet.


    His hands trembled and his face turned red a bit. Looks like it''s working. As a teenager, Shamac is at a very delicate stage. It reminds me of my siblings when they were all growing up. Leviathan was quite the responsible one, but the others, like Sol and Gilga always required my attention and encouraging words. In that regard, I am very experienced in dealing with troubled youths.


    All I have to do to Shamac is to give him a ''big brother'' image and he is bound to be entirely loyal to me. Not out of just fear alone, which seems to currently be his driving force, but also out of a strong sense of attachment.


    "D-Do you really mean that..?" He asked hesitantly.


    "Of course. You''re a precious person to me after all" I said with a smile.


    Yes, a precious tool. As a master, It doesn''t mean well for my ves to be working sub-par to their potential. Shamac has potential, but he isn''t living up to it. In that case, it''s up to me to give him the motivation he requires. A motivation greater than fear is love, after all.


    "That is why I''m giving you this. It''s a one of a kind Treasure that I can''t even reproduce, so this is the only one in existence" I said to him, drawing closer to him as my breath touched his neck.


    I can smell his sweat caused by his nervousness. He is in that phase after all, his hormones are sure to run wild, causing him to produce morr fluids than normal.


    "B-But such a precious Relic, I-I can''t possibly" Shamac stuttered


    "Remember what I said... You''re precious to me as well" I said, locking eyes with him as our faces were directly in front of each other.


    "T-Then... I ept it" He muttered, slowly turning his head downto hide his redened cheeks.


    I smiled. Looks like I was sessful. Slowly, I''ll make Shamac grow more attached to me. He will see me as a big brother, a friend... He will voluntarily give me his undying fealty. The greatest strenght a person can draw is when they are fighting for the sake of the one whom they cherish. That is how most humans and races in this world are wired. It''s incredibly stupid, but that works in my favor.


    "Urk... Why won''t it... Come on..." Shamac struggled in frustration, trying to attach the chain properly behind his neck.


    "Let me help you with that" I said, taking the dark colored chain with a warbling dark blue colored jewel delivlcately hanging at the center.


    I skillfully attached it for him as my hands grazed his skin and he shivered with our touch.


    "All done, let me see" I said to him from behind.


    He slowly turned to face me and his features became even more pronounced as I gazed upon him in the darkness.


    "H-How does it look?" He asked me hesitantly.


    I smiled.


    Even though Shamac is a Shapeshifter and could easily attach the Amulet by himself if he really tried, he unconsciously didn''t even rely on it. He must have desired that I helped him, though he probably isn''t aware of that.


    "Perfect. It looks perfect on you Shamac" I told him.


    "Thank you Master... Erm, Hexa... Err, Rio..." He muttered, unsure of what to say.


    "Call me whatever you want. Don''t worry about it, so long as we are not in thepany of outsiders you can address me as you wish" I said.


    "T-Then... Boss! You''re the boss!" He beamed with a smile.


    Boss uhh? Well, that''s not so bad. I was hoping for something more personal, but Boss will have to do for now. In any case, I have made considerable progress with Shamac this night. Soon, I will be all he ever desires. He will do anything for me, because he is precious to me and I am precious to him.


    "I initially thought it was only humans, but it turns out that even other races are very naive. It just depends on one''s methods, but it''s very easy to tame any of them." I thought to myself.


    Ana, Talia, Shamac... They are only the start. Pawns in this little game I y.. The final goal is still somehat far way, but as I connect these little dots, in the fullness of time, all will be revealed.

 Chapter 93 - The Suicide Plunderer

    "Well then, please return in three days for your test results" Nadia said with a nervous smile.


    We all nced at her which made her squeak a little. A ball of sweat formed on her face as she stared at us in curiosity, wondering what manner of people we are.


    The Adventurers around the Reception area who didn''t know the details of what happened continued to make jests and give jeeringments.


    "Heh, looks like they chickened out before they couldplete the test"


    "There''s no way anyone would finish the test in such a short time, even if you suck up to the moderators"


    "Kekekeke, what else did you expect? A bunch of rich kids think they can just be Adventurers"


    They kept wagging their tongues, making useless banters as we walked past the reception area and headed outside. I ignored most of their words. After all, they are all speaking out of ignorance.


    Just as humans pay no heed to ants when they speak and can not understand their words, I am unable to rte with the conversation of such lower beings. However, we are going to be colleagues soon enough so it''s unavoidable that we will meet again.


    "Maybe I''ll have a little chat with them then" I said to myself.


    After we left the Guild Building, I felt the strange feeling I received when I entered leave me. As I thought, there is definitely some sort of Relic that''s causing a reaction within me. I''ll be sure to find out next time we visit. Other than that... There''s someone watching me.


    No, not just one person. They''re a few. They are all mixed in with the crowd, and they''re taking special care not to get noticed.


    It''s too bad. My heightened senses are above their capability of stealth, so I can still sense their presence and locations.


    It seems Ana has also picked up the traces of our watchers, since she is looking at me with a cautious expression. Well, with her Apostle abilities, that is no surprise.


    "Let''s leave them be for now" I gestured to her.


    Fortunately Ana is astute and very discerning, so she understood what I meant. If it was someone like Talia, I can only imagine how she would react.


    She nodded her head slowly and then continued conversing with Talia as though nothing was wrong. Talia was still going on about Shamac, suspicious of how he finished so soon.


    Perhaps I should tell her... Well, maybe another time.


    I''m in an especially good mood today, especially after Ipleted the test. I nced at the de by my hip and smiled.


    "This is a first" I muttered to myself.


    The de of Rupture in my possession is not the original one. It is a duplicate made by ROOT. Since the original is so weak that it has beenbelled as Trash, I used ROOT''s resources and upgraded it''s features. This upgraded de has greater abilities, for example the ''Mutte'' I used in the test. It has also been promoted to ''Sacred Grade'' within ROOT.


    Since the project was sessful, and I seeded in making my very first Relic upgrade, I had no need for the original anymore. So I have invested it somewhere else. If my calctions are correct, it should be bearing fruit soon.


    We walked through the busy streets and went to our residence to begin preparations for what woulde next.


    [MEANWHILE]


    "Yo, Nathan! Where have you been all day. You missed quite the spectacle" An Adventurer called for Nathan as he entered the Guild Building.


    "Oh, hey Karl. What''s up?" Nathan asked, moving closer to the Adventurer. Clearly they were familiar with each other.


    "The rest of the boys are at the bar. Come join us" Karl said with a rough smirk.


    Wearing a leather vest, with thick trousers, a couple of weapons affixed by his hips and backs, Karl looked like a professional Adventurer, even more so than Nathan.


    "Y-Yeah, that''s cool too" Nathan conceded, following Karl as they took a sharp corner within the Guild Building.


    The Adventurers Guild boasts of thergest structure within Lamar. This is because, not only does it take care of all Adventurer Rted businesses in Lamar, but it also provides certain facilities within it. Restaurants, Offices, Residences and even Pleasure spots are all present within the building.


    "So, tell me where you''ve been. Off to another Adventure with your girl?" Karl asked as he kept his face forward and on the road.


    "Well... Something like that. But things didn''t turn out the way I expected... It got really dangerous" Nathan exined.


    "Yeah yeah. Too dangerous for you? Come on! Wasn''t it one of the tricks you usually pull?" Karl snickered.


    "No, this time it was serious. We ran into several Minataurs. I really thought I would die. Marie even fainted, but I just couldn''t leave her and the valuables behind, you know? Plus I was in a pretty terrible state myself" Nathan replied.


    "Oh, wow. That sounds serious. Howe you''re still alive though. If it''s as you said, then shouldn''t you be dead?" Karl said, smiling at Nathan.


    Clearly he didn''t believe Nathan''s words, but still he listened to his friend.


    "I''m serious Karl! Everyone else died, except Marie and myself... I know how that sounds, but I''m telling you, this time it wasn''t intentional. I had nothing to do with it!" Nathan protested, trying to convince Karl.


    "Then tell me what happened. Hold on, let''s settle down first."


    They entered the bar, and looked around them. There was the familiar smell of brewries and masculine sweat which sifted through the air as usual. Then there were the sounds that reverberated through therge room. Adventurers arguing,ughing and generally conversing among themselves. Some gambled and some narrated experienced they had. This usual scenery of Adventurers was burned into Nathan''s head, as well as the minds of any veteran Adventurer in Lamar. If one imed to be a veteran they must have stepped foot in the bar at least once, if not more.


    Karl and Nathan looked around for theirrades and found them gulping down booze andughing among themselves. Naturally, they moved in the direction of the familiar faces Karl grinned widely.


    "Hey fes. Have you been waiting long?" Karl said, waving toward a group of Adventurers who sat down at the bar.


    "Oh, Karl.... You''re back already? Oh? If it isn''t Nathan. Been a while bro"


    The Adventurers grinned as Nathan and Karl sat among them, bringing their total number to six.


    "Yeah! C''mon guys, tell Nathan the sight we witnessed this morning. Let him know what he missed" Karl said to the Adventurers who sat together with them.


    "Ah, that''s true. Yeah, Nathan. Some jokers came here earlier today. We were all at the Reception to collect out Quest reward when a group of rich kids entered the building" The cleanly shaved headed man said with augh.


    "Yeah! They wanted to register as Adventurers. I remember their leader. Acting all high and mighty with his little group of friends behind him" Another one said.


    "Yeah, bunch of idiots! They couldn''t even pass the test I''m sure. Hehehehe, serves them right. They couldn''t even reply ourments, they must''ve been so ashamed of themselves" Karl said with a heartyugh.


    Nathan''s eyes bulged when he heard this.


    "Could it be...?!" He asked himself


    "Oi, why the long look Nathan? You feeling alright?" They asked him.


    "Ah, don''t mind him. He just survived a near death experience, so I guess he''s still shaken over that, or so he ims. Hahahaha" Karl said to his fellows who joined him inughter.


    The reason they allughed was because they knew the kind of Adventurer Nathan was. Not many knew his true identity and nature. But Nathan was an infamous character among the Adventurers. Many did not know his face or identity as an Adventurer, but there was no experienced Adventurer who didn''t know of the name ''Sucide Plunderer''.


    An Adventurer who parties with other Adventurers, only for the party members to be found dead, killed by monsters or wild attacks. Of course, the Party would be iplete and thest member would escape, along with the possessions and valuables of his party members. This person was none other than Nathan.


    "I''m serious, you guys. This time I was in real trouble. I was nearly done in. But I was saved..." Nathan protested.


    "Oh yeah? By who? Minataurs are Grade 3 Monsters. Not many Adventurers are able to even stand a chance against it. Even parties have a difficult time fighting them because of their huge mass and monstrous regenerative factor." Karl retorted.


    "All five of them were defeated by one person. A guy not more than 20 years old. He finished them in a single strike!" Nathan said to his listeners.


    They all nced at him, a short moment of silence ensued amongst then. Then the first snicker was heard, and before he knew it everyone burst intoughter at Nathan''s words.


    "Aren''t you going a bit too far Nathan? This is just too... A lil brat rescued you from bloodthirsty Minataurs? You could''ve at least tried to make your story more believable" Karlughed even harder.


    "You know, his discriprion kinda matches one of the brats that showed up in the reception" Aradeughed.


    "Yeah, I overheard some of their conversation. I believe that one, their leader''s name is..." Another retorted, trying to spell out the name he had heard.


    "Rio..."


    "Yes, Rio. That''s the name. Wait, how did you kno-" The bald Adventurer said, suddenly realizing Nathan knew the name of the person they were referring to.


    The others also nced at Nathan with surprise in their eyes.


    "Hey guys. This sounds crazy, but hear me out. I think... I think it''s the same guy who rescued me that came by earlier today... If what I''m thinking is right, he is definitely not an ordinary rich brat, and he didn''t fail the Adventurers test as you people im..." Nathan said to hispanions.


    They all began to make weird looks at him again, but he quickly raised his hand up, demanding their silence and looking serious.


    "That man is dangerous. And if you still don''t believe me... I can show you proof." Nathan said with a re.


    He wasn''t messing around anymore.

 Chapter 94 - Scheme

    "I''ll prove it to you" Nathan said to his Adventurer friends who gave him their full attention.


    They remained silent after seeing his re and serious look. Nathan looked around him with suspicion, ensuring no one was paying attention to them.


    "Listen to me first... It''s quite the story"


    Nathan narrated his experience to his friends. How he joined a new party after hisst one perished thanks to his usual methods. Marie, his girl, was the one who introduced him to them and so they decided to let him in.


    They took a few quests together in order for them to trust him so he could be fully absorbed within their group. Since their party had no definite leader, it was rotated amongst themselves, depending on the quest.


    The job in the Forest Of Monsters was one of the quests he decided to take in order to bond with them properly. He knew it would be dangerous, but it is very awry situations thatradeship blossoms.


    But, he didn''t expect what would happen next. The monsters they initially ran into were weaker ones, like goblins and kobolds.


    They easily subdued them and, due to the good vibes they had, decided to venture even deeper. By the time they got in deep and ran into the Minataur, it was toote. Even though Marie and himself managed to kill the first, when the other five appeared, they were already too exhausted.


    Nathan narrated how Rio suddenly appeared and destroyed all the monsters within moments. And most importantly... What made him able to perform such a feat.


    "He possessed a Relic... The de Of Rupture" Nathan said.


    "de of Rupture eh? Sounds powerful" Karlmented.


    "Oh, it is... Very much so! It''s a Grade 3 Relic after all" Nathan said with a sly smile.


    Karl was taken aback by Nathan''s words. He knew so much, but how?


    "You seem to know quite a bit about his Relic, don''t you?" Karl said with a smirk.


    "Heh, of course. That''s because... That Relic is mine now" Nathan let out a wide grin.


    His friends were surprised by Nathan''s statements and it was evident from their facial expressions.


    "Oi, you''re not kidding, right?" The bald head asked.


    "I told you I had proof, didn''t I? The de is currently in my possession. Pretty slick, right?" He boasted.


    "But how? Such a Relic isn''t just something one gives out like that. How did you manage to get it?" Another friend retorted.


    Nathan was met by curious gazes from all of hispanions, awaiting responses that would satisfy them.


    "How else? I stole it of course." Nathan smirked.


    "The guard, Mr Foryer yed his part well. It''s so convenient having connections among the guards. The young man didn''t even know anything happened, he probably still hasn''t figured it out yet." Nathan said.


    "W-Whaoh... How did you pull it off?" The bald head asked.


    "I made sure to show high interest in his Relic, to the point that he just had to let me handle it and see for myself. That was the first step. I felt up every nook and cranny of it, so I got the urate lenght, breadth, height, weight... All the features. After knowing all this, I fulfilled the condition of my secret Relic." Nathan replied.


    "Ah, The Forger''s Stone, eh?" Karl said with a smirk.


    The Forger''s Stone, a Relic which possessed the ability to duplicate the physical features of any object, as long as the user knows the precise features of the item. However, the items made are entirely ordinary duplicates, having no special ability at all. Also... The duplicate disappears after 3 days.


    "Exactly" Nathan smirked.


    "I used another Relic to cloak the original and passed it to Foryer who took it with him and inspected the fake.. It''s fortunate that he was able to quickly understand what I meant. This isn''t the first time we''ve done something like this, after all... Well, as I was saying, he inspected the fake de and gave it back to us, as though it was the original. That way, the kid will be certain he still has his Relic with him" He continued.


    "Heh, as expected of you, one of the slyest Adventurers in Lamar. Does your girl know about what you do?" Karl said with a wide grin.


    Suddenly there was great silence. No one spoke and uneasiness sifted through the air. Suddenly Nathan''s face turned dark as he gave a menacing re.


    "Oi... Don''t you dare bring Marie into this" He growled.


    Sweat appeared on Karl''s face as he saw Nathan''s scary expression and even the rest of the Adventurers on the table felt uneasy at the tense atmosphere.


    "Dude... Sorry, okay? My bad. I was just wondering when you would let her know, you know?" Karl said with a nervous look on his face.


    No one liked it when Nathan was serious... Especially after a good harvest. This is because he possessed many Relics, more than a lot of Adventurers, Karl included. And there was no way of knowing just how many he had. He acted like a pushover most of the time, but Karl as well as hisrades knew just how deadly Nathan could be if he wanted to.


    "That''s none of your concern... She''ll never find out. It''s better that way" Nathan said as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.


    Marie was his light, the only thing good about him in the world. He was trash, he knew that very well. But in order to survive in such a cruel world, he needed to dirty his hands. To secure the future where he and Marie would live in bliss and happiness, he would whatever it took.


    "Ah, now look at us. The mood is all ruined. I apologize for my outburst Karl. It''s just... When ites to Marie, I can be a little emotional" Nathan quickly snapped back to his usual self.


    "N-No... It''s cool. I was the one being insensitive" Karl muttered awkwardly.


    There was a short and awkward silence, then suddenly.


    "Hahahahahahaha"


    They allughed as the silence broke. They let out their voices heartily, forgetting the tense moment that existed not too long before.


    "Oh, Nathan. As usual, you''re one wild guy" Karl said, returning to his usual cheerful self. He didn''t want to return to the sour topic that left them all on edge.


    "So... What are you gonna do now?" He ventured further.


    "Hmmn... Well, that''s what I want to discuss with you guys.


    They all paid rapt attention to his words.


    "Are you boys interested in a job?" Nathan smiled.


    "What do you mean by that? What job?" The bald head asked.


    Nathan smirked as he ced his hands on the table and intertwined his fingers, showing he meant business.


    "The effects of my Forger''s Stone will wear off in less than two days... In that moment, the kid will realise that something went amiss somewhere..." Nathan began.


    "Yeah, that''s certain. But there''s no evidence it''s linked to you... So what''s he gonna do?" Karl said with a chuckle.


    "True. There''s no proof I did anything. I have enough alibis and he wouldn''t even suspect me in the first ce. But... I would like to avoid any unnecessarymotion in Lamar at this time, especially since everyone is on edge these days... Because of ''you know what''. It''s best if he and his friends... Disappear" Nathan said, lowering his brows to indicate seriousness.


    "Oh? So that''s what you had in mind... I see. So, what''s in it for us?" Kyle said, looking at the rest of the men who now seemed eager.


    Nathan smiled now that he had their attention.


    "You know... That kid had a Relic which he so openly unted about... And some really nice wears to boot. He and his friends are clearly not ordinary. So, I''ve been wondering... Chances are that he''s not the only one with a Relic. Plus, the de might not be the only Relic he has.... You catching my drift?"


    "That means... They''ll be loaded for sure yeah?" An Adventurerrade said with his grin growing wider.


    "Exactly. You''re getting it" Nathan said.


    "If my assumptions are correct, those guys will be a gold mine"


    "But, Nathan... Do ''THEY'' know about this... The organization I mean" Karl said, suddenly changing his grin to a sterner look.


    Nathan shook his head.


    "Are you out of your mind?! You know what will happen of we''re caught don''t you?" Kyle said in agitation.


    The rest also became furious that Nathan had failed to tell them of this very important detail.


    Nathan remained calm as they expressly showed their displeasure. They continued for a while but he patiently waited for them to settle down.


    "Are you done?" He calmly asked.


    "What? Don''t treat this matter so lightly. ''They'' are informed of any of our activities within Lamar and you know it. How could you not let them know?" The bald head asked frantically.


    "If I did... It wouldn''t have been a job for you guys anymore. The organization would take it for themselves and justpensate us with scraps, saying they did the heavy lifting and we are only entitled to a small token for our ''information''." Nathan said, banging his hand on his table, obviously aggravated.


    "We''ll be doing this by ourselves... Without having them involved. So I ask you once again.... Are you in?"

 Chapter 95 - A Passionate Night

    "Are you in... Or not?" Nathan asked with a stern gaze.


    Karl and the rest of hisrades looked at one another, exchanging nces of assurance and then they nodded to themselves. The group faced Nathan together and smiled.


    "We''re in." They said in unison.


    "So far you intuition has never been wrong. It better not fail now." Karl smirked.


    "Don''t worry. It won''t" Nathan gave a reassuring smile.


    The men drank and talked about other topics, what they had been up to, their escapades and other jargon which took up their time. Before they realised, it was alreadyte and they had to be leaving soon.


    "Ah, I can''t say it wasn''t fun drinking with you guys today" Nathan smiled as they exited the Adventurer Guild and walked down the street.


    "What''s that supposed to mean? Its like you''re saying it isn''t usually fun" Karl grinned as his voice slurred.


    The men had taken a bit too much alcohol, so they were all quite tipsy, some even staggered as they walked.


    "I''ll get in touch with you guys tomorrow. We''ll finalize the ns then" Nathan said concerning the job he wanted them to execute with him.


    "Yeah yeah. You know where to find us during the time of day. It''s not like there''s many good jobs for Adventurer like us these days." The bald headed man replied.


    "Heh, if this goes well, we''ll be able to amass a fortune. And then, with ''That''ing up soon, wencould even be set for life!" Anotherrade said, totally drunk as he staggered while smiling dreamily.


    "Than, I''ll see you tomorrow. I''ll be leaving first. There''s still quite a lot I need to prepare" Nathan said.


    He waved at his friends as he hurried from their midst and went toward his apartment.


    "Ah, I didn''t think I would take this long. Let''s just hope she isn''t awake now..." Nathan mumbled to himself as he neared his house. Taking a sharp turn to his left, he saw a two storey building house. The house contained 4 apartments, and his His was on the first floor to the right. After entering the ground floor hall, he rose through the stairs, not taking long before he stood directly in front of the door of his house.


    He took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. Raising his hands up, he knowcked slightly. There was no response. He let out a relieved smile as he twisters the door handle, opening the wooden door in front of him.


    "So se''s still asleep. That''s a relief" He said under his breath.


    He slowly and gently opened the door as it creaked in a low tone, echoing a bit through the dark room. As he was already used to theyout of his apartment, he walked confidently in the sitting quaters of his room to switch on themb he had kept on the table beside the wall located at the far left corner of his sitting room.


    "So... Nathan, where have you been?"


    The feminine sound echoed throughout the dark and silent room, causing his body to jerk in fright. His startled face darted around the room in order to pinpoint the location of the owner of the voice. He could see her, but he knew quite well who she was.


    As an afterthought, he decided it would be better to go for themp and then use it to locate her position. He reached out to the table to grab his handy tool for illumination, but it wasn''t there


    "Looking for something?"The voice appeared again.


    Nathan knew there was no other way to turn. He was running out of options, and since he was already very exhausted he didn''t have it in him to continue the exchange.


    "Okay, I give up. You win, Marie" Nathan sighed.


    Suddenly, thentern was switched on and Marie''s body was revealed. She sat on a chair, not so far from Nathan, but not closer either. Her face was full of smiles, yet Nathan could tell that she was far from joking.


    He remained dumbstruck as he watched her gaze upon him.


    "Like I asked... Where have you been?" Marie repeated her question.


    "W-Well, the boys and I went for a few drinks today. We got carried away though. I''m sorry I returnedte" Nathan muttered, knowing she was genuinely concerned about his welfare and was very angry the move he pulled.


    "Oh? So that''s why you left me all by myself to got ''hang out'' with your friends and manage toe home at this time? along?" Marie said with clench teeth.


    Nathan kept quiet, he didn''t want to drag on the issue. Especially because he was tired and tipsy.


    "How many times have I told you? Stop staying outte. There has seen a great influx of criminal activity these days. I don''t want you to he caught up on it too" She added.


    "I-I worry about you, you know?" She said, letting out a blushing expression.


    "Marie... That''s... The reason I''m doing all this is for you. We''ll soon get married, start our family, have kids. It''s not only irresponsible, but dangerous " Marie said, drawing closer toNathan.


    "W-Well, Yeah. You''re right" Nathan said, looking away with slight embarrassment.


    "I wonder... If you''ve truly beening just from the bar." Marie said, with one of her brows raised.


    "I''m being honest here, I''m serious. Besides, I can''t stop now. We have to amass a great amount in order to live the dream life we want for ourselves" Nathan said to her, showing a little passion in his tone.


    "Yeah, I suppose you''re right" Marie said with a sigh.


    At this point she was already in Nathan''s arms. She rested her head on his slightlyrge chest, smiling as she seemed to enjoy the moment.


    "I''ve been waiting for you all this while..." Marie said, her voice trembling with emotion.


    "I''m sorry about that. I know after your Relic got used up, I haven''t gotten any other Relic, meaning you can not currently fight as it stands, you might have to stop being an Adventurer" Nathan said, using his hand to pet her, while the other hand was around her waist, holding firmly to it.


    "Marie... What do you say, after the "EVENT" we leave Lamar and start a new life somewhere else?" He asked her.


    She gazed at his face and could tell he was serious.


    "Where''s thising from?" She asked him with a slight chuckle.


    "As it stands now I''m a liability to you. That much I know..."Her voice trailed off.


    As a physical fighter, Marie''s level of mastery and skills were really low and subparpared to most Adventurers. She relied on her staff for most of attacks and was considered a major force in their party. But now, without he Relic''s help, she had being nothing but useless.


    "Don''t say that Marie. I want us to live a safe and happy life, far from any possibility of danger. I want our child to enjoy life and have a better scenery, a better life than this" Nathan said, tightening his hands around her.


    "Don''t you also wish for the same?"


    Nathan stared at her passionately and she exchanged his looks for hers. With interlocked eyes, they drew their faces closer and engaged in a passionate kiss. As tongues intertwined and their mouth fluids mixed with one another, they let out pleasured moans, indicating they were gaining satisfaction from their actions.


    Slowly, Nathan began to undress her and she did the same for him too. Even though it was just the previous day that Marie had woken up from her shorta, she couldn''t wait to be one with her lover Nathan, and be swallowed up in his naked embrace.


    As they once again gazed upon each other, entirely stripped of their wears, they said not a word, but used their bodies to speak, one to the other, thenguage of love.


    [THE NEXT DAY]


    "So... When do we do it?" Karl''s gruffy voice let out, smiling energetically at Nathan.


    "Tonight" Nathan said with a confident smile.


    "I know where they live in, they took me there before we parted ways. Also, I have had a few people tailing them for some time now, and one other monitoring their house. Everything is going as nned." He added.


    "Good. That makes us how many in total?" The bald headed one asked.


    "Altogether we''re about 9. There''s five of us here, three are on monitoring duty for their group, while thest one has been surveying the house and it''s structure so we''ll know every nook and cranny of their apartment." Nathan said.


    "Good, when the nightes... We''ll be ready to plunder" One of theirrades said with a wide grin.


    They all joined him tough. Indeed, this would be a good haul for them. Nathan looked at all his friends, people who didn''t exactly need to do this job, but did it anyway. Not just to satisfy their pockets, but also because they trusted him. He wasn''t going to let them down!


    The n was going to work!

 Chapter 96 - Night Raid

    It was dark.


    The moon hung in the clear night sky as the barely visibly clouds floated about, drifting into the vast expanse of space above the city. The lively streets which bustled with life and activity in the morning was now rendered deste, empty and abandoned, as the night grew thicker. Everyone had departed to their abode, resting in their homes.


    However, the dimly lit streets weren''tpletely empty. Because within the shadows and underneath the soft glow of moonlight were the ones of the night, rough men who had desperate looks in their eyes... Adventurers of Lamar, rogue thieves.


    "We''ll all wait here for the signal. A scout has gone to check the perimeter. After he''s done, we''ll storm the apartment and take it by surprise. Those rich brats won''t know what hit ''em!" One of the men said to the group behind him with a gruffy voice.


    They all wore dark coated attires which covered most of their body parts and armor. They also wore customized masks which covered their faces, leaving only the holes to breathe and see open.


    "Any moment from now... He said, steadying himself and slowly raising his hand tomand the group.


    Suddenly the house they were all watched glowed blue with a shimmer of purple.


    "It''s done. Let''s go!" The gruffy voiced man said to the group of three, in addition to himself, four.


    The leader of the group wore a clown''sughing mask, while the other members of his group wore different variations of hisughing mask. They were; Bearughing mask, demonughing mask, catughing mask, and a dogughing mask.


    They moved swiftly, dashing through the night. Their dark silhouette raced past the houses which weren''t their targets and moved through the shadows. Thier movements made no sound, showing that they were used to this form of movement.With guttied and precise steps, they ran, and within moments they arrived before the target apartment.


    "You''re here" A voice appeared behind them.


    The group of four simultaneously turned back to see who addressed them.


    "Ah, looks like you''re all dressed up for the event, aren''t you? Sucide Plunderer..." The leader of the group of four said to the man who stood behind them with four others behind him.


    The group of 5 also wore dark outfits, however their masks were different from the first. Their customized masks entirely differed from the first and wasn''t at all in a uniformed pattern. The leader, Sucide Plunderer, wore a happy smile mask. The others wore, respectively; A frowning mask, a crying mask, a sad mask, and a furious mask.


    "You''re quick and precise as always, Laughing Corpse Group" The Sucide Plunderer replied.


    The Sucide Plunderer, also known by his real name Nathan, was the leader of the first group, while Karl, the one with the clown mask, was the leader of the Laughing Corpse.


    They both smiled underneath their masks. This was going to be a bug haul... The biggest one in their lives.


    "The signal I gave was the effect of a Relic. It forcibly seals all sound within the area of effect. That means no one outside this building will be able to hear anything that goes on within it. Thst means if we''re required to do so, we can go all out and no one outside will suspect a thing." Nathan said, speaking with a thicker voice than usual, thanks to his mask.


    "The masks are also Relics, as you know. They prevent our identities from being discover and mask our voice. So even if for some unforseen reason we are forced to retreat, we are in no danger of our identites being exposed." He added.


    "Our scouts have monitored this house for over a day and we''ve also tailed the target group. So the chances of losing this game is very low, of not non-existent. We''ve gone through more dangerous missions before, and while I know we haven''t worked like this in very long, it''s good to do this with everyone." He finally concluded.


    They all nodded and gestured affirmatively. It was clear that they were all fired up and ready to go.


    "With that in mind, let''s go plunder some properties and kill some people" Nathan said.


    They all raised their weapons and headed for the house with exhration and fire in their hearts.


    The apartment was such which had two stories. A couple of Windows on the ground floor and also some on the first. There was only one entrance and exit, which was the front one. The apartment had five rooms, four located on the first floor while thest was located on the ground floor. It had a parlour and a kitchen, with restrooms located in every room in the apartment, and a general one for guests. This was their window of invasion.


    They decided to break into the house through the general toilet, using a Relic on the windows and the ss lining which defended it from the outside, as well as the concrete walls of the room, they made that side of the building transparent. As the walls and window became transparent, they were able to see within the general restroom.


    "Heh, look at how clean and shiny it is. Hehe, these kids are truly loaded." One of the members chuckled.


    They walked into the wall, receiving no resistance as they passed through it. They all did this in order until they all entered the toilet. After they were done, the transparent nature of the walls began to fade away as the walls returned to their original state.


    The Relic which was used, a pair of gloves reacted to this. One of the gloves ripped apart and fell off, showing it had been used up. Only one glove was left.


    "We can only use this one more time" The frowning faced member of the group said.


    "Best to save it for our escape."


    Since they had sessfully infiltrated the house, adoring the great designs and ornaments around the interior.


    "Oh damn, these guys are the shit" One of them said, looking around at the furniture and expensive looking objects which decorafed the house.


    However, they weren''t there for sightseeing, and so, after taking in the view to their fill, they moved on to the next step.


    "Alright boys, time to split up" Nathan said.


    They were a total group of 9. They decided to split into four groups. Each group would have two people, and the final one without a group was Nathan.


    "Let''s go over this again, just to rify. You guys should check the four rooms on the first floor above us, I''ll check the room on this floor. Let''s all converge here after we''re done with killing them off. After we''ve gathered, we''ll then search the rooms together for their Relics. Sound good?" Nathan addressed the split groups.


    They all affirmed and within a moment, they scattered tot heir various target locations, leaving Nathan alone on the ground floor.


    "Great. I should get started too" He muttered to himself.


    He put his hands in his pockets and walked toward the bedroom on the ground floor, mentioned by the scout to be the ce where Rio stayed.


    "I wonder if he''ll be able to recognize me" He smirked to himself.


    That was impossible though. After all he had his Relic mask on. His thoughts trailed back to when he first met Rio, what he thought of him as. A hero.


    Rio saved him without asking for anything in return, took care of his wounds and even gave him a free ride to the city. He cared do much for his well-being, and was sofortable with him that he freely allowed him to handle something as valuable as his Relic. Truly, Rio was a naive young man, but he also had a deep respect for him.


    Rio reminded Nathan of how he used to be when he was younger. Passionate, heroic, hopeful and optimistic.


    "I''m going to be the best Adventurer in Lamar with my own strength" He would often chant, choosing the straight and narrow path, not cutting corners like others did.


    However, this innocence of his got tainted as he grew older. He was given a glimpse of the real world and realised that in order for him to survive in such a wretched ce, he needed to sacrifice his conscience. And so he did. For the sake of his survival, for the sake of the one he loved.


    He entered the Rio''s bedroom and saw the young man sleepingfortable on his bed. The room was wide and greatly furnished, as expected of one with such arge and luxurious home. He had to look at the face of the young man he would kill. As he stared at him sleeping, a strange emotion welled within him. He felt a tinge of regret, but he was still determined to do whatever was necessary to win.


    "I''m sorry... Rio. But, for the sake of the one I love, I have to sacrifice you as well. Please be the stepping stone for our happiness." He muttered under his breath.


    He brought out the ''de Of Rupture'' that he stole and unsheathed it.


    "At the very least, I''ll kill you with your very own Relic" He said, raising it above his head while staring intensely at Rio''s unmoved body.


    "Goodbye..."


    The de descended and a piercing sound was heard.. Blood dripped, the job was finished.

 Chapter 97 - Bloody Night

    Nathan pierced the sleeping figure in his sight as he stared hard at the young man''s body. He removed his de with surgical precision, showing he was used to this very well. Immediately, blood came forth from the gaping hole in the dead man''s chest. The bedsheets, the covering, the mattress¡­ Blood soaked the bed of the one whom Nathan looked at with great sadness and guilt.


    "Whenst have I felt this way?" He asked himself as he unsheathed his de.


    "At least he didn''t suffer"


    That was the thought Nathan used tofort himself and ease his guilt even though he knew he was just giving excuses for his wrongdoing. Rio was the most innocent and good natured person he had encountered in a long time, yet he didn''t hesitate to cut him down. Was he this far gone? Did he truly deserve happiness? Myriads of like thoughts gued his mind as he tried to shake them off.


    "I''m scum" He admitted to himself.


    He decided to return to their rendezvous spot. The sooner he left the room, the sooner he would forget the guilt in his heart. Besides, wasn''t he already prepared for this much? If he didn''t do the needful, it woulde to bite himter in the future¡­ In his and Marie''s future.


    He opened the door to Rio''s room which also served as an exit and left, stealing ast nce before quickly shutting the door and returning to the parlor where everyone was supposed to meet up.


    "Looks like I''m the first"He muttered to himself, not noticing any of his colleagues within the area.


    He decided to rest himself a bit while he waited for hisrades.


    One minute passed. Two. Five¡­ Still no sign of them. Nathan was not worried, but he started to get suspicious. There was no way his n was wed, the ones in the house couldn''t fight back against him and his colleagues, who were all professionals. So what could be causing the dy?


    "Don''t tell me¡­ Those bastards didn''t¡­" Nathan said to himself, his eyes suddenly bulging.


    What if everyone else decided not to stick to the n and had straight up started to search for Relic for themselves while he was busy waiting for them. That meant that he would be cheated out of any potential profit they would all gain thanks to their greed. But¡­


    "No, there''s no way they would resort to that. We''ve done many jobs in the past, plus they know they''re screwed if they pull anything" Nathan reasoned, calming himself down.


    He didn''t even know why he had suspected them of that, perhaps because he was on edge. But why was he having these awry vibes? Maybe he was being too impatient, or maybe he was overreacting?


    "Maybe I should check on them" He muttered to himself.


    He grunted as he rose from the soft couch in the parlor and ascended the luxurious stairs. As he climbed, his fingers tapped on the railings unconsciously, hinting some degree of impatience emanating from him.


    Not long after, he was already on the first floor. His eyes darted across the passage as he saw the four doors leading to the various room situated on the tform where he stood.


    He went to the one closest to him, on his right, and saw that the door was not entirely closed. The hinge was bent and the door was partly open. Nathan peeked through the slightly opened door¡­ What he saw shattered his earlier confidence and absolute trust in his wless n.


    Blood.


    One could assume it was the blood of one of their targets, but it was not just blood he saw. Severed hands and fingers were dipped in the red liquid, but that wasn''t all. The dark fabric they all wore in uniform was already dyed with red, and then there was the mask. While Nathan couldn''t see the exact designs on it, he recognized the mask as one of theirs. It was shattered to pieces as the fragments all drowned in rouge¡­ Then there was that. An eyeball that seemed to gaze intensely at Nathan, strands of nerves and flesh were still attached to the ball, as it floated in the pool of blood.


    "N-No¡­ That eye¡­"


    He recognized the eye¡­ It belonged to Karl, his closestrade amongst the Adventurers, and one of the people who went above to kill off their targets.


    "Karl¡­ No way¡­" Nathan stuttered unbelievably, stunned beyond words.


    Suddenly, he heard a creak as the door seemed to move slightly.


    "Uahhhhh" He yelled in fright, taking several steps back and identally bumping into the next door opposite the one he just checked.


    As he bumped into the door, it swung open, and he fell into the room by mistake, unable to control the momentum of his movement.


    As his buttocks fell upon the hard ground, he felt something warm beneath him. A fluid began to permeate throughout his trousers, seeping deeper into his undergarments and touching his skin. It was blood.


    He lifted one of his hand, which was also covered in the blood that was on the floor. A look of terror covered his face as he shrieked in absolute fear.


    Arge puddle of blood was on the floor he sat on. He gasped as he felt nauseous and lightheaded. He nced beside him and his eyes widened.


    The dead bodies of two of hispanions were hung on the wall in the room. Their blood dripped from their corpses, flowing to form the puddle he was sitting on.


    "Uarhhhh¡­ Uuu¡­ Uahhhhh" He yelled, his gaze transfixed on such inhumane disy of their bloodied corpses as they dangled and seemed to give him a deathly re.


    "No¡­ No, this can''t, this can''t be!" He quickly said to himself, standing from the bloody mess he was in and ran out of the room, nearly falling as he did so.


    He ran into the hallway and didn''t even bother checking the other rooms. He had to get away, he had to escape. He ran down the stairs, forgetting treasure or money. He wanted to live.


    Karl, Bulok, everyone¡­ They were all dead. He had to live! He ran to the main entrance and tried with all his might to pull the entrance and leave, but the door wouldn''t budge.


    "Why won''t it¡­" He grunted as he tried with his might to open up the door.


    He had unlocked it from within, he would be able to leave, so why? Why couldn''t he leave? Was this the work of a Relic? No, they had monitored the house for nearly two days. There was no trace of a Relic used in the house. Yet¡­ He couldn''t go out. Now he had no doubt, he was trapped.


    "I¡­ I¡­" He stuttered, trying to apply his reasoning to find a way of escape


    Suddenly he remembered the Relic one of hisrades had. The Sifting Stone. He could pass through the walls and leave this wretched house if he had it. He also wasn''t among the dead bodies he saw earlier, that means¡­ He was in one of the remaining two rooms.


    "Does that mean¡­ I''ll have to go back up¡­ Please, no¡­" He shrieked in fear.


    He gazed at the stairs and where it led. It suddenly looked gloomy and dark. Nathan began seeing red as his vision made him hallucinate bloody stains everywhere. His heart raced faster than he could manage and his entire body trembled without end.


    But


    "I have to go. If I don''t¡­ They''ll catch up to me soon. And then it''ll be my turn. No, I''ll definitely survive. I''ll live!" He said with a frightened tone.


    In the end, he had no choice but to retrieve the Relic that would allow for his safe escape.


    His clouded thinking and overwhelming fear didn''t even allow him to think about using any of his Relics to create a st big enough to open the hole in the wall and make a break for it. Perhaps even the de of Rupture he had strapped around his waist.


    Those thoughts were unconsciously pushed down and choked with the fear of their failure.


    "If I fail to make a hole for my escape¡­ I''ll make a loud noise that they''ll be aware of my location. Once that happens, I''m done for."


    This ideology worked in his mind without his knowledge, making him see only one option left. To leave without making as much as a sound.


    He forgot the noises he made earlier, he forgot the bangs he made when he ran down the stairs and his frightened screams. His narrow mind only thought of a single thing.


    "That Relic¡­ Must get that Relic¡­"


    He slowly climbed the stairs, looking around him in fright. As he reached the hallway, he looked at the doors in the hallway. They were all closed.


    This meant one thing... Someone must have done it. The only question was....


    Who?

 Chapter 98 - Carnage

    "Wh-Who..." He shrieked silently.


    But he had to keep moving.


    As he walked past the rooms he had checked earlier, their doors were closed, as though nothing had happened there before.


    Finally, he stood between thest two doors. Behind one of them was the Relic he sought. Suddenly, a creaking sound was heard, and the door to his left creaked open slowly. His eyes slowly followed the sound and nced over to see the cause.


    The door openedpletely, and he saw it... It was an empty room. Most likey a storehouse. Sacks and bags were there, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing scary.


    Nathan heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Maybe there are Relics there" His thoughts suddenly rang.


    If that was true, maybe be could find something that could let him leave the house. He hurriedly approached the room and entered. He checked around the dimly lit ce and saw several sacks and boxes. A grin appeared on his face.


    "I''m not going to die! I''ll live... Marie is waiting for me!" He mumbled to himself.


    He opened the first sack his eyes saw excitedly, ready to see the goods he would find.


    His face paled and eyes widened at the sight which he saw.


    "Uahhhhhhh!!!!!!" He screamed, pulling away from the sack.


    The sack lost bnce and fell, causing it''s contents to spill out. Something rolled out of it and stopped midway between the object it came from and Nathan.


    It was a butchered head. It''s bloodied form looked grotesque and mishappen, but Nathan recognized it well.


    "Jared.... Is that you...?!" He muttered as tears flowed down his eyes, though he didn''t know why.


    Was it fear? Was it sadness? Maybe it was both.


    Suddenly the room vibrated and the other sacks and boxes began to open and fall, pouring their contents out as well.


    Liver. Kidneys. Intestines. Pancreas. Heart... Scrotum sacks and testicles... They all came pouring out. Nathan''s legs were nearly out of strength, but he pushed himself to stand. His noise must have drawn attention, he had to escape. He had to run! He gathered his energy and made himself stand. His wobbly legs gave out strength as he crashed down again, his hands shing with squishy intestines and fat.


    He gave up on walking and decided to crawl. He was desperate. He crawled as fast as he could, using his hands to support his weakened legs and pushed himself.


    "Almost there..." He groaned, nearly reaching the door.


    <CREAK>


    Suddenly the door began to move, and before Nathan could utter a word... It closed, leaving him in absolute and perpetual darkness.


    "No... No... Please... Someone, anyone... Please don''t leave me here! Please! Noooooo!!!!" He screamed as tears rolled down his desperate eyes.


    ______________________________


    "Everyone is... Nathan, Donny.... They''re all dead. I''m the only one alive!" Karl said as he ran through the hallway, seeing a strange door open and beyond it was a storehouse. Sacks and boxes were within.


    "Maybe... Maybe I''ll be able to find that Relic there" He said desperately, panting and looking around him in fear.


    He entered the room, and not long after screams came from from within it.


    "Oh, god no... Noooo. Please, Uahhhhh"


    The door shut tight, locking him within the dark confines of darkness.


    ___________________________


    For Donny, for Bolock, for Dez.... For everyone else, it happened. They found themselves as the only survivors after finishing their jobs and returning to the rendezvous point. Of course, they went to look for the others, but found the same thing. Bloodied corpses and death.


    They attempted to escape, but couldn''t. They tried to find the Relic for escape, but ended up being trapped in a room of darkness.


    It happened to them all... But it was not real.


    It was...


    "HEX # 90, Haze"


    [MY TURN]


    "Pathetic creatures"


    I smiled as I watched the group of nine men dance and wiggle desperately on the ground, screaming and shouting. They muttered unintelligible words and cried their eyes out. Every once in a while they would let out cries and pleas for help.


    "Help!!! I''m sorry! Please just spare me!"


    "I don''t wanna die!!!"


    "No no no no no!!! I can''t... I can''t die here!"


    "It''s over, is this how my life ends?!"


    The burrs all rolled and squirmed helplessly on the floor as they all screamed like madmen, scared of something that doesn''t exist in the first ce.


    "They must be enjoying the dream I gave them very well" I smiled.


    "What exactly did you do to them?" Talia asked in a confused and scared tone.


    Their screams seem to be unnerving her.


    "I used Hex on them. Haze shows people whatever I want them to, attacking their minds and causing madness and unspeakable fear within them. I merely gave them a dream and generated a scenario to follow" I exined.


    In each person''s dream, he finishes his mission sessfully, returns to the parlor in order to meet up with everyone else, and ends up being the only one there. It turns out everyone else is dead, and gruesomely so at that. Not only are they dead, but the entrance is also locked, as such they can not leave the house. With the rest of the teammates dead, and the killer still on the loose, also trapped in the house as well, it can only cause one thing to rise.


    Fear.


    As such, they have a couple of options. One is to stay in their position and wait for the killer to find them and kill them. The second is that they forcibly use a very powerful Relic or weapon that they possess to forcefully break out. The final option is to find the Relic used to break into the house and silently escape.


    I see everyone chose thest option much to my disappointment. I even designed scenarios that was going to ur if they had chosen the first or second option. In the sight of blood and carnage, they lost all sense of reasoning and refused to think with their heads. Instead, they allowed their desperate instincts to lead them.


    I have to say though, these men are the most foolish of creatures. I''m not an unfair person, so in this little game I made for them in their heads, I provided a way of escape. But instead of following my clues or being dilligent in their venture, they gave in to desperation and met their end. Just look at them, crying and whining like children.


    I saw Nathan among the Adventurers beneath me. He looked miserable as his mouth mumbled words in a low and coarse tone.


    "M-Marie... I-I... I''m sorry... I''m so so sorry!" He cried.


    He is such a baby. He engages in such illegal and criminal acts, yet when it''s time for rpense he acts like a child.


    "But, isn''t this too much for them? I mean, it''s not like we died or anything. Also... After hearing their words, I don''t think they are bad guys. It''s probably just due to circumstances that-"


    "Talia! I can''t believe you are sayings that! They deserve this much for trying to assasinate Lord Hexarion. After what master did for him, this ungratefulmoner dares to do this?" Ana said with clenched fist as she watched the men desperately scream for mercy, especially Nathan.


    Caught between the opinion of the two girls, I decided to learn of Shamac''s stance on the matter.


    "They deserve to suffer" Shamac said sharply.


    Talia nced at Shamac with a shocked expression, coupled with a disappointed re.


    "What? It''s true. They came here prepared to kill us. So it''s only right they suffer the same fate."


    Now then, what should I do?


    To be honest, other than Nathan, I don''t need any other person among this group. They''ll mostly serve as baggage to me. This just means I''ll have to get rid of them.


    _________________________


    <CLACK>


    The locks opened


    <CREAK>


    The hinge of the door bent


    Suddenly, the locked door in front of Karl opened up. As it slowly shifted to the side, exposing the light he begged so desperately for, Karl smiled with gratitude and happiness. He was finally free.


    But the thought of how the door opened, or who opened it did not cross his mind. After spending such a tortuous time within the room, he didn''t care. Whether it was days, weeks, years, or only a few hours... Karl had lost track of the very concept of time within the dark little room. For the very fact that light came, it was enough for him to cry for joy.


    "Thank you. Thank you so much!" He cried sincerely.


    The entrance was open, but there was no one in sight. Everywhere was empty and silent. The eeriness that came from outside was enough for anyone to want to remain behind the closed door. But for one who had been trapped for so long in nigh eternal torment of darkness, he would do anything to leave. He hurriedly rose to his feet and ran toward the wide space in front of him, fearing the door would close if he waited any longer.


    Little did he know of the horror that lie beyond.

 Chapter 99 - False Hope

    As Karl ran outside, he felt strings around his body, but he was already in motion and unable to stop. His body moved through the sharp thread, as they entered deep into his flesh and cut into him, slicing through flesh and bone alike.


    By the time he reached the hallway, his body was already sliced by the invisible strings, causing blood to stter everywhere and his sliced flesh to rolled into the hallway. His head spun around in circles, before finally halting.


    His salvation, his light... meant nothing more than an inevitable death.


    This same tragedy befell everyone else, they saw a hope, ran to it, and died gruesomely. Everyone except Nathan.


    After they were sliced up by the strings, everything went dark as they felt a cold void swallow them up. Unable to scream, unable to cry, they just faded away into darkness.


    _________________________________


    "Memory Drain"


    After a few moments I let go of Karl''s head as it fell lifelessly on the ground.


    "That''s thest one." I said with disinterest.


    "Now then... As for you, Nathan. What am I going to do with you?" I smiled wickedly.


    Nathan is still an important piece in this game, so I''ll want him alive and well. The best option is to just alter his memory of what happened and make him believe he managed to escape from the bloody house in one piece, though everyone else died.


    By doing this, he won''t be getting in my way anytime soon.


    I ced my hands on his head and altered his mindscape, giving him a different ending from the rest of hisrades.


    [Nathan''s Mindscape]


    Nathan shivered within the cold, dark room. He didn''t know how much time had passed, whether Marie was still waiting for him beyond the bounds of the house he was trapped in, or if she was even alive at all.


    "Marie...."


    Those were the words he constantly uttered to keep his sanity and remain himself. With the never ending stench of blood and rotting flesh that filled the room and the perpetual darkness surrounding him, only Marie gave him light.


    Suddenly, the thought came to him...


    "de Of Rupture"


    His eyes widened as he sprang up instantly. He was confused. Why hadn''t he thought of it before now. He had his Relic with him, didn''t he? His de of Rupture, able to even deal with 4 Minataurs in a single strike.


    "I... Why did I take so long...?" He muttered.


    But that didn''t matter at the moment. What mattered was that he had finally regained his resolve and will to fight, to live... To see Marie.


    Since he couldn''t see anything in the room, he used his sense of touch to search for his de and found it still resting on his hip, within it''s sheath. He smiled with relief and stood up, mustering all the strenght he had to rise.


    He took a few steps back and took a shing stance, raising his de above his head. He inhaled and concentrated to whatever was in front of him. He couldn''t see whether it was a door, or a wall... Until he became one with his de.


    Suddenly, his sensory abilities became heightened, and he could feel everything around him. The boxes, the sacks, the disgusting contents they had spilled all around him... And the door before him. He adjusted his stance and faced the door directly, ready to tear it down.


    "de Of Rupture, Strike!!!" He yelled.


    Immediately, his de glowed and blue sparks enveloped it.


    He shed with his sword, bringing it down with a mighty force and devastated the locked door in front of him. This caused a mighty explosion that even caused the room to shake due to the impact and the walls around him shattered apart.


    "Huff... Huff..." He let out in exhaustion.


    "I''m not done yet... I still... Have to... Return... To Marie..." He said to himself, moving down the hallway, now confident that he could tear down the main door as well.


    With the de Of Rupture in his hands and the love for his woman in heart, nothing could stop him. Nothing at all!


    _________________________________


    "It is done. He''ll believe he escaped and passed out just by the corner of an unfamiliar street. Shamac, take his body and drop him off in any ce that matches that description" I said, letting go of Nathan''s head.


    Shamac took his body and exited the house.


    It is still dark out, but Shamac should be fine. He''s invincible during this period.


    "Are they¡­?" Talia asked, ncing at the unmoving bodies on the floor.


    "They''re dead" I said with disinterest.


    Her eyes widened with surprise. She wasn''t expecting this.


    "But, your Memory Drain doesn''t kill people, right? It just takes their information and causes them to lose their mind. Why are they¡­?" Talia muttered.


    "The trick is that they ''think'' they are dead, and so they are." I replied.


    Her face still showed a puzzled expression. It looks like I''ll have to break it down even further.


    "Have you ever heard of the phrase ''I think, therefore I am''? Using Haze, I trapped their consciousness in their mindscape, and made them undergo torture, thought they thought it was all real. Finally, I opened the door for them, and in doing so¡­ I killed them" I exined


    "Killed¡­ Them¡­" Talia repeated my words.


    "Yes. Using strings to carve them up, they died in their mindscape. And since everything they perceive there is believed to be reality, they also believed that they truly died. So naturally, they stop breathing, close their eyes, and loosen their bodies. If the mind believes it is dead, the body will respond to the same. That is what just happened" I said with a smile.


    Slowly, she understood my words and then her face fell. She looks downcast all of a sudden, but she doesn''t want to bother me with other words or questions.


    It looks like she still doesn''t approve of my indiscriminate killing. When they were screaming in pain due to the torture I gave them with ''Haze'', she overheard some of them talking about their families. I suppose that made her sympathize with them. How soft.


    However, that doesn''t matter to me. As long as she''s my ve, Talia will experience more of these things. I''m actually doing her a favor by exposing her to it now, before it gets overwhelming.


    Besides, doesn''t she know what she signed up for the moment she agreed to be mine? What does she think ''destroying the world means?


    "You don''t approve of me killing people? I thought you hated humans" I asked, looking into her eyes to get an answer.


    "I¡­ I¡­" Talia struggled to speak.


    I''m not settling for that. Once I ask a question, I expect a response. My gaze still focused on her as beads of sweat rolled down her cheek. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak.


    "I do hate humans. They are filled with a lot of injustice, they kill for pleasure, they bully others weaker than them¡­ They have a lot of faults. But¡­ After interacting with them so much, I know for sure¡­ Not all humans are the same!" Talia let out.


    "What?"


    "Those men, yes, they were criminals and have most likely killed others before. But, after listening to their cries I have realized that, while truly there were scum among them, a few truly only wanted to help their families or someone precious to them. For that reason alone, they were willing to do anything. I was able to rte to that, since I also killed even though I didn''t want to¡­ For you¡­" Talia said, turning away so she wouldn''t meet my gaze.


    "And their families, their precious people¡­ By killing these men, we''ve made Innocents suffer and affected their lives negatively. In a way, aren''t bing the ''humans'' we so abhor?" Talia concluded.


    "Talia, how dare you!" Ana cried out in protest as she red at Talia.


    "B-But it''s true, isn''t it?" She replied.


    "I always knew Lord Hexarion hated the way the humans are and the state of the world. That''s why you want to destroy it. B-But... What if you don''t have to? N-Not everyone is bad... They all have their reasons for doing things... Just like you Hexarion!" She said, looking at me with an innocent look in her eyes.


    Pathetic.


    "Are you finished?" I asked in a low tone.


    She shook when she heard those words. Her head was bowed, facing the floor, unable to look me in the eye.


    "Look at me Talia" Imanded.


    Slowly she lifted her face, scared by what she might see. A frown, a re, a murderous stare. Her eyes widened when she saw the expression on my face.


    I smiled, no, I grinned widely. Then I chuckled. This caused me tough heartily and aloud. As I thought, Talia is too amusing to dispose of anytime soon.


    "You seem to misunderstand a lot of things, Talia." I said, controlling myself and ceasing myughter.


    Though a smile still remaining on my face.


    "Perhaps I ought to educate you as well"

 Chapter 100 - Livestock

    "First of all, all humans are the same." I began by saying.


    "They''re mere puppets who follow the rules and principles of this world without thinking much about it. Absolutely dogmatic and stupid, they are. Sure, they have different personalities ad traits. So what? In the end, they still follow the same pattern, don''t they?"


    "They are born, they grow up, find a job, get married, have children, grow old, die. Different variations exist, but this is the pattern of thought for every human. They don''t think outside the box and consider why it is they all follow the same paths, or why such a pattern exists. Because they can not, they are unable to refuse their programming and cut off their puppet strings. In a way, I''m doing them a great service by releasing then from such a pathetic existence before they continue to delude themselves that they are ''living their lives''."


    Talia''s face paled as she heard me say those words. But I''m not done yet.


    "Secondly, Talia. It''s pointless for you to consider someone else when making judgement. If I were to consider how my actions might affect someone else, I''d never do anything. Buying something from one person means not buying from another. One person reaps profit, and the other makes a loss thanks to my action. The same applies to this. If I were to use your ideology, it means I should have spared them by erasing their memories and leaving their lives intact, but what good does that do?"


    "The only thing it''ll do is ease your conscience. Their families wouldn''t be better off having a mentally ill person in their care, being a liability for the family. A family that is already struggling, now burdened with a man who can not do anything but cause problems... Don''t you think they would be happier if the useless man died?"


    "B-But..." Talia tried to protest.


    I raised my hand slightly to indicate I was still talking. She kept quiet immediately.


    "Now, you could say I didn''t need to resort to Memory Drain in the first ce.I could have merely spared their lives and altered their memories so they won''t be of any danger to our ns. But... If I let them leave with a sound mind, won''t others fall victim to their acts. As you know, they are criminals. They won''t stop their criminal ways, and even more will suffer thanks to them. Now, I could alter their minds to ensure they do not engage in crimes anymore, but what of the ones they did before now... The people they killed, the families they devastated. Since you want to take such pointless thoughts, what about the family affected by their actions? Do they not deserve justice?"


    "...." Talia could not respond.


    Looks like she is beginning to understand.


    "My actions are for my benefit and mine alone, your actions are solely for my benefit as well. That''s all there is to it. Do not bother thinking any further than that."


    "And finally... I am nothing like them!" I said with an intense re, sending shivers down Talia''s spine.


    "Your statement is a great insult to me, and I am tempted to dispose of you immediately for even thinking of such an absurd thing."


    Talia''s face went pale as she had a fearful look. Her body trembled and sweat dripped from her skin.


    "But, I won''t do that Talia. Those words are forgiven."


    A look of relief enveloped her face and she attempted to thank me, but seeing as I am still talking, she refrained from doing so.


    "Humans are bound by this world, ves and nothing more. Whereas I... I am free! You, my servants will notpare yourselves to them as well. You serve me, that alone makes the difference. Do you understand?" I asked.


    "Yes Lord" Ana and Talia jointly said.


    "Good. I''ll be in my resting chambers, you should all have some rest too." I said, brushing past Talia and Ana.


    They both looked at my back as I moved toward my room. Then suddenly I stopped walking and turned back to face them. They immediately tightened up and became rigid when I looked at them. They must be on edge after what I just said.


    I smiled and looked toward my little fairy ve.


    "Oh, yeah¡­ By the way Talia. You''ll be doing a lot more killing than I have done for the past weeks. So, prepare yourself. Besides, whether it''s okay with you or not, I don''t really care. As long as you''re mine, you will do exactly as Imand."


    Talia''s eyes bulged as her face expressed pain, with teary eyes she gazed upon me. But I don''t care for that.


    "You will kill Talia¡­ Until one day, you understand these words I tell you. Humans are all the same. In the end, they are all livestock. And tell me¡­ What is the purpose of all livestock?" I asked her.


    Her hands lost all strength as she could no longer defy me, losing the determination she once had and the dignity of her innocence, she realized that the path ahead of her is one that is going to be filled with nothing but carnage. Despair enveloped her face as she chuckled helplessly.


    "T-To¡­ To be killed." She answered with a sad smile.


    That is correct.


    "Good girl" I said to her, facing my front again as I continued walking and entered my bedchamber.


    There is a truth I haven''t told Talia and the rest of them. And it is the fact that it''s not only humans who are livestock. In the eyes of higher beings, anything beneath them is viewed that way. So, in my eyes, Talia, Ana and Shamac¡­ They are nothing more than livestock.


    "You were all born to die someday... Isn''t that how every being in this world exists. What do you call that if not livestock" I said as Iid my body on my bed and closed my eyes.


    [The Next Day]


    We arrived at the Adventurers Guild and went straight for the Receptionist who attended to is previously.


    As she sighted us from afar she gave out a nervous smile. The other Adventurers also fell silent as they watched us walk to Nadia. They didn''t murmur or make any jests this time, and I''m fairly sure why. They must be wondering why we are here, especially after thinking we failed the exams thest time. Their eyes followed us and their watchful gaze subtly observed our group.


    "We''re here, just as scheduled" I said to Nadia, ignoring them.


    "Y-Yes... Right this way" She said, guiding us to the hallway to her left.


    It''s the same hallway we took when we initially wanted to take our tests, but it looks like we''re going somewhere else.


    She took us to a separate room, where she knocked at the door and told us to enter.


    "I''ll be waiting for you back at my counter" She said nervously, straining a smile.


    She quickly left us standing in front of the tallcquer door. I pulled the lever and opened the door, the rest following me from behind as we entered the room.


    How surprising, the room isrger than expected. It looks as big as the reception area itself, though it''s devoid of people. I nced around and saw records and documents all around. Parchments and tablets arranged in a meticulous fashion. This must be some form of record chamber.


    "Ah, I was wondering how long it would take you to enter" A tiny voice spoke.


    A child appeared beside us as he gave a confident smile.


    What? I... Couldn''t sense his presence until he spoke.


    This kid looks no older than 12, if not 10. He wore a in looking shirt and blue shorts, with brown sandals strapped on his legs, nothing like what I expected to see. He walked around me, observing our group as he ced his hands on his chin with an excited smile stered on his face.


    "Oh? Hohoho, what an interesting group this is. I can see why your supervisors had a difficult time with you" He mumbled, mostly talking to himself.


    This kid... Who is he?


    "That''s enough" I said to him suddenly.


    This caused to immediately halt his actions as he looked surprised by my outburst. He then took a few steps back, away from us but directly at our front.


    He and I exchanged looks, clearly he seems cautious of me. I can''t say the feeling is mutual, but something about this person... Is different.


    "Who are you?" I asked him.


    He ced his hand on his chin again as he closed his eyes, engrossing in a deep thought. He opened them suddenly as he smiled.


    "You can call me Jared. I''m sort of like the Bookkeeper around here" He said casually, putting his hands in his pockets.


    Bullshit. For me not to be able to sense him, he must either have a Relic for that purpose, like Ana did when she was still an Apostle, or he isn''t human. Which is it? I would have gone for the first option, except... I sense no Divine Energy emanating from anything on him. His clothes, his shoes... They are all ordinary!


    I red at him with disbelief, not buying whatever nonsense he spouted. He noticed my expression and sighed.


    "I really don''t know what to tell you man. I really am just a Bookkeeper. But I suppose I''m known for one other thing.... They call me a ''Hero''."

 Chapter 101 - They Call Him A Hero

    "I''m also known as a ''Hero''." The child, Jared, said with a bright smile.


    Hero? What is that? Like some sort of savior or rescuer? This kid is someone like that?


    "You look confused. I''m guessing you don''t know what that means, do you?" He said with a yful smile.


    I know the definition of the word of course, but from his tone and attitude, the context of ''Hero'' he is referring to is not the normal one I know of.


    "Well that doesn''t matter anyway. I apologize for not being a suitable host. I hardly have visitors, you know?" He smiled.


    He snapped his fingers and suddenly four chairs appeared in front of us.


    "W-What in the...?" Talia and Shamac let out in shock.


    Ana kept quiet, but from her expression it''s fairly obvious that she''s stunned as well. Well, she''s not the only one. I sense no Divine Energy from his outfit, so it can''t be the work of a Relic. I also sense no Divine Energy from his body, so he can''t be an Apostle. I don''t understand... Who is this boy?


    "Please have your seats"He smiled.


    He snapped his fingers again and a chair appeared behind him, coupled with a huge desk in front of him and opposite us. He sat behind his desk and ced both hands on it, looking at us expectanty.


    How is he doing that? It must be rted to him being a hero in some way. There''s so much mystery surrounding this entity. I can''t seem to get a read on him, even with my heightened senses.


    I suppose he is waiting for us to sit as well. My ves all looked at me with an unsure expression, waiting for my decision on what to do about the obviously suspicious kid.


    "Let''s y along with him for now." I decided.


    I gave them a nod and they immediately proceeded to have their seats. After they all sat, I also joined them, making sure I took the chair in the middle. Ana also shared the spot with me while Talia and Shamac sat at the left and right edge respectively.


    "I''m sure you''re all wondering what you''re doing here" He started off, cing his hands on his chin, having a rxed expression.


    His nonchnt tone and bright personality is getting on my nerves a little. He is right though, I am curious.


    "After witnessing your results and clear time, it seems the examination body became suspicious of the credibility of those reports. Before anyone knew it, the dissatisfaction reached the Guildmaster himself. Because such a situation like this hasn''t been experienced in such a long time, you guys are currently under the suspicion of cheating in one way or the other for your tests." Jared stated.


    "What?!"


    "How can you say that?"


    Shamac and Talia said, rising from their seats in anger as they banged the table. It looks like Shamac is getting more assertive. It''s good progress in his personality, but that isn''t needed now.


    I raised my hand a bit, calming them down. They looked apologetic and returned to their seats.


    "What is the rationale behind that conclusion. To the best of my knowledge, when I took the test it seems like it was already designed not to allow any form of malpractice. We all followed the rules as well, so what seems to be the problem?" I asked in a calm manner.


    Jared smiled at my careful and organized words.


    "In all honesty, you are correct. There is no definite or obvious ws in your result. It is so perfect, that it is considered too perfect, if you understand what I mean. You guys did too well, and so they wondered whether you manipted your supervisors to give you said scores, or if you are actually enemies with ulterior motives." He replied.


    I see. The Adventurers Guild is wary of us due to our appearance as highly influential individuals, who would normally not be seen trying to be Adventurers. Adding that to our performance, it is only normal to conclude that we might have used underhanded methods or possess a hidden agenda.


    "I understand. How does that have to do with you though?" I asked.


    "About that... Like I said, I am the Book Keeper here. Every single record of the Guild is stored here, and I am in charge of that. Normally, I wouldn''t be bothered with internal problems such as this, but you see... The Guild is conflicted. That''s why they consulted me"


    "If it turns out you guys are actually innocent and we wrongly use you, it means we lose excellent fighting power and potential Top Adventurers. However, if the Guild is right and you are actually a threat, then you must be disposed of quickly and without any interference" Jared said, still maintaining his smile.


    This boy...


    "You''ve still not answered my question. How does that have to do with you?" I said with a slight re.


    "Easy, easy. The thing is, I fulfill the conditions to handle whichever of the scenarios that happens to be your case. You see, contrary to how I look, I''m really strong" He confidently replied.


    Just as I thought. So that''s what they had in mind.


    "That being the case, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?" He asked.


    We remained silent as I watched him with a suspicious gaze. He also seems to keep his eye or at least, a portion of his attention on me for some reason.


    "I guess I''ll just have to say it then"


    "Good news is that you guys will retake the test. If you pass, you''ll be epted as Adventurers, we''ll even give you a high rankpared to others who merely their exams. That''s like instant promotion!" Jared exined.


    "Bad news is....Should you guys fail, you''ll be eliminated right here and now." He smiled.


    "You can''t refuse, you can''t escape... You can only ept. So what will it be?"


    Silence enveloped the atmosphere as I closed my eyes for a moment. Admittedly, this is unexpected. I truly did not see thising. The n was to pass the test and begin our lives as Adventurers. I did expect some suspicion and Interference, but not to this scale. And this person calling himself a ''Hero''... He''s an anomaly in the grand scheme of things. If possible, I''d like to eliminate him, but doing so at this point will greatly injure my n.


    For now, it seems there''s only one option for me and my ves.


    "Fine, we''ll retake the rest. But on one condition..." I said to him, resting my chin on both my hands.


    Jared seems surprised by my quick answer, but also concerning myst statement.


    "A condition? I believe I told you already, you have no choice! If you refuse, you''ll die. There''s no reason for me to ept your condition if the alternative is death for you anyway" Jared said with a sly smile.


    "Maybe you''re right. But it''ll be your loss." I responded.


    "Uh? My loss? How?" Jared asked.


    Good. He has taken the bait.


    "The Adventurers Guild could have just killed us off instead of letting us go through this borate process, even involving you into this, but they did. The reason for that is obvious. It''s like you said, they don''t know for sure. At the hands of the Guild, we could prove to invaluable and a phenomenal force. However, if you eliminate us now, that ideal future will cease to be." I exined.


    "Yeah, so what?" Jared asked, still refusing to ept my point.


    "If you kill us without taking the test, it''s the same as making a choice when you''ve not seen the results and are not certain. Clearly you''ll want to avoid it at all costs since there''s a chance we can be useful to you. Besides, you should really consider my condition. You have my word that it''s not something the Guild can''t provide.


    Jared kept quiet for some time, pondering upon what I said as he ced his hand on his chin. He stared at me and I stared back. He still has doubts, that much is obvious and he doesn''t trust me especially. He mostly sees everyone here as nothing which is why I am at the center of his attention.


    "Fine, let me hear you condition first"


    I smiled. Good boy, taking the bait. Now all I have to do is make sure to reel him in and never let go.


    "If we beat you, promote us to the Highest Rank within the Adventurers Guild," I dered


    "What?!"


    Everyone in the room expressed shock, even Jared dropped his jaw.


    "Kukukukukuahahahahaha" He suddenly burst out inughter as little tears formed in his eyes. He roared in hevayughter as he chuckled heartily before finally calming down.


    "And why in the word would I even consider your request, not to talk of even epting it?" He asked amusedly.


    This is it.... The part where I provoke him

 Chapter 102 - Blank Canvas

    "Why? Because it''s interesting isn''t it? We now have something to gain, which will motivate us even further and make us go all out against you. From the sounds of things, you''re probably one of the most powerful members of the Guild staff. I doubt many people fight with you ande back the second time. You must be bored, right? Just staying and keeping records all day?" I said.


    That''s right, he seeks thrill. I''m sure he was more than happy when he was informed that he would be reexamining us.


    "Hmmn, I don''t know about that" He said, trying to wave it off nonchntly.


    "What''s wrong? Are you actually scared you''d lose?" I smiled.


    Suddenly, Jared''s eyes darkened as he shot me a dirty look.


    So what? There''s nothing he can do as of now anyway. Besides, this is perfect. He is annoyed


    "What did you just say?" He asked in a deep tone.


    "You heard well. You said earlier that you''re strong, right? That''s why you were entrusted with this test. However, what''s a game without stakes? There''s a stake for us, but where''s the stake for you? So, the condition remains. If we win, we obtain the highest Rank within the Guild. Don''t think you can handle that?" I smiled.


    Jared''s smile disappeared entirely and he gave all of us a dangerous look. His sharp re shot into my eyes as I stared back at him with a look of confidence. Now then, what will you do, Mr Hero?


    Suddenly a wide grin appeared on his face, and he started tough uncontrobly. He banged his hands on the table and clutched his chests.


    Is my proposal that funny to him?


    "Bah, fine, whatever!" Jared said, cleaning the tears in his eyes due to his excessiveughter. He appeared amused and stood from where he sat, rising to his feet, his chair vanishing from behind him.


    "Fine, I ept your condition. But let''s not do it that way" Jared said.


    "What do you mean?" I asked him.


    "I mean, if you lose you die, if you win I make you the top ranked. Your loss would really bum me out since I personally want you to win. However, for you guys... Winning is impossible, especially if you put the condition of beating me with it." Jared confidently answered.


    "Oh?" I said in a slightly insulted manner, though I maintained my calm.


    "In that regard, I''ll have it this way. If you manage to beat me, I''ll give you what you want. But you can still pass the test without beating me. If you fail the test you still die, of course. How does that sound?" Jared offered.


    I have noints. It''s ideal, and I can tell he''s being generous to us. But, he''s also greatly underestimating our strength. It must be because of this ''Hero Title'' he has, he must believe he is invincible.


    Well, I''ll be putting that to the test.


    "Fine. We''re ready when you are." I said.


    "Excellent! Let us begin then" Jared smiled.


    "Hold on, like... Right now? Here?" Talia protested.


    "Oh? Why not?! Besides... Who said we''re going to be having it here?"


    Jared snapped his hands and suddenly I felt the dimensions shift. Our location instantly changed. The floor we were stepping on no longer existed, and from the looks of it we appear to be falling from quite the height. Before I could make sense of where we have been transported to, noise filled the air.


    "Ahhhhhhh!!!!!" Talia and Shamac shrieked.


    We all fell suddenly since there was no longer any tform beneath us. The shock sent Shamac and Talia to make unpleasantly loud noises of surprise. This annoyed me.


    "Be quiet you two. Use your heads a little" I said, using Hex to maintain my bnce as I floated in the air.


    Talia suddenly realised that she could fly, after all she is a fairy. Unlocking her first seal, she generated her wings and was able to also stay midair.


    Shamac partially shapeshifted, bringing out wings from behind him. They pped, causing him to reach the level I stayed alongside Talia. All that''s left is... Ana..?!


    Ana doesn''t have any flight capability, so she kept falling, about to crash to the ground when Talia quickly dived from where she was and caught her as quickly as possible before her body made contact with the ground.


    "Thanks Talia" Ana said with a slightly relieved look.


    Impressive. Even when she nearly dies she still shows no sign of trauma, neither is she fazed. Ana''s ability to control her emotions is simply outstanding. Her training as an Apostle was certainly extreme.


    Talia lifted her to where we floated while I observed the ce where we got taken to.


    It looks like an emptyndscape, with no color or sound. Even our voice seems to echo. The ground beneath us looks in white and there seems to be no sun, or clouds or sky... Just an empty, vast space. Where are we?


    "Wee... To my Domain" Jared''s voice appeared.


    I looked above us, where his voice came from and there he was. Floating causally, with his hands in his pockets and a wide grin of amusement stered on his face he looked down on us.


    "Quite an impressive ce you''ve got here. An alternate dimension?" I asked him.


    "Alternate what? Well, I suppose you can call it that... This is a ce I created. It is my territory which exists in my imagination. You don''t need to worry about holding back in here, since it is isted from the outside world. So you should go all out! After all, I n on enjoying myself here... In this ''nk Canvas''." He exined.


    How is he doing this? If he''s a human, he shouldn''t have any special Abilities. He''s also neither an Apostle or a Relic user. He says he''s a ''Hero'' but what does that mean? I''ve gone through the memories in my head, but nothing references what I''m seeing now. Enough of that, I should also give my focus to the task at hand.


    "nk Canvas... I see, so this is where we''ll be having our test. Alright then. Why don''t you exin the rules of the test to us" I said calmly.


    "The rules are simple. If you manage to defeat me within this space, I''ll do as you request and give you the position you desire. If you manage tond a hit on me though, you''ll be recognized to have passed. If you fail tond a hit on me within the time stipted for the test, you fail!" Jared stated.


    "And how long do we have?" I asked.


    "That''s the thing... Time doesn''t exactly flow here the way it works in the normal world. That said, after a given period, this world will dissipate. If you manage to fulfil the conditions before that happens, you win. If you can''t, you lose." He said.


    So what he''s saying is that we don''t know how much time we have left, it can be at any moment. Landing a hit on him is the condition for passing, which means he believes it won''t be easy to do so, but not impossible either. And then there''s defeating him. It''s meaning is vague, but I suppose him losing consciousness counts. I''d prefer killing him, but that isn''t an optimal option at this time.


    "I understand now." I replied, ready for the fight.


    I nced at Ana, who is still being carried by Talia and had a sudden thought, a bright idea.


    It''s possible, though it''s my first time trying it...


    "ROOT"


    "Provide optimal and essential resources to the target ''Ana'' for efficientbat" Imanded.


    "<<CONFIRMED>>"


    "<<Initiating Transfer of Treasures>>"


    Ana immediately felt a jolt within her as she let out a slight moan. Her body glowed with pure energy and her body throbbed as she received my little gift. Finally it ceased and she had a relieved and refreshed look on her face.


    It seems the transfer is a sess.


    "Ah... T-Thank you for your benevolence my Lord. I swear to use these that you have given me as optimally as my ability allows." Ana said with a bowed head.


    I smiled.


    What I did was to transfer some of my Treasures within Root to Ana. Since Ana is mine now, she is connected to Root. Also, after our sh, she is without much artillery and would only be a liability in her current state. So I shared some of my weapons to her, as many as she is capable of handling safely.


    "They number 3,000. Use them well" I said.


    "Yes Lord" She responded stiffly.


    Honestly, it''s not my style to engage in fights as part of a group, but for Jared to recognize each of us as capable Adventurers, we must all show our skills. As bothersome as it is, it can''t be helped. I looked at my subordinates, they look prepared enough. Ana has gotten one of my treasures which allows her to levitate, so she is currently independently floating without Talia''s assistance.


    Now that the preparations are done, let us begin.


    "Alright. You maymence the test!" Jared dered.


    Immediately, Ana, Shamac and Taliaunched themselves at Jared, each flyingabove to reach him.


    I remained where I floated and observed them. I wonder how this will turn out.


    Talia generated a concentration of light between her hands andunched the beam toward Jared.


    Shamac, with the aid of the Treasure I gave him, summoned a very potent and dangerous looking shadow on par with the one he uses at night. Creating several pointed edges, heunched them toward Jared.


    Ana summoned over a dozen of my ''Sacred Grade'' swords all around him andunched them simultaneously to skewer his body. Theirbined attacks ured in sync, and all within a moment.


    But...


    "Pathetic" Jared smiled.


    With a snap of his finger, they all disintegrated, vanishing without a trace.


    All my treasures are connected to Root, so wherever they are I can find them, but... I can''t sense them anymore. This isn''t teleportation or any form of trick. It''s the real deal.


    He destroyed all their attacks within a moment... Just like that!


    There''s something definitely wrong with this kid. Just who is he?

 Chapter 103 - Overpowering (Pt 1)

    The simultaneous attacks of Talia, Shamac and Ana immediately dissipated as Jared snapped his fingers.


    This stunned the three of them as they were still headed in his direction, unable to stop mid flight. Their eyes bulged in shock and their mouths opened agape. I can''t say I me them.


    Even I don''t know how to feel about this. It''s certainly not normal, what this child is doing. The annoying part is not knowing exactly what kind of existence this kid is.


    "Come on, don''t tell me this is all you''ve got. How are you going tond a hit on me with such sloppy attacks? How pathetic" Jared jeered.


    Sloppy? That''s how those attacks look to him? Talia''s beam attacks move at light speed and Shamac''s shadow, while not as fast, packs quite the power with excellent precision. However, the one that surprises me the most is how he easily stopped Ana''s attacks.


    My ''Sacred Grade'' Treasures are on par with Grade 2 Relics in this world. Twenty of such des attacked him at the same time, yet he destroyed them in an instant along with Talia and Shamac''s attack¡­ All with a snap of his fingers.


    I''ll admit it, there''s a lot about this boy I do not understand and I have underestimated him a tad bit, maybe due to the kind of people I have encountered since I revived and how unimpressive they were. No, that''s not an excuse. I slipped up, this is something that I can''t allow to happen in the future. After all, I''ll be facing even more powerful and phenomenal opponents in the future.


    I have decided. I''ll keep observing this battle and gain more understanding concerning this boy. Talia, Shamac, Ana, hang in there¡­ Let me use your battle to obtain even more information, all for the sake of my goal.


    Talia increased her speed and dived further above, overtaking the remaining two. Her wings glowed brighter as she created many light orbs around her. Within moments she was right in front of Jared with her white spheres.


    "Eat this" She said, maneuvering from her position, leaving the orbs right in front of him.,


    "BOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!"


    The st covered the position of Jared, shining brightly throughout the vast space. The light dissipated, leaving traces of smoke as it vanished. Ana and Shamac braced themselves from their heights and watched the explosion Talia made with wonder, and a slight hope that her attacknded.


    "Did I get him?" She said, watching the effect of the st from her safe distance.


    Of course not.


    "That''s funny. You thought that would do anything?" Jared''s voice suddenly sounded.


    Talia''s eyes widened, but before she could react further he appeared behind her. His wide grin and erged eyes focused on her. He lifted his hands slightly and used his finger to touch her back.


    "Wha-" She let out


    Immediately, an explosive st surrounded Talia, twice as much as what she caused. The impact blew Shamac and Ana away from their position.


    "Kyaaaa!!!" She screamed as her body roasted in the heat of the st.


    She fell from her heights, losing consciousness as her body was covered with burn marks all over.


    "Talia!!!" Shamac shouted, rushing to catch her before she crashed into the ground.


    As he flew to reach her, Jared suddenly appeared by his side. Shamac slowly looked beside him as his eye caught his Jared''s image.


    "You should be more worried about yourself¡­ Shifter" He said amusedly.


    "You bastard!!!" Shamac growled with fury,unching his shadows to pierce Jared since he was in close proximity.


    "Tsk tsk. You never learn, do you?" Jared shook his head in a mocking manner.


    As the ws of Shamac''s ws nearly pierced him with the intent of ripping him to shreds, Jared vanished from where he was and appeared right in front of Shamac who wasn''t paying attention in that direction.


    "Boo" He said, grinning at Shamac who was still flustered about Jared''s whereabouts.


    As he turned his face to react to Jared and attack him with his shadow, Jared stretched his hand to Shamac''s face. In a moment, before Shamac could react, he ced his middle finger and thumb together, creating pressure as they rubbed together. He then released the middle finger. With the mere flick of his fingers he sent Shamac flying away.


    "Guahhhhhh" Shamac let out in pain.


    His body spun out of control as it crashed into Talia''s body and they both fell into the ground.


    "BOOOOOOM!!!!!"


    The loud impact caused by their crash reverberated throughout the space, causing smoke to emanate from the crash site. The gaping hole in the ground and the cracks surrounding it trembled as Shamac and Talia kept drilling into the ground still as a result of Jared''s hit.


    "Keukk" Shamac spat out blood as his entire body felt sore, bruised and badly battered.


    Talia was still unconscious, so she couldn''t render any expression of hurt. Shamac surrounded her with his shadow, preventing her further injury, but since it all happened too fast he neglected his own body, making him suffer the brunt of the impact.


    Finally, they slowed down and halted, causing Shamac to let out a look of relief and winced in pain. If not for his Shapeshifting ability which created a shell that protected him and his shadows surrounding Talia, they would have definitely suffered greater damage.


    His body throbbed as he struggled to rise, staring at the gaping hole which revealed the surface to him, but his body didn''t respond to his will.


    "I-I can''t¡­ Lose¡­ Now¡­" He groaned, struggling push away therge rocks that covered him and Talia, and returning to the surface to continue the fight.


    However, the rubble made from the crash refused to budge and his tensed, injured body couldn''t do a thing but to strive helplessly as he kept looking up, hoping for Ana''s sess. After all, if any one of the three of them stand a chance, it''s her.


    "Ana¡­ We''re counting on you. Show that guy¡­ Who''s boss!" Shamac groaned as he spoke.


    "Aaaaand that''s two down" Jared said with a smirk, looking down at the crash site where Talia and Shamac got sent to.


    "Let''s hope the both of you can do better¡­ Try not to disappoint me, Kay?" He grinned widely.

 Chapter 104 - Overpowering (Pt 2)

    The Test continues¡­


    Shamac and Talia are down. Ana and myself are left. Of course, I still intend to spectate so it''s just going to be Ana facing off against him. To be honest, this is for the best. As an ex-Apostle, Ana has way better battle experience andbat prowess than Talia and Shamacbined.


    I know for certain that Talia and Shamac are both alive. The attack Jared gave wasn''t aimed at killing them, merely to incapacitate the two. Besides, my ves wouldn''t die so easily. In any case, Ana had better pull herself together if she intends on winning this fight, or at least dragging it out for a longer period of time.


    "You seem awfully calm for someone who just witnessed her friends get their asses handed to them" Jared smirked, looking at Ana with a curious gaze.


    "That doesn''t matter. As long as I beat you, then it''s all worth it!" Ana said with resolve.


    She took a deep breath and suddenly her eyes glowed white. She focused her vision on Jared, furrowing her eyebrows as she kept staring.


    "Whatever you think you''re doing, it''s not going to work. You''re wasting your ti-" Jared spoke with confidence


    However, before he could finish his statement of arrogance, his left hand vanished, fading from it''s position.


    His eyes widened with shock when he witnessed this.


    "W-Wha?!" He let out.


    Suddenly, blood gashed out of the gaping hole left behind by his arm''s absence. His face expressed perplexity, unable toprehend the situation he found himself in.


    Before he could gather his thoughts together, she immediately summoned ten Treasures, of which among them are swords, axes and spears,unching them at Jared. He recoiled upon seeing this and abandoned his confused thoughts in order to halt the attacks homed at him.


    He raised his right hand slightly and went on to snap his fingers in order to render her attacks to nothing but dust. However¡­


    "I won''t let you!" She dered


    Her eyes red at him once again, and his right hand disappeared. With no hands attached to either of his shoulders, even more blood leaked out as Jared lost his bnce. Most of all, he lost his Ability to snap. Floating helplessly with a shocked look, he witnessed the weapons approach him at a devastating speed.


    "SQUISH. SQUISH. SQUISH. SPLURGE!!!!"


    My Treasures pierced all over his body. His legs, shoulders, feet, chest¡­ They all felt the agonizingstab of my Treasures.


    "Puackkk" He vomited blood.


    His weary eyes looked at Ana, who stood some distance from him with a condescending expression.


    "Y-You¡­ What did you¡­" He wheezed as he spoke.


    I smiled at the sight. Who would''ve thought Ana would be able to pull if off so well. What a surprise for me as well.


    "How do you like that, brat?" Ana asked with a wide grin as sweat formed on her face.


    "It doesn''t feel good, that''s for sure¡­" He coughed with more blood flowing out.


    "Yeah, now you know how¡­ Keuk" Ana suddenly groaned, holding her chest with a pained expression.


    What? She is full already? How is that possible? I gave her only 3,000 of my des in order for there to still be some space in her Limbo Space. So far, she has not taken anything into it, other than Jared''s limbs. She should still have some space to spare, so why?


    "Huff¡­ Huff¡­" She let out in exhaustion.


    "Why am I¡­?!" Talia asked herself, her chest throbbing even more as she clutched it with her hand.


    Jared''s already mutted body slightly moved as he gave a sly smile.


    "Jared, what did you do? How is this happening?" Ana asked when she saw hisexpression.


    "Me? I did nothing. Weren''t you the one who took both of my limbs from me?" Jared grinned.


    "You¡­"Anagroaned as the squirming sensation persisted.


    "You know, I was really impressed when you took my arms. I thought they were gone forever. What kind of move is that?" Jared smiled.


    Ana remained silent as she red suspiciously at Jared who seems to know the cause of this strange urrence.


    "However¡­ For you to have this reaction it means you only transported them to a separate space where I can''t sense them. And from the looks of it, that space is connected to you that''s why you''re having this reaction." Jared uttered, still wheezing due to the injuries he suffered.


    "S-So what? How does that exin anything?" Ana said with irritation, getting flustered by Jared''s words.


    "Oh, but it has a lot to do with everything. You see¡­ You''ve already lost" Jared grinned widely, showing his bloodied teeth.


    Ana''s usually stoic expression turned into a re. Clearly she''s getting unnerved by him.


    "Is that some sort of joke? Look at you, clearly I''ve won, haven''t I? You''re impaled in every part, you''re immobilized. It''s your loss!" Ana said angrily.


    "Oh, is it?" Jared said.


    Suddenly, the weapons which pierced him began to rust and within moments, they turned into dust. The blood which dripped from his body remained as his pale body shuddered.


    "Just stop it and admit your loss!" Ana protested.


    "My loss?" A voice came from behind the bloodied, half-dead body of Jared.


    Suddenly, another Jared appeared from behind the injured one,pletely unscathed and looking as though he never received any damage to begin with.


    "N-No¡­ W-What is this¡­?!" Ana gasped.


    Jared snapped his fingers with a smile on his face and suddenly Ana''s body got impaled by several weapons, simr to the ones she used to pierce him.


    "Gahhhhh" She screamed.


    That must hurt.


    As she felt intense agony, both from within her Limbo Realm and her physical body, she coughed blood and throbbed with unimaginable pain.


    "Ahhhhhhh" She kept screaming, her desperate cry reaching my ears where I stayed, as though begging me to intervene.


    Finally she fell unconscious since she couldn''t handle the overwhelming sensation which ravaged her. Her body hung on the floating swords seemingly lifelessly, until they vanished and she fell, crashing Into the ground as well.


    From the start I didn''t expect her to win, but I actually thought she had a chance after seeing her pull off the whole ''vanishing act''. Oh well, it doesn''t really matter at this point.


    The only one left is me.


    Jared smiled as I levitated, rising to the level where he floated.


    "Look who''s finally ready to join the party" He said with a casualugh.


    I smiled at his attempt at humor. He''s right of course, it''s finally my turn to fight. What he doesn''t know is that I''ve figured it out¡­ His little trick, at least a part of it. But that''s good enough.


    "This won''t be a party¡­ At least, not for one of us." I smiled to myself.


    The real fight starts now!

 Chapter 105 - Hexarion Vs Jared

    "You''re smiling. You must be confident in your skill." Jared mentioned.


    "Of course. After all, I''ll be the one winning this fight" I said calmly.


    Right now we are both at the same level in flight. We stared at each other with a look of confidence in our eyes, both of us assured of our inevitable victory.


    "Even after witnessing all that, you still think you can beat me? I hate to break it to you but that''s not going to happen. I''ll tell you now¡­ I''m invincible in this world!"He grinned widely.


    He''s very sure of his abilities, and to be honest he''s not wrong to be. This is an enemy I acknowledge to be an actual opponent, and thus this will be my first real battle since I revived into this new body.


    This will actually be stimting. Very much so that I don''t want my ves to miss any moment of it. In order for them to be able toprehend the heights of power they have to reach in order to be of proper use to me, they should witness this battle.


    I turned my attention from Jared and looked to the ground where my ves were and smiled. I snapped my fingers and immediately the three of them appeared on the surface, raised from the deep hole made into the ground.


    "Hey, what are you doing?" Jared protested as he expressed shock at what I did.


    "How does it feel to know that you''re not the only one who can do stuff with the snap of your fingers." I thought to myself.


    I raised my hands slightly in their direction and used Hex on them.


    "Causality Reversal"


    Slowly, their bodies returned to their original state. Within moments, they turned back to how they were, entirely unscathed.


    "What just happened?" Talia asked, regaining consciousness.


    "Lord Hexarion healed us" Ana said, looking above her to see where I floated.


    They all raised their heads and saw me facing Jared in their stead. A look of awe and admiration showed on their faces.


    "Looks like the boss is finally ready¡­ This should be good" Shamac said with a grin.


    He must really wants to see Jared suffer.


    "You all¡­ Make sure you watch this fight closely. See to it that you don''t miss even a moment. You''ll all be reaching this level soon enough" I said to them.


    They all nodded and looked determined to see the match through to the end. Theyy their back down and faced upward to freely spectate.


    "Are you kidding me? You really think you can beat me by yourself?" Jared said with disbelief.


    There was no response.


    "Unbelievable! Hey, you guys¡­ I''ll give you another chance. Join him and try to take me down together!" Jared said to my subordinates.


    "No, thanks!"


    "We''ll just get in his way"


    "You should be more concerned about yourself"


    Talia, Ana and Shamac retorted respectively. I smiled when I heard their response unlike Jared, who gritted his teeth with anger at the audacity they exhibited.


    "Fine! Have it your way! Don''t say I didn''t warn you!" He said.


    Now then, let us begin!


    Jared vanished in front of me and immediately appeared behind me with a grin. Heunched a powerful jab with his right fist, headed straight for the back of my skull. Of course, I expected this move.


    I dodged, though only barely, feeling the wind of his fist in my hair. The pressure from that blow sent shockwaves around us.


    "Isn''t that a bit dangerous? It doesn''t seem like a test anymore, now does it?" I asked him with a grin.


    "Heh, you asked for it" He smiled as well.


    He disappeared once again and teleported to my side, raising a kick this time. I used my hand to block his attack, but I felt the heavy force as it pressed on my body. My pain perception is off, but I''m sure that would certainly hurt if I could feel it. As I thought, he''s able to damage my body.


    "Not bad, keeping up with my speed" He stated.


    "You too. This is a first for me as well" I replied.


    He kept teleporting to hit me, but I dodged or blocked every one of them. His power is definitely I can''t scoff at, but his pattern is too simple. I can easily predict his next move. Now, he''ll be appearing in front of me¡­


    He did just that. His eyes were looking determined, wanting so badly for him tond a clean hit on me. Heunched his fist at me andI blocked once again, but he wasn''t done. Three extra fists appeared from his body, something physically impossible. I twisted his hand and turned my body to avoid his strike.


    Then he smiled. With his leg raised above my head, he brought it down in a crash tond on my face. This sudden movement is too fast for me to dodge, at least at my current capabilities. However¡­


    Raising my physical abilities even higher, I reduced my weight drastically and got considerably faster inparison. I grabbed his feet, shocking him, and made him lose bnce. I dragged his legs and turned, throwing him into the ground, throwing him into the ground. He crashed into the nk ground, causing a massive explosion which broke the entire ground.


    Talia, Ana and Shamac hurriedly stood up and took to the sky as the entire ground caved in due to the impact his forcednding caused.


    "Interesting¡­ So that''s how it is¡­" I muttered.


    Suddenly, Jared appeared in front of me with a smile, once again looking unscathed as with the time of Ana. With a few meters apart, J observed him as he grinned widely.


    "Like I said¡­ You can''t win!" Jared said.


    "No matter how many times you fight me, or how hard you struggle, you won''t be able to do anything to me. In this world, I am¡­"


    "Invincible? I don''t think so" I interrupted.


    He was taken aback by my response and appears a little flustered. Of course, he should be. After thest exchange we had, I''ve finally figured it out¡­ The nature of this world and his ability.


    "What are you talking about? You''ve clearly seen that there''s no way you can damage or injure me. Whatever you do will be ineffective! You can''t damage my body" He said.


    He''s not wrong¡­ But he''s not entirely right either.


    "That''s because I''m not fighting your real body in the first ce¡­ Isn''t that right?" I responded with a smile.


    His eyes widened with shock as I revealed this. Talia and the rest also showed shock at what I said. Jared''s hands twitched, but he quickly controlled himself, trying to hide his nervousness.


    "W-What are you talking about?" He asked defiantly.


    His smile vanished, reced with a deep re filled with suspicion and caution. He must be thinking I am not sure of what I''m saying, or I haven''t figured it outpletely, but that''s where he''s wrong. After watching his fight with Talia and Shamac and seeing what he did against Ana, coupled with my brief fight with him¡­ I can tell that he''s not using his real body!


    "This is merely a structure¡­ No different from the ground beneath us, or the air all around. It''s merely a projection made in this world. The Jared I see in front of me is a fake, a vessel which you use to express your will. The others that were destroyed are no different. They are all made within the nk Canvas." I revealed.


    "That''s bullshit! How wrong can you be? I''m simply invincible in this world. No matter what happens, I''ll keep reviving with no injuries whatsoever! Because I am ME!" He argued with agitation, refusing to ept what I said.


    Oh? This is unexpected. I thought by revealing the true identity of this fake, He would finally drop the act. But, instead he truly doesn''t want to. Don''t tell me¡­ He actually believes what he is saying. If so, then that means¡­


    "So the copy actually has a mind of it''s own?" I thought aloud.


    "What rubbish are you spewing?" He barked impatiently.


    I stared at him with a condescending gaze. A mere fake dares to tell me my words are garbage. If not for the face that he is a pitiful existence not worthy of my anger, I would have reduced him to dust countless times over. In a way, it is a pitiable creature.


    "I see. Jared is quite cruel indeed¡­ The real one, that is. He makes a copy of himself who believes it is actually the original. The copy also believes it is invincible and already has preexisting notions in it''s head that makes him unable to ept defeat. Even when the copy is destroyed, or unable to serve it''s purpose, another one is made which has the same mindset as the previous and believes it is the real one. The cycle continues until the copy wins, which is usually assured." I analyzed.


    The copy of Jared listened to my words, partly refusing them with his own ideology, but slowly began to reason with my words and consider whether I could be right.


    In essence, this ''nk Canvas'' is a world where the real Jared can make anything he wants to without restrictions, even living creatures¡­ With an ability like that, he reminds me of the gods and my siblings.


    "This has gotten even more exciting for me"

 Chapter 106 - Authority

    "I have no interests in toys, so I''ll be ending this quickly," I said to Jared''s lookalike.


    "Shut up! What do you know?!" He said with a deep frown.


    Heunched himself at me, suddenly turning into four at once. Of course, they are all after images of the same person, he''s just moving that fast.


    The images attacked me from all directions, but I used an invisible force to repel them all.


    "Orb Of Destruction," I said.


    Immediately, fiery spheres surrounded me and exploded. The explosion sent shockwaves throughout the realm we were in and I could feel the world shake due to the high st. I used my defensive Hex to protect myself, however, the fake Jared was destroyedpletely.


    "And now, just like clockwork¡­" I muttered.


    Another Jared appeared in the sky with a confident look and his hands in his pocket.


    "You can''t win! I''m invincible!"


    Here we go again.


    After facing off against three more Jareds, I have found out more things about his power and how it works.


    First of all, each of the Jared fakes is entirely real in this world, and they also have an awareness that makes them believe they are real. Secondly, after the destruction of one fake, the next one is considerably more powerful than thest. It''s like an upgrade that allows the copies of Jared to evolve even further. The same Orb of Destruction I used on the earlier Jared didn''t work for the new one. They also gain some sort of resistance or near immunity to any attack that kills the previous version.


    I''m guessing this is to make sure that eventually, even if the opponent overpowers Jared''s copies initially, before long he will run out of cards to use since Jared would have be immune to the attack. That is useless against me though, since I have tons of moves to use which won''t get exhausted until this nk Canvas times out. Honestly, these Jared copies make the perfect punching bags to test out certain new moves and Abilities that I possess.


    Unfortunately, I do not have the time to slowly deal with them. This world can crumble at any time, and if it does without us winning, then my ns will be badly affected. In that case, it''s time to stop holding back. One of the features of nk Canvas is that is an alternate world, not attached to the real one. Since that''s the case¡­ I can freely use Hex without worrying about being spotted by those pesky beings.


    Finally, with no restraints whatsoever, I''ll be taking care of this child.


    "I cannot lose in this world!!!" Jared''s voice sounded,now having ten copies of himself. I can tell, this time they aren''t afterimages. They are all genuine copies. These Jareds ignored one another and focused on only me, each believed to be the original.


    "In this world, I am Invincible!" They all said simultaneously.


    Covering themselves in some sort of brilliant energy cloak, they charged at me with ultra-speed, higher than light speed, no doubt. The real Jared must already be thinking of taking me serious, but it''s meaningless now. No matter how many toys he throws at me, they are outmatched.


    "Hex #09" I whispered.


    "AUTHORITY OF MATTER"


    Immediately, the copies stopped moving at once. Within a fraction of a moment, every single atom, molecule, infinitesimal structure within them broke apart and they turned to nothing but fragmented copies, disintegrating entirely.


    Just like that, beyond the speed conceivable by anyone present, Jared included, I entirely disassembled their material structure, even to the smallest unit.


    "W-What just happened?" Shamac said in shock.


    One second he saw the copies of Jared moving toward me and the next he saw nothing but me floating in the air all alone.


    He looked over to Talia, who shook her head indicating she also doesn''t have an idea of what happened. They both turned to Ana, who is the most perceptive and fastest of the three. An ufortable look clouded her face as a bead of sweat fell from her brow.


    "I-I have no idea¡­ I couldn''t even see a fraction of it" Ana muttered.


    From my distance, I overheard them and smiled. I moved at a speed beyond the bounds of time. For everything in the world, Aspects are governing them. nk Canvas is no exception. The only difference is that the Aspects within nk Canvas are being controlled by Jared, and not the Primordials or gods. I exempted myself from his Time Aspect and proceeded to destroy his puppets using my Hex ''Authority''.


    Every physical manifestation consists of matter, and so within nk Canvas, his copies are the same. Using ''Authority Of Matter'' I took control of his control of them and entirely rendered them nonexistent. Every Hex from 9 downward is an Authority that affects the Aspects directly, not just the things they make up. I am unable to use such Hexes in the real world since it will immediately draw the attention of the Primordials to me.


    What makes it different from the other Hexes is that, unlike the usual Hex where I simply manipte and distort the Aspects for my use, for Hex Authorities I usurp control entirely from the original Primordials of the Aspects whenever I use it. It''s a costly game since they will immediately know when something in their control gets taken away even if it''s just for a short time. At that moment, I''ll be found and exterminated. However, in a world such as this¡­ It is nothing. The most my actions will do is anger the god of this reality¡­ Jared himself.


    The nk space suddenly darkened and darkness covered the white which existed in the artificial sky. A great chill filled the air and I could see Talia, Shamac, and Ana tremble as they felt a great presence surrounding them. The presence of Jared, the omnipotent one in this world is enough to paralyze lower beings such as them. But his pressure does nothing to me, since I''m notposed of Aspects, my body won''t react to little jitters like this.


    "WHO ARE YOU?" A loud, overwhelming voice filled the air.


    I smiled. Finally, he decides to make a move himself. After seeing that I took control of matter in a world only he can dominate, Jm sure he is also confused. Who am I?


    "Who''s asking?" I asked.


    There was a thunderous sound and everywhere vibrated, including the very particles of the air. My ves look very buttery, dangerously so at that. The pressure he is emitting must be causing their Aspects to be unstable, and at this rate, they''ll die.


    ''Orb of Protection'' won''t be enough to protect them from this onught, especially with the surrounding Aspects being so unstable.


    "ROOT," I said.


    "Generate Countermeasure," I said.


    Immediately, Shamac, Talia, and Ana got warped into my ring, vanishing from the chaotic world which seemed on the r brink of destruction. I wanted them to witness this battle until the end, but It''s better this way. With no one getting in my way, I have no reason to consider any devastation that may ur now.


    "DO NOT IGNORE MY QUESTION! WHO ARE YOU? YOU SEIZED CONTROL OF MY WORLD, EVEN FOR ONLY A MOMENT. BLANK CANVAS IS AN EXISTENCE CREATED BY MY IMAGINATION. IT IS MY WORLD! HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO ALTER SOMETHING WITHIN IT?!" The thunderous voice raged with anger.


    "These theatrics bore me. Why don''t youe out of your hiding ce Jared? If you want to find the answers you''re looking for, you won''t get them by hiding behind the screen of your world. Why don''t you show yourself?" I responded.


    "YOU¡­ YOU DARE SPEAK SO INSOLENTLY TO ME? JUST BECAUSE I WENT SO EASY ON YOU? THERE IS NO NEED FOR A GOD TO STOOP TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR KIND. I DON''T KNOW WHAT YOU DID, BUT IT DOESN''T MATTER IN THE END. WITH A SINGLE THOUGHT I CAN MAKE ANYTHING EXIST OR DISAPPEAR IN THIS WORLD. YOU ARE NO EXCEPTION. ANSWER ME NOW THAT I AM STILL BEING GENEROUS!" Jared said with an authoritative tone.


    I smiled when he finished his statement.


    "It''s funny you should mention that. You are right though..." I answered.


    "THEN¡­"


    "A god shouldn''t stoop to the level of a lower kind. However, you are mistaken about something. It seems you are confused about who the god is and who the lesser being is among us."


    "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING¡­?!"


    "I''m saying... KNOW YOUR PLACE, WORM" I said with a more oppressive and authoritative time than him.


    "HEX #05"


    "AUTHORITY OF CREATION"


    Immediately, everywhere quieted and the thunders ceased. The empty world suddenly became filled with details. The grass appeared on the field, clouds in the skies and bright sun. Trees extended for miles and there were animals all around.


    Amongst these things, Jared finally appeared, looking around him and even at himself with express shock. He doesn''t understand what is going on¡­ Such a primitive creature.


    "Surprised?" I asked with a smile.


    He looked at me with a slightly fearful look as his lips quivered as he repeated the question he asked. Not with his previous and loud tone filled with conceit and pride. Rather, with trembling and a shaky voice he muttered.


    "W-Who a-are¡­ you¡­?"


    I smiled as I heard this.


    "I am¡­"

 Chapter 107 - Devastation

    "W-Who a-are¡­ you¡­?" Jared asked with an rmed look.


    I grinned as I saw his expression. The look of disbelief and panic is written all over his face. Using my Hex of Authority, I took control over creation itself in his world. Tearing down everything he made, I recreated everything in it and made all this possible. Of course, I also used this to expose him since he was hiding behind his constructs.


    "So, Jared¡­ What do you think? Looks better than that dreadfully nd world you made, doesn''t it?" I asked casually, shrugging off his question.


    He took an apprehensive stance as a bead of sweat dripped from his brow, down to his chin. He finally understands that I am powerful, and is acting cautiously around me. That''s only natural after witnessing me perform an impossible feat.


    "There''s no point in asking any longer. You won''t answer my questions. In that case¡­ I will have to make you talk!" He said with determination.


    "Oh? Are you sure you can pull that off?" I asked him with a wide grin.


    His eyebrows furrowed even further as I asked him. He appears not to be sure of the oue but determined nheless.


    "You''ve made your point. I underestimated you. You''re strong, stronger than anyone I have faced so far. For someone who is not a Hero to show this kind of power... I am surprised beyond words." Hemented.


    "The gods never told me about anyone like you¡­ That''s why It''s so frustrating to find out a person without such a qualification can interfere with my power" Jared said.


    Hold on¡­ did he just say, gods? Has he met the gods before? If that''s the case then I have to find out as much as Incan from this child.


    "You''ve spoken to the gods before, haven''t you?" I asked him.


    "Of course. I wouldn''t be much of a Hero if I couldn''t " He said to me with annoyance.


    "And just what does that title mean, Hero?" I ventured to ask.


    He smiled when I spoke those words.


    "And why should I answer your question when you ignored mine," He said.


    Tch. Bad move Jared.


    "Why don''t you tell me your identity, and I''ll you in on mine as well." He suggested.


    Bullshit. I don''t need to make any sort of desk with him. All I need is to defeat him. Brain Drain will handle the rest after that. There''s no point in fooling around with him, especially since he might not even tell me the truth. To avoid any wrong information, I''ll be checking his memories when I''m done.


    "I suppose you''ve made your choice then. There''s nothing left to say." Jared said, floating overhead me, restoring the confident smile he had on before.


    "I suppose" I replied dryly.


    "Rio, if that''s your actual name¡­ Technically, your team has fulfilled the first condition for this exam. You have passed since your performance has been satisfactory enough. However, as for the condition you attached, there''s still time. See if you can make me ept defeat!" Jared said.


    I watched him soar above, from my position which is closer to the ground. He must have a godplex, seeing as he enjoys watching everything beneath him.


    I''ll be fighting the real Jared now¡­ Let''s hope it''s more interesting than the others.


    "Don''t disappoint me" I smiled.


    Immediately, Jared''s eyes turned blue and a massive surge of azure light surrounded him, engulfing his entire body in its warmth. The space around him became distorted, making it impossible for me to even get close to him since he has affected the Space Aspect surrounding him.


    "Try not to die, okay?" He said grinned.


    Immediately, arge monster, over 60 meters tall materialized of thin air, made by him, and stood in front of me. It had the look of a dragon but had three heads and a huge build. Itunched at me with such a fast pace that the high-speed movements it exhibited betrayed its looks.


    I dodged the initial attack, and it twisted its hands to crash into me. I raised my hand and slightly touched the first of the monster. Immediately, its entire body started twitching and within a moment it puffed up and burst.


    Purple slimy blood gushed out as they sttered all around us. The blood didn''t even teach anywhere close to Jared due to the protectiveyers of warped space. As for me, I already used the ''Orb Of Protection''.


    The grass and countless wildlife I made didn''t suffer a gentler fate. The severed parts of the monster caused thends to be devastated. With the head, bones, and body parts darting all about, it made everywhere a mess.


    "Is that all you have to offer?" I asked.


    Suddenly, millions upon millions of des in various shapes and sizes appeared all around me. Not only them but countless other monsters, the same as the one I defeated also materialized. I count at least a hundred of them, and they continue to spawn.


    "I''m not done yet¡­" Jared said excitedly, clenching his fist as he raised it.


    Golems numbering in thousands filled the ins, all of the different types. I saw the earth, fire, wind, ice, lightning, and water golems all appearing at once. Their bodies are nearly half asrge as the Monsters Jared summoned.


    With these threats before me, and Jared flying above with his ability to produce, even more, I considered my chances and bnced the odds in my mind.


    "I don''t know what you did before, but I won''t let you do it again. I have strengthened my control over this ne. nk Canvas is mine and mine alone to y with! As a foreigner, I won''t let you interfere with my world any longer." Jared said.


    Now, this changes things. I was able to use Hex Authority on him since he wasn''t properly guarding his Aspects. Like a thief who steals the property of someone who isn''t vignt, I was able to take control of a part of this world for a short while. However, Hex isn''t omnipotent. It requires conditions that must be met.


    Since Jared is closely guarding the Aspects of this world, I won''t be able to take control easily. nk Canvas also has a limited amount of Aspect essence, and he has used a majority of them to make all those things attack me.


    "Now then... Let''s see how you handle this!" Jared grinned maniacally.


    He stretched his hands forward, ordering his troops and weapons to attack me. They all lunged at me at once, and within a moment I''m sure they will reach. I can''t control his world anymore, and he has me outgunned at every angle. Surrounded by countless foes and weapons, this entire world is my enemy, it just makes me realize how much I''ll need togrow before I can take care of my siblings and achieve my goals. But¡­ Compared to them, this boy is justfry.


    With a wide grin, I opened my mouth and made my counterattack.


    "Hex #07"


    "AUTHORITY OF SPACE"


    Immediately everywhere turned ck. My malevolent energy filled the entire atmosphere as a dense aura of miasma covered everywhere. The atmosphere of darkness and depravity shocked Jared, confused with what happened. The once colorful ins and the brilliant sky became a starless night of our chaos¡­ Something that shouldn''t be possible.


    "H-How is this possible? I made sure he couldn''t interfere with nk Canvas, so why¡­?!" Jared asked himself, conflicted by the impossible urrence.


    His suspicious re darted over to me, who merely smiled at his pitiful look. He shook his head vehemently, refusing to ept anything.


    "You can''t fool me with these tricks! I''ll be the one to win this fight! Keep charging!" Jaredmanded his constructs, though he didn''t need to.


    The enemies who still approached me and the weapons which descended upon me in their millions did not halt. They kept lunging for me with phenomenal speed. It''s a shame they won''t reach.


    With a single sigh, they all disintegrated and turned into nothing but dust, down to their most minuscule parts. Within a fraction of time, I turned his arsenal into nothing but microscopic fragments sifting through the air, still breaking down further as they are swept away by the harsh turbulence filling the world we are in. As they faded away into nothingness, Jared''s jaw dropped and his face exhibited pure confusion, unable toprehend what just happened.


    "You must be flustered, confused by what has just happened" I stated the obvious.


    "N-No¡­ I-Impossible. How could you? How did you? What did you do?" He asked with trembling.


    His body shook, not only in fright but also due to the adverse condition of the atmosphere. A corrosive anddevastating aura filled everywhere, and it has started affecting him.


    "Haven''t you figured it out already?" I asked him.


    He red at me, clearly still unsure of the situation he has found himself in. It looks like I''ll have to exin to him.


    "This ce¡­ Is not nk Canvas!" I revealed.


    Using Hex, I have made my pocket world within nk Canvas.

 Chapter 108 - The End Of A World

    "This ce¡­ Is not nk Canvas!" I revealed.


    Jared''s eyes bulged as he heard me. Sweat dripped from his head as he stared at me with a disbelieving look. His eyes darted around the strange world around us, taking in its ambiance. A clouded expression covered his face, but he quickly shook it off.


    "No! I refuse to believe that! That''s impossible, there''s no way you could¡­" Jared protested, refusing to ept my words.


    Unbelievable. Even with the evidence right before his eyes, he still won''t believe it. This isn''t your world anymore, Jared. It''s mine.


    "Is it so impossible to consider?" I asked him.


    "What? Of course! There''s no way anyone can make an entire world from nothing." He retorted defensively.


    "I''m guessing you''re the exception since you''re a ''Hero''." I smiled.


    "Exactly! I''m an avatar specifically made by the gods. A new breed of humans that possesses the ability to change the world. You can notpare to me in any way. What you speak is nonsense! There''s no way you can create another world within nk Canvas!" He said confidently.


    So that''s how it is¡­ Those sly bastards.


    "Think about it carefully Jared. You im to be superior to me, correct?" I asked.


    "O-Of course I am!" He said nervously.


    "But, aren''t the gods more superior to you?" I asked.


    He frowned at my statement and made a re.


    "Of course they are! I just said they made me as an avatar! Isn''t itmon sense that I''m weaker?!" He replied impatiently, angry at me for wasting his time.


    "Now tell me what you did! What is your trick?"


    This little brat¡­ It appears I overestimated him. Surely he has power and potential, but hecks a lot of refinement. Not only is he ignorant, but he is unable to properly use his power. He is mistaken about two major things in this discourse.


    "You are well aware that the gods are more powerful than you are, yet you can make your pocket world while still within the normal world, transporting yourself and whoever you wish to the pocket world¡­ Is it, therefore, impossible to consider that someone weaker than you are can do the same?" I asked him


    His eyes widened as I said this. He considered my question. Truly, he is able to create his nk Canvas while in the normal world, ovepping the two. He is also able to bring out objects he projects from that world and materialize them in the normal world. That''s how he was able to provide chairs for us to seat on, his chair and desk as well.


    Putting that into consideration, it should also be possible for someone to make their pocket world while within his as well. Since he can''t control the Aspect of the normal world, he can only control his own, which means he uses his Aspects to make the nk Canvas. For him to be able to achieve that, he needs a vast amount of essence. Since he is a Hero, I suppose it isn''t an impossible feat for him. With these factors, the conclusion is that even someone weaker than the owner of a world can create a subspace, or a pocket world within the original world, so long as they have personal essence to spare.


    If it is Essence, I have more than enough to spare!


    See, this body has been in stasis for thousands of years and it has been umting essence since its creation. Currently, I possess a phenomenally high amount of essence within me, though I possess no Aspect.


    Since one needs essence, loosely tranted as the power source that charges Aspects or the potential within one person to be able to control Aspects, and Aspects, the material constructs themselves, to create something, I only have one, Essence.


    I use Hex to hijack already existing Aspects, but I have none of my own. In a situation where I need to make my world, and he is guarding his Aspects, the question is¡­ How do I obtain Aspects?


    The answer is my use of ROOT. All my treasures within ROOT possess Aspects. This means I have a nearly endless supply of Aspects at my disposal.


    "ROOT" I called.


    "ess Divine Grade Treasury"


    "<<CONFIRMED>>"


    "<<ACCESS GRANTED>>"


    "<<TREASURY OPENED>>"


    ROOT''s purple window appeared in front of me, revealing the items within my Divine Grade Treasury.


    "W-What are you doing?" Jared asked in a confused manner.


    "You''re mostly wrong about two things, Jared," I said to him.


    "Firstly, your assumption that one can''t create their world if they aren''t a good or a Hero," I said.


    The two conditions which are needed for that to happen are indeed out of reach for most beings that exist below the divine realm, but¡­ My ns for Talia, Shamac, and Ana, as well as the rest of my subordinates to follow, require them to be able to construct their realms, devoid of the control of the gods. Therefore, it isn''t something impossible, to begin with. What makes him different from others is the fact that his body is made up of special Aspect qualities and he has arge amount of essence. That is all. If I can replicate its effects on my subordinates, I should be able to achieve the same results. I should thank him for this discovery.


    "Secondly¡­ You made a fatal error in thinking you are superior to me in any way. Jared, your ignorance is nearly amusing as it is sickening. You know nothing of your existence or the existence of this world." I stated.


    Upon hearing those words, Jared lost it. His eyes shone brighter blue as his entire body became engulfed in blue energy, causing waves of power to flow throughout my world.


    "How dare you? Do you think you can spit out nonsense and get away with it? Who the hell do you think you are?!" Jared yelled in anger and frustration.


    Looking at him now, he bears no resemnce to the easygoing and calm Jared I saw when we first met. Everyone shows their true colors when confronted with an overwhelming force that challenges them. He was so confident andx previously because he believed in his strength and thought nothing could challenge him. But now¡­ He feels threatened. He now has a point to prove, and if he doesn''t, he won''t be able to live with himself.


    "You, You''re nothing to me! I''m a Hero! I''m special! Who are you?!" He let out in fury.


    Suddenly, the world I made started to tremble and quake. How terrifying¡­ The amount of essence he has is nearly asrge as mine¡­ Just what manner of existence did those gods create? His tantrums caused rifts and cracks to appear in the dark world and it started to tear apart.


    "It seems this is the limit. This world is done for" I observed.


    The cracks grew wider and then with a shattering noise, the world I created evaporated, bringing us back to nk Canvas. Jared groaned and clutched his chest in pain, suddenly letting out screeches of difort.


    That''s what he gets for pushing himself too far. Creating a world takes a very high amount of essence, making nk Canvas and maintaining it for this long must consume a considerable amount. However, that still shouldn''t be enough to provoke this kind of reaction. Creating a world is one thing, destroying it is another. Since he destroyed my world, he used double the amount of power he needed for nk Canvas to do so.


    This is because, while creation needs the two conditions and clear images of what the creator wants to manifest the world, destruction of another person''s world requires the assaulter to override the Aspects used to make that world by releasing even greater amounts to overwhelm it. Jared used too many Aspects and Essence, more than his body can handle and now he''s suffering the drawbacks.


    This is why this boy is a waste. Even though he has nearly 2/3 of my total Essence, he behaves like aplete amateur. Unlike him, I have Treasures to help me in case I need to refill my reserves, but he has no such thing. I was considering taking him under my wing and using him to learn more about the gods and also as a good tool against them, but considering his major ws and the risk associated with actually taking him from their possession, it''s best I don''t take trouble myself.


    But, he''s still very dangerous in his own way. Someone with so much power, but with an immature mind and little control over it¡­ Such a person is not fit to have such power. I need to get rid of him. Even if I don''t do so now, I''ll eventually have to destroy him.


    For now, I''ll just focus on the objective of this test and wrap this up.


    "SELECT DIVINE TREASURE #9,001," I said to Root.


    "<<CONFIRMED>>"


    "<<EXECUTING COMMAND>>"


    "<<GENERATING THE CLEAVER OF CHAOS>>"


    Immediately, purple and ck shes of lightning shed and pped all around me as a huge mass of energy radiated about me. A great dark purple Axe appeared on my hand as it beamed with destructive light.


    "Keughhh¡­ What¡­ The¡­ Hell¡­" Jared muttered, straining to speak as he witnessed the energy surge about me and the ax I held.


    "Divine Grade Treasures are capable of destroying worlds like this¡­ I wonder what happens if I focus my attacks on just you¡­ Hero!"

 Chapter 109 - Singularity

    "Divine Grade Treasures are capable of destroying worlds like this. I wonder what will happen should I focus my attacks on just you¡­ Hero" I grinned wickedly.


    Jared looked frightful at the brimming energy that surrounded me. The sparks of purple light buzzed as it caused vibrations in the air. Clearly he is well aware of the fact that the energy epassing me are not ordinary. This Axe known as the ''Cleaver Of Chaos'' is one which has the ability torelease vast amounts energy that caused anything it touches to overload and burst.


    Currently, the Aspects around me are being affected by the energy it is releasing, and I''m sure Jared has noticed. After all, this is his world.


    "Y-You bastard!" Jared groaned.


    He clutched his chest and coughed out more. He writhed in pain, but refused to give in to it. His eyes remained focused on me as they bulged, seeming to nearly pop out of their sockets.


    "It''s over already Jared. You''ve reached your limits. We can end it here if you want, but it''ll be my victory of course¡­" I offered.


    This enraged him even more as he screeched out with annoyance and dissatisfaction.


    "You dare¡­ Are you looking down on me?" He gritted his teeth.


    "Fine. I admit that you created that world! But it doesn''t matter anymore. I have destroyed it already, you shouldn''t be able to make any more in quite some time. I have also trapped you in my world, and have guarded my Aspects. There''s no way you can win against me now!" He grinned painfully.


    How wrong he is. If I want, I can make another world. But there''s no point in wasting essence. I can simply end things with my cleaver.


    "Bring it on then" I taunted.


    Veins appeared all over his contorted face, revealing an ugly appearance filled with desperation and rage.


    "Eat thiiiissssss!!!!" He yelled.


    Many weapons appeared once again, their numbers ranging to hundreds of millions. The entire world seemed to be filled with them. Swords, Spears, Bows and Arrows¡­ Knives, Darts, Shurikens, Axes¡­ Various weapons all possessing considerable power. They steadied themselves, all pointing in my direction.


    "Let''s see how you handle all of this!!!" He smiled triumphantly.


    He released his first wave of attacks, sending a few dozen million weapons to attack me. I watched as they approached me with unbelievable speed. My body shook as I felt their presence closing in on me.


    Isn''t this just overdoing things? He''s spreading the Aspects too thin. This is why I said he''s not smart. If he was, he would have concentrated all the Aspects and made a more formidable projection. But he seems to believe in quantity over quality. Well, it''s not like any if that matters before my cleaver.


    "Useless!" I said.


    Gripping my Ax tightly with my right hand, I swung it toward the direction of the assault in front if me. Immediately, sparks started to generate from the swing, causing a singrity. The singrity, appearing to be like lightening in the form of ck holes filled with devastating power, charged forward as theyunched toward the weapons that neared me. The weapons shed with the lightening singrity, causing a massive explosion.


    What I simply did was to destroy Aspects between myself and Jared with my ax, causing an empty singrity to rece the Aspects. The singrity, equaling emptiness shed with ''somethiness'', bing a neutral reaction.


    "Heh, are you done?" I asked him with a smile.


    "You¡­. You¡­ You bastard!!!!" He yelled, releasing over a hundred million weapons this time, from every direction.


    Of course, it still makes no difference so long as I can still cut them down. I raised my Ax above my head and released a pulse from it. This pulse released a great mass of destructive energy, originating from the Ax, as it spread all around me. The dark energy, upon contact with the weapons, entirely swallowed them and caused them to explode. The power of my ax is to overload Aspects and bring their destruction. No matter how many weapons he possesses, in the end, they will end up being consumed.


    "You bore me, Jared." I continued to taunt.


    This time, he wouldn''t have any of it. He let out a fierce roar with anger and frustration.


    "This man¡­ Rio¡­ My weapons have no effect. That axe of his is dangerous. But, no matter¡­ So long as it is in my world¡­ I can always match it!" Jared thought to himself.


    He raised his hands up as it shone with a golden radiance. Suddenly, the remaining swords which pointed toward me started to fly to his location. They broke apart, turning back into Aspects and gathered above his hand. The millions of weapons swirled above his hand as they began to transform into something else. The shapeless mass of Aspects started taking shape. The handle, the edge, it''s form started to be evident.


    "T-That is¡­" I muttered as I saw what he made by sacrificing all the arms he possessed.


    It''s none other than a replica of my Cleaver Of Chaos!


    "Heh, surprised? You see, my nk Canvas not only makes whatever I imagine a reality, it is also able to entirely scan anything that dwell within it, creating a perfect replica." Jared grinned.


    I see. So that''s how he is able to make copies of himself so wlessly. He was also able to recreate my treasures and pierce Ana with them. It''s an impressive feat, I admit.


    "Interesting. So you gave up on overwhelming me with numbers, instead resorting to this¡­ Clever indeed" I remarked.


    "Do you realize now? This has been a close match, but in the end I''ll be the one to win! I have never lost before, and I won''t start now!" He dered.


    So that''s it. His pride won''t allow him to take a loss. That''s why he so easily agreed to our condition since he thinks he won''t lose. It''s too bad though, he''s facing off against me.


    "But, you know¡­ You should have done this earlier!" I told him.


    "What?!" He let out with a troubled expression.


    "I mean, why did you have to do this now? If you had done it sooner, you might have stood a better chance. The Aspects you wasted in your two earlier attacks, had you done this from the start, it would be more powerful than this, no?" I asked.


    "S-Shut up! What do you know?!" He yelled.


    "I''ve had enough of listening to you! This time, I''ll be ending you once and for all!" He said, raising his version of my ax.


    "Well, this should be interesting¡­ Let''s see which one is more superior, yours or mine!" I said.


    Golden sparks of destructive energy emanated from his axe, while purple and ck came from mine. The world trembled in the presence of such great power, and I can tell rat this ce won''t be able to handle the sh that will ur.


    "You''ll have to hold on a bit longer!" I muttered.


    "Rarghhhhhh!!!!!" He yelled, bringing down his hand with a powerful vertical sh, he let loose a phenomenal amount of power. The power devastated the very fabric of space and existence within the world as it neared me.


    Amazing, he really did replicate it. As I thought¡­ This kid is too dangerous. It''s best I nip it in the bud before he bes too much of a threat to me.


    I concentrated on the chaotic energy released by my weapon and red at the powerful wave of destruction approaching me. Since he went for a vertical sh, the most efficient move for me would be¡­ Horizontal.


    I swung my axe, cing considerable weight behind it and released the overpowering burst of energy that radiated from it. With an horizontal wave, it lunged forth and approached the vertical one aimed at me. The two forces approached each other with great force, as the entire world seemed to start disintegrating due to the impact.


    "No¡­ Not yet!" I said.


    With Jared''s focus on his new toy, and his current exhausted state, he isn''t focusing in guarding the very little Aspects that are holding this world together.


    I borrowed some Aspects from ROOT and decided to repair the already copsing world.


    "HEX #07 ''AUTHORITY OF SPACE''."


    The world began to mend even as the powerful forces neared.


    "Krikkkkakkakakkakkkk"


    The sizzling and glitching sounds of the two anomalies shing with each other sent destructive sparks all around. Jared got blown away due to the impact and his axe vaporized as a result since he was unable to maintain it. I stood still, floating in the already devastated space. Even if I use a protection Hex on myself,as soon as the sparks touch it, the Aspects U manipte will get overloaded immediately. However, since I am not made of them, there''s no one safer than me in this ruined world.


    The impact finally began to cease as the fixing and cackling noises slowly dwindled. Jared grunted as he drifted uncontrobly in the space of his own making, now rendered a patched-up wastnd thanks to our attacks. I have to hand it over to him though, his false ax was able to create a wave strong enough to match mine. Though it seems he could only use it once, doing that exhausted the Aspects he sacrificed, and all for what? He barely managed to stop a hardly serious swing from me.


    "It seems I was wrong. Even if he used all of the Aspects he had from the start¡­ It wouldn''t have made a difference." I muttered.


    Now them, let''s get our prize.


    I nced over to Jared, who seems to have lost his bnce and is nearly out of energy. He is barely able to remain conscious. This is my chance.


    "ROOT"


    Before Ipleted my sentence, it automatically reacted to my wishes. My Cleaver was sent back to ROOT, leaving me barehanded. Within a moment I teleported to Jared''s location and ced my hand in his head. He looked at me weakly, unable to protest as he let out groans.


    I can''t kill him at least not yet. But, he''s still useful for other things apart from his life¡­ His memories will be valuable to me, after all. Also, since he is a ''Hero'', he won''t die from this much, will he?


    "Memory Drain!" I said with a smile.

 Chapter 110 - Vessel

    "Memory Drain!"


    As I said those words, suddenly I felt a strange sensation coursing through me.


    "This is strange..." I muttered.


    This feeling I''m getting, It''s not the effect of Memory Drain. This is...


    My eyes bulged and I immediately tried to remove my hand from his head, but it was toote. A bright golden light shone and before I could do anything, everything went dark.


    "WHO ARE YOU...?!" A voice called out to me.


    I opened my eyes slowly and found myself in deep darkness, all alone. As I drift through this endless abyss, I sense no one. There''s nothing here.


    What is this? Where am I? I have no idea.


    "HOW FASCINATING... FOR YOU TO ENTER INTO THIS PLANE... YOU MUST BE SOMEONE WHO SURPASSES THE VESSEL" The strange voice around me uttered.


    The echo reverberated around the dark space. I looked around, and even with my heightened abilities, I can''t sense the one who is speaking.


    "Who''s there?" I asked.


    "THAT IS EXACTLY MY QUESTION. DOES AN INTRUDER ASK OF THE IDENTITY OF THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE? ISN''T IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND?" The voice responded.


    This entity... the fact that I can''t sense them must mean the real body isn''t present. Whenever I activate [Memory Drain] my mind is linked to my target, creating a passage where the information flows through. The passage goes both ways, meaning just as the target''s mind is vulnerable to me, I''m also vulnerable to them. But, since I am usually the more powerful one out of myself and the target, the control leans to me. This way, I''m able to ess their mind without them being able to do the same to me. After the transfer isplete, the bridge disappears and I obtain the memories I desire.


    However, this time around something has done wrong. Just before I appeared here, I felt a different sensation. It seems the one at the other end hijacked the control and instead used Memory Drain against me, essing mind instead. This can only mean one thing, this other being is more powerful than my current self.


    I''m certain it can''t be Jared since I''m clearly superior to him. So who... Who is the one hiding behind the shadows? If I had to guess, it has to be...


    "Are you a god?" I asked.


    For a moment I heard nothing. The vast, empty space just seemed to reflect my voice to me.


    "KUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" The voice let out a heartyughter.


    "HOW INTERESTING. THAT''S QUITE THE THEORY YOU''VE GOT THERE. HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO ARRIVE AT THAT CONCLUSION?" It asked


    Since I''m currently at the mercy of this strange existence, I better y along for now.


    "Is there any other being capable of this?" I asked with a shallow smile.


    Currently, I''m unable to do anything on my own. Since it''s just my mind that is here, I can''t use HEX or ROOT. I''m entirely vulnerable at the moment. Such a deep miscalction, I let my guard down. Jared''s existence is a mysterious one, yet I still created a channel between his mind and mine just for information. Why didn''t I take into ount that it could be used against me like this?


    "WELL, YOU ARE NOT WRONG, BUT YOU ARE NOT RIGHT EITHER." The voice answered.


    "I don''t understand..." I replied, genuinely confused.


    "I AM NOT A GOD, YET I AM. HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS ''VESSEL'' THAT YOU HAVE LINKED WITH?" The strange one asked me.


    This being isn''t a god? Well now that I think about it, that makes sense. A god''s usual demeanor isn''t like this. This entity is being way too lenient and casual to be one. At this point, the gods would have gotten pissed that I intruded upon the mind of someone they are connected to and that I''m speaking to them so casually. Yet, this being is talking to me so easily. However, such power they possess is not something any other existence but the gods can have. Is there another being as powerful as the gods existing in this world? There''s so much I don''t know. Maybe I can find out some answers by conversing with this mysterious person.


    "He calls himself a ''Hero''. I know nothing of his nature of existence, and I find it strange as well. Just what are you? What is your connection to Jared?" I asked


    "....." The voice remained silent for a while.


    Did I jump the gun? Maybe I was too impatient and rash in my question.


    "THE ONE YOU CALL JARED IS MY ''VESSEL''. HE IS A CHOSEN ONE WHO WAS CREATED IN AN ENTIRELY UNIQUE PROCESS, DIFFERENT FROM OTHER HUMANS. WHILE HIS APPEARANCE MAY BE SIMILAR TO THEIRS, HIS EXISTENCE IS COMPLETELY DISTINCT" The voice answered.


    I know Jared is different from ordinary people, and the fact that even from his creation he has always been non-human exins his absurd amount of Essence and Aspects. But what''s with this whole ''Vessel'' business.


    "THE VESSEL WAS MADE FOR TWO MAJOR PURPOSES. THE FIRST IS TO SERVE AS A CONTAINER FOR MYSELF..." It continued.


    "And who are you?" I asked, unable to control my curiosity.


    "I AM AN ARTIFICIAL ''GOD''!"


    What? An artificial god?! Does this mean what I think it does?


    "Y-You are..." I muttered.


    "YES. I WAS CREATED BY THE PRIMORDIAL ONES THEMSELVES. I AM A PRODUCT OF THE CULMINATION OF THEIR JOINT EFFORT TO CREATE AN EXISTENCE AKIN TO GODS." It said.


    Those guys... They really did it?


    Before the existence of the world, Primordials have existed. As the oldest of them all, I know the birth of every single being after myself. Initially, I considered myself a lone existence and was secluded for a very long time. However, suddenly Leviathan appeared. After he did, the other Primordials just began to exist one after another. It took some time, but after a while passed, the next one would be born. After several eons, all five of them were born, though at intervals. As for the gods, as we created portions of the world, they began to manifest and were bestowed authorities and dominion on particr portions of the Aspects.


    The existence of gods and Primordials has never been due to an intentional cause. It just happened naturally. That is why I am extremely shocked to hear this. After all, the one who brought up this idea to them in the first ce was none other than myself!


    "So, you''re an artificial good, and Jared is your vessel. For what reason did the gods create you?" I asked.


    So far, there has been no ill intent in the tone of this artificial god. Also, from their sincere responses, it is clear that they don''t intend to be my enemy. This means I can get away with asking questions, at least for now.


    "THAT RELATES TO THE SECOND REASON FOR THE CREATION OF THIS VESSEL... THE POTENTIAL AWAKENING OF THE DECEASED PRIMORDIAL, HEXARION." The artificial god said.


    What?! Jared''s existence, the reason behind the Hero''s existence and the creation of this god is because of my resurrection? That sly bastard, Leviathan. He must have suspected something. Surely he doesn''t know of my revival n, does he?


    "No, calm down..." I mumbled to myself.


    There''s no way he knows the details of my resurrection. He most likely isn''t even certain of it. If he was, I''d be dead by now. It''s just a suspicion at this point, a contemtion on his part. Leviathan has always been like this, extremely clever and calcting. He takes after me in that field.


    "So, the ''HERO'' is like a failsafe in case the Evil One awakens? Interesting" I stated.


    "STRANGE VISITOR, YOU AMAZE ME. YOU DO NOT APPEAR TO BE THE SLIGHTEST BIT FAZED OR SURPRISED BY THESE THINGS I HAVE REVEALED TO YOU. DID YOU HAVE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THESE THINGS?"


    "No, this is my first time hearing of it. It''s just not surprising for those Primordials to do something like this. That''s how much they want their brother gone, and how far they are willing to go." I smiled.


    "OH? YOU SOUND AS THOUGH YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THEM... HOW CURIOUS"


    "Oh, no... Not at all. It appears I do not know them the slightest bit"


    ".... I SEE...." The artificial god responded.


    Now, this is quite a strange turn of events. It appears my siblings have their suspicions that I could still be alive, or I will be soon. This means I need to move even cautiously from now on. However, this information is very useful. I can use this to my advantage very well. In the meantime, I should gather more information. From the looks of it, even though they seeded in making an artificial god, it is still iplete. It doesn''t possess an appropriate emotion befitting of a god and its nature is purely neutral. But it is still more powerful than me in my current state. This much tells me how far I need to go in order to regain my former strength.


    "I have a question for you... Isn''t this Vessel too weak to be a failsafe for the awakening of the Evil One?" I asked.


    I mean, surely they know I will be weakened state even if I awaken, but a Primordial is still a Primordial. A joke like Jared is not even nearly enough to be a threat to me!


    "YOU ARE CORRECT IN YOUR LINE OF THOUGHT. THE VESSEL, JARED IS INDEED TOO WEAK FOR THE TASK WITH WHICH HIS EXISTENCE HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH, AND THAT IS WHY... THIS HERO VESSEL IS A FAILURE, AND SO AM I." The artificial god responded.


    A failure? I knew it. But if that''s true, then that can only mean one thing.


    "There are more of you, aren''t there? Hero Vessels and Artificial gods!"

 Chapter 111 - Purpose

    "There are more of you, aren''t there? Hero Vessels and Artificial gods!"


    The artificial god kept silent, not responding to my question. I wonder, is it restricted from answering such? So far it has been very cooperative, it''s regrettable that I can''t get any more...


    "I HAVE NO RECORD OF ANY OF SUCH EXISTENCE. MY ONLY KNOWLEDGE OF THE CREATION OF MY SPECIES IS PRIOR TO WHEN I BECAME ENTRAPPED IN THIS VESSEL. ANY FURTHER ACTION MADE BY MY CREATORS AFTER THAT IS NOT TO MY AWARENESS."


    Hmmm, I see. In essence, it doesn''t know anything after it was ced into the vessel. It''s a shame I can''t confirm the existence of others like Jared and the artificial god, however, at this point, there can be no doubt. Since they are failures, there will definitely be a sess.


    Leviathan is obsessed with perfection. There''s no way he''ll leave things as they are until he makes a perfect one. Besides, one of the reasons for creating the artificial god and Vessel is to stop me in the advent of my resurrection. They won''t abandon that n with Jared being a failure.


    "YOU A VERY PECULIAR EXISTENCE. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE BEEN PLACED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THIS VESSEL, I POSSESS THE KNOWLEDGE OF EVERY SIGNIFICANT SPECIES ON THIS PLANET, YET I HAVE NO INFORMATION WHATSOEVER ON YOU. ACCORDING TO THIS ANALYSIS, IT IS MOST LIKELY THAT YOU ARE A THREAT TO MY EXISTENCE, AND THAT OF THIS VESSEL" The artificial god said.


    "Well, you''re not wrong about that. I also perceive you as a threat to me. However, from all I have discovered from you, I have realized that you are not my enemy. I can not say the same for your vessel though" I answered.


    "I SEE... SO WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW? DEPENDING ON YOUR ANSWER, I WILL HAVE TO NEUTRALIZE YOU"


    Immediately she said this, the empty mass of space began to tremble, and I could feel the immense pressure generated by the artificial god. If it wants, I''m sure it can easily get rid of me since I''m just a mind fragment. However... I can''t let that happen, especially since I''vee this far.


    "You''re quite the dangerous opponent, so I wouldn''t want to face off against you now" I stated, hoping it calms down


    "... BUT THEN...."


    It seems the god is getting suspicious of me. It''s about time. Since we started conversing it has been veryx, clearly I can reason with this being. If that''s the case, then maybe Incan turn this whole thing to my advantage.


    "Do you not have any questions for me?" I asked suddenly, smiling at the vast space around me.


    "WHAT...?!" It responded, shocked by my unexpected question.


    "Yes. I mean, I have been asking you a lot of questions. Surely, you must have a few of your own."


    "....." The artificial god kept quiet, as though brooding on the words I gave it.


    Good. From its words, I can deduce that it has been isted here for quite some time now. Ever since its creation, how long must that have been? Does that mean Jared isn''t merely a 12-year-old kid? I still have many questions, but those can wait. Asking any more now will definitely raise the suspicion it has toward me. I need to dangle bait and extract more information from it while disguising it in the form of answers to its queries.


    "THEN... IT SEEMS YOU UNDERSTAND A LOT ABOUT THE GODS AND PRIMORDIALS. YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO ME IN A CALM AND COLLECTED MANNER, AND YOUR LEVEL OF POWER MUST NOT BE INSIGNIFICANT FOR YOU TO HAVE DAMAGED THE VESSEL THIS MUCH AND DEPLETED ITS ESSENCE... IT HAS BEEN BOTHERING ME FOR SOME TIME NOW, BUT..."


    It seems to be hesitating on the question to ask me, but I can already guess what it is. Since we began our talk, I have given it many hints and made many slips. Surely, by now it must be highly curious about my identity. So ask, you fake god... I''m waiting for your question.


    "... WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HEXARION?!" The question finally came.


    Wait... What?! This isn''t the question I expected.


    "Hold on, what are you asking me? Information about Hexarion... B-But why?!"


    Right now I''m flustered, no, more like confused. It had a chance to ask about my identity or my motives, but what''s with this question.


    "Why are you asking me that?" I questioned.


    "ISN''T THIS UNFAIR? ANSWERING MY QUESTION WITH ANOTHER QUESTION..." It replied.


    "Uh... Well..."


    Shit, why did I do that? What''s with me losing myposure like this? Like I''m on edge. It must be...


    "VERY WELL, I SHALL TELL YOU. YOUR EXISTENCE REMINDS ME OF THAT BEING, THE SIXTH PRIMORDIAL. A HIGHLY MYSTERIOUS AND UNORTHODOX ENTITY. SINCE YOU WERE AWARE OF THE GODS AND PRIMORDIALS, I THOUGHT YOU COULD PROVIDE ME WITH MORE INFORMATION." It responded in its usual distorted echoed voice, which seems to ring from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.


    "But why? Of all questions? Why that particr one? You could have asked about my identity or my reasons for damaging Jared, or even the motives behind the questions I asked you. Yet you chose to ask that? Is it so important to you?" I asked with a tone of impatience.


    "YOU MAKE A FAIR POINT. THOSE QUESTIONS YOU MENTIONED ARE OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE, HOWEVER... MY QUESTION STILL HAS A GREATER PRIORITY. YOUR IDENTITY POSSESSES LITTLE VALUE TO ME COMPARED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SIXTH. I AM UNDECIDED AS OF NOW, BUT I COULD MAKE YOUR VERY EXISTENCE DISSIPATE IF I JUST AS MUCH AS WISH IT! SO, YOU SEE... YOU ARE OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE COMPARED TO HEXARION"


    It makes a very good point. It seems I''m the one who jumped the gun, and I know why. Oh well, it''s fine. It won''t be long now...


    "What if I turn out to be him, Hexarion that is" I smiled.


    "...."


    A short moment of silence ensued, making it clear to me that the god is considering my words.


    "SHOULD THAT BE THE CASE, THEN IT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER! AFTER ALL, I HAVE MUCH TO ASK ABOUT HIM"


    "Oh? Like what?" I pushed further.


    "WHY HE BEGAN THE GREAT WAR THOSE YEARS AGO. THE NATURE OF HIS EXISTENCE... HIS FAVORITE SIBLING... WHAT KIND OF GOD HE IS ATTRACTED TO... IF HE LIKES HUMANS..."


    What the heck? These questions, I recognize them. They are questions my siblings have asked me before. It all makes sense now! I now know the reason behind this god''s obsessive curiosity about Hexarion, that is, me.


    As an artificial god, since it is made of portions of the Primordials, it has portions of their egos and personality. Having these distinct personalitiesbined, there has to be amon interest that serves as a bond between their very different natures. The mostmon factor is most definitely... Me!


    "I''m surprised though. Aren''t you supposed to despise Hexarion? I mean, your main purpose is to defeat him. Yet, from your words, it seems you are just trying to understand him." Imented.


    "WELL... I DO NOT FEEL ANY ANIMOSITY TOWARD HIM, NONE IN THE SLIGHTEST. I MERELY HAVE A DEEP INTEREST IN HIM. I SUPPOSE THIS IS ANOTHER OF MY FLAWS, ANOTHER REASON WHY I AM CONSIDERED A FAILURE. ALSO, YOU HAVE ONE THING WRONG. SINCE I AM A FAILURE FOR THE ''HERO'' PROJECT, I CAN NO LONGER SERVE THE INITIAL GOAL OF ELIMINATING HEXARION SHOULD HE BE REVIVED. THEREFORE, MY PURPOSE IS NOT TO DEFEAT HIM..."


    "Oh? Then what is it?" I asked.


    "...."


    Another period of silence. I don''t even know how to begin, but this encounter has been very interesting in more ways than one. To think such a being like this exists. I can''t wait to hear its answer.


    "... I... I DO NOT KNOW. MY PURPOSE... I DO NOT KNOW IT..."


    This answer felt almost pitiful to me. A being with such great power, with a unique existence and an interesting personality... Yet it has no idea what to do with its existence. It must be lonely, filled with nothing but emptiness and insatiable curiosity. I can understand since I was once like that.


    "Hey, why don''t we..."


    As I started speaking, my body suddenly glowed. The radiance consumed my entire self and I appeared to be like energy particles, slowly evaporating into the thick void. Looks like I''m out of time already... Just as things were about to get even more interesting... How regrettable.


    "OH? I DIDN''T THINK YOU HAD A WAY TO PULL THIS OFF. TO THINK YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS IS BEING FORCEFULLY EJECTED FROM THIS SPACE. FOREIGN INTERFERENCE? NO, THIS IS..." The god stated with surprise, watching me from wherever it was with a tinge of betrayal.


    Well, it''s nothing personal. If I could help it, I would also have preferred staying for a little while longer, but it''s out of my hands now.... Literally.

 Chapter 112 - Pain

    Whenever I use Memory Drain on someone, I ce my hands on their heads to connect my nerves to theirs. When I did the same for Jared, I felt a strange sensation that made me realize something was off.


    Quickly, in reflex, I removed my hands from his head. But, before my actions could bepleted, my mind got absorbed into this strange mindscape.


    In nk Canvas, my body''s reflex action continued, even without my mind, so within some time my hands would inevitably be removed from Jared''s head. Once that happens, my mind would return to my body.


    The problem is that with Memory Drain, everything seems to happen within a moment in the physical world, however, a lot of information is processed within the mindscape. This means that a lot of time passes the mindscape before even a fraction of a moment goes by in the physical ne.


    My hands almost parted with Jared''s head before my mind got trapped here, still, I spent so long talking with The Artificial god. However, time is finally up. My hands have be disconnected from Jared''s head, so my mind is returning to my body.


    "I would have loved to further this conversation, but it seems my body is calling for me," I said to the Artificial god.


    "...."


    "What? Nost words of farewell?" I asked.


    "...."


    It''s silent, I wonder why... Is it sulking? Oh well, there''s no point in thinking about that now.


    "WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN?"


    As I heard its loud, void-filling voice, I couldn''t help but form a smile. Our time together was short, but no doubt we have both gotten something mutual from this encounter...


    "Definitely!"


    .... A longing for another meeting!


    Light filled my line of sight and blinded me. I closed my eyes as a result of the nk shimmer. A strange sensation permeated through me as I felt myself attaching to something, most likely my body. The feelingsted for a moment, yet seemed like such a long time at the same time, the description of such a sensation is not something capable of being expressed by words.


    I finally opened my eyes in my physical body and found myself in the already crumbling space of nk Canvas. I smiled, realizing I had escaped the mysterious mindscape my mind was trapped in.


    "Regrettably, I didn''t get to finish my conversation with it, but it''s not a total loss¡­ Definitely worth it" I muttered.


    Using what I have learned from that god, I''ll need to revise my ns. After our encounter, it has be painfully obvious that I seriously need to be even more powerful. A mere fake god had such a hold over me, how low I have fallen¡­ But not for long.


    "Eeek¡­"


    I heard a squeak from in front of me. I already know who it''s from.


    I stared at Jared who was the cause of the frightened sound. His eyes looked at me in fright as mucus proceeded from his house and his mouth quivered in fear.


    "Looks like you''re awake now" I smiled.


    "¡­Y-You¡­W-Wha¡­." He stuttered, but couldn''t let out an intelligible sentence.


    My Memory Drain didn''t affect him and instead turned against me, so this can''t be due to its effects. It must just be the trauma he got from our earlier fight. What a weak will this child possesses. He''ll be useless to me,pletely unusable. I can''t say the same about the god sealed within him though.


    Needless to say, I can''t make my move against him now¡­ For several reasons of course.


    "So, Book Keeper Jared, do we pass the exam?" I asked.


    Looking at him with a piercing gaze and a sly smile, I raised a brow at him in query. Surely, he still remembers our deal¡­ Does he not?


    "W-Wha¡­?!" He muttered.


    Ah, what a moron. Is he brain dead?


    I used one of my hands to drag him by his shirt and draw him closer to my face while giving him a threatening re. My nice guy act can onlyst so long.


    "Hey, I''m talking about the bet we made before the test¡­ We won, didn''t we? Or do you want us to have a rematch?!" I asked menacingly.


    His body trembled as I mentioned this and his eyes widened.


    "Ahhhhh, No. No. No!!!! Please No." He screamed instinctively.


    "No? No as in we didn''t win?" I asked with a tease.


    "N-No¡­ I mean Yes¡­ No, I mean¡­ Ah!!! You win! You win!!! Y-You¡­" He let out desperately, his eyes roll v back and forth as sweat covered his entire face.


    Ah, this boy is funny. Obviously, I know what he meant, but toying with him like this relieves me of tension a little. But this could be a problem¡­ His mind is clearly unstable and his psyche has been badly affected. I can''t use Hex directly on him due to his status as a ''Vessel''. There''s no guarantee it will work, and even if it does, it mighte at a risk to me. After all that has happened, I can''t take that chance. Plus¡­


    A sharp pain suddenly coursed through my body, causing me to throb in reaction to it. My hand let go of Jared''s cloth as my body went through the foreign sensation.


    "T-This is¡­" I groaned, holding my head with one of my hands.


    The pain is most concentrated within my head, but the other members of my body felt a fair share of it. For the first time since reviving¡­ I can feel it, the thing every living being tries their best to avoid¡­ Pain!


    "Gah, so this is pain?! It''s quite undesirable!" I said, trying to pull myself together.


    It looks like I have reached my limits as well.


    The power which held the crumbling space together, my HEX Authority began to dissipate as the world slowly began to tear apart.


    The throbbing pain in me slowly began to recede, before it pounded again, then lessened, then increased. This tortuous feeling is unpleasant, but I have to put up with it... The bacsh of overexerting myself.


    "Ah, have I ever felt anything like this before?" I questioned.


    Because I faced far weaker beings, it seems for a moment I forgot how delicate this body is. While it''s true that the concepts of this world do not apply to me, I am bound by none of them, the same is also true that I am bound by a different concept. This concept is my body''s limit.


    I am not omnipotent! After releasing a certain amount of power and pushing this body beyond a certain point I feel the bacsh. This is the first time it has happened, so I suppose it''s like a reminder for me.


    "As I thought, it''s still too early for me to use my Divine Grade Treasures carelessly..." I muttered.


    The cause for the bacsh this time is my prolonged use of my ''Cleaver Of Chaos''. I can use HEX infinitely, as long as I have Aspects and Essence avable to me. The only reason I am restricted in its use is due to the watchful eye of the gods and Primordials. However, as I disyed in this world, I can use HEX in any way I please in a world not dominated by those prudes.


    But, when ites to my Treasures, it''s a different ball game altogether. There''s no problem in me wielding Sacred Grade Treasures with my current build. Using Divine Grade or higher though, those are risky. From the looks of it, my body can only manage up to two swings of my Ax, any more and the pain would be even more severe than what I''m experiencing.


    "I still have a long way to go. I''m sure even touching a Primordial Grade in my current level would kill me..." My thoughts went.


    I pulled myself together and red at Jared, who seems shocked by my reaction to my internal pain. What a shameful side of myself I have shown him, but it can''t be helped. I can''t turn off the pain receptors when ites to overworking myself.


    "Heh, what are you looking at?" I asked him.


    He froze as I said this and stiffly shook his head, indicating that he wasn''t staring.


    "Good. It looks like this world is done for already. Cancel your nk Canvas. I don''t want to be in a world when it copses, especially In my state.


    " O-Okay!!!" He eximed.


    He raised one of his trembling hands and released his clenched fist. Quickly snapping his fingers, he closed his eyes tightly, bracing himself for whatever came next.


    What a drama queen, overreacting just for this.


    Immediately he snapped, the nk Canvas shattered, and within a moment we appeared at the vast, nearly empty room. Except for the old books and parchments ced on their shelves, nothing else appears to be present here. It looks just as we left it.


    "ROOT"


    "Release Talia, Shamac, and Ana" Imanded.


    Immediately, purple light shone, making a rift beside me. They came out of the gate caused by ROOT and appeared in the room.


    "Ah, what happened?" They said with surprise, looking around them.


    Keuk... This pain keeps intensifying... I need to leave now.


    "Jared. I trust you''ll give the Guild the ''correct'' feedback of our fight..." I said to him.


    He looked scared and nodded vehemently.


    Good, now that that has been taken care of... I need to rest.


    "Talia, Shamac, Ana... Take me to the hotel, now!" I muttered, feeling dizzy as I walked, controlling myself.


    "O-Okay, but..." Talia let out.


    "NOW!" I ordered.


    She quickly pulled herself together after being jolted by my loud and oppressive voice. I don''t have time for her usual hesitation. In fact, I don''t have time at all.


    Ana took the initiative and rushed to open the door for me. Good girl.


    Shamac quickly slid his head under my shoulder and supported my wobbly body. He noticed, eh? As much as it annoys me that I have to receive support like this, he made the right call. Good job, Shamac.


    My vision has gotten blurry and my eardrums keep pounding due to the loud noise in my head and the unbearable pain permeating through my entire body.


    As we stepped out, thest thing I heard was Jared''s voice. His voice wasn''t shaky, and he didn''t appear scared when he spoke, though I couldn''t see him clearly.


    "You there... Lauria, am I correct? Aren''t you an Apostle?"


    Before I could make sense of those words, I passed out.

 Chapter 113 - A Primordials Despair

    "What do you think about our existence?"


    I once put forward this question to my siblings. It was just a regard day in the Heavenly Realm, a ce we built to inhabit. The question was on my mind for quite some time, so I asked them, hoping they could give me a satisfactory answer.


    "I''m not quite sure I understand your question, brother" Leviathan spoke up in a semi-curious tone.


    "I mean, we Primordials... Where do wee from?" I emphasized.


    They all looked at me strangely. Even Leviathan, the smartest and oldest of them gave me a nk expression.


    "Didn''t we exist before anything else? It''s unnecessary to ask such a question, isn''t it? We existed before everything else. There can be no reason for it" Leviathan answered.


    The rest of my siblings joined him in agreement, but I wasn''t satisfied with that answer.


    "What about you big brother? Where do you think wee from?" Sol, the youngest of us asked me.


    I opened my mouth to speak, but I didn''t know how to describe the turmoil within me. How was I to tell them my theory? Would they even believe me, or simply look at me as if U had finally gone mad, though concepts such as madness had not been created at that time.


    "Is it not possible that we came from something, somewhere? It''s a rule that something can not exist without something. There can not be anything without a prior thing. You said do yourself, Leviathan..." I began.


    Leviathan appeared conflicted by my words and looked away from me awkwardly.


    "I was the first to exist in this ne, and do you know what I saw? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Doesn''t that mean that everything we know, even we came from nothing... Doesn''t that mean we were birthed by some sort of existence other than us?" I said to them.


    They all maintained silence as they watched me express my absurd thoughts. Clearly, they couldn''t rte to my theory, but their next reaction shocked me.


    "Hahaha hahaha"


    They allughed at my words, as though I was joking with them. This matter bothered me a lot, yet they did not even take it seriously. The thought that we, the ones considered the most powerful and oldest existence in the world were actually brought into existence by someone or something else, wouldn''t that mean such an existence surpassed ours? If that was the case, then just what are we Primordials? What are the gods?


    "Brother, I think you are overthinking it. If we are to follow your line of thought, wouldn''t that mean that the being who supposedly brought us forth was also brought forth by another higher being who was also brought forth by another... Do you see? The chain would never end! Despite what the rule of this world states, that for something to exist, it must be caused by something else, we are exceptions to them. After all, we existed before the world was made, weren''t we?" Leviathan said with a smile.


    I had no choice but to agree with his words, they made a lot of sense after all. However... They didn''t makeplete sense.


    "What about the gods?" I asked.


    Leviathan''s smile faded as I said this.


    "What about them?" He asked.


    "How do they exist? Clearly, we didn''t make them! Anytime we use our Aspects to make something of relevance in this world, a god appears. The god then possesses divine authority over that thing, subject only to us. Don''t you all find that to be strange?" I asked.


    "Strange... How so?"


    "Think about it! Where do theye from? If what you say is right, and we existed before the world, making us none subject to the rule of nonexistence without cause, what about the gods? They continue to spring into existence after making the world. We are not the ones responsible for their creation, so who is?" I questioned.


    Leviathan went into deep thought at my question. The other Primordials couldn''t answer as well. Finally, Sol raised his hands to say something. We all turned out attention to him as he spoke.


    "What if the gods were made ording to the wills of our Aspects? Maybe we unconsciously made them by creating concepts that they not govern?"


    I was surprised to hear this. What he said also made a lot of sense. The other Primordials hailed Sol for bringing up his theory, and they all epted it very easily. Gilga even teased Sol, saying it was unlike him to give an answer that was so smart.


    Everyone burst intougher due to Gilga''sments and Sol whined about it. Everyoneughed even more, everyone except me.


    Is it only me? Am I the only one who thinks this is strange? To question my existence, the existence of my siblings, of the gods... Was it strange to do so?


    This was what prompted me to start creating Treasures. The obsession with making something, to find out the answer that lies in creation, to fill the empty void within me I created. Even though it was against the nature of my Aspect, I kept on making and making, hoping to find the answer to my questions one day.


    The answer came to me after we executed the humanity project.


    As I watched the feeble creatures, the humans, I had an epiphany. I saw them be the dominant species on their, I saw them build, I saw them procreate... It all felt so... So simr to what was going on in my world.


    The Primordials made their, among countless others, among countless other worlds... Yet, they didn''t know anything beyond the little sphere they called their world. They were under our direct control, yet they didn''t seem to be aware of that fact. They worshipped us, and we''re vaguely aware of our existence, but they all followed the program given to them by their creators. There was no way they could defy the codes installed within them as they were made.


    The thought came to me...


    "Are we the same?!"


    Was it possible that this giant world we made our own and reigned supreme over was just a little sphere in the eyes Of a muchrger, much more supreme being... If they, the humans were subject to the gods, who were subject to us Primordials... Are we subject to a higher being? If that was the case, what would such a being be?


    It would be none other than THE #$%&@


    Realizing this, I fell into deep agony and found myself hating every moment as it passed. The feeling of being under the control and maniption of someone made me lose all sense of meaning in my life.


    "Who am I? Are these thoughts even mine? Just how much of everything is real?" Questions upon questions flooded through me, and even answering those questions were beyond me.


    It was then I came to realize the true meaning of despair, and the moment I finally found my answer, I made a vow to myself never to waver. No matter what... I will destroy THE WORLD!


    ______________________________


    "Let''s try making gods" I suggested one day.


    After reaching my answer, I had to spring into action... Test out every variable to be able to understand the mechanics of our existence.


    "What''s with this out of nowhere again?" Leviathan asked.


    "Hehehehe, Big Brother Hexarion is always like this" Solughed.


    "Just listen to me first" I pleaded with them.


    "You once said that we might have unconsciously made the gods, right, Sol?"


    "Ah, you still remember that? How embarrassing¡­" Solughed awkwardly.


    Of course, I did. His words never left me, none of their words did.


    "If that''s true, shouldn''t we be able to make the gods consciously?" I said.


    They were all stunned by my proposal. Every one of the Primordials was creative, making things and bringing up ideas that even amazed me countless times, yet why did none of them ever think of this?


    "I mean, that could actually work¡­" Leviathan said thoughtfully, though I sensed a form of hesitation in his voice for some reason.


    "Why not? Since Big Brother said we should let''s give it a shot!" Sol let out energetically.


    "Well, I''m always up for some creating, anytime!" Gilga grinned confidently.


    The other Primordials agreed


    I smiled as I watched them agree to my idea. Finally, they were listening. I had to see if it was possible. Maybe, just maybe¡­


    We tried the project for thousands of centuries¡­ millennia, yet nothing bore fruit. It became painfully obvious to me that we couldn''t do it! We couldn''t make a god!


    "Why? No matter what we try¡­ Why isn''t it working?" Gilga said in frustration.


    What baffled us the most was that while we still tried to make gods, other gods kept being born. Since they existed based on concepts caused by us, strange gods began to appear.


    Koalemos, the god of stupidity and failure


    Eris, the goddess of discord


    At?, the god of mistakes.


    This served only to frustrate my siblings further. For the first time, we found something that we, the omnipotent and supreme ones couldn''t do¡­ Make a fully functional and legitimate god.


    My siblings were frustrated, but I? I was finally able to confirm my suspicion¡­.


    "I knew it after all¡­ We are not the most powerful beings in existence¡­ They are actually the¡­ @&#%$!"

 Chapter 114 - Foreboding

    "Urhhh¡­"


    My body felt stiff as I felt my consciousness resurfacing. I roused myself and slowly began to awaken from my temporary state of sleep.


    What a strange dream to have of the past, such memories are now behind me.


    "-Ster¡­" A faint voice called out to me as I still tried to fully grasp my environment and sync with my bodypletely.


    "Master!"


    I''m hearing it more clearly now, but who''s voice is that? It''ll take a moment for my entire self to fully integrate with my body, along with the recent memories I have acquired since I revived.


    "Ah!" I let out


    Finally, my eyes opened and I took in the surrounding area. I looked around me and saw three people looking at me with concerned and worried faces. Two girls and a boy, what are they staring at me like that?


    Still, this area, this bed I''m lying on, even these people¡­ They all look familiar, oh wait¡­ I remember now. This is my room. Those are my ves¡­


    "Integrationplete."


    "I''m back" I smiled.


    "Lord Hexarion!"


    "Boss!!!"


    "H-Hexarion¡­!"


    Ana, Shamac, and Talia respectfully addressed me with teary eyes of relief.


    What a strange feeling¡­ A bunch of creatures like these are worried about my well-being. It''s almost funny.


    But, how utterly disgraceful. This is the reality of my situation. I am too weak. But not for long.


    "You all, grab a seat. Tell me about everything that has happened in my absence.


    I let them take turns in exining, but they all basically told me the same thing.


    Five days have passed since I passed out and not a lot has happened. They received a message from the Adventurers Guild that we passed the test and we''ve been promoted to the highest rank in the Adventurers Guild. I assume this will cause a lot of conflict among the Adventurers, but I couldn''t care less.


    I am not interested in the small fries.


    So far, it seems Jared isn''t causing us any trouble, in fact, they haven''t heard from him since the incident. Other than that, they have been informed of a particr event that will soon take ce, in approximately a week¡­ The biggest sensation in the whole of Lamar will take ce!


    The annual dungeon exploration that every adventurer in Lamar can participate in, not dependent on Rank or skills. The ''Raid'' Conquest. When they told me this, I smiled.


    "It''s finally that time uh, good..." I muttered.


    This is one of the major reasons I havee to Lamar, and it''s right on schedule. I and my ves need to improve greatly, and the perfect opportunity has presented itself.


    "Many people have gathered in Lamar over thesest few days for this event. Many people are even rushing to sign up as adventurers just for the purpose of partaking in the event" Talia reported.


    Who can me them? It''s only natural, after all¡­ It is a ''Dungeon Exploration''


    "The Dungeon is known as the Vanishing Dungeon. ording to the Guild, and also information Nadia, the receptionist, the Dungeon appears once every year, for 15 days. After this span of time, it disappears and returns after a year." Shamac stated.


    Of course, I know of it very well.


    "The Dungeon is said to be a treasure trove, a ce where plenty artifacts and wealth can be found within. It is said that one of the tip adventurers, ranked the 2nd strongest in the whole of Lamar got his Relics and fame from the Dungeon exploration justst year and quickly shot up through the ranks." Ana added.


    "It is subject to luck, and even the weakest of Adventurers may end up getting a phenomena amount of treasure or a Relic that can change their lives. Ancient coins are also abundant there. In short, it is a paradise for Adventurers and a golden opportunity for anyone who seeks to participate." Talia said.


    Who would have thought it would gain such renown? This Dungeon, one of the many I made, has be a hotspot of attention and a tourist trap. I suppose it is because I designed it that way.


    "Great, thank you for the info," I told them.


    So far, things are looking good. There is one thing that worries me though, what Ana said about Jared''sst statement just as I was about to lose consciousness.


    "He knows I was an Apostle¡­ Or rather, he still thinks I am one," Ana said.


    It is worrisome indeed. In the first ce, how does he know Ana''s previous identity as Lauria? That doesn''t sound like what Jared in that state of mind would say, or even know. If I am correct, this is actually...


    No matter, that will be resolved as well. But first, eyes on the prize. I can''t afford to get distracted now that we have gotten to this juncture. The Vanishing Dungeon is one we will have to challenge because hidden within it is something I have to retrieve no matter what. It poses equal value, maybe even greater, to root. It is indispensable to me.


    "Get yourselves ready. We''ll be visiting ROOT shortly for some training. In six days we''ll also be challenging the Dungeon, and I expect great results from you"I said to them.


    "Of course Master"


    "Got it, Boss!"


    "I understand, Hexarion"


    They said with reverence. Great. They''ve been working hard in my absence, but that doesn''t mean I was also cking off while I was unconscious. Before my body shut down, I transferred my consciousness into ROOT.


    The past five days for them were quite a few months for me. During that period, I was able to gain a better perspective and n things further. It won''t be the same as before, because I have evolved even further.


    "I will get what I want during this expedition."


    [MEANWHILE]


    "Are you certain you saw her?" A mysterious voice rang out in the darkness.


    "Yes, Mdy." Another voice let out.


    The person who responded to the higher figure was a short and young-looking girl. She appeared to be no older than ten years, with a long gown and a cute bun tied around her hair.


    She bowed her head while she spoke, not daring to raise it in the presence of a being that greatly superseded her.


    "Hmmn¡­ I find this almost hard to believe¡­ That silly girl, why would she even¡­" The mysteriousdy said, cking her fingers on the arm of the chair she sat on.


    "I do not know, my Lady. I could only see her for a short moment andmunicate to her for a brief second." The cute, youngdy answered.


    "What did you say?"


    "I couldn''t believe my eyes when I saw her with the heathens, so I asked to confirm her identity, and then I¡­" The young girl spoke quickly, trying to exin herself.


    "Tell me the exact words you said" Thedy, whom the little one bowed to, cut her short and demanded impatiently.


    "You there¡­ Lauria, am I correct? Aren''t you an Apostle?" The youngdy voiced.


    "I couldn''t say more than that, or even hear her response. There was an unknown interference that forcefully ejected my consciousness from the body and negated my Grace¡­" The young girl quickly added.


    "I see¡­ Did you at least get a good look at her face?"


    "Y-Yes, Yes I did, Mdy"


    "And? What do you think? Is she the one...?!"


    The youngdy paused to contemte on the words of her superior. She had to give her a satisfactory, yet truthful answer.


    "I believe so" She answered.


    "Your reason?"


    "The initial reason for my possession of the man''s body was because I sensed her presence nearby. I immediately tracked her and took over one of those who were closest to her presence. There is no way I could have made a mistake, one of those had to be her. Also¡­"


    "Also what?"


    "She¡­ One of them looked back immediately I spoke and from her expression, I could tell that she was the one. I do not know how she is supposed to look like, but if any of the people I saw had to be her, she has the highest likelihood."


    "Then, look at this projection¡­ Do you recognize it?" The mysteriousdy said.


    Suddenly, a ray of light shed, and a picture appeared in front of the young girl. She raised her head slightly to view the image that was ced in front of her. Her eyes widened as she saw what was given to her.


    "So¡­?!" Thedy asked.


    "T-There is no doubt! The picture matches the person I saw! That woman, was definitely Lady Lauria, Apostle of the god Hades." The young girl spoke with a trembling voice.


    "Ah, I see¡­ Very well then. You are excused" Thedy told her.


    "Yes¡­ Lady Gratiana!"


    The youngdy gave a bow and slowly exited the room, leaving the seated woman alone in the room. She heaved a sigh and continued to tap her hands on the arm of her chair.


    Her eyes were focused on the projection of the one she knew as Lauria and her lips furrowed in a forbidden manner.


    "Lauria, what do you think you are doing?" She muttered.


    The image flickered and then buzzed, before finally disappearing. The absence of such a bright picture returned the room to darkness, with the woman alone, seated on her chair with contemtion.


    "Lamar, eh? I''ll be there soon¡­ Lauria¡­"

 Chapter 115 - Preparation

    "The expedition is in 6 days. We need to prepare for the event in order to end up being sessful"


    We are all currently within ROOT, in an alternate space made to resemble arge and empty field. Ana, Talia, and Shamac all faced me as I exined what it this we will be doing here.


    "Now, I know some of you must have been feeling a little conceited given your level of power, but after our encounter with Jared you must know by now, how miserably weak you all are... Myself included."


    "What I desire is power, overwhelming power that will not lose out to anyone... I want that for myself and you all. Now, I ask you, what do you want?"


    I stared at them and expected their individual answer. They understood right away what I demanded from them and they responded immediately.


    "I-I don''t want to be a burden to you!" Talia went first.


    "I want to be your sword and shield, my Lord" Ana said.


    "I want to return your goodwill, I don''t want your investments in me to be wasted!" Shamac surprisingly said more than the rest.


    Good. Their goals are all for my benefit.


    "Very well, we will begin our preparation for the event. Most of the Adventurers will be out for our necks, and while they are not important, they will still be quite the bother." I exined.


    "In short, everyone is our enemy, and we only have one objective. The main treasure of the Dungeon, everything else is irrelevant"


    "For you all to be ready when the timees, it''s time for me to upgrade you"


    They all looked excited as I said this.


    Currently, their abilities are not bad whenpared to others, but it''s not nearly good enough for the challenge of the Dungeon. Most people would see the Vanishing Dungeon as a ce of fortune, but that is because they have not triggered the appropriate event which leads one to the main treasure room where the true richesy. Since that is my goal, it won''t be easy for these three without a boost.


    "Ana, after the fight with Jared and me losing consciousness, ROOT retrieved the weapons I gave you. So, for you, I will be handing over 3,000 of my Sacred Treasures." I said.


    Since they might affect her Realm Of Limbo if I give her more, it''s best to y it safe and grant her 3,000. Besides, this amount should be enough for the mission.


    "Shamac, I''ll be giving you this..."


    I brought forth my hand, and an object immediately materialized on my hand. It had the shape of a tiny sphere, like a pill. It was ck but also glowed purple.


    "This is a Dark Pill. It aids creatures of the night such as you, also..."


    I brought forth my other hand and another pill manifested on it. This one had an orange color and glowed yellow.


    "This is an Energy Pill. It should increase the total level of stamina and energy you have, while also boosting all your capabilities."


    I gave him the two and told him to hold onto it for the moment.


    "There''s a special way to ingest it, so be patient"


    I turned over to Talia. So far, she has improved well, but it''s not enough for me to be impressed. After considering a lot of things within ROOT during the time I was unconscious, I realized that if I spoil her any further, she will have no room to grow.


    "As for you Talia..."


    She looked at me expectantly, waiting for what I would give her.


    "You don''t need anything" I said.


    "W-Wha....?!" She was stunned by my response and appeared confused.


    There''s no need to be, my reasoning is simple. Currently, Talia possesses 9 Fairy Wings, but she can barely use them since doing so will destroy her body. Currently, she is using my ''Cocoon Of Darkness'' to hold her body together. Giving her any more ''gifts'' could very much kill her. The only thing she can do now is to learn how to better control her powers and adapt her body to them.


    "You have yet to make the power of those wings yours, I will not give you another," I said to her.


    Her face exhibited disappointment, not toward me, but herself. She is right to be. She has such high potential sleeping within her, but it seems she was satisfied with just scratching the surface, fortunately, that has changed.


    My ''Cocoon'' within her is a high investment. Its use is for more than just holding her fragile lump of meat together. She better not waste it.


    "Now that I have given you gifts, I will now separate you into separate spaces. I will divide my consciousness as well so I can equally monitor your progress. Time will be sped up here at a ratio of 10:1. We''ll be spending 50 days here, equivalent to 5 in the real world. I hope you are all prepared." I said.


    "Yes!" They all affirmed.


    With a snap of my fingers, they all disappeared from my sight. I closed my eyes and focused on my consciousness. I split them into four parts.


    "10 percent for each of them, and the final 70 percent will remain" I muttered.


    I did this and sent my consciousness to the venues where I kept my subordinates. While the 10 percents take care of them, the main one will be elsewhere... In my body.


    I gasped as I awakened from my lifeless slumber. With no one in the room, but me, I sat up on my bed. 70 percent of my consciousness is currently in this body while the rest are with Talia, Shamac, and Ana.


    While they are upied, it''s best I put myself to good use and make the proper preparations I need to without their interference.


    "It''s time to get to work" I muttered.


    ______________________


    "Heh, are you excited for the Expedition?" A man dressed as a ssic Adventurer said to hisrades in the bar.


    The table was filled with six of them, four men and two women, all dressed in their respective wear. They had a beer in front of them as they merrily conversed.


    "Of course! It''s a golden opportunity after all!" Another answered.


    "B-But will we really be fine though? We don''t know the first thing about Adventuring. We just signed upst week because of this event..." A nervous member of the crew spoke up.


    She wore sses and appeared flustered by almost everything, that included the presence of so many men and their loud chatter in therge bar.


    While they were dressed as Adventurers, these were actually inexperienced people, one of many who quickly registered so they could also take their chances to gain riches and fame in the Vanishing Dungeon.


    "Would you rx? Do you think your big bro doesn''t know what he''s doing? I''m already prepared for this!" The one who looked like their leader, wearing better sets of equipment, said smugly.


    "O-Ohhhh..." The others beamed at him.


    "I hired us a veteran Adventurer who will be acting as our guide within the Dungeon. Since he is a solo Adventurer, we are forming a temporary party with him. With him there, it''ll be safer for us" The leader smirked.


    "W-Wow! As expected of our leader!" One of them said brightly


    "We''ll follow you forever, boss!" They hailed.


    "Hehe, of course. Oh, speak of the devil. He is here already..." The leader said, looking beyond their table as he saw someone just enter the bar.


    The man wore decent armor, though not as great as the Leader. He walked slowly and carefully. The look on his face showed the expression of someone who had seen death countless times and from his gait, it was clear that this man was on his guard.


    He had an especially noticeable katana scabbard by his waist, and it seemed he guarded it carefully with every step he took.


    "Oi, Oi! Over here!!!" The leader shouted, calling the man''s attention to their table.


    He looked over at them and nodded in recognition. He walked to their table and smiled tiredly when he saw them all. They had left an empty seat for him, and offered it with a friendly gesture.


    "Ohhh! He indeed looks like a veteran!"


    "Just look at his eyes"


    "How long has he been an Adventurer?"


    As they mumbled amongst themselves, the Leader addresses the Adventurer who sat among them.


    "Don''t mind them, they''re just a little too excited about this Dungeon. You know, it''s going to be a life-changer for us" He said.


    "It''s fine, I understand... Who wouldn''t be happy about a game-changer?" The Adventurer chuckled hoarsely, and his voice hinted a sad tone.


    "S-So... Why don''t you introduce yourself to the group?" The Leader said, not sure why the man he hired was being so off.


    At this point, everyone at the table stopped their talks and paid rapt attention to the Adventurer.


    "Nice to meet you all. My name is Nathan... And I''ll be a temporary member of your party. As your guide through the Dungeon, no harm shalle to you, that I swear!" He said to them.


    His tired and eerie face slowly transformed as he let out a smile. Here he was once again with another party.... How nostalgic.

 Chapter 116 - New Comrades

    "Let us all Introduce ourselves¡­ I''ll go first!" The leader of the group of people that sat at the table said.


    They were a caravan of six, as novice adventurers who only signed up for the expedition, they needed Nathan''s help. Nathan, of course, obliged as long as they paid him.


    As for whether he had other ns concerning the innocent group¡­ He didn''t show any signs.


    "My name is Jack! As you can see, I''m the leader of this small group! We came to Lamar to be famous and make tons of money!" He dered energetically.


    Nathan sighed to himself. Overly optimistic people like him were bound to get killed first.


    "U-Um¡­ M-My name is Lydia¡­ I-I''m also a member of this group¡­ E-Erm, nice to meet you¡­" The girl wearing sses amp g them said shyly.


    She covered her face as soon as she was done with her introduction.


    "She looks young. What is someone who looks this young doing as an Adventurer?" Nathan asked himself, staring at her curiously.


    She lifted her head a little and met his eyes. Her face turned red as the both of them looked at each other and she buried her face underarms once again.


    " Lydia, when will you learn to grow a pair, oh wait¡­ That doesn''t sound right," The other female in the group said.


    She had a rough noise and a domineering personality. Even from her attire, it was easy to guess that she was not one known for her womanly charms. She was a tomboy.


    "Oi, Mr. Guide. My name is Lucy. Unlike this girl here, I actually get shit done. As our leader said, we want to make lots of money and be really famous, that''s why we''re here, and that''s why we hired you!" She said to Jared in a casual uncaring tone.


    "What a brat. She''s no older than 18, yet she''s behaving in such a manner. Does she not know how dangerous Dungeons are?" Nathan thought to himself.


    "I can not guarantee what you will find there. I can only promise your safety," Nathan responded.


    "That much is enough. Don''t mind Lucy. She can be overbearing and impatient at times, but she means well" Jack, the leader, said with a shortugh.


    "H-Hey¡­" Lucy let out, looking flustered by Jack''s statement.


    "I see, so it''s not that she''s a bad girl, she''s just acting all tough. She''s quite simple, isn''t she?" Nathan concluded.


    "I''m Desmond"


    "I''m Carl"


    "I''m Puck"


    Thest three members of the group introduced themselves. They all looked average, and not very impressive when it came to their potential and level of skill. However, they all had decent-looking equipment.


    "They must have some level of wealth¡­ Maybe they''re rich kids who want to strike a fortune or make a name for themselves here¡­" Nathan considered.


    After all, they had even hired him as a guide. Most newbie adventurers wouldn''t think of doing that, and even the ones who did couldn''t afford it. Paying an Adventurer to stick by a bunch of nobodies was something that would be costly after all.


    "Now that we''ve all gotten to know each other, let''s leave it to our Guide to tell us what to do from here on out. I''m thinking we should start training to prepare more for the Dungeon. What do you think Mr... Erm?" Jack said in his usual energetic manner, slowing down as he reached the point of saying Nathan''s name.


    "It''s Nathan" He answered.


    "Ou, right, right¡­ Sorry. My bad" Jack grinned from ear to ear.


    "This guy is an idiot." Nathan rolled his eyes.


    H looked at the party before him. To ensure their survival in the Dungeon he had his work cut out for him.


    He had promised himself to always be cautious even with the prize right in front of him. No matter how tempting the golden egg he saw was, he wouldn''t take a single step without going through every variable.


    In order not to make the same mistake asst time, costing the lives of everyone who followed and trusted him¡­ He had to be prepared, and that went for them as well.


    "We''ll be training for the next few days before the ''Raid Conquest''. It would be best if I knew the skills and specialties of each of you so we can be better organized once we enter the dungeon." Nathan exined.


    "O-Oh, that makes sense" Jack nodded in satisfaction.


    "What about you guys, what do you think?" He asked the rest of his party members.


    Lucy still put up her usual strong front, but she clearly supported the idea. Lydia still buried her face, but raised one hand and gave a thumbs-up, showing she agreed.


    The remaining three men all nodded in agreement.


    "Good. Then I''ll see you tomorrow¡­" Nathan said, rising from his seat.


    "T-That''s it? Leaving so soon? Why don''t you stay with us? Drink with us,e on, Nathan. We were just about to order something nice too!" Jack offered.


    "N-No, I really shouldn''t¡­" Nathan said hesitantly.


    "Come on, what''s the big deal, right guys?" Jack insisted.


    "Just sit down and stop making a fuss, mister" Lucy grumbled.


    Lydia once again raised her hand and made a thumbs up.


    The three other men nodded in agreement to Jack.


    Nathan stared at the strange new party he was with, they were an odd bunch indeed. He sighed as he took his seat once again.


    "Then, thank you for having me," He said with a wry smile.


    "That''s more like it! Hehe hehe," Jackughed.


    Nathan returned theugh with a chuckle. Lucy alsoughed as well. The three young men, confused about what was happening, felt left out and decided to join in.


    Maybe it was because they were a little drunk, or they were excited, but this new group made Nathan envy their carefreeness. They had such hope, such light¡­ Then he remembered Marie, one who also had the same light.


    He clenched his fist underneath the table with resolve. No matter what¡­ He was going to be a man she would be proud of!

 Chapter 117 - The Vanishing Dungeon

    From what Nathan discovered about the bunch, they actually had an impressive bnce in their party.


    The leader, Jack, was a short-range fighter. He had a Relic, the shape of a small stick which he always by his waist. Once activated, the stuck transformed into a mighty Axe. This allowed him to deal heavy damage to his foes.


    Lydia was a long-rangebatant. She had a bracelet that was also a Relic. It glowed whenever she focused and closed her eyes, and brought forth bursts of ice. ording to her, it could also generate Ice spikes.


    Lucy was a mid-range fighter. Her Relic was the ck scarf she tied around her neck. Whenever she activated it, it wrapped all over her body, giving her a form of dark armor. Its purpose was for both offense and defense, and from what he could see, its durability was quite high,parable to steel, yet flexible enough for her to movefortably in. The dark covering made her offensive capabilities increase by a lot. She could alsounch dark whips from a portion of her cloth which could grab the targets she faced, or sh them.


    The remaining three were support members. One was their porter, having a sack Relic that hadrge storage space. Another had a Relic that could make him invisible for a short period, perfect for acting as a scout or picking up loot without the enemy''s notice. The final one had a barrier Relic, perfect for defense and regrouping.


    Each of their Relics was not of high grade though. At most they were Grade 7, and that was Nathan being generous. Still, he was surprised. Even possessing Relics such as these was an amazing feat for regr Adventurers, yet a bunch of newbies had them.


    "As I thought¡­ They aren''t ordinary kids¡­" Nathan mumbled to himself.


    "Great. We have trained for thest few days, and while we aren''t invincible in our formation and arsenal, I''d say we make a very formidable party. I doubt any Adventurer would be a match for us¡­ If we''re not counting the higher-ranked ones." Nathan said with a smile.


    "Yeah, about that. How does the Rank stuff work anyway? And the quests, how are they issued?" Jack asked.


    Nathan had wondered when they would ask him. To them, he was someone they all looked up to for answers in nearly everything. Even Lucy, who was initially cold, had warmed up to him and even tried to be friendly. They were all innocent and na?ve kids, the oldest who was Jack was not more than 20 years.


    "Adventurers are divided into 5 major ranks. The Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond and tinum, Bronze being the weakest and tinum the highest." Nathan exined.


    "O-Oh¡­ Wow¡­" They said in awe as Nathan exined.


    "As for quests, they follow simr patterns with Relics. We have Grade 9 to Grade 1 quests. Grade 1 quests are the most difficult, while Grade 9 is the easiest. I''m sure even you lot can handle Grade 9 quests, maybe even Grade 8." Nathan smiled.


    "So, what Rank is Mister Nathan?" They asked him, their faces showing expectancy.


    "I am a Gold Ranked Adventurer¡­ As such, the quests I can ept are limited to Grade 4, any higher and it''s outside my range." Nathan sighed, satiating their curiosity.


    "W-Wow! Doesn''t that mean Mister Nathan is pretty average?" Lucy said with a grin.


    After all, Gold was in the middle neither low nor high.


    That stung Nathan but he held himself together. The Rank he mentioned to her was the one he had before the time he got the ''de of Rupture''. With the Grade 3 Relic by his side, he was at least a Diamond Ranked Adventurer, if not tinum. However, he kept this to himself.


    Besides, as an Adventurer who also made a living plundering the goods of his party members, it was of more benefit that his rank was ced in the middle, maintaining a bnce in his profession.


    "There is also Party Ranking. Party Ranking is simr to that of Relics or Quests. They are in Grades. Having at least three Gold Ranked Adventurers in a party can allow them to take on a quest one rank above the individual Gold Rank. So, in a Party with two more Gold ranks, I can take on a Grade 3 Quest¡­ Too bad you guys are still Bronze ranked" Nathan said.


    This time it was Lucy who felt the burn of his words, as he gave her an evil grin. She gritted her teeth as she looked at him helplessly. She had noeback. He was right, after all.


    "Now, that''s enough of that. We should get going now. It''s gettingte, and the Raid Conquest begins tomorrow" Nathan said.


    "Oh,e on. What''s the big hurry? It''s just a like 30 minutes from the field back to the city" Lucy groaned, not willing to stand up from where she was resting.


    "Come on, you guys. I want to show you something" He smiled at them assuredly.


    They all looked at each other in confusion, wondering what else he had in store for them, in the city for that matter. They decided not to question him and stood up reluctantly.


    After minutes of walking and arriving within the city, Nathan took them to one of thergest public buildings in Lamar. They went to the penthouse of the building, climbing the stairs quietly as they followed his lead and wondered what they were looking for there.


    By the time they got there, they found out that many others were also there, arge crowd of people waited there, chattering loudly.


    "What are we doing here? Why did you bring us up here?" Lucy asked apprehensively.


    "Eeek" Lydia squared, frightened by the crowd she saw. She was a shy person, after all.


    "Rx. Be patient¡­ It''ll happen any moment now¡­"Nathan smiled, looking beyond them, beyond the crowd, at the wide space in front of him.


    Suddenly, dark clouds started forming and harsh winds raged. The winds blew in a wild manner, causing everyone on the roof to brace themselves.


    "W-What is this?" Lucyined.


    "You''re new here, so you must not know, but the Vanishing Dungeon always appears at a specific ce and time. Veteran Adventurers who have lived in Lamar for a long time all know this¡­ And right now¡­ Is the time!" Nathan smiled.


    Thunder struck and the entire city became darkened, as though it was night.


    A massive structure suddenly appeared in the air, surrounded by thunder and raging winds. It looked huge, it looked ominous¡­ Magnificently eerie.


    "This is it, everyone¡­ The Vanishing Dungeon."


    And tomorrow, the Raid would begin

 Chapter 118 - The Raid Conquest

    "Wee back..."


    Talia, Shamac, and Ana came out of ROOT''s portal, as well as 30 percent of my consciousness. The three of them all have exhausted looks, their attire all worn out, even though the clothes have resistance for wear and stain.


    "They must have worked really hard, then" I smiled


    I havee to realize, after receiving memories of the time spent with them... That these three havee very far in terms of abilities. I''m happy I spent much time with them, well... Technically, a part of me did.


    They have all grown considerably well.


    "Tomorrow, it begins," I said.


    "Get some rest, you''ve earned it."


    I sped ROOT''s time up quite a bit, making them spend about 50 days within it. I could have made their trainingst longer, but this is their limit. Any more, and their bodies wouldn''t be able to handle it.


    With the information I obtained from my fragmented consciousness, and the preparations I have made while they were within ROOT, everything is going perfectly well.


    Tomorrow should be good.


    [THE NEXT DAY]


    "Everyone... It is finally the moment you have all been waiting for! The Vanishing Dungeon has appeared" A speaker announced, standing on an elevated tform as he addressed the crowd energetically.


    He used a sound-enhancing Relic to make his voice travel to everyone who watched and listened to him.


    "Whoooooooo!!!!!"


    The crowd gave out exciting noises.


    Currently, we are beneath the Vanishing Dungeon which is floating above our heads.


    However, the Dungeon ced anchors that attached themselves to the ground. These anchors generated Gates, distorted points in space which links the Anchors to the Dungeon itself.


    There are a total of four anchors, making four distinct centers, or points of entry to the Dungeon.


    The massive crowd belongs to the first center, consisting of the bulk of the Adventurers. The second center is used by the Diamond ranks, the third is used by the tinum ranks, and the final... That is reserved for only one.


    Everyone cheered excitedly, at least... Nearly everyone. The ones who remained silent and observed the situation calmly, not giving themselves to the excitement that seemed to radiate around everyone, are the top-ranked Adventurers. Since we aren''t even staying among the rest of the crowd, we only watched them from our distance, smiling at their desperation and enthusiasm.


    "How pitiful. See how they scurry about like mice" One of the tinum ranked mused, watching the adventures who pushed among themselves impatiently.


    He''s not wrong.


    It is finally time to begin the Raid Conquest. ording to Lamar''s Adventurers Guild Rules, there are protocols to be followed when challenging the Dungeon.


    While it is free for any Adventurer to challenge it, there had to be somews and restrictions put in ce, lest the event became an unruly asion.


    Some Adventurers are given priority in the order of entry, starting from the topmost rank to the bottom ranks. This means, we tinum Adventurers get to enter the Dungeon before others, followed by Diamond and so on. This has attracted some dissatisfaction from other Adventures, calling it bias... But it''s no one''s fault that they are weak.


    Currently, the mob who keep bellowing beside us tinum ranked Adventurers are Bronze rank to Gold. The Diamond Ranks also have their centers, different from the masses.


    I looked around me and observed the other Adventurers with me. Apart from my party of four, the tinum ranked Adventurers are only five. They all possess at least three Relics on them, and their pieces of equipment are all impressive.


    I observed one, in particr, the one who is said to have amassed riches and fame in thest Raid... I noticed the Relics he had, feeling drawn toward them.


    "Those are... Mine..." I muttered.


    Now I see why he is ced at number two among the highest-ranked Adventurers. With such treasures, it''ll be a breeze.


    "The top-ranked Adventurer isn''t here...?" Shamac whispered to Talia.


    "Idiot, don''t you know? He has a center all to himself. They say he is in a separate ss on his own!" Talia replied, fishing Shamac.


    We are, after all, among the most seasoned of veterans it won''t do well if we appear to be inexperienced.


    Still, though... Not to sound conceited, but I thought they would be paying a little more attention to our group. We did shoot up the Rankings in no time at all. But, they don''t seem to be even looking at us.


    Oh well, as long as they don''t get in my way... I don''t need to bother about them.


    If I count the top Adventurer in Lamarbined with the rest of us, we tinum Ranked Adventurers make a total number of 10.


    We have our Adventurer badges, with our respective cements on them.


    I am tinum Rank Adventurer, Rank 8


    Ana is Rank 9


    Talia is Rank 10


    While Shamac... Is Rank 7.


    He did finish the earliest in our tests. Plus, I''m sure Jared wouldn''t reveal what really happened in our fight to the Adventurers Guild.


    "The Rank is inconsequential. After this expedition, a lot will change anyway." I muttered to myself.


    The Adventurers below us are numbered in hundreds, no, thousands. At least three thousand of them are there. Too bad most of them will die in this Raid.


    "Likembs to the ughter" I smiled.


    "We will nowmence warping!" The Announcer said to everyone present.


    "tinum Ranks, you may enter!"


    One by one, the higher-ranked tinum Rankers entered the portal which was ced before us, directly in front of the anchor. We waited until they were done. Finally, it became our turn.


    "Everyone, hold onto me as we enter" I instructed.


    Talia and Ana held both my hands while Shamac trapped my side a little, feeling nervous as he did so.


    "Pull yourself together," I told him.


    We''re only doing this out of necessity. Due to the nature of the Vanishing Dungeon, if we do not maintain physical contact with ourselves when we enter the Gate, we would end up reappearing at different locations within the Dungeon.


    "Let''s go!" I gleamed.


    We entered the shimmering blue portal, delving into the distorted point in space as we could feel our body warp into uncharted territory.


    We appeared at a deste ce, filled with nothing but an endless hallway withrge stone pirs holding the ceiling with their tough structure.


    It was dark and empty, the feel exhibited an ancient and dreadful feel. The darkness was dimly contrasted by tiny bulbs of stones that shone. They possessed different colors; blue, red, and white.


    "Aspectal Stones..." I muttered.


    They are ores which contain concentrated Aspect properties. They make good mineral resources for the humans, quite pricey too. However, to me they barely pass as a good light source.


    "We''re here... Within the Vanishing Dungeon... Whoah, it looks so ominous!" Talia said with wonder.


    Shamac also beamed as he looked around him. Ana, though she tried to hide it, looked excited as well.


    It''s no surprise they are this way, after all this should be their first time in a Dungeon. But for me, it''s not really anything special. I know where we currently are.


    We are in the hallway leading to the room that will take us to the next floor. Not bad. I would have preferred it if we had arrived directly at the fifth floor, but this will suffice.


    I should use this opportunity to observe how these little ones have grown.


    After all, to advance to the next floor one needs to conquer the room that grants ess to it. It is poprly known by humans as the ''Boss Room''.


    "Let''s move, everyone" I ordered, walking forward without a moment''s dy.


    Talia and Shamac snapped from their gawking and followed behind me quickly, while Ana still maintained her pace a short distance behind me. She''s sharp, out of everyone here she still has the highest capabilities.


    "Where are we going?" Talia asked excitedly.


    "The Boss room. We''ll advance to the fourth floor, then to the fifth floor. Once we get there... The fun will truly start" I responded.


    "O-Oh wow! I can''t wait then! It''s time to show you just what I can do!" Talia grinned with


    delight.


    If only she knows what the ''fun'' actually means. There is a ''Hidden Scenario'' of the Vanishing Dungeon they only I know of, since no one has discovered it yet. For me to get what I want from the Final Boss Room, I''ll need to activate it. However, once I do... Nearly everyone''s life here is forfeit.


    "What an Idiot. Boss already knows what you can do. He was instructing all of us, wasn''t he?" Shamac heaved a sigh as he shook his head.


    Talia''s face turned red as she looked mortified. She made a face at Shamac, who simply ignored her and gave a mischievous smile.


    I smiled at this. Shamac is finally bing morefortable with the group. That''s good progress. What a surprise though, to think he would point that out to Talia. He''s smarter than I gave him credit for, rather... Maybe it''s the other way around.


    Perhaps it''s just Talia who is stupid.


    After walking for some time, we finally made it to the gate leading to the Boss Room of the 3rd Floor.


    As the massive gate stood before us, my party and I all smiled confidently. After all, we all know this will be a breeze.


    The true goal is still far ahead.

 Chapter 119 - Party

    Boss Monsters, the most feared and powerful of beasts that exist. They possess great strength and power iparable to normal ones.


    For every floor, there is a Boss Room, where one faces the Boss monster. Even if one finds it easy to subjugate the monsters on a floor, facing the Boss Monster is a different ball game altogether.


    In most instances¡­ Challenging the Boss Room alone means death, so Adventurers often challenge Boss Rooms in groups, whether by making temporary parties or their official ones.


    "Huuu¡­"


    However, that logic does not apply to my Party¡­ Because individually, each member of my party can easily subdue a Boss Monster.


    "That was boring¡­ It wasn''t even that strong" Talia muttered.


    She sat on top of the belly of the in beast. A giant three-headed chimera. Lacerations covered its entire body and its three heads were separated from the body, having the final face of terror. Blood filled the ground where the corpsey, and Talia yawned where she sat.


    The Boss is by far not a weak one,pared to mundane standards. It''s just that Talia has grown stronger.


    "That''s not fair! I wanted to fight too!" Shamac grumbled.


    He had also prepared to attack the Boss Monster, but since Talia is faster, she got to the prey before him.


    "Don''t let it get to you, Shamac¡­ You''ll get your chance soon enough" Ana calmly stated, though it''s only to suppress her feelings of frustration that Talia beat her to their first Boss monster.


    "Okay, that''s enough moping around. Let''s move on to the next floor" I smiled, walking toward the hidden passageway which had formed after the Boss Monster was defeated.


    In a single leap, Talia hurdled through the pool of blood and monster gore. Shended among Shamac and Ana gracefully. The three of them immediately left their positions and gravitated toward me.


    We left the Boss Room and entered the passageway which had stairs leading to an upper level. The fourth floor awaits.


    Maybe I should let Shamax handle the next boss monster¡­


    [THE SECOND FLOOR]


    "Good. It looks like we are all here¡­" Nathan said, looking at the group of novice Adventurers he entered the Dungeon with.


    Nathan was well aware of the random teleportation the Gate imposed on those who entered it.


    This phenomenon had caused a lot of confusion and death during the first few attempted Raids. Eventually, the Adventurers discovered the mechanism of the Gates, preventing further fatalities in the future.


    "You all did well sticking together, well done" He smiled.


    The young and inexperienced Adventures smiled with embarrassment, some even blushed due to hispliment and warm smile. Nathan always made sure to praise them for every effort they made, no matter how little. But¡­


    "However, we must still be cautious. From the looks of it, we''ve been transported to the beginning of the second floor¡­" Nathan muttered, looking all around him.


    "I-Is that a bad thing?" Lydia muttered nervously.


    Since this was the first time within the ce, the whole group, except Nathan, looked at their surrounding. They had a mix of nervousness and excitement. They came to make a fortune, as well as fame. Finally, here they were¡­ In the ce that could make that happen.


    However, unlike a ce of dreams, the second floor they found themselves in had no morous appearance. Instead, they felt somewhat uneasy, like something kept watching them¡­ A creeping feeling dwelt about them.


    The ceilings of the floor were so high up that the space in the room was very wide. There were massive statues that held up the ceiling, in ce of statues. Each statue was distinct from the other, having differing appearances, sexes, and sizes.


    Cobwebs were seen all over the ceilings and even the statues looked old and abandoned. Of course, this was normal, after all this ce hadn''t been visited in a year.


    "No, not necessarily. In fact, I think it''s perfect. Sure, the rewards are more the higher you go up in the floors, but so are the dangers." Nathan stated.


    "For Beginners such as yourself, it''s better for us to start at a lower level and advance to the higher ones. There''s no need to rush, we have 15 days, after all," He added.


    "O-Oh¡­ I see¡­" Lydia responded in her usual shy and unsure tone


    "I said that but it''s good we didn''t end up on the first floor. That would mean the others would have a head start on us, and it''ll take us longer to get worthwhile treasures. So this is the ideal floor to begin. Still, we should be careful. Dungeons are unpredictable, and I''m sure you all felt it since we arrived here. That feeling of creeping anxiety, as if our every move is being watched¡­ It''s the aura of the Dungeon. First-timers get thrown off a lot by the eerie vibe of this Dungeon, but slowly you''ll get used to it." Larry exined.


    They all looked relieved as he said this. A wave of assurance started to envelop them, and they regained theirposure. Deep within them, they were happy that they had involved Nathan in their Party.


    "I can''t even imagine how things would be without this guy with us¡­" Jack thought within himself.


    None of them knew Nathan''s true strength, or whether he was even that formidable an Adventurer. However, from the few days they had spent with him and the conversations they had, they all developed the thought¡­


    "We are safest with this man!"


    "We should start advancing and gain as much ground as we can. Day and night are rtive and can not bepared to the outside world. As you can see the ceilings are covered, so we can''t even tell what time it is. That''s why¡­ We need to act quickly, taking breaks only when we feel exhausted." Nathan said, beginning to walk forward.


    They all followed after him when they noticed his movements.


    "B-But how do we know when the 15 days are up? I mean, if we don''t get out within the time frame¡­ Won''t we be stuck here forever?" Lucy asked, looking around her as she walked.


    The idea of being in such a ce for a year wasn''t something she wasfortable with. If they missed their window to leave the Dungeon, wouldn''t that mean they would have to wait until the next year before they could leave? If that was the case, then¡­


    "No need to worry about that" Nathan smiled at Lucy''s naivety.


    "Once 15 days are up, the Dungeon automatically teleports everyone to the outside world. Just like the way we warped here, we''ll be sent out" He pointed out.


    Their faces expressed surprise as Nathan revealed this.


    "Besides, what''s the point in counting days? Since we arrived here, did you see an entrance or exit?" He asked.


    An ufortable sweat appeared on their faces. He was right. The Gate had warped them to their current location. There was no sign or method of going back. That meant whether they liked it or not, they were trapped in the Dungeon until the 15 day Dungeon period passed.


    "B-But what if we want to leave before the time limit?" Puck said, looking uneasy.


    Puck was the Porter of the party, and while he was an easygoing fellow, in face of danger and uncertainty, he got easily scared. This made Nathan wonder if he was actually reliable.


    "I guess that''s why he''s in the position of Porter, the least dangerous upation" Nathan had thought to himself.


    "You can''t leave before the time is up. But there''s no need to be so afraid. If an Adventurer does not wish to continue, he can just return to his starting point. Starting points are always safe zones, so no monster will attack you there. Plus, you never get hungry or thirsty here for the 15 days spent here, so there''s no need to worry about food supply" Nathan exined.


    "F-For real?! How is that even possible? No need to eat?" Jack let out in shock, more concerned about Nathan''sst statement.


    Puck looked more relieved after hearing Nathan''s exnation and so his anxiety died down a little. Nathan continued his exnation since the rest of his party looked at him with wonder.


    "No one knows how it works exactly, there''s so much we still don''t know about this Dungeon after all¡­ But it is true. The only thing one requires is rest. As long as you rest for a considerable period, your strength and vitality return."


    "A-Amazing!" They beamed.


    "Are you guys for real? You really didn''t know about this? Why do you think we didn''t bring any foodstuff with us? Not just us, you didn''t see any luggage with the other Adventurers before we entered here right? Didn''t you wonder about that?" Nathan asked in surprise.


    "Weeelll¡­." Their voices trailed.


    "I thought we''d hunt monsters and eat them, like real Adventurers!" Lucy said carelessly.


    "Welp, me too!"


    "Tee hee¡­"


    Nathan looked at his new party with a disbelieving look. Not only were they inexperienced, but they were actually way too carefree and ignorant.


    "Did you guys not learn about this Dungeon before deciding to venture into it?" He asked them.


    A guilty look appeared on their faces which made him conclude they didn''t. He sighed to himself. He had promised himself never to be careless again after what happened to hisst Party, but here he was, with a party that was exactly that, careless!


    With a heavy sigh and a look of disappointment and dismay, he thought about their prospects within the Dungeon.


    "Oh god¡­ Will we really be alright?"

 Chapter 120 - First Dungeon Fight

    "Oh god, will we really be alright?" Nathan thought to himself in worry.


    The Party left the starting zone and advanced, marching forward in the eerie ce. Dead silence yed in the air, interrupted only by their mping footsteps as they kept moving.


    After moving for some time, they came upon a vast, empty room. Immediately, the young party members alerted themselves, remembering the words Nathan told them early on.


    "It looks like we''re here, the first challenge.." Nathan muttered.


    The floor suddenly shook as the stony surface cracked and shattered apart. The rocks formed from the debris slowly began to move and gravitate toward one another. The lumps joined with one another, creating a structure that everyone knew quite well.


    "Stone Golems!" Nathan smiled.


    From the pirs of statues in the starting floor to the unusually stone-filled area, it was a given that the monsters they would encounter would be rted to such structures.


    Since the Vanishing Dungeon appears every year, Adventurers have explored many floors within it, with each floor having its distinct structure and monster. The Adventurers Guildpiled this information and made it avable to those who needed it, at a price of course.


    Many people jumped at this opportunity, purchasing the reports since it would make the Raid Conquest rtively easier and safer. However, due to the increase in demand, the cost of the Dungeon Information skyrocketed. This absurd price discouraged many, except those still willing to pay the price. Those who couldn''t, decided to take their chances instead. After all¡­ Adventurers ventured into the Dungeon in the past without any need for such information.


    Nathan''s party did not purchase any information on though. This happened because the all information and Dungeon records the Guild had in stock had already been sold out. The cause of such was his party''s negligence. They didn''t make their move on time.


    But, on a floor like the Second Floor, whether they had the information or not was inconsequential. For such a low-level floor¡­ Nathan already knew everything to know about it.


    "You all know what to do, right? Just like we practiced!" Nathanmanded.


    "Got it!"


    "Roger!"


    "Yes"


    "Okay"


    U-Understood!"


    <Nod>


    Jack, Desmond, Lucy, Carl, Lydia, and Puck respectively responded.


    Immediately, they took formation, spreading themselves to their pre-assigned positions. Puck was at the rear end of the group, with Lydia standing right in front of him, touching her bracelet to activate her Relic.


    Desmond, the stealth Relic user, stayed at the far left corner, already activating his Relic to perform his role. Carl was a bit ahead of Lydia, ready to erect his barrier should the need arise. In essence, he stayed in the middle of the Party.


    Jack, Lucy, and Nathan we''re at the forefront. Since they had the highest offensive capabilities, they would serve as the vanguard and strike the enemy. Nathan and Jack took the right and left corners while Lucy stayed in the middle since her attacks had the widest range.


    Nathan observed the group''s formation and smiled. They had done this within a moment, not hesitating at all. They weren''t as bad as they seemed.


    "I''ll downy my offensive capability so that they can fight properly. If I use the ''de Of Rupture'', I will end finishing the job for them" Nathan thought.


    They needed to develop their teamwork and battle experience as much as possible. If he merely ''carried'' them, then they wouldn''t grow.


    The golems finished forming, numbering in nearly two dozen.


    "Ten, fifteen, neen¡­ Twenty! There are twenty of them... That''s perfect!" Nathan smiled.


    "Let''s begin!"


    "Guorghhhhh!!!!" The Golems screeched with their unnaturally formed mouths.


    They smashed their rocky fists of the already battered floor, showing their hostility toward the Adventurers. The inexperienced people felt slightly flustered but maintained formation. They believed in Nathan''s n.


    "He''s always very cautious. For him to be smiling like this¡­ It can only mean one thing¡­" They all thought within themselves.


    "¡­ We can win!"


    Changing toward them, the three attack members in the Party brought out their means of attack.


    Jack''s morphed stick, now turned axe, was already on his hands, tightly enveloped by his tightened palm.


    "Oraaaa!!!" Jack yelled, jumping up with his heavy weapon raised.


    "Guek?!" The rock golems in his nearby vicinity faced him automatically.


    "Eat thisss!"


    His axe crashed into the stony body of the lifeless structure, causing it to crack and shatter apart.


    However, the separated stones began to move again, slowly attracted to the Golem''s battered body.


    "Oh, no you don''t!" Jack grinned.


    He smashed his Axe on the Golem again, causing its body to crack open even more. Its chest region was now entirely exposed thanks to the damage Jack made to it. Within it was a glowing red orb, as small as a little ball.


    "That must be the Golem core Nathan mentioned!"


    With one final swing, Jack hacked the glowing sphere, causing it to break apart. As the core shattered, the Golem halted its movements and the separated parts of the Golem''s body stopped drawing back to the main structure.


    <CRASH!>


    Its rocky body fell apart, indicating that the Golem was done for. Jack smiled, he won¡­ He actually subjugated his first Dungeon monster.


    "This isn''t as hard as I thought¡­ I can do this¡­ I can!" Jack clenched his fist with determination, now brimming with confidence.


    But, he also knew he couldn''t celebrate too early. After all, he had only struck down one of 20¡­. There were still many others left.


    At the same time Jack faced his first Golem, Lucy was also getting herself busy. She wrapped her Relic around her entire body, forming her Battle armor.


    "I won''t get outdone by anyone!" Lucy said excitedly, wanting to take out the most monsters.


    Her body brimmed with power as the dark red scarf covered her body. As strong as steel, as light as cotton¡­ This was her perfect partner.


    Quickly, she rushed toward her first Golem, the one closest to her. Without wasting time, sheunched wraps of her armor to the rock monster. The part of her armor thrust out and lunged at the target, like high-speed chains. They wrapped themselves around it, constraining the monster.


    "Hyaaa!" She yelled, drawing it toward her.


    The Golem was moved from its position, forcefully pulled by Lucy''s strong wraps. Approaching her at high speed, Lucy prepared herself to hit it as soon as it entered her range. Within a moment, it reached her range and she smiled with excitement.


    Lucy leaped into the air and turned her body in a horizontal form. She strengthened her two legs andunched the both of them in a straight thrust, directed at the helpless Golem.


    <CRACKKK!!!>


    The rock surface of the Golem immediately shattered apart upon impact. At the moment her legs crashed into the monster, she released her hold on it. This caused the entire body of the monster to break apart and scatter all around the room.


    The core fell on the ground, making a change sound as itnded. Before the stones had any chance to slowly reconstruct into their previous state, Lucy crushed the orb instantly. The animated rocks lost their motion immediately.


    "One down, many more to go! Bring it on ya blockheads!" Lucy shouted excitedly.


    While the two were upied with handling a single Golem, Nathan sighed as he easily avoided the strikes of the countless Golems which swarmed him.


    "Ah, how frustrating¡­ I can''t even fight¡­" Nathan muttered.


    For the sake of improving them, he yielded any seriousbat on his part. He had to match their pace to improve their confidence. After Jack defeated his Golem adversary, and Lucy also seeded on her end, Nathan used his de to instantly sh two of the monsters that lunged at him.


    Immediately, in a fine line, he split them into two, core and all. The Golems fell apart instantly, giving Nathan enough room to take a few steps back in retreat away from the many Golems around him.


    "Now then, I suppose it''s time for the second part¡­" He muttered.


    He looked in Lydia''s direction and gave her a slight nod. It was finally the moment for her to strike. Lydia saw his nod and gave a slight nod too. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her bracelet even more.


    "Jack, Lucy, now!" Nathan shouted.


    Upon hearing this, Jack and Lucyunched away from the Golems after respectively killing two in total. They had to follow the n, even though they were already getting caught up in the moment.


    If they weren''t careful, they would get swept up in the attack that was toe. As they stepped away, the Golems clustered in a group, as was their formation, and charged at the retreating party.


    However, it was no good.


    "I''m ready!" Lydia said, her hands stretched toward the direction of the marching Golems.


    Her bracelet glowed bright blue, creating an icy mist in her surrounding. She heaved a cold sigh and most of the frost gathered all around her.


    The three members of the vanguard dispersed, making way for Lydia''s wave of offense.


    "Icy burst!!!" She dered.


    Immediately, a massive wave of blue mist and flowed from around her and charged straight ahead to the approaching Golems. The cold smoke swept through the moving stones, immediately enveloping their vicinity.


    Their bodies slowed down and frost marks appeared on their hard surfaces. Before long, they stopped moving.


    "Excellent! Now then, let us continue!" Nathan grinned.

 Chapter 121 - Shamacs Turn

    Lydia''s Relic is the most powerful of the novice group of Adventurers.


    Nathan realized this after examining their Relics one after the other during their times of training. While the Relics of the others were around Grade 9, hers was definitely a Grade 8, possibly a Grade 7. Since he wasn''t an appraiser, Nathan couldn''t urately attribute a rank to it.


    He knew it was powerful though.


    The icy burst attacks which spread a severely cold mist freeze anything within it in seconds. Since their opponents were Stone Golems, the attack was even more effective on them.


    "Stones have a very high cold conductivity. The attack should be even more active against them than on regr targets." Nathan smiled to himself.


    There was, however, a problem with her Relic¡­ It took too long to use a single attack. This is why Lydia stayed at the rear end to support the team once her Relic charged enough tounch her assault.


    The tactic was simple, yet effective. The mist slowly dissipated, revealing a clearer image of the lumps of stone the group was up against. Just as Nathan nned, the monsters had beenpletely frozen.


    "They''re not dead yet, and the effects won''tst forever. Let''s take them now before they break free!" Nathan quickly said, returning to face the monsters.


    Lucy and Jack followed him and readied their Relics to strike. Jack raised his axe and plunged it toward a frozen blue-brown Golem. The monster shattered apart easily, almost like ss. Jack was surprised by the ease of the task that was now at hand. He saw the glowing orb among the shattered debris of the Golem and quickly smashed it.


    Lucy, unlike Jack, relied on speed inbat. Thanks to her Relic suit, her speed was greatly increased, giving her an edge in a battle that required minimal efforts to strike, and more speed to deal with many enemies at once. She dashed through the crowd of frozen Golems, using straps from her suit to slice through the enemies. After dealing damage to a couple of them, she proceeded to destroy their cores.


    Nathan watched them as they excitedly killed these monsters with ease. As he did so, he casually swung his de toward a Golem beside him, who was already regaining motion. The Golem shattered apart, core included.


    The subjugation was a sess, the party cleared their first Dungeon hunt. Everyone appeared excited. Puck, the Porter went to retrieve the valuable parts of the Golem, which wasn''t, in any way, much.


    "Just take only the cores. It can be used by the Adventurers Guild. Though the price isn''t too great, it''s still something. Besides, this is something we got from all your hard work. Good job." Nathan retorted.


    Carl and Desmond didn''t y any role in this round, but Nathan knew very well that as they advanced to the upper floors, their skills would be indispensable.


    "Now then¡­ Let us move on!"


    [THE FOURTH FLOOR]


    "Alright, since Talia handled the 3rd Floor Boss Room, why don''t we see what Shamac can do?" I said.


    Our group has already reached the 4th Floor Boss room. Of course, we passed through various mob rooms, but those small fries aren''t worth any attention. With a snap of my fingers, they all disintegrated as we made our advance.


    The theme of the fourth floor is ''Reptiles''. We saw our fair share of them on our way to this room, and the one behind this door is no different¡­ The Boss Monster. I already know what kind of Boss we''ll be facing, but let''s see how they deal with it.


    "W-Why Shamac?" Ana muttered, trying to hide her flustered state.


    Did she think I would pick her? No way, that''s just going to be a waste. Ana''s powers are too much for any of the lower floors. I don''t want my ace among my ves to face just any kind of opponent, especially when she''s using my Treasures.


    "Are you questioning my decision?"


    Ana''s face froze and her body quivered upon hearing those words. It seems I''ve been too lenient on these people. They are, after all, ultimately ves. It''s always effective for them to love me rather than just fear me, however, it''s also important to exert dominance once in a while.


    "N-No, never my lord!" She eximed with trembling.


    "Oh? So you are saying I''m wrongfully using you?" I responded with narrowed eyes.


    She gulped as she looked at me with fright and reverence.


    "N-No¡­ I¡­I¡­" She stuttered, unsure of what to say.


    This has suddenly be amusing to me. Ana''s usually stoic face, now expressing this look of confusion and nervousness¡­ What a silly performance.


    "It''s alright, Ana. It''s natural for you to make mistakes once in a while. You are only human, after all." I said, patting her head as I drew closer to her.


    "M-My lord, you are too kind!" She muttered, flustered by my reaction.


    Yet, I sense pleasure in her voice. She must really like being patted like this. I suppose it''s normal since I am synonymous with god in her eyes.


    "That''s enough of that. Let''s get on with this, shall we? Shamac, are you ready?" I said, facing the one I have entrusted with the Boss monster.


    "Y-Yes! Just watch me, Boss! I''ll be done in no time" He grinned excitedly.


    What a child.


    With a slight push, Shamac made the massive gate in front of us part. It creaked loudly,spreading its rusty parts wide as it allowed us to look inside it.


    Without any dy, Shamac stepped into the room and we followed. I observed his gait from behind him, confident and fierce. It seems he''s going to be showing me something interesting.


    The Boss room this time is swampy, with moss growing everywhere and a feel of the moist and damp atmosphere is enough to make a normal person shiver. A thick fog covered the room, making the area barely visible.


    An unpleasant smell also filled everywhere, making everyone''s nose cringe. Of course, I''m only saying this because that is the setting, it''s no problem for me. I switched off my respiratory function so I don''t need to take in such unsanitary air.


    "Oof, this ce reeks" Talia gagged.


    "Youck the degree of self-control to tolerate this¡­ But you are right. The smell is indeed foul. Just what manner of beast lies here?" Ana responded.


    "Ssssssssss¡­."


    A subtle hissing sound filled the room. It was in a low tone, barely audible. However, our ears picked it up since our senses are all heightened.


    "¡­SSSSSSSSSS¡­." The sound became more pronounced.


    Everyone looked around the room, wondering what was causing such a sound, however, Shamac seems to have already guessed the culprit.


    "It''s a snake... Having transformed into its kind many times, I know of its sounds, habitat, and preferences. This is a snake¡­" Shamac muttered.


    "Eek¡­?" Talia squeaked a little.


    Correct! Well, he''s only half right anyway. Because it''s not just any kind of snake.


    "Haaaaaa!!!" The beast finally emerged from the foggyyer all around us and showed its face.


    It wasn''t just any kind of snake that they had imagined. Having three heads and an enormous body, the trunk of its slithery body had already wrapped itself around our vicinity, surrounding us.


    They were all shocked by the sight before them. The Boss of the room is a Hydra, one of the most troublesome creatures in existence.


    The fog slowly cleared, revealing the monstrosity Shamac would face. Shamac''s eyes bulged as he saw the creature. It was wayrger than the Boss Talia faced, and its speed would also be a problem.


    The regenerative factor, freakish strength, toughness, speed, size¡­. In everything it far supersedes Shamac.


    Shamac is the slowest of my ves, and also the weakest. I wonder how he''ll handle this.


    "¡­.Sssss¡­." The Hydra red at us, intruders of his home.


    "W-Wow¡­ That''s one big snake¡­" Talia chuckled nervously.


    Why is she so unnerved? Judging her based on her current strength, she should be able to beat it. Unless¡­


    "Talia, are you scared of snakes?" I asked her.


    "W-W-W-Whaaaa¡­ N-No way¡­!" She eximed nervously.


    What an unconvincing performance. She''s definitely scared of them, and I''m not the only one who thinks so.


    Everyone looked at Talia with a smug look. The other two finally know one of her weaknesses, and they appear amused by this.


    "Are you sure you can handle it?" Ana turned to ask Shamac with a look of concern.


    His bulging eyes twitched as he stared at the massive beast. He slowly calmed himself. After taking a deep breath, he exhaled with a look of relief.


    Shamac turned to all of us and smirked confidently.


    "What do you think I am? This will be a piece of cake. As for my earlier behavior, I was just getting a little too excited is all." He replied.


    He looked at me and I nodded. I do not doubt his Abilities. He might be the weakest of the three, but he has something they do not possess¡­ The limitless possibilities of evolution.


    He is a Shifter, able to manipte his Aspects. Both his Shadow and his body¡­ There is no greater strength than being inplete control of one''s self.


    The rest have a limit to their growth, but as long as Shamac continues to give in to his dark impulses and go up against even higher creatures he will be invincible.


    After all, he can literally be anything he wants to be.


    "Go on, Shamac. Show me what you can do."


    He nodded.


    "Yes, Boss!"

 Chapter 122 - The Hydra

    "Yes, Boss!" Shamac said with a determined smile.


    The Hydra tilted its three heads as it focused on the three of us, prepared to devour its prey. Shamac stepped forward, leaving the rest of us behind him to attack the monster.


    Since its tail blocked the entrance, there is no means of escape from the room unless it is beaten. We won''t be needing that though.


    The Hydra suddenly lunged one of its three heads to attack Shamac, who steadily approached it. The giant face crashed into the mossy ground, causing debris to fly everywhere due to the impact.


    Shamac appeared beside the head, having sessfully evaded the strike. The eyes of the Hydra went to Shamac and quickly turned its head to sweep through and crash on him.


    He back-flipped and quickly transformed into a bird, flying above the reach of the monster''s giant body. Using his newly acquired wings, he soared above, close to the ceiling, and then dived back down, propelling himself to the remaining two heads of the Hydra.


    They immediately looked up and noticed his descent. They both opened their mouths and hissed at him.


    "Haaaaaa"


    Suddenly, gas came out of both their mouths, with varying colors of green and purple, they proceeded like clouds of smoke and swept through the air, burying Shamac within their contents.


    The greenish-purple vapor filled the area of the ceiling and below and we all observed how the ceiling corroded as the gas touched it. The structure started breaking down and appeared to be melting.


    "It''s acid?!" Talia eximed.


    "No¡­ Shamac¡­" Ana muttered, looking worried.


    These girls can''t be serious.


    "It''s not just acid. Each head of the hydra has different breaths. One breathes out acid, the other is poison¡­ The green and purple smoke is abination of the two.


    "W-What?! Isn''t that too much?!" Talia let out in concern.


    No, it isn''t. I suppose it''s understandable that they are worried. After all, I trained them separately. However, their worry for Shamac is misced. The reason is simple¡­


    "I-Is that¡­ Shamac?" Talia muttered as she looked up and saw a figureing from the smoke.


    With darkness covering his entire body like a cloak, he appeared from the extremely dangerous vapor unscathed. Since he had shapeshifted back into his regr form, he descended from his height andnded safely on the ground without any difficulty.


    The shadow which covered his body retracted and returned underneath him. With his real body revealed, he didn''t have any damaged look, meaning he had been unharmed by the corrosive attacks of the Hydra.


    At this point, the head which was on the ground reunited with the remaining two, and so the three all red at Shamac. Its focus was no longer on us since we didn''t bother it.


    "So that''s what he was trying to do¡­" Ana said with observation.


    "Oh? Did she notice?" I found myself thinking.


    "He used the first strike opportunity to distance himself from us and made all the three heads attack him in session. This way their attention has shifted from us and are now on him." Ana continued.


    Well, she''s not wrong. But that''s not all he did. I thought she had picked it up, but she didn''t notice after all. Shamac''s first move was evasion and scouting. He didn''t render a single attack, even though he could.


    I can only think of one reason he did it.


    "Let''s keep our eyes peeled. You''re going to see something interesting soon enough." I smiled.


    Shamac exhaled deeply as he stared at the three-headed beast. It bared its fangs at Shamac, ready tounch another barrage of attacks. However, the look on his face showed that he wouldn''t be ying tag with the massive snake anymore.


    "I''ve gotten the structure already. Anatomy, shape, size, properties¡­ All information areplete. Conditions have been satisfied. Now then, let us begin the real fight." Shamac said as it locked eyes with the monster.


    A deadly aura began to emit from him as he red at the beast, the killing intent was too obvious. The Hydra reacted to this state of Shamac and recognized him as an immediate threat.


    Without any moment''s dy, the Hydra took in deep breaths, puffing up its throat areas. This indicated that they wanted to pour out their deadly vials upon Shamac. Since they sensed his malevolence, they wanted to end it quickly before


    The three heads poured out a massive wave of poison, acid, and fire. As it rained down, all heading toward Shamac where he stood, the young Shifter merely smiled. His face gleamed with excitement as his lips opened slightly to utter words.


    "¡­MODEL: HYDRA¡­"


    The threefold deadly elementsnded on the area where Shamac stood and devastated the expanse. A massive explosion of mes mixed in corrosive elements burst through and created a deafening pressure. The waves of the st spread across to where we stayed, so I used Hex to create a barrier to protect the girls from the poison and acids that sttered and spread all around the room.


    The explosion died down, sizzling into the smoke that came afterward.


    "This huge st¡­ Just from a Floor 4 Boss¡­ It''s way more powerfulpared to the Chimera I faced." Talia said in wonder.


    Of course, the difference in difficulty between floors is very wide. That''s why so far, the Adventurers who challenge this Dungeon mostly retire after advancing a few floors.


    But¡­


    "So that''s the best you can do¡­?!" Shamac''s voice sounded


    The mist made by the earlier bombardment of the monster''s attacks began to clear. A dark silhouette was visible within the cloud. It was not that of a human. Its long appearance, with itsrge and massive structure, coupled with three intersections emanating from a single trunk, made the girls strain their eyes to see what the mysterious apparition was.


    "It looks¡­ Almost like a¡­" Talia muttered.


    Suddenly, a great gust of wind blew, clearing away the smoke, restoring sight to everyone present.


    Their eyes bulged and mouths opened slightly at the sight before them. It was a second Hydra. It was just asrge as the first, long, with three heads and a menacing face. The scales all around it were detailed as well, like a perfect duplicate. However, one thing was different.


    "That''s a shadow isn''t it?!" Ana eximed.


    Yes, it is.


    Shamac stood at the center of the coiling second Hydra, with its dark color and purple scale lines evident on the body, the huge mass of pure darkness slithered about and faced the original.


    "Shamac needs urate and detailed information of something before he can transform into it" I muttered.


    "T-Then that means, his evasion tactics were just so he could buy time and fully understand the Hydra''s structure...?" Ana turned to me in realization.


    Indeed. Throughout our training, I ensured to drill the concepts of Shifting into Shamac. He took both pills I gave him and raised his efficiency and total mass of his shadow. In the past, his shadow wouldn''t have been enough to create such a big monster, but now¡­ He isn''t even using up to half of its total mass.


    "Let''s go, Hydra. I want to see who is more superior. You or my Shadow construct!" Shamac grinned.


    "Hisssss!!!!" The Hydra let out in rage.


    "Oh? Why are you mad? I was nice enough to make a sparring partner, just for you. What do you think? It''spletely identical to you, no?" He said with a demeaning tone.


    The Hydra immediately charged at the Hydra Shadow construct of Shamac to rip to shreds. With great speed, its long body sped, and due to its mass, the force built up was devastating.


    "No, you don''t!"


    As it approached, Shamac immediately controlled his Hydra to twist itself, evading the bash of the opponent, while also using its dark body to wrap itself around the monster.


    "In the end, you''re just a beast¡­ You can''t be a match.


    Nice one, Shamac. But that won''t be enough. It''s a mistake to restrain the Hydra.


    "Haaaaa!!!"


    The Hydra suddenly released a corrosive element from its skin, dealing damage to Shamac''s shadow. The liquid substance it generated from its pores were also slimy, allowing the monster to slip away.


    "Tch" Shamac grunted with dissatisfaction.


    The Hydra leaped away and stuck itself to the ceiling, by drying off the slimy liquid which had be sticky at this point.


    "What is it doing?" Talia muttered.


    "By increasing its body temperature, the Hydra can secret corrosive liquid from its pores, after some time, it dries off and be sticky. This usually leads to molting." I exined.


    Now then, Shamac, what will you do?


    The three mouths of the monster opened widely and brought out massive amounts of the contents they had. It was double the previous amount, targeted at Shamac''s construct.


    "I don''t think so," Shamac said.


    He brought forth another mass of shadow from underneath him and used it as a shield, blocking off the offense the monster pulled.


    "BOOOOM!!!!"


    A muchrger explosion sounded, causing the room to quake in its wake. With the shield blocking his construct, the explosion was redirected to the Hydra, causing it to suffer damage.


    "Hiiiiiiik!!!" The monster screeched in pain, falling from the ceiling where it stuck itself.


    Itnded on its belly, causing a massive crash. The body of the monster throbbed, as it suffered from burns caused by its attack.


    "Skreeee¡­."


    As the monster continued to struggle on the floor, wiggling its huge body, Shamac advanced slowly, with his Hydra behind him.


    "Now, now¡­ Don''t die on me yet. We''re just getting started"


    His face depicted a sadistic smile as he watched the injured creature squirm in pain.. This was the Shamac of the present¡­ Merciless.

 Chapter 123 - Like Master, Like Servant

    Two monsters stood side by side, facing each other in a vicious dance.


    One was a wounded creature, battered up by its attacks and seemed to be in pain. The other was one who reveled in the monster''s pain and grinned with satisfaction at the sight.


    "Come on, rise¡­ We''re just getting started!"


    Shamac''s eyes beamed with pleasure as he dominated a weaker vessel. With his Hydra construct twirled around him, he approached the injured opponent.


    "Hisssss!!!!" The Hydra made a warning sound, ring at Shamac with the eyes on its three heads.


    This desperate attempt to keep Shamac away didn''t work as he kept advancing, nearing the Hydra.


    In ast-ditch attempt to rid itself of Shamac, the Hydra released a powerful cloud of mist filled with poison. The gas hissed as it filled the area surrounding the Hydra, once again developing everywhere in fog.


    Shamac halted since his line of vision had been hindered. However, before he could fully grasp the situation, he felt a gush of wind pass his side. The pressure was so massive that Shamac immediately guessed what it was.


    Whether it was a survival instinct or the natural protection of life, no one could ascertain. However, the Hydra had decided to make its escape through the very gates it obstructed with itsrge tail.


    Since the gates were veryrge, they would allow it to leave, and to live. After using the poisonous fog to block their vision, making them temporarily hesitate, it quickly lunged at the gate to save itself. However¡­


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    Shamac''s voice reverberated around the room. This harsh tone of his was followed by shadows appearing from the front of the gate where the Snake was. The shadows took the form of massive spikes which pierced the hard skin of the monster, causing it to screech in pain.


    "I''m not done¡­" Shamac grinned.


    From beneath the Hydra, shadows also appeared and pierced its entire body. The purple blood of the beast spurted everywhere, and it wiggled in struggle, as the spikes grewrger, raising the massive body of the glorified snake above ground.


    It helplessly shook as it hissed in pain. Itsst-ditch attempt was thwarted. The monster was exhausted, wounded, and most of all¡­


    "What''s wrong? Why can''t you use your poison? Acid? mes? Come on¡­ Fight for a little longer" Shamac said to it.


    The beast hissed in both hatred and pain as it continued to pointlessly struggle and cling to life. It couldn''t use any of its special attacks if it wanted to. After all, the Hydra''s nds could only produce a limited amount of toxins and mmable gas. It had exhausted its supply in its fight with Shamac.


    Thest strand the Hydra had was used up when it released the gas for cover while it escaped. Unfortunately, it didn''t work out for it. With its body dangling among the sharp shadows, it finally realized that struggle was pointless.


    Slowly, it lost strength and ceased its screeched and merely resigned itself to its fate.


    "Done already? Very well¡­ I''ll end it for you," Shamac said, having a bored look in his eyes.


    The Hydra construct of shadow took deep breaths, erging their throat region. They opened their mouths and released a deadly mix of fire, acid, and poison. With the difference being a darker tint in Shamac''s attacks, thanks to the influence of his shadow.


    "You should die by your own attacks." He muttered.


    The mes consumed the monster, while acid and poison enveloped the monster as it once again wiggled due to the sharp and sudden sensation of the burning attack.


    "Skreeeeeee!!!!!" It screeched, its eyes bulging in desperation and pain.


    "The three gases mixed and created a massive spark, causing a giant explosion.


    "BOOMMMM!!!!"


    The Hydra''s body was bombarded by this huge eruption, causing its entire body to get corroded, burnt, and withered. The st sent its body parts flying about, its tail, chunks of its trunks, and its heads were dislocated due to the shockwave.


    "I forgot to tell you¡­ My Hydra is just a little better than you." Shamac smiled.


    The explosion his construct caused superseded any of the Hydra''s.


    The explosion caused massive waves of dust and smoke, filling the entire area with whitish-grey elements.


    "W-Wow¡­." Talia muttered as she stared at the chaotic world beyond the Hex barrier she was in.


    Suddenly, a great gust of wind blew, causing the smoke all around to clear instantly. As everything became visible, it was clear that Shamac had used his construct''s tail to sweep away the dust everywhere.


    "Urgh, I hate dust¡­" He muttered.


    With the dust cleared, and everything within the room clearly visible, Ana and Talia could do nothing but look around them in wonder as they saw chunks of monster parts. The blood of the monster dripped from the wall, oozing all about. The devastated mash of Hydra meat hung everywhere even the ceiling, thanks to the st that sent the body tearing apart.


    "¡­ I''m done," Shamac said, moving closer to the group.


    Everyone was shocked by the fight, the feats he disyed, and the sadistic nature he had established¡­ Everybody except one¡­


    [MY TURN]


    Impressive.


    Shamac entirely dominated the fight, a style simr to mine. He must be trying to mimic me by prolonging a fight he could end very quickly, gaining thrill as he watches the opponent bathe in despair and helplessness.


    "Like master, like servant, eh?" I muttered.


    "Boss! How did I do?" Shamac came to be and asked with a cheerful smile.


    Looks like he''s back to normal. He looks nothing like the sadistic and cold person who fought the Hydra. He can keep these two sides of himself separate, a feat that I have tomend.


    As his master I should praise him, shouldn''t I?


    "Well done Shamac, very impressive." I smiled.


    "Really?" He beamed.


    "Yes, truly you have met my expectations"


    After this reply, I ced my hand on his shoulder and smiled at him with reassurance.


    During our time training together, for 50 days I taught him the most. Since he had two different sides to his ability, it took twice as much work. But it was well worth it.


    He doesn''t even appear to be exhausted. Now, we''ll be advancing to the 5th floor, my target location.


    The hidden passage to the 5th floor opened up since we have subjugated the Boss Monster. The body parts of the monster began to shimmer as they turned into particles.


    "W-What''s going on?" Shamac asked, wondering whether something was wrong with the prey had just had hunted.


    "That''s just the respawning effect. After we leave this floor, it''ll return the monster to its original state" I replied.


    "What? Why?!" Shamac protested.


    "It''s to maintain bnce and equal chances to everyone. If we subjugate all the monsters as we proceed, what happens to those on the lower floors? When they reach the floor we have left, do you expect them not to fight any monster?"


    Upon hearing this, Shamac calmed himself and considered my words.


    "Besides, the Hydra you fought is also a respawned version. Others have arrived here before us, since we got transported to the 3rd floor, it only makes sense that some will be ahead of us." I added.


    "That''s true¡­ It all makes sense¡­" He muttered.


    Of course. after all, I designed this system. The respawning effects work the same way my ''Causality Reversal'' Hex does. Since everything here was designed by me, I can return them to their original state, even in death.


    I set it to an automatic function, so the effects kick in whether I want to or not.


    "But what about the Chimera I faced? I didn''t see any glowing erm¡­ Respawning effect" Talia said.


    "That''s true¡­ I also didn''t notice anything." Ana muttered.


    Of course, nothing would happen. Take a just mindlessly rushed in and pummeled the monster, killing it off before the Respawn effects could even have a chance to take ce.


    "The system kicks in after a particr amount of time. The Dungeon Boss, Chimera, wasn''t supposed to have been defeated so easily and quickly. That''s why no Respawn effect took ce immediately. I''m sure after we left, it was applied." I exined.


    "O-Oh¡­ Haha," Taliaughed sheepishly.


    What a dunce. Unlike her,Shamac took his time to savor the fight with his opponent, learning and growing from the experience. Nothing profitablees from a quick end in a fight. But, once a fight is dragged out, more information can be obtained.


    That''s one of the reasons I prolong my fights. It''s not profitable to instantly defeat my enemies, except for small fry who can''t even be considered to be a threat to me.


    "That''s enough of that¡­ It''s time for us to advance"


    "Let us move on," I said, walking to the passageway leading to the 5th Floor.


    The rest followed behind me excitedly, anticipating the next crazy thing we would see.


    [MEANWHILE]


    "So¡­ Where are they now?" Ady dressed in white, a long white coat, donned with golden essories, such as earrings, nes, bracelets, and rings.


    Her white hair flowed, nearly reaching the tip of the ground, and wless skin glowed in the brightly lit room. She was staring at a young girl before her.


    "They are now proceeding to the 5th floor." The young girl responded, her eyes closed as she concentrated on something else so she could see the group they were after.


    "And she''s still with them?" The white-ddy asked.


    "Yes, Lady Lauria is in theirpany¡­"


    "Alright. Well done, Sofia. I''m tired of waiting for them on this floor¡­ We''re going down to get them!" She said with a resolved look.


    "Understood, Lady Gratiana."

 Chapter 124 - Dungeon Night

    [The Second Floor]


    "Whew¡­ We''ve made considerable progress for today. Let''s stop here for now!" Nathan heaved.


    They had journeyed for a while, raiding nearly a dozen mob rooms they could find. The rewards they found were as Nathan expected, mediocre.


    Since it was a lower floor, the level of treasures that could be acquired there was nothing morous, nothing special at all.


    However, the Party members still cherished them, even the ones Nathan wanted to discard. They insisted on taking the little rewards with them, despite Nathan''s exnation of their little use.


    "Let''s keep them anyway! If we see better things, we''ll leave these. But for now¡­ They are still our treasures!" They said.


    Nathan sighed and let them be. They continued the process of navigating through the Second Floor, battling the golems, statues, and y monsters they encountered. Finally, after moving nonstop, their pace began to slow down.


    After observing the party members, Nathan decided it was time for them to take a break.


    "They''re still kids, after all¡­" He muttered.


    The group decided to make camp in one of the safe zones that exist between two mob rooms, settling down for rest. Puck brought out their necessary supplies, arge mat, and some nkets, one for each of them.


    "You should all get a short rest, I''ll take first watch. After a while, we''ll proceed. It''s best to make the most progress, conserving our rest period." Nathan said.


    They all responded positively andy on the mat, covering themselves in their nkets to provide a sense offort and warmth.


    Nathan made a short distance between himself and the group, watching them drift slowly into unconsciousness. He was certain there was no need to keep watch, after all, they were in the safe zone. However, it made the youngds feel a sense of security since he offered to do so.


    "They''ll be able to rest well now, without any worries of what may happen¡­" His thoughts trailed.


    Their time together had been brief, no doubt about that, but he liked this party. They were all immature and na?ve, perfect for being prey. However, they were also warm, friendly, cheerful, and seemingly carefree. He always wondered how they had managed to survive this long in such a messed-up world.


    Most of all, they all adored and respected Nathan, more than he could bear. The party members looked at him with such eyes of expectation, reverence, and awe¡­ Looks he knew he didn''t deserve to receive. However, they warmed his heart¡­ He thought only being with Marie could give him such warmth, but being with these people made him feel something he thought he had lost forever.


    Comradeship.


    Nathan suddenly felt a slow movement approach him. Immediately, he nced to his side and found that one of the party members had left her sleep ande to him.


    "S-Sir Nathan¡­ E-Erm¡­" Lydia muttered, moving closer to Nathan where he stood.


    She interlocked her hands and kept rubbing them against each other in nervousness. She moved slowly to Nathan, who was surprised to see her still awake.


    "Lydia, What''s wrong, why are you still up? You should be sleeping" Nathanmented.


    She pursed her lips in uncertainty, deciding on what to say to him. After some moments of consideration, she moved forward and made a slow advance on him.


    "S-Sir Nathan¡­ I-I just¡­" She stuttered.


    "What does she want? Is the bed ufortable for her? Maybe she''s not used to sleeping on such a surface¡­ Whatever Jr is, why is sheing to me?" He asked within himself.


    "I want to tell you something¡­" She whispered.


    Her face reddened and her body throbbed in nervousness, even more than normal.


    Nathan observed her body movement and guesses what she was about to tell him. He sighed to himself.


    He knew he was an attractive man, that was one of the tools he used to deceive a lot of people. However, he had downyed a lot of this by acting very stern and cold, doing so to intentionally ensure they maintained a professional rtionship.


    "I love Marie, I can''t see myself with any other woman¡­ I should tell her that"


    "However, it is very rude to cut someone short when they are confessing. I should hear her out first¡­" He thought.


    She closed her eyes and tightened her hands to let out the words that had been squirming within her heart for so long. It was embarrassing, it was awkward, but she said it anyway. Because¡­ Those were her feelings.


    "T-Thank you for all you''ve done for us, Sir Nathan. I know we can be a handful at times, and you may have gotten tired of us¡­ But you brought us this far withoutining once. You faced off against the monsters with us and even guided us with your heart. Thank you so much!" She passionately spoke with her eyes still shut and her face flushed with an embarrassed look.


    "O-Oh¡­ Is that so¡­?" Nathan said awkwardly, ashamed at himself for being presumptuous.


    "It''s fine Lydia. Your group paid me anyway, so it''s only right I deliver. I''m just doing my job¡­" He responded.


    "Still¡­ I know we''re slowing you down. Even when fighting the monsters, I could tell you were holding back for the rest of us. And even now, we are resting, but you''re not tired yet¡­ I''m sure if you were not stuck with us, you would have reached a much higher floor by now and gotten even better treasure. Yet, you''re always looking out for us.You want us to use our strength and improve, but you also don''t want to push us hard, you''re a considerate guide¡­ Thank you sir Nathan¡­" She added


    "It''s fine. As I said, I was just doing my job¡­ But, to be honest¡­ It''s been a while since I''ve been a member of a Party, especially one as lovely as this one. I actually enjoy yourpany¡­" Nathan smiled warmly at her


    "But why? Mister Nathan seems like a nice person, and you''re also powerful. Surely, you should be able to easily find yourself a party. What happened?" Lydia asked innocently, drawing her face curiously toward Nathan.


    Immediately he heard this, Nathan''s face darkened a little. He has just been reminded of a memory best forgotten, his dark and gory past... How he lost his previous party and had caused the death of the members.


    "I... I actually had a Party in the past¡­ But¡­" His voice trailed.


    "What happened?" She asked.


    "They all died¡­ We went for a job, I mean, a Quest¡­ We thought it was going to be a simple break-in, so we carried it out¡­ But, we didn''t know just how horrifying the ce we ventured into was¡­"


    "O-Oh, n-no way¡­


    "We were attacked and picked off, one by one¡­ I heard screams and saw the blood of myrades¡­ Their gory body and then apart limbs. It was all so vivid, I can''t forget till now. I was captured by the monsters who did such a horrific act, and I was bound to die! But¡­" He said in a gentle and tired whisper.


    "H-How did you survive? How did you escape?" She asked him with zing curiosity.


    Lydia felt huge remorse for the tragedy that befell him and hisrades. However, she was also curious as to why he was still standing before her.


    "I¡­ That''s a secret¡­ A story for another day¡­" He smiled, as he spoke in a sad tone.


    She felt like asking and prodding further but decided against it. She was already being too imposing.


    "O-Okay, that''s fine¡­ Sorry if I overstepped my bounds¡­" She muttered in withdrawal.


    "No, it''s fine. It''s just¡­ I''m not ready to talk about it yet¡­" He smiled at her.


    She nodded and smiled back.


    "You should really have some sleep. I''ll be pushing you even further by the time I wake you all up" Nathan said in a yful tone


    "A-Alright! Roger that!" She saluted nervously.


    A moment of awkward silence enveloped the room, however before they knew it, they both burst into snickers, graduating to beughter.


    "Fufufufufuahahahaha"


    Nathan let out a burst of heartyughter, one he hadn''t had in a while.


    "You know¡­ This is the first time I''ve seen Sir Nathanugh¡­" Lydiamented.


    "R-Really?" Nathan said, flustered by her observation.


    "Yes! It doesn''t look bad on you" Lydia responded with a cheerful smile.


    This was also the first time he had seen such a look on her, but he didn''t want to overstep his bounds by saying that. He merely chuckled at the thought.


    "Since there won''t be any monsters attacking us, you should also get some rest." She added, looking at Nathan with concern.


    Nathan shrugged at her statement and smiled casually.


    "I''m not tired. I''ll join you guys soon enough though."


    "O-Okay then. Goodnight!" She said, hurrying back to her nket and covering herself wholly, hiding her blushing face.


    She still couldn''t believe she had managed a decent conversation with him, something she had always wanted to do.


    "He seems nicer now that I''ve talked to him¡­" She thought to herself.


    She squealed in delight as her face reddened even more. However, she did have one regret concerning her talk with him.


    "In the end, I didn''t confess¡­ I didn''t tell him my feelings for him¡­ Maybe, maybe next time¡­ I''ll tell him that¡­ I-I¡­ I love him¡­"


    As she muttered these words to herself, sleep slowly crept in and she gave in to it. Before long, she was also in the realm of dreams, same with the rest of the party, all except Nathan.


    "Stupid! She was only being a nice girl, yet you had to assume something else was up. What''s wrong with you, Nathan?!" He grimaced, pped his hands on his head in embarrassment.


    However, it wasn''t a bad feeling, what he had.


    To think he would feel the need to talk to another woman but his lover.


    "I really have changed, haven''t I?" He smiled.


    The night was still young, and while Nathan or anyone else could not tell the difference between the time of day, he felt it within him that it was the time for rest.


    He decided to also join his party and venture into the world they were in.


    He slept off too¡­ With a smile on his face and warmth in his heart.. Truly, he found himself a good party.

 Chapter 125 - The Dungeon Raid Continues

    "Wake up, it''s time to advance!" Nathan woke up his party members.


    The group stirred as they were forcefully withdrawn from their blissful sleep into the harsh reality of the Dungeon they were in.


    "Ah, how long were we out for?" Jack muttered, rubbing his eyes as he received consciousness.


    "I''d say approximately 5 hours¡­ Not long, but enough to get decent rest." Nathan responded.


    The rest yawned and stretched as they rose on their feet, smacking their lips as they cleaned their watery eyes. Nathan looked at all of them and smiled, suddenly he felt like their caretaker¡­ A weird feeling indeed.


    This took him back to his n to marry Marie. He was supposed to do so after he and the party challenged the Forest of Monsters. However, after the entire incident with the Minotaurs, he decided to postpone it and get enough money tost them for a long time without needing to work as Adventurers.


    He thought raiding Rio''s house would cut it. He would get countless treasures and if he was lucky, some Relics. He would sell them for a fortune and elope with Marie, living the life of their dreams.


    That hope was shattered now. All he could do was keep his head low and find ways to safely make money to care for himself and his lover.


    "G-Good morning Sir Nathan¡­. H-How w-was your n-night¡­?"


    Nathan turned behind him as he heard the familiar voice call out to him. His eyes met Lydia, the one who greeted him so warmly. As their eyes met, Nathan felt a tinge of embarrassment and difort welling from within him.


    "O-Oh¡­ You too¡­" He muttered.


    She smiled shyly and nodded impulsively, quickly rushing away. She also seemed nervous, more so than usual.


    The rest of the party looked at the reaction of both Nathan and Nadia and wondered among themselves what could have caused such awkward responses.


    Though everyone else still seemed oblivious of what could have transpired between the two, Jack had a gut feeling, making him develop a sly look. He rushed to Nathan''s side and rested his hands on his shoulder while yfully taking him away from the rest of the group.


    "Yo, brooo! What''s up with you and Nadia?" Jack whispered with raised eyebrows.


    He had a wide, excited grin and a gleam in his eyes filled with curiosity. As the oldest of the group, he was mature enough to sense that something had changed between the two of them, and he had to get to the bottom of it.


    "W-What are you talking about?" Nathan asked, doing a poor job of hiding his flustered state.


    "C''mon man! Just tell me¡­ Something is definitely up between you two. Nadia greeting you out of nowhere like that, and your reaction toward her¡­ When did that start happening?" Jack pushed.


    "Stop it, man. Nothing happened. You must still be drowsy. Besides, we''re in a Dungeon. It''s a dangerous ce. You should get silly ideas like that out of your head."


    Nathan quickly retained hisposure, shrugging Jack off his shoulder, while giving him a serious look. This way, he would prove he wasn''t joking. This made Jack smile knowingly.


    "Y-Yeah. You''re right. It''s my bad. Haha. I wouldn''t want to be thinking silly thoughts and get distracted while fighting the monsters after all" Jack said cheerily.


    "Good, looks like you understand." Nathan smiled calmly.


    "Oh, I understand, all right." Jack thought to himself.


    He knew something was definitely going on, but he also realized that if he pushed further, he might not obtain any information. The only way he could get to the bottom of things was by observation.


    It wasn''t like he had any malicious intentions, but he was always a curiousd, and so to satisfy this curiosity, he was willing to dedicate himself to finding things out.


    "Let us proceed¡­" Nathan said as he looked in the direction of all the members of the group while trying to avoid eye contact with Lydia.


    "Yeah!" They responded with determination and proceeded to continue their journey.


    After everyone packed up their luggage, giving it to Puck, they proceeded to the 2nd Floor''s final arena¡­ The Boss Room!


    "I let you all rest yesterday because we''ll need all our energy for this battle," Nathan said to everyone.


    "This is it, everyone. The Boss Room. We''ll be facing more of these as we advance to even higher floors. Once we defeat this monster and proceed, we''ll hardly have any long period of rest. Are you all ready?"


    The group looked nervous as Nathan talked. However, his soothing tone, his reassuring smile, and his confident aura made them believe in him.


    "If Nathan says we can win, then we''ll be fine!" So were their thoughts.


    They all responded positively in agreement.


    "Then, let''s go!"


    As they moved a little further they found it¡­ The gate leading to the Boss Room. It was massive and ominous. The party members could feel an immense amount of pressure emanating from within the gates, most definitely from the boss itself.


    They gulped as they steadily approached it until they were directly before the great door. Two statues stood beside the gate, on opposite ends. They held their respective weapons. One had a sword, the other had a shield. They appeared to be old and cracked, having cobwebs and don''t all over them.


    Lydia stared at them intensely, and somehow she felt like they were somewhat alive. Though that was impossible, perhaps it was her imagination ying tricks on her. She couldn''t help but feel it though¡­ That the old, stone eyes of the two statues watched her and her Party intently.


    She braced herself and pulled her nerves together, refusing to be fazed by such a scary perception. They hade this far and she wasn''t going to pull the team back. She was no liability. She was going to serve as a source of great strength for Nathan, for the Party.


    "I can do this! I am strong!" She assured herself.


    Taking her eyes off the dreary statues, she moved forward and matched thece of everyone else ahead of her.


    With deep breaths, they readied themselves as Nathan ced his hands on the gates of the Boss Room. He inhaled sharply and pushed the enormous bs of stone and metal.


    Slowly, it creaked as the gates parted, revealing the brightly lit room. The Party members couldn''t see much since the opening was only enough for them to proceed into therge room, and not for them to view everything within from their current position.


    They all looked at Nathan expectantly, waiting for his orders, like lost children looking up to their parents for guidance.


    He smiled and nodded to them. Taking the lead, while the others followed behind him¡­ Nathan guided his party to their first Boss.


    [The Fifth Floor]


    Within a day, we''ve made considerable progress. The time left before this Dungeon returns to its solitary space is less than 14 days.


    While this speed is satisfactory for most Adventurers or even unreal, it''s not really impressive to me. We spent most of the time sightseeing since my ves haven''t been in a Dungeon before.


    There''s also the other reason, so it''s not a total waste of time.


    "What I''m after is located in the 5th Floor''s Boss Room. Let''s get a move on. Ana, you''ll be taking on this one. Do not disappoint me." I smiled.


    "Yes, my Lord. I''ll definitely show you a good fight!" She smiled confidently.


    Great, now everyone gets a turn at impressing me with their feats and showing off their growth. This way, there won''t be any dissatisfaction among them.


    Within an hour of rushing through the mobs of the vine-filled dungeon, we finally arrived at the Boss Room. With nt monsters swarming the ce, it was easy for Talia to navigate through, shortening the time it would normally take us to reach our destination.


    The door leading to the Boss Room was covered with vine extensions. Green branches stick to the door, while they reached when the walls and ceiling, even the floor located near the door, pervading the vicinity


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Ana opened the door forcefully, tearing off the attached branches on the door to their body around the walls and ceiling.


    We ventured in, and as expected, the entire room was filled with flora and several nts¡­ A garden to behold.


    "Woo! So pretty!" Taliban beamed as she looked around her.


    I can understand her amazement. She is a fairy, after all. With close connections to nature, Fairies can resonate their Aspects with them tomunicate and control them. A useful Ability, though they mostly use it for their everyday chores.


    The green shrubs and colorful flowers which filled everywhere made the atmosphere tranquil, as a pleasant aroma sifted through the air. Glows made by lighting floras made the room look brighter and magical. Such a beautiful ce indeed.


    However¡­. A Boss Room is still a Boss Room.


    ">BOOOOOOM!!!!!<"


    Everyone''s eyes immediately darted toward the origin of the sound. Their eyes expressed shock as they witnessed the magnificent and gigantic apparition before them.


    "That is¡­" Ana muttered.


    She had only heard of them in books and more. Shamac had never seen anything like it before, but I can tell from the look on Talia''s face¡­ She recognizes this Boss Monster.


    "¡­ That is¡­ A Forest Guardian¡­?!" Talia muttered with teary eyes.

 Chapter 126 - The Forest Guardian

    Forest Guardians¡­ Entities the entire world knows to symbolize nature.


    They possess green bodies, constituted by vines of various kinds. Having a humanoid shape, they possess nearly every feature of a typical man. Two limbs and two legs. They, however, do not possess eyes, noses, and the likes. They use the Aspects around them to observe and interact with nature, spreading their senses throughout the area.


    Their bodies are incredibly erroneous, and they possess an immense density of Aspects,making them an existence that stands above most creatures.


    The Fairies worship their existence, second only to the gods. They are like angels, divine beings who are custodians of the flora¡­ Immortal so long as their duty remains.


    A creature such as this, serving as the Boss Monster of the 5th Floor, of course, Talia would be shaken. The very entity she worshipped would now be taken as an enemy, subjected to subjugation.


    "That is¡­ A Forest Guardian¡­"


    Talia''s eyes were wet from tears. They streamed down her cheeks as she sped her hands together and gazed upon the gigantic sight with paddle and admiration.


    While I am not surprised by this sight, it still disgusts me. It displeases me to see my ve showing subservience to another, especially when it''s a mere boss that I manufactured. Talia shouldn''t make such an expression to anyone but me!


    I am a jealous god, after all.


    "Ana, do it!" Imanded her.


    Ana, who was surprised by the enormous size and identity of the monster was also fazed. Seeing a Forest Guardian here, of all ces, shocked her as well.


    What''s with this overreaction? It''s just a Boss, no special than the others.


    I nced over to Shamac. His expression made me smile, entirely different from the two girls.


    "Would you like to have a go?" I smiled at him.


    Shamac''s wild and exciting look shone even further. He looked at me with wide eyes as he asked in excitement.


    "Can I?!"


    Of course, he''d be excited. He hasn''t seen or heard of this beast before. All he sees when he looks at it is a powerful boss that he wants to fight and defeat.


    If any of them fought the Guardian, they would win, though it might take them some time since it''s kind of tricky.


    "No" I replied.


    His face fell upon hearing my answer.


    "Ana, do you want me to repeat myself?" I said to her, releasing a tiny bit of pressure.


    Immediately, she snapped out of her daze and looked at me apologetically, with fear and trembling.


    "I-I''m sorry my Lord, I got carried away. It won''t happen again, I swear!" She said, flustered by her disgraceful behavior.


    "Sigh, whatever. Just do the needful, already. There''s no time to waste" I replied to her.


    Ana stepped forward, leaving the rest of us behind. She slowly walked toward the monster while we watched her. As Talia saw her move to kill the Guardian, her eyes widened with horror and shock.


    "N-No, don''t!" She protested, desperately stretching her hand to reach Ana.


    "Oh? Are you defying my will right now, Talia?" I asked with a mean tone.


    Her body shivered as she heard my voice and turned to face me slowly.


    Her eyes beheld my re, as I looked down on her low estate with a condescending expression. She was beyond pathetic in this state. I haven''t properly dealt with her, after all.


    "N-No, Hexarion¡­ It''s n-not like that, b-but¡­" She tried to exin herself with a stuttering tone.


    "But what?" I interrupted.


    "That''s a Forest Guardian! It''s a deity to my people, to me¡­ I-I¡­" She sobbed now, her eyes pleading with desperation.


    She wants to spare it? It''s so pathetic that it isn''t even funny. This creature is nothing but a specimen I made for this borate game. Others have defeated it in the past, and it just respawns, forever trapped in the cycle of this Dungeon.


    Surely, she should have realized that. Yet, she''s pleading mercy from me? I''ve changed my mind. I looked at the Forest Guardian and red at it. How can such a worthless existence garner such love and admiration from my ve? Forget Ana beating it, I think I''ll just snap it out of existence right now and get this over with.


    As Ana''s eyes glowed, indicating she was activating her Grace ''Realm Of Limbo'', and I prepared my hand to make short work of the insignificant creature, I suddenly felt something¡­ It approached our location at a terrifying speed and the power apanying it was significantly great.


    "This is¡­" I muttered.


    Suddenly, the wide ceiling above us shattered apart, with the stony debris scattering all around the room in loud crashes and bangs.


    Arge wave of smoke filled the area due to the abrupt destruction that urred. Ana stopped dead on her tracks and dashed back to my location, summoning one of the Treasures within her ''Realm''. She took a defensive stance as she red ahead to see the intruders that forcefully made their entry to the Boss Room.


    Amidst the smoke, the silhouette of two individuals became visible. My ves and I all looked in the direction of the intruders.


    There is a lot to say about them, but¡­


    "Making a gaping hole from the ceiling, eh? I suppose that is one way of gaining ess into a Boss Room. However¡­ I do not appreciate that you''ve disregarded the rules of this game¡­ Whoever you are¡­" I said, ring in the direction of the approaching figures.


    This feeling I''m having can only be as a result of an existence I''ve be recently acquainted with.


    "Filthy mongrel, you dare to speak before me¡­ How absurdly conceited of you¡­" A voice emerged from the foggy area covered in the debris of destruction.


    This pattern of speech, the arrogance in the tone, and ignorant ideology, as expected. These are the very characteristics of the members of the foolish group which continue to defy me.


    "This presence¡­ I-It can''t be¡­" Ana muttered.


    Her eyes bulged and her body trembled. I can feel it, she''s frightened, Scared¡­ Shocked¡­ Just what kind of person is able to demand such an expression from her?


    I saw one of the silhouettes wave their hand, and instantly the dust which impeded our sight was cleared. We saw them all clearly, though I had seen them beforehand due to my enhanced sight.


    The culprits behind the mayhem that has just ensued are none other than these two women who have shown themselves after the smoke dissipated. d in white attire and elegant essories, they are none other than Apostles.


    "I''ve been expecting you¡­" I smiled to myself.

 Chapter 127 - Phenomenal Apostles

    The two women stood before us, at the center of the disastrous sight all around.


    One appears to be a middle-aged woman, having a fierce look in her eyes and an expression of disgust as she stared at us. The other is a child, barely at the beginning of her youth. However, even with such a small frame, I sense great power welling within her. It seems they are both Apostles.


    The debris caused by these women has ruined the lovely garden and lush nts all around us. The ceiling of the room still maintains its destroyed state, making the upper floor visible from below.


    How ugly.


    A moment of silence filled the room. Shamac was stunned by the sudden appearance of the two beautiful women, Talia still recoiled from the trauma of having to kill her beloved Forest Guardian. Ana still shook furiously in fear, as cold sweat covered her body as she stared at one of the two women in front of her.


    "L-L-Lady G-Gratiana¡­" She stuttered in a shaky tone.


    As for me, I''m going to be silent for a little longer to observe this situation and see how it turns out. However, there''s only so much I can take. For the first time, time is not on my side. To trigger the special event, I need to act soon.


    "Trash, who do you think you''re looking at?" The older-looking woman said, ring at me fiercely.


    I''m just going to ignore her¡­


    "Uruuuuuu!!!!" A sound suddenly came from behind the two women.


    The Forest Guardian emerged from the rubble which had buried it earlier and roared in fury. It nced all around it, witnessing the havoc that has been wreaked on the lovely garden he supervised.


    A pained expression covered his face, and though it didn''t have any sense organs, its makeshift mouth widened as it screeched in rage and pain.


    Forest Guardians are usually very docile, and will not attack unless provoked. That''s why, even though we entered the Boss Room, it didn''t make any effort to assault us. It won''t strike without a first move from the other party.


    As a result of their grand entry, they have not only provoked the Guardian, they have incurred its great wrath. After all, they have performed the most unforgivable act in the eyes of the Forest Guardian¡­ Devastating the nts!


    "Roarghhhhhh!!!!"


    The Forest Guardian smashed itsrge hands on the shattered floor, causing a great vibration to reverberate all around the room. The pressure of its cry caused both Shamac and Talia to cover their ears. Ana didn''t even move, she was still trembling in fear.


    Immediately, it rushed toward the Apostles, having a wild look on its face, it raced to devastate the enemies of nature. Within a moment, it covered the distance between them and made to smash its fist upon them.


    The Apostles looked at the monster as it readied its attack. The older-looking one stared at it without emotion, seeing as it desperately put all its might into an attack to obliterate them for their sin.


    The younger one looked scared, having a nervous expression on her face as she gazed upon the gigantic vine monster before her. However, she too didn''t move from her position.


    The hand of the Guardian descended, creating an insane amount of pressure as it neared them. Everything around the room trembled and shook vehemently. Shamac and Talia had to brace themselves in order not to be swept away by the harsh force.


    "¡­"


    "Sofia¡­" The older women muttered


    Immediately, the younger one reacted. She stopped shaking, and her eyes became focused.


    "Yes, Lady Gratiana!" She mumbled. Shaped as an orb


    A spark of light suddenly appeared, covering the two of them entirely. Like an orb of protection, it served as a barrier, countering the mighty fist of the Guardian, just as it reached them.


    ">BOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!<"


    Immediately, the entire room shattered as a result of the impact. The entire garden was torn apart by the chaotic winds and the walls surrounding us were cracked and devastated behind recognition.


    Shamac created a Shadowyer to defend himself and everyone else from the destruction caused by the Forest Guardian, suffering impact due to the sudden blow.


    My body can withstand attacks of this proportion, so I merrily stood and witnessed the full might of the Boss Monster.


    The only thing holding the room intact and keeping it from falling apart now is the special feature I installed in every Boss Room.


    It exists in a separate space, so it will never crumble away even when entirely destroyed. If such a mechanism wasn''t put in ce, Bosses such as this, and the ones on the higher floors wouldpletely destroy their rooms.


    "W-What the hell was that? That''s entirely different from anything we''ve faced so far! How can this even exist as a Boss Monster?!" Shamac whined at the unfairness he was faced with.


    The Hydra he fought was nowherepared to this monstrosity.


    "F-Forest Guardian¡­" Talia sobbed, watching her deity''s fit of rage.


    "T-There''s no way they could''ve survived that, right? There''s just no way!" Shamac yelled, still recovering from the shock himself.


    I wonder about that. The smoke cleared, and visibility returned to the room.


    Now then, let''s see what has be of the Apostles.


    The light barrier still stood erect, without a single dent visible on it. Just as I expected, these are different from the ones I have previously faced.


    Before the Forest Guardian could react to its shock having seen thempletely unscathed by its deadly blow, the Apostles counter attacked.


    In less than a moment, without any sign of attacking it, the Boss had its body sliced into shreds, and then entirely engulfed in golden light. Its whole body bathed in the destructive power which rendered him into dust.


    Just like that¡­ It died.


    "Noooo!!!! Forest Guardian!!!!" Taliban screamed as she witnessed its death.


    Yes, it is dead.


    The Dungeon can not respawn it, since the beast has been rendered entirely disintegrated, broken down into even the littlest of particles, and has scattered all around. Such a high level of damage is beyond the bounds of its mechanics.


    Without any sign of effort, the Apostles made short work of the Forest Guardian


    I''ll admit it, these two are vastly stronger¡­ The Divine Power they possess is phenomenally higher than the Flora and even Ana''s. Especially that older-looking one¡­ She nearly has a tenth of a god''s entire stock¡­ Amazing.


    However, now is no time for indulging in entertainment. I''m so close to my goal and I can''t afford any slip-ups. I''m still more powerful than both of them anyway, so there''s no need in dragging this out any further.


    May major concerns, however, are my ves. Shamac still seems okay, but Talia and Ana are both in terrible shape.


    Disappointing¡­ However, the whole situation is not entirely hopeless.


    In any case, it looks like I can''t ignore these two before me. I also need to attend to my urgent matters, and my top ves are currently traumatized.


    What to do¡­?

 Chapter 128 - Absolute Obedience

    What to do¡­ That isn''t even worth considering, is it?


    I''ll just have to take the most efficient route. In the short run, that would mean killing these two myself. But that would be a waste. Considering the long run is much more preferable.


    "You, You''re Gratiana, correct? Ana''s previous mentor?" I addressed the older-looking woman.


    She looked shocked that I know her name, but that''s the least impressive thing I recall about her. After absorbing Lauria''s memory, I understood the connection between her and her mentor. I didn''t recognize her at first since she looks different and I really wasn''t paying her any heed, until now. Her recent disy of power and the absurd amount of Divine Power, however, made me change my earlier position.


    "H-How ow dare you, heathen! You dare call Mdy in such a direct manner?!" The younger one protested, ring at me angrily.


    Sigh, Apostles and their theatrics. I''m not going to put up with this today.


    "Shut up, brat," I responded.


    She yelped immediately I said this, withdrawing to Gratiana''s blossom. As she hid behind Gratiana, thetter kept looking at me with a surprised and suspicious expression.


    "Mongrel, how do you know my-"


    "Hold on for a moment, I need to have a word with my subordinates" I interrupted, turning away from her.


    "W-Wha¡­?!" She let out, puzzled by my interjection.


    After seeing the Apostle''sdisy of power, even Shamac appears shaken by them, though I reckon his feelings of fear and loyalty toward me are stronger than that.


    The problem is with Talia and Ana¡­ Well, not for long.


    In a sh, I moved from my location and appeared directly before Ana and then Talia, grabbing them by their necks at the same time.


    "Gurgggh"


    "Keukk"


    They both expressed shock and pain by my sudden action as they gagged.


    My hands tightened even further and I raised them, one in each hand. As their legs detached from the floor, they began to wiggle in a futile struggle. Their hands instinctively sped around the hand which held them, pping it and pleading to be released.


    I ignored this and red at the two. As they choked, tears flowed from their eyes and mucus oozed from their nostrils. They pleaded desperately with their faces for me to release them from their suffering.


    Looks like they''ve finally snapped out of your stupid delusions.


    "H-Hey! You Heathen, what do you think you''re doing to Lauria!" Gratiana protested as she red at me, stepping forward to advance.


    This miserable creature¡­


    "I believe I told you to ''Hold On''¡­ Do not make me repeat myself¡­ Fool!" I said, turning my head slowly as I red at her.


    Immediately, the entire room filled up with my pressure. The evil aura made her body jump and caused her hands to shake in instinctive fear. Her face exhibited shock by what just happened. The amount of bloodlust and exertion of the power that I disyed could only mean one thing.


    That I''m dangerously superior to her.


    "S-Sofia!!!" She immediately called.."Y-Yes, Lady Gratiana!!!" The young girl responded.


    She erected a barrier of light around herself and Gratiana, just as she did against the Forest Guardian''s attack. But, it''s useless!


    "ROOT"


    Immediately, a staff appeared behind me, pointing toward the Apostles who had shielded themselves from my devastating aura. Having dark skin and twisted shape, the ominous object I pulled from Root glowed deep ck. Before they could understand what happened, and the nature of the staff, it released a tiny beam of dark matter. The thin line of darkness linked directly at the protected Apostles. However, immediately it touched the barrier, the whiteyer of protection dissipated immediately.


    "N-No way!" Gratiana muttered in disbelief.


    "Sofia!" She shouted, turning to her side to see her partner.


    Her eyes bulged when she saw what had happened. Sofiay on the ground, her eyes shut tight, in a lifeless state. She appeared pale and dying, yet her body showed no signs of injury.


    "She couldn''t withstand the pressure, after all¡­ And it seems destroying the barrier gave her feedback. Interesting¡­" I muttered.


    Gratiana red at me with hate and spite in her eyes. I returned the look and nced at her coldly, my malevolent pressure increasing all around her. She shook as I did this and crumbled on her knees.


    She bit her lip as she turned her eyes away from me, appearing pained and defeated. <em>That''s much better, don''t you dare look at me in such a manner, you weak wench.</em>


    While she attended to the girl she calls Sofia, I turned back to face my ves. It seems they''ve passed out due to my assault on them. I can''t have that now, can I?


    "Causality Reversal"


    Immediately, their unconscious state sprung back to life and resumed their struggle with m, forcefully locked in my tight grip.


    Through all this, Shamac kept quiet and observed my actions. He has learned not to defy me. ording to the education I gave him, inflicting such pain is merely another expression of my love.


    "P-P-Pweash¡­" Talia pleaded desperately.


    Ana also had a simr expression.


    It seems I''ve finally made my point.


    I released my grip, and immediately, they both fell and crumbled to the ground. They wheeze and held their charred throats as they struggled to take in air.


    As they did this, I red at them condescendingly. I really have been too soft on them. Look at how pathetic they are, utterly desperate to live. They haven''t been entirely purged of their natural inclinations until the only thing left is to please me.


    "You''d do well to listen to me well, because I won''t repeat myself, and this goes to you too Shamac." I


    When I said, my face turned in Shamac''s direction, making him jump. I have his full attention now.


    "You are all my ves, subordinates who do my every wish and follow my will. Your lives are literally in my hands. I can choose to kill you, maim you, torture you, brainwash you and show you pain that you''ve never imagined to exist. I can do anything I want to you because you are all MINE." I emphasized.


    They all nodded immediately. Like obedient little dogs brought under subjection by their master, they have no other purpose but to serve me.


    "I have chosen to let you live. I have given you power, purpose¡­ Company, and most importantly, you have ME. I am willing to give you even more.


    "You have been bestowed with the rare privilege to serve me, and be a part of somethingrger than this world itself. I spared you and saved you from despair. I own you! I do not need to resort to brainwashing for you to understand, do I? Or maybe I should¡­" I contemted to them.


    "N-No master!"


    "Please no!"


    "My Lord!"


    They all protested desperately.


    I red at them immediately. How dare they still defy me?


    "You dare question my decision?" I asked them, emitting a fierce aura that made them tremble before me.


    They couldn''t respond. They couldn''t protest, they couldn''t agree.


    The only thing they can do now¡­ Is plead for mercy and show me theirplete subservience.


    Without any further words, they all bowed down to me, face t on the floor. Tears streamed down Talia and Ana''s eyes, while Shamac let out sounds of sobs.


    Without words, they showed me their obedience to my authority. I smiled evilly as I watched them grovel, it suits them so well¡­ As though it''s their natural state.


    "You may rise"


    At the sound of my voice, they immediately responded and stood erect, still bowing their heads in reverence.


    "I have other matters to attend to now. I''ll be leaving the Apostles to you, dispose of them for me." I said to them.


    Even with their bowed heads, I could see their surprised expression vividly. They, who witnessed the casual disy of the Apostle''s power knew they vastly outssed them.


    In their eyes, what I''m telling them to achieve is impossible.


    However, I don''t care.


    "If you seed, then that would prove you worthy to stand with me and continue flowing me. Should you fail, however before I return¡­ If the Apostles haven''t done away with you yet, I will personally kill you myself. I guarantee that" I stated in a serious tone.


    They gulped and had looks of worry, scared of being discarded and scared of their opponent''s power. However, thanks to my just concluded disy, they know whom to fear more.


    "Y-Yes, my Lord"


    Ana was the first to respond. As I expected, she''s the best of the three.


    "U-Understood, Boss!" Shamac followed.


    I smiled. The only one left now is¡­ Talia. I looked in her direction and what I saw greatly surprised me.


    <em>Yes, Talia. This is what I like to see. You''re finally bing true to yourself¡­ That look in your eyes¡­</em>


    Her eyes were fierce, filled with rage, pain, and fury. They weren''t directed at me, though. Her eyes focused beyond me and went to the Apostles behind.


    While I''m still dissatisfied that I do not have all of Talia''s entire being, it''ll definitely be interesting to see how this emotion of hers will y out. She''ll need motivation for her fight against those two to win.


    For Shamac, it is pleasing me.


    For Ana, it is the same. Even against her mentor, she wouldn''t dare betray her god.


    But¡­ Talia, she''s different. Other than her loyalty to me, she has something else driving her¡­ Revenge!


    "Those bitches killed The Forest Guardian! I''ll make sure to kill them, Lord Hexarion! I swear!" She spoke in a dark, seething tone.


    Good, it appears I can leave now.


    "Don''t fail me¡­" I muttered, before departing from them to finally attend to my business¡­ The entire reason I am here.


    The time is near.

 Chapter 129 - The Hidden Passage

    After giving my instructions, coupled with warning, to my three ves, I turned behind me and left their presence.


    I passed by the side of Gratiana, who still remained on her knees as she held Sofia. The younger girl has regained consciousness, it must have to do with Gratiana''s aid, but no matter. I do not need to concern myself with them.


    As I walked past them, I headed toward the edge of the wall which stood behind them. I stopped directly facing the badly damaged wall. Due to the Apostle''s grand entry and the Guardian''s attack, everything in this room has be vandalized. This wall is no different, however...


    I ced my hand on the charred wall and felt it up. Its rough surface caressed my palm as I closed my eyes to navigate the several channelsid out within its structure.


    Using my heightened senses, I can see beyond the mere physical frame of the wall. Seeing the very Aspects within it, as well as the other lines and channels which connect this floor to the next and the previous one. However, there is one more channel this wall connects to.


    <em>Found you!</em>


    I finally discovered it! A tiny thread, nearly indistinguishable from the countless lines of nerves in the walls, but could not escape my keen senses.


    I focused my attention on the channel as used the essence within me to connect to the conduit. Immediately, it fired up and the little line in the wall becamerger, more pronounced than the rest.


    This Dungeon is a giant mechanism made by me. It follows a system. Once the Boss is defeated by the challengers, the channels within the walls automatically connect and create the path to the next floor. Simrly, should one desire to return to a lower floor, a path will also open.


    However, thanks to the Apostle''s interference, breaking through the ceiling, and Disintegrating the Boss monster, the flow of my intricate program became disturbed. That''s why, even though the Boss has been killed, no new passage to the next floor has opened. The Respawn effect is invalid, and the nerves in the structures have also been disturbed. This way, advancement will have to be done manually...


    Perfect! Just as I nned.


    Gratiana and her little partner think they''ve caught me by surprise, but they couldn''t be any more wrong. I always knew woulde after us, and they yed their parts splendidly.


    "How foolish can they be? I literally made this Dungeon, so I can see everything that happens in it." I mused.


    From the beginning, I knew they would follow us to the Dungeon. Ana did mention Jared acting weirdly, calling her by her previous Apostle name. There''s no way he could have known that. It had to be another Apostle.


    From my experience and the memories I obtained, the Apostles can be pretty stubborn, so I had no doubt that they woulde for Ana.


    When we finally entered the Dungeon, I used my Admin Authority, through Hex, to search through the floors. It wasn''t difficult finding them. They were transported to the 6th floor.


    Sofia, the younger one, has a possession ability, that''s most likely her Grace. She used it to spy on us by taking control of monsters.


    The fools didn''t know I was watching them as well.


    Judging their location, I calcted that once we got to a floor closer to them, they would take action. Of course, after some time of Gratiana being impatient, she finally decided to intercept us on the 5th floor.


    I overlooked some things, and I admit some things were beyond my expectations. But... They yed their roles well.


    <em>Keep trying your best, and serve as the right growth tools for the children... Be sure to give them a hard time</em>


    I don''t mind if one of them dies, but I expect them to win. They have been personally trained by me, after all.


    The walls suddenly creaked and split apart, parting itself to reveal a wide hole that served as the entrance to the space beyond it.


    This is different from the Advancement passage, it''s a hidden feature of the Dungeon, one that leads the one who activates it to a different space entirely.


    <em>Let''s go!</em>


    I took one final look behind me and saw the longing faces of my ves and the apprehensive looks of the Apostles. I gave them a devilish smile and ventured within the opening leading to a dark ce.


    As I entered the space, the walls began to close, returning to their original state.


    "B-But Lady Gratiana... Are you really going to let him get away like this? It''s not toote. We could still..." Sofia protested weakly as she red at me.


    This sudden outburst surprised Sofia, who looked frightful by Gratiana''s rash response.


    "... That man... Is beyond us! His level of power isparable to the Prophet! No, maybe more..." Gratiana muttered, still trembling slightly.


    "N-No way..." Sofia''s eyes bulged as she nced at me with fear, shocked by Gratiana''s testimony to my strength.


    I smiled as I heard this, and just then walls closed entirely, bringing the room into utter darkness.


    Using my enhanced vision made the darkness obsolete to me as I easily navigate my way through the passage. Sensing all the Aspects around me, I can not only see objects around me but also their entire structure if I really try.


    The Passage extends for a long distance, if I dawdle any longer, it''ll take forever to reach. I decided to speed things up since I''ll be saving time.


    Using ''Spatial Interference'', I altered my distance and appeared at the end of the passage. An ominous glow appeared at the exit, drawing my attention. Its purple flicker and bright light made the darkness begin to cease as I approached.


    Without hesitating, I entered the room, and finally found exactly what I have been looking for.


    "The Administrator Room" I muttered with a grin.


    With arge purple System Window disyed in midair, the room container brilliant shes of light and a console directly behind the purple icon. The console possessed arge screen, currently shut off, but still functional.


    The window it disys contains the entire features and mechanics of this Dungeon, and the console is used for ess to various floors, and to monitor the activities of the people within it.


    Using the console, I can see all the people in the Dungeon, and the monsters ced there. However, I can already do that with my Administrator Authority, using Hex.


    The thing I am after, however, is thisrge icon in front of me.


    It looks exactly like the pop-ups Root uses to ry its messages. However, it''s muchrger.


    With icons appearing on it, showing various options for me to select, it buzzed in front of me.


    <System Control>


    <Floor Information>


    <Monster Information>


    <Total Aspect Saturation>


    <Hidden Floors>


    <yers Information>


    [More]


    There are quite a lot of things I can do with this Control Panel, however, I already know what I''m looking for.


    I used my index finger to tap on the <System Control> icon.


    Immediately, the window buzzed and changed the information that it previously disyed. A new set of icons now appeared.


    <General Settings>


    <Floor Settings>


    <Monster Settings>


    <Alter Design>


    <Select Presets>


    <Difficulty Settings>


    <Restore Default>


    Excellent. If memory serves well, then... It should be this!


    I tapped on <Floor Settings> and just like clockwork, a brand new set of information appeared.


    <Change Floor Designs>


    <Change Floor Structure>


    <Change Total Monster Count>


    <Change Floor Difficulty>


    <Change Total Number Of Floors>


    I picked thest option on the list.


    Finally, the list I wanted appeared before me.


    <strong>Current Total Number Of Floors: 15</strong>


    <strong>Current Number Of Floors Conquered: 8</strong>


    <strong>Highest Number Of Floors Conquered: 14</strong>


    <Select New Total Number Of Floors>


    <Format Record>


    So, even after so long the Adventurers haven''t gone past the 14th floor. Disappointing. It only shows how weak they are.


    I tapped on <Select New Total Number Of Floors> and nced at the list of numbers.


    Ranging from 1 to 100, I picked the highest amount.


    <Confirm Settings>


    [ept][Cancel]


    I epted immediately.


    Immediately, the window shone brightly. After a moment, it regained its normal state.


    The '' Current Total Number Of Floors'' has now changed to 100.


    Good. Now, there''s one more thing.


    I returned to <Floor Settings> and tapped on the <Change Floor Structure> icon.


    A new set of lists appeared.


    Current Floor Structure: ssic


    [Select New Structure]


    <Standard>


    <Custom>


    <Irregr>


    <Maze>


    ... And finally, the one I want...


    <Randomizer>


    I selected the one at the bottom of the list. As soon as I did this, a warning icon appeared on the window.


    [System Warning]


    <Selecting This Structure Will Alter Other Settings>


    I know that, and I know what its effects will be.


    [Do You Wish To Proceed?]


    I agreed to continue, getting impatient by the long process.


    I really had a lot of time on my hands to make such an intricate system.


    <Confirmed!>


    <Randomizer Structure has been Initiated. Please Stand By.>


    A lot of things will change in this Dungeon now, but it''s the only way for me to reach the 100th floor Boss in the shortest period... Rather, in no time at all. Plus, it''ll prove to be some entertainment forter.


    The Randomizer function alters the system of advancement from one floor to the other. Usually, once one clears a floor, they move to the next floor. However, with the Randomizer function, the floors are not arranged in an orderly fashion. They are random. Not only that, but the monsters and Bosses are all jumbled and mixed with one another.


    The most important change that will happen though, is the level of difficulty. Previously, before I changed the Floor Structure, the Difficulty was set to [Easy]. The Adventurers had such a hard time fighting at the lowest difficulty, when the others exist.


    <Easy>


    <Medium>


    <Hard>


    <Despairing>


    <Anihtive>


    Of these, the new position the Dungeon has adopted thanks to the increased number of Floors and <Randomizer> function is...


    <strong>Current Difficulty: ANNIHILATIVE</strong>


    Heh, I wonder how they will survive. It''ll be fun to watch.. Unfortunately, I''ll be upied from this point onward.

 Chapter 130 - Beginning Of Annihilation

    "Ahhh¡­ I''m so tired!" Lucy groaned as she fell to the hard floor.


    Everyone around her groaned too, resting as a result of their very tired state. They sat on the ground and huffed with exhaustion.


    Even though all the members were tired, they still smiled andughed in their disheveled state. They were excited. The reason for this was not too far-fetched. They had just defeated the Boss of the Second Floor.


    The Dungeon Boss, a giant statue that was nearly five times asrge as a regr person, was a more difficult opponent than they had imagined. Not only was it bigger than what they were used to, the stone which formed it was also sturdier. Its movements were sharper and the destruction and speed of its attacks were beyond their imagination.


    It also had a higher level of intelligence, so the group''s regr tactics were ineffective. To reach the Boss''s core, they had to first immobilize it and pierce it with an attack powerful enough to break through its tough exoskeleton.


    The most important thing to note about their battle with the Boss, however, was that Nathan did not assist them at all.


    "You''ll all be facing this one on your own. If it gets too dangerous, you only have to call out for help and I''lle to your aid. But¡­ If that happens, it only means you''re not ready for the next floor. If I end up saving you, it means you''ve given up on challenging the next floor itself." Nathan said to them before theymenced their fight with the Boss.


    "Defeat the monster with your own strength, and ill acknowledge that you''re strong enough to advance."


    And so they did. There were many times they felt tempted to call for his assistance, but they refrained from doing so. They wanted to prove to him¡­ and themselves, that they were strong enough.


    After their struggles, they eventually won.


    "Oof, I really thought I was going to die" Desmondmented with a relieved sigh.


    "Good thing we had Carl''s barrier Relic!" He added.


    The remaining member of the group had to agree with Desmond''s statement, looking at Carl with grateful faces as they teased him.


    "Jeez, guys¡­" Carl muttered, embarrassed, but clearly happy to receive their praise.


    As they all cheered one another, Nathan approached the party with his casual smile.


    "Well done everyone¡­" He said.


    He was the only one standing out of everyone in the group. He wasn''t exhausted. The party members all looked at him with proud smiles on their faces.


    "Heh, I knew we could do it!" Lucy grinned at their Guide.


    "Yeah, man. You left us hanging, but I''m sure we''ve proved to you that we''re a formidable bunch too." Jack stated.


    "N-Now, we won''t be much of a burden to Sir Nathan" Lydia muttered shyly.


    Desmond and Carl also nodded with determination. As for Puck¡­ He was busy asleep. After gathering a lot of high mineral parts from the Boss Monster, as well as several ores which filled the room, he exerted himself more than he was used to. This made him copse in exhaustion when he was finished.


    Nathan smiled at the group. They were clearly greenhorns, na?ve young people who would be very lost without him. However, they did manage to defeat a Boss on their first try. Their teamwork was coordinated, and each of them knew just what the others were thinking.


    "Maybe¡­" He thought to himself.


    It wasn''t a bad thought. Maybe he didn''t need to be alone after all¡­ These people could be his new...


    "So? What now?" Jack asked, jumping on his feet to prepare for whatever they would have to face next.


    Nathan smiled at his eagerness. He looked at the rest of the party. They looked tired, scratched all over their bodies, but they had the gleam of adventure in their eyes. Perhaps it wasn''t too early to advance to the next floor. They would be arriving in the Safe zone anyway.


    "Well, we''ll be advancing to the next floor any moment from now," Nathan said.


    Just like clockwork, a path at the edge of the Boss Room opened up, revealing a passage simr to a stairway, leading to the upper floor.


    "If we enter that path, we''ll be taken to the Third Floor. Let''s not push it though. We can still rest a little before we-" Nathan exined.


    "Na, let''s go now!" Jack quickly cut in, feeling all fired up.


    "Yeah, I agree with Jack. We need to cover as much ground as possible, right? We''ve rested enough" Lucy stated.


    Carl and Desmond appeared unsure of what to say, so they simply went with the flow and agreed with Lucy and Jack.


    "What about you, Lydia? What do you think?" Nathan asked, concerned that she wasn''t saying anything.


    "I-I¡­" She muttered.


    She had a bad feeling. Ever since they were about to enter the Boss Room, the bad feeling had started pricking her, however, now it was getting worse. Something told her not to proceed just yet.


    "M-Maybe we should wait a little longer¡­" She whispered, barely audible in her words.


    "What was that?" Nathan prodded.


    She nced at the remaining party members, except for Puck, who was enjoying his nap. They all looked at her expectantly. Even Nathan awaited her response.


    "What should I say? If I say we should wait behind just because of my feeling, wouldn''t that be selfish of me? I would just be holding everyone back. Besides¡­ in order to get Sir Nathan''s attention¡­ I can''t keep running forever. I have to take steps forward so that I am not a burden" Lydia thought to herself


    Her eyes shot with determination and she clenched her first with resolve. Lydia stood up on her slightly exhausted legs. Due to standing for very long when facing the monster and running for a long period so that she wouldn''t be affected by its attacks, she had strained her legs more than any other part of her body.


    "L-Lets do it! I agree!" She said affirmatively.


    Nathan was surprised by her answer. He knew she was anxious about the whole thing, and being honest, he wanted her to refuse advancing yet. They still deserved some time to rest. However, since they unanimously made the decision, who was he to stop them?


    "Are you sure?" He asked one final time to be sure.


    Lydia, as well as the others, nodded.


    "Very well¡­ Let''s do it." Nathan sighed.


    The Party all jumped up, and Puck was forcefully woken up by everyone else.


    He grumbled as he joined them, gathering all the necessary things as he prepared to advance.


    "Looks like we''re all set.! Let''s go!"


    As they all stood before the Passage to the next floor and readied themselves to enter, mysterious System Windows suddenly appeared in front of each of them.


    "What the?" Jack first spoke up in astonishment.


    "Is this normal¡­?" Lucy muttered, observing the purple-colored information slide in front of her.


    Nathan was confused by this urrence. He didn''t even pay any attention to the words uttered by the Party members.


    "How weird¡­ This hadn''t happened before¡­" He mumbled and observed the window.


    Thenguage written on the panel was readable, and so he decided to check out the strange information written on the suspicious-looking board.


    His eyes widened in shock as he read through it.


    "I-Impossible! What the hell is this?" He yelled.


    This sudden reaction of his startled the rest. They were mystified by Nathan''s reaction and decided to pay more attention to the contents of the System windows in front of them.


    [System Information]


    *Dungeon Update*


    <The Floor Settings Have Been Altered>


    <Dungeon Floors Have Been Increased To 100 Floors>


    <RANDOMIZER Function Has Been Activated>


    <Dungeon Difficulty Has Been Altered>


    <Dungeon Difficulty Has Been Changed From EASY To Annihtive>


    *End Of Update Information*


    "W-What the heck does this mean?" Jack said in a flustered manner.


    Before the Party members could pull their thoughts together, a sudden crashing sound was heard.


    "BOOOOOM!!!"


    They all looked in the direction of the sudden loud noise. Even Nathan, who was still trying to figure out what was happening got attracted by themotion. He looked behind him, to see the source of the sound.


    It emanated from the Gate leading to the Boss Room. The bars were broken apart, destroyed by a great force, one powerful enough to render such arge construct into nothing but broken rocks and debris.


    As everyone''s eyes remained focused on the Gate, the entity which broke it emerged from the gaping hole it caused since the blockage had been dealt with.


    "N-No way¡­ T-That is¡­" Lydia muttered in fright.


    Her eyes bulged as she said the terrible sight her mind had warned her about subconsciously.


    The beings who entered were not one, but two. They were the statues that stood at the entrance of the gate. Now having white glowing eyes and animated expressions, they invaded the Boss Room.


    Their attention turned to the group of confused Adventurers and their stone faces contorted into a wide grin.


    "T-This is¡­ What is happening?!" Nathan said as he experienced the first sign of all hell breaking loose.

 Chapter 131 - Survival

    The two giant statues entered the room and grinned at the group of shocked Adventurers they found standing in therge expanse.


    "Those are the statues we saw at the entrance, right? What are they doing here?" Jack let out in confusion.


    The two colloidal structures were by fatrger than the Boss Monster the group had just faced, and their menacing aura showed that they were vastly superior.


    "What the hell?! Why are they here..." Lucy muttered nervously, gulping as she beheld their sight.


    Nathan stood and observed the two Giant statues. Everyone else was talking about why they appeared after the Boss was defeated, however, he was more concerned about other matters.


    "The Window... What does this mean? This hasn''t happened before... Annihtion mode? Randomizer function? What do they mean? For these statues to have suddenly moved, it must be rted to that notification... Just what is happening here?"


    Before he couldplete his thoughts and give an answer to the question which gued him, the stone structures dashed to the location of the Party.


    This sudden motion sent everyone into a flustered state, too ovee by shock to react appropriately. Their every step shook the room and made the newbies lose bnce.


    The Party members were all tired, and faced with such an overwhelming threat caused their bodily functions to be


    The Statued reached their front and raised their fists to squash the puny humans like insects.


    As they descended their hands, the pressure making the hair on everyone''s body rise, thee Adventurers knew they were dead for sure.


    However, ...


    "de Of Rupture..."


    As the short whisper sounded, echoing across the room, a bright blue spark shone across the whole room, and suddenly the descent of the monsters'' hands was stopped.


    The rocky fists immediately shattered, turning into tiny particles of stones as they burst away, scattering across the room.


    "Guoooorhhh" The two monstrous figures changed their expression to that of shock and pain, groaning as they retracted what was left of their damaged arms.


    The members of the party, in their frozen state, saw what had just happened and they all turned to Nathan in shock. Their eyes lit up when they saw him, with the blue sparks of light and electric energy revolving around him, he looked like their source of hope in the despairing situation.


    Holding his Relic, he took his stance, griping his unsheathed de tightly as he focused on the monsters. He didn''t bother looking at his mentees, all he needed to do was strike down the two enemies before him.


    The two statues changed their faces from pain to anger. Their eyes disyed pure hate and animosity.


    "Graoarrrrr!!!!" They roared in rage.


    Their lost limbs immediately reformed from the rocky particles around them. Being fully recuperated, they both stared at Nathan menacingly, ready to destroy him.


    In the face of their immense pressure which was enough to petrify the rest of the party members, Nathan''s face showed no hint of fear or nervousness. He was unhinged from his position and his focus was undeterred.


    Compared to the horror he faced in the past, the terror of losing his friends and his freedom, a period long enough to drive him to insanity countless times over... Compared to that time, the mere grunts of these two beasts counted for nothing.


    "In one minute... I''ll end this..." Nathan whispered.


    "Rroughhhh" The statues responded in angered tones.


    "Come!" He smiled slightly.


    The giant statues rushed at him simultaneously, their hands stretched to grab and crush him. Immediately they were within range, the blue sparks around Nathan increased, brightening up and heightening its devastating force.


    Nathan swung his de at the air, not physically shing anything... However... His Relic''s ability activated at that moment.


    An invisible wave of sharp power cut through the tough bodies of the rock entities, causing their entire bodies to slice in two.


    Their expressions changed to shock, however, a wide grin quickly reced this, as their bodies began to merge back.


    "O-Oh no! You need to get their core..." Lydia muttered as she saw Nathan''s futile attempt to strike them down.


    She immediately stretched forth her hand and prepared to raise her voice to tell him. However, as soon as she tried, she saw a smile form on his face. It was wide, confident, and ecstatic... Like he was in perfect control of everything and he was the guaranteed victor. That was when it struck her.


    "Nathan doesn''t need me worrying about him. He was the one who told us about the ''core'' in the first ce... Of course, he knows... "


    She realized that rather than worry about Nathan, perhaps it was the other way around.


    He was worried about them.


    As the stone bodies of the monsters gathered together, Nathan took a step closer and gave multiple shes, advancing closer with each swing of his hand.


    Immediately, the statues split apart, their rocky bodies divided evenly, revealing the core which was inside their body.


    "Found it..." He muttered.


    Nathan prepared his final strike and twisted his body as he delivered it. With a single flow, he drew his de and appeared behind the statues, once again striking at the air.


    After this, he unsheathed his de, and immediately the cores of both Statues cleanly sliced apart.


    Before their inevitable deaths, the statues showed fear and desperation, nearly as though they pleaded not to be taken away into nonexistence. However, Nathan paid no heed to the bellows of monsters.


    In no time at all, they crumbled and fell to the ground in arge thud.


    "Fifty-three seconds... Not bad..." Nathan muttered to himself.


    He definitely took longer than he thought. Maybe it was because he had gotten slightly ustomed to reducing his power usage and so his skills had dulled. However, he didn''t dwell on those thoughts since there were more weighty matters at hand.


    "Is everyone okay?" Nathan asked, turning to the party members.


    Their eyes brightened up when he nced over at them.


    "T-That was... AWESOME!!!" Jack let out in his usual hot-blooded manner.


    "Yeah, I didn''t know you were that cool, Mister" Lucy added.


    Puck, Desmond, and Carl also agreed, and they were all beaming with enthusiasm.


    Nathan smiled as he shook his head, taken aback by their reaction.


    "You guys realize what kind of situation we''re in right? The windows you all saw... Did you read them? It seems something has changed in this Dungeon, and things won''t be as easy as we thought they would be..." Nathan said to them.


    They all looked downcast as Nathan said this, the harsh reality of their predicament sank in as they pondered helplessly on his words.


    "There''s no need to worry! All we need to do is survive 14 more days, right? The statues took us by surprise is all, plus, we were exhausted. If we had enough time to prepare, we wouldn''t have been sitting ducks. We can do this!" Jack quickly let out, speaking to everyone in order to raise their spirit.


    Everyone''s face brightened up when they heard Jack''s words. epting his logic, they nodded in agreement.


    "We''ve gotten stronger in this dungeon, ao we won''t be dead weight!" Lucy remarked. "B-Besides, with what you''ve just shown, we should be safe!" Puck reasoned.


    Thisst statement made everyoneugh rxingly. The pressure which disturbed the hearts of everyone slowly dissipated.


    Nathan sighed.


    "They''re gettingfortable... This isn''t good..."


    This was one of the reasons why he didn''t want to show his true strength to them. They would get confident and ce their trust in him. He wanted them to rely on their own power, realizing they had plenty of room for growth.


    However, now was not the time to get conservative. The first priority at the moment was survival.


    "At this point, if this is what I think it is... I have to go all out..." Nathan thought to himself.


    "We should leave this floor since the door to the Boss Room is torn apart, it''s no longer safe here. Our only chance is to find a safe zone to rest and re-strategize." Nathan suggested.


    They all nodded in agreement.


    The members of the party went to the passageway which led to the 3rd floor. Unknown to them, though... That wasn''t where they were headed.


    [System Notification]


    <<RANDOMIZER Function activated>>


    Nathan and everyone else looked at the window disyed in front of them with confusion, perplexed about what the strange notification meant.


    <Selecting Random Floor>


    Nathan''s eyes widened immediately, realizing what the system meant by Randomizer.


    "No! Everyone, quickly return! Let''s go back to the Boss Room! Hurry!!!" He eximed, shouting with desperation in his voice.


    The Party members were flustered by Nathan''s sudden irritated reaction and didn''t move on time.


    "Hurry!!!" His voice yelled once again.


    By the time they caught on and made to return to where they came from, a bright light shone.


    <Random Floor Selected>


    <Wee To The 5th Floor>


    The window disying this information was thest thing Nathan saw before he became indeed by the light which enveloped him and his teammates.


    His heart raced in panic as fear slowly began to creep into him. He felt a sense of foreboding that signaled the likely urrence of the same thing that befell his previous teammates.


    He didn''t want that.


    However, he would soone to realize that his priorities were misced by just thinking about the others... In the new world within the Dungeon... His own survival was also in question.


    [System Information]


    <Due To The Level Of Difficulty, Several Changes Have Been Made>


    <Safe Zones Have Been Removed>


    <Hunger and Thirst Elimination Have Been Removed>


    <Monster Restrictions Have Been Removed>


    <Annihtion Function Enabled>


    <Reward System Has Been Altered>


    <Rewards Have Drastically Improved>


    <Drop Function Initiated>


    <Goodluck>

 Chapter 132 - Annihilation Mode

    [System Information]


    <Due To The Level Of Difficulty, Several Changes Have Been Made>


    <Safe Zones Have Been Removed>


    <Hunger and Thirst Elimination Have Been Removed>


    <Monster Restrictions Have Been Removed>


    <Annihtion Function Enabled>


    <Reward System Has Been Altered>


    <Rewards Have Drastically Improved>


    <Drop Function Initiated>


    <Goodluck>


    [The 5th Floor]


    Nathan and everyone else opened their eyes and found themselves in unfamiliar territory. Thest thing they remembered was Nathan''s sudden words of warning and the feeling of apprehension that came upon them when the light from the Passage enveloped them.


    After they gathered together and braced themselves. They had just been mysteriously transported to such a strange ce, so they were clearly wary. The room was dim, with very little source of illumination made avable. They saw fireflies buzz all around and creeping vines extended throughout the walls.


    "W-Where are we...?!" A shaky voice muttered, speaking the mind of all of them.


    As they looked around their surrounding, they all noticed a notification panel above them.


    <<Wee To The Fifth Floor>>


    This made the reality of their situation much more vivid to them. Something was definitely wrong... But what exactly changed, and why?


    "Everyone. There''s something you need to know..." Nathan said to the shaken Adventurer''s party.


    They all looked at him expectantly. He was the most powerful and experienced of all of them. He remained calm, even with the unpredictable situation that seemed to send shivers down the spine of the rest.


    They all trusted him, and the only reason they had not fallen apart and panicked entirely was his presence.


    "... But first, I have to ask... Did you see anything strange before you opened your eyes here?" He asked.


    They all nced at each other with confused looks. Nathan looked at them all, expecting their answers. His serious gaze made them aware that they had no choice in the matter.


    Nathan saw something that bothered him. A system window simr to the ones they all saw earlier right before the statues attacked. However, he wasn''t certain of what to make of this. The responses of his Party would give him the definite answer.


    And so they all gave their ounts.


    It was mostly a narration of fear and panic, however, there was one thing they all recalled, at thest second, just after the bright sh of light and before they opened their eyes, they saw the system notification.


    "T-That was real? I thought I was just hallucinating!" Jack yelped in surprise.


    They were all shaken by their collective testimonies. Since they all had the same ount, there was no doubt about it.


    It was real.


    "N-No more safe zones?!" Puck yelled in panic.


    "That''s not all... We''ll have to start hunting and gathering food from now on. Water is also an issue... We need to hurry up." Nathan exined.


    Everyone was tired. Their exhaustion built up into panic and dread. Their previous notion of safety slowly began to get eroded.


    "There''s still the issue of shelter, and ces of rest, but we''ll leave that discussion forter... Because, it seems we havepany..." Nathan muttered.


    His eyes darted to his far-right, and amid the darkness, he could sense something creeping in on them.


    "That is..." He mumbled, using his de''s aura to heighten his senses.


    "A Tree Golem?"


    Everyone''s attention turned to the area of focus. They could feel fear seep into them and a part of them wanted to scream and run, but their bodies didn''t listen to them.


    One tree Golem approached the group, leaving the dark point it stayed. With a height simr to the group, it looked stared at them with its bright yellow eyes. Its green frame was covered in vines and shrubs, making it appear to be a crossbreed of nts and man.


    From its appearance, it was easy to dismiss it as weaker,pared to the giants they faced on the second floor.


    However, the entire group could sense it... The amount of power and authority it exuded. This monster was not on the same level as the ones they had faced before. Even the statues were no match for this creature.


    "Looks like we''re going to be in the fight for our lives! Don''t panic everyone... Do you remember what I promised you all?" Nathan said to everyone with a reassuring smile.


    Even he was nervous. If this was merely a single mob monster, how perilous would the entire floor be?


    However, he couldn''t run now. He had promised himself, and these people who counted on him...


    "I promised not to let any danger befall you, as long as I am with you. I intend to keep that promise!"


    Their eyes all lit up as he entered those words of hope. They decided to ce their faith in him. However, they didn''t want to serve as burdens to him.


    Equipping their Relics, they all took formation behind Nathan immediately. He was surprised by their sudden behavior, not knowing what they were up to.


    "What are you guys doing? Stay behind me. You''re all no match for this monster." He told them.


    However, their faces disyed a strong resolve not to yield to his words. They wanted to fight alongside him, and they weren''t going to give in to anything else.


    Even Puck, the coward, was staying behind them and not hiding in a corner. Even though he couldn''t fight, he didn''t want to worry anyone.


    "What sweet kids..." Nathan muttered in a shortugh.


    They all smiled back, giving off their usual hopeful exuberance.


    "Very well. We''ll go with Formation G. I''ll take the lead. Lucy and Jack, back me up. Lydia, provide support. Carl, be on Standby, Desmond, as well! Puck, ready any items we may need in this fight. Don''t lose focus for even a moment, or it could cost you your lives!" He ordered, unsheathing his de.


    "Yessir!"


    The nt monster halted a few meters from them and suddenly, whips began to protrude from its body. They numbered five. Two from its hands, while three came from behind.


    "Urgoooo" It growled.


    "Let''s go!"


    After Nathan yelled, he quickly dashed.to the monster, de in hand. His body was covered in blue energy and his usual electrifying sparks made his body glow in the dimly lit area.


    The tentacles of the Tree Golem burst forth and charged at Nathan''s speeding form. He dodged their attacks, though barely. One of the vines grazed him by his side, causing him to wince as he quickly turned his body to avoid another damaging assault on him.


    "Shit! It''s faster than I thought!" Nathan groaned.


    "And the damage is insane... So this is Annihtion mode?"


    Millions of questions rang through Nathan''s mind. Questions like, what could have caused the Dungeon to suddenly react this way?


    Was it the effect of something that triggered it, or was there a mastermind behind this sudden twist?


    He pushed these questions from his mind since he had no answer to them and focused on the monster.


    "I''ve been on the fifth floor in the past. I don''t remember this monster being as powerful as this..." His thought trailed as he dodged the continuous attacks of the long whips.


    Nathan reasoned that the sudden growth of this monster had to have been as a result of the ''Annihtion Mode'' that was triggered.


    The Tree Golem''s attacks and the force behind them were not to be underestimated. And this was merely a single mob.


    "If I can figure out its pattern, maybe dying with the others will be easier..." He reasoned.


    Nathan yed tag with the monster for a while longer, drawing its attention, while Lucy and Jack dealt damage to it at its blind spot.


    Whenever the monster wanted to counterattack, Lydia would use her Icicles to limit its movement.


    They continued this strategy and slowly damaged the monster until it was nearly subjugated. However, perhaps as a dying attempt to destroy its enemies, the Golem entered a berserk state and sent its whips flying all around him.


    They shed and tore through the walls of the room, drilling holes through everywhere.


    Nathan and his Party retreated as the vine creature did this.


    "Urakkkkk!!!" It screeched in pain and rage.


    "Tch" Nathan let out in dissatisfaction.


    "It looks like after consistent damage has been inflicted, it goes berserk and issues random attacks to its surrounding as a defense mechanism... I see..."


    After observing its movements for some time, Nathan grinned. He had finally gotten what he wanted. Through the entire fight, he studied the monster, and after this final attempt, he had gotten the full picture of the kind of creature they would be facing on the fifth floor.


    "Lydia. Use your [Ice Burst]!" Nathan ordered.


    Lydia nodded immediately and began to charge up her attack.


    "In this frenzied state, the Tree Golem stops moving, instead it allows the vines to cause damage around it to protect the main body." Nathan reasoned to himself.


    "If I use my de of Rupture, the vines would get in the way, so I won''t be able to fully kill it. It also has a high regenerative factor when ites to those vines. It''ll just be effort."


    "Also, there''s a chance going that would agitate it, causing it to move from its location. That would be problematic. Currently, its vines are scattering everywhere, destroying anything around. Thankfully, the vines have a limited range, and we just happen to be outside it. If the Golem keeps advancing... It won''t be long till we have nowhere else to run to. And when that happens... We''ll be mincemeat." Nathan smiled, looking behind him as he saw a t wall not too far from their location. They barely had anywhere else to run to.


    "We''ll have to beat it right here and now.... And I have just the n for that!"

 Chapter 133 - Monster Drops

    Nathan and the rest of his party members watched as the vine monster they faced continuously flung its whips around, preventing them from advancing further. Its current position was stationary, but if provoked, there was the likelihood that it would move.


    "Are you ready, Lydia?" Nathan yelled, tilting his head a little in her direction.


    "Just a little more..." She said, shutting her eyes to concentrate on her Relic. It glowed brighter, and icy mist began to form all around her.


    Nathan patiently waited for her to be done with her preparations, while also calcting other things at that moment. He resumed looking at the monster, injured and ragged after a continuous effort to kill it... This was itsst stance.


    The Tree Golem, noticing the cold surge that was emanating from Lydia''s bracelet, immediately reacted. It sensed danger to itself and just as Nathan predicted, it began to move forward, making its tentacles draw closer to the group, whipping and shing the areas close to them.


    The party withdrew as the monster advanced, however... There was only so far they could go.


    "Lydia...!" Nathan urged.


    Her eyes tightened as she focused more, pouring all her concentration into the Relic.


    The whips snapped the brick walls and smashed the soily ground beneath them, drawing closer.


    Nathan drew his de and decided to risk throwing his n into disarray and just finishing off the monster himself. There was no more time.


    "I''m ready!" Lydia suddenly said.


    Nathan smiled with relief and moved out of the way. Everyone stood behind Lydia as she prepared tounch her attack.


    "Do it now!" Nathanmanded.


    Closing her eyes and stretching her hands toward the Golem, she brought forth her freezing mist which enveloped it and the area all around. The monster''s ravaging vines slowed and began to freeze.


    However, unlike with the Rock Golems, the monster before them continued to move. Its advance was slow, and it creaked as it stepped forward. Nheless, it continued to approach them. Its vines became stiff due to the coagtion of the frost, causing it to lose its flexible nature.


    "I knew it... Her Ice Burst isn''t enough topletely halt its movement... What a seriously insane monster!" Nathan muttered to himself.


    Unlike the Rock Golem, Tree Golems had their bodies made up of nts, which were mostly filled with water. Practically, they should even be more susceptible to Lydia''s ice attacks. However, despite its clear weakness in the realm of cold, it still had enough resistance to keep moving even while under such unfavorable conditions.


    "Its level is just that much higher..." Nathan concluded.


    It didn''t matter though, he had predicted this would happen. All he needed was time anyway... And now he had it.


    While the Golem''s movements were still sluggish, Nathan picked up his pace and dashed toward it. The monster detected his presence and sent its vines to attack.


    But, due to their slow and rigid state, they stood no chance against Nathan''s superior speed. He easily evaded them, using his de to cut them off simultaneously.


    "Guarghhhh" The Golem yelled slowly, still affected by the ice, which was beginning to be undone.


    "There''s no time left!"


    While the sliced tentacles of the monster scattered about, Nathan dashed to the front of the monster and used his heightened senses given to him by his Relic.


    "In the far right, eh?" He muttered, confirming the location of the monster''s core.


    Suddenly, the ice broke off from the Golem as it screeched in rage, quickly regenerating its lost tentacles.


    "Toote!" Nathan dered.


    He hurriedly thrust his de forward, pushing his legs as he kicked the ground,unching himself at the desperate creature.


    "Bleughhh" The Golem grunted as it felt something pierce its body.


    With his hands tightly stuck to the de''s handle, Nathan sessfully drove his weapon into the monster''s heart, killing it at that moment.


    The monster''s tentacles wiggled, losing theirmand center. They becameid and fell to the ground immediately.


    Nathan withdrew his de from the monster''s body and after spattering away the remnant of the Golem''s fluid on his de, he sheathed it.


    The Tree Golem immediately shriveled up, its green color turning dull yellow, and then a dead brown hue filled its entire body.


    It fell in a slight thud, hardly making a sound due to its very insignificant weight.


    "W-We did it!" Lydia gasped in surprise.


    The group cheered, nearly in tears due to how close the situation was. They would have been dead many times over if not for Nathan.


    "Well done everyone... You all-"


    As Nathan was still speaking to them, suddenly a bright light shone in the direction of the monster''s corpse.


    "S-Shit! Don''t tell me it''s not dead yet!" Jack let out in panic.


    Nathan also stared apprehensively at the monster''s dead body which glowed.


    "I''m sure I struck its core... Is this another effect of the ''Annihtion Mode''? How absurd is this?!"


    A bead of sweat trickled down his face as he watched the light glow brighter.


    Suddenly, the monster''s body dissipated, turning into several particles of light, an urrence that had never been seen before.


    "What the hell?" Jack muttered.


    Thements were made too soon, as they saw another glorious sight that would change their perception of the new system Dungeon had taken up.


    The dissipations converged and began to take shape. Within a moment, the singr convergence transformed into a pile of vegetables and water, a couple of wrapped vines, a pile of wood, and a whip also by the side.


    Everyone''s eyes bulged as they saw this, their mouth dropping in shock. Before their eyes, the dead monster vanished and became objects.


    A system notification immediately popped up, directly above the suspicious goods.


    [System Information]


    *Monster Drops*


    <<Mixed Variety Of nt-Based Foods>>


    <<3 Litres Of Drinkable Water>>


    <


    >


    <<Firewood>>


    <<Tree Golem''s Whip>>


    "T-This is..." Nathan muttered.


    He observed the vegetables, and from their appearance, they looked edible. The water that appeared was ced in jars made with wooden materials, and it appeared to be exactly three liters in quantity.. Then there were the other items as well, all equally useful in their own rights.

 Chapter 134 - Enemies

    Nathan approached the ingredients and knelt to handle them with his hands. They weren''t merely an illusion. They were real, the texture, the smell... These were actual vegetables and liters of water.


    "Amazing... So this is what is meant by ''Monster Drops''..." Nathanmented, remembering the system announcement from earlier.


    "What just happened? I''m confused." Lucy groaned, clueless watching Nathan''s actions.


    Nathan turned back and smiled at the group.


    For the first time since he saw the icon, he was finally seeing some signs of hope for their survival.


    "Good news everyone. The situation may not be as dire as we thought!" He announced.


    "What do you mean?" Jack asked, equally confused.


    "The difficulty of this Dungeon has risen exponentially, no doubt about that. However, so have the rewards. We also feel hunger and thirst now that we are here, but it seems whoever designed this Dungeon already put a measure in ce for that..." Nathan exined.


    "You mean... We can eat that?" Lucy said, eyeing the foods ced on the ground suspiciously.


    "Indeed. We don''t have to start scavenging for food. As long as we defeat monsters, we receive drops from them and replenish ourselves. There are also these other materials. We can use the Firewood for warmth when it hers cold, and the whip can be used as a weapon or sold. As for the vines, we can use it as a rope to tie things together and it serves many other uses." Nathen continued.


    So long as they fought, that would survive. This made it impossible for them to hold out in any other way. They had no choice but to continue engaging the monsters. While the drips were impressive, they were not nearly enough tost them throughout 14 days.


    "We have to keep advancing!" Nathan said to the group.


    "But first, Puck, please gather these and ce them in the bag. They are highly valuable resources as of now. You must all be parched and hungry now. But just hold out for a little longer. In order not to get stranded, after defeating another one of these guys and taking its drops, we can consume the ones we have already."


    Puck immediately responded and ran to pack up their loot. The group agreed with Nathan''s line of thought. They needed at least one stock in case of emergencies and survival. Relying on this now would be devastating if they couldn''t find any other.


    It didn''t take Puck very long to unload everything they god.


    "Good! We''re ready to go. I''ll exin more as we advance. We can''t stay here for too long!" Nathan said to the group.


    They were sure to find even greater treasures now that the difficulty had risen, however, Nathan still didn''t want to take risks. He had a bad feeling creeping on him since he entered the Fifth floor, but he shrugged it off every time it came upon him.


    "I''ll protect them... And then I''ll return with enough wealth to take care of Marie!" He resolved, clenching his fists.


    And so the Party advanced on the Fifth Floor.


    [Fifth Floor Boss Room]


    "So, all we have to do is best those two, uh?" Shamac muttered, staring intensely at Gratiana and Maria.


    The two were on their feet now, rising after Hexarion had left the room. They both red at the group, however, Gratiana seemed distracted and focused solely on Ana.


    "Lauria... You have some exining to do..." She said with narrowed eyes.


    Ana controlled herself from gulping, bracing herself in order not to falter.


    "Lord Hexarion is counting on me... I can''t fail now"


    Shamac noticed Ana''s unease and feltpelled to encourage her.


    "I get that the two of you seem to have some sort of rtionship in the past, but right now... They are our enemies. We can''t afford to be sentimental and show them mercy." He said to her.


    Ana turned her face and gave Shamac a disbelieving look.


    "Shamac, you think I''m nervous because I don''t want to hurt her? You think I''m getting sentimental? No, that''s not it... Your line of thought is wed...". Ana muttered, returning her eyes to Gratiana and Maria.


    Shamac wondered what she meant and ventured to ask. However, before he did so, she responded.


    "... You don''t seem to understand how powerful that woman is. If I as much as show her the finest bit of mercy, I''m done for, and so will the rest of us be!"


    Shamac gulped as he heard this. He knew the two Apostles were strong, but he also knew how far he had progressed after training with his master and Boss. He wasn''t about to lose without showing just how much he had grown.


    "I guess I was wrong then, but we''re not pushovers either. You have the Boss''s treasures, and I have improved greatly too. I don''t know much about Talia, but she also seems different from before." Shamac stated.


    "I know what you mean. I''m just saying... The sentiment is something that I can''t even afford in this fight. The only reason I tremble the way I do is that I am aware of how powerful she is... We can not beat her with our powers alone. Plus, she has that wither Apostle as her aid... This will be tough! But, I''m ready to give it my all. What about you, Shamac?" Ana smiled, looking at the hybrid beside her.


    "Do you even need to ask? I''m all fired up as it is!" He grinned widely.


    "What about you Talia...?"


    As Shamac turned to Talia to ask, his eyes widened, seeing the expression she had on her face.


    With arge smile and wide eyes showing excitement and depravity, Talia focused on Gratiana. Her expression was filled with bloodlust and hate.


    She wanted to obey her master, but she couldn''t forgive Gratiana for killing the Forest Guardian either.


    "I don''t care how we do it... But that woman... I will be the one to kill her. She''s mine!" Talia growled.


    Ana shook her head and sighed.


    "I don''t think so, Talia. Gratiana is an Apostle and my former mentor. The one who will be killing her is me." Ana smiled.


    Talia shot Ana a deathly re, and thetter returned the favor. A smile was on their face, but their eyes showed nothing bearing that resemnce.


    Shamac smiled as he saw the two girls look at each other with rivalry. He had learned not to interfere whenever they had these little spouts.


    Suddenly, they both turned their heads and faced him. It was unexpected that he silently yelped as both their eyes became transfixed on him.


    "So, Shamac.... What''s the n?" Ana smiled at him.

 Chapter 135 - The Evil Ones Apostle

    "What''s the n, Shamac?" Ana asked, looking at him expectantly.


    Shamac was flustered by this sudden question and the eyes Ana and Talia gave him.


    "W-What do you mean?" He stuttered, taking a step back in apprehension.


    Talia sighed and rxed her tensed face.


    "Though it is vexing to say, I have to admit that out of the three of us, you''re the most level-headed currently¡­" She muttered.


    "Plus, you systematically take care of your opponents and you''re not without strategy¡­ Almost like Lord Hexarion" Ana added.


    Shamac''s heart thumped as he heard this, surprised by the words the girls gave him. Upon receiving such words of praise, his eyes began to get wet and his face quivered in overflowing emotion as he looked pleased and grateful for what they said.


    "You guys¡­" He sniffed.


    "Urgh, juste up with the n already!" Talia sad in disgust, ring at Shamac''s snotty face.


    Ana also had a simr, creeped-out, look. Upon realizing this, Shamac''s heart broke and the tears and snot ceased immediately. He quickly cleaned his face, not wanting to incur such an expression from the woman he was infatuated with.


    "I''m sorry for my shameful reaction just now. You are both right though, it is only the rational course of action for me toe up with a strategy. I''ll do my best"


    He donned a serious look and tightened his face into a re. Ana smiled and nodded at this new reaction, so did Talia. An enormous sense of joy and pride filled his heart. Shamac felt warm and fuzzy all over, but he did his best to hide it.


    "What do you think you''re doing, Shamac? Now is not the time¡­" He cautioned himself.


    He took a few steps forward and reached the two girls, standing in their midst. He knocked his right fist upon his left palm and gripped it tightly. ring at the two Apostles, he resolved to do whatever he could to win. Ana''s words rang in his brain, and she was not one to joke or exaggerate.


    "There''s no room for error!"


    "¡­"


    "You''ve gotten bold, Lauria¡­ To have ignored my words. I even patiently waited for your response, yet you wasted my time talking to those heathens instead." Gratiana said, now looking angry.


    She exerted pressure which filled the room, simr to what Hexarion did earlier. However, unlike his, hers was far weaker. Still, to weaker beings, this intense aura would provoke fear within them.


    But¡­


    "I no longer go by that name¡­" Ana responded with a nervous smile.


    She was still quaking within herself, but she couldn''t fear forever. Her new Lord was Hexarion, and he was a far scarier personpared to Gratiana. With that in mind, she found strength within herself to defy the deadly Apostle before her.


    "Oh? Laurie, what nonsense do you utter? You dare-"


    "I said, my name is no longer Lauria!" Ana dered even boldly, raising her voice in defiance.


    This surprised Gratiana, making her body jump slightly.


    "I no longer answer to you, nor the Apostles! I am free, under my new Lord and god Hexarion!" She dered.


    Immediately she said this, Gratiana''s eyes bulged. An immense and overwhelming aura burst from her and devastated her surrounding. Waves of an overpowering force were sent all over the area, causing Shamac, Talia and Ana to get pushed back, bracing themselves as a result of the intense surge.


    "You¡­ You dare to mention the name of the abominable entity? The Evil One? You dare to say he is your god?!" Gratiana yelled in fury.


    Ana gulped, feeling fear surge from within her again, however, she hade too far to retract her words. On that day, she had sworn her fealty to Hexarion. He gave her purpose and revealed the truth to her. She was his and his alone.


    "Yes, I dare! Compared to your petty gods, Hades, and the others, Hexarion is¡­ My Lord is the greatest!" Ana dered.


    Ana''s words greatly vexed Gratiana. She not only praised the Evil One, but she also insulted the gods whom the Apostles worshiped. This was too far.


    "I see¡­ So you''re too far gone for salvation¡­ I hade here in order to see with my very eyes whether it was true¡­ That you defected and joined the heathens. And now I see that not only have you be one of them, but you have also immersed yourself in such abomination that is even rare amongst them¡­" Gratiana uttered, with a scowl all over her face.


    "¡­ Therefore, I will take it upon myself to purge you from this world, and pray that perhaps the gods should show you mercy for the nder you have uttered against them, and the abomination you have be¡­ I owe you that much, as your mentor and the one who brought you into the Apostasy¡­"


    The Apostles had only one thought for those who didn''t believe and fervently worship the gods. Disgust and pity. For those who served the evil one, Hexarion, and practiced his Art of Hex, they had judgment to render and were merciless in their execution.


    However, for an Apostle to turn their back on the gods, and give themselves to the evil Art¡­ For such an operation, Gratiana did not feel pity, nor was it mere disgust. It was pure hatred and anger. Especially since the perverted Apostle was her disciple¡­ She could not describe the height of her resentment and contempt toward Ana.


    "You are truly undeserving of the Holy name, Lauria¡­ You are nothing more than a heathen, no, you are even worse than them¡­ You are an abomination, an error in creation¡­ And I will correct that error." Gratiana said.


    She turned her attention to the rest of Hexarion''s ves, Talia and Shamac. A slight grin appeared on her face.


    "I presume the rest of you share her beliefs," Gratiana said to them with narrowed eyes.


    Talia and Shamac nced at each other and smiled.


    "Of course! Hexarion is the best" Talia gleamed


    "Yeah, Boss is simply the greatest," Shamac responded.


    "I see¡­ Then you should all get prepared. I will obliterate you, and I shall show you no mercy!" Gratiana said decisively.


    Within herself, she felt conflicted though. The man who had just left the room, she still had no idea of what his identity was.


    "Could he be a False Prophet? No, they shouldn''t be that powerful¡­" Gratiana thought to herself.


    His existence was a mystery to her, but she was certain of one thing, that he was the one who initiated Ana into the Evil God''s service. If she could, she wanted to kill him many times over for tainting the Apostle, Lauria''s pure soul. But, Gratiana knew she was no match for his power.


    "In any case, these three are certainly his disciples. If I kill them, it''ll definitely serve as a loss to him. With this, I''ll weaken his force to an extent. Afterward, I''ll have to report to the Council. Once the Prophet heard of this, he''ll surely find a way to deal with that monster!" She decided.


    Despite this being her n, she had to be careful. She didn''t know where their master went, or when he would be back, so she had to end things quickly. However, if she used too much of her power against them, and he arrived at that moment, she would be done for without any power left to defend herself against him.


    "I need at least enough power to escape if ites to that." She reasoned.


    Using this logic, Gratiana concluded on not exerting her Grace more than she ought to. Using her extrasensory perception, she knew the three of them were nothingpared to her in Ability. There was no way they could win.


    "Their master must be cocky! Does he think these three can beat me? Even if I don''t know the other two, I personally oversaw that mongrel''s training. While she must have definitely improved, she''s still worlds apart from my strength. From my reading in the other two, their powers are nothing remarkable either. What fools¡­ Didn''t that mongrel tell them just who they are facing?" Gratianaughed to herself in spite.


    "Besides, I have Maria with me. This should be over quickly."


    The three of them watched Gratiana cautiously. Even after she retracted her pressure, they still didn''t let their guard down.


    "I can guess what she''s thinking¡­" Shamac muttered, closely watching their opponent.


    "She believes we are pathetically weaker than her. Thanks to Ana''s description, I already know how the Apostle''s senses work. Judging our levels at this moment, it''s easy to conclude that. However¡­"


    "¡­ Most of Talia''s powers are sealed. Unless she desires to unleash it, her current strength will remain minimal. Ana''s Gate Of Limbo is the same as before, but the contents are entirely different from when this Apostle knew her. As for me¡­ As a Shifter, there''s no limit to how much I can grow. My stats are not constant, so judging me based on my current state is an error." Shamac reasoned.


    After following his line of thought, he had one conclusion. The Apostles they were to fight greatly underestimated them.


    Shamac grinned widely to himself.


    What a grave mistake they were making! It was perfectly in Shamac''s favor.


    "Ana, Talia¡­ I need more data toe up with a sure strategy. Take the lead on this one, let''s entertain her for a little while. An appetizer before the main dish" He smiled at the two women.


    They returned his smile and nodded simultaneously.


    It was finally time to begin a mad dance, one which would leave either side entirely obliterated.

 Chapter 136 - Breaking The Barrier

    In a sh, Talia and Shamac dashed toward the two Apostles who stood motionless at a distance, leaving Shamac behind them to observe the fight.


    "Foolish mongrels" Gratiana muttered.


    Matching each other''s pace, they fluidly swept through the distance and reached Gratiana''s location in no time. Attacking from opposite directions, they lunged their fists to hit her.


    Immediately, a white barrier enveloped Gratiana and Maria, who cling to her. Both attacksunched by Talia and Ana were repelled by the luminous field, sending both of them flying away due to its force.


    "Tch, I knew it. It''s going to be troublesome with that little one around¡­" Shamac muttered as he observed the fight.


    Ana and Talia turned their bodies midair, andnded on their feet, a little distance from the protected opponents.


    "Are you really looking down on me? What was with that pathetic disy of power?" Gratiana scowled.


    Talia and Ana smiled when she said this. They weren''t fools. The two of them saw what had happened when the Forest Guardian used its full force to attack the force field. The power he used recoiled and was redirected at him. If they had done the same and gone all out, the attack on them would be devastating.


    "The power of that shell is only proportionate to the amount of force used. We''ll take damage if we attack it head-on, but we still need to break the barrier¡­" Talia said to Ana.


    "I suppose that leaves us with only one choice then¡­ We''ll just strike at a distance" Ana smiled.


    The two women nodded, and leaped back, creating even more distance between the enemy and them.


    Gratiana patiently observed them with folded hands. No matter what they did, it wouldn''t be enough to break through the barrier. It was imprable, an effect of a Relic granted to her by the Prophet himself.


    "Even I would have to use a great deal of power to break it¡­" Gratiana mused.


    She didn''t know how the master of these heathens was able to shatter it apart so easily, but the ones in front of her didn''t stand a chance.


    Take and Ana smiled once they had reached a safe distance from Gratiana and Maria.


    "[REALM OF LIMBO]"


    "[COCOON OF DARKNESS]"


    Ana and Talia simultaneously muttered silently.


    Suddenly a massive surge of power emerged from the both of them, sending shockwaves to permeate all around the room. The air vibrated and the ground shook due to the forceful emission of power from the two of them.


    Gratiana and Maria were unaffected by this since they were within the barrier, but they were still surprised by the amount of force they possessed.


    Without giving them any opportunity to think, Talia and Ana raised their hands and focused their attacks on the barrier in front of them.


    "[3rd Seal Release]" Talia whispered, increasing the strength of the aura surrounding her even more.


    Wings emerged from her back, however, they weren''t white as in the past. The shimmering wings appeared to glow with a pink hue, having silver linings decorating the tip and designing the body.


    Talia appeared glorious in her new light as she ascended into the air and looked down on her opponents with a condescending smile. Her hands remained outstretched and an unbelievable amount of energy began to converge on it.


    While Gratiana was focused on Talia''s transformation, Ana''s eyes glowed white, causing her REALM to open even further into the depth of the vast space she had ess to.


    "Fourth Set: st" She smiled.


    Immediately, weapons started to appear behind and beside her in multitudes. They had golden appearances, with a white aura surrounding them. The weapons appeared to be in the shapes of wands and cannons. They numbered in over two dozen. Surges of energy and cackles of lightning began to emanate from the tip of the treasures Ana brought forth, all targeted at a single target.


    "You¡­" Gratiana gritted her teeth, ring at Ana with a shocked and distasteful expression.


    However, before she could let out her words, both women fired off their attacks consecutively.


    Talia''s silver-pink spirals of energy, coupled with Ana''s several beams of differing energies allunched at the protected Apostles. As they flowed side by side, the varying forms of power converged, mixing with one another, increasing the total destructive capacity they possessed individually.


    In a split second, thebined st hit the barrier, causing a massive shock wave to envelop the area, devastating the walls and ceilings of the room. The floors cracked and the concrete above their head broke apart, crashing into the ground.


    Shamac protected himself with his shadow, but still ensured to keep observing the fight. Ana''s treasures immediately shot any debris that headed toward her, causing them to shatter immediately. Talia easily evaded the falling debris, gliding through the air as she reunited with Ana.


    "So, you think that did the trick?" Taliban asked, returning to the ground with her wings still behind her.


    Ana could sense the enemies using her Apostle privilege of Extrasensory perception. She smiled as she shook her head.


    "If only it were that simple¡­" Ana mumbled


    Getting a hint of what her partner meant, Talia flexed her wings, building up some energy within them. She then pped it slightly, and a gust of wind blew throughout the room. The dust caused by the debris and destruction was waved off by the stroke of her wings causing visibility to return.


    "¡­ Unfortunately, these Apostles aren''t as easy to beat"


    Gratiana''s scowl caused her entire face to wrinkle, she was visibly upset, even more than before. Her fists were clenched and her animosity was fixated on Ana.


    "You dare to use Grace?! How dare you sully the divine art when you have abandoned the will of the gods. You damned bitch! I''ve changed my mind. I wanted to end you swiftly, but that would be too merciful to you. I''ll be sure to utterly devastate you and enjoy myself as I watch you slowly give in to despair and see the error of your ways, you cur!"


    Gratiana''s bloodshot eyes were filled with uncontroble resentment, and her bloodlust made the hairs on Ana''s body stand. Even Maria, who stops beside her was trembling at the sight of her superior.


    For Gratiana, who believed in the supremacy of Apostles and the arts given to them called Grace, seeing Ana use such a sacred power was beyond the realm of anything she could forgive or tolerate.


    Ana stood firm and decided not to be intimidated by Gratiana''s yells of threat.


    What was more important was how to destroy their protection... It was too firm.


    Shamac watched the fight unfold from afar and tried to figure out their next course of action. The barrier was in the way, and the highly explosive attacks of the both of thembined didn''t even leave a dent.


    "Master Hexarion used less power to break the barrier, though¡­ Is there a trick to it?" He considered within himself.


    Suddenly, a spark appeared in his head and a sudden idea popped in. He grinned to himself and considered the possibility.


    "Talia! Ana! You can''t break the barrier with just brute force!" He yelled, quickly calling their attention to him.


    They both looked back, responding to his sudden call. He smiled at them and gave a sly look.


    "Use that ''other power'' the Boss gifted you" Shamac stated.


    Their eyes widened as he told them this, and they nced at themselves to reach a consensus.


    "It''s worth a shot¡­" Talia mumbled.


    "This could¡­ Actually work¡­" Ana reasoned.


    Both women suddenly retracted their powers, once again returning to their original state. Talia''s winds dissipated, turning into particles of light while Ana''s treasures vanished, returning to the space they came from.


    "What are they up to now?" Gratiana mumbled.


    She could attack them if she wanted, and most likely kill them off. However, she still had to conserve her power.


    "I''ll just let you waste your energy on this futile attempt, then I''ll take my time to discipline you all¡­ Especially you, Ana. I''ll make you wish you were dead, or back in the vige of those Barbarians who defined you every day" Gratiana grinned widely.


    "[COCOON OF DARKNESS]" Talia muttered.


    "Isn''t that what she did before...?" Gratiana asked herself, carefully observing Talia.


    "0th Seal Release¡­ Dark Cloak"


    Suddenly, a ck-purple material appeared, covering Talia''s body. The material permeated her skin, gripping it tightly, until her entire self was covered in it, to the exception of her face.


    "¡­ So you finally learned it" Ana smiled.


    Talia nodded, remembering what it took her to obtain the form she had now.


    Hexarion had been disappointed that she was only able to utilize the first seal since she went through metamorphosis. She also couldn''t use the Cocoon Of Darkness, a special Treasure Hexarion bestowed upon her and the only thing keeping her alive.


    In order to please him, she worked hard while within ROOT until she finally achieved breaking other seals and partially using the Cocoon''s power.


    "It won''tst long though¡­ Ana!" Talia said, raising her voice at thest word.


    "Got it!"


    Ana''s eyes glowed.


    Immediately, Talia disappeared. The two Apostles were flustered by what had just happened, however, Gratiana quickly regained herposure.


    "So, you took her within the Realm? What of it?" She said, eyeing Ana suspiciously.


    Suddenly, Talia appeared in front of the Barrier, her fists raised to strike the barrier with a great deal of force.


    "This again? It''s useless-"


    As Gratiana spoke, Talia''s hands made an impact with the barrier. The sudden sh between the two opposing forces made a deafening sound. However, instead of her being repelled from the light field, something surprising urred.


    <Crack>


    Gratiana''s eyes bulged.


    "W-What?!" She let out in shock.


    The light barrier cracked even further, the thin lines which indicated its damage spread throughout the spherical light protection.


    The barrier shattered immediately, causing Maria to scream in pain, due to her connection to the light barrier that broke apart.


    She fell unconscious immediately. Falling into Gratiana''s bosom.


    "Y-Yes!" Talia grinned.


    She did it, she really broke it apart¡­ By using the strange power of the Cocoon, just as Shamac wanted.


    She turned back and smiled at her two allies. However, their face didn''t depict joy, but horror. Their eyes widened and their mouth fell with slight fear and worry.


    "Talia, get out of there!" Shamac quickly shouted.


    "Eh?" Talia muttered in confusion.


    She was busy facing herrades that she lost focus on the enemy. Gratiana, whose looks now resembled one saddened with rage, red at Talia''s frame.


    <Splurge>


    Blood sttered throughout the floor, oozing from the top as it spilled.


    <Cough>


    "Bleughh" Talia groaned as she vomited blood.


    Her eyes widened in shock as she looked below her and saw a sword pierced through her stomach.


    "W-Wha¡­?!" She let out weakly.


    She slowly tilted her head to face Gratiana, and her eyes bulged at what was waiting for her.


    Many swords were stillying overhead, waiting to descend upon Talia. They glowed silver and white and their edges pointed to Talia, with Gratiana''s will being the only thing holding them back.


    "Die, wench!"


    Suddenly, the suspended des fell from midair aid descended upon Talia.

 Chapter 137 - Let The Battle Begin

    The Cocoon of Darkness, a unique treasure crafted by Hexarion through using his Void Aspect. With the ability to seal and contain energy, it keeps Talia''s body from crumbling away, maintaining the vast amount of uncontroble power squirming within her.


    Talia practiced using this Treasure independently, without relying on the Fairy Aspects within her. This gave birth to a new power she could use.


    Cocoon Of Darkness: Equip. With it, she covers her entire body with the properties of the Cocoon, manifesting the invisibleyer of darkness whichys dormant in her. Using this, she can use the effects of the Cocoon to affect anything shees in contact with.


    "Use the ''other'' power Master Hexarion gave you''!"


    Once Shamac said this, the words rang in Talia''s ears, making her realize that she could use the Cocoon to break the barrier without trying on excessive force.


    Shamac had realized this first, by remembering the simr properties being used in Hexarion''s st attack when he shattered Maria''s barrier the first time. Using this logic, and remembering the exnation Hexarion gave when he gifted Talia with the Cocoon, he had the n set out.


    And it worked!


    Fortunately, Ana was quick on the uptake and closed the distance between Talia and the Apostles, making her deal a direct hit on the barrier in a surprising manner. This quick blow made the protection of the Apostles ineffective due to the Void Aspect of the Cocoon.


    They won¡­ But they, not even Shamac, could have predicted what happened next.


    "Urkkk"


    More blood gushed out of Talia''s mouth as she groaned in pain. She looked above her and found many other swords descending upon her in a sh.


    Her body was paralyzed due to the searing pain she felt so she could hardly move her body. The rebound effect of her use of the Cocoon''s power also affected her, making Talia''s body go numb.


    Being unable to move, she fearfully awaited being impaled by the several swords and meeting an untimely end.


    "Talia!!!" Shamac yelled.


    Just as the swords were about to pierce her body, Talia faded from the location, causing the de which was stuck in between her stomach to fall in a ng. She disappeared, vanishing without a trace.


    At the same time, the swords allnded on the ground, crashing and breaking apart the concrete. The force of the des made the surrounding area crack, sending pebbles and dust flying about.


    Shamac''s eyes widened, not seeing Talia in her supposed location. She was taken away.


    "That is¡­" He muttered, realizing what just happened.


    Talia''s injured self appeared beside Ana, who looked weakened and distraught. She held her chest as she took slow breaths in an attempt to calm herself.


    She had used her Realm Of Limbo''s effects to quickly rapture her to her side. The negative effect of doing that at such a quick pace was tasking on her body, making her recoil as a result of overexerting herself.


    "Tch, how troublesome¡­" Gratiana let out in dissatisfaction.


    "I wanted to quickly kill that wench and take my time with the other cur¡­ But she just had to get in my way, using the Holy Art for that matter¡­ How unforgivable!"


    Gratiana was beyond upset. They had caused her disciple harm and insulted the Apostle''s sanctity.They all deserved to die.


    "Laura, no, you abomination¡­ I will make you regret doing that. You should have let your friend die, and followed her in death. But, by doing this¡­ You have made, not me angry, but the gods¡­ And I will now respond to you on their behalf." Gratiana said.


    Ana appeared nervous, still shaken by the sudden use of her Grace, though the effects were subsiding already. She turned to Talia with a concerned look.


    "Are you okay?"


    Taliban grunted as she struggled to stand, cleaning her blood-stained mouth.


    "Urgh, do I look okay? But you don''t need to worry about me¡­" She responded, her eyes focused on their enemy.


    "I''ll get better soon¡­ Third Seal¡­"


    As Talia muttered this, a pink aura enveloped her, and her wings appeared once again. The slit on her stomach caused by the piercing sword slowly closed.


    "You''re¡­ Healing¡­?!" Ana eximed, surprised by the speed of Talia''s recovery.


    "Yeah, by that''s not important right now¡­ That move, what the hell was that?! It was almost like-"


    "Like my Grace, right?" Ana interrupted,pleting Talia''s words.


    Talia nodded.


    "That''s because it is¡­ She uses the same Grace as me, or more urately, mine is merely an inferior version of hers¡­" Ana muttered.


    "What do you-"


    Before Talia couldplete her words, she found herself fading once again, however, before this could bepleted, Ana quickly held Talia, causing the process to be canceled.


    "Uah" Talia gasped in shock, surprised by the strange phenomenon that urred.


    "Careful. She can also send you to her Realm, but as long as I can maintain physical contact with you, it won''t work¡­" Ana warned.


    "Tch" Gratiana eyed Ana.


    Using the Grace of Hades, the Apostle can take in objects, living, dead, or inorganic. However, a weakness in this ability, known only to its users, is interference.


    Once an object has been targeted for transportation, it must be isted from foreign interference. If any foreign objectes into contact with the target, the effects of the REAM OF LIMBO integration ceases.


    "There''s no time to exin, we need to finish her off now that she''s being lenient¡­ Shamac, have youe up with a strategy yet?" Ana said, desperately turning back to Shamac.


    Shamac looked absent-minded for a moment, not paying mind to Ana. His eyes were nk, entirely focused on his mental processes. Finally, he snapped out of his semi-conscious state, looking at Ana who kept calling for him.


    "I''ve got it!" Shamac said.


    "Sorry for taking so long¡­ It''s finally time for a counterattack!"


    Within a sh, he dashed to Ana''s location, covering himself in his shadow.


    The ck cloak enveloped him, making a coat and inner garments for him, giving him a dark shade of darkness. His face was left untouched, and sparks of ck energy swirled about him.


    Talia slowly levitated, staying in midair. Ana, beingpletely recovered from the shock, stood firmly and smiled as Shamac confidently stood beside her. Shamac grinned and cracked his neck.


    "This is going to be a dangerous fight¡­ But if we y our cards right, we''ll win!"


    "What are our chances of victory?" Ana asked.


    "¡­"


    Shamac''s face became serious, looking grim after he heard the question.


    "Less than 10 percent¡­ But, we have no choice but to win!" He stated.


    "So tell us, what''s the n!?!" Talia asked


    "The n is¡­"


    Gratiana had grown impatient observing the three, and her preparations were finallyplete. Maria groaned as she awakened, looking disoriented.


    "L-Lady Gratiana¡­ I''m so sorry¡­ I failed you¡­" She muttered, looking sad and disappointed in herself.


    A look of fear appeared on her face as she slowly nced at her mentor, expecting her usual harsh punishment.


    "That is not important currently. I have need of you now¡­ I am about to enter into battle. Once I do, I''ll be too upied, so keep yourself safe¡­" Gratiana said, not bothering to look at Maria in the face.


    "Lady Gratiana¡­ You''re too kind!" Maria beamed, tears slightly showing in her eyes.


    "Maria¡­ I will most likely be the victor of this fight. However, if it appears that the opposite is about toe true¡­ Then do ''it''!" Gratiana muttered, turning to Maria slowly.


    "W-Whaaa?! There''s no my mdy would lose!" Maria eximed.


    "I am aware. However, I still give you this instruction. Can I count on you, Maria?" Gratiana asked.


    "Y-Yes! Of course, Mdy!" Maria said.


    "Good. Then, take care of yourself. Retreat to the far end of the building. I''ll be opening the [Realm Of Limbo] and using the [Property Of The Underworld]. Don''t get in my way"


    With thesest words, Gratiana left her location and slowly advanced to the three heathens she would dispose of. Marie stepped back, erecting her barrier as she retreated to a far end of the wall in order to protect herself from the damage about to ur.


    "Here shees¡­" Ana muttered.


    "I still can''t believe we''re going to be doing that¡­" Talia mumbled, thinking about what Shamac told them.


    "Anything else you want to tell us about this Gratiana?" Shamac asked.


    Ana considered thest words to say before venturing into battle.


    "¡­ Your calctions may not be urate. There''s a reason she has allowed us to talk all this time¡­ She''s that confident in her abilities. However, as you said¡­ We have no choice but victory."


    They all smiled and then turned to Gratiana, giving her their full attention.


    "Are you mongrels done with your pointless chatter?" She asked.


    The trip did not respond, rather, they armed themselves with their weapons of war. Ana summoned her treasures from her Realm, Shamac created shadow projections of ded tentacles, while still covering himself with his shadow cloak.Talia, who was partly in midair, generated a light beam on her palm, and it solidified, forming an elegant staff.


    Gratiana raised her hands, cing them on each arm into a folded position while ring at the trio.


    "Remember the n, if anything goes wrong¡­ We all die!" Shamac dered.


    [MEANWHILE]


    "Not bad¡­ They seem to be holding out well"


    I watched from the screen before me, the fight that was taking ce. My ves are struggling nicely. In that case, I better move on to my business.


    "This will be a hard fight for me too¡­ If I remember correctly¡­ I''ll be fighting WRATH." I muttered.


    Since my ves are showing me such an impressive disy, I can''t afford to disappoint as well¡­ I''ll be using everything I have!

 Chapter 138 - Grand Apostle

    Arge number of varying des suddenly appeared above Talia, Ana, and Shamac, raining upon them at inconceivable speeds.


    The waves of attacks could not be evaded so they had to be countered with equal force.


    "Third Set: Defence"


    Shields and other protective arms appeared above Ana immediately. She used these treasures to defend herself while remaining focused on Gratiana, who did not move from her spot and watched them with folded hands.


    The rest also continued to fight off the hordes of falling des with vigor. Shamac used his sharpened shadow tentacles to make tendrils of several proportions, dancing around him to cover all areas. Talia, while in flight, used the hardened light she had created and modeled into a staff, to counter any weapon which got close to her and fired her light beams to destroy the ones from afar.


    "It seems the dregs in my armory won''t be enough for you. Well then..." Gratiana mumbled.


    Suddenly, the waves of stores ceased, and for a moment there was calm... One which signaled the start of aing storm.


    "She''s getting serious now..." Ana thought to herself.


    Suddenly, white light shone all around the room, indicating themencement of a new wave of attacks. However, they could not see any weapons.


    As Shamac and Talia looked all over in confusion to see the iing assault, they felt stabs all over them, caused by the very des they were looking for.


    "Keukk! How..." Shamac groaned.


    Ana tried to exin, but she was also upied with the none visible assault that endlessly attacked her.


    Talia healed herself quickly, adapting to the situation in a sh. Taking notice of the invisible assault, she covered herself in light in order to defend against them.


    Shamac quickly put up a protective barrier of shadows around him to recover from his weakened state. He could hear ngs and crashes as des attempted to prate his defense.


    "This must be... They''re invisible..." Shamac realized.


    Invisible des wereunched by Gratiana, causing their sight to be obsolete in reacting to attacks and defending themselves.


    "Tch, well yed... But..." Shamac grinned widely, wincing due to the hurt he experienced.


    The des which pierced him could no longer be felt, most likely called back by Gratiana, but Shamac''s wounds lingered.


    He quickly used his shapeshifting abilities to plug the holes the surprise assault gave him and healed himself, stopping the bleeding entirely.


    "It still hurts though..." He groaned.


    Dispelling his shadow dome, he created an automatic defense that would deal with anything that got into close proximity on reflex.


    Using this, his shadows lunched and sauntered all about him as they deflected the sharp des. The durability of his shadows, after constant defense without rest, was beginning to dwindle, but he adamantly kept swerving his shadows as he slowly approached Gratiana.


    "Do it now, Talia" Shamac ordered internally, recognizing the timing ording to their n.


    Suddenly, massive vines protruded from the ground, glowing pink and having a devastating aura. They had ded bodies and lunged at Gratiana sharply.


    Gratiana watched as it approached her and red at the vine, using her ability to make it fade. However, as she did this, another one appeared directly beneath her. Distracted by the multiple vines she was feeling with, she could not react to the one which headed straight for her head at a devastating pace.


    "Got her!" Shamac gleamed.


    He was wrong.


    As soon as the vine neared her face, arge de appeared from above her head and struck it down instantly. The enhanced vine turned to dust as it was pierced by the mysterious de that appeared.


    "W-What?!" Shamac protested.


    This was unexpected. After the vines around herpletely disappeared, she turned toward the location of the three who looked surprised that their n failed.


    "Insignificant curs... Were you relying on that as a strategy?" She smiled softly.


    Slightly shaking her head, she summoned a massive sword, more powerful than the ones they were facing earlier. The de remained midair, some distance from her and it glowed majestically, having silver inscriptions on its white body.


    "This is a high-tier sword. It moves beyond the speed conceivable by any of you... However..."


    Suddenly, the sword turned toward her and glowed even brighter, pointing its sharp edge at its summoner.


    Talia, Shamac, and Ana all looked flustered, confused by what Gratiana wanted to do.


    The deunched, quickly transferring the distance between it and Gratiana in less than an instant, and aimed to impale her.


    But, it did not reach even the hair on her skin.


    The sword immediately shattered apart, breaking into many white fragments as they ttered on the ground like ss.


    "N-No way! What just happened?!" Talia''s eyes widened as she saw the vastly powerful sword get wasted without knowing the cause.


    She turned to Shamac, but the expression he had on his face also made her aware that he too had no idea what had just urred.


    The only one who had a mere glimpse of the event was Ana, who had the highest perception among them.


    "I-I couldn''t keep up with everything... B-But I did manage to get a glimpse..." Ana stuttered, still recoiling from the sight she experienced.


    "As the sword reached a certain distance, near her neck... Something instantly countered it and shattered the de in one hit!" She exined, not entirely sure of what the ''thing'' was herself.


    This was the first time she had experienced this.


    "Know despair, foolish ones... I can never be harmed by the likes of you." Gratiana smiled.


    For the first time, Shamac began to panic. An attack faster than he could process yet was so easily deflected by her... If that was the case there was no way for them to win.


    "Calm yourself Shamac... There are no absolutes in this world!" He assured himself.


    He braced himself and gave himself to logic, trying to reason a way to confront the impossible task ahead of him.


    "What do we do now?" Talia asked Shamac, who still tried to pull himself together.


    "You can do nothing, but die!" Gratiana answered with a satisfied grin.


    Without leaving them any room to breathe, Gratiana resumed the bombardment of weapons,unching them from all directions. They flew toward Shamac and the girls, causing them to quickly move to the defensive.


    "There are invisible des mixed with the physical ones," Ana shouted, alerting the other to two.


    Talia generated a barrier around herself, causing the invisible attacks to be deflected while she focused on the ones she could see.


    "The invisible ones are considerably weaker..." She noticed.


    This observation didn''t matter, however, since the numbers were too overwhelming and the three of them began to get pushed back.


    "If we don''t use our full powers now, we''ll be toast!" Shamac groaned.


    He had wanted to do thister, but with the way things escted, they were left with few options.


    "We''re going all out!" Shamac dered.


    Immediately,rge bursts of energy emanated from the three of them. Dark aura rose from Shamac, red from Talia, and white from Ana.


    The strong force of this sudden surge caused the attacking weapons to get blown away, and upon seeing that they would be useless, Gratiana halted the movement of the rest of her weapons.


    A more ominous covering of darkness enveloped Shamac, giving him greater prowess in his overall power. He concentrated every ounce of his shadow into his cloak.


    "Fourth Seal, open!"


    Talia''s wings were now bright red, sparkling with its glory. Sparks of red light and buzzes radiated about her as her outfit became enveloped in the same hue.


    Ana now donned armor on her normal attire. The breastte, shoulder pads, and ankle guards were all light, glowing with golden radiance. Her legs were also properly furnished with magnificent boots and leggings, all Treasures bestowed upon her by her Lord.


    "Oh? So you''ve finally decided to use your full power... Good. This wouldn''t be worthwhile if you didn''t." Gratianamented.


    "They''ve all be considerably more powerful... My previous attacks won''t work" She thought to herself.


    Still, they posed no problems.


    "Perhaps I ought to show you something special as well... You see aware of the Grace of the Apostle of Hades, the [Realm Of Limbo]... But, that is not all there is..." Gratiana smiled at the three opponents she faced.


    "Let me show you another power that I have been gifted with as the Apostle of Hades... Be honored to witness its magnificence!"


    Ana''s body slightly trembled. She knew what wasing.


    As a servant of the gods, an Apostle basically had a Grace given to them by the gods they devoted themselves to. However, special Apostles who received the attention of the gods and became favored in their sight received yet another privilege... Being gifted by the gods yet again!


    These are beings who have transcended the realm of others... They are known as Grand Apostles.


    "She possesses more than one Grace!" Ana mumbled.


    "[Properties Of The Underworld]" Gratiana whispered to herself.


    Suddenly, a dark sh sparked, causing ck curtains of energy to begin to rise from within her. The dark material slowly swept through the area, surrounding everyone within a moment.


    Theyer of darkness climbed as it approached the ceiling and spread apart.Within a moment, the darkyer had be a dome, trapping everyone within its ckyer.


    "Now then, shall we continue where we left off?" Gratiana grinned before them.


    They did not know what awaited them in their trapped estate, however, they remained resolved to win despite ring evidence that their defeat was imminent.

 Chapter 139 - Properties Of The Underworld

    Surrounded by a deep ck dome, the three ves of Hexarion could not help but feel flustered by the sudden change of event.


    "Struggle as much as you wish" Gratiana grinned.


    "Ana, Is this it...?" Shamac asked in a whisper.


    "Y-Yes..." She responded cautiously.


    "Okay, then... You all know what to do. We can''t afford to pull our punches now!"


    Take a and Ana nodded after hearing Shamac''s words and made a formation, each backing the other. Doing this, they covered one another''s blind spots.


    "Useless!" Gratiana said, raising one of her hands above her head.


    Suddenly, they felt a tremor around them, and the ck surrounding began to shake. Ripples appeared on the dark curtains as they took the form of a semi-liquid substance. Distortions showed all around it, indicating something was protruding from within.


    "Come forth... Hellhounds!"


    Suddenly, hands came forth from the veil which covered the area, and slowly the whole bodies emerged.


    Red creatures with horns on their heads and faces of jackals emerged. They possessed wings and a tail, having spikes around their elbow and knee area. They came forth in multitudes, holding Spears in their hand. Each of them was as tall as an adolescent, but their grotesque appearance and dangerous look made them seem to be muchrger.


    "[Realm Of Limbo] allows an Apostle to possess their own space, taking in and bringing out the contents within it... But this Grace... It connects directly to the Underworld itself... And these creatures are beings who dwell within it..." Ana muttered to herself.


    "I will not sully my hands to deal with the likes of you. Hellhounds, finish them off!"


    The massive wave of beings from the underworld snarled as they red at Shamac and the others. They raised their spears and immediately lunged from the sky where they were suspended.


    Gliding to the ground to pierce them with their weapons, the winged dogs charged in rage.


    "Uoghhhhhh!!!" They growled.


    "Here theye!" Shamac dered.


    Having donned his entire shadow as his armor, Shamac had none left to create projections from below. In its stead, however, he received a phenomenal amount of power.


    He stretched his hands toward the ones who lunged toward him, and immediately, shadow spikes proceeded from his arm, piercing then instantly.


    After seeing this, the next wave avoided his ck edges, dodging them with their airborne prowess, and closed the distance.


    More shadows appeared from his back, transforming his cloak partially into more des, as he tore them apart.


    The waves kept overflowing, making Shamac get overwhelmed by their numbers. Realizing he was at a disadvantage on the ground, he created wings, using his shadow cloak, and flew from the ground.


    "Tch!"


    The little devils pursued him, racing through the air. He created more spikes and lunged them toward the hell hounds. Some hit sessfully, however, most of the creatures evaded his attacks.


    "If this doesn''t work... Then it''s time to switch up!" Shamac reasoned.


    "Shape: Hydra"


    He generated three heads from behind him, a miniature version of the Hydra construct he made previously. The three heads formed sts of fire, acid, and poison, charging the three as he dodged the aerial assault of his opponents.


    As soon as the attacks charged, Shamac ascended higher into the air and looked down on the hell hounds who followed him to his heights.


    "Eat this!" He dered.


    The triple bursts of devastation immediatelyunched toward the horde of monsters, exploding as they collided.


    >BOOOOOM!!!!<


    The st killed many of them, and the shockwave caused the others to lose bnce, sending them flying in the air. Shamac smiled as he used this opportunity to sweep through the disoriented monsters and cull them before they had any chance to regain control.


    While Shamac fought his battle, Talia and Ana also fought off the wave of hellish beasts.


    Talia''s red fairy form, an effect of removing her fourth seal, gave her an immense aura, causing anyone who ventured close to her to experience automaticbustion.


    The horde of hellhounds burst into mes as soon as they neared her, causing them to be in a confused state, allowing her to easily finish them off.


    She also created many orbs of red light, firing off against the other hellhounds in a distance. Realizing her tactics, the beasts retreated from her vicinity and raised their spears in a counterattack. Hundreds of them lunged their weapons at her, sending them flying at ridiculous speeds.


    Confronted by a wave of countless strong and pointed tools of carnage, Talia was cornered. The spears descended toward her from all directions, giving her no option of retreat.


    "Nice try... But..." Talia grinned.


    Stretching both her hands horizontally, she inhaled deeply and bulged her eyes. She built up a massive amount of energy, causing red lightning to snap around her in rapid surges.


    "Rouge Burst!" She shouted.


    Suddenly, a red force field surrounded her. The field expanded, quickly spanning across meters from her. The spears which approached her, collided with the red barrier which kept extending. They immediately exploded as they contacted the field.


    This caused a spontaneous and simultaneous chain of small explosions to ur all around her in the air. The shock waves of hundreds of spears exploding all at once created a reverberating boom that spanned across the room.


    "Kreughhh?!?!" The hellhounds looked at Talia in confusion and fear, marveling at her power.


    "Oh, we''re not done yet!" She grinned.


    She summoned her mini orbs and shot out light beams from them, hitting the floating beasts with pinpoint uracy, sting their heads and hearts into nothing but shattered flesh and bones.


    The hellhounds which attacked Ana experienced nothing but carnage and a one-sided ughter. She used one of her treasures, a golden tform, to levitate. Gliding through the air, she summoned dozens of treasures to assault her opponents.


    Being Sacred Grade, they easily tore through their targets like nothing, killing off dozens in a single blow. Within a moment, her Treasures of barely 50id waste to hundreds of hell hounds, the numbers still rising.


    "st" She whispered.


    Several bursts of energy came from the new set of Treasures she summoned, charging and releasing their contents within a second. The explosive power emanating from these caused thousands of the creatures to perish, disintegrating as the rays of pure destruction fried them.


    None of the hellhounds could even get close to her, since her armor generated a shield preventing them from touching her, while at the same time electrocuting them if they touched it.


    "Amazing... Lord Hexarion''s treasures truly are magnificent!" Ana beamed as she watched her summons obliterate her opponents.


    Gratiana watched the one-sided fight closely, surprised by the power disyed by Ana and the rest of them.


    "I have to admit, they are better than I thought... In that case..." She muttered.


    Suddenly, the Hellhounds vanished from sight, turning into particles as they faded, returning to the ck Dome where they came from.


    "Is she finally letting up?" Talia wondered.


    However, they all knew their opponent was not so merciful.


    "You truly have grown stronger, you did not possess this kind of power as an Apostle... That much, I know... So this is why you decided to join the side of evil and pervert your ways? For power?! How repulsive." Gratiana said, ring at Ana.


    "Since you''ve shown that these ones are not a challenge for you, why don''t you try more challenging opponents?"


    Gratiana smiled as she raised her hand once again, her eyes glowing dark.


    "For denizens of darkness such as yourselves, this will be most fitting¡­ Come forth, Dark Riders!"


    Immediately, a new set of creatures emerged from the dark murk that made up the walls surrounding them. ck horses with red eyes and fiery marks on their bodies came out. On top of them were red creatures, covered in ck amour, with only a portion of their crimson faces showing. Their horns protruded from the holes in their gear and their eyes glowed yellow.


    On their hands, they had arge sword each, some had bows instead, some had spears. They grinned widely, showing their discolored and sharp teeth, licking their lips with obsessive faces.


    After hundreds of these came forth, a final one appeared above the rest. Its appearance was unique, and everyone could tell this one was built differently. Its dark horse was twice asrge as the others and it was covered in armor tes. Smoke of fire proceeded from the nose and mouth of the steed as it neighed and red at its target.


    The rider had bulky armor, with its entire face covered with his helmet. Only the eyes of this strange new knight showed, glowing red. Its helmet had horns, and behind him were tworge axes, warbling with shades of purple and crimson. It held the muzzle of its horse and floated in the air, simr to the other Riders.


    <strong>"I am the One called the Executioner¡­"</strong> The deep voice of the dark knight came forth.


    The sound of its intimidating voice sent chills down the spines of Talia, Shamac, and Ana. They raised their faces and looked at him with caution. He wasn''t going to be an easy foe.


    <strong>"¡­Humans¡­ You die today¡­"</strong>

 Chapter 140 - Wrath

    The dark room, lighted by the luminous window before me, became suffocating. After watching my ves work hard, I decided to stop dawdling and engage my opponent as well.


    "HEX # 30 [ADMINISTRATOR''S AUTHORITY]"


    Upon saying this, a purple panel appeared before me, disying several settings I wanted.


    After interacting with the control center of the Dungeon, I can ess it remotely from my Administrator Panel. This wille in handy soon.


    "System Command: Generate Gate to The Last Floor" I stated.


    Immediately, the window glowed, buzzing as it executed mymand.


    [System Notification]


    <Command Granted>


    <Select Stage>


    I smiled. Looks like I was right in thinking it would work.


    "Last Stage: Final Boss Room," I said.


    Once again, the buzzing sound echoed through the room.


    <Command Granted>


    <Generating Gate Now>


    Immediately, a blue distortion appeared a few meters in front of me. The space ahead broke apart, causing sparks of lightning and energy to converge. Finally, it stabilized, creating a door before me.


    The edges of the door were blue, with a dark inner glowing from within. I smiled and stepped forward, refusing to waste any more time.


    "All preparations have been made..." I muttered slowly.


    Venturing into the door caused by spatial distortions, my body became slowly integrated with the darkness until I disappeared entirely.


    [The 100th Floor: Boss Room]


    I appeared on the other side of the doorway, stepping foot on a strange, yet familiar ground. The floor was smooth and it glistened like jasper. I brought my entire body out of the dark embrace of the portal and appeared at my destination, the final stop and highest point in this Dungeon... Boss Room Of Wrath.


    The room looks massive,rger than even the space Jared made with his special ability. Decorations of precious stones and minerals fill the space, sparkling with splendor and elegance.


    Multiple pirs hold up the ceiling of the room, and arge flight of stairs ascends to a higher tform. I nced at the top of the stairs and looked at the center of attraction, the guardian of the room.


    On the massive throne, he was seated. d in glory and majesty, gazing down upon my frame which seems dwarfedpared to his.


    With two horns protruding from his head, and a long flowing white hair, his head slightly titled and his red pupils stared at me with focus.


    His muscr body glowed like tinum, sitting bare-chested, with only his lower garments worn. Tattoos of dragons and mes are illustrated all over his massive body.


    His right hand lightly supported his head as he ced it on his chin. With an unwee re that also disyed a hint of surprise, the Boss stared.


    "I see you''re doing well, Wrath..." I stated, moving forward slowly.


    He dropped his hand from his cheek and ced it on the throne''s armrest.


    His sharpened nails slightly scratched the throne impatiently as he looked at me with surprise, wondering how I know his name.


    <strong>"How do you know my name?"</strong>He asked, disying his sharpened teeth and deepened voice.


    I smiled.


    Despite trying to actposed, he can''t resist his true nature.


    "Why shouldn''t I? I''m your master, aren''t I?" I grinned.


    His eyes widened as I said this, and he clenched his fists instantly. His eyebrows furrowed into a frown, displeased by my statement.


    <strong>"How dare you impersonate the ''Great One''? You lowly being dare topare yourself to Lord Hexarion?!"</strong>He said with a tone of annoyance.


    It''s going to be a pain to reveal my identity to him, and even if I try my hardest, he won''t ept it.


    Wrath is stubborn and thick-headed. Logic hardly applies to him, and the only way to get him to give me my reverence and once again swear fealty to me is if I forcefully force him to submit and subjugate him.


    <strong>"Your existence is different from the others I sense beneath this floor. You possess no Aspects as well, like me. You are also capable of using Administrative authority through Hex... Truly, I ept you are a different breed from the others..."</strong>He muttered.


    "Then..." I proceeded.


    <strong>"However, this much isn''t enough for you to pass as my master. You are too weak! I can measure up your total essence, and it is barely half of mine. Your frame and the amount of force you emit are also inferior to mine... You can not possibly be Lord Hexarion if you''re weaker than I am!"</strong>


    He is correct. Wrath is currently more powerful than my current form. I had wanted to face him after some time, but there''s no more time. The Apostles, Artificial gods, Heroes, and other anomalies in this new world have made me revise my original n. I need more strength, which means I must takerger risks.


    "There''s no point in trying to convince you, is there? Well then... Who do you think I am, if not Hexarion?" I smirked.


    I stopped moving, directly before the stairs that leads to his throne.


    <strong>"I do not know... But I intend to find out. Mysterious being, you are a threat. That much I know. I will personally see to it that you are extinguished!"</strong>He dered, rising from his seat.


    His entire form became more ring after he rose. He''s nearly twice asrge as I am, having a muchrger build.


    "It won''t be that easy, you know? You must be rusty, staying here for thousands of years, without anyone to fight... How did it feel, Wrath? Lonely?" I teased.


    His face softened upon hearing this, and he couldn''t hold the emotion he felt within himself.


    <strong>"Kuahahahahaha</strong>!!!" Wrath bellowed inughter.


    <strong>"Ah, your manner of speech truly resembles the Lord. If not for your weak state, I might have mistaken you for him. But... You see indeed correct!"</strong> He said, still chuckling.


    <strong>"It has been boring, severely boring, and drab. Staying here to guard my master''s treasure, without anyone reaching even close to this citadel... Disappointing indeed."</strong> He said.


    "It''s a good thing I''m here then..." I answered.


    <strong>"Exactly, now I get to exercise a little... You have my gratitude, mysterious one. I do hope you entertain me properly... Try not to die, okay?"</strong>


    Don''t worry, Wrath... I won''t!


    In a sh, he leaped from his high estate andnded directly in front of me. His height forced me to look up in order to meet his face.


    "I''ll be winning this fight, Wrath... And when I do, you''ll be mine once again..." I whispered.


    <strong>"We''ll see about that!"</strong> He grinned.


    Taking the moment in which he talked to strike him with my fist, my full-powered blow lunged at his stomach, driving it as hard as I could.


    >BOOOOOOM!<


    A massive shockwave was sent throughout the room, creating aftershocks as the grounds trembled.


    However, as expected, Wrath did not even move an inch. Standing firmly on his two feet, he looked at me with a condescending smile and folded his hands.


    <strong>"Was that your strongest attack?"</strong> He asked.


    Of course not. I was just testing the waters. It''s good to see that he''s still as sturdy as ever. This will be quite useful for me in the long run.


    I immediately dashed back, creating some distance between us in an instant. In close-rangebat, I''m at a massive disadvantage. It''s best to attack him at my own pace.


    <strong>"Do not think I''ll be letting you make all the move... I shouldy you back for that pointless hit with my own. Here Ie too!"</strong>


    Immediately he said this, his venomous body vanished, moving faster than even my eyes could process.


    Using my reflexes, I quickly guarded my stomach, pouring all my body''s enhancements to my hands to withstand his blow.


    He appeared where I predicted and hit me there, hitting me with his fist, the same as I did.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!<


    The force his attack generated caused me to be pushed back flying some distance from him.


    The entire room trembled, with the shocks being felt for miles. The grounds cracked and the pirs shook.


    I used one of the hardest materials in existence to create this room, yet with a single hit, they are already experiencing a breakdown.


    My pain receptors are off, so I didn''t feel that. But, even I know when my body has been damaged. This vessel''s integrity has been reduced drastically... By at least 10 percent.


    That one hit shaved away a tenth of my lifespan.


    I forcefully nted my feet on the ground, regaining my stance, and bnced myself.


    <strong>"Oh, wow... This is surprising... To think you survived that. I am impressed. Won''t you tell me your identity? You already know of mine, it''s only right for you to reciprocate-"</strong>


    "I believe I have already told you. I am Hexarion, your master."


    <strong>"That again? Don''t be unreasonable. Lord Hexarion isn''t this weak. After his defeat by the Primordials, I was sure he would return since he is just that kind of being. But, even in his lowest estate, there''s no way I would be able toy a finger on him!"</strong> Wrath said.


    While his praises are satisfying, in this instance he is wrong. My servant is stronger than I am, how humiliating... And his loyalty and respect for me are so much that he refuses to believe he can beat me, therefore he''ll never ept me as Hexarion.


    "The solution is simple, then.. I just have to win!" I grinned.

 Chapter 141 - Master Vs Servant

    "ROOT" I muttered


    Immediately, my ring shone purple, creating a surge of purple energy around it.


    "<strong>Oh? Isn''t that the ''Root Of All''? You also possess Lord Hexarion''s treasure?"</strong>


    Wrath beamed in surprise upon seeing memand ROOT.


    <strong>"Interesting... I can we why you were able to reach this far and even try to pose as him, you''ve conquered one of my Lord''s Dungeons haven''t you?."</strong> He stated.


    Idiot. It''s because I''m Hexarion I can do those things. In the first ce, Root won''t recognize anyone else as its master.


    But Wrath''s cognitive ability is incapable of reasoning that way, what a meathead.


    Many swirling purple portals appeared all around him, and from within them proceeded several Sacred Grade Treasures.


    <strong>"Heh, You won''t be able to use it for long, though... Let''s see how long it''ll take before your body reaches its limits!"</strong> Wrath grinned.


    If it''s only Sacred Grade Treasures, I''ll be able to manage just fine!


    Iunched several of my Treasures at him at once, making sure there was no room for escape.


    He swiftly dodged the first wave, using his body to deflect the ones which he couldn''t avoid. Quickly grabbing two of the treasures, he used them to strike the rest that lunged at him.


    >ng<


    >ng<


    The sturdy Treasures sparked as they tried hitting him, but we''re urately deflected by his swings.


    "No, you don''t!" I muttered, retrieving the Treasures he had on his hands back into ROOT, just as he was about to deflect dozens of Treasures whichunched at him at rapid speeds.


    He grinned widely as he drew both his hands to each other, pping them together. The sudden impact of his two fists created a massive force that blew away the des that targeted him.


    >Skreeeeee<


    Screeching sounds of metal and the Treasures which were blown away filled the air, colliding with one another as sparks few all around.


    I immediately summoned a massive ster from arge hole from ROOT and fired the highly concentrated shot at Wrath.


    His hands were still glued together as he huffed when he nced at my location and noticed the whirring sound of the iing st.


    <strong>"You little-"</strong>


    >Booooooooooooommmmmmm<


    The explosion spread for a great distance, shattering the ground and pirs around it.


    I used Hex to defend myself from the st, but even Safe Haven cracked due to the impact caused by the eruption of pure energy.


    The dust and smoke surrounding the area hampered my regr sight, making me switch to my heightened senses. However, before I finished the transfer, a gust blew all the mist away, making the entire area visible once again.


    <strong>"Ahhh... Yes, this is it!"</strong> Wrath''s voice echoed throughout the destroyed grounds.


    I gazed up and saw him floating in the sky, having his dragon wings carry him up as he levitated in majesty.


    His face looked crazed, as his charred and battered body emitted smoke, evident that he was damaged.


    Myst attack must have injured him, though it''s nowhere close to taking him out.


    <strong>"Hehehehehe...</strong><strong>Good! Good! I like this!"</strong> He bellowed in an obsessive tone,ughing heartily.


    While his body disyed signs of injury, he showed no signs of recuperating.


    "Why don''t you heal yourself?" I asked him with a curious smile.


    If he wants, Wrath can make himself better, and in a few moments, the wounds on him will simply vanish. Instead, he seems to bask in the wounds I inflicted on him.


    Wrath shook his head as soon as he heard my statement.


    <strong>"There''s no need! This was caused by my own carelessness, a mistake I won''t be making again!"</strong> He dered.


    I see... So he is aware that his actions have been rash and negligent. I suppose he does have some sense, after all.


    But he is too naive. You should always use all the tools at your disposal when fighting a serious opponent, especially when they''ve managed to injure you.


    "I suppose I''ll have to teach him that once I repossess him..."


    Suddenly, red shes of lightning and pure power began to swell around him. His already well build body seemed to growrger, and his muscles became tender. His entire body became enveloped in his crimson aura which covered him like a cloak.


    A bead of sweat dripped from my forehead.


    I''m not scared personally, but this body of mine is naturally reacting to the sight and pressure I''m taking in.


    My body''s instincts are screaming out that my current foe is way out of my league, which I know very well.


    The disadvantage on my side is too enormous.


    My major tools forbat are ROOT and my wits.


    Wrath is immune to HEX, and his body is even more resistant to Aspects than mine... Making him nearly invincible in a fight.


    But, everyone has a weakness... And that includes him.


    The intimidating aura of Wrath continued to flow as he smiled devilishly.


    <strong>"Well... Since we''re using Treasures now... I suppose it wouldn''t be fair if I didn''t bring mine out as well..."</strong>


    Damn it, it''s as I thought. I really didn''t want it toe to this, but there''s no helping it.


    Wrath is about to use his Treasure, meaning he is getting serious.


    "I can''t contain myself anymore! I just want to rampage! Please don''t die too early, let''s have more fun!" He grinned with a crazy expression.


    He suddenly closed his eyes to focus and began to chant


    <strong>"Appear before me... Harbinger Of Absolute Destruction And Chaos... Weaved From Countless Death and Devastation ... "</strong>


    Energy swirled about Wrath, and I couldn''t even get close to him due to the amount of malevolent force that protected his terrifying frame.


    As he chanted, I considered my next method of approach. There are currently hundreds, no, thousands of means I can use, yet... I will still lose. The path to victory is only one, a definite choice I have been ready to make since this fight started.


    <strong>".... Dragon Robe Of Armageddon!"</strong> He concluded.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!<


    A great explosion caused by Wrath''s power made the entire area tremble as the spot around him was engulfed in fiery mes. He has finally unleashed his Treasure, one which boasts one of the highest destructive powers of my creation... A Divine Grade.


    "Tch..." I let out in dissatisfaction.


    Covering his entire body, like a coat, was a deep crimson mass of energy. It glowed and warbled, disying several designs of a dragon on it. On his hands were two gauntlets that had the same aura, and his legs became filled with fiery boots.


    The cloak around him, in the form of a long jacket, swerved forth as he kept flying in the air, slightly pping his wings to remain afloat.


    Wrath condescendingly gazed down on me, making me feel insulted by the state to which I became subject.


    Leaping from the ground, I levitated as I climbed higher to reach his level.


    Fighting at unequal grounds will be disadvantageous to me, especially with his current state.


    <strong>"Let''s continue now!"</strong> He said.


    Of course, he''ll say that. Currently, he has achieved a monstrous level of strength, and it won''t be an overstatement to say he''s as powerful as a god in this state.


    Sacred Grade Treasures are useless in this fight. The only things I can use now are HEX Authorities and a Higher Grade of Treasures. The side effects will be disastrous, but I''ve always known that this would be the only way to win.


    There''s no need to be cautious anymore. It''s all or nothing now! If I keep my cards hidden due to my worry, I''ll be destroyed.


    "Very well, I''ll end it soon!" I grinned.


    "ROOT!"


    Immediately I projected my thoughts to my ring, it sent a notification to me immediately.


    <strong>[WARNING!!!]</strong>


    <strong><Command Is Dangerous to Host></strong>


    <strong><Host Does Not Possess Enough Power To Safely Handle Command></strong>


    <strong><Abort Command?></strong>


    [Yes][No]


    Of course, I''m aware of the risks of doing this, but there''s no other option!


    I selected no, and expected an immediate execution of mymand, but Root would not have it.


    <strong>[NOTICE!!!]</strong>


    <strong><Are You Sure?!></strong>


    :-(:-(:-(:-(:-(


    [Yes][No]


    Yes, I am sure!


    What a nag, did I really design this system like this? Or is it...?


    There''s no time to consider that now. All I need is for it to obey my instructions.


    "ROOT! DO IT!" Imanded.


    Immediately, dark purple energy covered my body and slowly enveloped every part.


    Wrath looked surprised by what was urring.


    <strong>"N-No way! There''s no way you would be able to handle that! Come to think of it, you should be spent by now... How can you still try that? Who the hell are you?!"</strong> He blurted out, with a slightly concerned and confused look.


    His expression of concern was not for me, however, but for himself.


    His eyes bulged as my transformation becameplete... Slowly losing the confidence that just overflowed through him.


    "Wrath... I''ll say it one more time. I am your Master, Hexarion. And I havee back to take you..." I muttered, revealing myself from the darkness that covered the entire area I stayed.


    <strong>"N-No, t-there''s no way... But then..."</strong>


    In his flustered and trembling state, he considered my words some more. But, Wrath still shook his head in disbelief.


    It''s as I thought. He''s too stubborn... Unless I personally discipline him, Wrath will not break!


    My body finally came forth from the ckness, fully covered by various armaments and Treasures. The surrounding area copsed merely due to the pressure I exerted from just floating.


    "Prepare yourself for your punishment.... My dear servant!" I gleamed evilly.

 Chapter 142 - Divine Regalia

    For the first time since our battle began, I could see Wrath flustered. A bead of sweat dripped from his forehead and his body slightly throbbed with nervousness.


    Surprise and fear were both disyed on his face, dumbfounded by the sight before him.


    To see me, the one he rejected as his master, don the attire unachievable by any other... He could notprehend it.


    My entire frame was covered in dark purple attire. The previous outfit I had on dissipated due to the pressure and power I emitted.


    The earrings I had on glowed like pearls, having a dark undertone, which caused it to glimmer malevolently.


    I wore three extra rings, two on my left hand, and one on my right.


    My entire eyes became covered with ckness, and my senses reached an entirely different realm.


    Shrouded in darkness and power, I heaved a little, darting my eyes slightly to stare at Wrath.


    "Divine Regalia: Type 3" I muttered.


    Steam proceeded from my mouth as it opened, and I could feel my entire body burn up, slowly consumed by the immeasurable power coursing through it.


    "I won''tst long... But it should be enough!"


    "Come now, Wrath... Don''t tell me you''re scared..." I taunted.


    <strong>"Y-You..."</strong> He muttered, ring at me.


    "You''re plenty powerful yourself, for you to have forced me to resort to this Apparel... I truly overdid it when I created you. But, even you must know the difference in our power now." I smiled.


    <strong>"Cheh, you know nothing! I, Wrath, will never lose to a faker like you!"</strong> He growled.


    With his fiery robe around him, he suddenlyunched himself toward me, moving beyond light speed while distorting space itself as he closed the distance.


    Immediately he reached my location, he stretched forth his hands toward my head to crush my skull, grinning maniacally.


    "Useless..."


    One of the rings in my left hand glowed red, immediately erecting a barrier around me.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!<


    A massive wave of pure destruction raged through the vast space we were in, destroying everything in our vicinity.


    The crimson field around me remained, shielding me from Wrath''s desperate attempt to attack. Red lightning buzzed around my protectiveyer, sending sparks to fly toward my assaulter.


    He quickly dodged their strikes, twisting his body through the air as he avoided any hit.


    <strong>"Ruarhhhhhhhh"</strong> He yelled, sending a pulse of fiery pressure to push away the lightning, destroying them all.


    <strong>"Eat thisss!!!!"</strong> He grinned, bringing his hands together.


    An intense concentration of energy gathered between his palms as he ced them opposite each other.


    The energy bomb kept expanding and retracting, swirling together to a condensed form. The red sphere cackled and overflowed with pure destructive power.


    Wrath sent his palms toward me, releasing the orb in my direction. It flew, instantly transversing our distance and reaching me in a sh.


    >Kreeeeeeee<


    It screeched and whirled as it touched my barrier, suddenly expanding in size as it glowed brighter.


    It exploded!


    >KKAAAABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    The intense surge of eruption devastated everything for miles, turning everything into tiny particles of dust as it kept expanding.


    Wrath ascended higher than the st, looking at the wreckage he caused.


    <strong>"Hehehehe, let''s see how you survive that, faker!"</strong> He smiled satisfactorily.


    >SHOOOOOOO<


    Hissing sounds of the melted surface filled everywhere and smoke from the devastation ascended into the sky. As the dust settled and the view cleared, Wrath squinted his eyes to confirm the end of his target.


    <strong>"W-What??! This is-"</strong> He let out in shock.


    His eyes bulged as he saw the miraculous situation urring within the smoke.


    A warbling distortion in space was revealed, causing no smoke to be seen or felt around the specified area.


    Isted from the st, though within its range, the anomaly warped about within the destruction.


    "A splendid attack.." My voice rang out.


    In a single whoosh, I cleared the smoke which filled the surrounding.


    Clearly visible now, I smiled at Warath''s bbergasted expression, unscathed by his attack.


    "... But it''s pointless"


    Around my body was a field, distorting the immediate space that surrounded me.


    One of my rings glowed blue, warbling in a low tone as it finally stopped shining.


    The blurring field around me stopped and hummed slightly before finally dissipating.


    "You can not reach me with any of your attacks... The very space the danger needs to transverse has been cut off, making me literally untouchable." I remarked.


    My Treasure devoured the space around me, protecting me from the wide st. If it didn''t... Even Hex couldn''t protect me from that deadly move.


    Suddenly, a sharp pain coursed through my body, causing my head to throb.


    "Gahhhh!" I nearly screamed out, gripping my agonizing head.


    My body feels hot, as though it''s on the verge of exploding... I''m nearing my limit... Any more and I could really die.


    "I''ll be ending it now!"


    With a resolved look, though covered by my exhausted facade, I red at Wrath, who shook in surprise by my survival.


    "[Dark End]" I muttered, raising my palm slowly.


    Immediately, a little ck dot appeared above my hand, flickering and buzzing as it danced around it.


    I released it from my palm, causing it to float above my head and rise to the high sky.


    <strong>"What do you think you''re doing?!"</strong> Wrath yelled, confused by my sudden performance.


    "Wrath¡­ Consider this as a bit of advice from me¡­. Try not to die, okay?" I smiled.


    Immediately, my earrings warbled and my body was covered in a ck shell, shaping itself as an orb, the hardened lump of darkness floated steadily in the air.


    <strong>"What the he-?!"</strong>


    Before Wrath couldplete his thought, the ck orb I released flickered¡­ And suddenly exploded.


    There was no sound, no huge st or mboyant disy¡­ Just darkness. In an instant, everything became destroyed. Reality itself shattered apart, space mangled and everything else became envelopes in destruction. Colors faded, and concepts such as sound, smell, feelings¡­ Everything ended in that big bang.


    Before Wrath could even think, he was the only thing left within the vast expanse of the void that consumed the entire room. His Treasure shielded him from the effects of the ck nothingness that ate up everything all around.


    Slowly, his Treasure fizzled away, disappearing from his body. His body gradually integrated with the darkness. Pain seared through every section within him as he felt himself integrate with nonexistence.


    He couldn''t scream, he couldn''t move¡­ He merely suffered in painful silence, awaiting his inevitable end.


    "¡­That''s enough!"


    >SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII<


    The darkness dissipated in an instant, leaving Wrath''s nearly eaten-up body, and returned to its source. It converged at a single spot, condensing into the small orb which started everything.


    The orb once again flickered and then faded away, disappearing into the white surface that was left by its destruction.


    <strong>"U-U-U¡­."</strong> Wrath let out a struggled sound, looking at the dark spot.


    His body had already been destroyed by the [Dark End]. Only his head and a small fraction of his body remained, floating in the nk space that existed after the darkness did its damage.


    His battered-up body descended, helplessly iling as it neared the ground. Capable of no motor actions, Wrath could do nothing but fall, crashing heavily into the ground.


    >THUD!<


    His stunned face throbbed as he let out unintelligible sounds and groaned in pain. His head faced upward, watching the nk space which spread over him.


    With nothing left, only nkness covered everywhere. However, there was a ck dot that distinguished itself from the rest of the area.


    >SHUUUUUUUU<


    The ck sphere which stained the purity of the area began to sizzle as it tore apart, revealing its content.


    "You held out well¡­ As expected of your body¡­" I said,ing out of the dark shell which faded away as I stepped out of it.


    <strong>"Y-You¡­"</strong>


    Wrath mumbled as he watched me gloriously emerge from the tough shell that protected me from the death of everything else. Floating above him, I gazed upon his pathetic frame.


    "The [Dark End] causes everything around it to get enveloped in it to suffer nonexistence. It''s a variant of the Void Aspect, consuming anything and everything." I exined.


    I descended until I reached his body. He struggled to speak, but his eyes told me everything I wanted to know. Finally¡­ He believes.


    <strong>"H¡­ H¡­"</strong> He sobbed.


    Tears flowed from his eyes as his entire pride crumbled before me, his lord and master.


    <strong>"Lord¡­ Lord Hexarion¡­ Y-You''re back¡­"</strong>


    "I am. You have done well in guarding this ce all this time." I said to him.


    Weakly shaking his head, he continued to shed tears.


    <strong>"No, Lord. I am unworthy of such praise! I merely fulfilled the purpose for which I was created!"</strong>


    How amusing. Now that he''s been humbled, Wrath is acting so docile. With no other form of resistance he can muster, he has finally seen despairing proof.


    The fact that he can not heal his body proves that he has just been affected by the Void Aspect.


    And I am the Primordial of the Void.


    "Listen carefully, Wrath¡­ There''s no longer any time. As you''ve clearly seen, I am vastly weakerpared to when you knew me. The Divine Regalia, as well as [Dark End] are beyond my current means¡­ And as a consequence of using them, the durability of my vessel has decreased significantly. Within moments, this body will no longer be viable¡­" I said calmly, already feeling the sensations of pain coursing through me.


    The gnawing sense of death crept through me, lurking around¡­ Waiting for the moment to fully envelop my body in it.


    <strong>"N-No, master¡­ You can''t leave now! You are still-"</strong> Wrath weakly protested.


    How admirable. You''re also on the verge of death too, Wrath¡­ Worry a little about yourself too.


    "It won''t have toe to that.. That''s why I need it. Wrath, where is the Treasure I entrusted to you? The Final item of the Vanishing Dungeon¡­ My Nether Core!"

 Chapter 143 - Plunging To The Abyss

    During my time as a Primordial, I was conflicted about my existence, the origin of my kind¡­ I asked so many questions within myself, and to find the answers, I dabbled in everything I could.


    Only through experimentation and inventions, discoveries are made.After following the path I forged myself, seeking the absolute truth, I found the Answer.


    The thing which guided me to the ''Answer'' I searched for¡­ Was my discovery of the Nether Essence.


    Essence and Aspects work and in hand.


    Aspects make up everything that exists, Essence is the level or degree of a person''s ability t manipte the Aspects.


    However, the Nether Essence is the opposite. It stands independent from any Aspect, not belonging to one or more. Nether, an otherworldly existence that even I have not fully unraveled, and Essence, the ability to control and manipte¡­ These twobined are what gave birth to my body, as well as Wrath''s and those of the others.


    The reason I can live independently from any Aspect is due to this entity.


    I absorbed as much of the Nether Essence as I could, forming a core in which I stored its mysterious power. I kept it in this Dungeon, giving it to Wrath to guard it.


    Perhaps I already knew my end was near at the time, or it was just on a whim. However, I''m grateful I did that. Because now¡­ I need it more than anything else.


    "Wrath¡­ My Nether core, where is it?" I asked.


    "L-Lord, is it finally time?!" Wrath struggled to speak.


    I smiled slightly. It''s a little earlier than nned, but¡­


    "Yes, it is" I replied.


    "U-Understood!" Wrath muttered.


    Suddenly, his eyes glowed red, causing his body to throb as a result of the vibration he made. shes of energy sparked around him and torrents of crimson force swirled around him.


    Slowly, a bright light proceeded from the remnant of his chest, and from it came a golden key. The key floated, rising higher as it neared my waiting hands.


    "Excellent!" I gleamed.


    My body throbbed once again, causing me to tightly grip my chest to calm my nerves down. I''m out of time!


    I''ve been using up my Essence to stabilize this dying body, keeping it from breaking down, but even that is only temporary. The time is near.


    I hurriedly grabbed the key and resonated with it. My memory fragments synced with the golden object, causing it to emit golden radiance.


    Immediately, the key transformed. From its bright color of prominence, it darkened, taking on a grotesque shape and losing its ir.


    "Yes¡­ Just a little more..."


    The key turned into a ckened tool, covered by malevolent energy that ate up even the space around it. The area around me started to react, causing the structures everywhere to break down.


    The nk ground slowly split apart and crumbled away, revealing a switching pool of endless darkness beneath it.


    "I''ll be back soon," I told Wrath.


    He nodded, understanding what I meant perfectly.


    I entered the Abyss beneath us, and dived deeper into the murk. As soon as I plunged in, I instantly left the world I knew, venturing into another.


    It was an endless space of darkness, nothing to be seen or felt, except for the tingling sensation on my body, like creeping hands all feeling my flesh, intending to integrate my being with the ckness enveloping me.


    "I must hurry¡­" I muttered.


    My body started breaking down. My hands began to disintegrate slowly, merging with the swirling darkness that surrounded me. In a world filled with nothing but the same color of evil, I could feel the center of all that radiated through the vast space.


    "I found you!" I eximed.


    Desperately navigating my way through the abyss, I lunged for my prize. My legs joined my hands in fading away, fortunately, I was flying, in no urgent need of them.


    I stretched my already half-eaten arm toward the core which glowed majestically amidst everything else.


    "Almost¡­ There¡­" I struggled to reach it.


    My bare chest broke apart slowly, followed by my back, my hips, hair, stomach¡­ They evaporated as I stubbornly continued to reach for my only hope of living.


    My jaws loosened and I felt my eyeballs pop from their sockets. My ears disjointed from my head and they dissipated as well. Within a moment, this body would cease to exist.


    With one final push, I darted to the orb that glowed, sensing its aura as I used it to guide me


    Just as I was about topletely fade away¡­ I touched its round and smooth surface.


    >ZZZZZZTTZZZZZ<


    A buzzing sound came forth, followed by flying sharks of energy.


    A smile formed on my face, at least what was left of it and I gave a relieved sigh.


    "Let it begin"


    After I said this, the remaining part of my body broke apart instantly, scattering all around the vast emptiness of space, integrating with the darkness.


    That was thest thing I remember before losing consciousness.


    ____________________________


    Wrath stared at the gaping abyss, a distance from where his bodyy, and didn''t take his eyes off it for a second. With longing in his eyes, his face depicted pain, cursing his powerlessness.


    "Lord Hexarion¡­ Please be well¡­" He muttered.


    Should his master fail, he would forever be lost in the endless abyss that liked deep within the hole. Wrath knew Hexarion was aware of this.


    He also knew that his master must have weighed the advantages his action would bring if he seeded.


    "My Lord will be reborn once again¡­ Possessing the true power of the Nether Core. Once that happens¡­ Not even I will be a match for him!" Wrath smiled.


    It was time for the seconding of the Demon Lord¡­ Hexarion, in all his glory.


    [The Fifth Floor: Boss Room]


    "Huff¡­ Huff¡­" Talia let out heavy sighs of frustration.


    Shamac and Ana also breathed hard, both ring at the opponents they faced.


    "Impressive. To think you lot have been able to survive this long¡­ You have earned my respect!" The Executioner said in his dark tone.


    The three ves had a frustrated look, watching the horde of opponents left for them to face.


    "They never stoping¡­ How bothersome!"Anamented.


    "Yeah, and their boss also attacks us from time to time. We''re stuck in-between offense and defense. At this rate, we''ll just wear ourselves out!" Shamac said.


    He had thought his n had a few holes in it. However, Shamac was assured that if they pushed themselves enough, they would be able to ovee the hardships that they encountered.


    However, they hadn''t evenid a finger on Gratiana yet and they were already this exhausted.


    "How much longer can you keep going?" Shamac asked the women.


    "Ten minutes tops!" Talia said.


    "I can keep going for an hour¡­ But that''ll be my limit. After that, I probably won''t be able to use Grace for a while¡­" Ana responded.


    "I see¡­ I also have about fifteen to twenty minutes of fight left in me. After that, it''s over¡­ At this rate, even if we do manage to defeat the ''Executioner'' and his ''Riders'', we won''t be able toy a finger on Gratiana" Shamac said.


    Ana and Talia had to agree with his words. If they didn''t figure out an efficient way of attack, they would lose the war even if they won the current battle.


    "Everyone, I know this sounds crazy¡­ But I have a n!" Ana said.


    Shamac and Talia looked in her direction simultaneously.


    In such a hopeless situation, for her to mention a n¡­ It sounded more than absurd.


    However, they had run out of options. If they didn''t handle the situation fast. They would lose badly.


    Needless to say, they were desperate.


    "What is it?" Shamac asked.


    Ana took a deep breath, prepared to speak her mind. She didn''t know how everyone would take it, but she was confident about her idea.


    "Why don''t I fight Gratiana, while you two take care of the ''Executioner''?" Ana said.


    This statement shocked Talia and Shamac. There weren''t expecting such a ridiculous statement from Ana.


    "Are you crazy? There''s no way you can take her on alone! Besides¡­ It''s unlikely that we''ll be able to handle this guy by ourselves¡­ We are barely able to take him out together!" Shamac protested.


    Clearly, he was against this n. It defied logic.


    Take a remained silent, unlike her usual nature.


    "I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out¡­" Ana muttered.


    "It is as you said¡­ We aren''t getting anywhere. The situation looks hopeless as it is already. If we take this chance, things may end up being different. Besides, with this disy, Gratiana seems invincible¡­ Impossible to defeat!"


    "Exactly my point, you can''t take her-" Shamac hammered his point.


    "But doesn''t that seem strange to you?" Ana responded, quickly cutting his words short.


    "W-What do you mean?" Shamac stuttered, a realization slowly dawned on him as he let her words sink in.


    "It seems you''re already getting my point now¡­ I''ve been thinking about it this whole time too!" Ana said.


    "This whole time¡­ We''ve been overestimating our opponent!"

 Chapter 144 - Counterattack

    "We''ve been overestimating our opponent this whole time!" Ana dered, gazing at Gratiana who stood beyond their reach.


    They were still surrounded by swarms of enemies who remained above them, waiting for the three to make their first move.


    "Y-You mean¡­" Shamac muttered, slowly piecing his own suspicion and conjecture together.


    If Ana was speaking the truth, then she had a valid point. However, it could also be nothing more than a desperate attempt to justify her actions. At the moment, being careless was an error to be avoided.


    "Shamac, listen to me¡­ I know you''re thinking about it too. Gratiana was my mentor. I''ve known her for years, and I''ve always feared and respected her power¡­ But that was then!" Ana sharply spoke, drawing Shamac''s reason to her favor.


    "I know her better than any of us¡­ Only I can beat her!"


    Shamac considered her words strictly. Ana was right in her assertion on who had the highest chance against the Grand Apostle they faced.


    Not only was she the most powerful of the three, but she also had prior knowledge of their target and had more experience fighting with and alongside her.


    Still though¡­


    "It''s dangerous, Ana. You don''t stand a chance.." Shamac muttered with a concerned expression.


    He knew the big risk she was taking for them, and that she was also aware of the gap between her power and Gratiana''s.


    "I have to try¡­ Besides, your opponent isn''t a piece of cake too" Ana smiled slightly.


    Shamac''s pursed lips slowly broke into a smile as he gazed upon Ana''s smooth face which strongly depicted her clear skin even when she was exhausted.


    "If we do manage to survive this¡­ Then maybe¡­" Shamac thought to himself.


    But, the more urgent matter called his attention. He had no time for any other thing. Pushing the thought from his mind, he focused more on restrategizing, and in a few moments¡­ He got it!


    "Okay, Ana. You have my support. But, I''m not the only one you have to convince¡­" Shamac''s voice trailed, ncing to Talia''s location.


    Ana turned her face slowly, looking at Talia expectantly and in dread. Of the three of them, Talia was the one who would despise her n the most. Not only was Talia highlypetitive, but she also wanted to kill Gratiana off herself.


    But, for some reason, Talia remained calm and silent, keeping her expressions in check. She didn''t utter a single word through Naa''s exnation, which made her even more unhinged.


    "Talia¡­ What do you say?" Ana asked warily.


    The crimson fairy looked at Ana softly and smiled.


    "I understand¡­" She muttered.


    This answer shocked Shamac and Ana. For Talia to have agreed so easily, especially when the arrowhead of the n was Ana and not her¡­ It was unexpected.


    "I won''t pretend to understand everything you have just exined. However, I am well aware of our situation. It would be selfish of me to impose my personal vendetta. Besides, I want to please Hexarion, and if this n allows us to win, then I have no issues with it" Talia exined.


    This brightened up Ana''s face, making her smile widely.


    "I won''t disappoint your expectations, everyone." She spoke assuredly.


    Talia nodded with a slight smile also on her face and Shamac did the same. It was good that they had all reached a consensus, however, the real challenge had just begun.


    "How do you hope to reach Gratiana in the first ce?" Talia asked.


    Ana fell silent. She hadn''t considered that yet.


    "Well, we haven''t really tried to reach her, especially after she showed us what happens when any harm gets too close to her. I''m sure we can easily create a window of opportunity to directly confront her." Shamac deduced.


    Both girls nodded, impressed by the hybrid''s quick grasp of the situation. His sinct analysis made it clear to the other two what they had to do.


    "We''ll just need to make an opening!" Ana beamed.


    The horde was still floating above them, seeming to be inanimate machines, staying still as they watched the three ves from their height.


    "You bore me¡­ When will you resume your futile struggle? Have I not given you enough time to catch your breaths?" The Executioner bellowed.


    His deep voice echoed through the dark veil that covered them. While his tone was clearly ominous, Shamac, Talia, and Ana readied themselves for battle nheless, feeling refreshed by the new n they had in mind.


    "We apologize for the wait. Now then¡­ Let us resume!" Shamac grinned, taking the middle position, while Ana and Talia took the right and left nk respectively.


    Both diving into the air, the womenunched themselves at the stationary legion of Riders.


    "Goahhhhhhh!!!!" They made their monstrous noises.


    Bringing out her Sacred Grade treasures, Ana swept through the horde of Riders, while Talia used her crimson sts to devastate any opponent that came near her.


    "Oh? It seems you''re more motivated now. I wonder what absurd new strategy you lot havee up with. A futile attempt indeed" The devilish rider chuckled in amusement.


    Suddenly, from beneath the wave of hell-horses and riders, dark shadows burst forth.


    "Uoooooohhhh" Shamac growled as he released a massive amount of darkness from within him.


    This caused the attention of the riders to shift to him, sensing the Hybrid as the major threat among the three enemies to be eliminated.


    His shadows formedrge tentacles and with sharp edges, drawing many riders and squashing them at once. The dark octopus construct Shamac made tore through the waves of horses that enveloped him, trying to extinguish him.


    "Ana, Now!" Shamax yelled.


    Without hesitating for a moment, Anaunched her board which she used to fly and headed straight for Gratiana who stood alone.


    "Oh?" Gratiana grinned in surprise as she watched Ana approach her at a phenomenal speed.


    "To think you woulde to me yourself¡­ Saves me the trouble¡­"


    In a moment, Ana reached Gratiana''s location, quicklyunching several des at her.


    As the golden swords spun, flying to their target, Gratiana immediately brought out a shield to defend herself.


    >ng! Ching! Skraaaaa!<


    Screeching sounds of battering metals came forth as sparks flew. All of Ana''s treasures were deflected by the white structure Gratiana erected to protect herself.


    "Weak" Gratiana grinned.


    However¡­


    >Crack<


    The firm shield suddenly split, cracking, as it broke apart immediately.


    "W-What?!" Gratiana let out in surprise.


    Before her very eyes, the white structure crumbled.


    Ana smiled as she leaped from her board andnded on the ground, a short distance from Gratiana.


    "Guess it wasn''t as weak as you thought," She said.


    Gratiana''s confident expression of enjoyment immediately changed, depicting anger. Her frown deepened as she red at Ana.


    "You fool, you dare to-" Gratiana barked in rage.


    "Yeah, Yeah! I didn''te here to talk! There''s no time anyway¡­ Why don''t we get this over with!" Ana smiled, drawing a white de from within her Realm.


    Annoyed by her previous disciple''s daring act of disrespect, cutting her short of words as she still spoke, Gratiana gritted her teeth in displeasure.


    "The nerve of this brat!" She thought to herself.


    "I won''t demean myself to fight you as an equal. You are not worthy to cross des with me. Die, wench!" Gratiana dered, creating a massive white light behind her.


    With her arms folded she stared at Ana condescendingly, wishing to see her suffer.


    A wide range of rods suddenly appeared, each glowing majestically as they remained suspended above Gratiana. The rods were sharpened, numerous as well, brimming with white energy.


    "These are holy stakes¡­ You should recognize them well, cur." Gratiana grinned.


    Of course, Ana knew what they were. One of the highest objects exclusively owned by the Apostles. They possess pure divine power and are considered indestructible.


    "They banish evil from the surface wherever they are summoned¡­ Or so the saying goes." Ana smiled.


    However, she wasn''t scared of these petty toys.


    Her master had gifted her with more powerful items.


    "I just need to find the right opening," Ana thought to herself.


    She still had her trump card, but she was also certain Gratiana did too.


    "Whoever can use theirs first will win this!" Ana thought to herself.


    "Be destroyed, you ugly creature!" Gratiana said, releasing the needle-like rods which spread across the room.


    >Spreeeeeeeee<


    As they lunged at her, Ana used her shields to defend herself, deflecting the rods. However, they kept attacking. The deflected rods flew to her once again to attack. Since they were indestructible, they kepting at her.


    "Hahahaha, how foolish. As soon as those shields wear out, you''ll be impaled by the stakes of righteousness. Rejoice, mongrel, you''ll have a taste of divine retribution by the very objects of purity" Gratiana dered in pleasure.


    "Urgh, was I once like that?" Ana gagged in disgust.


    She couldn''t believe she used to sound like such a crazy and delusional character. Besides, she knew the Apostles weren''t as pure as Gratiana painted them to be. ording to the ''truth'' her new God showed her, the Apostles were the cause of her misfortune as a child.


    They were merely tools the gods would dispose of at any given time. It even disgusted Ana whenever she used her Grace, given to her by Hades, since she knew it was merely a false power.


    But, for her master, she would do anything¡­ Even resort to such an inferior medium.


    "Gratiana¡­ Unlike your gods, mine actually gives me something useful¡­ And that''s what will make me the ultimate winner in this fight!" Ana thought to herself.

 Chapter 145 - Struggle For Victory

    The sharp rods bringing with divine power kept attacking Ana''s shields, causing sparks to fly around and shingling sounds to echo across the room.


    "You won''t be able to hold out for long" Gratiana grinned in her short distance.


    "Is that what you think?" Ana smiled


    Immediately, her body glowed and a set of white and gold armor covered her. The apparel glistened as it nearly blinded Gratiana, causing her to squint her eyes at the sight.


    "I don''t need to stay in a single spot!" Ana said.


    She removed the shield in front of her, leaving the covering she made for herself as she rapidly moved to Gratiana.


    "Fool"


    Gratiana controlled all the holy rods to attack Ana, who now seemed defenseless, save for the armor she had on.


    However, the cluster of shields she had erected quickly appeared above her, protecting her moving body from the aerial assault.


    "W-What?!" Gratiana uttered in surprise.


    Ana had used the shields as a canopy, blocking anything from descending on her, while continuing her march to attack.


    "Aaaaaaaahhhhhh" Ana yelled, thrusting her sword to Gratiana.


    The flustered Grand Apostle red at Ana as the sword neared her.


    Suddenly, a dark de appeared, parrying Ana''s de. The weapon shattered right before her eyes, making Gratiana grin satisfactorily.


    Ana quickly leaped backward, avoiding the dark de that destroyed her sword.


    "Smart move. If you hade any further, you would have died¡­ It seems you still have some semnce of intelligence, mongrel" Gratiana spoke.


    Ana breathed heavily, realizing once again how despairing Gratiana''s auto defense was. However, she knew there had to be a loophole, a trick to Gratiana''s power.


    "Just a little more¡­" Ana muttered.


    "What''s the matter? Where did your confidence from earlier go?" Gratiana asked.


    "Shut up!" Ana said, ring at her previous mentor.


    This insulting statement made Gratiana frown, sending her rods to strike Ana, but her shields blocked them from reaching.


    "I didn''t want to resort to this¡­ But you''ve forced my hand indeed¡­" Gratiana mumbled.


    Suddenly, white sparks appeared all around Ana, surrounding her.


    "I can''t use [Realm Of Limbo] to absorb you since you are aware of its workings and can easily counter it. But, you''re still inferior to me when ites to the number of objects you can summon from the Realm. From what I''ve seen, you can only bring forth hundreds at most¡­ Pathetic indeed." Gratiana smiled.


    "I just have to silence you with overwhelming force. However, those pesky shields of yours are in the way. Therefore¡­ I''ll be using my highest grade weapons to finish you off. Be grateful, and despair in your powerlessness!"


    From the bright sparks came swords, spears, arrows, and many other weapons of immense beauty and power. They all had shiny surfaces with inscriptions written on them. Spread across the vast space above her, Ana witnessed the immeasurable wave of weapons that pointed at her.


    "Those swords¡­" Ana muttered, observing the many des which remained above her.


    "So you recognize them. I used one of them as an example the other time. I clearly recall you all gawking at that single sword. Now then, how will you handle thousands of its kind¡­ All of these weapons have received immense blessings, soaked in Divine Energy, and possess phenomenal power. Let''s see how you-"


    As Gratiana was still gloating, Ana''s head fell, and her pursed mouth began to release sounds, pent-up sounds she tried to contain.


    "Kekekekeke" A chuckling sound was heard.


    This made Gratiana halt her speech, wondering where such an amused tone emanated from.


    "Kuahahahahahahaha" Ana suddenly burst outughing.


    This flustered Gratiana. She couldn''tprehend Ana''s sudden outburst. There she was, surrounded by numerous des, depicting the overwhelming disadvantage she was in. Yet why? Why was she looking so amused?


    "Has she finally gone mad?" Gratiana asked herself.


    Ana knew she was in trouble. She was outmatched by far, and her arsenal was not as much as Gratiana''s. However, she felt relieved.


    "This is it? Your Trump Card¡­ How disappointing!" Ana burst outughing.


    If it was only this much, then there was no problem. Her current arsenal was not enough. But¡­ She just had to bring out more!


    "What nonsense are you spouting?" Gratiana responded.


    There was no way Ana could win against such odds¡­ Or so she thought.


    "I''ll probably lose IT after this¡­ But that doesn''t matter now¡­ As long as I win!" Ana muttered.


    "Release All Treasures¡­ [Realm Of Limbo]"


    Immediately, all of the treasures entrusted to her by her master came forth. They numbered in hundreds, nearly a thousand. Each varied in size and shape as they appeared.


    "Is that all? That isn''t anywhere close to-" Gratiana smiled.


    Before shepleted her sentence, even more Treasures came charging forth.


    One thousand.


    Two thousand.


    Three thousand.


    Sacred Grade Treasures of Hexarion kepting out, exceeding the expectations of Gratiana.


    "Five Thousand¡­ This is my limit¡­" Ana heaved heavily.


    However¡­ It was done!


    "In both quality and quantity¡­ I have you outmatched¡­ This is MY trump card! Now then¡­ Why don''t you continue your gloating?"


    Gratiana''s face slowly became darkened with fear, a slight foreboding enveloped her. She wasn''t expecting anything like this. Her folded arms dropped as her body throbbed, shaking in the presence of Ana''s overwhelming power.


    "Looks like we''ll both be using all we have!" Ana grinned.


    "W-Wait-" Gratiana protested.


    Before she could continue, Ana released her Treasures, firing them at Gratiana and all the weapons f onught she summoned.


    >Cling<


    >ng<


    >Cling<


    Sounds and sparks filled the area as the weapons of Ana and Gratiana danced above and around them. Ana called a sword to her hand among the multitude of weapons she had and charged at Gratiana who was still flustered by the surprise Ana wrought.


    Within a moment, Ana closed the distance and raised her sword to sh her.


    Once again, Gratiana''s guardian sword appeared and deflected Ana''s sword. However¡­


    "Attack!" Anamanded.


    Dozens of swords appeared behind Gratiana, charging at her with near light speed.


    The sword which defended Gratiana moved behind her to deflect Ana''s treasures. As it swung to shatter them, multiple aerial sts from canons stationed above Gratiana fired at her.


    With des behind her and beams of energy above her, the single protective de had to pick one.


    "Tch, you brat!" Gratiana thought to herself, ring at Ana.


    Gratiana quickly summoned several protectiveyers of shields above.


    >Zrrrrrrrr<


    Vibrations caused by the impact of the st and her shields buzzed, making Gratiana wince as a result of the pressure.


    >Krakkkkkkakakkakak<


    Her shields shattered and broke apart,yer afteryer, the powerful st broke through them consecutively.


    As the swords of Ana''s summons were being deflected by the dark de, and Gratiana''s focus was on the danger above her, Ana summoned her deflected sword, making it appear on her hand immediately.


    "N-No" Gratiana''s thought screamed as she powerlessly watched Ana charge toward her with her sword.


    She had used up all viable means of defense. She was wide open, vulnerable to any strike.


    Gratiana had to admit¡­ She underestimated her foe. It was her loss.


    But, she wasn''t going to be the one going down! Because¡­


    "Sofia¡­ Now!" Gratiana''s thoughts rang.


    Suddenly, a white force field appeared around Gratiana, shimmering as it protected the woman from the strike of Ana''s sword and the st above her.


    "H-How-?!" Ana let out in surprise.


    This was¡­ The work of Sofia, Gratiana''s disciple!


    The Dark de finally deflected the swords Ana summoned and lunged at Ana with inconceivable speed.


    >Squish<


    Immediately, her two hands were sliced off by Gratiana''s sword, causing blood to gush out of her hands.


    "W-Wha-?!" Ana muttered.


    Her body iled backward, watching her two hands descend as they neared the ground wirelessly, blood oozing from their respective vessels.


    Gratiana''s scared expression quickly changed into a pleased one, mockingly looking at Ana as she suffered in pain while she remained protected in her haven of light.


    As Ana''s body moved backward, she felt the sting of pain coursing through her. Losing both her limbs was not something she expected. She had thought she would finish Gratiana off with thatst move, but she was wrong.


    Descending into the pits of despondency, her body felt sore all over and the bacsh of opening up her Realm so suddenly was beginning to hit her. Any moment now and she would lose control of her body.


    However¡­ Ana was not done yet.


    "Rahhhhhhhhh" She yelled out, opening her mouth widely.


    Immediately, an ominous dark de swung across the room, dashing toward Ana''s mouth. Immediately the de nearest her, she grabbed it with her mouth, tightly clenching it with her teeth. She red at Gratiana and regained her bnce, desperately sprinting forward once again.


    "Tch, pesky bitch!" Gratiana grumbled.


    "She won''t be able to pierce the barrier anyway, but just in case¡­" Gratiana''s thoughts went.


    Her dark sword lunged toward Ana to finish her off. Immediately, clusters of shields appeared before the de, surrounding it with their bright golden color. The ck de was entrapped in the cluster of protection made by Ana in an instant.


    "Once you''ve experienced it a few times, the trajectory and speed be predictable!" Ana''s thoughts rang as she kept lunging forward.


    Tilting her head backward, she started her sword to sh with the white barrier surrounding Gratiana.


    "T-That won''t work!" Gratiana screamed in panic.


    Ana ignored her voice and used the distorted de to slice through the barrier, shattering it that very instant.


    "N-No¡­!" Gratiana eximed in shock.


    Giving her no time to think, Ana propelled herself further, de on her mouth, and used the sharp end to pierce through Gratiana''s neck, slicing her throat as it appeared on the other side of her skull.


    "Guorghhhh" Gratiana made voices of agony and screeched in anguish.


    "Talia is not the only one with a ''Void'' Aspect Treasure!" Ana gleamed with satisfaction as she watched Gratiana croak, struggling to breathe in vain.


    Both women fell, drowned in their blood. As they crashed on the opposite end of each other, one was already dead.


    "Looks like I won¡­ Lord Hexarion" Ana smiled in satisfaction.

 Chapter 146 - Excitement

    "Ana, unlike the others, you possess a very high amount of power. You were cultured from very young do wield immense energy..."


    "The fact that you are also able to handle Divine Power, manifesting it as Grace, is also an impressive feat."


    Ana looked at the one who told her these words, her heart throbbing with joy as he showered her praise.


    "However... It''s still too weak in terms of viability. For you to be stronger, you need to increase the capacity of your [Realm Of Limbo]" He added.


    Ana understood her lord''s word perfectly.


    Since he revealed his goal to her, as well as the godly foes in his way, she knew she was toocking to be of any real use to him.


    She clenched her fists in powerlessness, frustrated by the pathetic limit she had reached.


    The remaining two ves still had room for growth, but she felt like she had reached her limit. Within the pocket dimension of Root, here she was with her god... Hexarion.


    "Do not despair, Ana. I wouldn''t have chosen you if you wouldn''t be of use to me... There is indeed a way for you to be even more powerful than your current state" He said, slightly raising his hand toward her.


    "One of them is to increase the quality of Treasures within your Realm. But, the more powerful the Treasures, the more strain they will ce on you. This means that the greater they are, the lesser you can keep within your Realm."


    "So... it''s a choice between quality and quantity...?" Ana muttered.


    Her god smiled, looking at her with a pleased expression. This made her heart thump even faster as she beheld his glorious face.


    "Correct. But... There is a way to have both!" He said with an assured face.


    Her eyes beamed as she heard this. Her lord was offering her a means to be of more use to him, to serve him even better than before. The joy she felt was indescribable.


    "I will connect ROOT''s Treasury to your Realm. That way, you''ll be able to freely ess Sacred Grade Treasures within ROOT." He said.


    "L-Lord... You would go that far for me?!" She eximed, beaming with overwhelming joy.


    "However, it still doesn''t change the fact that your limits are still present. So, while your Realm can only contain a set amount of Treasures, you''ll be able to release more... The only way to achieve this is to rapidly eject Treasures from your Realm as you continuously add more from ROOT!"


    Hearing his words of wisdom made her tremble with awe. Only he coulde up with such a smart, yet insane approach to the application of her Grace.


    "I-I''ll do my best, Lord Hexarion!" She beamed even more.


    Her body slightly shook as he ced his hands on her shoulder, feeling his warmth on her skin. She felt like she would lose her breath from just his touch.


    "There is a drawback too. Rapidly expelling Treasures and adding them to your Realm will cause damage to it. Consistently doing so slowly is fine, but if you instantly use this method, while surpassing your limit... You could ruin your Realm beyond recovery. If you overdo it... You may never be able to use your Grace forever" He warned while locking eyes with her.


    As his face drew near, she could feel her heart race even further. She understood the risks, but still... For her god, she would do anything.


    "Do you still have the resolve to proceed?" He whispered.


    "Yes! I''m willing to do whatever it takes!" She responded decisively.


    His smile broadened upon hearing her answer. Ana was ddened by the fact that she pleased her lord.


    "Very well. Let us begin the procedure..."


    As he said this, he thrust one of his hands into her chest, tearing through the clothes she wore.


    "Angggggg!" She moaned, feeling him course through her skin.


    "Skin contact is necessary to stimte your energy... Surely you understand..." Her Lord said, navigating his hand through her naked skin, fondling her breasts in the process.


    "Y-Yes... I-I understand... Hmmm... Ahhhh..." She uttered, still moaning.


    "I''ll begin the bonding process now. Prepare yourself" He said.


    His ring flowed purple, sending its energy coursing through his hand. The soaking energy proceeded and entered into Ana, whose face was flushed with embarrassment and pleasure.


    "Arnnnnnggggg!!!!" She moaned in ecstasy as she felt the stimting energy course through her, reaching deep into her Realm.


    >SHIIIIIIIINGGGGGGGG<


    White light, mixed with purple energy burst forth, filling the vast space around them.


    With this, she obtained ess to ROOT''S Sacred Grade Treasury... And throughout her time within the special space of ROOT, she took great pains in slowly mastering the technique Hexarion taught her. Finally, she was safely able to manage bringing forth 3,000 Treasures at once.


    Any more would mean her Realm getting damaged, most likely beyond repair.


    Despite knowing this... Ana poured out 5,000 Treasures to defeat Gratiana. She knew the consequences of her action, but she decided to go it anyway.


    The reason was simple.


    "Lord Hexarion will be pleased... If I win!"


    And so, with that single thought, Ana bore the results of her reckless action and charged forth.


    [Present Moment]


    With a final thrust, pouring all her remaining strength, Ana lunged at Gratiana and dealt the final hit, piercing her throat.


    Blood spurted out, and Gratiana became lifeless as she crashed into the ground.


    "Huff... Huff..." Ana let out, struggling to breathe.


    Still wheezing, she closed her eyes and steadied her pulse. She had lost a lot of blood, plus the bacsh from tearing open her [Realm]... She knew the consequences of her actions.


    But, she was happy.


    She was able to kill one of the wretched Apostles who ruined her life. Most of all, she was able to please her lord and god, Hexarion.


    She gave a satisfied, but tired smile, as she lost control of her body.


    [Meanwhile]


    <strong>"Oh? Who would''ve thought that your friend back there would be able to kill that Chosen Human... Truly, you lot intrigue me"</strong> The Executionermented, watching as Gratiana''s dead body was drowned in her blood.


    Shamac huffed as he red at the monstrous being he faced. He was already at his limits, barely clinging on to consciousness.


    He nced a bit to his side and saw Talia lying on the floor.


    She had passed out a few moments earlier, leaving only him to hold the fort.


    Fortunately, they managed to eliminate the other Hell Riders, leaving only the Boss to be dealt with.


    He felt his body sear with pain, and he throbbed, nearly copsing as he maintained his stance.


    "Huff... Huff" He heaved in exhaustion.


    <strong>"For creatures of this ne, you are all impressive... I have many questions as to your identity. Clearly, you''re not normal beings... To be able to defeat one blessed by a god, and even hold your ground against me... Truly amazing"</strong> The Executioner muttered.


    Shamac was surprised to see his opponent talk this way. He thought the Hell Rider would feel more enraged and protective of his summoner. But, his disconcerted tone made Shamac rethink the nature of the rtionship between Gratiana and the being who was before him.


    "Isn''t she your master? Why do you sound so nonchnt about her death?" Shamac spoke.


    A moment of silence ensued between the two opposing forces.


    <strong>"Kuahahahahaha!!!"</strong> The Executionerughed.


    The suddenugh of the overwhelming enemy made Shamac shrink back in slight apprehension. He couldn''t help but feel even more perplexed by the behavior of this creature from hell.


    <strong>"That child could never be my master. She is merely a vessel of power, granted merely an inkling of my true master''s energy."</strong> The Executioner bellowed.


    <strong>"In terms of ability, I even exceed her. It makes no sense for me to be inferior to that human... As one of the 5 Guardians of the Underworld, Lord Hades'' most powerful generals."</strong> He grinned.


    "W-Wha?!" Shamac let out in shock.


    He had no idea the person he had been fighting was such a high-ranking entity.


    "Y-You mean... You''re a direct subordinate of the god, H-Hades...?!" Shamac muttered, suddenly shivering as this reality dawned on him.


    <strong>"Oh,e on! Did that make you lose your nerve?"</strong> The Executioner said with disappointment.


    <strong>"Sigh... This is why I hate revealing my identity. You lot always lose motivation to-"</strong>


    <strong>"Oh, don''t get the wrong idea... This reaction of mine isn''t out of fear..."</strong> Shamac cut him short.


    The sudden words of Shamac made the Executioner''s eyes narrow with suspicion and curiosity.


    "Oh?"


    After observing Shamac closely, he realized the battered-up kid was telling the truth.


    "... There''s only one emotion I feel currently.Excitement!" Shamac smiled, still trembling.


    He pushed away the thoughts of passing out and widened his dreary eyes.


    With a crazy look, he brought out the little shadow he had left and geared himself for battle.


    "I''ll finally be able to proudly face the Boss after I defeat you!"


    The Executioner stared at Shamac''s desperate attempt to struggle, amused by thepowerless boy''s refusal to back down.


    <strong>"Interesting indeed! I like your spirit!"</strong> He grinned.


    Perhaps he could find a worthy foe in the boy in front of him.

 Chapter 147 - Dissipating Hell

    Deafening silence filled the Dark dome. With everyone else either dead or unconscious, the two remaining survivors kept their focus on each other in a deadlock.


    Shamac remained on the ground, releasing what little resistance he had left to fight the impossible challenge in front of him.


    The Executioner, Rider of the Underworld and the leader of countless demons stared down at Shamac from his flying horse and grinned with satisfaction.


    <strong>"You intrigue me, boy! What is your name?"</strong> He asked with his deepened tone, breaking the quietness that pervaded the expanse they dwelled.


    Shamac, still struggling to breathe and stand, continued beaming at the superior being he faced. Excruciating pain and immense drowsiness crept upon him, drawing the young and woundedd to their grasp.


    However, he wouldn''t have any rest... Not after realizing the true status of the enemy he faced.


    "It''s Shamac!" He grinned tiredly, still maintaining eye contact with his opponent.


    The Executioner smiled upon hearing the name of the braved.


    <strong>"An excellent name. The one you serve must be pleased by your determination. Despite the clear difference in our strength you refuse to give in... You possess the true heart of a warrior."</strong>


    Shamac was slightly ttered by the showers of praise he received, but he didn''t let his guard down for a moment.


    While he knew his opponent didn''t require resorting to ttery in order to subdue him, Shamac didn''t want to loosen his concentration for even a split second.


    Doing so would mean his loss.


    >Szzziiiiiiii<


    A low buzzing sound suddenly came forth, echoing through the enveloped room. The sturdy some around the two beings began to vibrate at an abrupt rate, causing Shamac to lose focus.


    His eyes darted around, confused about the shock that caused the area to quake. Concern for his teammates began to trouble him, driving his focus away from the enemy.


    <strong>"It''s a shame we can''t continue this fight... It seems time is up"</strong> The Executioner muttered, looking around.


    Shamac immediately turned his face back to the Executioner.


    "You know what''s happening?" Shamac asked.


    He eyed the Demon General with suspicion and apprehension.


    <strong>"Of course... With the Apostle Dead, her Grace dissipates, returning to the God who blessed her with Divine Energy."</strong> The Executioner said.


    <strong>"That woman''s Grace is what holds this space together... With her currently deceased, it''s only inevitable that theyer of darkness dissolves."</strong>


    Upon hearing his exnation, Shamac was relieved. If he had to face another threat while being upied by the current enemy, death was guaranteed.


    <strong>"... It looks like our time together hase to an end..."</strong>


    "What does that have to do with our fight? Have you lost your motivation already?" Shamac responded quickly.


    <strong>"Kuahahahahahahahaha!!!"</strong>


    The Executioner burst out inughter after taking in the ignorant words of the young hybrid. They were nothing more than prattlings of the weak, one who was unaware of the despairing difference between himself and the enemy, or was foolish enough to believe such difference could be ovee.


    <strong>"Young child, while I find your courage amusing, there is no chance of victory for you in this battle... Your life would be forfeit before you even knew it"</strong> He chuckled.


    A bead of sweat dripped from Shamac''s forehead as another wave of drowsiness hit him.


    "Shit... I''m at my limit already..." He cursed.


    No. Even if he was at top form, Shamac knew he would still not have been able to take on the enemy.


    Yet, he stubbornly confronted the Executioner, despite knowing his chances of victory were nonexistent.


    "Tch... I''m so pathetic..." He groaned to himself.


    <strong>"It seems you finally understand the limits of your power... However, that is nothing to ashamed about."</strong> The Crimson Rider spoke.


    <strong>"There is no shame in being born weak... However, it is utterly shameful to remain in such acking state."</strong>


    As Shamac heard his words, he began to slowly sumb to unconsciousness.


    <strong>"Shamac... I do pray we meet again. During our next encounter, if Providence wills... Be strong enough to stand at the same height I upy... Only then will you be considered worthy to fight me at full strength"</strong>


    Shamac''s vision blurred, and a ringing sound kept hammering within his ear. He heard the deep words spoken, but couldn''t respond with his own.


    "Shit... I''m losing consciousness... I-I have to respond... I have to say it..." He slurred, stumbling on the floor as he struggled to maintain his stance.


    <strong>"Do not struggle in vain... Save your strength. I''ll be waiting for you... Do not dare to die before that timees!"</strong>


    The quaking of the surrounding veil continued, bing even fiercer as cracking sounds emanated from the dark field.


    >Shoooooo<


    The Executioner felt his body slowly fading away, l. The red particles that formed chunks of himself rushed to the darkness, retreating within the ck Gate.


    <strong>"Time''s up... I have to return already, eh?"</strong> He thought to himself.


    <strong>"This group was certainly different... Looks like I have something interesting to report to Lord Hades and my brothers"</strong>


    Musing to himself, The Executioner beckoned his horse, rousing it from the motionless state it adopted.


    The steed instinctively knew the will of its master, galloping in the air as it ventured to the ck material that surrounded them.


    "Neighhhhhhh" It sounded, prating the unstable barrier of darkness.


    <strong>"Farewell... Shamac"</strong>


    The Executioner, who hade to take the lives of the enemies left without killing a single soul, something that had never happened before.


    His army, with whom he brought when he appeared, was all wasted. Their dead bodies turned into Aspect particles, flying into the Dark Gate that led to the Underworld.


    Finally, with thest speck returned to the veil, the tremblings stopped.


    >Krrrriiiiiii<


    A whirring sound rose, climbing as the high-pitched noise reached a deafening pinnacle.


    >ZzzzzzPaaaaaaa!!!!<


    Finally, the ck veil shattered.


    As the darkness broke, the devastated Boss Room became visible to the sight of everyone.


    "U-Uh...." Shamac fell to his knees.


    After the immediate threat vanished, his tensed muscles rxed and he was going to pass out at any moment.


    "L-Lady Gratiana!"


    A tiny, melodious voice called out.


    Shamac recognized the voice, though barely. As his brain shut down to rest, he recollected that there was onest enemy they would have to fight, though they all ignored her because of the overwhelming person of Gratiana.


    "The... Disciple...." He mumbled, before falling on his face and passing out.


    With everyone who was within the some already passed out, and bloodied carnage left behind, only one person was left to experience the gory sight.


    "N-No w-way... Lady Gra-Gratiana..." She muttered.


    As she dragged her feet to the dead Grand Apostle, tears flowed from her eyes. Her mentor and the woman she loved and respected, second only to the gods.


    And now she was dead!


    "N-No... It can''t be..." She cried.


    Maria didn''t want to believe it, but the bloodied corpse of Gratianay at her feet, with a gaping hole on her throat. Her eyes were widened with shock, indicating the nature of her dying moments.


    She must have not expected to die.


    "... Fault..." Maria''s voice began in a low undertone.


    Seething range swirled within her, coupled with pangs of loss and the overwhelming burden of regret.


    It was too much to bear... She needed to ease herself off the tendrils of emotion that surged from her.


    "... It''s all their fault!" She said with a fierce tone.


    Staring at Ana, whoy unconscious beside her mentor, her tearful eyes contorted Into a re.


    "You....!" She growled.


    Her eyes went further down and saw Shamac and Talia also lying helplessly on the ground. They were injured, looking spent as their seemingly lifeless bodiesy motionless.


    Only one thought came to her mind. Her feeling of sadness and loss slowly reduced as a dominant emotion took over.


    Pure malice.


    "I''ll kill you!" She spoke decisively.


    Bringing out a dagger she kept hidden within her robe, Maria stepped forward, ring at Ana, whom she decided to kill first in order to sate her increasing feeling of animosity.


    "DIE!!!"


    With this final thought, her eyes widened in a crazed manner as she descended her hands toplete the task.


    >SQUISH<


    Sounds of ripping flesh echoed, revealing the gory sight of death that just urred.


    "W-Wha-?!" Maria muttered in shock.


    A gaping hole surrounded her chest, revealing an empty space where her heart was supposed to be.


    "Urkghhhh" She immediately sounded, blood oozing from her mouth as her mouth disyed shock.


    Maria was stunned beyond words. She was certain that the only one conscious in the room was her.


    Who could have caused her such damage in an instant?


    >SPLURGE<


    Blood gushed out of the empty spot in her chest, pouring to the hard floor beneath her.


    "H-How... W-Who...?!"


    As her thoughts rang, she suddenly felt a presence steadily approach her.


    Her eyes bulged as she noticed the person behind her.


    The girl''s body stiffened, unable to tilt her head to the side to view her assaulter.


    As she remained in her frozen stare, a voice suddenly sounded.


    <strong>"So these are Lord Hexarion''s subordinates... Disappointing. They could have at least killed off the trash before deciding to take a nap"</strong>


    The deep and malevolent voice made Maria''s <strong>skin crawl as the owner drew closer.</strong>


    <strong>"It''s a good thing I can here on time... The master will be pleased"</strong>


    Wrath smiled, fully healed and donning a lively expression.

 Chapter 148 - Despairing Prison

    [Moments Ago]


    The swirling void remained in front of Wrath''s useless lump of flesh as he helplessly watched and prayed for Hexarion''s return.


    As Wrath waited for his master to surface, he heard nothing. Worry and panic spread through him.


    "What if something happened to master?"


    "Will Lord Hexarion be alright?"


    Despite his undying loyalty and sacred pledge to Hexarion, he couldn''t help but worry.


    Unlike in the past, the current Primordial had be too weak.


    The fact that Wrath gave him such a tough time proved it.


    Hexarion was already injured and about to die. Yet, he pushed on.


    "Nether Core..." Wrath thought to himself.


    If Hexarion''s body didn''tst, he would forever be lost. Yet, that was a risk he was willing to take.


    >PING!<


    Suddenly, a system alert appeared in front of Wrath.


    <Congrattions>


    [You Have Been Made Temporary Admin Of This Dungeon]


    [You Have Been Bestowed A Portion Of The Nether Core]


    Wrath''s eyes widened upon seeing this in his wretched state.


    "Wha-?!" He eximed.


    How could this be possible? The only way he could receive the Admin role is if another Admin grants him the role.


    "Then... T-This means..." Wrath beamed slightly.


    There were two options.


    Firstly, Hexarion was dead, and Wrath was second in ce to inherit the Dungeon as Administrator.


    The second one would be that Hexarion was still alive and made Wrath in charge of the Dungeon until he was able toe out.


    Wrath chose to believe the second rationale


    "Lord Hexarion wouldn''t die like this!" He reasoned.


    As Wrath looked at the notification even more, he noticed a smaller icon underneath the disy.


    [Do You ept?]


    He smiled slightly.


    "I ept"


    Immediately, the window buzzed and closed, leaving Wrath staring at the empty void again.


    >ZZZZZZZTTTTTZZZZ<


    A purple spark of ominous energy suddenly appeared. The beam slowly contorted into darkness, revealing the otherworldly essence before Wrath''s body.


    His eyes beamed as he saw the portion of Nether which are up the surrounding space, consuming the Aspects around it.


    "Lord Hexarion... This... This is perfect!"


    The anomaly suddenly lunged toward Wrath''s eager body, covering it in purple and crimson aura.


    "Uohhhhhhh" He let out in an invigorated roar.


    He could feel his body filling up with power.


    Limbs began to form as Wrath''s glorious stature formed once again.


    Wings, horns, well-toned and finely built organs... His body becameplete.


    Rising from his low estate, Wrath ascended and grinned, flexing his wings as he floated above the nk floor.


    "Ah... This feels much better!"


    However, something was missing...


    "It seems I''m not back at full strength. Only a small portion was given to me, after all." He muttered.


    He couldn''tin though, this was better than his previous pathetic state.


    >DING<


    Another rming sound rang in his ear.


    A window opened before him, disying information which he read carefully.


    [New Admin: Wrath Instruction]


    <Congrattions>


    <You have now be Admin.


    "Of course!" Wrath said immediately he read it.


    [Message To Wrath]


    ~If you''re seeing this message, know that I am not yet dead. However, I am engaged currently and won''t be able to take any action for a while. I leave my affairs with you for the time being~


    ~ First Order Of Business: Make your way out of this ce. Three of my ves are in the fifth floor Boss Room. Ensure their safety, as long as the enemy has been extinguished. Should they still be engaging their opponent, do not interfere. However, if they are unable to fight anymore, then dispose of the enemy and secure the three of them~


    ~As for recognizing my ves, if you use your Aspectal sight, it will be in to you. They each possess portions of myself with them~


    ~You are to remain in the Fifth Floor Boss Room until I return. Make sure my ves are safe. Wrath, you''re the only one capable of acting in my stead currently. I''m counting on you~


    At this point, Wrath was tearing up, filled with emotion as he read the memorandum left to him by his master.


    *Sniff* *Sniff*


    "Lord Hexarion..." He cried.


    Wrath proceeded to read thest statement left by his master before carrying out his instructions.


    ~Do Not Fail Me!~


    After he read this, Wrath''s body slightly shook, feeling a tingle of excitement. As expected of his master, even if he wasn''t physically present, his words were enough to move him.


    "...I won''t!"


    [The Present]


    "One. Two. Three... Looks like everyone is here" Wrath muttered, observing the three ves of Haxarion who lied on the floor, unconscious.


    "They''re still alive, though barely."


    He narrowed his crimson eyes and examined them. Their Aspects became visible to him, erratic and weak.


    "I should help them out..."


    "Admin Authority: Wrath" Immediately he said this, the entire room lit up.


    His red aura began to emanate from his body as Wrath raised his hand, pointing it in the direction of the ves.


    "CAUSALITY REVERSAL".


    Bright radiation filled everywhere, followed by a low hum. Particles of sparkling energy began to revolve around Ana, Shamac, and Talia.


    As the lights touched the half-dead bodies, their wounds slowly closed, and the blood shed from the open crevices in their body returned within them.


    In a few moments, the three were healed up.


    " Now that''s more like it... It''s been some time since I''ve been away from the Final Boss Room. The Aspect properties here are to loose..." He noticed.


    With his body''s constitution, he could see through Aspects, just like Hexarion.


    After all...


    "I was made in my Master''s image" Wrath grinned to himself.


    While he was still reminiscing on his master''s instruction and how he would take care of the three recovered, but unconscious ves, a sudden explosion urred.


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!<


    The tranquil face of Wrath suddenly switched to a loom of irritation. He quickly darted his eyes to the source of the st.


    It came from the entrance of the Boss Room.


    "Arhhhhh, nooooo, please! I don''t wanna die. Please... S-Save me! N-No! I-I can''t die now!" An annoying bellow of desperation also came from the same direction.


    "What the hell is this?" Wrath muttered, witnessing the bizarre sight before him.


    At the entrance of the room, a distance from where Wrath stood, was a massive dragon. Itsrge body floated in the air as it red menacingly at its target...


    The prey was none but a pathetic man who was desperately concerned for his life. He fled as snot fell from his nose and tears emanated from his eyes.


    "P-Please... N-No... I-I don''t want to die..." He mumbled, stumbling into the room, with the Dragon directly behind him.


    "What the hell?" Wrath mumbled, staring at the sight before him.


    [Moments Earlier: Fifth Floor]


    "Huff... Huff..." Nathan gave exhausted breaths, stubbornly clinging to his sharpened edge which glowed with a low hint of blue.


    His sword warbled as he focused on thest enemy left, summoning his remaining strength to maintain his stance against the powerful creature.


    "J-Just a little more!" Lucy muttered, feeling her body ache.


    Her relic weighed heavily on her, making her weary as time passed.


    Jack was also at his limit, barely able to grip his Axe as he let out struggling breaths.


    "Damn it... Even though I''ve been the one dealing most of the damage to the monsters we''ve encountered, everyone is already spent and exhausted, even more than I am." Nathan muttered to himself, noticing the members of his party and how tired they were.


    It was barely a day and they were already at their wit''s end.


    " At this rate... I might have to abandon these dead weights" His thoughts suddenly rang.


    Realizing where his line of thought was heading, Nathan immediately shook his head.


    "No! What are you thinking, Nathan?!" He cautioned himself.


    "I''m not like that anymore... I''ve changed! I promised them I would protect them!" He said with determination.


    Even though he knew it was only a matter of time if he stuck with this crowd, and he would have a much higher chance of surviving alone, he refused to abandon his new friends.


    They all counted on him... He would not betray their trust.


    "I have to be better... Better than I was before! I have to be a man worthy of Marie''s love!"


    His thoughts suddenly drifted to Lydia, and the chemistry he had with her, though brief.


    She was a kind person, and her purity reminded him of his lover... That is all there was to it.


    "Gurrrruiiikk" The monster snapped at them, already injured by the group''s initial strike.


    Nathan pushed away his distracting thoughts and narrowed his gaze on the beast.


    This wasn''t the regr Tree Golem. It was a more devastating creature.


    Having a mass thrice asrge as the Tree Golem, it also had spikes all over its tough, brown skin... Like hard tree bark.


    Its waves of destruction made the group exhaust a great deal of energy on it, leading them to their current position.


    "Just a little more... Just a little more..." Nathan kept pushing.


    He was definitely going to survive with his friends... No matter what!


    PS: PLEASE DO NOT READ THE NEXT CHAPTER. IT''S THE SAME AS THIS ONE. I MADE A MISTAKE ON MY PART.. KINDLY SKIP THE NEXT CHAPTER AND PROCEED TO THE ONE AFTER THAT! I''M SO SORRY. THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING!

 Chapter 149 - DO NOT READ!!!

    [Moments Ago]


    The swirling void remained in front of Wrath''s useless lump of flesh as he helplessly watched and prayed for Hexarion''s return.


    As Wrath waited for his master to surface, he heard nothing. Worry and panic spread through him.


    "What if something happened to master?"


    "Will Lord Hexarion be alright?"


    Despite his undying loyalty and sacred pledge to Hexarion, he couldn''t help but worry.


    Unlike in the past, the current Primordial had be too weak.


    The fact that Wrath gave him such a tough time proved it.


    Hexarion was already injured and about to die. Yet, he pushed on.


    "Nether Core..." Wrath thought to himself.


    If Hexarion''s body didn''tst, he would forever be lost. Yet, that was a risk he was willing to take.


    >PING!<


    Suddenly, a system alert appeared in front of Wrath.


    <Congrattions>


    [You Have Been Made Temporary Admin Of This Dungeon]


    [You Have Been Bestowed A Portion Of The Nether Core]


    Wrath''s eyes widened upon seeing this in his wretched state.


    "Wha-?!" He eximed.


    How could this be possible? The only way he could receive the Admin role is if another Admin grants him the role.


    "Then... T-This means..." Wrath beamed slightly.


    There were two options.


    Firstly, Hexarion was dead, and Wrath was second in ce to inherit the Dungeon as Administrator.


    The second one would be that Hexarion was still alive and made Wrath in charge of the Dungeon until he was able toe out.


    Wrath chose to believe the second rationale


    "Lord Hexarion wouldn''t die like this!" He reasoned.


    As Wrath looked at the notification even more, he noticed a smaller icon underneath the disy.


    [Do You ept?]


    He smiled slightly.


    "I ept"


    Immediately, the window buzzed and closed, leaving Wrath staring at the empty void again.


    >ZZZZZZZTTTTTZZZZ<


    A purple spark of ominous energy suddenly appeared. The beam slowly contorted into darkness, revealing the otherworldly essence before Wrath''s body.


    His eyes beamed as he saw the portion of Nether which are up the surrounding space, consuming the Aspects around it.


    "Lord Hexarion... This... This is perfect!"


    The anomaly suddenly lunged toward Wrath''s eager body, covering it in purple and crimson aura.


    "Uohhhhhhh" He let out in an invigorated roar.


    He could feel his body filling up with power.


    Limbs began to form as Wrath''s glorious stature formed once again.


    Wings, horns, well-toned and finely built organs... His body becameplete.


    Rising from his low estate, Wrath ascended and grinned, flexing his wings as he floated above the nk floor.


    "Ah... This feels much better!"


    However, something was missing...


    "It seems I''m not back at full strength. Only a small portion was given to me, after all." He muttered.


    He couldn''tin though, this was better than his previous pathetic state.


    >DING<


    Another rming sound rang in his ear.


    A window opened before him, disying information which he read carefully.


    [New Admin: Wrath Instruction]


    <Congrattions>


    <You have now be Admin.


    "Of course!" Wrath said immediately he read it.


    [Message To Wrath]


    ~If you''re seeing this message, know that I am not yet dead. However, I am engaged currently and won''t be able to take any action for a while. I leave my affairs with you for the time being~


    ~ First Order Of Business: Make your way out of this ce. Three of my ves are in the fifth floor Boss Room. Ensure their safety, as long as the enemy has been extinguished. Should they still be engaging their opponent, do not interfere. However, if they are unable to fight anymore, then dispose of the enemy and secure the three of them~


    ~As for recognizing my ves, if you use your Aspectal sight, it will be in to you. They each possess portions of myself with them~


    ~You are to remain in the Fifth Floor Boss Room until I return. Make sure my ves are safe. Wrath, you''re the only one capable of acting in my stead currently. I''m counting on you~


    At this point, Wrath was tearing up, filled with emotion as he read the memorandum left to him by his master.


    *Sniff* *Sniff*


    "Lord Hexarion..." He cried.


    Wrath proceeded to read thest statement left by his master before carrying out his instructions.


    ~Do Not Fail Me!~


    After he read this, Wrath''s body slightly shook, feeling a tingle of excitement. As expected of his master, even if he wasn''t physically present, his words were enough to move him.


    "...I won''t!"


    [The Present]


    "One. Two. Three... Looks like everyone is here" Wrath muttered, observing the three ves of Haxarion who lied on the floor, unconscious.


    "They''re still alive, though barely."


    He narrowed his crimson eyes and examined them. Their Aspects became visible to him, erratic and weak.


    "I should help them out..."


    "Admin Authority: Wrath" Immediately he said this, the entire room lit up.


    His red aura began to emanate from his body as Wrath raised his hand, pointing it in the direction of the ves.


    "CAUSALITY REVERSAL".


    Bright radiation filled everywhere, followed by a low hum. Particles of sparkling energy began to revolve around Ana, Shamac, and Talia.


    As the lights touched the half-dead bodies, their wounds slowly closed, and the blood shed from the open crevices in their body returned within them.


    In a few moments, the three were healed up.


    " Now that''s more like it... It''s been some time since I''ve been away from the Final Boss Room. The Aspect properties here are to loose..." He noticed.


    With his body''s constitution, he could see through Aspects, just like Hexarion.


    After all...


    "I was made in my Master''s image" Wrath grinned to himself.


    While he was still reminiscing on his master''s instruction and how he would take care of the three recovered, but unconscious ves, a sudden explosion urred.


    >BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!<


    The tranquil face of Wrath suddenly switched to a loom of irritation. He quickly darted his eyes to the source of the st.


    It came from the entrance of the Boss Room.


    "Arhhhhh, nooooo, please! I don''t wanna die. Please... S-Save me! N-No! I-I can''t die now!" An annoying bellow of desperation also came from the same direction.


    "What the hell is this?" Wrath muttered, witnessing the bizarre sight before him.


    At the entrance of the room, a distance from where Wrath stood, was a massive dragon. Itsrge body floated in the air as it red menacingly at its target...


    The prey was none but a pathetic man who was desperately concerned for his life. He fled as snot fell from his nose and tears emanated from his eyes.


    "P-Please... N-No... I-I don''t want to die..." He mumbled, stumbling into the room, with the Dragon directly behind him.


    "What the hell?" Wrath mumbled, staring at the sight before him.


    [Moments Earlier: Fifth Floor]


    "Huff... Huff..." Nathan gave exhausted breaths, stubbornly clinging to his sharpened edge which glowed with a low hint of blue.


    His sword warbled as he focused on thest enemy left, summoning his remaining strength to maintain his stance against the powerful creature.


    "J-Just a little more!" Lucy muttered, feeling her body ache.


    Her relic weighed heavily on her, making her weary as time passed.


    Jack was also at his limit, barely able to grip his Axe as he let out struggling breaths.


    "Damn it... Even though I''ve been the one dealing most of the damage to the monsters we''ve encountered, everyone is already spent and exhausted, even more than I am." Nathan muttered to himself, noticing the members of his party and how tired they were.


    It was barely a day and they were already at their wit''s end.


    " At this rate... I might have to abandon these dead weights" His thoughts suddenly rang.


    Realizing where his line of thought was heading, Nathan immediately shook his head.


    "No! What are you thinking, Nathan?!" He cautioned himself.


    "I''m not like that anymore... I''ve changed! I promised them I would protect them!" He said with determination.


    Even though he knew it was only a matter of time if he stuck with this crowd, and he would have a much higher chance of surviving alone, he refused to abandon his new friends.


    They all counted on him... He would not betray their trust.


    "I have to be better... Better than I was before! I have to be a man worthy of Marie''s love!"


    His thoughts suddenly drifted to Lydia, and the chemistry he had with her, though brief.


    She was a kind person, and her purity reminded him of his lover... That is all there was to it.


    "Gurrrruiiikk" The monster snapped at them, already injured by the group''s initial strike.


    Nathan pushed away his distracting thoughts and narrowed his gaze on the beast.


    This wasn''t the regr Tree Golem. It was a more devastating creature.


    Having a mass thrice asrge as the Tree Golem, it also had spikes all over its tough, brown skin... Like hard tree bark.


    Its waves of destruction made the group exhaust a great deal of energy on it, leading them to their current position.


    "Just a little more... Just a little more..." Nathan kept pushing.


    He was definitely going to survive with his friends.... No matter what!

 Chapter 150 - Struggle For Survival

    "Let''s go everyone," Nathan shouted.


    His party joined him in the chorus, attempting their final bout against the monster.


    With a powerful dash, Nathan pushed himself toward the tree monster.


    "Guruuuk" The creature bellowed.


    As he neared it, the monsterunched itsrge arm toward Nathan. Spikes immediately grew from its hard skin, nearing its razor-sharp edge toward him.


    "Too slow!" Nathan muttered, bending to his knees as he glided through, dodging the monster''s attack.


    Strength, Health, Defense, Stamina... This devastating creature was far more powerful than the golems they had faced before and insanely more durable. However, their only saving grace was that it was slower. If it had the same speed as the Tree Golem, or even greater than it... They would be dead.


    Sliding on the floor as he evaded the deathly attack of the massive creature, Nathan navigated his motion to the back of the monster. He rolled on the ground and quickly rose to his feet, standing behind therge tree creature.


    "Now!" He yelled to everyone else.


    The monster, upon noticing the location of its prey, turned to assault Nathan with its hand, iling it behind him rapidly.


    "No, you don''t," Lucy dered, creating multiple whips from her regalia in an instant.


    Sheunched the elongated, hardened pieces of cloth at the monster''s arm, seizing it with all five of the whips.


    "Rrghhhh" She groaned, drawing the whips to her side, using her full strength.


    The powerful arm of the monster slowed, moving toward Lucy instead of its designated attack location.


    "Guruuuuk?!" It growled in perplexity.


    Jack, quickly taking advantage of its confused state, ran toward the monster in order to draw attention to himself. Since3 Lucy was using all her strength to restrain the monster, she was incapable of doing much else. As a result, she was utterly defenseless. Should the beast decide to focus its attack and wrath on her, she would die.


    "Oi, you overgrown weed!" Jack shouted, making the monster turn its face to him in rage. Though it didn''t understand his words, it felt irritated by Jack''s loud call.


    Jack raised his hands, gripping his ax with his feeble arms, already exhausted from countless swings. As the monster lunged its second hand toward Jack, he quickly descended it with a powerful force, expending his whole might in the attack.


    "With this... I''m done... My strength... Is used... Up..." Jack''s thought went as he fell to the ground.


    The ax heunched at the monster broke through the thick skin of the monster, injuring it severely as it cut through the arm.


    "Guruooooo!" It screeched in pain.


    The attack was not enough to fully incapacitate the monster, but that wasn''t Jack''s intention to begin with. All they needed was a slight moment of shock, the window of opportunity for the monster''s guard to be down.


    "ICICLE SHOT!" Lydia''s voice beamed through the entire area as she directed her trembling hands toward the creature''s head.


    Immediately, her bracelet glowed ever brighter and an immense mass of ice formed a few meters from her fingertips. The cold lump sharpened to form a thick and pointed icicle, pointing its sharp end toward the monster.


    "Hiaaaa!" She yelled, releasing the icicle, iling backward in recoil.


    The ice spear shot at the monster, gaining momentum as it dived through the air. With great speed, it traversed the short distance and pierced the head of the monster.


    "Guorghhhhh!!!" It bellowed in pain.


    The sudden impact gotten from the ice shot caused the monster to lose its bnce. It tripped and fell backward, slowly descending to the floor... Right where Nathan stood.


    "Perfect!" He grinned tiredly.


    His hands were already raised up, and his de glowed brightly white, with sparks of blue emitting from its edge.


    "A normal attack won''t cut it... I need to use even more force... Thanks for buying enough time, everyone. I''ll finish it with this"


    Concluding his thought, Nathan swung his de, drawing it downwards with all his might and a powerful yell of triumph.


    "de Of Rupture: Shattering Strike"


    At that moment, white shes also appeared, and the space around the de distorted. The very fabric of space seemed to divide as the glowing de''s invisible attack made its way to the falling monster.


    >SKRIIIIIIIIIIBOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    The hard skin of the monster instantly shattered, and the sh of energy that pierced it vaporized the core. This was followed by a tremendous st, an internal explosion of the monster. Its body split apart as a result of the internal pressure that welled up within it, sending every portion flying in every direction.


    Carl used his shield to defend himself, Lydia, Puck, and Desmond from the falling debris of monster parts. The others were saved from the rupture due to being near the point of impact. As a result, the exploding parts went beyond them.


    Finally, everything settled, and Nathan''s glowing sword returned to its normal color. The young adventurer copsed on his knees, drawing exhausted breaths. Certainly, thest move cost more energy than he bargained for.


    "Huff... Huff..."


    The rest of the party members converged to Nathan''s location. They all sluggishly walked, pushing their feet in slow and exhausted steps.


    "W-We... We did it... Finally!" Jack mumbled.


    The others gave celebratory nces at one another, relieved that they had ovee the monstrous hurdle they had faced. Nathan joined them and smiled slightly.


    He was happy that he stuck to his conviction. He abandoned no one, yet he still won. The teamwork everyone disyed made him d that their training paid off well.


    "A-Are you alright, Sir N-Nathan?" Lydia asked, giving him a concerned look.


    "Yeah... I''ll be fine... I just need to rest a bit," He muttered, donning a smile to relieve her worries.


    "Hahahahaha" Jack burst outughing.


    "That was certainly crazy. But what was with thatst attack, Nathan? I have never seen anything like it!" Jack beamed.


    "Yeah! I noticed too... You never used it in any of our previous fights,"Lucy added in joint curiosity.


    "Ah... That? It''s a new move I''m still working on. As you saw, the damage it causes is insane... But it uses up too much energy. The toll it also takes on my body is also high. I was avoiding using it until now because of that. In a situation where we fight many monsters in session, it''s not advisable to use it..." Nathan said.


    "W-Wow!" Jack and Lucy muttered consecutively.


    Nathan kept quiet about the fact that the amount of power used up by the de was so high that if he kept using it, the de would lose all its power.


    "I can feel it... The de of Rupture''s energy has been exhausted far too much..." He thought within himself.


    He had been using it far too much in session. A Relic such as this was meant to be a Trump Card. But he used it at every given opportunity because of the high danger surrounding them.


    "S-So you used such a risky attack like that, because of us... Sir Nathan..." Lydia muttered, feeling guilty about the length Nathan went to for the Party.


    "Don''t be silly... If I didn''t use that, I would have also died. It was the most rational course of action. Besides... You guys weren''t so bad yourselves. Your teamwork thisst round was outstanding. The timing was better too. You''ve all improved greatly... I''m proud of you," Nathan smiled.


    He couldn''t show any form of weakness before them. As the strongest and their leader... Everyone was counting on him.


    "We must survive... And after this... I''ll ask them to join me... We can continue being a party even when we leave here..." Nathan thought.


    Noticing that the monster''s body had vanished, Nathan looked toward their Porter, whose only use was gathering and carrying all their spoils and properties.


    "Puck, go pick up the loot... Everyone else should rest. We''ll be taking a quick break," Nathan ordered.


    Immediately he said this, they all copsed, making groans of ease as they rested their backs and behinds on the cool, hard ground.


    Puck, the porter, went to gather the loot which had been left behind by the monster. Since the body parts of the creature had vanished, a pile of spoils awaited them, a small distance from their location.


    From the difficulty of the monster they fought, Nathan could already tell the quality of the rewards they would get.


    "W-Whoah! This is amazing, everyone!" Puck said in excitement.


    Nathan smiled in satisfaction. It seemed the effort was worth it. Once Puck returned, they would all eat and rest a little before proceeding further. Something the Party learned from their time in the new ''Annihtion Mode'' was that monsters would always attack them if they stayed in a single spot for too long.


    Whether they could sense them somehow, or it was the Dungeon setting, the group had no idea. Only one thing was certain. There was danger in being static for long, and also danger if they ventured further.


    Picking from the two dangers, Nathan decided it was better to keep moving.


    Puck kept picking loot, and everyone rxed their tired bodies. Nathan shut his eyes for a moment, imagining the face of Marie.


    "Wait for me, my love," He whispered to himself.


    "Uaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!"


    Puck''s sudden cry of fear alerted Nathan, waking him up from his brief daydream. The other Party members grumbled, wondering what caused Puck''s outburst.


    Knowing that Puck was a scaredy-cat, even seeing a spider suddenly would drive him to a state of panic. This made everyone not take his cries seriously... Everyone except Nathan.


    "E-Everyone... Wake up now!!!" Nathan barked.


    Their eyes sprung open as they heard the voice of their guide. His voice was shaky, filled with panic. What could drive the usually level-headed person into such a state?


    They all looked at Nathan, but his face wasn''t pointed in their direction. No... He was looking elsewhere. His body trembled and a look of fear dominated his face.


    "D-D...Dra..." He muttered in fright, his eyes still transfixed on the sight in front of him.


    The Party members followed his eyes and looked toward the ce Nathan was gazing at. Their heads slowly turned as they looked in the direction of Puck and their loot.


    They did not expect to see what they did.


    "Gurrrrrrrrrrrr" A low growling sound was made.


    "N-No... Is that...?!" Lucy mumbled.


    Every member of the Party trembled in fright at the sight before them.


    Puck''s bodyid lifelessly on the floor, what remained of it anyway. Blood oozed on the ground as only the lower part of the porter was seen drowned in his blood.


    Behind the corpse of their Party member, there was the monstrosity that everyone''s eyes met. No one dared to think about Puck or the fact that his life had been extinguished. There was a more urgent preupation that took all of their attention.


    The massive beast, a small distance from them...


    "D-Dra... Dragon....!!!"

 Chapter 151 - Firm Resolution

    Monsters are creatures who differ from other life forms in the world.


    They exist in variety, and for unknown reasons, they bear immense hostility toward the human race particrly.


    Unlike normal animals, they possess special features that give them an overwhelming advantage in battle... Making than formidable foes.


    To battle these crazed beasts of nature, Adventurers are hired. Armed with Relics, these brave and powerful sets of humansbat the savage scourge of the Monsters.


    However, even among Adventurers, not all of them possess enough capabilities to defeat certain kinds of monsters.


    Just as Adventurers and Relics possess ranks, so do monsters.


    Spanning from Grade 9-1, the 1st Grade monsters are considered to be the most powerful... However, there exists one other rank above the First Grade.


    Monstrous beings who belong to this rank are so devastating that no single human could ever be capable of ying them. Multiple Adventurers of the highest rank would be needed to even stand a chance.


    Bearing unimaginable powers of destruction and imprable defenses, while causing chaos enough to drive an entire nation to ruin in moments... These Monsters are ssified as SPECIAL GRADE.


    And of these... One just appeared before the exhausted rookie Party of Adventurers in the Vanishing Dungeon, devouring one of theirrades in an instant.


    "Dra-Dragon...!!!" Nathan eximed with a shaky voice, starting at the beast as his body refused to move.


    The ominous figure which appeared before them was none other than the deadly beast of legend! A SPECIAL GRADE even above others.


    Baring its sharp teeth at the trembling group, it focused its red ring eyes on their fleshy bodies.


    Saliva dripped from its slightly opened jaw as steam proceeded from within the fine line which highlighted the mouth.


    "Gurrrrrr" It let out in a low undertone, ring confidently at its prey.


    "H-How? Why?!" Nathan mumbled.


    His legs shook violently, and he felt like he could pass out at any moment. His mind couldn''tprehend the reason why such a grand beast and disaster of nature could be standing before him.


    "Why is it on the Fifth Floor?! This is too... What the hell is happening?!"


    Suddenly, the dragon moved its massive leg, stepping forward.


    The sudden motion it made caused the ground to tremble. This made Nathan lose his bnce as he fell on his behind and watched powerless as the beast of horror drew closer.


    >SPLAT<


    The bloodied corpse of Puck, their porter, turned into paste as the feet of the Dragon crushed it while advancing.


    "S-Stay away... S-Stay back!" Nathan mumbled in fear.


    His teeth rattled and his body quivered even more. His eyes begged desperately that the monster halt its advance, though it was all in vain.


    The remaining members of the party were not exempted from the aura of despair that enveloped the room. In confused and frantic states they all nced toward the only one who they trusted most.


    "S-Sir Nathan, what the hell is a Dragon doing here?"


    "What do we do Nathan?!"


    "Shit! We''re all going to die!"


    "Sir Nathan!"


    "Help us, Sir Nathan!"


    Nathan couldn''t turn his face to look at the young ones who cried for his attention. His paralyzed body could do nothing before such an overwhelming foe.


    "Help? Against that?!" He thought to himself.


    That was a bad joke.


    There was no way in hell he could win... No way at all!


    The trauma of the past began flooding his consciousness.


    He remembered the death of his friends, how he watched their corpses cruelly disyed before him.


    Recalling the house of despair which changed his entire perception of reality, his body trembled even more.


    However... A thought suddenly shed in his mind. Something that had been clouded by fear, a resolution he made to himself after meeting the new set of friends he now had.


    "B-But... I promised..."


    Slowly, his thoughts came to him. He gave his word, not only to himself but also to everyone else.


    He wasn''t going to let the same tragedy that befell his previous friends ur again.


    "... I resolved..." He mumbled, gathering strength into his body as he forced himself to move.


    The Dragon slowly kept advancing, confident about its inevitable victory. There was no need for such a high beast to rush through its target.


    With shaky legs and fettered arms, Nathan slowly stood up.


    "... I told you all.." He said, turning his face towards the expectant group which looked at him with great expectation as their bodies were petrified in fear.


    "... As long as I''m here..."


    Nathan''s hands went for his sheathed de by his hip. He tightened his grip and drew his weapon in an instant.


    The de shook, an effect from his trembling hand, still, Nathan held it in ce.


    "... I WON''T LET ANYONE DIE!"


    With this final statement, Nathan pointed the edge of his Relic toward the massive beast. His grim and scared look slowly turned into focused concentration.


    "B-But, Sir Nathan... T-Thats a Dragon! There''s no way we can... Even if it''s you..." Lydia muttered, knowing fully well the height of the Monster''s might.


    "Lydia... There''s no other way! Even if we run I''m sure the Dragon will have no difficulty catching up to us. For it to make such a slow advance, it means it''s confident of winning..." Jack replied in Nathan''s ce.


    "I''m sure Sir Nathan is aware of the power of the Dragon... Even more than we are. But, for him to take this stance... This must be the only way!" Lucy also added.


    "Perhaps... If he used that attack he used thest time... Maybe..." Desmond thought within himself.


    No matter what, the group only had one hope of survival, Nathan!


    Nathan used his two hands to grip his Relic. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply to concentrate on the energy flowing within the weapon in his grasp.


    "I''ll pour everything... All the energy it has left... I''ll use all of it in this attack!" His thoughts went.


    If he didn''t, there was no guarantee of dealing any damage.


    However, through sacrificing all he had, even will thest drop, the likelihood of seeding increased.


    "No matter what... For the sake of everyone... I must seed!" Nathan''s thoughts rang with a firm resolve.


    Perhaps.... Maybe there''s a chance!

 Chapter 152 - Shattered Resolve

    >ZZZZZZZTTTTTTZZZ<


    The de on Nathan''s arms immediately buzzed, responding to his inner conviction.


    "Uohhhhhhh" Nathan let out, pouring even more concentration and power into his sword.


    sping the hilt, he tightened his grip on the vibrating katana due to the intense buzz it generated.


    White shes of light mixed with blue hue appeared and surrounded Nathan. The Balde Of Rupture glowed brilliantly, lighting up the whole area. The menacing figure of the Dragon could be perceived more vividly due to the luminous effect of the de.


    Its massive dark body, covered in scales seemed overpowering and its majestic wings hung behind its back.


    The party members grew even more terrified of the beast because of this, however... Nathan only strengthened his resolve more.


    "More... I need more... Give me everything!" He mumbled.


    Suddenly, an intense amount of energy surged from the de, causing everything around Nathan to be blown away.


    "Hyaaaa" Lydia, as well the rest of the party members got pushed back by the force around Nathan, sending them flying some distance away.


    The earth around him, sharp winds and don''t all dispersed about, leaving a nk spot where Nathan stood, with a glowing body filled with bustling white and blue energy.


    "Focus them all... On a single point..."


    The vast energy smelly condensed and formed on the de Of Rupture. Its blue color became filled up with all the taking energy that devastated the surrounding.


    >Clink<


    >Krrrrrk<


    The de cracked.


    Nathan noticed the sudden change in his Relic and knew the time was near.


    "It can''t handle this much power at once... But I have no choice! After this... I''ll lose this Relic forever!"


    Even with this conclusion, Nathan was prepared for the oue. So long as he protected those who were his friends and kept his word... He was ready!


    The de kept cracking as Nathan kept condensing the energy within it until the total power was sessfully trapped in the edge of his weapon, waiting to be released.


    In an instant, Nathan raised his hands, still gripping the de, and opened his eyes for the first time since he began preparation.


    The Dragon had already gained a lot of ground and would soon reach them.


    "Everyone, get back!" Nathan warned.


    This attack of his was deadly enough to blow everyone away at the least. Judging by the energy he had stored within his Relic, those he deemed to protect could die if they got too close.


    The crew immediately took his advice and ran back, as quickly as they could, using Carl''s barrier to shield them.


    The Dragon''s focus was transfixed on Nathan, as though wondering what form of attack he would release.


    "You made a big mistake underestimating me... Thanks for giving me enough time... You goddamn monster!" Nathan grinned nervously.


    "de Of Rupture..." He began.


    With this, it would all be over!


    "DEVASTATING STRIKE!"


    He brought his hand down in that instant.


    Space warped as soon as the de fell horizontally, sending the invisible strike toward the Dragon. Electricity surged and the entire path that led to the Dragon distorted as the sh passed through to reach the target.


    And then...


    >ZZZZRRRRRRBOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    A massive surge of energy became released in an instant, causing a white sh of pure eruption, with blue sparks of electricity around it.


    Nathan''s immediate surrounding, being the eye of the storm, was unaffected by the blow, though the same couldn''t be said for everywhere else.


    The ground shattered, vaporizing after the light touched its surface. The powerful surge spread and the shockwaves shook the entire area.


    >KKKKRKKKK<


    Carl''s erected barrier cracked as a result of the energy wave that reached it. The dent increased, spreading throughout the orb of energy.


    >KKRRRKAKKAAAAA<


    In no time, the defensive done around them shattered, causing the devastating wave of power to push them away.


    After the explosion subsided, sizzling sounds of heated grounds and burning air filled the area. As the sounds echoed, a lone man stood amidst the destruction and debris.


    "Huff... Huff..."


    He had lost nearly all the strength he had left, with only his will to keep standing conscious.


    "No... Not yet..." Nathan''s thoughts rang.


    The attack he just unleashed wasn''t enough topletely kill the Dragon. All he did was buy his party enough time to escape.


    "Everyone, quick! Get up, we''re leaving now... Hurry!" Nathan turned back to yell at his party members.


    They all groaned from their shaken state, recoiling from the wave of attack that hit them.


    "S-Sir Nathan... You really..." Lydia muttered with a grateful and amazed smile.


    "Not now, that won''t keep the Dragon down for long. We have to keep moving forward!" He yelled, turning toward the caravan.


    If they turned back, they would only meet a dead end, meaning the Dragon would eventually catch up with them.


    However, even if it chased them to the Boss Room if they entered the room, it was impossible to open it again until the Boss Monster was defeated.


    Once they defeated the Boss Monster, they would quickly retreat to the next floor before the Dragon entered.


    "There''s no other choice!" Nathan muttered.


    They were all exhausted, and Nathan just used up all his power. He didn''t know how they would win the next battle, but he was most focused on survival.


    He would live... His friends would live too!


    "O-Okay..." Lydia muttered hesitantly.


    As the group rose from where they fell, aiming to flee their current position, Nathan quickly sheathed his cracked de.


    "Hurry u-"


    Before hepleted his sentence, a st of devastating mes burst forth from the smoke behind him and lunged toward the group of Adventurers.


    Since Jack, Lydia, and Lucy had progressed further than Carl, they were able to dodge the zing mes, though just barely.


    "Uarghhhhhhh!!!!" Carl screamed as his body melted within seconds in the mes.


    "W-Wha-?!" Nathan muttered, slowly tilting his head as he nced behind him.


    "Gurrrrr....." The Dragon growled,ing forth from the cloud of smoke that surrounded it.


    The beast''s body was unscathed by Nathan''s blow, and from the glean in its eyes, Nathan could see nothing but amusement and mockery of his wasted efforts.


    It was at that moment that the truth dawned on him.


    Even with all the power he could muster... His resolve meant nothing in the face of true terror.


    A crimson glow appeared in the mouth of the beast... More fire was iing.


    Once again, the feeling of powerlessness enveloped him, swallowing Nathan whole in despair.

 Chapter 153 - A Deeper Taste Of Despair

    "Uarhhhhhhhh!!!" Carl and Desmond screeched in agony, consumed by the mes of the Dragon.


    Within moments they turned into ashes, dissipating into dust.


    The remaining humans trembled in fear at the sight of fire and smoke beside them.


    The object of terror emerged from the thick fog of burning gas and grinned statistically.


    "Gruuuuu¡­"


    Nathan felt despair fill him up.


    The surviving members, Lucy, Lydia, and Jack all called out to him, rushing to his side for protection. The intense fear they all felt drove them to the single focus of salvation¡­ Nathan!


    "N-No¡­" He mumbled lost in his powerlessness.


    The earth trembled as the monstrosity drew nearer. Within moments it would reach Nathan, as well as the other survivors.


    Sparks of mes appeared on its mouth, signaling the next volley of assault.


    "We must¡­ Survive¡­ We¡­ W-" Nathan kept mumbling to himself.


    We?


    Fear slowly eroded the thought. Nathan''s mangled mind slowly reverted to its default state. Despite his good intentions and will to change, he still hadn''t changed in his core.


    "I¡­ I must survive¡­" His thoughts rang.


    He looked at his ''friends'' who drew closer to him, running desperately for his figure of safety.


    "N-No¡­ S-Stay back!"


    The aim of the Dragon seems to be directed toward the fleeing humans, not him. If they drew any closer¡­ The mes would reach his location. His thoughts of saving his friends melted, reced by a frantic wish to live.


    "STAY BAAAACK!!!" Nathan screamed, trembling as he let out a loud cry.


    His sudden outburst caused the group of three to halt in hesitation.


    Using this window, his weary legs and trembling body gained what little strength he could muster. He could have rushed to them and desperately fought for survival¡­ But¡­


    "Uahhhhh"


    With hurried steps Nathan took to his heels, running away from the rest of the party members in an instant.


    "S-Sir Nathan!"


    "Where are you going?"


    "Please don''t leave us!"


    "Please¡­ Please don''t go!!!"


    The party members desperately begged for him to return but he shut his ears at their pleas.


    "Survive¡­ Must survive¡­"


    The thought of living constantly rung within him. There was no way that could be achieved if he stuck with them.


    At least, in their death, he would be given a little more time to escape. His body knew that instinctively and fled the scene.


    "Sir Nathaaan!" A crying voice let out.


    Nathan recognized the sonorous voice, now filled with tones of fear and betrayal. It was Lydia¡­ She was calling out to him.


    He remembered how she reminded him of Marie, her innocent and loving nature made his heartache. Memories of her time with him, and their talks made tears well up in his eyes.


    He didn''t want her to die! But¡­ He kept running.


    "Uuukh" He muffled cries of grief.


    A part of him felt like he was leaving Marie to die!


    "She''s not Marie! She''s not¡­" He said to himself, trying to calm the swirling emotions of guilt and shame he felt.


    Nathan kept pushing himself forward, away from the Dragon, away from his new friends, away from death.


    "Ruooooahhhhh"


    He heard a roaring sound behind him, followed by a low hum of surging mes. Nathan refused to look back and kept his face forward, increasing his pace.


    "Arghhhhhhhh!!!"


    "Uahaaaaaaaaa!!!"


    "Hiaaaaaaa!!!!"


    He heard the distinct screams of Lydia, Lucy, and Jack. Cackling sounds and more cries filled the air as the mes raged behind his fleeing back.


    He could feel the heat from behind him, and the bright amber color of the monster''s breath made him gulp, realizing his turn was near.


    "N-No¡­ I can''t die here!"


    He ran, pushing himself to the limit.


    The Dragon, upon finishing off the three Adventurers in an instant, lunged for Nathan. It was a race, one between predator and prey.


    Nathan, desperately afraid for his life galloped like the animal he was, navigating his way through the dungeon grounds.


    He could hear stumping sounds steadily nearing him, yet it never seemed to reach him.


    Was he too fast? Could the Dragon be moving slower than his current pace?


    No!


    "Gruuuuruuuu" The monster''s low growl once again sounded.


    Its voice depicted amusement, clearly entertained by Nathan''s feeble attempt at escape. It was inevitable he would die, yet he pointlessly fought against his fate.


    After fleeing for a while, Natha finally saw it. Standing tall at a distance from him, was the massive Gate of the Boss Room.


    "Please let me make it. Please let me make it!" He begged.


    He didn''t know why he felt a brief sense of satisfaction and relief when he saw the Gate.


    Behind it was a Boss Monster. There was no way he could win.


    There he was, running away from danger to meet another one. Yet...


    "I will survive! I will survive!"


    Miraculously, he reached the front of the age, but before he could open it, the dragon released another devastating breath.


    "Uarghhhh" He screamed.


    The fiery st of the Dragon destroyed therge structure before Nathan, shattering it into bits.


    The debris flew everywhere, causing a loud noise of havoc and quakes which made Nathan yell out shamelessly. After all... He truly didn''t want death.


    He crashed into the Boss Room, crying and shuddering. Lifting his face, he saw those within the vast space.


    There was no Boss monster in sight... Oh wait, he saw something some distance from where he fell.


    The being had a glistening body, with horns protruding from its head and long flowing hair. Its wings hung high up as it re on the face.


    "T-That is..." Nathan muttered.


    .....


    Wrath looked at the intruders with displeasure.


    "A human... And, oh? What do we have here?" He spoke in his deep tone


    He looked at the Dragon who stood behind Nathan. The beast, upon sighting Wrath, began to shiver.


    "A monster from the 89th floor, eh? How the hell did you get all the way here?" Wrath pondered.


    Suddenly, the Dungeon brought forth the answer to his inquiry in form of a window.


    "Ah, I see. So master activated the Randomizer function... You appeared here as a result of that effect." Wrath muttered.


    The Dragon appeared uneasy, clearly frightened by the being before it.


    At this point, Nathan was confused.


    He had initially thought Wrath was the Boss Monster, but...


    "W-Why... Why is the Dragon trembling in the sight of that?" Nathan thought to himself.


    In the first ce, he never heard of a monster who could talk, yet Wrath spoke in a tongue he couldn''t understand.


    Other than that, he also appeared to be checking a Status Window in front of him. something absurd as that made Nathan''s mind get even more mangled as strange thoughts began to creep in.


    "Could it be... He''s the one responsible for all this?" He thought to himself.


    This was clearly not a Level 5 Boss. The Dragon''s subservient personality was enough proof of that.


    "Stupid mutt... It seems you at least have enough sense to recognize the one before you." Wrath said, starting at the Dragon.


    Its eyes begged for mercy as its body quivered with difort.


    "Too bad though... After the stunt you pulled, I''m currently pissed. You should know better than to just crash into a room I upy." Wrath smiled devilishly.


    Upon realizing that its life wouldn''t be spared, the Dragon''s eyes bulged. In a panic, the beast quickly turned away from the Boss room and made to escape.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    Wrath raised his hand and brought out crimson energy from within it.


    Immediately, simr nature of energy surrounded the Dragon''s body and made it stop moving. With its body paralyzed, Wrath made a sadistic grin.


    Nathan watched all this and remained petrified on a spot. If he as much as sneezed, he was dead.


    At the very least, among such terrifying beings, he remained unnoticed.


    "Gurrrrruuuuuu...!!!" The Dragon begged in fear as Wrath pulled his hand to himself.


    The monster''s huge mass immediately tugged toward the more dominant creature.


    "It''s useless to struggle, I control your body now"


    With its body floating in the air by Wrath''s will, the monster drew closer to him.


    "It''s nothing personal... I''m just carrying out my master''s orders. You''re in the way!"


    The Dragon kept moving toward Wrath until it was a short distance from him.


    "Gurrrruuu-"


    "Now then... For interrupting my duties... Die..." Wrath muttered.


    He tightened his fist, and in an instant, the high body of the monsterpressed into a forced mold and squished.


    >SPLURGEE<


    The blood of the grand beast spilled all over, sttering throughout the walls of the Dungeon.


    "A-Ah...?!" Nathan let out, nearly losing his breath as he witnessed the Dragon get killed so easily.


    For a Special Grade Monster to die at the hands of another monster so easily... Just how powerful could the terrifying creature be?


    "Disappointing... It didn''t even try fighting. It must have known the chances of victory didn''t exist. Dragons are smart monsters after all" Wrath grimaced.


    He loosened his grip and the Dragon''s meshed body fell to the ground, making a heavy thud.


    Wrath''s eyes slowly turned to Nathan, noticing him among the pile of rubble on the floor.


    "E-Eeek" Nathan squeaked as Wrath''s eyes met his.


    "Oh. The human..." Wrath muttered.


    "What should I do with you?"

 Chapter 154 - Absolute Dominance

    "What should I do with you?"


    As Wrath contemted, Nathan''s body throbbed violently.


    He thought he was running toward salvation, that he would be saved by hiding in this room, or by some miracle he would once again survive.


    But, in face of the terror before him, his fate was sealed.


    "N-No... I can''t die now..." He said, gulping the saliva that formed in his mouth.


    Nathan''s trembling hands gripped his de and brought out the steel-ted weapon.


    It had cracks all over and chinks could be noticed by the edges, yet... Nathan wielded it and took a fighting stance.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" Wrath asked, amused by Nathan''s disy.


    "I-I... I''ll survive somehow... I''ll-"


    Before hepleted his thought, Wrath snapped his fingers, and the de corroded in an instant, turning into dust.


    Having nothing to hold, Nathan''s shaky hands resumed their frightened dance as his eyes widened.


    He could only see one thing awaiting him... Death!


    His legs lost all strength and he fell to his knees.


    With weary eyes, looking miserable and full of despair, Nathan faced the ground, not daring to even look upon Wrath''s glory.


    "T-This really is the end... If this was how it would end up... If I was going to die anyway... Why did I leave them to die? I-I... Nathan, you are... The worst piece of shit in the world!" He wailed weakly.


    He had already pushed himself past his limits many times, there was no more strength left in him.


    Falling on his face, Nathan copsed from his knees andnded on the devastated ground.


    "This one is beyond pathetic. Strange... I do not understand hisnguage. Perhaps the humans have changed their tongue since Ist met them." Wrath grimaced.


    Or it could just be that the human who copsed was just speaking gibberish, out of fear.


    Considering the two, Wrath went with thetter.


    "He was a worthless one anyway..." He concluded.


    As for Nathan''s life, Wrath felt he was harmless, plus it would be too demeaning for him to expend time and energy to deal with such a person who was already dead inside.


    "Though I doubt it, Lord Hexarion may have ns for him... Since I do not know how far my master has nned, it''s best to restrain from killing anyone who isn''t a threat to my mission" Wrath reasoned.


    "Admin Authority" Wrath dered.


    In a moment, Wrath fixed up the doors leading to the Boss Room. He also added extra protection to prevent any further interference from anyone outside.


    "I doubt they would be able to get in after all this. But if they do... They''ll only be signing up for their destruction. After going through all this trouble... I won''t forgive anyone who ventures within.


    A makeshift throne appeared from the ground, designed using his [Admin Authority].


    With the resolve of sticking to his master''s words, Wrath sat on his throne and waited patiently for his Lord''s return.


    [Meanwhile]


    The depths of nothingness swirling around me can be vividly felt, even to the littlest details.


    Slowly, my self integrates with the fractions of Nether that fill up the massive space.


    " This will take a while..."


    It''s a good thing I already foresaw this oue and prepared a special message for Wrath to safeguard my assets.


    It would be nice to see how they are all faring, but I can''t interfere with ''that'' world from here.


    This world of Nether, all surging from the Nether Core within me, is beyond the bounds of Aspects and Concepts.


    Here, time doesn''t exist, space, life,w, energy, death... Nothing exists here.


    "Isn''t that my Aspect though?" I grinned.


    This Nether element is simr to my Void for some reason, yet while mine is considered an Aspect, the Nether is a contradictory nonexistence.


    Theplex nature of this non-entity has pushed me to several eons of research.


    "It''s unfortunate I wasn''t able to conclude it... Thanks to the betrayal of those idiots!"


    My siblings interfered with the n, and now I''m nearly at Ground Zero. But that''s fine... In the end, I will win.


    Once again, the Nether essence all around me seep within my none conceptual body.


    "Everything... I''ll be taking everything, till thest drop of Nether..."


    Once that happens, I''ll possess a fraction of the power I once possessed... Enough to face even the gods.


    In due time... Oh wait, that doesn''t exist here.


    [Fifth Floor Boss Room]


    "It''s been 13 days since we woke up... Where is Hexarion?" Talia asked impatiently.


    Of course, she didn''t dare voice out thisint of hers due to the presence of Wrath who sat on his throne and watched the three ves without flinching.


    While her lips didn''t move, her thoughts were engaged in endless questions as she obsessively thought of Hexarion and where he could be.


    Looking beside her, Talia saw Ana and Shamac, both staring emptily at the ceiling.


    The two were mostly having the same thoughts as her, so Talia felt even more eager to know about the whereabouts of their master.


    Of course, the only one who knew of this was Wrath... They just had to make him talk.


    "Past... Shamac" Talia called out as low as she could go.


    Rolling his eyes in response to her call, the hybrid slowly tilted his head and stared at her.


    "What?" He mouthed, allowing no sound to leak from his mouth.


    Talia''s eyes beamed, d he answered her call this time, after being ignored several times already.


    "Let''s ask him about Hexarion!" Talia mouthed, not daring to speak her master''s name to the ears of the oppressor who watched them.


    Shamac sighed with frustration. Despite several times of giving her his answer, she kept pestering him.


    "For thest time... N. O. NO!"


    Upon giving his reply, Shamac turned his body to avoid any further conversation with Talia.


    "H-Hey!" She nearly protected, but quickly cautioned herself.


    "Cheeky brat!" She grumbled.


    Unknown to her, she was the one being cheeky and troublesome. Shamac had everyone''s best interest at heart when he refused her request.


    Talia turned to look at Ana, who hadn''t budged in a long time. One would think she was dead if not for the asional motion of her chest as air went on and out.


    "Pssst... Ana" Talia whispered.


    Ana ignored her.


    Talia tried it again. The same response urred.


    After Talia''s fifth attempt, Ana finally tilted her head to face the fairy.


    Talia''s beaming eyes, filled with expectation, fell instantly the moment she saw Ana''s cold re.


    There was no need for words or any form of mouthing. Talia perfectly understood what Ana''s expression tranted to.


    "Don''t bother me!"


    Finally taking the hint, she looked away from Talia and stared at the ceiling, sighing in frustration.


    She felt frustrated and her entire body longed to reunite with her master.


    "I don''t know how much longer I''ll be able to hold it... I have to know..." She thought to herself, tightening her fist.


    Shamac noticed Ana''s sudden change of expression and gritted his teeth.


    "Don''t you dare try anything, Talia... Unless you want things to end up likest time..." His thoughts trailed, remembering how they regained consciousness, as well as their first time meeting Wrath.


    [13 Days Ago]


    "Urhhh... W-What happened..." Talia mumbled as she woke up.


    Her vision was still blurry and a low hum rang within her eardrums as she pushed herself up from her sleeping state.


    She slowly regained consciousness and took in the sight around her.


    "Where... Where am I?" She said, barely able to connect the perfectly organized structure she was looking at with the devastated Boss Room shest witnessed.


    "Ahhhhh...."


    "Huuuuu...."


    Talia heard simr sounds beside her as her two partners were also roused from sleep.


    "This is... " Shamac muttered, recognizing the structure to be the 5th Floor Boss Room, but entirely repaired.


    "How..." His thought trailed.


    "M-My hands... They''re back... H-How..." Ana stuttered, emotionally looking at both lost limbs with surprise.


    She wasn''t sure why, or how... But her hands were both restored.


    As the three ves were absorbed in the different surprises they noticed, a voice suddenly sounded which made their bodies jump.


    <strong>"You''ve finally regained consciousness... About time"</strong>


    Shamac, Ana, and Talia looked in the direction of the sound and found the being who spoke seated on a throne made with shiny stone.


    "Who the hell is that?" Talia thought to herself.


    "This guy... I couldn''t even sense his presence... I still can''t. It''s like he''s here, and not here..." Shamac said, a bead of sweat dripping from his forehead in nervousness.


    "He''s almost identical to Lord Hexarion... I can''t tell what manner of being he is..." Ana thought to herself.


    As the three ves stared apprehensively at him, Wrath slowly stood from his throne and looked at them condescendingly.


    <strong>"My name is Wrath, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Lord''s Hexarion''s Generals."</strong>


    The sound of his voice made their bodies rattle. Clearly, he was asserting his dominance.


    <strong>"You will be in my care until the master returns. Be quiet and rest while we await hising. Failure toply.... Will result in punishment!"</strong>

 Chapter 155 - Weakness

    "What did you just say?" Talia let out in annoyance, already irritated by the way Wrath addressed them.


    His condescending eyes and superior air surrounding the area he dominated made her re at him.


    Shamac and Ana were too absorbed with the strange existence, something Talia failed to perceive.


    "Perhaps you did not hear me. Very well, I will repeat myself..." Wrath muttered, lightly staring at Talia.


    "My name is Wrath, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Lord''s Hexarion''s Generals. You will be in my care until the master returns. Be quiet and rest while we await hising. Failure toply... Will result in-"


    "Hey, mister! Where is Lord Hexarion?" Talia let out,not allowing him toplete bus words.


    "Is this girl daft?" Wrath asked himself.


    He looked at the other two ves. They were both clearly aware of his existence and refused to utter a single word. But this woman kept defying him like his authority meant nothing.


    "Interesting..." Wrath grinned.


    "To think Lord Hexarion keeps a loud cur such as yourself to wag her tail... My Lord never ceases to amaze me" He mumbled.


    Upon hearing this, Talia got furious at the stranger she was meeting.


    The only thing she knew was that the being was a ve, the same as her. His use of words got on her nerves, and his suddenment made her re-up.


    "Hey! What the hell are you say-"


    "Be quiet!" Wrathmanded.


    Her body instantly froze, covered by crimson-colored energy which followed around her.


    Talia''s skin felt like it was boiling while her insides felt cold and numb at the same time.


    "W-Wha...?!" She thought to herself.


    She couldn''t move or speak, just standing in a suspended state.


    "Bitches like you should only bark when required to... And you have been clearly ordered to remain quiet." Wrath said, narrowing his glowing eyes.


    "What the hell?! This guy..." Talia gritted her teeth.


    Suddenly, her body became shrouded in a ck substance, eating up the crimson energy enveloping her.


    "Rarghhh!" She yelled, breaking free from Wrath''s hold.


    The glistening darkness on her body slowly entered into her again, disappearing from sight.


    Now with a look of anger, she frowned at Wrath, clenching her fist with rage.


    "Interesting... So Lord Hexarion granted you a Treasure from his Void Aspect collection. You must be fortunate..." Wrath said in observation.


    "Will you zip it! You attacked me first, yet you call Hexarion your master? What a joke!" Talia replied, ring at Wrath suspiciously.


    Shamac and Ana quickly looked at Talia with warning expressions. The two were well aware that the being in front of them was somehow rted to their master, though they didn''t know to which extent.


    "Talia, calm yourself and-" Shamac cautioned.


    "He attacked first! I''ll call this payback!" Talia replied immediately.


    Before Shamac could respond, her body glimmered and a sudden burst of crimson energy flowed from her.


    "Be grateful, I''ll be breaking my fourth seal for you!" She said to her opponent.


    Wrath, still standing, sighed and looked away. He returned to his throne and brushed her aside.


    "You''re too loud. Quickly express your tantrums. I''ll allow you to please yourself for five minutes. After that... You will be entirely silent." He said to her.


    Veins of suppressed anger appeared on Talia''s forehead as he disrespectfully addressed her.


    "H-Hey, that''s going too-" Shamac protested on behalf of Talia.


    His ''simp'' self overwrote his rational conclusion concerning the superiority of the being he was addressing.


    Wrath shot Shamac a dirty look, and words immediately stopped proceeding from his mouth. One nce was enough for hismon sense to return.


    He instead turned to stop Talia, who was already brimming with her fighting spirit, air forming around her.


    "Talia... Reconsider this... We still don''t know what''s happening here!" He cautioned.


    "I don''t care!" She replied.


    She couldn''t tell anyone, but deep down Talia felt frustrated.


    Not only was she unable to defeat the Executioner alongside Shamac, but she couldn''t also fulfill her revenge on Gratiana. Hexarion''smand to her didn''t go fulfilled.


    She clenched her fists and red at Wrath.


    Perhaps he was right in calling her a dig and giving her such a condescending look. However...


    "I-I... I was the first..." She thought to herself.


    As his first ve, surely... She didn''t deserve this treatment.


    She knew she was being selfish and prideful, but... She had to prove herself.


    "I''m not stupid, Shamac! I know he''s strong..." She told him, refusing to look at the young Hybrid''s concerned look.


    "B-But..." She muttered, looking hesitant.


    She didn''t know how to exin to Shamac that this was a battle for pride. She had to redeem herself and prove to the being before them, as well as herself, that she wasn''t totally worthless.


    "You don''t need to say any more..." Shamac cut into her thoughts.


    Quickly turning her face, Talia shot him a surprised look.


    "... I understand perfectly. I also feel the same..." Shamac muttered.


    He too failed.


    He was unable to defeat the Executioner, a General of the underworld.


    "This one also calls himself a General... Maybe..." Shamac thought to himself.


    He was being stupid, but he decided to go along with Talia.


    Besides...


    "He insulted one of our own. What kind of man would I be to let that slide?" He smiled.


    Shamac''s words brightness Taia''s face as she beamed in response.


    "Yeah! I guess you''re right... Thanks... Shamac" She smiled.


    He grinned and nodded, looking at Wrath''s disinterested posture as he sat on his throne and watched them.


    "Whenever you''re ready!" He said.


    Ana looked at her two partners.


    "Idiots"


    Perhaps it was due to her extrasensory capabilities as an Apostle, or her connection with Hexarion after he merged part of his energy with hers, but she was well aware of the vast difference that existed between them and the enemy.


    Besides...


    "Ana, what do you say?" Talia smiled, interrupting the woman''s deep thought.


    She slowly looked at Talia with an absent-minded expression, unsure of what to tell the expectant Fairy.


    "I-I can''t..." She muttered.


    Ana didn''t know how to tell Talia or Shamac... That she...


    "I understand! It''s fine... Two is plenty enough!" Talia said with a disappointed smile.


    They were unable to battle and defeat Gratiana together, so Talia was slightly hoping that this could rece the intended epic conclusion.


    Ana''s throats clogged, unable to respond to Talia''s words as she drifted forward, away from the Apostle. Shamac looked at Ana''s saddened state and reached out his hands, wanting to ask her the cause for her depression.


    "Shamac... We''re doing this now!" Talia said.


    Shamac quickly dropped his hand and turned back to Wrath, moving forward to next Talia''s pace.


    "Hold on, Ana... I''ll be back soon," He thought to himself.


    Ana couldn''t bear to watch the painful sight of the two fighting against such a monster. They had no chance of winning, however... That wasn''t what hurt her the most.


    Even though it was something foolish to do, she still wanted it...


    "I want to fight with you guys too..." She muttered to herself.


    But she couldn''t. The reason was as a result of the decision she made in her final bout with Gratiana.


    "... But, I can''t! I can''t use Grace anymore..." She cried within.


    As a result of overexerting her [Realm Of Limbo], just as Hexarion had warned... It copsed beyond repair!


    When she woke up and found her arms healed, she had a rising hope that perhaps her ''Realm'' had been fixed too.


    But... Much to her disappointment... It wasn''t.


    "I''m useless in this fight... I''m so sorry everyone... I''m so sorry..." She cried within herself.


    The only thing that made her useful to her god had been stripped from her. Even now, her friends were to fight an impossible foe without being able to rely on her strength.


    The feeling of powerlessness she had... Brought her into a state of mncholy.


    For the third time in her life, she became broken once again.


    "god... Lord Hexarion... I''m now useless... I''m so sorry..." She continuously chanted within herself, lost In the deep abyss of despondency.


    ......


    "I''ll make you eat your words!" Talia growled at her opponent, with Shamac by her side.


    Wrath rolled his eyes and made a disappointed sigh.


    "You still have two minutes... If you still have a fit to render, do so now... Child"


    This final statement initiated the fight Talia geared up far.


    Her red wings appeared behind her in an instant as she took flight and charged towards Wrath.


    "T-Talia, wait!" Shamac yelled, chasing after her with his Shadow Armor on.


    As Wrath watched them approach, he couldn''t help but feel disappointed by the sight.


    "Uncoordinated, inexperienced... And most of all... WEAK! Lord Hexarion must have had to endure so much to have been in thepany of such fools." Wrath thought to himself.


    "Well, that time has surelye to an end... Now that I, the first of us seven has been returned to master, he''ll surely seek out the rest. Once that happens.... He''ll no longer require these insects"

 Chapter 156 - A One-Sided Match

    It couldn''t even be called a fight!


    Yes, it was so one-sided, that what urred at that moment could only be described in one word... Perhaps two.


    Absolute obliteration


    Talia and Shamac had charged at Wrath with incoherent motion, frantically trying tond a hit.


    Talia shot out an intense burst of red light, condensed into a straight stream. The powerful surge charged at Wrath, who remained seated.


    "Useless!" He muttered.


    A crimson force field covered him, defending against the devastating attack that destroyed the surrounding area in a massive explosion.


    >BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    "Is that all you have to offer?"


    Upon hearing his taunting voice, Talia''s face tightened even more with determination to make him eat his words.


    Shamac proceeded to nt his shadows within the ground, allowing them to rise within the barrier Wrath made.


    In a moment, ck tendrils of Shamac''s creation burst from the ground and charged at Wrath.


    "Got you!" Shamac beamed in anticipation.


    As therge tentacles of darkness nearly reached the target''s face, they immediately crumbled. Theyers of ck turned to ash as they faded away instantly.


    "W-What?!" Shamac eximed.


    "One more minute..." Wrath said.


    He still sat on his throne and looked at the two opponents. Talia remained in the air, ring at Wrath with frustration, while Shamac remained on the ground, looking amazed by Wrath''s invincibility.


    "Talia, don''t conserve anything. Pour all you have into this attack!" Shamac yelled.


    Talia nodded and charged up her crimson energy while Shamac focused his shadow into a single point.


    Clusters of darkness gathered rapidly, forming a thin spear.


    "This contains 80 percent of my shadows" Shamac muttered to himself.


    He too wanted to test how strong Wrath was, and the durability of the barrier.


    "Talia, now!" Shamac dered.


    The red fairy, who had condensed her glowing energy into a sparkling ball of light proceeded to throw the volley of mass destruction.


    Shamacunched his shadow spear at the same time Talia did hers, causing both attacks to flow in sync, side by side, as they neared Wrath''s position.


    "Interesting... But still..." He mumbled.


    The spear shed with Wrath''s barrier, causing it to tremble as a result of the impact, while Talia''s crimson bomb explodedupon hitting the field.


    >KKKAAAAABOOOOOOMMMM!!<


    A massive explosion burst from the point of impact, spreading across the room as the ground disintegrated and shockwaves pushed everything away.


    Talia and Shamac were forced to brace themselves due to the force exerted by the st. As they covered their faces to prevent dust from enveloping their eyes, the two hoped their assault worked.


    "... Too weak!" Wrath''s voice resounded from within the debris.


    Talia and Shamac nced at the location of their attack and saw their opponent, unharmed by their attacks, with a look of disappointment in his eyes.


    The ground on which his throne was positioned and his immediate surrounding remained unscathed, protected by the barrier he erected.


    "Time up," He said.


    The two ves could not imagine that an attack at nearly their full power could not even damage Wrath''s barrier.


    As their widened eyes filled with Despair, Wrath snapped his fingers and the dusty smoke around them cleared.


    "I have allowed you to have your fun, now... Be quiet, mutts" He said to them.


    Talia gritted her teeth with frustration.


    "No... I can''t let it end like this!" She muttered to herself.


    Even Shamac''s body throbbed with excitement and fear as his brain tried topare the opponent before him with the Red Rider General he fought before passing out.


    "This guy... Wrath, is it? He''ll most likely be stronger!"


    "Now then... Sit still and keep shut like good little-" Wrath said, waving them off in a disconcerting tone.


    "I''m-I''m not done!" Talia yelled, interrupting Wrath''s statement.


    He stopped talking and red at her.


    "I still... I still haven''t done anything yet! I won''t be bullied ormanded by the likes of you. Hexarion found me first!" Talia said, tightly gripping her fist as she spoke.


    Wrath narrowed his eyes as he heard her talk.


    "I''ve not shown you everything yet! I promised... I would knock that prideful look off your face!" She said with a resolved look.


    "Oh?" Wrath muttered.


    "H-Hey... What about me?" Shamac protested, looking at Talia with a disbelieving expression.


    "Correction... We will!" She smiled.


    Shamac nodded, returning her grin.


    "I know we can''t win... Yet why? Why do I keep pushing forward?" He asked himself.


    "Fools... Even after I graced you with sufficient time to unleash your displeasure, you continue to test my patience. You two have passed your allocated time, and deserve to be punished for your disobedience" Wrath said with a re.


    Slowly, he rose from his seat and stood upon his two feet.


    "Idiots like you need to be taught... Just what manner of battles you should attempt... And the kind you should avoid."


    Wrath stretched his hand toward the two insects before him and gently clenched his fist.


    "Keukk!" Talia and Shamac both let out simultaneously as an ominous aura enveloped them.


    The malevolent energy was crimson, having dark elements surrounding it.


    "C-Cocoon Of Darkness!" Talia thought to herself.


    Her dark covering immediately appeared and enveloped her skin.


    "Useless!" Wrath said.


    Immediately, the Cocoon vanished, returning to Talia''s body.


    "W-Wha-?!" Talia muttered in shock.


    While the two were still shaken by the surprising turn of events, Wrath appeared in front of them in an instant.


    "W-W-W-" Shamac stuttered, struggling to bring forth words when directly in front of the overwhelming presence before him.


    >BAM<


    Wrath drove his fist into Shamac''s stomach, immediately sending the young hybrid flying away as he felt the hot sting of the blow.


    "Uarkkk" He yelled, helplessly diving straight to the Boss Room wall.


    >CRASH!<


    "Shamac!" Talia yelled, watching her partner get flung into the rubble.


    Before she could utter another annoying weak, Wrath grabbed her neck and tightened his hold on it.


    "Gurghh" She made a choking sound as she struggled to raise her hands to free herself from Wrath''s firm grip.


    However, it was useless. The ominous energy surrounding her body caused it to be entirely immobile.


    "I never mentioned this, because of my self-restraint... But for the likes of you to address Lord Hexarion by only his name... It a purely sphemous... And that arrogant look in your eyes, thinking yourself as special... I see you only know ignorance!" Wrath said to her.


    She could barely breathe at this point as mucus and saliva dripped from her nose and mouth.


    Tears streamed from Talia''s eyes as she struggled meaningless in Wrath''s hands.


    "Burn!" He said.


    Immediately, her body was engulfed in intense heat, unlike anything she felt before. The mes burnt her skin as her beautiful wings and body slowly darkened in reaction to its intense power.


    "Arghhhhhhh!!!!!" She screeched in pain.


    "You''re too noisy" Wrath muttered.


    He used his dark crimson energy to cover up her mouth, preventing any sound from escaping.


    After doing this, Wrath increased the heat of the mes, driving Talia into more agony as her strangled and muffled voice struggled to express the pain that could lead one to insanity.


    "As you enjoy this heat, remember what happens when next you defy me. You are not allowed to speak, you are not allowed to do anything but wait for the Lord''s return. Finally, you are not permitted to even say the Lord''s name so casually in my presence. Should you''d defy me one more time..." Wrath spelled out to the agonizing fairy as he tortured her.


    "... I''ll kill you!"


    After giving his warning, he dissipated the mes and released Talia''s body, allowing it to crash into the ground.


    Now a ckened form of her previous self, Talia struggled to breathe as she throbbed on the ground.


    Wrath looked to where Shamac was and saw the gaping injury in his stomach as he too struggled to cling to life.


    "That wasn''t even a serious hit... How fragile are these beings?" Wrath said to himself.


    "I''m tempted to leave them like this, but the Master did say I should keep them safe... How bothersome" He muttered.


    Once again, Wrath used his Administrative Authority to fix the once again destroyed Boss Room, and heal the victims of his attack.


    Within a few moments, everything was back to normal.


    "Now then... I assume you all know your ce." Wrath said as he returned to his seat.


    Talia, Shamac, and Ana sat before him, utterly speechless.


    While their bodies had been healed, their minds were all in terrible states.


    "I''ve arranged this room in a way that you won''t feel hunger or thirst. Entertain yourselves as you deem fit, as long as it makes no noise to my ears. The master will return once it is due time... Till then, I will be in charge" Wrath said with glowing eyes.


    The ves knew better than to defy him.


    Ana, who experienced the battle from her safe distance, could do nothing but tremble, since she was even more powerless than Talia and Shamac.


    And so, they waited for days... With no sign of Hexarion.


    Until....

 Chapter 157 - The Death Of A Slave

    The fear of Wrath was still ingrained in Shamac''s heart as he tried to think of ways to surpass his current strength and be a worthy foe for Wrath, as well as the Executioner.


    Ana still wallowed in her powerless state and hardly moved during their time of waiting.


    However, it seemed Talia had forgotten about the intense pain she obtained by defying Wrath. Her overwhelming curiosity made her body unstable as the burning question concerning Hexarion''s wellbeing and location seemed to swallow her whole.


    She didn''t care for the consequences if at least her question would be answered.


    She rose from herid state and stared at Wrath, who red at the audacity of Talia''s action.


    She gulped as words came out of her mouth.


    "W-Where is He-"


    As she let out his name, Wrath''s angered face became more vivid. His displeasure as of her normal address of Hexarion slowly rose.


    Shamac groaned to himself, knowing what would proceed with Talia''s thoughtless action.


    Ana''s eyes brightened up, for the first time in days. She felt something... It wasrgely different from what she remembered, yet it was unmistakably...


    "I''m right here... Talia..." A voice emerged from the darkness, walking from behind Wrath''s seat.


    Wrath''s eyes widened as he heard the familiar voice of his lord.


    Great silence spread throughout the room, making the steady footsteps of the approaching entity heard.


    Wrath immediately those from his seat and turned in the direction of the voice.


    His eyes teared up when he saw his master, the hardened face he once bore softened up, revealing an emotional outlook no one sawing.


    The one he saw... The one they all saw, was none other than...


    [MY TURN]


    Me.


    I approached the stunned people who stared in my direction. With a slight grin, I opened my mouth.


    "Wrath... Good job! I''ll take it from here." I said, still venturing further until my new form became visible to everyone present.


    I''m back!


    [Moments Earlier]


    How long has passed now? Decades? Centuries? Milennia, Eons... It''s useless to try calcting that. In a void without the concept of time, every waking moment Is like an eternity, yet an instant.


    The final vestiges of the Nether around me slowly seeped into my body. As thest essence entered, I became whole.


    With nothing within the Abyss, it started to crumble. Since everything holding it up have been taken in by me, the other world began to copse.


    Still, within my cocoon, I instantly ascended out of the bottomless pit, arising out of the hole before I became forever trapped within it.


    >ZZZZZZRRRRRRRRRGGGGGG<


    The buzz of degeneration filled everywhere, but I Ignored the chaos surrounding my sphere.


    With a sharpunch, I rose out of the Abyss in an instant, leaving behind the nonexistent world as it vanished.


    The sphere I remained in remained afloat, distorting space around it.


    "I should begin..."


    In that instant, the darkened orbpressed, shaping itself as the substance squirmed about.


    Limbs emerged from the dark mass and form was given, hair appeared, followed by the features of a man.


    The color of the mass slowly changed to a lightplexion, and within that moment, a being typical to a human became molded from the Nether sphere.


    "Ah, it feels so nice to be back in a body..." I said to myself.


    After so long, the feeling can''t be described. Still, this feels different from thest time. Unlike before, this body contains immensely more powerful Nether essence. More than Wrath''s even.


    To achieve this, I had to sacrifice all the essence I had, but its worth it.


    "This will serve my ns well for now" I smiled.


    My naked body floated above the ground, surrounded by the white space I left behind after myst attack against Wrath.


    "I should get out of here... They should still be on the fifth floor, right?"


    In an instant, my body became clothed with a ck shirt, same with my trousers and a dark cloak. Red patterns and designs were inscribed on it, covering a portion of my cors and sleeves.


    My shoes glistened with ck and red colors, while my dark hair glowed in the nk space.


    With my clothing on, I proceeded to my destination.


    "Warp"


    Instantly, I appeared behind my subordinates, watching from the shadows as Talia confronted Wrath.


    What an idiot.


    "W-Where is He-"


    Okay, that''s about enough. It''s time to make my entrance anyway. Judging from the situation, quite a few things have happened.


    "None of those matter though... It''s time to move on to the next phase" I thought to myself, proceeding to answer Tslia''s question before Wrath tears her to pieces.


    [The Present]


    "Wrath... Good job. I''ll take it from here"


    My General throbbed at the sound of my voice and a satisfied expression upon receiving my praise covered his face.


    Looking at everyone now, everything feels quite different. Being in a new body, possessing new power, and being away for an eternity.


    "How long has passed?" I asked, my eyes focusing on Wrath.


    "T-This is the 13th day since you went into the Abyss. My Lord... You look well..." Wrath said.


    I smiled.


    Of course, I do. I seeded in absorbing every Nether essence within the Abyss, and my current self possesses the Nether Core as a heart.


    "To think just so little time has passed... Amazing..."


    No matter, the reason foring here has been fulfilled. All that is left is to wrap things up. I should start with ''them''.


    For the first time since I arrived in the room, I nced at my three ves, who stared at me with awe and surprise.


    "H-Hexarion!" Talia eximed as tears fell from her eyes.


    I walked past Wrath, who bowed his head as I moved away, heading for the ves.


    Their expectant faces as I approached made no difference. They''re not important at this moment.


    I can feel Talia''s body tremble with joy, hoping to catch my attention.


    My concern among these three isn''t her, though.


    "Ana,e over here," I said, halting, a few meters from them.


    Ana''s eyes bulged and her body jumped as she heard my voice.


    Immediately, she stood from her knees and slowly approached me.


    Her guilty face indicates that she is aware, to an extent, of the reason why I summoned her.


    "L-Lord Hexarion... Wee back..." She mumbled, bowing her head.


    As I thought... Her ''Realm'' has been permanently damaged. Without her Grace, she''s basically useless.


    "Do you know why I have called you?" I asked.


    "Yes, my lord... I''m so sorry. I have failed you... I''m so sorry..." She sobbed.


    Her body trembled as tears flowed from her eyes. The emotion of sadness and overwhelming disappointment in herself filled Ana up as she made this pathetic disy before me.


    "Is that all you have to say? That doesn''t change what I-"


    "It''s okay, Lord Hexarion. I-I understand... It''s only natural for my Lord." Ana quickly said, looking directly at me for the first time.


    Her sad, yet happy face locked eyes with me. She smiled as she gazed upon me, with a dreamy expression.


    Even now, she''s infatuated with me... Why?


    "Lord Hexarion... It has been an honor serving you... The privilege of being your Apostle, of showing me the truth... My Lord, I regret nothing" Ana said, still looking at me.


    Since my eyes are locked with hers, I know she''s being sincere.


    Her Aspects are also showing the honesty in her words, though there''s something else she''s hiding.


    "Is that truly all you have to say, Ana?" I asked.


    My hands slowly raised as I touched her warm cheeks.


    She softly moaned upon my contact with her skin, closing her eyes in satisfaction. Ana slightly raised her trembling hands, but hesitantly ced them back down.


    "It seems she won''t do it, after all..."


    As I still thought about this, she quickly raised her hands again and locked them around me, pushing her face to mine as she fell upon me.


    That moment, her lips touched mine as she tightly embraced me. Her entire self rested on my sturdy body, feeling the intensity of her emotions.


    Talia gave a look of shock and motioned to shout in rage, but Shamac quickly restrained her and watched the scene with pain in his eyes.


    We both ignored this and continued in the passionate embrace Ana initiated.


    Even if she didn''t speak, her thought patterns are ultimately Aspects, so even in silence, her soul spoke to me.


    I read the information within her, just as she wanted me to.


    "Lord Hexarion... I love you..."


    The soft melody of her pure intentions radiated within her as her tongue wrapped with mine, continuing to kiss me with my allowance.


    While I can''t return her sentiment, I can say this.


    "Ana... You were of use to me. That much is true..."


    I tranted my thoughts into Aspects and passed them into the saliva that touched her tongue and entered her throat.


    More tears appeared from her eyes as happiness surged within her.


    Those are the bestst words I can tell her. After all... She''s going to die now.


    "It''s a good thing she''s a smart girl. This makes things easier."


    As she kissed me, dark veins appeared around her body as she let herself go without any form of struggle. The veins covered her, sizzling all over as it crumbled her entire physique. Instantly, her body turned to ash and faded away... Turning into nothing at all.


    "Anaaaaaaa!!!!!" Shamac screamed as he watched his crush dissipate into nothingness.


    Talia was shocked beyond words as she stared at me with surprise.


    Wrath smiled with satisfaction and grinned at the remaining two ves, hoping he would witness their turn.


    Ah, now that was a little emotional. But Ana was going to die sooner orter...


    "I meant what I said though, she really was useful. This whole thing wouldn''t have gone this smoothly without her..." I smiled.


    "... And now, with her sacrifice, it''s time to begin the next phase"


    Still ignoring the surprised screams and stares generated by my subordinates, I initiated my next step.


    "ROOT"

 Chapter 158 - The Birth Of Root

    "Anaaaa!!!"


    Shamac''s wailing scream filled the room as he saw Ana crumble to nothingness before him.


    I did notice his infatuation with her, it was amusing to watch for a while.


    Talia''s widened eyes brought out tears upon witnessing the sight, unable toprehend what just happened.


    Despite her constant rivalry with Ana, she still felt a form of connection with her. I suppose it''s because they''re both girls, with simr interests... Me.


    "It was inevitable anyway... At least her death will be put to good use." I muttered, ignoring the saddening cry of the two ves.


    "ROOT"


    A purple light glowed mildly within me and a window appeared before my face.


    [ROOT]


    <Wee Back Master Hexarion>


    I smiled as soon as I noticed the purple window.


    The ring of the ''Root Of All'', also known as ROOT, no longer exists.


    Everything I had on, even my body, disintegrated within the Abyss, as soon as they came into contact with Nether.


    ROOT was no exception.


    Fortunately, I absorbed every single Nether Element, causing ROOT to be integrated with me.


    Every single item within ROOT is personally stored within the endless darkness within my new form.


    "It''s a good thing you can still maintain your program... I suppose I designed you too well" I responded to the glowing panel before me.


    [ROOT]


    <Yes! Master Hexarion Is The Best :) >


    It''s a good thing you feel that way.


    ROOT has been showing certain expressions which weren''t originally designed with it. I suppose it''s due to the evolutionary trait inbuilt within the program.


    Still... After observing this invention of mine, I''ve found an even better use for it.


    "Now then... I suppose it''s time I began. ROOT you''re going to-"


    As I was still speaking, I felt a sharp senseing from behind me.


    I looked behind me and saw an enraged version of one I didn''t expect. She looked at me with betrayal and anger.


    Talia...?


    Her murderous re, coupled with seething rage and clenched teeth were all expressed on the fairy''s face.


    "W-Why would you do that?!" She yelled at me with unfettered passion.


    A raw sense of loss could be felt from her words, and an intense feeling of fear and betrayal swallowed her.


    Perhaps I should y with her for a little.


    "What do you mean?" I asked with a sly smile.


    "Y-You just killed Ana! Why did you do that?! Ana risked everything for you! She was more useful to you than Shamac and Ibined! She was just as loyal too! Why did you throw her away just like that? She didn''t even-" Talia yelled, pouring out the gushing emotion within her.


    Wrath''s brow furrowed and his fists clenched. He wanted to bash her head to the wall with hisrge hands and crush her skull while burning her up as her scream climaxed and settled until she was rendered unable to breathe a single word.


    However, due to my presence, he calmed himself.


    "Are you done?" I asked with a bored look.


    It seems Talia and Shamac were unaware of Ana''s loss of her abilities.


    Judging by Shamac''s refusal to speak, even though he''s still frustrated and pained by Ana''s death, he probably understands to an extent.


    Ana was going to die sooner orter... Even with her Grace intact.


    In the first ce, it is impossible for humans to handle Divine Power. Of course, the gods tweaked the rules a little, but this would ultimately lead to the premature death of the human since they aren''t built to handle such level of Aspects.


    Soon, the body bes weak and the overwhelming power of Grace will swallow them whole, causing the Apostles agony as they draw theirst breath.


    In a way, I released Ana from her eventual death.


    Besides, the whole reason for recruiting Ana in the first ce was to test some of my theories. She served as a good bait to draw in more Apostles, and with the death of Gratiana, I''m sure ''they'' will be taking action soon.


    Finally, Ana was useful to me even for this new project I want to embark on. I became curious the instant I saw her Grace.


    When I sessfully linked ROOT to Ana, I became even more certain... This will work!


    Ana was an Apostle, so having her with me for too long will be a bother since fellow Apostles can sense her. I suspected this, and Gratiana''sckey, Maria, doing that confirmed it.


    Since she had fulfilled her purpose, it is only natural she should die.


    Of course, it''ll be a bother exining everything to them, so...


    "Be silent, Talia. Ana is no longer necessary. Her death was inevitable." I responded coldly to the fairy.


    Her eyes bulged when I said this, taking in the uncaring tone in my voice.


    "B-But she-"


    Before Talia could say any more, arge mass of shadow des formed around her, with another pointed shadow directly ced an inch from her throat.


    The ckness restraining her and the countless threatening projections which surrounded the fairy made her look in surprise.


    "Talia... You heard the Boss. SHUT UP!" Shamac''s voice echoed.


    His tone was deep and threatening, and the ded shadows he ced around Talia meant he was serious.


    "How surprising... I knew Shamac liked Ana, but..."


    Shamac''s face indicated he was restraining tears from flowing, and his deep re directed toward Talia made his intentions appear unclear.


    "... It appears Shamac likes me more" I grinned.


    Talia couldn''t let out any words as the shadow de drew nearer. Choked sounds were slowly heard as she struggled to look at the Hybrid who shot her a murderous re. She couldn''t believe what Shamac was doing.


    "That''s enough Shamac" I said.


    Immediately I said this, he looked at me with reverence and bowed his head, retracting his shadows immediately.


    Despite his hurt feelings, Shamac''s loyalty remains unquestioned.


    "You have done well, Shamac... But you shouldn''t go that far." I smiled.


    "You praise me too much, Boss. I am unworthy" He responded, bowing his head.


    His tone is more formal now than previously. It''s only natural since I just killed someone he was very attached to.


    Still...


    "Talia merely voiced her opinions, though she was crossing the line. What about you, Shamac? Clearly, you have a few words to express" I asked.


    "None at all. Ana was no longer of use to Lord Hexarion, therefore she had to be eliminated. Though my reasoning may not be able to fullyprehend your intention behind the action, I am aware that you always have a good reason for everything. This is no different." He answered mechanically.


    I used this opportunity to read his true intentions through the fluctuations within him.


    "Hmmm... Aspects don''t lie... Shamac is indeed hurt and deeply wounded by my actions. But, his words are true. This is how he truly feels." I noticed.


    Oh, Shamac... You have truly pleased me. As of this moment, I can see your prospects even better. You''ll be truly useful to me.


    "Very well spoken. Like a true ve," I said, slightly nodding my head.


    With that settled, it''s time to continue... With no interruptions.


    I turned back to ROOT, who still patiently waited for me as the purple window remained directly in my face.


    "ROOT, reveal your core program," I said.


    "<Confirm. Master Hexarion Wishes To ess My Core Program?! :0 >"


    "Yes."


    "<CONFIRMED>"


    Immediately, the purple window glowed brighter, until a cluster of codes suddenly appeared on the screen. The t panel changed shape, turning into a sphere, all filled with codes.


    "This is ROOT''s Core projection..." I muttered, using my hands to touch the light ball.


    The orb buzzed upon contact with my body, flickering as I drew it closer to myself.


    I observed the codes up to the tiniest detail and couldn''t help but chuckle within myself.


    "It''s different from the initial version. Must be due to the evolution upgrade..."


    But, even this is not enough.


    ROOT is a program, the closest I''ve been to digitalized artificial intelligence. I attempted creating a being with no body, yet enough intelligence to pass as an entity.


    The product of that is ROOT.


    Wrath and the others came after, but they all possess physical bodies, so their intelligence doesn''t count.


    In any case, ROOT''s usefulness has also reached an end.


    Since all my Treasures exist within me and I have the knowledge of all of them, I have no need of ROOT.


    Also, with the projection of her code, I already have an identical copy of her Core program, meaning I can create as many ROOTs as I want.


    There is only one question left.


    "What am I to do with you, ROOT?"


    "<Whatever You Wish To Do, Master Hexarion:) >"


    Isn''t this interesting... Even her loyalty is simr to Ana''s.


    "Perfect".


    I made the right choice, after all.


    In an instant, the purple ball of light vanished from my hands, and a simr light appeared from within me.


    ROOT''s True Core appeared from my chest, manifesting on my right hand.


    Though it can''t express itself in this form, it''s still ROOT.


    "Now then... Time for the second piece of the puzzle."


    My left hand began to glow, and a white light appeared on it, flickering in an excited state.


    Slowly, I brought both hands together and merged the two fragments of light together.


    "Zzzzztttzzzz" The light fragments buzzed as both entitiesbined in perfect harmony.


    Finally, they settled, and the two became one.


    One new being.


    "It is done... I have finally achieved it." I muttered as I looked at the bright purple and white orb of united light.


    A smile formed on my face as everyone around me witnessed the birth of a new entity.


    Part ROOT... Part Ana... The perfectbination.


    "Happy birthday Ruth"

 Chapter 159 - Predicament

    I often thought about it... How to fully create an intelligent being with no limits or bodily constraints.


    Of course, since I do not possess the Aspect of Creation, it''s impossible to use my powers to make an entity.


    That''s why I studied the structure of creation and every intelligent life that had been created by Gilga and the rest of my siblings.


    Using the structures made, and my vast knowledge of Aspects, I was able to mimic the design, however...


    "I can''t make my own being from scratch!" I groaned to myself in frustration.


    Being able to only copy designs, I can''t create an original. My attempt to make them caused certain deformities.


    Wrath, as well as the remaining 6 of my Generals, are good examples of them.


    While they are indeed artificial intelligence made by me, they all require a physical body to exist.


    Also, they are all failed experiments, though the 7 of them remain the highest of my intelligent creations which exist.


    "They are too stagnant..." I noticed upon observing the seven.


    Each had a behavioral pattern that defined them, making them unable to disy any other.


    Wrath always has seething rage within him and is incapable of making any decision or thinking in an entirely rational way.


    Envy always has very low self-esteem which doesn''t allow her to fully reach her potential even though she should be the strongest amongst the seven.


    Then there''s Pride... That one is a headache on its own.


    These defective beings can not be called true intelligence in my opinion. As a being who strives for perfection, I have never settled for less.


    "A unique existence, the likes of which has never existed before... I wish to create such a being"


    And finally, I have.


    The answer was simple... Combining the structure and total information of two entities and bringing them together.


    But, that is easier said than done. A major problem is apanied by that...


    "Ipatibility... No single being ispatible with the other!" I yelled at myself one day, frustrated by the dead-end I reached in my research.


    Topensate for this, I created a system of codes andyers, calling it ROOT OF ALL. ROOT wasn''t aplete Artificial being, just a series ofmands and information, with one element that made it distinct from others.


    Evolution.


    I thought that if it could continue evolving, it could reach the heights of a living being.


    I was wrong!


    "No... It''s not enough..." I said to myself after my revival and reunion with ROOT.


    Even after years passed, ROOT is still unable to escape from its core programming.


    That is no true artificial intelligence.


    I nearly fell into a state of unrest and disappointment myself, unsure of what next to do... Until I met her.


    Lauria at the time struck me as a powerful, yet naive girl who sought recognition above anything else.


    "[Realm Of Limbo]" I mumbled, observing how she used the Grace bestowed upon her by Hades.


    "It''s very simr to ROOT... Maybe..."


    My eyes bulged and twitched as an idea sparked in my head.


    "That''s it!" I beamed.


    What if I linked ROOT to this Apostle?


    Since the base concepts of their powers are simr, they just needed to be on the same wavelength to synchronize their space.


    "Once that happens... I can slowly begin integration..." I grinned to myself.


    From that moment onward, my goal has always been to keep Ana, if she could survive, until my preparations wereplete.


    And now they are.


    With my newfound powers, this much is nothing.


    I have finally seeded in creating my first true intelligent entity.


    "Happy Birthday, Ruth..." I smiled, watching the brilliant cluster of light before me.


    My ves watched with silence, unsure of what to make of the sight I disyed.


    "I-Is that... Don''t tell me... My Lord has finally..." Wrath muttered, watching the new creation above my palm.


    "Indeed... This is the product of all your existence. I merged the Aspect of Ana and ROOT, synchronizing their structures to fit perfectly until they became a perfect match." I said to Wrath.


    "B-But what about the ipatibility factor? You said it yourself... No true being can be-" Wrath let out in shock.


    "At the point of synchronization, they had ceased to be different entities. I linked ROOT to Ana some time ago... And while she assumed it was only to grant her more power, I had another intention in mind" I spoke.


    Shamac and Talia''s faces were transfixed on me, with Shamac''s eyes especially glowing with interest.


    He should be able to understand this, to an extent.l" I thought within myself.


    "By linking the two, their Aspects slowly integrated with each other, merging and resonating at the same wavelength. That is why even at synchronization and finalbination, there is no rejection... They have truly be one" I smiled.


    "T-Then that means Ana is still-" Shamac gave an outburst, unable to control himself.


    The look on his eyes disyed eagerness. I knew it. Despite his attempt to feign nonchnce, to an extent, Shamac still holds on to the hope that Ana is still alive somewhere.


    "No, Shamac. Ana is truly dead." I said to him with narrowed eyes.


    Well, strictly she is... But not entirely.


    "To create this new being, those two needed to be sacrificed. This existence is neither Ana nor ROOT, it''s both... A new creation of perfection" I smiled.


    Shamac''s face fell when I said this.


    "It''s better this way," I thought to myself.


    Even though the loss he feels now is only temporary, he is still my ve. As such, I should show some concern for his well-being.


    "At least, I''ll do this for you... Shamac" I smiled.


    >SHHHHHHHHHHH<


    A seething sound hissed from within me as my body slowly glowed dark purple, with sparks of red lightning and energy flying around me.


    The fabric of space tore up, and from within my body proceeded a dark mold.


    The ck lump, appearing to be squishing y drew closer to the bright light and as it neared the ball, they both attracted to each other until they had contact.


    >SHAAAAAAAA<


    Everyone covered their eyes due to the intensity of the bright disy that urred upon their union, but I did not.


    I burned the sight into my eyes and witnessed the formation of the body which would serve as the vessel for new creation.


    The slender arms formed, same with the slightly thick hips and lush figure. Beautiful white hair emanated from the mold-shaped head and additional details began to appear.


    "N-No way!" Shamac''s eyes widened, the first to notice the person being formed and her uncanny resemnce to the woman he had grown to love.


    "It''s... She''s..." Talia sobbed, still too shaken to speak in her usually loud and assertive tone.


    Wrath, with his usual serious re, watched the forging of my new work after the image of a deceased ve... Ana.


    "As a special service, I made her into the form of a younger version of Ana. You have noints, right Shamac?" I asked him with a slight grin.


    My eyes widened when I saw the sight he exhibited.


    Tears of sadness and guilt filled his face as the salty liquid kept flowing from his bloodshot eyeballs. Appearing to be full of emotion and pain, Shamac let out all his pent-up emotions.


    I don''t get it... I just made her in the image of his loved one. Shouldn''t he be happy that he is able to continue indulging himself in his fruitless fantasy?


    "What is wrong with these creatures?" I thought to myself.


    I can''t understand these low beings sometimes... Hopefully, this one won''t disappoint me.


    "Wake up, Ruth... Open your eyes" I said with a smile.


    The already formed naked girl floated in the air as she slowly descended and her feet touched the cold, hard ground.


    Slowly lifting her eyelids, for the first time, the young girl took in the light of the world as she witnessed the strange sight before her.


    "This should be her first time experiencing such... She must surely be confused. Well then, I had better make sure to-" My mind trailed with excitement.


    >Sniff<


    "Wha-?!" I eximed in puzzlement as Ruth gave me a strange expression she shouldn''t be making.


    Her eyes disyed deep affection toward me and her body trembled with both reverence and excitement.


    Tears fell from her eyes, shimmering like falling diamonds.


    "Master... Lord Hexarion... I hoped, even in my final moments... That you would bring back... Thank you very much!" She said with a very bright and grateful smile.


    What the hell is happening? Did something go wrong?


    She''s talking exactly like Ana would. No... Wait a minute... It''s also like ROOT.


    Don''t tell me...


    "Ruth, what do you remember?" I asked the girl.


    Hopefully, she has a nk te, just as I intended!


    Thoughtfully looking at me, she took a few seconds to think of an answer, and then finally spoke.


    "Everything... I remember everything!" She responded.


    This is quite the predicament... She remembers, but which?


    As Ana.... Or as ROOT?

 Chapter 160 - The Next Phase

    "Everything... I remember everything!" Ruth said, drowned in the myriad of thoughts that went through her.


    This is quite the predicament... She remembers, but which?


    As Ana... Or as ROOT?


    An overwhelming silence filled the room, and a flustered expression remained on my face.


    "Something must have gone wrong somewhere..." I muttered.


    By merging the two Aspects, neither of them should exist anymore. Instead, it should cause an entirely new being to surface.


    Yet... Why does she recognize me?


    "Which are you?" I asked with narrowed eyes as I red suspiciously at my new creation.


    "I... I am... Both, I guess..." She said, looking unsure of her answer.


    My eyes widened as the possibility of what she started began to unfold before me.


    What if... Instead of the two consciousness being erased, they merged, creating an intelligence that shares both their memories and personality.


    "That''s not... It shouldn''t be! Their memories would ovep, and-"


    My thoughts were interrupted when I looked at Ruth even closer.


    Her younger face reflected the endearing expression of Ana, and the silvery purple eye had a glow that depicted ROOT''s core.


    Instantly, a slight grin formed on my face.


    Why am I being flustered? This isn''t the result I expected, but still... It''s eptable.


    "I suppose I outdid myself. The results are better than I bargained for." I mumbled.


    Besides, if they indeed are abination of the personality of the both of them, then that means...


    "Protocol B5: Activate," I said to the being before me.


    Suddenly, her body froze up and her eyes turned purple.


    "Confirmed! Activating Self Destruct Sequence!" Ruth responded mechanically.


    Purple lines began to appear on her fair-skinned body, indicating her near demise.


    "N-Noooo!" Talia yelled.


    Shamac gritted his teeth and watched powerlessly as he would lose Ana for the second time.


    I sense his frustration, but he shouldn''t be getting so worked up.


    "M-My Lord... Is he really going to do it? After so long of striving for the creation of-" Wrath appeared to be thinking as I noticed his shocked expression.


    This is silly. Even I don''t waste lives, especially one I have gone through so many pains to nurture. This is just a test, and she appears to have passed.


    "Abort Protocol!" Imanded.


    Immediately, the purple lines faded away and her eyes returned to normal.


    "Confirmed. Self Destruct Aborted" She responded robotically, before finally loosening her body and returning to her usual self.


    It''s a good thing Ruth still possesses Root''s Protocols and Functions, along with Ana''s undying loyalty and feelings.


    In the advent of creating a new being, they may defy me. But this one... She''s different.


    "It''s a shame she''s still bound by this World as aposition of Aspects, but the much is eptable for now."


    I''ll be sure to raise her well.


    "Our interest here isplete. We should wrap things up here" I said to my ves.


    "What do you need us to do?" Wrath spoke up first, giving me his usual loyal bow.


    "Them, not much. As for you... We''ll be putting on quite the show." I smiled.


    "W-What do you mean, my lord?" He asked.


    "Wouldn''t it be too dull if we simply exited the Dungeon without any major incident? Besides, it''ll be suspicious if we were to leave now..." I said.


    Shamac reasoned my words and gulped.


    "That''s true... The Dungeon appears for a set number of days. We still have a day left before it finally disappears and allows the Adventurers to exit." Shamac thought to himself.


    "I''m still unsure of the state of things outside this Room. When we came to, the three of us found Nathan unconscious here. He has been that way for a while now, most likely due to Wrath''s influence... I wonder what is actually going on in this Dungeon"


    Oh? My hybrid ve appears to be in deep thought concerning the events urring within this ce.


    With my already recovered Administrative Authority, I know of every urrence within this Dungeon.


    "Over 90 percent of Adventurers here are dead. 93.8 percent to be exact." I said with a devilish smile, looking at Shamac.


    His eyes widened with shock, staring at me with disbelief.


    "I suppose you wouldn''t be aware of this since you were otherwise upied with the task I entrusted to you, but the Dungeon rules changed, causing the people within to be killed, at least mostly. Those left are most likely the top Adventurers, those who are lucky... And that little brat over there" I smirked, looking at Nathan''s static body.


    "My Lord, I spared him because I didn''t know whether he was integral to your n or not. As a variable which poses no threat, that decision did not conflict with the duties you ascribed to me." Wrath immediately added as soon he spotted my notice of Nathan''s body.


    "Oh, I see. He is indeed an interesting character, it''ll be fun to see how he develops from here on. He did well surviving this long" I grinned.


    Snapping my fingers, a dark blue object appeared beside Nathan, coated in azure energy which swirled around it.


    "B-Boss... Is that...?!" Shamac eximed upon recognizing the object whichy on the ground.


    "Yes, the new ''de Of Rupture'' I invented. It''s by far stronger than the Original. I suppose I''ll give it to him as a gift for making it this far. Besides, I have a more exciting present waiting for him beyond the walls of this space." I said, diverting my eyes from the sheathed katana beside the half-dead human.


    "Wrath. Ruth. Shamac... We''re leaving" I said, walking toward the exit in an instant.


    Ruth rushed to keep pace with me and walked by my left while Wrath appeared by my right hand in a sh.


    Shamac maintained his pace behind me, aware of his ce amongst my subordinates.


    "W-What of me, H-Hexarion..." Talia asked, looking at my back as I left her.


    Upon hearing her low and hesitant voice, I halted, refusing to look behind me and gaze upon her pitiful face.


    "You have clearly disyed your rebellious nature and have questioned me severally, defying my wishes on my many asions..." I started.


    Initially, it was fun and refreshing, but slowly, it became an annoying banter made by an insect.


    Talia truly does not recognize how insignificant she truly is.


    Just from tasting little power, she has be conceited. I refuse to allow such a person by my side.


    But...


    "... You are not worthy to even walk behind me among my shadow, little fairy. Your name is not worthy to be mentioned by me."


    For the first time, Talia kept silent and received my words. Having no words of defense, now the right toin.


    She must be aware that any interruption would result in her immediate silence, permanently.


    "You are not worthy of even being seen by me. Neither your words nor actions can prove otherwise at this point. In essence, even with everything I have done for you, you are still USELESS to me." I said.


    Her body jerked as I said this, and I could sense her silent sobs from where I stood. Tears flowed from her eyes as she trembled and kept her voice in.


    "You would do well never to appear before me. As long as you remain in this pathetic state, there is no ce for you by my side"


    With these final words, I finished my statement to Talia and continued my match to exit the Fifth Floor''s Boss Room.


    My servants loyally matched my pace, not paying attention to the distraught fairy behind me. Even Shamac did not bother giving Talia any heed as he coldly trailed behind me like the loyal dog he is.


    "It''s a shame things ended like this, Talia... But I can not choose tofort you or stay by your side. I can not abandon my position with the Boss. There''s also a chance of Ana being alive within Ruth. I''m sorry, but you''re on your own now..." Shamac''s thoughts trailed as I read them.


    "Ruth, are you fine with this?" I asked the expressionless damsel beside me.


    Even though she is an entirely new being, she still shares Ana''s memories. Surely, she must feel a lingering sense of attachment to-


    "I am, Lord Hexarion. Your will is absolute!" She firmly responded.


    "Good" I smiled.


    That''s cold, especially because one of the reasons Talia got into trouble, by overstepping her bounds, was because she was concerned for Ana.


    "It must be the ROOT Aspect within Ruth that allows her to act in such a way." I reasoned.


    That''s not so bad.


    Before we reached therge gate before us, Wrath used his crimson energy to surround the doors and opened them wide for us tofortably pass through.


    We''ll be leaving Talia and Nathan behind. Once the Vanishing Dungeon''s time is up, they''ll be automatically transported to the normal world.


    Before that though, I have onest thing in mind for the audience expecting the arrival of the brave challengers of this ce.


    "Wrath, you and I will be the major yers of this game... Are you ready?" I asked, looking at the demon-looking being of my creation.


    "Of course, Lord Hexarion. I''ll be sure to have a lot of fun!" He grinned.


    His words made meugh in return. Once this is all over, Lamar will be mine...


    "I''ll be sure to have a lot of fun as well"

 Chapter 161 - The Final Boss

    [City Of Lamar, Dungeon Zone]


    Multitudes of people made camp within the Dungeon Zone, even spreading beyond. The crowd engaged in exciting talks and amused themselves withughs and interesting gifts on the Adventurers within the massive structure overhead them.


    The Adventurer''s Guild already ced officials around the Dungeon and its anchors to ensure no one interfered with the bulky building, but not a single person even dared to do so in the first ce.


    "It''s less than a day now... It''ll soon be time..." One of the many excited mobs said.


    "I know right? I can''t wait!!! Let''s hope Garan brings back some goodies for us!" Another said.


    "Do you think ''he'' will remain number one after this raid?" A voice asked.


    "Welp, who knows... Number two could overtake him soon, considering how the gap lessened in just thest Raid"


    "That''s true. It''s a good thing I bet on him then"


    Every year, after Adventurers ventured into the Dungeon, the masses who were excited about this marvelous event, but couldn''t challenge the dangers thaty within, would make camp before the Dungeon and await the valiant return of the brave ones who went within.


    This has been a tradition of Lamar since the Vanishing Dungeon Raid became a popr asion.


    "Six more hours!" Someone yelled out.


    Within a short period, they would see the champions of the Dungeon Raid. The results of this would change the hierarchy of Lamar. If an Adventurer is lucky, he could shoot up to the top of the echelon. Unlucky ones could lose their lives or limbs in the process.


    "Who did you bet on?"


    Betting made its debut a long time ago when business-oriented employees of the Adventurers Guild decided to make even more profit from the ''Raid Conquest'' and also boost the participation of the masses.


    Through betting, individuals choose who to ce their expectations on, guaranteeing the sess of the Adventurer. If the Adventurer seeds, depending on the odds, the better wins an immense amount of profit.


    It is a risky venture since one can never be guaranteed of the state of their chosen Adventurers in such a dangerous ce.


    Still...


    "The number one, of course! Who else?"


    "Number three is looking like he has a lot of prospects..."


    "Weeeelll... I like ying it safe!"


    "True, but the stakes are not really in your favor since the majority would bet on him."


    "..."


    "What about those new ones... The Ranks 7-10... I heard they''re a Party. Wouldn''t they have a higher chance of surviving since they are all tinum Ranks?"


    "Pfft, is that what you think? I heard rumors among the Adventurers. Those punks are just rich brats who probably want to get famous in Lamar. They most likely bribed the Adventurers Guild to give them that Rank."


    "Oh? That''s possible... But the Guild doesn''t work like that. My cousin works there and he-"


    "Hey, I don''t know the details. Maybe it''s something they couldn''t avoid. Besides... The Guild probably didn''t need to worry much. After all, if they''re posers, they''ll drop off the ranks soon enough... If they''re not killed first"


    The crowd smiled and waited for the results they staked their resources on.


    "Ahh, this year will be so-"


    >BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!<


    A loud and devastating explosion suddenly halted all conversation among the crowd as they all looked above them, to see the cause of destruction.


    A portion of the Vanishing Dungeon had been blown away, sending therge particles away from the structure.


    Falling debris of the mysterious material of the Dungeon scattered from above, falling on the ground among the numerous crowd.


    "Arhhh" Screams filled the air.


    >BAM!< >BOOM< >KPAT<


    The ground shook as a result of the massive chunks of stone that impacted the ground, sending pieces of flesh and stters of blood flying all around.


    The Merry mood filling the air suddenly changed, reced by the feeling of dread and an atmosphere of death.


    "W-What the hell is going on!?!" They yelled in confusion.


    After a while, the falling rocks ceased, leaving a fearful crowd, injured individuals, and countless deaths.


    Instinctively, those who still drew breath looked above them, wondering what could have caused the disaster and bloodshed enveloping them.


    Their eyes bulged with both shock and fear as they witnessed a monstrous figure emerge from the going hole made on the Dungeon walls.


    With two horns protruding from its head, long flowing hair, and glowing skin, the humanoid monster looked upon the petrified mob as it flew with itsrge wings.


    "Foolish Humans... The time is finally here. After millennia of being sealed within this invincible prison, I have been freed atst!" The demonic monsterughed in excitement.


    "N-No... W-What is that?!"


    The legs of the people gave up strength and they fell to their knees.


    The overwhelming aura of the monster made everyone tremble on the ground as they watched it grin malevolently.


    "Do not bother resisting. Your lives are all mine to dispose of. You sure had your fun killing my subordinates within my prison. Now then, as the final boss of this Dungeon... I will dispose of you filthy lot, right here and now" It spoke with its terrifying voice.


    The people were confused. They did not know how they were able toprehend the words of a monster, but the absurd nature of its conversation was the least of their worries.


    "I-I can''t move... W-Wha-"


    The powerful aura of the monster above them suppressed their mobility, paralyzing everyone within range.


    The thousands of citizens and tourists remained on their knees and helplessly awaited death.


    "N-No... I-I don''t want to die! Please... Someone... Anyone... S-Save us! Save me!!!"


    Suddenly, a sh of lightning erupted, making the entire crowd tremble in its wake.


    "You beast... What the hell are you?!" A loud voice emerged.


    Everyone''s eyes widened. They recognized the sound of the one who spoke. It was none other than...


    "V-Vice G-Guildmaster!!!" The terrified folks yelled.


    Out of the seething smoke came forth a middle-aged man, fully donning a gold armor, radiating in splendor.


    He had smooth golden hair, and his smooth skin added beauty to his morous outfit.


    Standing on one of the devastated tforms, he stood majestically, attracting the awe of everyone around him.


    "This is as far as you go, beast!" The man yelled.


    "You... How are you not affected by my aura?" The boss monster asked, narrowing his eyes to reveal the crimson glow within.


    "I have no obligation to answer a beast!" The Vice Guildmaster said with a scowl, preparing to fight from where he stood.


    Immediately a pair of golden wings emerged from his armor,unching him into the sky at a rapid rate.


    >WHOOOSH<


    The air current parted ways as his speed swept everything away, reaching Wrath''s height in an instant.


    "Master Rai is here now... We''re saved! Finally... Keukk, thank the gods!" One among many yelled, relieved by the sudden appearance of salvation.


    The crowd slowly drifted from their despairing state and cheered for the gold-ted man.


    His smile broadened as their cries reached him, looking at the opponent with a confident demeanor.


    "Oh? It seems there exists at least one among you with a spine. I suppose I will y with you for a bit"The acimed final boss smirked.


    "Know your ce, monster. This will be over in an instant!" Rai, Vice Guildmaster of Lamar''s Adventurer''s Guild responded with authority.


    Revered to be a former tinum Ranked adventurer before retiring and bing a Vice Guildmaster, Rai possessed an enormous amount of authority and respect in Lamar.


    "Heh, even among the others, I have the highest number of Relics in my possession!" He smiled to himself.


    Everything he covered himself with was a Relic. From his attire, to his ornaments... Even his hair. They all contained immense amounts of power and Divine Energy.


    "This monster is basically naked. What can he do against me?" Rai smirked, observing the enemy whose chest was wide open.


    "Be my stepping stone, you vile creature!" He dered, bringing out a massive burst of golden energy.


    Immediately, beasts of several shapes and proportions appeared, all projected in a golden aura.


    "My Relic, ''Ring Of Summons'' allows me to summon spiritual beasts to fight on my behalf." Rai smiled.


    Of course, he was aware of the high power the monster would possess, since it imed to be the final Boss of the Dungeon.


    "No one has ever reached the top before. It gets phenomenally more difficult the higher one climbs. If this bastard''s statement really is true, then I have to be careful while facing it."


    Using this as his rationale, Rai stood at a safe distance and decided to gauge the strength of his enemy before going all in.


    This demonic being was able to break through the indestructible walls of the Dungeon and was also able to stop the movement of everyone around.


    "It is definitely not ordinary... And what''s with itsnguage?" Rai muttered.


    For the first time in his life, Rai was witnessing a monster who could clearlymunicate in the human tongue.


    The monster even looked humanoid in a sense.


    "My Relics don''t pick up much concentration from him, so he''s not on the level of a Special Grade monster... Still, I''ll be cautious!" Rai reasoned.


    He raised his left hand, showing the glowing ring which summoned his astral projections, and released his several dozen beasts to attack the monster.


    "If I win... Then I''ll be the first to have ever performed this feat. It won''t be a dream to aim for the position of Guildmaster!" Rai grinned excitedly.


    "Victory is mine.

 Chapter 162 - Vanity

    "Victory is mine." Rai smiled excitedly.


    The dozens of projected creatures lunged at the Boss Monster, baring their sharp ws and fangs at him.


    Among them were scorpions, serpents, deadly creatures, and birds of prey.


    However, they did not even faze the enemy as he simply waved his hand in the air, clearing off all the beasts which advanced toward him.


    >SHOOOOOOO<


    A massive gust of wind blew away the golden summons, sending them flying away.


    "I''m not done" The Monster smiled.


    Tightening his fist, a crimson aura surrounded the beasts. Their golden color slowly became enveloped in the malevolent aura of the monster.


    In an instant, the creatures entirely donned the color of the monster who looked pleased by the new development.


    He had taken control of the Vice-Guildmaster''s summons


    "W-Wha-?!"


    Before Rai could respond, the monstrous creature ordered the beasts to assault their former master.


    "Tch!" Rai grunted in dissatisfaction, watching the summoned ones charge toward him.


    "Don''t kid me!!!" He yelled, releasing a golden surge of energy that covered him in a sphere.


    Upon making contact with the gold field, the animals faded away, destroyed by the energy collision.


    "You bastard!" Rai said, ring at the monster.


    "Who are you?!"


    The Boss monster smiled, cing his arms in a folded fashion as he spoke.


    "The likes of you are not worthy to hear my name... Should you desire it, thennd a hit on me first"


    Upon hearing the taunt of the monster, Rai became maddened with rage.


    "This monster dares to-" He grumbled.


    "Master Rai!!!!"


    "Vice Guildmaster!!!"


    "Please save us!!!"


    "We''re saved now that the master is here!!!"


    The constant cheers of the crowd raised his spirit, making Rai more confident.


    "I can do this... With a crowd like this, I''m invincible!" He smiled.


    Taking a deep breath, the heavily d man closed his eyes and concentrated his power to activate the full potential of his armament.


    "Armor Of Vanity!"


    As he started this, an immense amount of energy began to gather around him. His entire body glowed golden, as the armor began extending to other parts of his body, transforming his skin to the self same color.


    "Oh? It seems you can do more than just curse, after all," The monster grinned upon noticing the surge of energy gathering around Rai.


    "Do you think I''ll allow you toplete your transformation?"


    The monster created a spark of red lightning on his hand, aiming at Rai, who was focused on the new power enveloping him.


    "Die"


    The crimson lightning charged toward Rai, parting the winds in its way as it advanced with devastating force.


    However, before it could reach its target, a Golden field appeared around the opponent, blocking off the lightning.


    "Tch" The Boss monster let out.


    Suddenly, a bright light enveloped everywhere, causing even the beast to squint its eyes as the blinding brilliance emanating from the human champion traveled for miles.


    "Sorry to have kept you waiting... It''s time for round two" Rai''s voice appeared from within the glow.


    His armor was nowhere to be seen, instead, his entire being shone with golden radiance.


    "I have fused with my ''Armor of Vanity'', aplete set of 9 items-"


    Earring Of Amon


    Crown Of Lace


    Boots Of Asmodeus


    Ring Of Paimon


    Wristband Of Valefor


    Armband Of Focalor


    Breastte Of Baal


    Shield Of Zagan


    Chain Of Beelzebub


    "-These 9 Relics are the most powerful in my Collection, some of the most powerful existences of the world," Rai said with a confident and boastful look.


    Rai was aware of the threat of the evil before him. He could not afford to hold back.


    "Since you''re the final Boss, I''ll be going all out on you!"


    He knew, however, that he would end up winning.


    His invincible set, Armor Of Vanity, had a special set effect different from the individual abilities of the Relics.


    "The more people are present to witness my acts... The more powerful I be!" Rai grinned.


    And with a crowd of thousands all counting on him, his power was at a height he had never reached before.


    "This match is rigged in my favor, there''s no way I''m losing! The current me is the very definition of invincible."


    "So you''ve be a walkingntern, how quaint," The monster said in a mocking tone.


    "Prepare yourself, beast... As of this moment, your death has been assured!" Rai dered, pointing his glistening hand toward his opponent.


    Before the monster could react, he teleported behind it, closing the distance in an instant.


    Raising his fist to deal a deadly blow, Rai lunged at the beast with full strength.


    The humanoid demon creature quickly raised its hands to block the attack, causing a sh between the bodies of the two beings.


    >BOOOOOM!!!!<


    The shock wave of the attack parted the winds all around and even the clouds split apart.


    Not allowing any room for a counterattack, golden lightning covered Rai''s body, sending a powerful surge of destructive energy upon his opponent.


    "Eat this!" He grinned.


    The monster was enveloped with the devastating discharge of Rai''s golden energy which held an unfathomable amount of volts.


    However...


    "Is that all?" The monster asked, still being struck by the golden current, yet appearing unfazed.


    "W-Wha-?! Rai let out in disbelief.


    Quickly, he retreated from the enemy, vanishing several meters from his previous location as he appeared flustered.


    " If that won''t do it, then... Eat thissss!!!"


    Bringing his two hands together, a golden orb sparkling with concentrated power started to form. The sphere grewrger, making Rai raise it above his head as it kept growing.


    "This is a condensed energy, able to destroy anything within its range!" Rai dered.


    The monster smiled, it could easily dodge it.


    "I don''t think so!" Rai smiled.


    Immediately, golden chains emerged from Rai''s glowing body and trapped the opponent in its constraint. The solid chains held the arms and legs of the creature while also covering it with its mass, tightening the neck to restrict the monster''s movements.


    "You can''t escape!" He gleamed.


    The orb had already grown nearly a hundred times asrge as Rai at this point, as he brought down his hands tounch the giant mass of pure destruction upon the target.


    The hot orb approached the trapped Boss at a rapid rate, burning through everything in its path, even the air.


    "Arhhhh!!!" The helpless victims on the ground could not help but scream in pain as the heat of the energy bomb could be felt on their skins


    "It''s like the sun!" They marveled and winced in pain at the same time.


    As they admired the golden orb, it became even stronger, increasing its power, size, and glow.


    "Die!" Rai smiled with a murderous gleam in his eyes.


    Just a little further, and he would be hailed as the first to y the Final Boss of the Vanishing Dungeon. He would be immortalized and made a legend.


    "To think humans have advanced this far. To be able to wield such power... Ah, Master was right. The world has truly changed." The monster smiled as he watched the massive orb approach him.


    "This should be fun!"


    >KAAAAABOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!<


    The st in the sky tore through everything for a great distance, sending a great amount of shock for miles. Rai quickly used his Golden field to protect the civilians, but even that wasn''t enough to fully mitigate the immense power of the golden bomb.


    As the deafening sound stopped and the surge sizzled, Rai could not help but huff in his exhausted state.


    He had used up a lot of his power to defend the people beneath so they would not die from the shock of the attack.


    Even so...


    "They''ve all passed out, eh?" He mumbled, looking beneath him to see the unconscious mob.


    None of them could withstand the power of his Golden radiance.


    Of course, this meant he couldn''t use the power boost he obtained from their spectatorship, but it was no longer needed. Because at this point...


    "I defeated it... The monster... Has been vanquished!" He smiled tiredly.


    "Oh? Who decided that?" A deep voice suddenly appeared.


    Rai''s body jumped as soon as heard the sound and his eyes darted to the location where he executed the monster.


    Suddenly, a monstrous hand grabbed him by the throat and tightened its grip.


    Rai''s eyes bulged as he saw the Boss Monster, covered in red aura with no damage whatsoever.


    "N-No... T-That''s n-not possible! H-How are you still alive? No, why are you unscathed?" Rai struggled to let out as his breathing became restricted.


    The Boss Monster, smiling devilishly at the tiny frame of the golden figure in his grasp, let out a snicker and burst outughing.


    "Kuahahahahahahaha"


    "Did you really think that would stop me? That''s not even enough to wipe out this city! You must truly be looking down on me!" The monster replied.


    "N-No way... Even Grade 1 Monsters would die by that attack! I-Is this monster... Is it a Special Grade?!" Rai thought to himself.


    But, this didn''t make sense to him since he would have been able to sense it if the monster was of that level.


    "Merely using my aura to defend myself was enough to withstand your blow. I will admit though, it was a little hot inside your sauna"


    The taunting gaze and mocking words of the monster made Rai''s blood boil, but his body was paralyzed by the monster''s hold on him.


    "Now then.... Since I survived your attack, try doing the same for mine"

 Chapter 163 - Prayer

    "My turn¡­" The evil monster gleaned, widening its crimson eyes as it glowed.


    Rai tried in vain to release himself from the w of the frightening creature to no avail.


    "It''s useless¡­ Now then, eat this" It said.


    The monster raised its other hand, and a dark aura surrounded it. Dark crimson mes appeared on the open palm of the creature as it grinned evilly at Rai.


    "N-No" The man protested in a struggle.


    Ignoring his plea, the monster brought the hand filled with intense mes and swiftly grabbed Rai''s face, instantly baptizing him with the evil mes.


    "Arghhhhhh!!!" Rai screamed as he felt the frames burn through his face, making his entire body throb in intense agony.


    "Hehehe, not yet¡­" The monster whispered, turning up the tempo of the burning element.


    In an instant, the mes spread all over Rai''s body, engulfing the golden figure in more agonizing heat.


    "Uarghhhhh!!! Arhhhh!!! Gahhhh!!!" Rai let out screeches and screams of different tones as the mes are through his body.


    "Were you always this weak? Look at you crying like a spoilt brat" The monster taunted.


    "I-If only¡­ T-They were awake!" Rai''s mind rang, thinking about the major boost of his power.


    "I wonder what your cheering audience have to say, with this state you''re currently in"


    Looking down, the monster found that everyone was asleep, knocked unconsciously by the previous st wrought by the bomb Rai erupted.


    "Ah, we can''t have this, now can we? Every beatdown requires an audience¡­ Despair" The monster said with its eyes glowing even brighter.


    Suddenly, a dark crimson aura filled the ground and covered the sleeping mob. Their bodies immediately rose from the ground and with a single jolt of power from the monster, they all kicked back into consciousness.


    "Arch!" They all yelped in shock.


    As their disoriented minds tried toprehend what had happened, they looked around them, starting at one another with confused expressions.


    "W-What is that? Above us¡­ I-Isn''t that?!" One person yelled out, facing the sky with a despairing look.


    As everyone followed suit and looked upon the horrific sight of their Vice Guildmaster burning up in mes while the monster choked him with a satisfied grin, their eyes widened in disbelief.


    "L-Lord Rai¡­?!"


    With all eyes on him, Rai felt a flush of shame as his disgraceful self burned up. However, that didn''t matter. Because, now that they were all witnessing this event, he would turn it all around.


    "Armor of Va-"


    Before he could fully activate his power, a greater wave ofnes swept through him, making him yell out more in pain.


    "Guarghhhh!!!! V-Vaaaaaniiityyyyy!!!" Hepleted his activating phrase.


    Instantly, his armor glowed brighter and his already peeling body began to reconstruct.


    The agonizing pain he felt began to fade away as a surge of power permeated his being.


    "I''ll make you pay for that!" Rai said with a relieved smile.


    His confidence was greeted by a nonchnt look from the aggressor, who didn''t seem to care about his sudden boost in power.


    "How dare you look down on me. I''ll make you suffer in pain as you beg for mercy!!!" Rai screamed, letting out an uncontroble concentration of golden energy.


    "Uooohhhh!!!" The golden energy sparked around the two opponents, and lightning of various proportions emanated from Rai''s brimming body.


    "What are you nning?" The monster asked.


    "Your death!"Rai grinned in response, closing his eyes as he activated the finishing move.


    "Golden Prominence"


    A massive sh of destructive golden energy instantly exploded, filling up the space above the people in a confined sphere.


    The spherical field prevented the attack from affecting anything beyond its range, as the shockwaves, heat, and pressure of the st were confined within the space.


    >ZZZTTTBBOOOOOOOMMMMM<


    "I''ll engulf the both of us in the destructive might of my new move. Of course, I''ll be protected by my armor¡­ But this will spell the end for this monster!" Rai smiled to himself as the waves of the sts filled the space, sweeping everything in its devastating force.


    >Shiiiiiiiinggggggg<


    The immense energy continued rising, illuminating the entire expanse.


    "Is it only this much?" A deep voice interrupted the loud noise and crushing pressure surrounding the area.


    Rai''s glowing eyes widened at the sound of the malevolent voice.


    Before he could even think, a hand emerged from the blinding radiation and grabbed his face once again.


    "N-No... Impossible! H-How can you still be-" He yelled in disbelief.


    "Why, you ask..."


    As the monster''s voice booked even louder, It appeared, still unscathed by the st, having a protectiveyer of crimson aura all over its body.


    "Your attacks are simply too weak. Now then, once again it''s my turn"


    Sparks of mes began to appear on the arm which tightly gripped Rai''s face, making the golden figure throb in dread of the immense pain to follow.


    "N-No... Please! Not again! Please Noooo!!!"


    Bursts of red and ck mes ignited, recing the golden explosion all around with its contents.


    "Arghhhhhhh!!!" Rai screamed.


    The audience, who had relieved faces to see Rai gain the upper hand now changed to fear as they watched the glorious radiation above them eclipse, turning red with blood and darkened by deep darkness.


    "Uahhhhhhh!!!!" Rai kept his screams of plea and agony.


    The golden armor which fused with his body cracked as a result of the intense pressure of the heat, and within seconds, they shattered apart.


    With only Rai''s naked body left, the monster stopped the burning mes, leaving his body slightly burned by the remnant heat which wafted through the air.


    "Ugfffff... Urhhhhh!" Rai coughed as he slowly began to lose consciousness.


    His vision blurred as the sounds around him diminished. Struggling to breathe, he wheezed, but the mes had burned up all the oxygen left in the air.


    "U-U... T-This was a mistake... I-" He thought to himself, recalling the scene that urred moments before he arrived at the scene of destruction.


    [Moments Earlier]


    "No! Don''t go... Y-You can''t win!" A childlike voice snapped at Rai.


    This made the Vice Guildmaster, already d in his armor, shake his head in disappointment.


    "I have to, kid. If you''re so worried about me, why don''t youe with me?" He smirked, once again asking for the help of the kid in front of him.


    This brat, who appeared scared of whatever monster that had just emerged from the Dungeon, was none other than the ''Hero'', Jared.


    "I-I can''t... I already told you..." He muttered hesitantly, looking away.


    Rai was still stunned by Jared''s behavior. The kid he knew would be raring for any opportunity to disy his power. Yet, here he was, cowering in fear.


    "What are you so scared of? It isn''t even a ''Special Grade''. The energy signature it''s emitting is low, so there''s no need to be so worried." Rai said, attempting to convince the ''Trump Card'' of their Adventurers Guild.


    "No!" Jared snapped, trembling as he spoke.


    This made Rai more perplexed. He knew the strength of Jared, how the boy''s power exceed even his. The Guildmaster was also very wary of Jared''s mysterious power, yet this brat now cowered before the enemy, just because it imed to be the ''Final Boss'' of the Vanishing Dungeon.


    "Fine... I''ll do it myself!" Rai said, turning away from the Hero as he hurried to the scene.


    "Rai... You''ll die!" Jared warned.


    "Heh, I doubt it!" He smiled in response.


    The kid shook his head as a portal opened in front of him, venturing within to hide.


    "Yeah, just run away in fear, O ''Hero''!" Rai said in a mocking tone.


    This made Jared stop dead on his tracks, halfway through the Gate.


    "That monster... Isn''t what I''m afraid of..."


    Upon stating this, he disappeared into his world.


    "What the hell?" Rai muttered, taking no thoughts as to the kid''s words as he rushed to the scene.


    If Jared refused to help, he just had to do things himself. With the Guildmaster absent, he was next in charge. Everyone was counting on him to keep them safe.


    And in the event that he seeded, his reputation would skyrocket and it wouldn''t be impossible to further his ambition to be...


    [The Present]


    "I-I was wrong..." He cried to himself as tears fell upon his half-burned face.


    Without any oxygen in the air, his eyes forcefully closed as he lost the breath within his lungs.


    He knew Jared was right... Right at that moment, he was going to die.


    "So frail, underneath the armor and defense of those fancy Relics... In the end, he''s still human." The monster grinned, letting go of the Vice Guildmaster.


    The unconscious man fell from the height he upied, rapidly descending to his death.


    As his naked body approached the ground, the crowd watched in horror and despair. Their savior and only hope had been defeated. There remained no hope for any of them.


    "Is this the best you have to offer? How boring. Well then... I might as well dispose of you all." The monster said, stretching its hand toward the mob below him.


    >Kyahhhhh<


    They all screamed in terror as they witnessed the fiery sparks of mes appear on its hand.


    Within moments, they would all be engulfed in mes, burned alive, and fade away in an instant.


    "Please... Someone... Anyone... Save us!" They cried within their hearts and out loud.


    "It''s useless.... Now die!" The monster smiled as his hand glowed with the bright crimson color of his darkened mes.

 Chapter 164 - Salvation

    "Die"


    The powerless people beneath the great monster trembled as they closed their eyes in resignation.


    There was truly no hope...


    >BOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    A sudden spark of purple electricity surged, from within the Vanishing Dungeon, and in a sh, it collided with the monster.


    "Keukk!" The monster groaned as a figure emerged from the powerful current which shed with it, the form of a human.


    This sound roused the crowd as they opened their teary eyes to see the cause of their deliverance.


    d with purple energy emanating from his cloak, a man shed his sword with the monster''s ws.


    Their eyes widened in recognition of the person who faced the devastating monster.


    "I-Isn''t that... The new tinum Rank... Rank 8...?!" One of the scared people yelled.


    A surprised look filled the faces of everyone. The man they had all berated and called a fraud was now theirst hope. For the sake of their survival, he had better not be one.


    "P-Please save us... Lord Rio Xarion!" They all let out.


    The low and hesitant voice turned into screams of desperation as they watched the Adventurer''s de throb against the monster''s hardened ws.


    "Please win!"


    ...


    "W-Who are you?" The monster asked, appearing flustered by the sudden emergence of another Adventurer.


    However, unlike thest one, the human before him had a phenomenally greater pressure.


    "You do not need to know. You''ll be dead soon, anyway" Rio, the tinum Ranked Adventurer mumbled.


    "Grrrrr!!!" The monster growled in response to the threatening human, pushing him away with a powerful force.


    Instantly teleporting to a safe distance, the Boss Monster red at its foe.


    The human, a tinum Ranked Adventurer, also flew backward, cautiously drawing his de.


    Now watching each other with cautious nces, the two foes floated in the sky.


    "Human... It appears you have more skill than thest one. However, in the end, you''re still one of a weak race. You stand no chance against my power, as the Final Boss of this 100th Floor Dungeon!"


    Rio, the human challenger, did not respond.


    "My name is Wrath! One of the 7 Deadly Generals of the Evil One, Hexarion!" The monster dered with a devilish grin.


    Upon hearing this statement, the crowd below became even more fearful, thrown into a frenzy.


    "D-Did he just say... One of the 7 Generals of the Evil One?!"


    "No! We''re all doomed!!!"


    "Oh gods, please save us!" They screamed.


    "Your useless cries won''t save you. The gods will never hear your prayers. Only death awaits you now-" Wrath said to the panicked humans below him.


    "Shut up..." A menacing voice suddenly echoed.


    Everywhere fell silent as the sound generated a devastating pressure that prevented any speech.


    "Know your ce... Filthy demon. Your kind has no ce in this world"


    Wrath''s face turned into a re as it focused its eyes on the daring human who challenged him.


    "You''ve caused far too much death and destruction. It all ends here... I''ll kill you!" Rio said, staring at the monster with bloodthirsty eyes.


    "You little..." Wrath gritted its teeth in annoyance.


    Immediately, a massive surge of malevolent crimson aura erupted from the monster''s body, causing the crowd to crumble in response to the pressure emitted.


    Space all around warped as a result of the otherworldly essence that spilled in the atmosphere, polluting the atmosphere.


    Distortions in space were evident, and at the center of the irregrity stood Wrath.


    "Let''s see how you talk big after I''m done with you!"


    Wrath lunged toward Rio beyond the speed of light, reaching him before an instant. Baring its ws toward him, the monster brought its two limbs to simultaneously attack its prey.


    "Useless"


    A purple barrier appeared around Rio, blocking all the strikes of the monster.


    "Impossible!" It yelled.


    In an instant, Rip stretched his sword toward Wrath''s chest, focusing a phenomenal amount of purple energy at the tip.


    "Disappear"


    >Zzzztzzzzz<


    Sparks of purple energy crackled, condensing in a single spot as the single beam of light charged toward the shocked monster.


    >Vooooommm!!!<


    The energy hummed as it passed through the monster, burning its body with its intense heat and destructive currents.


    The beam flowed for miles, like a shooting star, tracing all the way into the clouds as they parted.


    >BOOOOOMMM!!!<


    In a distance, a massive explosion erupted, sending shockwaves to the city.


    "H-He caused that much destruction from such a distance?!" The people marveled as they shook in the presence of two equally scary monsters.


    "Y-You... How dare you..." Wrath groaned.


    For the first time since it appeared, the Boss Monster had scars of mangled flesh and bleeding parts all over its body.


    "How dare you draw blood from me?!!" He growled in more rage.


    The crimson energy which surrounded it grew even more intense as they began to gather and swirl around Wrath.


    "Very well then, as recognition for your efforts, I won''t hold back anymore. Be prepared for the consequences of your actions!" Wrath stated.


    The aura around it solidified, forming a crimson armor that covered the entirety of the monster''s body.


    Spikes protruded from the armor''s back, as the two horns of the monster becamerger. Wrath''s eyes glowed crimson as it flew majestically in the new form it adopted.


    "Now then, let us continue!" Wrath grinned sadistically, showing its Sharp teeth in what little space was left in the helmet worn on its head.


    Vanishing from its location, Wrath appeared above Rio, even higher into the clouds, and brought its two palms together to create a red orb.


    "No, you don''t!" Rio protested, quickly diving into the sky to catch the demon.


    The monster smiled as it watched Rip advance.


    "Eat this!"


    Releasing the small bomb, norger than a child''s head, Wrath continued to ascend into the sky, while the destructive cluster of power lunged at the human.


    "Tch!" Rio stated, immediately making a purple orb on his left hand while clinging onto his sword with the other.


    Hurriedly releasing his counter to the monster''s assault, Rio ignored the red ball and charged straight for Wrath.


    >BOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    An enormous rupture filled the space overhead the city, creating a literal void in the space above.


    For a moment, absolute nothingness could be seen as the Aspects all around were vaporized by the sh of the two orbs.


    "Rarghhhhh!!!" Wrath let out, releasing shocking currents of ck electricity from its fingertips.


    Rio rapidly advanced, dodging the whips of dark lightning which charged at him. Twisting his body midair, while he kept his eyes focused on the target, Rio continued to close the distance.


    "Begone!!!" The monster said, releasing a massive wave of pure destructive force, pushing everything away from its vicinity.


    Within a moment, Rip would collide with the destructive field and meet the same fate.


    However...


    Resolutely clenching his fist, a deep purple concentration of energy gathered within it as heunched a straight hook toward the repelling barrier erected.


    Instantly, the structure shattered, sending the monster into a state of panic as its eyes bulged in shock.


    "N-No way! You-"


    Before the flustered demon could react further, Rio had closed the gap between them, driving his dark-coated sword into its body.


    "Guarkk!" It spat out blood.


    The sharp edge of Rio''s de pierced through the armor of the monster and exited to the other side, sending blood sttering all over.


    ">KPAAAA<


    Instantly, the armor Wrath donned shattered into pieces, leaving it in a miserable and defenseless state, with blood oozing from its body.


    "H-How did you..." Wrath muttered, still shocked by its defeat.


    "How? It''s simple. You''re too weak" Rio responded.


    This statement made the monster''s body twitch, and then strange sounds began toe from its mouth.


    "Hehehehehe... Hahahahaha!!!" Wrathughed at itself, appearing to be mocking its pathetic state.


    "You are the first to ever call me that, human. What a strange one... Just who are you?" The monster responded, looking at the man who was defeated with a look of unbelief.


    "I''m just an Adventurer... And you''d do well to remember one thing before you die!" Rio said with fierce eyes.


    "You should never have underestimated humans, to begin with!"


    Wrath smiled at this statement, having a face of regret as to how things ended this way. At this point, there was only one more thing left to do.


    "I couldn''t kill you till the very end... Even after obtaining freedom, I still end up where I started." He mumbled.


    Coughing out more blood, the monster stared tiredly at its assaulter. Cracks began to appear on its body, signifying how it neared the end of its life.


    "At least, with this... I''ll take you down with me..."


    Rio''s eyes widened upon hearing this.


    "Choose then... Your life, or theirs"


    The monster''s crumbling body suddenly glowed and sparked in mes.


    "No-"


    An immense amount of built-up energy became released in that instant, plunging everything in the sky intoplete destruction.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!<


    There was no time he could react for himself. Choosing instead to protect the defenseless people, Rio quickly erected a massive force field around them


    The destruction reached the ground, eating up everything around as it burned through the area.


    The sturdy defense held up, shielding the people from the fate that would have befallen them.


    "We... We were saved...?!" They asked, looking around them in confusion.


    Everything which wasn''t covered with the purple aura was rendered into nothing but dust.


    "H-He saved us... Lord Rio saved us..." One of the stunned people sniffed, yelling out in gratitude.


    This was followed by countless screams of praises, all directed at Rio. Thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd as they all shouted thankfully.


    Their savior had sacrificed bus life to protect them... He was a true hero!


    They witnessed the devastating fireworks which shimmered as it reduced and wondered if their hero made it out alive, though the possibility seemed impossible.


    "Are you all safe?" A voice suddenly appeared, and from within the cloud of endless smoke and dust, appeared the victor of the fight.... tinum Rank 8, Adventurer Of Lamar, Rio Xarion!

 Chapter 165 - Making A Hero

    [Moments Earlier]


    "It''s time to tell you of the n"


    After leaving Talia in the 5th floor Boss Room, Wrath, Ruth, Shamac, and I ventured away, moving to the edge of the Vanishing Dungeon''s walls.


    After reaching this checkpoint, I urged everyone to halt and began my exnation.


    "In some hours, the Raid Conquest will be over. Meaning the remaining Adventurers will be returned to the Human World." I exined.


    "A-Are there even survivors after what you told me? If the Adventurers truly experienced the Hard mode on Randomizer... Everyone should be dead!" Shamac responded.


    After getting the gist of what was happening in the rest of the Dungeon while he and his teammates fought against the Apostle, and remained with Wrath, Shamac was stunned. The immense difficulty of the Dungeon was too much for anyone to survive.


    "No, that''s not true." I quickly chided his thoughts.


    "Nearly 95 percent of the Adventurers are dead, but some still draw breath. Besides, of the ones here, there are some exceptionally strong humans. They won''t die easily, though thanks to ''RANDOMIZER'', it all depends on luck." I exined.


    It wasn''t like I made it impossible to clear. There are drops for every monster defeated, so survival is feasible.


    "Still, the loss encountered in this Raid will affect Lamar for years toe. Even this Vanishing Dungeon might not be challenged in theing years due to the immense danger presented this time." Shamac muttered in deep thought.


    True, but it was inevitable. To gain ess to Wrath, I needed the difficulty to be at ''Annihtion'', and created the ''Randomizer'' effect so there would be minimal interference with the fight of my ves and the Apostles.


    There were other reasons, but in the end, it was the most efficient option.


    "I admit the blow on Lamar will be devastating, but there''s a solution to that," I said with a smile.


    While Shamac and Wrath racked their brains to figure out what was going on in my head, Ruth silently watched everyone with a smile stered on her face.


    "You''ve been silent for a while, Ruth. Why don''t you say something?" I offered, turning in her direction.


    Now clothed with silverce and purple designs, Ruth stood with great poise as she addressed us, revealing her shimmering earrings and glowing ne. She had a ring on which resembled the former ''Root Of All'' Treasure I possessed.


    "Lord Hexarion ns to make a new ''image'' of a Hero to Lamar, correct?" Ruth answered.


    Shamac''s eyes widened upon hearing this.


    "Why didn''t I think of that?"


    Wrath appeared confused, unsure of why I would go so far for the Adventurer City, especially after I have obtained my prize.


    "You are right, Ruth. Impressive." Imended her, causing the girl to blush in satisfaction.


    Having Ruth as thebination of Ana and ROOT is certainly looking much better than having none at all.


    Fortunately, thetter didn''t end up being the case.


    "B-But my lord... Why?! Why do you need to make any effort for such a puny civilization? I''m certain your goal has already been aplished by retrieving your Nether Core and retrieving me. I doubt there''s anything of worth left within this-" Wrath protested.


    "Wrong!" I sharply corrected him.


    He instantly shut up at the sound of my voice, bowing his head to listen.


    "It''s true that my initial goal was to obtain my Nether Core and retrieve you from this Dungeon. But, interesting events have urred that caused me to revise my ns. One of which is Jared, the Hero of Lamar... And the being he houses within him" I revealed.


    "Hero? Being?" Wrath mumbled, understanding nothing.


    Well, he doesn''t need to know the details now.


    "In any case, I n to stay in Lamar for a while. I have already set things in motion, and it will be irresponsible to leave things half baked." I responded.


    Since we''ll be here for a while, I might as well take advantage of the situation.


    "Currently, arge crowd awaits the return of the Adventurers. They are unaware of the horrors the people here have suffered. The few who survived will surely give their testimonies once they return, which will drive the Guild into a state of panic. Losing over 90 percent of their workforce will be devastating. Out of the remaining few who survived, some may never desire to fight again after this experience."


    My three subordinates paid rapt attention as I spoke.


    "However, there is one thing that can turn things around. Even in tragedy, the appearance of a massive figure of light gives hope to everyone." I continued.


    "I will be that figure. After this final show we give the people of Lamar, they will revere me as the savior of the city... And even with most of the workforce gone, with the power I will exhibit in my match against the ''Final Boss of the 100th Floor, they will not be shaken as long as they have me."


    With an evil grin, I concluded the basis of the scene we would be acting in.


    "A-Amazing! As expected of my liege. I have nearly no idea of your rationale since they are on another level, but I do know that it is phenomenal" Wrath spoke in awe.


    What did I expect? Wrath is the least intelligent of the 7 Deadly Sins. While his strength is nearly unparalleled, his intellect leaves much to be desired of.


    "His body was my initial choice for revival... Too bad the mental capacity was not nearly enough to contain all my memories and consciousness." I thought to myself.


    "I think I get it... Even if hundreds of men have died in this Raid, the appearance of one man who has enough power to rece even a thousand of them bnces the tragedy that has urred!" Shamac quickly mentioned.


    Exactly. The Adventurer''s Guild, as well as the people of Lamar, will look unto me as the only Adventurer they''ll ever need to fully feel safe.


    "Indeed. However, for that to happen, the master has to give the people an absolutely terrifying sight that is even more despairing than the death of hundreds of Adventurers..." Ruth mentioned.


    Her cold analysis makes her take after ROOT even more, I like it.


    "Yes, that''s where Wrathes in. We''re currently standing by the edge of the Vanishing Dungeon. Wrath will forcefully break out from within, and wreak havoc, killing a few hundred people. The casualty doesn''t matter, as long as everyone equally feels despair." I responded.


    Once that happens, I''m sure the Adventurer''s Guild will send in their best. I heard the Guildmaster is currently away, so the Vice will have to suffice.


    Jared won''t being due to the trauma he had when fighting me. That''s a good thing though.


    "In Wrath''s current state, he may not be able to handle that kid"


    The others will be pieces of cake though.


    "Once you''ve caused enough damage as Wrath, Boss Monster of the 100th Floor, I''ll appear and we''ll have our showdown." I smiled.


    "Of course, to make it absolutely terrifying, you''ll have to use shy moves to allow them know your power. This way, when I defeat you, they''ll be able to ce my powers on an even higher level."


    Wrath nodded instantly, clearly excited for what is toe.


    "To think I''ll be fighting the Master again, how scary," He said with a slightly nervous look.


    Now that I havepletely absorbed the Nether Core, my level of power has transcended anything I had since I revived.


    Even in full power, Wrath is no match for me. But, that won''t be a problem.


    "You don''t need to worry. I won''t be fighting you..." I said to my flustered General.


    Immediately, a portion of my separated from the main one, forming another figure. In an instant, the formless mass ofher essence took the shape of a man, wearing my Adventurer attire and had my exact features.


    "... I will!" The clone I generated said.


    Since I have the key to making new beings like ROOT, I can instantly split off portions of my body and assign programs to run them.


    "I could split my consciousness to control that body too, but it''ll be too bothersome ying a noble hero. I''ll leave it to Program: Rio" I said, waving off the stares that surrounded me.


    Besides, it might be usefulter on... When I decide it''s time to leave Lamar.


    "Why can''t you just face Wrath without using a clone?" Shamac suddenly asked.


    Ruth and Wrath immediately turned to Shamac with shocked expressions. Even I stifled augh upon hearing this.


    It seems he still doesn''t understand how powerful I''ve be.


    "You should watch this match carefully and see how powerful just a portion of myself is," I told him.


    "H-How much power did you give it?" Wrath asked, bracing himself for the fight toe.


    "Oh? Not even up to five percent." I replied.


    It''s only one percent, but he doesn''t need to know that little detail.


    "I-I see..." Wrath said, smiling.


    "Oh, and one more thing... My clone might end up being a little rough with you. But don''t mind it. After the fight, you''ll be dulypensated..." I smiled at my General.


    This sparked Wrath''s curiosity, instantly beaming with his eyes widening with interest.


    "I''ll reconstruct you, this time restoring your full power!"


    A wide grin instantly formed on his face. This incentive was too much to pass up.


    "Understood, my Lord. I''ll be sure to carry out my duties perfectly!"


    [The Present]


    I watched as the object of my creation, a mere fragment of my power, decimated Wrath. Using the explosion as a smokescreen, he retreated to my side, leaving Rio Xarion at the scene.


    The crowd all looked up at their savior with grateful and relieved expressions.


    "Is everyone okay?" He said with a concerned look.


    It is done.. A hero has been born.

 Chapter 166 - Return From Hell

    "RIO! RIO!! RIO!!!"


    The entire audience screamed as the tinum Adventurer emerged victorious in his fight against the Boss Monster, Wrath.


    I couldn''t help butugh where I sat, watching everything unfold. Ruth, Shamac, and I observed the scene from within the Vanishing Dungeon, viewing everything from the massive hole in the wall.


    Ruth had generated a barrier in our sphere, making us invisible.


    >Fwooosh<


    A warbling red light appeared behind me. I smiled and turned to see the cause.


    "L-Lord Hexarion... I did it!" Wrath smiled slightly, surrounded by the red aura remnant from his teleportation.


    "Good work. You have done well" I responded, looking back at the hero.


    The fight was satisfactory. He had earned his reward.


    That will have to wait though. It''s almost time, after all. I turned back to watch the conclusion of the event I caused.


    "Let''s wrap this up nicely"


    In a sh, Rio descended from his height and came among the people. He nced sharply to his side and saw the naked and badly damaged body of the Vice Guildmaster.


    When the man was falling helplessly at the time, Rio had quickly swept up and caught him,nding safely, before venturing to fight Wrath.


    "I came toote... Damn it!" Rio said, tightly gripping his fist in frustration.


    The crowd gathered around him, wondering what he intended to do with the Vice Guildmaster''s barely alive body.


    "This is the least I can do..."


    Squatting slowly, he ced his hand on Rai''s body, and one of the five rings on his fingers glowed.


    >Shiiiiinnngggg<


    A brilliant golden light shone, blinding the onlookers as they diverted their eyes.


    The burn marks on Rai''s body faded, and his hair, as well as the scarred portions of his body, healed.


    In a few moments, the man was wholly healed. Rio also summoned arge cloth, using it to cover the nakedness of the man as he slept.


    "W-Woah!!!"


    "A-Amazing. He healed him in an instant!"


    "Not only does he possess such devastating power, but he is also capable of this? Just how strong is he?"


    "Is this the power obtained from the Vanishing Dungeon?!"


    Rio heard these murmurs from the crowd and then stood upright.


    This made them cease their words as they all nced at him with both respect and fear, being like a man who resembled a god.


    >Vooom!!<


    Suddenly, a gust of wind flowed, sweeping through the audience as a couple of figures approached swiftly.


    A group of 12 individuals, clothes in distinct attires, donning at least 4 Relics appeared before Rio, causing the crowd to retreat. In an instant, a bright blue barrier surrounded Rio, shaped like a translucent pyramid.


    "You are-" Rio mumbled as he observed their appearances.


    Their faces were covered, so one couldn''t discern their identities, having most of their skin covered by materials that contained a high concentration of Aspects.


    In an instant, they had secured the body of the unconscious Vice Guildmaster, now looking apprehensively at him.


    Rio wasn''t supposed to say anything. After all, as special agents of the Guild, their existence wasn''t made known to Adventurers, only the higher echelon of the Adventurers Guild.


    Of course, he knew all about them due to the memories and data embedded in him.


    "You know who we are...?" The one who appeared to be the leader asked, having a thick voice, though her figure suggested she was feminine.


    "And if I say I do?" He asked in a confrontational manner, ring at the group.


    "You''ll need toe with us, now. We apologize for the sudden request and inconvenience. But, as one who has achieved the impossible, and the first to return from the Vanishing Dungeon... You are required toe with us!" The woman said with an authoritative tone.


    As an agent of justice, such was her job. However, even if he was ying the hero, Rio still wouldn''t take such an attitude from someone like her. Especially since he had just saved their cowardly selves from utter destruction.


    "So now you appear, uh? Where were you when the monster wreaked havoc? Hiding in your dens?" Rio responded defiantly.


    "You would do well to mind your tone! Even as a tinum Ranked Adventurer, I still remain your superior, and you are bound by the rules of the Guild, rules you agreed to!" She said in irritation.


    Rio looked around him, seeing the remaining eleven agents all on standby. All eleven of them were at the other side of the barrier he was trapped on, only leaving the leader to keep himpany.


    "They''re being cautious..." Rio thought to himself.


    These people were special agents of the Adventurers Guild. Each of them has been said to be on the level of a tinum Ranked Adventurer, and their function is to keep Adventurers in check.


    They are one of the reasons the Adventurers Guild maintained its high status and the major seat of power within Lamar, and why Adventurers could not defy them even if they wanted to.


    "Nice barrier. I''m guessing it blocks off sound, among other things, and is nearly indestructible from within. Why? You don''t want the people to know whatever business you have with me?" Rio asked, smiling at the angry woman before him.


    "Just shut up ande with us!"


    That was it. He had tolerated enough


    "Or what? Do you think you make me?" Rio asked, instantly releasing an intense amount of pressure.


    "Keukk!" The leader let out in shock as her body became petrified, unable to move as a result of the overwhelming force which filled the barrier.


    "Leader!" The remaining agents standing outside protested as they saw the woman struggle within the inescapable prison.


    Rio noticed their re as they prepared to use lethal force to subdue him since he defied their leader.


    "Oh? You guys too, uh..."


    Immediately, the sturdy pyramid shattered, breaking apart in an instant as Rip expanded the pressure he exerted within the prison.


    "W-Wha-?!"


    Before they could protest in shock, they became affected by the crushing feeling of Rio''s overpowering aura.


    Immediately, they fell on their knees and trembled in subjection.


    "Do not dare tomand me... Especially when you did nothing to avert the disaster that threatened everyone here" Rio said, ring condescendingly at their fearful eyes.


    At that moment, they knew they had just made a terrible mistake by provoking the wrong person.


    "I knew he was strong... To be able to defeat that monster the Vice Guildmaster couldn''t even scratch... But, to think he still had this much power after using so much... W-What is he?!" The leader thought to herself as she helplessly trambled, using all her strength to still stand in the presence of absolute domination.


    "P-Please... S-Stop. Y-You''ve proven your point... Please..." The leader mumbled, struggling to croak out little sounds in words.


    Upon observing the suffering of everyone around, Rio contemted whether he was taking things too far. Even the grateful crowd were looking frightened by his disy of strength.


    "I should stop now..."


    Rio sighed, and then inhaled sharply, instantly retracting the crushing aura he exerted. The tormented agents instantly fell unconscious after he released them their pain, leaving only the leader clinging on to her dignity.


    "Now then, can you start over? What business do you have with me?" Rio asked.


    "S-Sorry..." She whispered in an ashamed tone.


    "What was that?" He pushed, narrowing his eyes.


    "Eeek!" She squeaked upon ncing at his sharp re.


    "I''m, no, we are sorry for treating you so discourteously. Also for failing to appear to defend against the monster. Since it was a sudden attack, it took some time to prepare. By the time we were ready, the Vice Guildmaster had been defeated, and you suddenly appeared." The woman exined.


    "I see... I also apologize for taking things too far. I thought you had abandoned the people and only came to try something suspicious." Rio said with a sigh.


    Upon hearing this, the uneasy crowd, who were frightened by Rio''s subjugation of the Guild''s Special Agents, let go of their fear.


    "H-He did it for us!"


    "Sir Rio... He truly..."


    "We misjudged him again... Oh..."


    Rio smiled to himself.


    "Foolish people. How easy it is to manipte them. It''s a good thing I''ve regained their favor"


    Now that he had cleared the air, he decided to make peace with the Special Agents. He would need them someday, after all.


    "That will have to wait though. It''s finally time..." He mumbled to himself, looking above him to see the Vanishing Dungeon.


    A bright blue light shone from the massive structure, calling the attention of everyone present as they witnessed the magnificent glow which filled the sky.


    Everyone recognized this sight. It was what they were all here for, the reason for their excitement. Though the major giddy feelings within them had wanted due to the havoc that had been wrought by the monster, their eyes still brightened at the sight of the sign above them.


    The Adventurers were finally returning!


    "And now it begins, the tragedy of the Dungeon" Rio smiled, saying the same thing his source owner thought.


    As I witnessed my building glow, I knew the game hade to an end. It''s time for a new phase.


    Rio will take care of things on his end. I''ll be settling other matters.


    "Ruth, let''s go!"


    My stoic-looking subordinate nodded, snapping her fingers instantly.


    The barrier around the four of us glowed brighter, and in an instant, we vanished from our location.


    >SHOOOOOOO<


    One by one, the Adventurers appeared below the Dungeon which was designated for their return.


    Instead of sounds of victory which filled the air in the previous years, and bright looks of sess, the Adventurers who appeared one after the other wore the same look in their eyes.


    Despair.


    After a few moments, the glowing stopped.


    "Eh? I-Is that all of them...?" The crowd asked in shock.


    The numbers, whenpared to those who ventured was drastically small.


    The few dozen Adventures who appeared began to mumble in broken tears and shaken spirits.


    "H-Hell... He-Help... H-Hell..."


    The people, the Adventuers, the Agents... Everyone present began to get a glimpse of the bleak future that awaited Lamar.


    "Perfect!" Rio thought to himself.


    His source, Hexarion, would be pleased.

 Chapter 167 - Heros Requiem

    In a mountain region, a great distance from the Adventurers City or any form of civilization, space began to distort.


    >SHUUUUU<


    A blue portal warbled as it grew wider. Slowly, a figure appeared from within it. Having the appearance of a child, he emerged from the tear in space.


    "This should be far enough..." He mumbled, looking around him to confirm his safety.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, he fully came out of the portal, closing it the instant hended on the ground.


    Jared, former Hero of Lamar, had now deserted his City.


    "H-He''s going toe for me sooner orter... I have to-"


    Before he couldplete his sentence, a sharp light appeared before him, beaming from the sky.


    "Keukk" He groaned as he braced himself from the massive gust of find that enveloped the area as a result of the sudden light.


    "You''re smarter than I gave you credit for, Jared" A voice appeared from the light which had already begun to dissipate.


    "Y-You... You''re-" Jared''s eyes widened as he saw the silhouette slowly advance, recognizing the man who appeared.


    The one who led him to his humiliating defeat, one who severely inflicted trauma upon him.


    "R-Rio?!" Jared eximed.


    [My Turn]


    "Wrong, that''s not who I am" I answered.


    The Rio everyone wille to know is currently in Lamar.


    The light ceased, revealing my full form clearly, as well as Ruth, Shamac, and Wrath behind me.


    The sudden appearance of the four of us made Jared take a few steps back in apprehension.


    He appeared confused by my words. Since he only knows me as Rio, it''s strange for him that I deny that name.


    "So, while your city was being destroyed, you used the chaos to escape. How cold of you, Jared. Is that truly an action worthy of a ''Hero''?" I asked with a smirk, enjoying myself.


    "What did you want?"


    Jared interrupted my question as he red at the suddenpany he had. Well, it seems he would rather go straight to the point. Me too!


    "I let you live thest time, but this is the end, kid" I replied.


    Even though he was frightened of me, he still made a defiant re. I suppose no one would like to die.


    "I''m sorry to inform you, but I don''t have any intention of dying today. Even though I can''t beat you... I-"


    A smile formed on my face and I burst into an amusedugh.


    "You''re quite the joker, Jared. To think you had a say in the matter. Almost amusing enough to spare you, since your ability is interesting..." I spoke, still chuckling under my breath.


    But, I can''t show him any mercy.


    "... It''s nothing personal"


    Realizing nothing could be done to convince me, Jared resorted to the only means avable to him.


    Struggle!


    "nk Canvas" He mumbled underneath his breath.


    Instantly, we were transported to his pseudo world, one which he ruled as the invincible one.


    I looked around the empty expanse and noticed it was only Jared and me that were present.


    "Smart move. You prevented the others from entering" I said to the boy floating some distance from me.


    "Only those I allow are given ess to this ce. I don''t think I''ll be able to do anything if I have to fight all four of you at once" Jared responded with a nervous smile, preparing for what would appear to be his final battle.


    "Interesting logic, but still futile. Just I will be enough to finish this quickly..." I mumbled.


    "You sure about that? Last time you seemed pretty exhausted after ending things. And this time, I don''t n on making the same mistakes again. I won''t underestimate you!" Jared red, releasing the abundant Aspects within him as they swirled about, forming a massive torrent around him.


    What a stupid guy. He''s already underestimating me though.


    I stretched forth my hand and immediately arge sickle appeared.


    It glowed with a dark and eerie aura, tainting the all-white surrounding with its dark color. I saw the look on Jared''s face as he observed the weapon I summoned.


    Grabbing the dark object instantly, I felt the power well up within it, my ''Reaper''s Scythe'', and smiled.


    "Anyst words, Hero? I''ll grant you that much at least"


    He clenched his fists in an enraged fashion and screamed, projecting millions of weapons around us.


    "That''s no good. You should know by now that-" I said while shaking my head.


    He can''t beat me with quantity.


    Jared let out a smile, still summoning more of his highly powerful weapons.


    One of them could pass as a Sacred Grade Relic, and they numbered in tens of millions, even reaching hundreds at this point.


    "He''s gotten stronger" I muttered


    Suddenly, the entirety of ''nk Canvas'' began to tremble as the multitude of energy converged, allbining to form a single de.


    The golden sword immediately flew to Jared''s hand as he grasped it tightly.


    His eyes darted to me in a determined manner, refusing to back down at this point.


    "It seems you really want to live that badly" I smiled as I watched him.


    I also consider it a waste killing him, but it has to be done. After all, my prize lies beyond this defective kid''s shell.


    Watching this magnificent disy of power makes me wonder though.


    "If this is the power of a mere failure, how great will the sessful ones be?"


    I can feel a slight tingle of excitement just thinking about it. Now then, it''s about time to end this.


    "I''ve poured all my power into this de. It''s stronger than yourst weapon!" Jared said, slightly wincing as the overwhelming power surged through him.


    The devastating force and pressure it emitted made the world around us tremble in its presence.


    He''s right. My ''Cleaver'' of that time is weaker than the de he has on him. That means he currently possesses a Divine Grade Treasure. Perhaps I''ll take it for observation after I''m done with him.


    As the both of us watched each other from our distance, each wielding world-destroying weapons, we made our moves simultaneously.


    >BOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    The entire space shook and cracked apart upon the impact of both weapons as his sword chinked at my Scythe.


    However, it was all a futile struggle.


    >Cling< >ng< >ng<


    Our arms danced as they parried the move of the other in a sh


    >Skreeeeee<


    The sharp edges of our weapons shed, sending sparks of utter destruction flying around, causing little booms around.


    Jared strained himself to keep out with the power and speed I exhibited while flinging my weapon half-heartedly to gauge the genuine strength of his Treasure.


    "Not bad" I smiled.


    After exchanging several blows, all encapsted in a single moment, I swung my weapon using a little more strength than usual, sending Jared''s body flying away as a result.


    "Keukk!!!" He groaned feeling pain all over him.


    I don''t want to drag this out anymore. Doing so will ruin the Treasure he has on him, and I can''t have that.


    I guess it''s time to wrap things up.


    "Unleash Properties: Reaper"


    Immediately, my Scythe responded to themand I gave it. Usually, my weapons are in a stable state, and ROOT determines how much power is released by them. But, since it is no longer present, I''ll have to do so manually.


    >ZUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!<


    My Treasure roared ominously, covering my vicinity in darkness. Well, not necessarily darkness. This is just nothingness.


    One of the few Divine Grade Treasures I possess with my Aspect as its core quality.


    "Being an end to everything as they return to a time before the beginning"


    I raised this ominous weapon as the void spread across the room. Preparing a strike, I paused for some moments and watched Jared to see how he would respond.


    His bulging eyes showed fear and despair as he watched the end of everything draw closer.


    "No! Not yet!" He yelled.


    Realizing that if he didn''t make his stand now, he would be swallowed by the advancing aura and get destroyed, Jared also raised his sword.


    The golden weapon radiated brightly, causing more rumblings around us.


    On my side was nothing but darkness, while on his side remained the white environment of nk Canvas. With both weapons raised, our respective sides became more prominent with the aura we emitted.


    "Die!!!" Jared yelled, bringing his sword down as he sent a massive force of golden light to me.


    The iing attack tore through the darkness that was approaching him as they made their way to me in an instant.


    I was right! Wrath would be no match for Jared in his weakened state. Even with his full power, unless he used his Treasure, he wouldn''t win.


    A Hero is truly scary... But not to me.


    I brought down the single hand I used to hold up the Reaper''s Scythe, sending an endless wave of nothingness to the iing attack.


    >Vwoooom<


    The void swallowed Jared''s attack, as well as everything else in nk Canvas, all in a single moment.


    "Return" I mumbled


    In that instant, everything the wave of nothingness swallowed returned to the Scythe I held.


    Jared, his weapon, nk Canvas.... Everything became mine.

 Chapter 168 - Second Encounter

    >SHUUUUUUU<


    The darkness dissipated and got absorbed into my Treasure, which in turn became integrated with my body.


    "You never had a chance, to begin with. Fool" I mumbled.


    Now then, it''s time to begin with what I intended from the start.


    I closed my eyes and used one of my many Abilities.


    "Memory Intrusion"


    Instantly, I felt my consciousness get pulled into a deep abyss. The familiar feeling of venturing into strange territory, one which the ruler was one other than a god, returned to me


    "YOU''RE BACK¡­ WHAT A SURPRISE"


    I smiled as I heard the overly imposing voice permeating around the endless seas of darkness.


    "Of course, I said I would, didn''t I?" I responded.


    "¡­.."


    The artificial god kept silent, as though pondering on my sudden arrival. It must have sensed something was wrong.


    "Is this how you wee me after ourst discussion? How cold¡­" I said, feigning a hurt expression.


    "YOU ARE DIFFERENT SOMEHOW¡­ SOMETHING ABOUT YOU HAS CHANGED¡­" The god mentioned.


    So it has finally noticed.


    "YOU''RE STRONGER NOW¡­ EVEN MORE THAN I AM. WHAT DID YOU DO? WHO ARE YOU?" It reacted.


    In its entire existence, I''m sure this God has never encountered any being stronger than it other than the Primordials.


    To be confronted by me, in its mindscape, the nervousness this entity must feel should be overwhelming.


    "Thest time we met, you mentioned how easily you could dispose of me. Why don''t you try saying that now?" I said.


    "¡­.." The god kept quiet.


    That''s right. It''s good to be flustered. The mindscape is one of the most vulnerable points of any being. Sure, their presence is felt even more, and the entire realm is dominated by the owner of the mindscape. But, that also means their core existence is exposed.


    If a stronger beinges into contact with the mindscape of another, they could easily kill the being with nearly zero resistance.


    "W-WHAT DO YOU WANT¡­?!" The artificial god asked.


    "Why are you so flustered? I just want to talk¡­" I replied calmly.


    Of course, I intend to do more than that.


    "Why don''t we conclude our previous conversation? About the Primordials¡­ And Hexarion"


    The god kept silent once again. It seems It''s still contemting what to do. It''s not like there''s much of a choice here.


    "UNDERSTOOD. HOWEVER, I DO NOT SEE A POINT TO THIS CONVERSATION, OR HOW IT BENEFITS YOU." The artificial god spoke.


    "Whenst we spoke, you told me you didn''t know your purpose. Yet, from the way you talked, you clearly seem interested in the Primordial of the Void, nearly to the point of obsession" I responded.


    "Wouldn''t you say those questions have formed some sort of yearning within you? Purpose is all about finding answers to the questions that pervade you."


    The god was quiet as I spoke, appearing to be contemting my words.


    "ARE YOU INSINUATING MY CURIOSITY CONCERNING THE PRIMORDIAL, HEXARION, COULD BECOME A DRIVING FORCE FOR MY PURPOSE?" The artificial god asked.


    I nodded, pleased that it was catching on.


    "THEN IT WILL BE UNFORTUNATE IF THAT IS THE CASE. HEXARION WAS VANQUISHED BY HIS SIBLINGS, MY CREATORS. AS THERE IS NO WAY TO FULFIL THAT YEARNING, THAT CAN ONLY LEAD ME TO DESPAIR" It stated.


    Well then, time to drop the bombshell.


    "Not necessarily. The answer you seek is right before you, or within you¡­"


    Yes. That would be a more apt definition to this.


    The god seemed puzzled by my words, holding suspicion within, but refused to show it.


    "It forgets I''m in its mindscape¡­ Hiding emotions from me is useless" I smiled to myself.


    I couldn''t read this being thest time since it was far more powerful than I was. But now¡­ Doing stuff like reading its mind is nothing.


    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? ARE YOU SAYING YOU¡­"


    "Yes. I am Hexarion, Primordial Of The Void." I grinned.


    My voice echoed in therge expanse, after which followed dead silence. The silence was tense as I waited for the reaction of the entity I invaded.


    "THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE¡­ YOU CAN NOT BE HIM." It answered.


    Sigh. Are we really going to do this?


    "THE PRIMORDIAL, HEXARION, WAS DESTROYED BY THE OTHER PRIMORDIALS. BESIDES, I DO NOT SENSE AN OUNCE OF THE VOID ASPECT WITHIN YOU. NOW THAT I THINK OF IT¡­ I SENSE NO ASPECT FROM YOU. THIS POWER, THIS FEELING YOU GIVE OFF¡­ YOU''RE DEFINITELY STRANGE" The artificial god mumbled, half arguing with me, while also talking to itself.


    It''s conflicted by my words. Even if it seems nearly unbelievable, the curiosity that has welled up within it makes a fragment of its existence want to trust in my words.


    "Nothing is impossible. And I am the very personification of nothing. Therefore¡­ Your words ''That is Impossible'' are urate. I am the impossible" I dered.


    Immediately, in my astral form, I raised my hand and snapped. In an instant, the endless space brightened up, and the darkness began to disperse.


    "W-WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU-YOU''RE DOING?!" The god protested.


    "Flustered, uh? No matter, it''s time to put an end to this charade."


    As the darkness cleared entirely, everywhere became white, just like nk Canvas. Standing directly before me was a being covered in gold as it shimmered.


    Its figure resembled a woman, having long golden hair as its voluptuous figure was covered in bright gold.


    The golden woman appeared embarrassed, covering her face in mortification. Her body trembled as she made silent sobs.


    "Y-you¡­ How Could You¡­!"


    The deepmanding tone of the voice shrunk, revealing a tiny melodious voice.


    I smiled as I watched the entity I have been conversing with throbbing in shame.


    "So this is your true form, how amusing. To think you were female" I teased.


    "Do You Not Have Any Regard At All. I May Be A Failed Venture, But I Am Still A God. You Dare Unclothe Me¡­ Who Are-"


    "I have disrobed many gods in the past, most of which have had far tempting bodiespared to yours. Though, I have to say¡­ You''re not bad. Above average, at least" Imented.


    "Y-you Fiend!" She said in frustrated anger.


    Herposed demeanor has disappeared. This is what happens when one is suddenly unclothed this way. The endless darkness in her mindscape was to prevent me from seeing her true form. It must have been embarrassing to the point that she had to deepen her voice when talking to me within her veil.


    But now, everything is out in the open. Her voice trembled as she squeaked and cried in embarrassment.


    I personally don''t see this as a big deal, but since she has never experienced something like this before, I suppose it''s a natural reaction.


    "Stop Your Lies! You May Be Peculiar, But No One Is Capable Of These Grand Words. The Only Ones Who Can Do Such Are The Primordials. And You Are Not-" She protested, still hesitant to believe me.


    "I am Hexarion! And you, from this moment on¡­ You have two options. You cane with me now and discover your purpose, or rot in here forever." I spoke in amanding tone, interrupting her words.


    Of course, I don''t n to let her live if she refuses to obey me. Her existence is far too dangerous even if she''s of no threat to my current self.


    If this god isn''t on my side¡­ She''ll die.


    "W-well¡­ When You Put It That Way¡­ I Suppose I Have No Choice. You''ll Kill Me If I Refuse, Won''t You?" She mumbled, slowly raising her face to look at me.


    She''s a sharp one. Good, I expect nothing less from a god. With memory fragments from each of the Primordials who contributed to her birth, she should be able to grasp how our kind sees things.


    "I Understand¡­ I Will Listen To You, For Now. As Long As You Truly Are Hexarion, Then I-i¡­ I Don''t Mind" She said shyly.


    "Raise your head then. You can do that much, can''t you?" Imanded.


    Loosening her hand which sped around her face, the artificial god slowly raised her face and revealed the beautiful look.


    Her eyes wererge, filled with golden sparks that seemed endless. While her entire self was golden, her face had a lighter tint, with her cheeks having darker shade due to her blushing. Her nose was small, her lips as well, pursed together awkwardly.


    Her round eyes darted around, confused about what to do.


    Those damn bastards¡­ They were really striving for perfection when they made this being, weren''t they?


    Her figure is above averagepared to the other gods, but her face is definitely among the top ss.


    "You''re beautiful¡­ Do you have a name?" I said with a soft smile, moving closer to her.


    "U-uh¡­ What are you saying¡­?" She muttered, looking away, shyly.


    "I¡­ I don''t¡­"


    Oh, no name. What a shame, but I suppose this is also a good opportunity.


    Her figure is so well proportioned. Excellent.


    In her nude form, I was able to observe every portion of her body. To thest detail.


    "It''s been a while¡­ I can''t wait¡­" I said with an excited smile.

 Chapter 169 - Conclusion

    "It''s been a while¡­ I can''t wait¡­" I said with an excited smile.


    The shimmering body of the artificial god jumped as I mentioned this, looking even more flustered by my words.


    "A-Are you going to¡­" She mumbled.


    Why is she looking so nervous? Isn''t it only natural for me to observe her body in order to decide just what manner of Treasure I will bestow upon her?


    "I can''t have her out there naked like this." I thought to myself.


    Her surrounding would even be affected, and the attention she would draw will also be too much.


    "It''s been a while since I''ve had to pick between my Treasures to fit a subordinate. It''s always exciting trying differentbinations. Your figure is fine, worthy of my top-grade inventions." I said to her.


    "O-Oh¡­ So that''s what you meant¡­" Her voice trailed.


    I sense relief and disappointment within her. What a paradoxical mix. Oh well, let us begin.


    "Your name will be Lumia. From this moment on, you are mine. Do you have anything to say?" I asked.


    "Lumia¡­ T-That''s a lovely name. But are you really sure you want me as a subordinate? I''m a failed god after all. If you desire strength, you''re already far stronger than I am. Besides, interfering with me will only bring more trouble. The Primordials who created me are-"


    "That''s enough. If there was no merit in having you, I wouldn''t have bothered. Now, give me the response I desire." I cut her words short, stretching my hands to her as I smiled confidently.


    Her eyes beamed as she gazed upon my being, and I could feel her emotions welling up.


    "She''s mine!" I grinned within.


    "I-I ept. My name is Lumia¡­ And I am the Primordial,Hexarion''s subordinate." She answered swiftly, grabbing my hand.


    Good going, Lumia. Now then, let''s get you all dressed up.


    [Meanwhile]


    "What the hell happened?!" Shamac let out in protest.


    Hexarion had suddenly vanished alongside Jared, leaving the three subordinates alone in the vast area surrounded byrge mountains.


    "It appears the master got taken into Jared''s nk Canvas. He must have avoided including us since that would be too much for him to handle" Ruth spoke sinctly.


    Since she has her memories as both Ana and Root, she knew very well about Jared and his past with Hexarion.


    "Interesting... Well then, how long do you think it''ll take before he is back?" Wrath asked with a grin, being the only one unaware of the enemy his master was currently up against.


    "Not very long. nk Canvas exists outside the normal bounds of this world." Ruth responded.


    "Yeah, time flows differently there too, since it''s under the domain of Jared. That bastard... Thest time the Boss went against him, he passed out after winning." Shamac added.


    He didn''t know how such a kid could make Hexarion that much exhausted, but that was a testament to his power.


    "Oh. I see. But, Master won in the end, right?" Wrath asked.


    "Y-Yeah..." Shamac responded, still not used to talking to Wrath.


    Even though they were now on the same side, he remembered how brutal he was in their fight.


    "The Boss also mentioned that this isn''t his full form. What a monster..." Shamac thought to himself.


    >Kkkrrriiiiichhhh<


    A screeching sound suddenly echoed through the valley, and a tear in space began to form.


    The hole grewrger until it wasrge enough for argely built human to pass through.


    >Zuuuuuuu<


    A low hum filled the air as sparks of ck spilled out of the dark hole and a silhouette seemed to appear out of the deep.


    Shamac''s worried expression found relief after seeing what resembled a man proceed from the dark spot.


    "Looks like he''s back" Wrath smiled.


    "That didn''t take very long, as expected of Lord Hexarion..." Ruthmented.


    Suddenly, her eyes disyed shock as she observed that her master was not alone. Two figures were proceeding from the portal.


    Hexarion was being apanied by another being... A woman.


    "W-Who is she?!" Ruth asked within herself.


    [My Turn]


    "Ah, it''s almost like I never left" Imented, appearing in the normal world, with Lumia right behind me.


    Shamac and Wrath looked pleased to see me, but... What''s with Ruth''s expression.


    She looks disturbed.


    Her deep re seemed so intense that I mistook it for hostility until I realized I wasn''t the object of her contempt.


    Slightly tilting my head, I followed her gaze and found her target.


    "Lumia, eh?" I chuckled to myself.


    As I fully stepped out of the gate alongside Lumia, the dark portal behind me crackled as it vanished.


    "Wee back, Lord Hexarion," My subordinates all said in unison, even Ruth, though I can tell she''s troubled.


    "Ruth, do you have anything you want to say?" I asked.


    She shook a little upon hearing my first words directed toward her.


    "Nothing, master. I was just curious about the being behind you. She appears to resemble a human, only outwardly, but I sense the same Aspect signatures of a god''s on her. She appears to be a dangerous existence" Ruthmented.


    Oh, is that it?


    "Ah, yes. I should probably introduce you all to the new addition to my collection." I said.


    "Step forward, Lumia."


    Upon hearing mymand, the failed goddess advanced slowly, looking at everyone shyly.


    They all stared at her, taking in her glorious appearance. Of course, only I can take credit for this.


    After all, I clothed her with only the finest essories within my Treasuries.


    "Ah, she looks good on my Treasures." I thought to myself.


    Here is another masterpiece.


    With a golden tiara on her long flowing hair, her cute face shone brilliantly in the Caucasian skin design I made for her to hide the intense golden glow she possesses. Her two lobes had exquisite earrings adorning them, and a golden pendant with diamond inscriptions was on her neck.


    Her short dress was dyed in magnificent shimmers of gold, with dark stockings and a lovely pair of glowing shoes. With an adorning bracelet on one hand and a ring on the other, she appeared morous.


    She also had a long flowing jacketbeled in ck, calming the excessive brightness a little.


    "This is Lumia, and she will being with us from this moment on," I exined.


    I''ll have to exin quite a few things to Wrath and Ruth since they both have the tendency to view her with suspicion.


    With Root as a close aid of mine, and Wrath as one of my Generals, they are aware of the enmity between me and the gods.


    As for Shamac, he''s currently the only one out of the loop.


    I''ll need to educate him properly as well.


    For the next stage, everyone needs to be on the same page.


    "Nice to meet you all. I anticipate our journey together, as I will learn even more about you all and this world." Lumia said to everyone with aposed smile.


    It seems as long as it''s not me, she has no problem maintaining her dignified facade.


    "Hehe, if Lord Hexarion picked you up, then you must be pretty decent! My name is Wrath, make sure to please our master well!" Wrath spoke with a confident grin.


    As a strict follower of the dogma, Wrath will never go against my decisions.


    "I-I''m Shamac. It''s a pleasure to m-meet you..." Shamac spoke, blushing.


    Sigh, even with Ruth beside him he doesn''t stop, does he?


    "I''m Ruth. Lord Hexarion''s closest aide. Never forget it." Ruth spoke, bearing no form of friendliness as she red at Lumia.


    "I will keep your words in mind," Lumia said to everyone, ignoring the aggressiveness in Ruth''s introduction.


    It seems Ruth still possesses Ana''s infatuation with me. The only difference now is that with Root''s calctive personality, she''s more objective in her actions.


    She won''t impulsively act toward Lumia, as long as thetter behaves herself. She''s also more concerned about my wellbeing, prioritizing my orders and not her jealousy... Unlike Talia.


    "Lumia is a god, an artificial one, but one nheless. She resided within Jared, giving him the power he had." I revealed.


    Ruth and Shamac disyed shock, while Wrath smiled in amusement.


    "There also appear to be others like her around. The Primordials seem to be hell-bent on creating one sessfully. They may have already aplished this" I added.


    "T-The Primordials? Gods... What are you on about, Boss?" Shamac asked in confusion.


    I suppose now is a good time like any other to reveal it.


    Ruth and Wrath are already aware.


    "Shamac. You''ve proven yourself to be a loyal and vital servant of mine. I have quite a great deal of ns for you. You know of my identity to an extent, so now Ita time you be aware of my ns." I said, moving closer to the nervous boy.


    Grabbing his shoulder with one of my hands, I brought my face closer to his and gave him a sick smile.


    "It''s simple, really. I want to destroy this WORLD."


    "A-Ah...?" He mumbled in shock.


    "Now then, what do you say to that, Shamac?" I asked.


    Herees the true test. He can''t lie to me since I can read his Aspects. Therefore, to be able to ensure that he advances with me, I need to know whether he is capable of walking down this path.


    "... T-That''s insane..." Shamac muttered as he trembled.


    Oh? But there''s something else, isn''t there? Tell me what you think Shamac... Show it!


    "... But, that''s just...S-So Cool!" He beamed excitedly.


    Correct answer!


    "You pass, kid. Well done..." I smiled back at his childlike face which disyed admiration toward me.


    "Since the opposition has started making their moves... The Royals, the Apostles, the Heroes, The gods... And my dear siblings, the Primordials, It''s only reasonable we act too." I said, moving away from the cluster of four Subordinates.


    Staring high into the sky, I can see the total makeup of this false existence that has entrapped everyone within it... My ignorant siblings, and even myself.


    But not for long.


    "I will make sure to transcend everything and truly be free!"


    <strong>Such is the will of I, Hexarion.... Primordial Of The Void!</strong>

 Chapter 170 - Premonition Of War

    The entire room was white, filled with decorations glittering with silver and several diamonds. The drapes had exquisite embroidery, decorating the veryrge hall.


    A massive table was set in the center of the hall, and thirteen seats were ced there.


    Six chairs were ced opposite each other, while one massive one was ced vertically, facing the twelve.


    Each seat was upied by individuals d in white, all talking amongst themselves in what seemed like a heated discussion. While some remained silent, most argued, raising their voices.


    >Tap<


    The slight sound made by mashing one''s finger on the table instantly silenced the noise which pervaded the room.


    "That is enough...!" A deep voice spoke, drawing the attention of the twelve who sat.


    "You all know why we are gathered here..."


    The man who spoke, appearing to be old with age, was dressed more mboyantly than the rest, with a glowing staff on his hands, and several rings and ornaments about him, most likely to be Relics.


    "Now is not the time to argue amongst ourselves..." He added.


    After a brief moment of silence, the now calmer group made gestures signifying their wish to speak.


    "Yes, Virgo. You may speak." The man said, permitting one of the few who raised their hands.


    "Thank you, O Holy One." The young-looking woman said, bowing her head as she rose.


    Now, everyone''s attention was fixated on her.


    "This council is aware of the urrence that gues us. Yet, we argue meaninglessly about other matters. When shall we address the main problem?!" The one called Virgo protested.


    "And what would that be?" Another who sat at the table asked abruptly.


    "Ehem!" The Holy one cleared his throat, causing the interrupter to fall silent, looking apologetically.


    "Four Apostles of my Sect have already been killed, yet no one wishes to address this! Out of those four, two were disciples, one was a fully-fledged Apostle, while one... Gratiana was my direct sessor! This can not simply be overlooked!" Virgo said, smacking her hands on the table.


    Silence filled the air once again as the ones gathered at the table looked at the old man before them.


    He used his hand to stroke the long beard that followed from his chin while considering Virgo''s words.


    "I see... What you have said is indeed true. However, you are wrong in thinking that the Council is nonchnt about the death of four Apostles. We are all aware of what has urred." He said in a slow tone.


    "T-Then-"


    "But, we will not make any careless moves. The enemy has carefully concealed themselves for this long, and in such a short span, they have managed to neutralize four of our agents, even one who was recognized to seed you after your ''Ascension''."


    "What do you intend to do, Virgo?" He asked.


    "Holy One, please give me permission. I will personally hunt down the perpetrators and-"


    "That is enough. It seems you are letting your emotions get the better of you. Have you forgotten the Apostle''s teachings, Constetion #5?" The man said, narrowing his eyes as he red at Virgo.


    This instantly drove a chill down her spine.


    "N-Not at all!" She quickly responded.


    In Apostleship, one''s personal feelings did not matter. Only faith toward the gods and absolute obedience toward theirmand was epted.


    "My being is entirely loyal to the gods and our cause" Virgo assured.


    "Good. Then let us not lose perspective. In the Grand scheme of things, those deceased have only be martyrs, dying for the noble cause of the gods." The Holy Onemented.


    Virgo nodded, clenching her fist in frustration as she returned to her seat.


    A man who sat quickly raised his hands after the dissatisfied woman sat, drawing attention to himself.


    "Yes, Aries. What do you have to say?" The Holy One asked.


    "Oh, brilliant light of the gods. You have spoken well indeed. However, it is still my humble submission that this matter can not be overlooked!" Ariesmented with a bow.


    "Oh? Go on..."


    "Thank you, Holy One. The infidels who wrought this, not only warred against our agents, nor Virgo, their head... But also the gods themselves. As such, they should be treated as infidels, deserving of divine retribution" Aries said with a scowl on his face.


    "I see. You have truly presented this matter in a better way than Virgo. Well then, tell me how you intend on going about it" The wry old man asked.


    "I do not find myself worthy to give a suggestion. You are wise enough to reach a conclusion. I merely offered my humble opinion." Aries smiled.


    "Hmmn, I see. Very well. You may return to your seat.


    Once again, Aries bowed before returning to his seat.


    Virgo gritted her teeth even more after watching the entire exchange. Despite it being her cause, the annoying man directly opposite her had once again managed to steal the spotlight.


    "Aries is right. This infidel has wrought a deration of war against the gods by killing four of the chosen ones before their time of ''Ascension''. Therefore, they should be punished ordingly." The old man said, slightly raising the staff he gripped tightly.


    "Virgo and Aries. You two will work together in order to find this singrity and tame it before it gets out of hand. Use whatever means necessary to eliminate the threat!"


    Virgo''s face darkened upon hearing this as she red at Aries, who seemed pleased with himself.


    "As one of the 12 Head Apostles, you are to disy the wrath of the gods against this grave sinner... Do you have any objections?" He asked.


    The both of them nodded, maintaining their dignified facade.


    "Very well then... That matter has been settled. Now then, for the next issue at hand..." The man said, ncing toward one of the people who sat closest to him at the table.


    "Libra, speak."


    A thin man, wearing a white hoodie coupled with the robe they all wore, stood as he smiled at everyone present.


    "I am sure you are all aware of the incident that urs at the Adventurers City Of Lamar, the ''Raid Conquest'' in which the Adventurers challenge the Vanishing Dungeon." Libra began with his clear and bright tone.


    The majority of the people present nodded, while a few didn''t bother.


    "Well, the final Boss appeared, causing a great deal of havoc in the city." He continued.


    "Heh, serves them right! That ce is infested with heathens who only believe in their strength, and not the will of the gods." One of the members burst outughing.


    Everyone red at him instantly, causing him to put his pleased expression on hold.


    "Taurus, conduct yourself in a manner befitting of Apostles!" The old man said, tapping his staff in the ground.


    "Eek," He yelped, instantly forming a zip sign on his lips.


    Some of the Apostles chuckled slightly at the sight, finding the reaction funny.


    "Ehem" Libra cleared his throat.


    The audience calmed their sound, and once again focused their attention on him.


    "The Boss monster, ording to my connections, was extremely powerful, besting the Vice Guildmaster, and disyed enough strengthparable, if not greater than the Guildmaster!" Libra continued.


    "How was such a beast defeated, then? If what you say is true, then not even regr Apostles would be able to win. Even Grand Apostles would have to band together to subjugate it. And, since Lamar is a neutral zone, none of our members are stationed there." Virgo asked, finding the entire thing suspicious.


    "Ah, now that''s the interesting part. It was defeated by a new tinum Ranked Adventurer in Lamar..." Libra smiled.


    The seated Apostles exchanged surprised looks, finding it hard to believe their colleague''s words.


    "I know how it sounds. If I wasn''t so certain about my information-gathering ability, I wouldn''t have believed it either. Apparently, he easily subjugated the Monster." Libra mentioned.


    "He goes by the name, Rio."


    "That''s quite unbelievable. But, it''s not too far-fetched if you consider that he might have gotten a Relic powerful enough to defeat the monster from the Dungeon. Perhaps he got the final Treasure there" Ariesmented.


    "That''s true, but... The major bone of contention is the identity of the Boss Monster who was defeated."


    Upon hearing Libra''s words, the interest of everyone was piqued. What could be more important than such a powerful boss defeated by a mere human?


    "The Boss monster imed to be Wrath, one of the Evil One''s Generals," Libra revealed.


    Everyone''s eyes widened upon hearing this. There was ufortable silence everywhere, as each person considered the validity and possibility of this information.


    Of course, there was a chance The monster was lying. But, no beast would be foolish enough to impersonate one of the seven harbingers of destruction."


    "Good work reporting, Libra." The old man interrupted their thoughts.


    Libra bowed his head and returned to his seat, having an ufortable smile on his face.


    "I understand how you all must feel. The appearance of one of the Evil One''s Generals spells a dark foreboding on the world. This matches the Revtion I received just yesterday." The old man said.


    Each Apostle looked at their leader with respect and awe. As the Constetions, leaders of all Apostles in their sects, they stood above even Grand Apostles. The 12 Apostles at the table were the most gifted of all. However... The one who addressed them was on an entirely different level.


    A being whomuned with the gods and brimmed with their power, receiving revtions from the divine ones. He was the ''Prophet''!


    "It appears dark clouds are upon us... As chosen ones of the gods, it is our duty tobat this evil that approaches. This new ''Hero'' Rio, may as well beplicit in this new war that is looming. There is not much time..." The Prophet said.


    "My Constetions, bright stars of the gods...Let us prepare ourselves for the war toe!"


    For the first time, the stern, wrinkled face of the old man slowly changed, turning into a wide grin.


    The sh between good and evil would soonmence.... And as is the absolutew of the world, good would always win!

 Chapter 171 - [Special ]: Part 1

    Ah, what a lovely day.


    I looked at the sky above me and recollected some memories of the past. Insignificant as they might be to my grand n, they remain unforgettable experiences.


    One of them particrly sticks out...


    [The City Of Arita, Rio Xarion''s Residence]


    "Hexarion, we''ve been stuck in the house for too long!" Talia grumbled.


    She seemed bored out of her mind from being in the house all day while I was busy attending to matters that would stabilize Artia before our departure to Lamar.


    "And? What would that have to do with me?" I asked, dismissing herint in an instant.


    There are more pressing things to ponder on.


    "Lord Hexarion, if I may suggest... Perhaps you should take a break..." Ana suddenly suggested.


    Break? Me? What is this girl talking about?


    I turned to her, giving an unbelievable expression.


    "I didn''t mean it that way. I-I just thought it wouldn''t hurt for us to have you to ourselves... Even for a small time." Ana mumbled, looking away.


    I see what this is all about, so that''s how it is.


    My eyes darted to myst ve who remained silent.


    "What is your opinion, Shamac?" I asked.


    He looked unsure of what to say, making me let out a smile.


    I can sense the other two giving him signals with their eyes, as though telling the boy not to mess up.


    "Their actions are too predictable" I mused.


    This is all a grand plot they cooked up to make me spend more time with them. I assume the proponent of this idea would be Talia. She''s the most daring and clingy in these circumstances.


    Ana must have gone along with her n since she also considered it to be a good n. As for Shamac, he''s not very assertive, so I''m sure they scripted what he would tell me.


    "H-Hanging out with Master... Would be really nice..." He muttered shyly.


    Somehow, his slightly reddened face, coupled with how he bowed his head and nudged his body made Shamac look adorable.


    "Should I indulge them?" I asked myself.


    Well, why not? Lorna and the others have put a lot of things in order, and the work is mostly done.


    "Very well. We can all ''hang out'' today" I said.


    "Yayyyyy!!!"


    "Yess! I mean, thank you for indulging our selfishness, master."


    "Hm!"


    Talia, Ana, and Shamac all expressed respectively.


    "Where are we going, Lord Hexarion?" Ana asked in anticipation.


    A wide grin formed on my face. Many would like to assume that I am not knowledgeable when ites to human emotion, but they''re wrong.


    I have lived long before the birth of mankind. I observed many of their habits, and while I was behind in the times at the moment of my revival, I have collected so many memories that I have caught up with thetest trends.


    The perfect ce to spend the day, one which dwells in the minds of many as an object of fantasy...


    "ROOT..." I uttered.


    The Root Of All instantly read my intentions and acted ordingly.


    "<The World Is All Set Master Hexarion!>"


    "< Have Fun (^~^) >"


    What''s with that expression?


    Well, that doesn''t matter now.


    "Let''s go to our vacation spot"


    Instantly, we were all absorbed into ROOT''s space, taking us to a world beyond this one.


    "W-Whoah!!!"


    "So amazing!"


    "This is so beautiful!"


    My ves all beamed at the sight before them.


    A massive space filled with open-air, with little rocks decorating the area. A humid sun hung in the sky and a gentle, cool breeze filled everywhere.


    Most of all... The main attraction.


    "N-No way! Is that-"


    Yes, using ROOT''s special construction, I made this from various images in my head.


    A lovely garden for a pic


    The perfect weather for an outing.


    And, most importantly.


    "A Hot Spring!!!" Talia yelled in excitement.


    Her loud voice caused everyone to cover their ears. My sound reception automatically decreased to avoid the difort hearing her noisy tone would bring.


    She is right though. At the center of the lush garden and amazing weather, is arge pool of steaming water.


    The aroma from this pool made everyone shudder in anticipation, with flower petals floating on the water surface.


    Bubbles asionally popped from the water, but the temperature was just right. I designed it, after all.


    "Now then, everyone. Enjoy" I smiled.


    The girls, who nced at each other excitedly, rushed to the pool, nearing it at a rapid rate.


    "You too Shamac, help yourself," I spoke to the quiet boy gently.


    As soon as I said this, the girls halted. A sudden realization dawned on them.


    I was waiting for the time they would realize.


    "L-Lord Hexarion... You mean to say-"


    "Yes." I smiled at Ana, who was flushed with embarrassment at the thought of it.


    "This is a mixed bath"


    This statement made the body of the girls jump. As no demarcation existed in the perfect world I made, they would need to strip and bathe along with us.


    I looked to my side and saw quite the amusing sight.


    Shamac''s usually stoic lips began to purse into a pleased grin. His eyes also widened in anticipation as his body throbbed.


    "Looks like someone is happy about this" I mused.


    "B-But Lord Hexarion, that would-"


    Before Talia couldplete her sentence, I snapped my fingers, instantly ripping the attire they wore.


    A brief moment of shock existed as the girls tried making sense of what just happened. Their face instantly reddened as they realized they had been stripped naked.


    "Hyaaaaa"


    "Kyaaaa"


    They yelled, instantly covering their most private areas, though it wasn''t too effective.


    I stared at Shamac to see what kind of reaction he would have and I was amused.


    His eyes broadened when more as a wide grin of satisfaction was stered on his face. A slight bulge appeared on his undergarment, but I won''t pry into that.


    Embarrassed by their exposed state, the two girls rushed to the hot water and dived into it.


    >SPLOOSH!<

 Chapter 172 - [Special ]: Part 2

    As the two girls dived into the hot water, waves formed as portions spilled out, creating water droplets.


    The droplets sparkled in reaction to the sunlight''s reflection on it.


    I sensed Shamac''s bulge growrger, making me a little bothered.


    However, this much is nothing. My body is designed to only respond to whatever I desire. Pain, as well as other useless emotions like lust, are nonexistent within me.


    "Well then, I suppose it''s our turn, Shamac" I smiled.


    My attire, alongside Shamac''s, also tore apart, revealing our naked skin.


    My body, being the epitome of perfection glistened in the sunlight, while Shamac''s frail body faded in the background.


    "Kyaaa, Lord Hexarion!"


    "Y-you''re naked!"


    Ana and Talia covered their eyes as I approached the pool.


    I could see them spacing their fingers to catch glimpses though. Clearly, they want to look. I wonder why they can''t just be honest with themselves.


    "Stop making a big fuss" I shrugged.


    I adjusted my body''s sensitivity in order to fully enjoy the pleasures of the Hot Spring.


    I dipped my leg, and then my whole body followed.


    "Ahh, this is very well made..." I moaned, immersing myself within the body of steaming water.


    Shamac followed as well, though his hands covered something in his crotch region while he made an embarrassed look.


    "Why is he looking that way? The girls aren''t even looking at him..." I thought to myself, though I didn''t say anything.


    Finally, with Shamac''s entry into the pond, we all enjoyed the warmth together.


    "Uuuu"


    "Annngggg"


    "Ahhhhh"


    "Hmmmmn"


    "Hiangggg"


    Hearing various moans surrounding me, I felt a little suspicious. Not all of them resemble natural reactions to the pleasure of Hot Spring, but I refused to say anything.


    "Lord Hexarion, doesn''t this feel weird? Doesn''t this make you feel anything at all?" Talia suddenly asked.


    "Weird in what way?" I asked.


    If she''s talking about seeing their naked bodies, then this is no big deal.


    I have seen them naked many times, and I have ess to their bodies whenever I want. With my advanced sight, no matter what they wear, I can always view them nude.


    "Do not bother, Talia. Our Lord feels nothing in that body of his, so he is unaware of how we feel" Ana snapped, sighing.


    Her words had me thinking... Was there truly anything more to this than I thought? I knew viewing the nakedness of others caused humans to feel difort and embarrassment, coupled with arousal. But... I have not experienced it myself.


    "If it''s no big deal, why don''t I see for myself..." My thoughts trailed.


    I closed my eyes and adjusted my body''s sensitivity and emotional capacity, activating the dormant hormone within.


    When I was finished, I felt weird, but nothing too significant.


    "See? It''s no big deal-" I thought, opening my eyes to view the naked ves before me.


    >Thump< >Thump< >Thump<


    My heart started racing.


    Suddenly, I felt heat well up in my body, and an ufortable, yet pleasant sensation coursed through me.


    >Bulge<


    I felt something rise from under me. It kept growing longer, and I wondered how long it would extend. Fortunately, the body water and steam covered it.


    "I''m... Feeling weird..." I stuttered, feeling my heart beat even faster.


    My head suddenly felt dizzy as the influx of the raw nude information entered my brain


    "Hexarion?!" Talia yelled, her eyes filled with concern.


    "Master!" Ana protested.


    The both of them pushed through the waters to reach me, their jiggly breasts bouncing on the water as it sshed.


    This made my heart beat even faster and my appendage underneath responded by growing a few inches more.


    "S-Stay back!" Imanded, flustered by the influx of information causing my body to misbehave.


    They halted, but their concerned look still remained.


    "B-But, your nose!" Talia pointed.


    For the first time, I noticed the red liquid trickling from my nostrils. I felt the substance with my hands and realized it was blood.


    "W-What is the meaning of this?" I muttered in shock.


    I''m bleeding? Impossible!


    This entire thing has been absurd. It all started when I turned on my human emotions and hormones.


    Instantly closing my eyes, I shut down everything that worked in overdrive.


    My heart slowly returned to its original state, and my body rxed. The appendage underneath becameid, bringing me to a relieved state.


    "What happened, Lord Hexarion?" Ana asked, realizing my body had returned to normal.


    Everyone, even Shamac who was silent through my whole ordeal, looked at me with concern.


    "What am I supposed to say?" I thought to myself.


    Somehow, I knew there was no way I could resort to the truth in this situation.


    "It seems I just received an alert from the outside world. Something has gone awfully wrong. I''ll have to leave now!" I quickly said, preparing to warp out of ROOT''s space.


    "Take me out, ROOT!" Imanded.


    "< Right Away! It seems you enjoyed yourself ;) >


    What the hell? ROOT saw everything!?!


    Before I could protest further, my body warped out of the picket dimension, appearing in my house.


    "What the hell was that?" I asked myself.


    Looking down, I still felt some liquid substance hanging around my crotch region... And it wasn''t water.


    Quickly summoning a towel to clean off the slimy white substance, I materialized a dignified attire to cover my naked self.


    "I''m never trying that again" I groaned to myself, making my way outside to forget what had just happened.


    Hopefully, none of them finds out!


    [Within ROOT]


    "I wonder what happened to Lord Hexarion? Is he okay?" Ana mumbled to herself in worry.


    "It''s all our fault. We insisted he spends time with us. Something terrible could have happened..." Talia added.


    Both girls felt guilty for the event that just transpired, however, Shamac remained silent, deep in thought.


    "So, Boss has finally experienced it too..." He smiled in surprise.


    "Don''t worry, master... I''ll keep your secret!"


    [Epilogue]


    After some time, after calming myself, I used Hex to make them all fall asleep, searching their memories for any notions they had concerning the incident.


    Talia and Ana seemed to have innocent misinterpretations, but Shamac seemed to be onto me.


    I cleared his memory of the entire event to prevent any future issues it might cause, and just in case, I did the same for Ana and Talia.


    <strong>No one must be allowed to find out!</strong>

 Chapter 173 - The Simp Saga Of Shamac (Pt 1)

    Shamacy in his room, contemting the various events that had transpired in the past few days. It had not been so long since he lost Talia and Ana.


    His master, Hexarion had reced them with newer, more powerful subordinates. Even though he understood from his lord''s perspective, he couldn''t help but miss the two girls a little bit.


    It wasn''t long, but they had quite a few moments together.


    One of those moments especially stood out...


    [ROOT''s Pocket World: Shamac''s Training Compartment]


    "That''s enough, Shamac" The boss said to me in his usualposed voice.


    "Huff... Huff, I can go on..." I muttered, straining to breathe.


    Trickles of sweat appeared on my skin as my entire body ached due to overexerting myself. Still, I refused to give in to the pain.


    "Any more, and you''ll just drive yourself further into exhaustion. We won''t make any progress with that." He said with a sigh.


    For my master to insist that I rest, that could only mean it was very important.


    "U-Understood!" I wheezed as I spoke.


    My Boss, Hexarion, was currently training me to improve my Abilities within this artificial space he made using a ring he calls ''ROOT''. He was also doing the same for Ana and Talia, ensuring we evolved in order to challenge the Vanishing Dungeon which would soon appear in the real world.


    "Our time is almost up, Shamac. We only have three days within ROOT before the ''Raid Conquest'' begins. Do you understand?" The Boss asked.


    "Yes, I understand..."


    During ourst fight alongside the boss, it was ring to all of us that we were useless. Thanks to our incapability, Lord Hexarion suffered a lot.


    "If only I was stronger!" That was what I thought of at every moment.


    Now that I had been given the opportunity, I didn''t intend to waste it.


    Using normal standards to measure my growth, I would be impressed with my current height. However, I still haven''t perfected the one move I wanted.


    "It''s still not enough..." I muttered to myself.


    "Shamac... You''ll be taking the rest of your day off" The Boss suddenly said.


    My eyes bulged when I heard this. This was a surprise, one of the things Lord Hexarion had never done before.


    "W-wha-?!" I nearly made a protest but managed to stifle it just in time.


    It was preposterous to question Lord Hexarion''s decision.


    "What am I supposed to do while I wait?" I asked, instantly epting his earlier statement.


    "Explore the grounds, sleep, anything you want." He shrugged.


    "Really? Is that it?!" I asked myself in surprise.


    "Yes. Take your mind off of training for today.," He answered in an instant.


    "There are many interesting sights here. Take your time and refresh yourself."


    Before I could furtherment on what he said, the Boss vanished.


    Where he went, I did not know. Even though I was still dumbfounded by the whole thing, I had to admit that my body needed rest.


    "I should heed his words..." I mumbled to myself.


    I crashed upon the devastated ground, surrounded by the scarred earth, a result of the rigorous training I had been undergoing.


    Potholes and massive cracks on the earth were visible all around, couples with explosive marks.


    I had not been kidding around this past couple of days.


    After resting my aching muscles for some time, I grew bored of just lying about and decided to take a stroll.


    After departing, the damaged grounds slowly faded from sight, reced by a beautifulndscape. Flowery greens surrounded me, and I took in the fresh breath of simted nature.


    "Ahh, this feels good!" I exhaled pleasurably.


    Still marveling at the sight around me, my eyes suddenly darted toward a door standing erect in the middle of the garden.


    "What in the world?" I said in confusion.


    There was nothing behind the door, yet it stood alone in the vast expanse.


    Curious about this strange phenomenon, I slowly walked toward the objects and with trembling hands, turned the doorknob.


    My eyes widened in surprise as I saw an entirely different sight behind the door while looking through it.


    I instantly shut the door as a reaction to the weird urrence and tilted my head to see the regr atmosphere.


    "It''s different..." I mumbled.


    The door must have been a gateway to an alternate ne.


    "Does the boss know about this?" I asked myself.


    He most likely did, after all... Everything here is within his domain.


    Once again, I peeked through the door and found the same strange sight.


    "Well, he did say I should explore... I mumbled.


    Deciding to check out the world behind the door, I stepped foot inside the strange ne, entirely passing through to the other side.


    "Whoa!"I eximed, feeling the new sensation of the climate and surroundings.


    It was warmer here, and there was a more pronounced wind.


    The nts also appeared to be smaller, with more trees and stones around.


    "Where am I?" I asked, looking around.


    "Hahahahaha"


    "Hehehehehe"


    I heard two distinctughs emanate from a distance.


    My eyes broadened upon hearing the low and hardly audible voices. At least two more people were here.


    I wasn''t alone in this ce.


    "Who could it be... Oh wait, don''t tell me-"


    Talia and Ana? It had to be. There could be no other person within ROOT... unless I wasn''t in ROOT anymore.


    Deciding to investigate this, I picked up my pace and finally reached close enough to hear their sounds more audibly.


    "Ahhh, this feels so nice" A familiar voice let out.


    "T-Talia?!" My mind rang, instantly recognizing the voice.


    "Really... To think this ce existed here..."


    "Ana?!" I thought to myself.


    The two blissful moans of the girls made my cheeks turn red as my imagination ran wild.


    Just what could those two be up to?


    I decided to advance slowly in order not to raise any rm. Slowly morphing wings behind me, and thinyered feet, I silently approached the sounds of pleasure.


    A sweet aroma wafted through the air as it filled my nostrils. Flowers, coupled with an indescribable fragrance made my body twitch and my mouth water for more.


    The sounds made by the girls didn''t make things any better, making me more excited as I approached the territory.


    "I can''t wait!" I cried internally.


    Transforming my eyes into sharper lenses, I was able to see much further ahead, spanning a few dozen meters.


    The sight I saw made my heart nearly blow out of proportion.


    "T-that is...!"I eximed as my cheeks reddened.


    The girls, some distance from where I stayed, were both immersed in a bath, enjoying each other''spany.


    Their blissful faces, coupled with the voluptuous chests which floated atop the water and their clear skin, caused an instant reaction in my little partner.


    The little beast sprung to life, starting its engine as it kept growing bigger.


    This was the first time I had seen them like this, so my body naturally responded in kind. Ana''s clear skin and dignified person, Talia''s beautiful body and yful look... I wanted them so badly.


    But, those two were nowhere within my reach.


    "Or are they?" My mind rang naughtily.


    A brilliant idea sparked in my mind, and I slowly considered it.


    "Thinking reasonably, I may never get a chance like this again. I better go for broke!" I reasoned.


    However, the danger I would face if I was caught made me shudder in fear a little. Talia was one thing, but Ana was freakishly stronger than me. Sure, I had trained relentlessly over the past weeks, but so had they.


    "For all I know, they could both be stronger than I am..." I said, slowly dissuading myself from carrying out my n.


    "No!" I immediately snapped.


    If I lost this chance, I might never gain it again. Was a life full of regret the kind of future I wanted to have? Definitely not!


    My non-stop intense training had left me very exhausted, but also sexually frustrated. I needed a way to release all the pent-up desires I had.


    "T-The Boss must have understood! That''s why he made me take a break... That''s why the door was there... It must all be... For this moment!" I convinced myself with this logic.


    If Lord Hexarion was looking out for me to this extent, who was I to refuse?


    "I''m diving in!" I grinned wickedly.


    Instantly, my body morphed, transforming me into a tiny creature, undetectable by most.


    Was it a fly? No, a mosquito? No... Even smaller.


    I made myself into the tiniest insect I could visualize,bining many images in my head.


    Now tinier than a tick, I proceeded to my prey, charging straight for the lush feminine bodies soaked in water.


    "Hehehehehe" Iughed pervertedly, my heart thumping louder.


    Since my size was infinitesimal, it took a while to close the distance, but once I did, the first thing I did was dive straight for my first target.


    I perched my barely visible body on the reddened lump hanging on Ana''s chest.


    "This is... Paradiseeee!!!"


    I screamed internally as Inded on the bouncy pinkyer on Ana''s breast.


    It smelled so nice, and I felt the texture of the round spot.


    I couldn''t help but tremble as I explored the vastnds which was Ana''s body.


    "So this is what the Boss meant when he mentioned those words," I thought to myself, remembering thest thing Master Hexarion said.


    ''There are many interesting sights here. Take your time and refresh yourself.''


    My grin widened and my eyes narrowed in a naughty fashion.


    "Boss.... I shall carry out your wishes!!!"

 Chapter 174 - The Simp Saga Of Shamac (Pt 2)

    "Haha hahaha" Iughed, bouncing on Ana''s enormous boobs.


    The round shape and smooth texture made me feel like caressing it all over, which I did.


    "Aaang" I heard her let out a little moan underneath her breath.


    This startled me for a moment since I thought I had been caught.


    "Oh? Is she sensitive?" I asked within myself.


    How embarrassing, it seems I''ve found yet another secret about Ana.


    I journeyed through the pinkyer of ripened flesh that stood out on top of ''mount'' Ana. It was erect, slightly protruding as a result of arousal.


    "Oh, oh, oh" I gleamed, licking my lips in excitement.


    Using my small size, I journeyed through the tiny hole within the erect nipples, burrowing into the warm space within.


    "Hmmmn" Ana made more sounds.


    Even though my anatomy has changed, my arousal remained the same.


    The body of the female species truly is marvelous.


    "What''s wrong, Ana?" Talia asked, noticing the ufortable sounds Ana was making silently.


    "A-ah, I don''t know, I just feel itchy and strange all over..." Shemented.


    "Hmmn, you think it''s the water?" Talia asked.


    "No, it just happened. Hopefully, it stops... Haa.." She moaned at thest statement.


    The very thought that I''m making Ana moan gives me more dirty ideas.


    The experience I was having was way too pleasurable.


    "Lord Hexarion, I am so grateful!" I said to myself.


    I will follow the Boss forever!


    Afterpleting the work on the two mountains on Ana''s chest, I left it and proceeded to her abdomen, where I caught a slight glimpse of something below. It was immersed in the hot water, catching my attention.


    "S-should I...?" I asked myself, mad with anticipation.


    Howver, Ana''s silent moans kept increasing, and Talia was beginning to suspect something was amiss.


    "I need to be smart about this"


    If I was caught, it wouldn''t bode well for me


    Leaping away from Ana''s body, I journeyed to yet another paradise... the slender, delicate body of a fairy.


    "Ahhh..." I moaned, feeling up Talia''s body.


    The softness of her plump melons was iparable to Ana''s.


    Definitely, Ana''s own wererger and more bouncy. But Talia''s firm and perky balloons also made me gleam in happiness.


    "Allow me to enjoy this too!" I grinned.


    And so, my next adventure began in exploring Talia''s amazing body.


    "Aaang... Uuu..." Talia also let out low moans, evidently embarrassed by how I made her feel.


    "Forgive me, it''s unintentional..." I secretly apologized to both women.


    Their arousal was just an effect of me enjoying myself. But, the problem was that the more aroused they became, the higher mine rose too.


    "It''s not enough... It''s not..." My mind kept ringing, yearning more.


    "Aaang... I think... Hmmn... I know... Ahh... What you mean, Ana... Is there, ooh, something in the water?" Talia asked, now stirring in difort.


    "You can try all you want, you''re not finding anything" I proudly grimaced.


    "I''ll expand my extrasensory perception. It was a little disturbed since I was feeling, um... ''ufortable'' earlier..."Ana muttered.


    Lies! She clearly enjoyed it.


    "What''s with that look in her eyes? Now that Talia is the one experiencing this pleasure, Ana looks jealous" I noticed.


    My mind was so upied with dirty thoughts that I failed to grasp something major in Ana''s words.


    "... Here I go" Ana mumbled, closing her eyes.


    In an instant, I felt a slight surge of energy wash through me. Suddenly feeling exposed, my body stopped moving as I felt a cold chill.


    Ana''s eyes immediately widened in shock as she red at me, or rather, the spot I stayed on Talia''s chest.


    "T-there''s something hanging on your breast!" Ana screeched, pointing toward me.


    Talia''s eyes darted toward her bossoms and I could see her wide eyes staring at me.


    "Hiyaaaaaa!!!" She screamed, using her hand to dust off whatever was on her chest, a.k.a me.


    Her hands pped me, bombarding my little self from various sides as I pressed more onto her soft melons.


    "H-hold up" I protested, but my little voice couldn''t reach them.


    Feeling the hot sting of Talia''s ps, my body unconsciously reverted to my original form.


    "N-no, wait!!!" I tried to stop myself, but my control was also weakened by the sensual pleasure permeating my being.


    The transformation became undone, and there I was, chest t atop Talia, with my body directly on hers.


    Realizing I was screwed, there was only one thing my mind thought of at that moment.


    Using thest of my strength, I grabbed Talia''s behind, squeezing her buttocks as hard as I could as I pressed myself more on her body to experience the ultimate pleasure.


    "Ahhh!" I let out a final happy moan... One which would inevitably be followed by disaster.


    "Shamac?!!" Ana protested loudly in shock.


    Talia''s eyes widened as she slowly realized what was going on.


    From surprise, her very lovely face morphed into hatred and disgust... Then rage took over.


    "Kyaaaaaa!" She screamed, the force of her cries sent me flying away.


    My naked body fell among the rocks around the spring, crashing among them.


    "Ow, ow..." I groaned, rubbing my head as I emerged from the hard rubble.


    After experiencing the ultimate softness, being abruptlyunched into rocks was not very pleasant. Talia was being totally inconsiderate as usual.


    "You little..." She said in anger, rubbing her knuckles together.


    She had a scary look on her face, and I could sense an intense amount of pressure emanating from her.


    Was this the new power she obtained while training with the Boss?


    "No, this looks like... Pure malice!"


    My mind immediately alerted me of danger, realizing the world of hurt that came near.


    I turned to Ana for support. Perhaps she could be of help in such a dire situation.


    "A-ana, could you plea-"


    My plea was immediately halted once I saw the look on her face as well.


    She had a deep frown, coupled with a very chilly aura around her. While Talia''s malice was burning hot, hers was icy cold.


    It appeared I wasn''t getting out of this alive.


    Even if I were to die here... I have no regrets.


    Suddenly, an image shed in my head.


    "No, I still have one regret!" I said to myself.


    I never explored the world beneath... What was locked between their legs... I never got to see or venture within.


    Until that happened, I couldn''t allow myself to die in such a ce.


    "You''re dead meat, Shamac! I''ll kill you!" Talia cried in clear fury.


    "This body has been consecrated to my god, Lord Hexarion... You darey your filthy hands on it? Unforgivable. Right here and now, you''re going to be minced into unrecognizable pieces!" Ana mumbled barely audibly while fixating her eyes on me.


    Yikes, I wouldn''t want to die any way, but definitely not by Ana.


    What a scary woman!


    Even though it''s regrettable that I wasn''t able toplete the task Lord Hexarion entrusted to me, at the moment, there was only one option left for me. A single path to take.


    I had to run.


    "Forgive me, Boss... I failed you!"


    Crying deeply within my heart, I instantly transformed into the fastest bird I could and darted away from the spring as quickly as I could.


    "Oh no, you don''t!" Talia shouted.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" Ana whispered.


    Suddenly, a multitude of des appeared around me, while shes of white light chased my bird form.


    "Oh shit!"


    Quickly bringing out my shadows, I managed to defend against the onught of the two enraged women.


    The air didn''t seem like a safe option for me, so I instantly transformed into a mole-armadillo, and burrowed deep within the earth to find sanctuary.


    Talia generated a massive light orb, while Ana materialized a giant sword that could dig deeper than I could that instant.


    Both girlsunched their assaults simultaneously, sending me into automatic defense instantly.


    >BOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    "Guarghkk" I let out in shock as the explosion and force affected me.


    Being in my vulnerable state, my defense was weakened.


    "DIE!!!" They yelled,unching multiple more attacks.


    Being too weak to move, I couldn''t help but watch helplessly as the attacks approached.


    I closed my eyes, expecting my end that instant.


    Everything went nk after that.


    Regret filled my heart as I drifted off in unconsciousness. Talia''s erotic body, Ana''s wless skin... The two girls materialized in my thought as I cried in pain.


    "Gone... They''re all gone!"


    What was left? I didn''t know. Only regret and sadness filled my heart.


    "-mac..." I heard a low voice call out to me.


    Who was it? I had no idea.


    "Shamac!" The voice called louder, and in that instant, I was roused from my deep slumber.


    "A-Ahh" I yelled, springing back to life.


    I was surprised and initially shocked by the change in atmosphere.


    "Ana, Talia..." I mumbled.


    "What are you talking about?" A deep voice sharply cut through my soliloquy


    My eye bulged, recognizing the voice instantly.


    "B-boss!" I said, looking up to see Lord Hexarion standing above me.


    I wasying on the ground, amidst the devastating training field where I practiced my new move.


    "Looks like you''re finally up," He said.


    "I was about to use Hex to slightly nudge you if you hadn''t responded." He smiled gently.


    That would be scary.


    "W-what happened... I was just with... Ana and Talia..." I mumbled, trying to piece together what had just happened.


    The Boss gave me a confused look, but a smile reced that expression in no time.


    "You tell me... I left you here to rest, didn''t I?" Lord Hexarion responded, waving me off.


    Judging his reaction, he knows what just transpired. Could it be...


    "He must have intervened back then and brought me here..." I mumbled to myself.


    An easier answer popped in my head, that perhaps everything I had experienced was only a dream, but I refused to ept that.


    It was real... It had to be


    "Now then, you''ve had enough time, and it seems you enjoyed your rest quite well. It''s time to continue your training." The Boss added


    A resolved smile appeared on my face as I steeled myself to grow even stronger.


    Next time, I wouldn''t lose so easily to Ana and Talia!


    "Yes!"


    .........


    Even now... After the training and everything, Ana and Talia refused to talk about the incident. Even when I subtly brought it up, they feigned ignorance.


    "Lord Hexarion must have erased their memory of what happened" I concluded to myself.


    After all, everything I experienced was too good not to be real.


    [The End]

 Chapter 175 - The Forgotten Ones [Extra ]

    Hexarion and his subordinates staged a y for the entire city to witness. The great hero and tinum ranked adventurer defeating one of the Evil One''s Generals... Rio Xarion became a legend in the city.


    Afterward, the adventures who were trapped in the hellish Dungeon returned to the normal world, forever scarred by the devastating experiences they had.


    This here is a tale of two individuals, linked to Hexarion, yet no longer found relevant.


    What urred to them after they were left behind?


    {The Forgotten Ones}


    "Huff... Huff..." Nathan breathed heavily as dashed through the crowd enveloping him.


    He was back in the human world, yet what was the sight that greeted him? Pure carnage and destruction!


    As though being in the hellish Dungeon wasn''t enough, returning alive proved to be yet another sight of despondency.


    Looking around him, while wearing a mad expression in his eyes as Nathan desperately panted.


    He pushed away from the crowd that surrounded him as he is eyes darted everywhere for any sign of his lover.


    Just some moments ago, Nathan was still within the Vanishing Dungeon, until a brilliant sh of light dragged him to the real world.


    A world where only one thing mattered to him.


    "Marie... Marie... Where are you?!"


    [Moments Earlier]


    "U-urghhh..." Nathan slurred as he regained consciousness within the Dungeon.


    Slowly rising to sit uprightly, he nced around, observing the location he woke up to.


    It was a familiar sight, the fifth floor Boss Room.


    The ce was empty. No monsters or signs of life could be seen around him... except for one.


    "Who''s there?" Nathan turned, sensing the presence of another.


    His eyes lit up in shock when he saw a girl seating dejectedly in the room, some distance from where he sat.


    The strange girl there didn''t pay him any heed, as she was upied with her own thoughts.


    Nathan also had many things on his mind, one of which was a question as to how he survived.


    "Perhaps she has an answer..." He asked himself.


    Looking closely at the girl, he recognized her.


    "I-isn''t that... Talia, right?" He mumbled in surprise.


    She was definitely one of Rio''s friends, a beauty he admired when he was offered a ride in their carriage.


    "What is she doing here? Where are the others?" He asked within himself, unsure of how to address her.


    Were the rest of her Party members dead? Or was she just as disoriented as he was?


    Nathan''s memories of what transpired before he fell unconscious slowly returned, causing him to remember how he abandoned his party members, being chased by the menacing Dragon. The same Dragon was easily killed by a much more superior being.


    Nathan''s mind shed to the moment his life was nearly taken by the strange monster who could speak, causing him to shudder in trauma.


    "I lost, so why... Why am I still..." He pondered on the reason behind his survival.


    Suddenly, his eyes nced upon something, causing them to widen in shock.


    "T-that is... The de of Rupture...?!" Nathan eximed.


    He had used up thest of its energy in his fight against the Dragon, and eventually, the Relic crumbled. Yet, the object before him appeared to be intact.


    Not only was it in top condition, but it also seemed more powerful than before, having a more intricate design.


    "Is this really... The de Of Rupture...?" He muttered.


    Perhaps the de had a particr feature that allowed it to restore itself after being used up, gaining even more power.


    If that was the case, then Nathan was beyond blessed to possess such a weapon.


    "It probably... Saved my life..." He reasoned, grabbing the katana as he observed it even more.


    "A-Amazing!" He beamed as his being resonated with the Relic.


    The amount of energy flowing within the weapon seemed nearly limitless. He couldn''t see the end of its power.


    A small smile formed on his face as his despairing outlook dissipated. Even though he had lost everyone, he was still alive... As though the gods were looking out for him.


    Even when his adventuring friends died in the house that night,he was also saved... All thanks to the de Of Rupture.


    Even though he had stolen it, Nathan truly felt a string of fate attached to the Relic.


    A slight chuckle began to emanate from his lips, followed by croaks of gentle sobs which gradually escted.


    "H... h. Everyone... I''m sorry. Once again, due to my selfishness... Everyone died!" He slowly began to cry.


    Even though he was fortunate, the others weren''t. That was nothing to celebrate.


    After mourning his friends, Nathanposed himself and sat in silence, slowly breathing.


    He contemted what to do next. He had been unconscious for so long, forgetting what time it was.


    "I don''t even know what day it is!" He mumbled in frustration.


    Then there was the girl in the room. Since he had awakened, she had not left the position she was in.


    Part of him wanted to talk to her since she seemed to be experiencing internal anguish at the moment, but he somehow felt dread anytime he considered approaching her.


    Perhaps it was still as a result of his trauma, or the guilt he had concerning his dead friends, but Nathan wouldn''t budge.


    "What should I do now? I wonder what Marie is up to now?" He asked himself.


    They had both agreed that a day before the Vanishing Dungeon would release all the Adventurers, she would be camping in wait for his return.


    "Even now, she''s waiting for me" Nathan beamed.


    He had his doubts before, but he had finally resolved within himself the next step he would take with her.


    "After this, I''ll quit being an Adventurer and live a slow and quiet life with Marie!"


    Nathan discarded the grandiose life he previously painted. They didn''t need any of that.


    With the strange, yet powerful Relic he had by his side, he was sure to survive in any normal circumstance.


    "We''ll live a solitary life, and even if it''s just hunting and stuff I do for a living, it should be enough to live afortable life" He smiled.


    They would have kids a year or two after their marriage and live as a happy family. The picture became vivid in Nathan''s mind as he daydreamed.


    "Ah, I can''t wait till I see you, Marie. As soon as I get out of her-"


    Suddenly, a brilliant blue light descended upon Nathan, ceasing all his thoughts.


    "This is... Forceful teleportation?!" Nathan eximed in shock.


    The reaction of blue light, as well as the immobility he currently experienced, could only be as a result of one thing!


    "Time is up!"


    Finally, he was leaving this hellish ce. He didn''t know about others, but he was never going to risk his life for anything anymore.


    All he wanted was a life of peace and happiness with his lover.


    >Shiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnggggggg<


    The azure light blinded him, returning him to the world he knew quite well.


    Slowly, Nathan opened his eyes to see the cheering crowd that usually greeted the brave Adventurers when they returned. However, what he saw caused all the expectations he had built up to crumble.


    A devastatedndscape, piles of rocks and debris everywhere, pools of blood... And most of all, endless corpses scattered everywhere.


    He stood, eyes widened, amongst the few groups of Adventurers who survived.


    Everyone has dead looks in their eyes, which further darkened upon returning to another damaged world.


    "W-what the hell happened here?!" Nathan mumbled, half asking himself.


    "T-they''re back...?" The people whispered in shock, all staring at the wretched-looking Adventurers. No cheer or words of praise filled anywhere.


    Everywhere was silent for a moment. Then Nathan''s thoughts sparked.


    "Marie... She''s supposed to be here, right?"


    A scary thought shed through his mind, but he resided to consider such a thing. He moved his limbs and began pushing through the crowd impatiently.


    "Outta my way!" He yelled, darting his eyes through everywhere.


    He didn''t dare look at any of the deceased around. His gaze was solely transfixed on those who watched him with surprise as he disyed madness.


    "Marie! Where is she?!" Nathan yelled, looking everywhere for an answer.


    "Young man, calm down!" One of a group of masked fellows suddenly came before Nathan, restraining him before he caused any further scene.


    "Marie, my lover... She was supposed to be here waiting for me. Where is she?" Nathan asked the woman who held him tightly, as though she had the answer to his question.


    "Over there..." Someone suddenly muttered.


    He recognized the voice and looked in the direction of the person who spoke.


    It was Talia, the girl he was alone in the room with. Her dreary and empty expression made him snap back to reality as he trailed her fingers which pointed in a particr direction.


    "N-no... It can''t be..." His eyes bulged as he finally caught a glimpse of his lover.


    Half of her body was crushed by a massive boulder, leaving only her upper part intact. She had already lost too much blood, and the damage was irreparable, so Nathan knew the woman before him at the moment, was dead.


    "Marie, no... Y-You can''t leave me like this." He mumbled, slowly drawing closer to the bloodied corpse of the woman.


    His knees grew weak as they gave out strength, causing him to copse on them.


    His body trembled and tears formed in his eyes. This was not an illusion, everything he saw was real.


    The woman before him, his lover... She was gone!


    "Please ... N-no... You can''t be dead... Marieeeee!!!"


    Tears gushed out of his eyes as he cried in pain and loss. Screaming from his lungs, he wailed uncontrobly, kneeling before his everything.


    "Guearhhhhhhh!!!"

 Chapter 176 - The Forgotten Ones (Pt 2) [Extra ]

    {Nathan''s Despair}


    "Marieeeeeeeee!!!" Nathan screamed in agony.


    The other Adventurers gave dead eyes as they watched one of themment in pain. Many ignored him. After all, they too had their problems.


    Nathan had no idea how long he spent weeping over his loved one. By the time he was done, his entire body ached in exhaustion.


    "Hic... H..." He still sobbed.


    "That''s enough, Adventurer." A voice came from behind him.


    Nathan turned to see who it was and found one of the masked individuals approaching him.


    "Pull yourself together! And you call yourself a man, an Adventurer for that matter!" The woman spoke with slight disdain.


    "W-what do you know?" Nathan mumbled, feeling like the most miserable person in the world.


    "I know you''ve lost someone important, but so have many others. The whole city is in panic, yet you''re here battling your eyes out. As an Adventurer, you should understand your obligations... Or need I remind you?" The woman asked harshly.


    Deep within him, Nathan knew she was right. He understood that he was just being selfish,menting the loss of his fiance when there were hundreds more who died. There were also many injured, and the city was in disarray.


    Suddenly, as though just considering it, a question shed through his mind.


    "H-how did this happen?" He mumbled.


    He didn''t even consider it, since he was just returning from the dungeon and his mind instinctively went to Marie, but upon regaining a fraction of his reasoning, he wanted to know what could have caused such mayhem.


    "A monster... The final boss of the Vanishing Dungeon..." The woman answered, a slight tint of fear was evident in her tone.


    Nathan''s eyes bulged when he heard this. How was it possible? Since the many years of the Dungeon''s appearance, no boss had been able to escape.


    "H-how is that even... What kind of monster would even be able to-" Nathan''s voice shook in disbelief.


    "It called itself Wrath... One of the Evil One''s Generals. It was unlike anything anyone had ever seen..."


    Upon hearing her exnation, his mind processed it, syncing the description made to the monster he encountered within the Vanishing Dungeon.


    "I-it''s the same monster!" Nathan''s mind rang.


    He didn''t kill the monster, it escaped from the Dungeon and wreaked havoc everywhere.


    Nathan''s body shook upon realizing this... Feeling ovee by an emotion that wasn''t his current.


    "It''s fortunate that a tinum Ranked Adventurer came and defeated the monster... If not for him, we would have been..."


    Nathan''s eyes bulged. Who was capable of killing such a monster.


    "That demon easily killed a Dragon! There''s no way anyone would so easily-" He protested in his thoughts.


    "...Sir Rio Xarion..."


    Upon hearing the name of the city''s savior, the realization dawned on him... He had been a fool all along.


    Looking at Marie''s pale face, he gave her one final look and used his hand to close her wide eyes.


    Rising to his feet, Nathan turned his back against everyone. The masked woman was shocked by the effrontery he disyed, walking away.


    "Where do you think you''re going? Everywhere is in shambles, also there is to be a joint meeting to discuss what happened within the Vanishing Dungeon. As an Adventurer, it is your duty to-!"


    "I quit!" Nathan responded to the woman''s words, not stopping for even a moment as he walked off.


    A lot of thoughts jumbled within his head as he slowly moved away from the crowd. The dots connected, and he suddenly realized.


    "Rio... Is not who he seems to be..."


    Nathan had grown suspicious of him since the house incident but refused to say or even think anything about Rio due to the fear and trauma.


    However, the strange power his weapon possessed, and how it formerly belonged to Rio, bothered him quite a bit.


    He had no intention of returning it, but he still couldn''t shake off the fact that Rio knew of his theft all the while.


    "And now he suddenly kills a legendary monster, capable of ying a dragon? Bulkshit!" Rio growled.


    His sadness for the loss of his dear fiance slowly diminished, reced by something else.


    Frustration.


    "I''ve been yed... We''ve all been yed... I don''t know why, or how... But it''s all because of him!" Nathan thought of the new champion of Lamar.


    Before his arrival, everything was going on smoothly. Suddenly, things took a turn for the worse after he showed up.


    Coincidence? No way!


    While frustration seemed to swirl about his heart, within him something darker found expression. Rage!


    "It''s all his fault!"


    The ughter of his friends, his party''s annihtion, Marie''s death... Everything had to be connected to that man somehow.


    "I have to... I have to stop him. I''m the only one who knows... Everyone else sees him as a hero, but I know... Deep under that guise, he''s a monster!"


    Still, even with his discovery and resolve, Nathan wasn''t stupid. He was well aware of his limited strength. If Rio was as powerful as they said, and how he imagined him to be, then he too needed exponential growth.


    To have his revenge and expose the monster for was, Nathan also needed strength.


    "I swear to you, Marie... For the both of us... I will be sure to take him down! Rio Xarion... Your days are numbered!"


    With resolve in his heart, Nathan made his decision to leave Lamar and journey far away. His journey and search for strength were just beginning.


    {Talia''s Despondency}


    Talia silently left the crowd, avoiding anyone''s attention. She used a special trick to hide her presence since they all recognized her as one of the tinum Ranked Adventurers.


    Walking alone In the empty streets of Lamar, Talia felt anguish, as though she was about to break down.


    "It hurts... It hurts... Lord Hexarion..." She mumbled in self-pity and pain.


    She had been abandoned by her master, one whom she had devoted her entire being in service to.


    "I-I failed him..."


    Talia was confused about what to do. Without Hexarion, her life was meaningless. Hisst words to her constantly rang in her head.


    "... Even with everything I have done for you, you are still USELESS..."


    She remembered how speechless she was when he made that statement. He wasn''t wrong.


    She knew how time and time again she interrupted him. How sheined and nagged. She was aware of her contradictory nature and how she never agreed with most of his methods.


    "I only... Wanted to be seen by you..." Talia wept within herself.


    Her outer expression was empty as she maintained a stoic appearance, walking aimlessly.


    Before she knew it, she was at the gate of Lamar, exiting the city.


    Perhaps this was the right thing to do. Knowing Hexarion, Talia was aware he still had ns for the city.


    Her being there would only get in his way. Besides, he had bluntly told her not to show her face before him again.


    She wasn''t worthy


    "You would do well never to appear before me. As long as you remain in this pathetic state, there is no ce for you by my side" Hexarion had told her.


    "I''m pathetic... There''s no ce for me..." She whispered slowly, having only despair in her eyes.


    "You too, uh? I''m the same..." A voice suddenly cut through her line of thought.


    Talia recognized it. Turning to her right, she saw the man who faced her with a sad look as well.


    "You are...?" Talia mumbled.


    {Convergence Of The Forgotten Ones}


    "Nathan... I suppose we''ve had the pleasure of speaking on a few asions. And, you did help me identify my fiance..." Nathan smiled.


    Talia''s dead expression remained.


    "That was nothing... If you''ll excuse me..." She muttered, attempting to continue her despairing walk.


    "Please wait!" Nathan suddenly called out to her.


    Talia stopped dead on her heels upon hearing this. A tinge of irritation coursed through as she wondered what further business the man had with her.


    "You mentioned earlier, how pathetic you are. I understand how you feel. I also... I feel the same" Nathan said with a sad smile.


    "And?" Talia shot him an impatient look.


    "Well, I don''t even know what to say to you, but... Let me at least mention this..." He chuckled a little, though it appeared forced.


    "Moping around won''t change anything!"


    His sudden stern statement shook Talia''s heart a little, though this also aggravated her.


    "How dare he speak in such a manner? As if he knows anything! He''s merely a little speck in the Grand scheme of things-!" Talia thought to herself.


    However, an opposing thought suddenly snapped her arrogant banter.


    "What about you, Talia?!"


    Cold sweat dripped from her face as she realized, for the first time... How utterly meaningless she was.


    Finallying to terms with her identity, Talia knew... She was truly nothing!


    "So what if you are? Just get stronger!" Nathan''s voice suddenly pierced through the dark clouds that covered her being.


    "E-eh...?" She slowly muttered, snapping back to reality.


    "If you don''t like how you are now... Then grow above it. That''s the path I''ve decided to take."


    Looking at Nathan''s sincere face, for the first time, she met his eyes. It was full of loss and regret, lots of pain and me existed deep within them. But, fierce determination and an unstoppable drive also dwelled in his countenance.


    This man before her... Was serious.


    "Can I also... Truly change...?" Talia asked herself.


    If she grew and truly changed, would Hexarion ept her back?


    She was weak, dumb, loud, clingy... among many other things.


    However, if she could change... Perhaps then she could take her ce by his side.


    "I... also... will take that path!" Talia finally spoke, returning the expression Nathan gave her.


    Absolute determination.


    Nathan smiled and so did Talia. An unlikely pair, brought together by their powerlessness. They had both lost the one most precious to them and had nothing... Nothing but the desire to change.


    "Why don''t we begin then? The journey that changes everything.... For a better version of us!"

 Chapter 177 - Character Profile: Talia

    <strong>Name</strong>: Talia


    <strong>Identity</strong>


    - Wingless Fairy


    - Hexarion''s Ex-Subordinate


    - tinum Ranked Adventurer (Rank 9)


    - Traveller


    <strong>Age</strong>: Unknown


    - k16 Years (Current Look)


    <strong>Affiliations</strong>


    - The Fairy Race


    - Hexarion (Formerly)


    - Lamar''s Adventurer Guild


    - Nathan


    - Shamac (Formerly)


    - Wrath (Formerly)


    - Ana (Deceased)


    <strong>Height</strong>: 5ft plus


    <strong>Hair color</strong>: ck


    <strong>Eye Color:</strong> Pink


    <strong>Notable features:</strong> Very pretty, possessing an innocent face and well-endowed body. Has fair skin and an irresistible charm resembling someone noble.


    <strong>Allies/Companions</strong>


    - <strong>Hexarion (Formerly)</strong>


    Hexarion is the Primordial Of The Void, one of the most powerful beings in existence. Though he is in his weakened form, he ns on achieving his goal and wages war against the gods and Primordials who rule the world.


    As the first one to be chosen by Hexarion after he revived on Earth, Talia dedicated her all to being his subordinate. She obeyed his instructions and followed him for the most part. However, after Hexarion severs his ties with her, Talia is left without a master and roams the world to regain strength so she can return to his side.


    - <strong>Shamac (Formerly)</strong>


    Shamac is Hexarion''s second ve, and one of Talia''s fewrades. He is a hybrid shifter. He possesses the properties of both Shapeshifter and Shadowshifter. He and Talia have aplicated rtionship which most times appear to be antagonistic, but ultimately she values his friendship and knows of his potential.


    Shamac is able to alter his shape however he wishes. He is also able to control his shadow and create different structures from it. He is weaker during the day, but at night he is extremely powerful and dangerous.


    - <strong>Ana (Deceased)</strong>


    Ana was a former Apostle and Hexarion''s third ve. After battling Hexarion and losing woefully, she was added to his ranks and became one of his subordinates. She proved to be Talia''s biggest rival in their joint interest of serving Hexarion.


    Just like Talia, Ana also pledged her entire existence to Hexarion, the only difference being that while Talia is casual with Hexarion, Ana worshiped him as her god. She was very devout and faithful to Hexarion. She possessed the grace of Hades which allows her to swallow objects into a separate space and being those objects out at any location she pleased. She was killed by Hexarion after absorbing her Aspects and information in order to create Ruth, who possesses her memories.


    - <strong>Nathan</strong>


    Talia''s newly foundrade and her current partner. Nathan is a former Adventurer of Lamar, and also a criminal known as ''The Suicide Plunderer''. He changed his ways after losing his friends, but still encountered despair when he ventured into the Vanishing Dungeon and also lost his fiance, Marie. Talia encounters him at her lowest and he gives her a few words of encouragement, allowing her to find her resolve.


    As both of them lost important ones to them in the incident of the Vanishing Dungeon, they decided to go on a journey to change their pathetic states.


    Now traveling the world together, they hope to transform into better versions of themselves.


    etc.


    INTRODUCTION


    Talia is a fairy, one of the blessed races of Earth endowed with the innate ability to manipte the Aspects of their surrounding. She became wingless after being captured by corrupt soldiers and nearly sold off as a ve. Hexarion rescues her from this fate and she swears to dedicate her all to him.


    Many are unaware of her mysterious background, however, Talia has aplicated rtionship with her kin.


    Treated as a criminal and scorned as a result of an incident that urred, she was ostracized and banished.


    Talia believes herself to be innocent, ming them for their wrongful treatment of her. She harbors intense resentment toward her race and agrees with Hexarion in his n to destroy the world due to this reason.


    While she has disyed a friendly and innocent personality so far, Talia has a dark and twisted side to her. Hexarion noticed this tendency and decided to take her in as his subordinate.


    However, to his annoyance, she is yet to disy any of the darkness lurking within her.


    <strong>Personality</strong>


    Talia is often seen as cheerful and expressive. She has a confident demeanor and an optimistic outlook on life. She is hesitant to take a life and will always question very sadistic behaviors or ns that she is witnesses. She can also be very arrogant and overconfident in herself, cing herself in high regard when it concerns Hexarion. Disying a high level of jealousy and possessiveness, Talia is highly obsessed with Hexarion.


    She has a short fuse, gets easily upset over the slightest things, and can be very stubborn in many cases. In most instances, only Hexarion has been shown to be able to fully keep her under control.


    However, this all changes after Hexarion abandons her in the Vanishing Dungeon. Realizing the hopeless level she is in, Talia concludes that she is nowhere near important to her former master, and decides to grow as a person in order to prove her worth.


    <strong>POWERS AND ABILITIES</strong>


    - <strong>Limited Aspect Maniption</strong>


    As a member of the Fairy race, Talia canmune with Aspects of her surroundings to a limited extent. This allows her to control nts and the earth to a certain degree.


    - <strong>Multiple Fairy Wings</strong>


    Talia possesses nine fairy wings, giving her a phenomenally higher potential and maximum powerpared to any other Fairy in existence. However, since she has been shown to be unable to fully control this power, a seal is ced within her. She is limited to only using a small portion of her full powers by loosening the seals ced on her.


    The Fairy Wings each possess special attributes which give her new abilities the more seals she unlocks.


    She has been shown to disy feats such as light maniption, object strengthening, hyperspeed, fiery aura control, projection, and Aspect shaping.


    Her sealed powers still contain other potential abilities, making her full capabilities unknown.


    - <strong>Cocoon Of Darkness</strong>


    The Cocoon of Darkness is a Treasure of Hexarion which is one of its kind. As one of the very few treasures made from Hexarion''s Void Aspect, it is considered very valuable and powerful. It is capable of sealing anything within, preserving Aspects as well as nullifying Aspects.


    The Cocoon is Talia''s life support. It prevents the high concentration of Aspects within her from going beserk and killing her.


    Layering the powers into seals, Talia can loosen them to gain ess to greater power, as long as she can handle it.


    Also, by covering her body in the ck Cocoon properties, Talia increases all her abilities and also nullifies Aspects as a result of the Void nature of the Treasure.


    However, since she is also made of Aspects, using this ability takes a heavy toll on her and she avoids using it often.


    - <strong>Fairy Composition</strong>


    Talia possesses the body and abilities of a fairy. In her winged form, she is granted the ability of flight, super speed, and heightened senses.


    She is able tomune, to an extent, with her surrounding Aspects, allowing her to perceive things around her.


    - Advanced Combat Prowess


    Being trained by Hexarion himself, Talia is very skilled in battle, though a littleckingpared to Hexarion''s other subordinates.


    She possesses high mobility in aerialbat and is incredibly flexible and fast. She is also able tounch intensely quick projectiles and also generate constructs, making her versatile in both long-range and short-rangebat.


    <strong>WEAKNESSES</strong>


    - <strong>Immaturity</strong>


    Talia is naive and childish, making her view many circumstances in very shallow ways. She possesses very little intelligence and has a short fuse. As a result of this, Shamac has proven more resourceful than her and also capable of winning against her even though it is clearly stated that Talia has an overall greater power.


    She throws tantrums and had little self-control, making her incredibly annoying to her colleagues and master.


    After she is abandoned, Talia works on this trait.


    - <strong>Overconfidence</strong>


    A fatal character w in Talia, second only to her immaturity. She is aware of her strength and believes herself to be highly superior to most opponents she faces, believing she can win against them if she gives her all.


    This is eventually shattered after Hexarion points out her uselessness and abandons her.


    - <strong>Arts</strong>


    The Art of Hex and the Art of Grace prove lethal to most, Talia is not an exception. Though she is able to nullify or interfere with them to a certain extent due to her Cocoon Of Darkness, since her mastery of it is very low, it can''t protect her for too long.


    - <strong>Aspects</strong>


    The Aspects that the Primordials control are everywhere. This makes Talia incredibly vulnerable to them. Though she can interfere with them a little since she is a Fairy, her control is not nearly enough when against much higher levels of power.


    - <strong>Mortality</strong>


    As a living being, Talia can die. Should The Cocoon Of Darkness be removed from her, or should she release more power than she should, she will run into overdrive and destroy herself. There''s also the likelihood of being killed through normal means, and though her durability is high, Talia is not invincible.


    <strong>ENEMIES</strong>


    - Hexarion''s Adversaries


    - Monsters


    - Imperial/Royal Knights


    - The Fairy Race

 Chapter 178 - Character Profile: Shamac

    <strong>Name:</strong>Shamac


    <strong>Identity:</strong>


    <strong></strong>The Shadowshifter


    <strong></strong>The Shapeshifter


    The Hybrid


    Hexarion''s ve


    Irredeemable Simp


    <strong>Age:</strong> 14 Years


    <strong>Affiliations:</strong>


    Imperius Auction House (Artia Branch)


    Hexarion


    Talia(Formerly)


    Ana(Deceased)


    Ruth


    Wrath


    Lumia


    Lamar Adventurer''s Guild


    <strong>Height: </strong>5ft plus


    <strong>Hair color: ck</strong>


    <strong>Eye Color: </strong>ck<strong>/</strong>Purple


    <strong>Notable features:</strong>Young-looking appearance and defiant re. Appears calm and stoic in the presence of Hexarion but exhibits more sadistic traits in battle.


    <strong>Allies/Companions</strong>


    <strong>- Hexarion</strong>


    Hexarion is the Primordial Of The Void, one of the most powerful beings in existence. Though he is in his weakened form, he ns on achieving his goal and wages war against the gods and Primordials who rule the world. He encounters Shamac during an Auction event in the Imperius Auction House (Artia Branch) and buys him as a ve.


    Though Shamac initially despised Hexarion, he grew to fear him after a thorough education given by the new master. He eventually grows to love and respect Hexarion as they journey together.


    <strong>- Talia (Formerly)</strong>


    She is the first subordinate of Hexarion and Shamac''s senior. Though they engage in asional squabbles, these two have been shown to care really deeply for each other. As a fairy, Talia can somewhatmune with surrounding Aspects, allowing the objects they make up to obey her.


    Currently, Talia has been exiled by Hexarion, making them exrades.


    <strong>- Ana (Deceased)</strong>


    Ana was a former Apostle and Hexarion''s third ve. As a former enemy, she battled Hexarion and lost woefully. After this, Hexarion manipted her mind, showing her altered memories. She pledged her entire existence to Hexarion and worshiped him as her god.


    Ana was Shamac''s love interest before she met her end by Hexarion''s hands. While Shamac is shown to be indiscriminately drawn to any girl he meets, it''s clear that he harbors special feelings for Ana. Even Hexarion noticed this.


    Upon her death and rebirth in the form of Ruth, Shamac decides to find a way to rte to the new version of Ana and get closer to her.


    <strong>- Wrath</strong>


    One of Hexarion''s generals and a highly powerful monster. He is beyond the capabilities of Shamac, threatening his position in the group.


    Despite this, Shamac looks up to him and respects his strength, seeing him as an obstacle to ovee inorder to be capable of fighting ''The Executioner''


    <strong>- Ruth</strong>


    Hexarion''s new creation and the firstplete and genuine intelligence Hexarion has ever created. Her consciousness is made up of both THE ROOT OF ALL''s core programming and Ana''s Aspect structure. So far she has disyed no interest in Shamac, though he still hasn''t given up. He hopes to be able to do something he didn''t attempt with Ana, be friends with her, and eventually someone special.


    - <strong>Lumia</strong>


    Lumia is an artificial goddess, Hexarion''s newest subordinate. She is very powerful and socially awkward, though she masks it in a graceful manner and appears stoic most of the time. Shamac is attracted to her, of course, but focuses more on Ruth.


    etc.


    INTRODUCTION


    Shamac is a very young Shifter. As a hybrid, he possesses both qualities of a Shapeshifter and a Shadowshifter, able to manipte the Aspects of his body and shadows. This allows him free control of the form, shape, size, etc. of his body and shadows.


    As a creature of the night, during the day, Shamac is considerably weaker and calmer. However, during the night, his primal instincts be more pronounced as he bes more powerful and bloodthirsty. These adverse effects have been curbed by Hexarion''s treasure ''Void Dark'', ensuring the presence of darkness is always with him.


    Growing up, Shamac had no interaction with anyone and was eventually captured by ve traders. He is auctioned at the Imperius Auction House and catches the attention of Hexarion, who buys him. This begins their rtionship as master and servant, which grows deeper as time passes.


    Currently, Shamac still serves Hexarion, being one of his most loyal followers.


    PERSONALITY


    Shamac normally has a very silent and calm personality, rarely ever disying much emotion. However, this is all a facade. His true personality is childish and extremely yful. Since he is a teenager, he has rebellious tendencies with a wild imagination. However, due to his reverence of Hexarion, he keeps most of his extreme expressions at bay, appearing much quiet instead.


    Another flip side to the coin is when Shamac engages inbat. He appears excited and intensely fixated on an opponent, especially when such an individual is strong. He has also been shown to exhibit sadistic tendencies in fights, simr to Hexarion. Disying cold attitudes at times, and psychotic grins during other moments, Shamac is thrilled when confronted by any powerful opponent.


    One can only assume that his master has had an effect on him.


    Despite his young age and warped personality, Shamac is extremely crafty and strategic. He has been shown to disy vast levels of intelligence when confronted with difficult situations and in battles where he is outmatched. Even Ana and Talia had to acknowledge this.


    His loyalty is firm toward Hexarion, unwavering even when Ana was killed right before his eyes. He even threatens to kill Talia who was protesting about the incident. This indicates that there is no one more valuable to him than his master.


    Hexarion is aware of the potential this boy holds and has a much greater role for him in the times toe.


    Finally, one of the most dominant traits of Shamac is his love for women. Yes, Shamac is a simp who gets very attached to the female gender. Perhaps this is due to hisck of interaction with the opposite sex during the short span of his life, or due to his raging hormones as a teenager. He simply can''t resist women.


    <strong>POWERS AND ABILITIES</strong>


    <strong>- Shapeshifting</strong>


    Shamac has the ability to transform his body into any form, shape, size, and kind he desires. As a result of his Hybrid nature, he can mix this ability with his other variant, making him very formidable.


    He can undergo a partial or full transformation, depending on the situation. A major condition for this ability is his knowledge of what he wants to transform into.


    <strong>- Shadow Maniption</strong>


    As a result of his Hybrid status, Shamac can not only alter his shape but also his shadow. As a Shadowshifter, he is able to control the Aspects making up his shadow, giving them tangible form. He is able to harden, sharpen, erge, duplicate, and control the movements of his shadow.


    He possesses various preset forms, and can also transform his shadow into anything he wishes, e.g. A Hydra.


    His shadow maintains the quality of the total Aspects It possesses, making him somewhat limited in its application.


    Also, as a ''dark'' attribute, it is extremely weak toward light and can hardly be used during the day... Except with the help of a darkness supplement.


    <strong>- Void Dark</strong>


    A special Treasure given to him by Hexarion. It is in form of a dark ne with a purple glint. This object is one of the very few which contain Hexarion''s Void attribute, making it extremely rare.


    It provides Shamac the presence of darkness, making him free to use his ability even during the daytime. Also enhancing his prowess, he can draw out more power from his shadows than normal.


    <strong>- Extreme Intelligence/Brilliant Strategist</strong>


    Shamac has disyed on many asions, his mental fortitude, and calctive mind. He is very quick-witted and has sharp battle instincts, allowing him to make the most of any situation, even when it is disadvantageous. While he is not the perfect nner and has been shown to be wrong on multiple instances, he remains one of Hexarion''s most valuable assets as a result of his logical personality.


    His guesses are usually urate, and he is fast in adapting to situations. However, his love for women sometimes makes him falter in his decision-making since he is a simp.


    <strong>- High Combat Prowess</strong>


    Shamac is highly skilled inbat. His Shapeshifting and Shadowshifting abilities make him incredibly versatile in both aerial andndbat. He is capable of fighting in close range and even far distances, making him capable of assaulting almost any opponent.


    His strategic mindset also ys an important role in his fighting, allowing him to adapt to almost any situation andunch a counterattack.


    He has been shown to be able to handle far stronger opponents, and his growth is still far from over.


    <strong>- Enhanced Physical Abilities</strong>


    Due to his ability to control his body''s makeup, Shamac can decide to increase his physical capabilities, making him faster and more powerful.


    Also altering his form, he canpensate for his reach and size in any way, making him the perfect fighter under melee conditions.


    - Regeneration


    Shamac can heal himself by shapeshifting. This allows him to close most wounds and damage he receives. However, the pain will still remain, and some injuries are beyond his recovery abilities.


    <strong>WEAKNESSES</strong>


    <strong>- Women</strong>


    One of Shamac''s most notable features is that he is a simp. As such, he finds women absolutely irresistible. Due to this fatal w, he finds it impossible to control himself even if he realizes that his actions are illogical.


    His emotions also hinder him from acting sensibly, however, he has also been shown to be able to control himself when Hexarion is involved.


    <strong>- Arts</strong>


    The Art of Hex and the Art of Grace are lethal to any living creature in the world, and Shamac is no exception. Hex has been shown to damage him, and even Grace leaves the same impression.


    Currently, he has little or no defenses for the Arts, making this a major vulnerability.


    -Light


    As a creature of the night, Shamac is extremely vulnerable to light-based attacks. Though this has been somewhat mitigated by ''Void Dark'', it still remains a major weakness of his shadow.


    <strong>- Aspects</strong>


    The Aspects that the Primordials control are everywhere. As such, even though Shamac can control his body''s Aspects, his surroundings are on entirely different levels. Should he face an opponent with this capability, the odds would turn against him.


    <strong>- Mortality</strong>


    Like every living creature in the world, Shamac can die. While this is difficult to do, since he can always fix himself with his Shapeshifting ability or Shadow Maniption, sufficient damage should be enough to entirely sever him from his mortal coil.


    <strong>ENEMIES</strong>


    <strong>-</strong>Hexarion''s Enemies


    <strong>-</strong>The Executioner

 Chapter 179 - Character Profile: Wrath

    <strong>Name</strong>: Wrath


    <strong>Identity</strong>:


    - One Of The Seven Deadly Sins


    - Hexarion''s General


    - Demon Of Terror


    <strong>Age</strong>: Unknown


    <strong>Affiliations</strong>:


    - Hexarion


    - The Seven Deadly Sins


    - Ruth


    - Shamac


    - Lumia


    <strong>Height</strong>: 7 Meters


    7ft (Human Form)


    <strong>Hair Color</strong>: White


    <strong>Eye Color</strong>: Crimson/Red


    Notable Features: A very well-built creature, huge, havingrge horns, wings, as well as a tail. Possesses a glistening body. However, in human form, he is slightly taller than Hexarion with muscr features and a handsome face.


    <strong>ALLIES/COMPANIONS</strong>


    - <strong>Hexarion</strong>


    Hexarion is the Primordial Of The Void, one of the most powerful beings in existence. Though he is in his weakened form, he ns on achieving his goal and wages war against the gods and Primordials who rule the world. He is the creator of Wrath and his sworn master. The rtionship between the two extends for thousands of years, when Hexarion was still a Primordial.


    Wrath''s loyalty to Hexarion is absolute and will always believe him to be right.


    - <strong>The Seven Deadly Sins</strong>


    The Seven Deadly Sins is a group of seven members who are Hexarion''s generals. They are currently the most powerful of all Hexarion''s intelligent creations, each possing Divine Grade Treasures, making them akin to gods.


    Currently, only Wrath has been discovered.


    - <strong>Shamac</strong>


    Shamac is Hexarion''s second ve, and one of Talia''s fewrades. He is a hybrid shifter. He possesses the properties of both Shapeshifter and Shadowshifter. Wrath initially has no reaction to him during their first encounter and even dismisses him off as weak and irrelevant. However, he begins to appreciate more of his qualities as time progresses.


    - <strong>Ruth</strong>


    Hexarion''s new creation and the firstplete and genuine intelligence Hexarion has ever created. Her consciousness is made up of both THE ROOT OF ALL''s core programming and Ana''s Aspect structure. Ruth bears very little interest to Wrath, though he is quite familiar with the ROOT part of her. However, they are both underlings of Hexarion, as well as fellow creations made by him.


    - <strong>Lumia</strong>


    Lumia is an artificial goddess, Hexarion''s newest subordinate. She is very powerful and socially awkward, though she masks it in a graceful manner and appears stoic most of the time. Wrath has no problem with her since Hexarion vouches for her.


    etc.


    <strong>INTRODUCTION</strong>


    Wrath is a Demon created by Hexarion. Appearing as the final Boss Monster of the Vanishing Dungeon, he is revealed to be one of Hexarion''s seven most powerful subordinates known as the Seven Deadly Sins.


    As Hexarion''s general, Wrath is extremely loyal to his master and believes any action made by him is right. Since he is also Hexarion''s creation, Wrath is incapable of rebelling against Hexarion.


    He is also very old, as he has been alive since Hexarion was a Primordial.


    PERSONALITY


    Wrath is very loyal and hardheaded, having no semnce ofmon sense since he is mostly driven by his loyalty to Hexarion.


    He is also not too bright, as Hexarion stated his mental capacity was too low. In contrast, he is severely powerful, even among the ranks of the Seven Deadly Sins. Due to this, Wrath is only interested in fighting extremely powerful opponents.


    As his name implies, Wrath has a very short fuse and gets annoyed easily. The only exception to this is when Hexarion specifically orders him to perform a task that requires him to keep his emotions in check.


    He has a brawny nature which makes him decide nearly everything based on strength. The very definition of ''Might makes Right!''.


    <strong>POWERS AND ABILITIES</strong>


    - Non-aspect Composition


    Wrath''s body isposed of non Aspect properties. Since he possesses the same body as Hexarion, this gives him equal capabilities. It is revealed that this non Aspect Property is derived from the Nether Element, an unknown existence of nonexistence within the world


    Since his body is independent of Aspect, normal concepts of existence do not apply to it, unless he wills them to. Generalws and concepts such as exhaustion, distance, physical limitations, etc. do not affect him.


    Most importantly, he is able to act without the monitoring or control of the Primordials and gods, since they control and are aware of all things under the Aspects they control. This allows him the same protection as Hexarion.


    It was also stated by Hexarion that Wrath''s body is superior to his in durability and power. However, as Hexarion has already absorbed the Nether Core, that statement no longer applies.


    - <strong>Energy Maniption</strong>


    Wrath possesses a high level of energy, allowing him to control it however he wishes, either by strengthening himself further or manipting others with it. Taking the form of telekinesis, Wrath can control other objects using his energy, or simply crush them.


    - <strong>Intense Pressure</strong>


    Wrath generates intense pressure capable ofmanding the submission of nearly every creature around him. Unless such a being is stronger than he is or has a form of resistance, Wrath can subjugate anyone with this overwhelming force.


    Of course, this only applies to beings who possess Aspect-based bodies, making Hexarion immune to this attack.


    - <strong>Dragon Robe Of Armageddon</strong>


    This is Wrath''s Divine Grade Treasure, given to him by Hexarion. Taking the form of fiery covering around Wrath, it provides him with a boost capable of destroying anything in sight. The intense heat melts everything in its presence and the destructive capabilities, when used to its maximum is capable of destroying a pocket dimension or even a world.


    - <strong>GreatKnowledge</strong>


    Wrath is the oldest of all Hexarion''s current subordinates. Since he was born when Hexarion was still a Primordial, he is highly knowledgeable about the state of the world as well as the gods and Primordials.


    With a vast amount of knowledge and an amount of experience tracing several millennia, it is safe to assume that Wrath is one of the most knowledgeable beings currently on Earth.


    Despite this, it has been stated that Wrath is not very intelligent since his mental capacity is low. However,pared to most creatures, he is still quite smart and analytic.


    To an extent, he is aware of thews that make up the world and the true nature of everything that is.


    - <strong>Self Structure Maniption</strong>


    Wrath''s body was made by Hexarion, and since it wasn''t created naturally, he is able to alter any and all properties within his body and without. His shape, height, weight, appearance... Everything about his body is under his control and can be changed whenever he pleases. This gives him an unfathomable advantage inbat since he is able to adjust his strength to suit whatever style he wishes.


    - <strong>High Combat Prowess</strong>


    Wrath is highly skilled inbat, far greater than even the most seasoned warriors. Other than the unimaginable strength of his artificial body, he also possesses countless knowledge on fighting and is most likely well versed in all styles ofbat since he is able to adapt to any situation he finds himself in. Since his most dominant field isbat, he disys extremely high levels of offensive power.


    - <strong>Enhanced Physical Abilities</strong>


    Wrath possesses maximized physical abilities due to the nature of his artificial body. His strength, agility, durability, etc. are beyond the realm of any human and most creatures in existence. Most high-level attacks are unable to damage him or even put a scratch on him. His strength has shown no limits, and his high sensory abilities greatly exceed that of anyone else, with the exception of a few. Abilities such as flight and regeneration are also avable to him.


    - <strong>Memory Drain</strong>


    One of Hexarion''s abilities that Wrath also possesses. He is able to entirely collect the memories of his target so long as he maintains physical contact with them. The transfer of memory information is instantaneous, and this makes most of his targets unable to bear the strain of the transfer. His targets lose their minds and enter vegetative states, or be insane. Wrath is able to sort through the information he receives at any given time, or simply skim through it. However, due to his very low memory capacity, he hardly uses this ability unless necessary.


    <strong>WEAKNESSES</strong>


    - <strong>Rage</strong>


    This emotion is a major aspect of Wrath''s personality. He gets easily upset at the slightest provocation, especially in matters concerning Hexarion. This is curved whenever Hexarion orders him to halt his anger, but in the absence of that, he can be extremely vtile.


    This allows him to lose what little sense of reason he has and attacks blindly.


    - <strong>Overconfidence</strong>


    This is one of Wrath''s fatal ws. Due to his strength, Wrath refuses to fight with anyone weaker than he is. He also looks down on them.


    - <strong>Divine Power</strong>


    Divine power is a major weakness of Wrath. The gods use this ability, and they are capable of damaging him if they use enough of their power.


    - <strong>Art Of Grace</strong>


    The Art of Hex and the Art of Grace exist in the world, and its users run rampant. Hex is harmless to Wrath since he possesses nearplete resistance to them. However, the Art of Grace uses Divine Power to function, making it dangerous to him. Still, unless it is powerful enough to deal damage to him, or bypass his durability, Wrath won''t be affected.


    - <strong>Aspects</strong>


    The Aspects that the Primordials control are everywhere. Since Wrath''s body ispromised of non-Aspect properties, he is not bound by them. However, they can still be dangerous to him since he is currently existing in the world. Just like Hexarion, Wrath is currently avoiding the attention of the gods and Primordials for this very reason, since if he is found out, Aspects can turn against him which will end up in his death.


    - <strong>Mortality</strong>


    While Wrath is extremely sturdy and durable, he isn''t immortal. Even though he doesn''t feel pain, unless he is affected by a Void attribute or Nether Element, if he suffers enough damage, Wrath will die.


    <strong>ENEMIES</strong>


    - Hexarion''s Enemies

 Chapter 180 - Character Profile: Ruth

    <strong>Name</strong>: Ruth


    <strong>Identity</strong>:


    Unique Creation


    Hexarion''s Subordinate


    <strong>Age</strong>: Less Than A Year


    <strong>Affiliations</strong>:


    Hexarion


    Shamac


    Wrath


    Lumia


    Lamar Adventurer''s Guild


    <strong>Height</strong>: 5ft plus


    <strong>Hair color:</strong> Silver


    <strong>Eye Color:</strong> ck/White


    <strong>Notable features:</strong> Young-looking appearance and extremely wless and clear skin. Appears graceful, like royalty.


    <strong>ALLIES/COMPANIONS</strong>


    - <strong>Hexarion</strong>


    Hexarion is the Primordial Of The Void, one of the most powerful beings in existence. Though he is in his weakened form, he ns on achieving his goal and wages war against the gods and Primordials who rule the world. He creates Ruth by merging ROOT and Ana''s attributes. This allows her to obtain information from both elements.


    As her master, creator, and love interest, Ruth is forever bound by Hexarion, never leaving his side.


    - <strong>Shamac</strong>


    Shamac is Hexarion''s second ve, and one of Talia''s fewrades. He is a hybrid shifter. He possesses the properties of both Shapeshifter and Shadowshifter. Ruth has disyed no affection toward him, and views him only as a necessaryrade and fellow subordinate of Hexarion. This may be due to the calctive tendency she psseses as a result of ROOT''s influence on her being.


    - <strong>Wrath</strong>


    One of Hexarion''s generals and a highly powerful monster. As a fellow subordinate of Hexarion, Ruth bears simrradeship with him, viewing him as an important ally and subordinate of Hexarion.


    - <strong>Lumia</strong>


    Lumia is an artificial goddess, Hexarion''s newest subordinate. She is very powerful and socially awkward, though she masks it in a graceful manner and appears stoic most of the time. She is the only one whom Ruth harbors a slight resentment against. She is suspiscous of her, due to being a god made by the Primordials, as well as the only other woman in the group.


    etc.


    <strong>INTRODUCTION</strong>


    Ruth is an artificial intelligence created by Hexarion. Using the core structure of ROOT, and the Aspect structure of Ana, dhe was birthed as a new being.


    Now possessing the body Hexarion made for her, Ruth purposes to serve Hexarion as her maker, master, and lover (in her head). Since she has the memories of Ana and ROOT, she is extremely loyal and in love with Hexarion.


    <strong>PERSONALITY</strong>


    Ruth is a very calm and calctive person. She usually appearsposed, only expressing extreme emotions in the presence of Hexarion, whom she loves, or Lumia, whom she despises.


    Still, she is highly aware of her purpose and neevr let''s her emotions get in the way of her duty.


    Having both properties of two highly capable subordinates, Ruth is very smart and useful to Hexarion. She is aware of this, and professes to be Hexarion''s closest and mostpetent ally.


    <strong>POWERS AND ABILITIES</strong>


    - <strong>The Treasury</strong>


    Ruth is connected to Hexarion, and as such she still has ess to the treasury within him since they all resonate with her. She is able to wield the items stored there, though some are too powerful for her to handle at her level of strength.


    - <strong>Pocket Dimension (ROOT REALM)</strong>


    Combining Ana''s Realm Of Limbo and ROOT''s original space, Ruth has the ability to generate and instantly transport herself and anyone she wishes to her world. Since it is nearly endless and under her control, it proves very useful in many ways.


    - <strong>Non-Aspect Composition</strong>


    Ana''s body isposed of non-Aspect properties. Since she possesses the same body as Hexarion, this gives her equal capabilities. It is revealed that this non Aspect Property is derived from the Nether Element, an unknown existence of nonexistence within the world


    Since her body is independent of Aspect, normal concepts of existence do not apply to it, unless she wills them to. Generalws and concepts such as exhaustion, distance, physical limitations, etc. do not affect her.


    Most importantly, she is able to act without the monitoring or control of the Primordials and gods, since they control and are aware of all things under the Aspects they control. This allows her the same protection as Hexarion.


    - <strong>HEX</strong>


    Ruth possess the knowledge and capability to use HEX. This is a system of Hexarion''s invention which is highly powerful and versatile. Hex was created when Hexarion was still a Primordial. Using the Aspects as a base, Hex interferes with the system of the world, the Aspects, allowing Ruth to manipte the elements of existence however she wishes, depending on the Hex used. Hex isn''t all powerful since it requires certain conditions to activate. Hex cuts across several Aspects and is applicable in many areas.


    There are currently 100 Hex tiques that exist. It ranges from #99, being the weakest to #0.


    It is currently unknown how many Hexes she can use, or how profecient she is whenpared to Hexarion.


    - <strong>Arcane Knowledge/Ultra Processing</strong>


    Ruth is the most mentally capable of all Hexarion''s current subordinates. She has a calctive mind,bined with several programings installed within her. This allows her to deduce and appraise nearly everything within the world. From materials, to Aspects, she is able to identify then all. Also, she remembers ROOT''s memories from when Hexarion was still a Primordial, making her highly knowledgeable about the state of the world as well as the gods and Primordials.


    With a vast amount of knowledge and an amount of experience tracing several millennia, it is safe to assume that Ruth is one of the most knowledgeable beings currently on Earth.


    It is not yet discovered the limits to her mental capacity, but it is definitely top-tier.


    To an extent, she is aware of thews that make up the world and the true nature of everything that is.


    - <strong>Self Structure Maniption</strong>


    Ruth''s body was made by Hexarion, and since it wasn''t created naturally, she is able to alter any and all properties within her body and without. Her shape, height, weight, appearance... Everything about her body is under her control and can be changed whenever she pleases. This gives her an unfathomable advantage inbat since she is able to adjust her strength to suit whatever style she wishes.


    - <strong>High Combat Prowess</strong>


    While Ruth is not as skilled as the rest of Hexarion''s subordinates in close-range, she is highly capable and versatile with the use of HEX.


    Also taking her calctive mind into ount, she can predict and analyze the flow of battle.


    - <strong>Enhanced Physical Abilities</strong>


    Ruth possesses maximized physical abilities due to the nature of her artificial body. Her strength, agility, durability, etc. are beyond the realm of any human and most creatures in existence. Most high-level attacks are unable to damage her or even put a scratch on her. Her level of physical strength and durability are still lower than Hexarion''s or Wrath''s, but she is in a ss of her ownpared to many others. She also has extremely sharp senses, only inferior to Hexarion among their group. Abilities such as flight and regeneration are also avable to her.


    - <strong>Memory Drain</strong>


    One of Hexarion''s abilities that Ana also possesses. She is able to entirely collect the memories of her target so long as she maintains physical contact with them. The transfer of memory information is instantaneous, and this makes most of her targets unable to bear the strain of the transfer. Her targets lose their minds and enter vegetative states, or be insane. Ruth is able to sort through the information she receives at any given time, or simply skim through them. Due to her high calctive prowess, she can sort through these information faster than Hexarion could in his previous body.


    <strong>WEAKNESSES</strong>


    - <strong>Arts</strong>


    The Art of Hex and the Art of Grace are lethal to any living creature in the world, and Ruth is no exception. She is extremely durable due to the nature of her body, but it doesn''t make her entirely immune to their effects.


    However, she has several ways to deal with these, such as countering with her HEX, or using Treasures within Hexarion.


    There are very few who can match Ruth in the Art of Hex, and since she is very knowledgeable of the Art, her major weakness of the two would be Grace.


    - <strong>Divine Power</strong>


    Divine power is a major weakness of his. It is able to prevent the activation of his Hex and also interfere with it once it has been activated. It is also possible that they can be able to damage him, but that has yet to be revealed.


    - <strong>Aspects</strong>


    The Aspects that the Primordials control are everywhere. Since Hexarion''s body ispromised of non-Aspect properties, he is not bound by them. However, they can still be dangerous to him since he is currently existing in the world. He is currently avoiding the attention of the gods and Primordials for this very reason, since if he is found out, Aspects can turn against him which will end up in his loss.


    - <strong>Mortality</strong>


    Like every living creature in the world, Ruth can die. While this is difficult to do, since she is highly durable and has several defences in her favor, sufficient damage should be enough to entirely sever her from her mortal coil.


    However, it should be noted that the destruction of her body does not necessarily mean her death since she is naturally a non physical entity. Also, since Hexarion has the backup structure within him, he can always revive her.


    <strong>ENEMIES</strong>


    - Hexarion''s Enemies

 Chapter 181 - Character Profile: Lumia

    <strong>Name</strong>:Lumia


    <strong>Identity</strong>:


    Artificial god


    Failed Celestial Project


    Hexarion''s subordinate


    <strong>Age</strong>: Unknown


    18 Years (Current Appearance)


    <strong>Affiliations</strong>:


    The Primordials


    The gods


    Jared (The Hero)


    Hexarion


    Ruth


    Wrath


    Lamar Adventurer''s Guild


    <strong>Height</strong>: 5ft plus


    <strong>Hair color:</strong> Gold


    <strong>Eye Color</strong>: Gold


    <strong>Notable features</strong>:Young-looking appearance and calm demeanor. Glowing nature, and very beautiful. Large eyes and small lips. Charming and well-rounded body.


    ALLIES/COMPANIONS


    - Hexarion


    Hexarion is the Primordial Of The Void, one of the most powerful beings in existence. Though he is in his weakened form, he ns on achieving his goal and wages war against the gods and Primordials who rule the world. He first encounters Lumia when she was still a nameless artificial god within Jared. After their first conversation, he gains interest in her, and age feels the same.


    In their second meeting, he overpowers her and revs his identity as the Primordial Of The Void. Giving her no other choice, she joins Hexarion under the name of Lumia as one of his subordinates.


    Since her memories contain fragments of the Primordials, she is unsure of how to view him. Though she disys romantic interest from time to time, she is mostly curious about him as she tries to understand her purpose.


    - <strong>Jared (Deceased)</strong>


    Jared is a Hero, the vessel for artificial gods made by the Primordials. Possessing a special kind of body, he has an unbelievable amount of power, being one of the strongest in the world, ''A Special Kind Of Human''. Jared was Lumia''s host before she became Hexarion''s subordinate.


    He is killed and absorbed by Hexarion, freeing Lumia from his shell. Lumia feels no attachment for him since they have never really conversed during their time together as she coldly refers to him merely as a vessel.


    -<strong>Wrath</strong>


    One of Hexarion''s generals and a highly powerful monster. He had power equal to that of a god''s, making Lumia wary of him. Despite this, their rtionship is nothing bad or good. Since Hexarion endorses her, Wrath bears no animosity toward her and mostly focuses on Hexarion, though it''s not clear whether he likes her either.


    -<strong>Ruth</strong>


    Hexarion''s new creation and the firstplete and genuine intelligence Hexarion has ever created. Her consciousness is made up of both THE ROOT OF ALL''s core programming and Ana''s Aspect structure. Ruth utterly despises Lumia and has made it known on several asions. Due to her identity as a god and a tool of the Primordials, Lumia is suspicious to Ruth, who views all gods as enemies.


    Other than her identity as a god, Ruth also views Lumia as a threat due to her being the only other female member of the team. Since they both share an interest in Hexarion, she refuses to let her have her way.


    However, she controls herself and doesn''t go overboard despite her negative disposition to Lumia. This is as a result of a higher emotion and logic which fuels all her actions toward the benefit of Hexarion.


    -<strong>Shamac</strong>


    Shamac is Hexarion''s second ve. He is a hybrid shifter. He possesses the properties of both Shapeshifter and Shadowshifter. As a result, he is able to transform and manipte his body Aspects at will, also controlling his shadows for various purposes.


    Shamac constantly maintains friendly rtions with Lumia since she is a girl, and a beautiful one at that. He bears no animosity toward her and seems to be the only one who wholeheartedly trusts her among Hexarion''s subordinates.


    Slowly, they be closer, recing his rtionship with Talia.


    Etc.


    <strong>INTRODUCTION</strong>


    Lumia is an artificial god made by the Primordials as a result of Hexarion''s words to them about the origin of gods. She is a failed experiment, not fully containing enough power to be a fully fledged god, as well as no Divine Authority she controls.


    As a defective product, she has no Divine Authority, instead, she has the ability to manipte Aspects within a special space she maniptes. She was formerly within Jared, who served as her host.


    However, after he is killed by Hexarion, she joins thetter as one of his subordinates. Having no purpose of her own, except for her endless curiosity about Hexarion, Primordial Of The Void, she decides to follow Hexarion and learn more about him to fill the void within her and find a reason to live.


    <strong>PERSONALITY</strong>


    Lumia is a veryposed God, having glorious splendor and stunning beauty. However, once she gets flustered, she fumbles and behaves irrationally.


    She is considerably proud, after all she is a god. However, she is not conceited and is well aware of the strength she possesses and the power of her adversary. She is very cautious and will try avoiding any fight that will prove fatal to her. She refuses to take risks or engage an opponent she is certain she can''t win against.


    Since she has never rted to anyone, except the Primordials and Hexarion, she is usually socially awkward among people, preferring to be silent in order to hide herck of social skills.


    She is usually aloof to most things that do not interest her, paying heed to Hexarion anything else that catches her fancy. She is loyal to Hexarion, not due to fear or love, but interest and curiousity.


    She loves learning new things.


    <strong>POWERS AND ABILITIES</strong>


    -<strong>nk Canvas</strong>


    Lumia''s most significant ability. She creates an artificial world In which she possesses supreme authority over. As a result, everything she imagines or wills within this world materializes.


    She can create endless weapons or manifestws and concepts, alter thendscape and perform countless phenomena. Anything is possible and the only limit is her imagination.


    -<strong>Hexarion''s Treasures</strong>


    As a privilege of joining him, Hexarion gifted Lumia with some of his Treasures, giving her new abilities to exploit.


    -<strong>Arcane Knowledge</strong>


    Lumia possess fragments of the Primordials thoughts, making her very knowledgeable about several things. She is also very old, and has been thoroughly educated by them before she was eventually discarded as defective. Since she is a god, though artificial, she is aware of thews that make up the world (to an extent). However, since her knowledge is iplete, she always searches for more.


    - Self Structure Maniption


    Lumia was given a body made by Hexarion, making her capable of the same feats as the others with the same feature. She is able to alter any and all properties within this body and without. Her shape, height, weight, appearance¡­ Everything about her body is under her control and can be changed whenever she pleases, though she prefers to maintain her normal appearance.


    - Adequate Combat Prowess


    Lumia is very inexperienced inbat since she has never fought before. However, using her powers she is able to hold a decent fight even with powerful opponents. Within nk Canvas, she is nearly invincible against opponents.


    - Enhanced Physical Abilities


    Lumia possesses maximized physical abilities due to the nature of her artificial body. Her strength, agility, durability etc. are beyond the realm of any human and most creatures in existence. Most high level attacks are unable to damage her or even put a scratch on her, and her high sensory abilities greatly exceed that of most


    - Memory Drain


    One of Lumia''s abilities thate with her new body. She is able to entirely collect the memories of her target so long as she maintains physical contact with them. The transfer of memory information is instantaneous, and this makes most of her targets unable to bear the strain of the transfer. Her targets lose their minds and enter vegetative states, or be insane. Lumia is able to sort through the information she receives at any given time, or simply skim through it.


    Since she has high cognitive abilities, she can see everything nearly instantly.


    -<strong>Divine Body</strong>


    Lumia is an artificial god, and her original body is divine. Normal exposure to the natural world would cause imbnce, and normal people would die if theye close to her divine form.


    <strong>WEAKNESSES</strong>


    -<strong>Divine Power</strong>


    Divine power is a minor weakness of hers. While she is a god, she isn''tplete, meaning she is not entirely capable of producing Divine Power. Her ability is a replication of this, making her a little lower in terms of power. As a result, true gods still hold an advantage against her.


    -<strong>Arts</strong>


    The Art of Hex and the Art of Grace exist in the current world. While low-level Hexes wouldn''t be able to work, high level ones are a different story. Even in her world, Hex Authorities are extremely dangerous, and she needs to be on guard to prevent it from affecting her. It is unknown if the same applies to Grace.


    -<strong>Aspects</strong>


    The Aspects that the Primordials control are everywhere. Though Lumia''s artificial body ispromised of non-Aspect properties, her core form is still made up of Aspects, making her subject to the Primordial''s control. Even in her new shell, Aspects can still be dangerous to her since she is currently existing in the world.


    -<strong>Mortality</strong>


    Gods are immortal, usually, unless killed by Primordials. However, Lumia is not aplete god, meaning she can be killed with enough power. Very few are capable of producing this feat, but it is not impossible.


    <strong>ENEMIES</strong>


    -Hexarion''s Enemies

 Chapter 182 - Character Profile: Nathan

    Name: Nathan


    Identity:


    The Sucide Plunderer


    Ex-Adventurer Of Lamar (Gold Ranked)


    Wandering Vagabond


    Age: 24 Years


    Affiliations:


    Marie (Deceased)


    Talia


    Lamar Adventurer''s Guild (Formerly)


    Height: 6''1


    Hair color: ck


    Eye Color: ck/Blue


    Notable features: Young-looking appearance and handsome look. Has a nice and easygoing demeanor.


    Allies/Companions


    - Talia


    Though Nathan us unaware of her true identity, he only knows Talia as a formerpanion of Rio. Initially, he got closer to her as a result of curiosity and a means of finding more information on Rio, whom he greatly suspects and ns on exacting revenge on.


    However, the two be closer as they journey together.


    Talia still refuses to tell Nathan the truth behind herself and Rio (Hexarion), and Nathan understands. Though he also hides his vendetta from her due to her connection with Rio.


    - Marie (Deceased)


    Nathan''s best friend and finance, before she died. He lived solely for himself and her, nning to get married as soon as he got enough money to ensure their happiness. However, after she dies, he decides to focus his rage and me on Rio, who appears to be the hidden culprit behind everything.


    - Karl (Deceased)


    Nathan''s best friend among the Adventuers, as well as his partner in crime. They were both involved in illegal activities as Adventurers and nned to steal from ''Rio'' alongside a few others. Karl and the others died, leaving Nathan as the only survivor. This gives Nathan a lot of guilt and trauma.


    - Jack, Lydia, Lucy, Puck, Carl, Damien (All Deceased)


    The novice Adventurers who nned on entering the Vanishing Dungeon and hired Nathan as their guide. He epts and gets closer to the group. However, in the Vanishing Dungeon, after encountering a Dragon, Nathan abandons his initial promise to them and flees, leaving all of them to die. Their death weigh heavily on him.


    - Rio


    Rio was Nathan''s benefactor, who saved him when he was about to die alongside his fiance, Marie, when faced against a group of Minotaurs. He repays Rio''s kind act by stealing his de Of Rupture, a powerful Relic, and schemes to rob him of more.


    This attempt fails, causing the death of everyone in the group, except Nathan. He avoids Rio after that moment.


    However, with the conclusion of the Vanishing Dungeon event, which painted Rio to be the hero, Nathan suspects that Rio is truly an antagonist, the one behind all the misfortunes that ured. He ns on bing stronger and putting an end to Rio once and for all.


    etc.


    INTRODUCTION


    Nathan is an Ex-Adventurer, one with a lot of skill and experience in fighting, among other things. He is also a skilled criminal and swindler, capable of orchestrating various schemes and pulling many robberies, earning for himself the name of ''Sucide Plunderer''.


    However, everything went sideways the moment he met Rio. After stealing his Relic, he intended on stealing more with his crew, but they all ended up dying, with him being the only survivor.


    He moved on from that and decided to be better, entering the Vanishing Dungeon with a new set of Party members. Once again, he loses hisrades and escapes alone.


    He nned on marrying a woman he loved, Marie, who was unfortunately killed in the aftermath of the Vanishing Dungeon effect. Pinpointing everything to Rio, Nathan ns on growing stronger to kill his enemy.


    PERSONALITY


    Nathan appears very level-headed and calm. He excels in analysis and strategy, having various knowledge on many monsters.


    However, deep within him he is also extremely selfish and cowardly, able to abandon anything to save himself when it most counts.


    Realizing this, Nathan attempts to change this fatal w of his and tries to be better.


    He mes himself for many of his misfortune, but also finds a way to pin everything on an external cause to escape his inner turmoil.


    POWERS AND ABILITIES


    - de Of Rupture


    His most notable offensive attribute is his Relic, de Of Rupture, which he stole from Hexarion. This weapon is shaped like a Katana and has the ability to generate invisible strikes which rend it''s target in clean slices. It also possesses energy maniption and conversion, able to strengthen the user and caude distortions in space, somehow bypassing durability.


    After the destruction of Nathan''s previous de, Hexarion reces it with a new and improved one, though Nathan believes the weapon rebuilt itself. Nathan has high trust in this Relic.


    The new de has several new features, one of which is instantly slicing in multiple areas at once by invisible or intense energy.


    Knowledge


    Nathan is highly knowledgeable about Relics, Monsters, and Dungeons as a result of his experience as an adventurer and a criminal. He is capable of distinguishing several monsters and estimate their level of strength ordingly.


    He is also very perceptive, able to learn and understand things quickly.


    - Brilliant Strategist


    Nathan is extremely cunning and smart, able to carry out a n wlessly. This allows him to remain a criminal without ever being caught in Lamar.


    He is also very adept at formation and analysis, able to read the tides of battle and turn them in his favor.


    - Combat Prowess


    Nathan is highly skilled inbat. While he is very reliant on his major offensive Relic, The de Of Rupture, he still has several others which he uses to fight. Also, his strategies and knowledge on monsters y an effective role on his battles.


    WEAKNESSES


    - Overestimation


    Nathan usually downys the strength of his opponents due to the power he possesses with the de Of Rupture. He has so much faith in this Relic, that he believes he has the chance to defeat any opponent with the right amount of motivation. He also considers the de as a Miracle Relic, capable to f always protecting him, and attributes the reason he is still alive to the de.


    - Human Physique


    Nathan is only human, possessing a very frail body. He is unable to exert himself beyond his limits, and can get exhausted after fighting for some time.


    He is highly vulnerable to most things affecting humans e.g. Sickness, death, emotional breakdown.


    - Timidity/Cowardice


    In the face of a stronger opponent, Nathan always crumbles. He abandons his ideals and struggles to save his life.


    ENEMIES


    - Rio


    - Wrath

 Chapter 183 - Character Profile: Jared

    Name: Nathan (Deceased)


    Identity:


    The Hero


    Vessel


    Failed Project


    The Bookkeeper


    Age: ?!


    Affiliations:


    Lamar Adventurer''s Guild


    Artificial god (Lumia)


    Height: 4 ft


    Hair color: Brown


    Eye Color: Brown/Gold


    Notable features: Appears to be a child, casually dresses with a cheerful and easygoing personality.


    Allies/Companions


    - Artificial god (Lumia)


    Lumia is an Artificial god made by the Primordials in their attempt to create a god. Since she was a failed Project, she was kept within Jared and ced on Earth.


    The two had no close ties with the other, and it is possible that Jared was entirely unaware of Lumia''s existence when he was still alive. He disyed nonchnce and imed to possess the powers he disyed, while Lumia referred to him as a mere vessel, showing no intimate rtionship between the two even though they both shared the same body.


    - Rai


    The Vice Guildmaster of Lamar''s Adventurers Guild, and the only one who seems to be truly close to Jared among the staff present.


    He is an extremely shy person, known to be among the ones with the highest amount of Relics in the world.


    While he is weaker than Jared, and he knows it, he does not entirely fear him either. They both have a mutual respect for each other, at least before Jared decided to abandon Lamar when it was in danger.


    Rai feels betrayed by this and leaves alone, however, more than betrayal, he was disappointed in Jared.


    - The Guildmaster


    Not much has been reved concerning this man, however, it is stated that he is extremely powerful.


    Rai admitted that if the Guildmaster had been present, he might have been able to ward off Wrath when he invaded.


    Being the top braas of Lamar''s Adventurer Guild, he is the boss of Jared. Though it is said that even he ims to be weaker than Jared and cautious of his power.


    Not much interaction was shown between the two.


    etc.


    INTRODUCTION


    Jared is a Hero, the vessel for artificial gods made by the Primordials. Possessing a special kind of body, he has an unbelievable amount of power, being one of the strongest in the world, ''A Special Kind Of Human''. As a result of this, Jared is nearly invincible, having nk Canvas as a cheat ability which renders most unable to eveny a hand on him.


    As a Vessel, he housed the Artificial god, Lumia, who was taken out out him after he is killed and absorbed by Hexarion.


    PERSONALITY


    Jared is usually seen as easygoing and cheerful. Due to his overpowered nature, and hisck of experience in defeat, he is extremely confident and has a calm outlook on most situations.


    However, this all changes when he gets cornered. Jared bes visibly upset when he finds himself losing, and his confidence shatters. He throws tantrums and enters a state of denial, desperately trying to win.


    In the face of overwhelming power, he loses most form of reason and bes ovee with fear.


    He is very immature and has very littlebat experience and skill. He possesses no strategy and solves most of his problem with his raw power.


    He considers himself invincible.


    POWERS AND ABILITIES


    -nk Canvas


    Jared''s most significant ability. He creates an artificial world In which he possesses supreme authority over. As a result, everything he imagines or wills within this world materializes.


    He can create endless weapons or manifestws and concepts, alter thendscape and perform countless phenomena. He is also capable of creating copies of himself. Anything is possible and the only limit is his imagination.


    He can also use this ability to hide from any event uring in the normal world, or transport himself to another location, as seen when he left Lamar as a result of his fear of Rio (Hexarion).


    - Special Constitution


    As a Hero, Jared''s body is not normal. He possesses an immense amount of Essence and can control vast amounts of Aspects in his world. Hexarion was also unable to sense him initially, making his body properties highly different from regr humans.


    He also has immense strength, speed, stamina, vitality etc. He is beyond the limits of any human, even in his base form.


    - High Combat Prowess


    While Jared has very little battle strategies or intelligent maneuvers, he is still extremely deadly inbat. Using the sheer force and magnitude of his abilities, he is capable of crushing most opponents easily.


    Since everything in nk Canvas is under his control, Jared is unstoppable against a normal opponent.


    - Enhanced Physical Abilities


    Jared possesses maximized physical abilities due to the nature of his special body. His strength, agility, durability etc. are beyond the realm of any human and most creatures in existence. Most high level attacks are unable to damage him, and even if they do, he can simply regenerate. He also has high sensory perception and can perform feats such as flight and teleportation.


    - Artificial god Protection


    Since he is the vessel of his Artificial god, Jared is protected, to an extent, against attacks on his mind and soul.


    His Artificial god intervenes, preventing his mind from being essed by strangers.


    WEAKNESSES


    - Overconfidence


    This is one of Jared''s fatal ws. His ego is something that makes him unable to see himself defeated in any way since he views everyone as beneath him. Being a Hero, he is above others in terms of quality, making him underestimate his opponents. This caused his defeat at the hands Hexarion.


    -Divine Power


    Divine power is a minor weakness of Jared. Since he is only a Hero housing a failed god, he is not entirely vulnerable to Divine Power and Authority.


    -Arts


    The Art of Hex and the Art of Grace exist in the current world. While low-level Hexes wouldn''t be able to work, high level ones are a different story. Even in his world, Hex Authorities are extremely dangerous, and he needs to be on guard to prevent it from affecting him and the Aspects within his world. As seen when Hexarion used a few on him, which worked a great deal, Jared is septible to Hex. It is unknown if the same applies to Grace, but it should.


    -Aspects


    The Aspects that the Primordials control are everywhere. Though Jared''s special body is different from most, he is still made up of Aspects, making him subject to the Primordial''s control.


    - Inexperience/Immaturity


    Jared has little to nobat experience since he has always been capable of mowing down any of his opponents easily. This makes him very dukk inbat and unable to adapt easily in battle. Hisposure is also terrible, making him get flustered and easily provoked.


    He is also extremely petty, ounting for his predictable pattern and easily agitated nature.


    -Mortality


    Jared is merely a vessel, and one to a faield god, therefore he can be killed. He is done in by Hexarion, after using one of his Treasures, indicating that Jared is indeed capable of death.


    ENEMIES


    - Rio Xarion (Hexarion)


    {P.S.. I hope to see Jared return in Hex. Yes, that''s right! You saw that well!}

 Chapter 184 - The Meeting Of Gods

    The room was well lit with various ornaments which filled the premises with inexplicable ambiance.


    Lights made by jewels, as well as mind-blowing patterns were carved on the walls across the room.


    The floors were tarred with gold, and surrounding the ground floor, were countless sears which were designed regally.


    Impatient beings sat on their respective seats, all anxiously waiting for whoever called for the symposium.


    The auditorium, as it were, was filled with dead silence. Though everyone''s face was lit with curiosity, no one tried to utter a single word.


    Finally, someone began approaching the stage at the center of the hall, and everyone''s eyes lit as the host stood before them all.


    "I wee you all, to our celestial convergence!" The one who addressed them all spoke in a booming voice, allowing the uncountable members of the audience to hear his voice.


    Standing to address the crowd was an entity d in golden regalia. Donning a veil that covered nearly all parts of his body, he held a staff. Everyone''s eyes nearly pooped out of their sockets as they observed his stance.


    If there was such a thing as an effect beyond silence, such was the asion.


    "As you all know, my name is A''Hura M''Azdah, head of the council of gods... And the host of today''s event"


    Yes, this was a meeting of gods, high above in the celestial realm. The Grand symposium which represented the Great Sacred Hall, was where the gods of every concept of existence gathered.


    A''Hura''s words attracted the interest of everyone. As one of the Top 10 greatest gods in existence, he was famed to create concepts of creation, a direct subordinate of the Primordial Gilga, himself.


    A hand was suddenly raised by one of the gods seated directly facing the host. He was on the ground floor, the same level as the stage, alongside eight others. The nine who sat at the seat were known to be the most powerful of all the gods, besides A''Hura.


    The gods diverted their attention to the one who raised his hand.


    "You have something to say, Shiva?" The host god asked, narrowing his eyes at the four-armed god who satfortably on his chair.


    Shiva rose from his seat, showing his extremely muscr and purple body to the crowd. A slight re appeared on his face.


    "What is the meaning of this, old fart?" He asked defiantly.


    Even though everyone had their mouths shut, he did not care for hierarchy, neither did he fear the god who stood on the stage.


    "Why did you have to gather everyone here? In the first ce, who gave you such authority? You might be the head of us all, but only the Primordial ones have the right tomand the convergence of every single god! What could have been so important that you had to make mee all the way here?" Shive pointed out impatiently, making it evident that he was displeased by the nature of the meeting and had other things to do.


    The others who sat beside him were quiet. Some were uninterested in Shiva''s words, more focused on the goal oftheir gathering. Some did not want to upset A''Hura, while some didn''t even care. They merely waited for the meeting to end.


    "Shiva. You realize that this outburst of yours is highly unfit for one of your ranking. Besides, if the subject matter was of very little importance, I would not have gathered us all here..." A''Hura stated.


    "If it was so important, I''m pretty sure I would have heard of it!" Shiva sneered.


    "Really? You would know something that even the Primordials have yet to find out?" A''Hura narrowed his eyes in a whisper.


    This caused an uproar among the gods, as whispers and mumblings filled the hall. The impatience and curiosity that had been welling up in their hearts finally exploded.


    "Silence!" A''Huramanded.


    Instantly, the giant symposium fell silent once again.


    "What nonsense are you spouting? You mean, you brought us all together to deliberate on something the Primordial ones haven''t been notified of? Do you realize what this means?" Shiva asked, banging one of his four fists on the table ced before him.


    A''Hura appeared a little flustered, not by Shiva''s words, but by the nature of the subject matter itself.


    "Going behind the Primordial ones to host this meeting. Do you understand the consequences of-"


    "Do not insult me, I perfectly understand. You''re eons too early to question my knowledge, brat!" A''Hura finally frowned, interrupting Shiva''s protest.


    It was Shiva''s turn to fall silent. He didn''t intend on provoking him to that extent, but Shiva still couldn''tprehend why a bnce keeper such as A''Hura would not inform the Primordial ones of a matter which he deemed to be of utmost importance... Important enough to gather all the gods.


    "Huu..." Shiva gave a heavy sigh and returned to his seat.


    Perhaps he had been too impatient.


    "Now then, I apologize for the interruption. It''s time to delve into the issue for contention which has brought us all together... A matter which must be resolved before the Primordials take notice of..."


    The crowd eagerly waited for the words of the elderly host, and the nine top gods all had some degree of interest in what would proceed from A''Hura''s mouth.


    "... A Hero is dead!"


    The bombshellnded, and for a moment, the gods took some time to process what had been said. But, as soon as they realized this... The crowd erupted in chaos, anxiety, confusion, fear, and even more interest.


    "It appears I have finally gotten the attention of everyone here." A''Hura continued, dying down the noise that had pervaded the hall.


    "Who was it? Jasmine? Helios? Philip?!" Shiva burst out in shock and curiosity.


    A''Hura shook his head to all of them.


    "It was the one stationed at a city known by the residents of the kingdom to be ''Artia''."


    The gods all stared at each other in slight confusion, not fully certain of what to make of A''Hura''s statement.


    After all, they did not know of any true Hero who was in Artia.


    "Lord A''Hura... Am I correct in assuming that you speak of a defective Hero? One who houses a ''failed god''?" A feminine voice sounded among the nine high gods.


    Her beautiful appearance stunned the gods who looked in her direction to find the one who spoke up.


    Her body glistened in white and gold, matching the color of her hair. Covering her clear skin was shiny linen, filled with several designs of indescribable beauty, with tiny orbs of light dancing around her.


    "You are right, Amaterasu. It is the failed Hero, Jared. The one who housed the first of the artificial god, and a failed prototype." A''Hura answered.


    "What the-?! You called us all here because some useless defect died? Who cares about that?!" Shiva answered, visibly upset by the triviality of the matter.


    "Calm yourself, Lord Shiva. I am certain Lord A''Hura has a reasonable exnation for this." Amaterasu spoke in her soothing tone.


    "Tch!" Shiva let out in dissatisfaction as he kept quiet once again.


    "Now then, I''m certain many of you are wondering the same thing as the great god, Shiva. Why would there be a gathering of all the gods for the death of a single Hero, and a failed one at that." A''Hura resumed his address.


    "However, it is not just the death of the Hero that calls for concern, but the nature of the urrence itself."


    Upon hearing this, most of the gods became rekindled their interest in the matter.


    "A Hero can not be killed by ordinary means, to begin with, even a failed one such as Jared. I know it is not impossible, as there are a few beasts and men who could perform such a feat, but the Hero''s death did note about by any of these.


    A wave of unease began to waft about the hall, making some of the gods a little anxious about the words of the host.


    "I personally am not sure how it happened, however... After observing the archives, I noticed a slight anomaly in the world before the signature of the Heroes vanished. The Hero used his Gift, and transported himself to his world. However, as is the case of all Gifts, traces of the Aspects they emit remain in the normal world, allowing us to trace their whereabouts."


    "However... This Hero''s Gift Aspect vanished without a trace. Not only that but in a split moment, fractured in time, though it was very difficult to notice even for me... I saw it!" A''Hura muttered.


    "You saw what?" Shiva asked, feeling a little nervous by the old man''s use of suspense.


    "The ursed Aspect of the one who caused the great cmity all those time ago... The one who swallows all. The one who challenged his fellow kinsmen and nearly seeded in driving the entirety of creation into nothingness!" A''Hura stated.


    Voices of unrest filled the air as fear slowly spread across the room.


    They were all aware of the one whom the host referred to. The single Primordial who seeded in killing one-third of the gods, and devastated the heavens and all the realms in existence. The one who was finally defeated by his siblings before he could seed in his malevolent n... forever silenced in death.


    "Yes! I sensed the Aspect Of The Void, belonging to none other than Hexarion, the Evil Primordial!" A''Hura dered.


    Shiva trembled on his seat. Now he knew why the leader refused to make this knowledge known to the Primordial ones. The Aspect of the rogue Primordial had not been sensed since his death, and the true Aspect was sealed away by the Primordials.


    If indeed a Void Aspect surfaced, that could only mean one thing... Trouble!


    "Which is why I have called this symposium. The fact that none of those are aware of this means that the culprit has found a way to avoid our watchful gaze. However, this also means they are not in a condition to fight against us and win!"


    "Therefore, before the Primordial ones be aware of this rising menace... It is up to us, the gods... Topletely and utterly exterminate it once and for all!"


    The gods had no choice but to agree, giving their voices of consent. Most responded out of fear and anxiety, while a few were out of revenge.


    However, there sat a god amongst everyone else who couldn''t help but smile to himself as he chuckled underneath his breath.


    "Oh, Hexarion.... So you''re finally back!"

 Chapter 185 - Aftermath Of The Tragedy

    ~Knock. Knock~


    I heard a slight bang on the door leading to my residence.


    ncing at the location, I easily saw through the door and walls, seeing the person standing behind before it.


    "Lord Rio... a minute please?" The woman asked.


    Making a slight sigh, I stood from my study, where I sat, and proceeded to the door.


    "I''ming..."


    Tilting the doorknob, I opened the contraption and gazed upon the nervous woman in front of me.


    I remained silent, but my expression seemed to pass across the message.


    "E-erm, the Guildmaster has finally returned. He wishes to speak with you." She said, bowing before me.


    This woman, Liliana, was one of the Adventurers Guild''s secret agents who monitored and regted Adventurers. Of course, she knew better than to treat me the same as the others.


    "Very well. I''ll be there soon" I responded calmly.


    "H-he also said to bring your friends, the other tinum-Ranked Adventurers." She added.


    "Of course"


    Giving her my usualposed expression, I avoided saying more words than necessary.


    "Alright then. Thank you for your time. I''ll be on my way then..." She said, bowing once again.


    I merely nodded, making Liliana raise her head and walk away.


    Slowly pushing the door back to its closed position, I locked it and returned to my desk.


    Of course, I was aware of when the Guildmaster returned, and it''s understandable that his first order of business would be to summon me, as well as my partners.


    "It''s a little vexing that I have to y this role for this time, but I have no choice. This is my original''s purpose for me, after all..."


    That''s right, I am not Hexarion. I am merely a fraction of his power meant to take over this Adventurers City under the guise of my new identity... Rio, the savior of Lamar.


    Nearly a week has passed since the incident which cost the lives of thousands of people, and even hundreds of Adventurers who ventured within the Vanishing Dungeon.


    After they arrived, most of them were so traumatized that they had to be hospitalized to recuperate.


    Even among the strongest Adventurers, the tinum Ranked, only two survived. Of course, this doesn''t include me and the others. The Rank 1 and 2 who barely escaped death looked shaken after the whole incident was over.


    "You heard her, didn''t you?" I said, drawing the attention of the two others who remained with me in the luxurious residence where we stayed.


    Instantly, my two ''conpanions'', and Party Members, lunged out of their respective rooms and faced me in reverence.


    "Do not forget, I''m also a subordinate of our Lord, just like you. We may share the same features and powers, but I''m only a fraction of it." I quickly corrected their wrong behavior.


    "S-sorry about that!" Shamac hesitantly answered.


    "Yeah, I''m still not used to this..." Ruth mumbled.


    These two were designated to me by Lord Hexarion to be myrades and Party Members. Of course, Talia would have been included, but she has been exiled.


    I simply told the Guild that she was missing. In face of countless deaths, nothing could be done about a single Adventurer.


    Perfectly convenient.


    "Well, you better get ustomed to treating me more like an equal. We are all Party members, and you would do well not to raise suspicion."


    They both nodded, making me smile slightly.


    They are both sharp personalities, so I''m sure they''ll be fine.


    "Now then, shall we go and see the Guildmaster?" I grinned.


    They both nodded, materializing their outfits from the choices they had as a result of Hexarion''s gifts to them before leaving.


    Shamac wore his ck hooded coatced with purple designs and an inner outfit.


    Ruth donned her usual white gown, wearing a thin and transparent scarf around her.


    I snapped my fingers and made my usual jacket, gloves, pants, and boots appear in their respective regions.


    Multiple rings also materialized and a sheathed sword remained on my waist.


    "Good, it appears we''re all good to go."


    As we left the premises, waking down the hallway to the topmost floor of the Adventurers Guild building, my mind traveled to the few notable incidents that urred during thest few days.


    Many Adventurers retired, leaving less than fifty left who were still operational in the City. For a ce that boasted the highest level of these mercenaries who spanned over a thousand, a mere fifty was abysmal inparison.


    Many quit as a result of the trauma, but a great number also left because of the huge reduction in pay and heavy workload.


    The city had been damaged and a majority of funds had to be diverted to restructuring and repairs. This made very little pay avable to the Adventurers.


    Monster activities had also been increasingtely, so the remaining Adventurers were tasked with handling them. A mere fifty taking on the job of a thousand was very despairing and exhausting. Many people couldn''t handle the pressure left, and not even the Guild could fault them.


    The only ones who remain are those who either have no other job they know how to do or are simply desperate.


    The tinum Ranked Adventurers stayed, but I had not seen them since the general meeting day, where the two of them avoided me.


    I recognized the Rank 2 from my original''s memories, but the first Rank remained foreign to me.


    "Well, he''s not first anymore... I guess I should stop calling him that."


    Other than the heavy demand on Adventurers, this was the best time for me as one.


    Not only was I not bothered about the quests given to the rest of the Adventurers, but I was also treated like a V.IP. and was only called upon in dire straits.


    Of course, I lent my help when I was needed, taking it as the perfect opportunity to disy more of my power and ensure the confidence they had in me never wavered.


    My Party and I were also lodged in the perfect residence, second to none. Not even the Guild Master''s residence was as prestigious as this.


    Apparently, it was set aside for members of the Royal family. But, since the feat I performed was not something they could overlook, and since they did not have enough money topensate me for my troubles, this was the next best thing they could provide.


    "Now that we have been summoned by the Guildmaster, I already predict what will happen" I contemted.


    "Let''s see just what kind of man you are..."


    Still, other than the human I was heading to, there was something of greater importance I thought of. My progenitor, Lord Hexarion.


    I couldn''t help but think about him, my original.


    "What could he be up to now?"


    A smile formed on my face as I had the thought. Whatever he was doing at the moment, it was definitely not something good.


    **********************************


    "nk Canvas!" Lumia yelled, drawing myself and Wrath into her world of nkness.


    "Exciting! Entertain me,rade!" Wrath beamed, salivating for some action.


    Floating some distance away from the two of them, I gave a small smile.


    I had pitted Lumia against Wrath, allowing them to test their strength against each other.


    Since Wrath had been professing to be the most powerful among my Subordinates, and she refused to ept it, this was the best way to end the conflict.


    Of course, this is also to my advantage.


    If it wasn''t, I would never have allowed it.


    "Begin!" I gave the starting signal.


    Instantly, the two of them rushed at each other, creating a slight quake within nk Canvas.


    Waves of impact emitted from their location and shook the fabric of space as they fought against each other.


    Using Hex, I muted the volume of their fight and also created a barrier around myself for protection against any disturbance.


    ~BOOOOOM~


    ~POW~


    ~CRASH~


    Various blows were exchanged as Wrath used his special aura and Lumia generated countless weapons,unching them at the hunk of a man.


    As I observed the sight, my mind drifted off to what had been happening for some time now.


    I left the other ''me'' back at Lamar to take care of things there while leaving Shamac and Ruth behind to be the Adventurers in his Party.


    Since they already had licenses, it was easier. A little problem arose with Ruth''s younger look,pared to Ana. However, it was easy to pin it on an effect of the Vanishing Dungeon.


    Of course, there was no protest among my subordinates concerning my decision, though I did feel a high amount of dissatisfaction from them, especially Ruth.


    The amount of bloodlust and negative emotions she radiated in Lumia''s direction made me d I separated the two of them.


    As for Wrath and Lumia, since they are currently the most powerful cards I possess, the most viable option for me was to take them with me for my next objective.


    "It''s time to gather the remaining ''Sins''." I had told Wrath.


    "B-but Master, isn''t it too early?" Wrath asked me with concern, though he had the utmost faith in my judgment.


    "There''s not much time left. After all, after killing Jared, I left a little ''hint'' for them to pick up." I smiled.


    "They should have gotten a whiff, sooning for the bait."


    "A-Ah, I see. As expected of Lord Hexarion!" Wrath beamed, pretending to understand my ns when he had no clue.


    Not that it matters to me. So long as he continued being a useful General, he was perfectly fine the way he was.


    But, only Wrath wasn''t going to be enough.


    Even with Lumia, Ruth, Shamac, in addition to the other prospects in the works, I still need more for what is toe.


    "A war is on its way, everyone.... and I intend on winning!

 Chapter 186 - A New Journey Begins

    "That''s enough!"


    My voice reverberated across the vast space of nk Canvas, instantly stopping both Wrath and Lumia from going any further in their battle.


    They both assumed normal stances and looked at me obediently.


    I released the barrier I ced around myself and looked around the dimension. It was badly damaged, having tears and ruptures in its very fabric.


    "They went a little too far..." I muttered.


    But, since they hadn''t used their full powers, the world remained intact.


    "It''s time to leave, Lumia."


    The artificial goddess nodded and took a deep breath. Instantly, nk Canvas shattered apart and we appeared in the normal world.


    Standing in the t ins alongside my two subordinates, I took in a breath of fresh, natural air.


    It was lighter than the one Lumia reproduced within her world. I suppose even she still has a lot to learn.


    "Where are we headed to, my Lord?" Wrath asked me with curiosity lit in his eyes.


    He appeared to be trying to predict the next of the ''Seven Deadly Sins'' I would be reuniting with.


    "For now, let''s head to the nearest city... After all, we''re no longer in the Western Empire" I grinned.


    That''s right! After the incident, I decided to explore other areas of the world, since the Seven Deadly Sins were scattered far and wide.


    Currently, we were at the border region of the Eastern Empire.


    Wrath and Lumia nodded and followed me as we vanished with the wind.


    **************************************


    "Are you really going to keep being cold to me? You do realize we are partners on this sacred mission, right?" A man d in a casual white jacket, revealing the light-colored shirt he had underneath, and ck pants said.


    His partner who walked beside him totally ignored his statement and kept facing forward.


    Her outfit was a short gown, with leggings entirely covering her skin and long gloves over her arm. She wore a dark cloak which covered most of the outfit she had underneath though.


    "Virgo, how long do you think you can ignore me for? I''ll just keep talking until you respond." The man pestered, stroking the goatee he had underneath his chin.


    "Oh, Aries, will you shut up!" Virgo finally replied, ring at the grinning man beside her.


    "Ah, finally. The maiden speaks!"


    Virgo gritted her teeth as she inte stared at him. How could he afford to joke around with her concerning the situation?


    The only reason he was being so carefree was because of his detachment from the case.


    "Four of my Apostles are dead, Aries. This mission is of great importance to me. Don''t get in my way!" Virgo snapped, walking fast ahead.


    "Do not forget who made it possible for you to have been assigned to this case in the first ce!"


    Aries'' sudden statement made Virgo stop dead in her tracks as she turned back to re at him.


    On his face was stered a condescending smile, one which made her even more disgusted in his personality.


    The thing she hated most about this Constetion, was his two-faced nature. Within the council, he acted mature and sensible, yet at other times he disyed a frivolous attitude. However, his true character was that of an egotistical persona who enjoyed making others aware of their ce.


    "I haven''t forgotten. I am still grateful to the Prophet for the opportunity." She answered and turned forward.


    "Tch. You''re no fun" He sneered.


    Spending the rest of their moments in silence, they finally arrived at their destination.


    "We''ve left Artia, the first scene of the crime. But, after investigating for the past few days we realized that the culprit had moved on." Aries began analyzing out loud.


    "Thest signature recorded of the final two Apostles who were killed happens to be here. Hopefully, we find the culprits." He added.


    Virgo tightened her first in resolve as she looked upon the city a small beneath her.


    From the hill where she stood, she could see the developing structures and several buildings. The people appeared to be busy, either building or performing other trades mostly rted to construction.


    "The ce where the Evil One''s subordinate was found and killed, uh? It had to be here of all ces." Aries muttered.


    The Apostle heads, the Constetions had agreed to look into the matter after Virgo and Aries returned from their investigation, but since it had led them to the city of interest, they may as well look into the matter.


    "We''ll be killing two birds with one stone. Finding the killer of my subordinates, as well as the one who defeated Wrath." Virgo finally spoke.


    There was no room for error or mistakes. Considering the situation, the one which took higher priority to her was the killer of Apostles. However, when she thought of it logically, it would be better to discover the famed ''Hero'' of the city and use him however they could to face off against the enemy.


    "I can guess what you''re thinking" Aries smiled at Virgo.


    "Pray tell, what is it?" She rolled her eyes.


    "You want to enlist the help of the city''s new hotshot, uh? But do you really think it will be that easy? I mean, the guy took down one of the rogue Primordial''s big seven." Aries retorted.


    Of course, Virgo had thought about that fact. However, the more she mulled over it, the more she was convinced that something didn''t add up.


    "The General must have been weakened. There is no way a mere human would stand a chance against one of those Demons, even with Relics. This city shouldn''t even be standing if a General truly appeared with its full power..." Virgo said.


    Aries nodded slightly, agreeing with the truth in her words.


    "Still, a General is still a General even if it is weakened. Whoever killed it must possess some valuable Relics and could prove useful in our search for the heretic who killed my subordinates."


    "And if he refuses?" Aries asked, smiling mischievously.


    "We simply make him. No man is capable of resisting me, after all... as a Prime Apostle of my god, all shall obey."


    For the first time, Virgo gave a slight smile. She was curious as to what manner of man the Hero would be.


    However, she was on a schedule and had to wrap things up quickly.


    "I might end up being a little rough, but, oh well..."


    She would soon find out what she desired to know as she ventured into the partly ruined city of Adventure, Lamar.


    "... All is for the sake of the gods!"


    Aries still stroked his goatee as his eyes lit up after seeing Virgo smile.


    "Let''s go!" She said, instantly disappearing from the hill due to her hyperspeed.


    "Good grief, she''s excited already... how interesting." Aries grinned, chasing after her as he vanished as well.


    "This should be fun!"


    **********************************


    It didn''t take us long before we finally arrived at the nearest town. From afar, I could already tell what kind of ce it was.


    The entrance to themunity was different from the ones I had previously seen.


    The gate was shabbily designed, using only wood and straw, with tars holding them together.


    There were no guards assigned there, allowing us to enter without much worry.


    Venturing within, we attracted the attention of the residents who stared at us strangely. Their attires and appearances were shabby,pared to ours.


    Since Lumia was well decorated, and Wrath wasn''t so badly dressed either, we stood out instantly.


    Getting the attention of everyone around me wasn''t bad, but I needed more information. The knowledge I had obtained from the books I read and data I umted back in the office of Artia''s Mayor was inconsistent with what I was seeing.


    The Eastern Empire was supposed to be prosperous and brimming with life. Having a meritocratic system, most of its residents lived good and entertaining lives. Plus, with their multitude of natural resources and one of the highest concentrations of Relics, they were extremely wealthy. Yet, this town looked nearly deserted and unkempt.


    I scanned the town and found the total number of people dwelling within to be merely a few hundred.


    "Three hundred and forty-nine... Strange."


    Looking around me, most of the residents were young folks, mostly women.


    "There''s definitely something going on here" I whispered.


    I analyzed the surrounding Aspects, as well as theponents of the townsfolk, Instantly reading their minds. Several voices popped up which I sorted out instantly.


    "W-who are these people?!"


    "They''reing from... N-no way! That''s impossible!"


    "We haven''t had any visitors in such a long time!"


    "Were they sent by the Inquisition? No way!"


    "Are we finally saved?"


    "Don''t tell me, they''re here to-?!"


    ".........."


    After listening to countless others, I finally grasped what was happening in no time.


    "It appears there is a Dungeon nearby, and after trying for several years, this Kingdom has given up on conquering it." I smiled.


    These townsfolks were what used to be residents of a veryrge hub, but upon countless failures, attention was given to other areas and Dungeons around.


    The ones who remained were people who had nowhere else to go. They were literally abandoned by the government.


    But, there''s more... a secret that these people have been hiding among themselves, and the reason they''re so cautious about our appearance.


    Everything is tied to the Dungeon.

 Chapter 187 - The Abandoned Town

    "G-good day, strangers" A woman suddenly said, rushing forward to meet us.


    The other townsfolks shrunk away, removing their eyes from us as they returned to their business.


    The strange woman wore a bright smile on her face, drawing closer to us, apanied by two individuals, a boy and a girl.


    "Wee to our town!" She added, bowing her head in front of us.


    Her two followers did the same.


    "Strange... just a few moments ago, they started at us apprehensively. What changed?" Lucia muttered, staring at the women ufortably.


    "Good day. As you can see, we are not from around here. We are travelers from a farawaynd" I said, entreating the woman to raise her head.


    The three natives of the town raised their heads and looked at us. A smile was formed on their face, and while the woman seemed to mask hers well, it was clear from the expression of the other two that their smiles were forced.


    "I apologize for our poor reception... It''s been quite a while since we have had any visitors." She answered.


    I shrugged, still looking around me.


    "Are you, by any chance, the head of this town?" I asked her.


    "Haha, you could say that!" Sheughed.


    Interesting. Well, there''s no point in dragging this on any further, for now...


    "Is there an inn or a ce to rest?" I asked.


    "A-ah, no sir. You see, we haven''t had any visitors in a long time. We have no structure to amodate you all..."


    "I see. Very well, I suppose we will have to leave for the next town we find," I replied, signaling my two subordinates to begin moving.


    "W-wait!" She protested.


    <em>I knew it!</em>


    "The nearest town will take days to reach. And from your appearance, it seems you have been journeying for a long time. Surely, you need some rest" Thedy added.


    <em>What a farce. It hasn''t even been up to an hour since we started moving. Besides, it doesn''t show in any way on us that we have been on any journey at all.</em>


    "If it is okay with you, we can make a ce for you to rest. You can stay with us if you don''t mind. It''s not much, but there''s enough space for you all to rx freely." She offered.


    "Why go out of your way, though?" Lumia suddenly questioned.


    The woman appeared a little flustered by her question but quickly pulled herself together so she wouldn''t appear suspicious.


    "W-well...I..." She stuttered.


    "Enough, Lumia. You''re being rude to thedy who innocently offered a ce to rest."


    Lumia nced at me with surprise, but after giving her a knowing re she gulped in fear.


    "I-I''m sorry..." Lucia apologized to thedy and her entourage.


    This made her appear even more flustered as she tried refusing the apology in embarrassment.


    "I-its nothing, really. I understand..."


    A smile formed on my face as I decided to y around with the situation a little more.


    "Are you sure it''s alright, though? I mean... won''t your husband protest?"


    "Ah, I-I don''t have one. Haha!" Sheughed ufortably.


    "Really? Aren''t those your kids?" I asked, looking at the two young ones behind her.


    They appeared to be in their early teens, and the woman was in her early thirties, though she tried masking it with makeup.


    "No, they aren''t. They are my niece and nephew. After their parents both passed away, these two have been in my care..." She replied.


    "I have had no children yet... since I have yet to find a suitor" She smiled distantly.


    <em>Wow. Impressive.</em>


    "That''s a surprise. For a beauty such as yourself to have none." I smiled, drawing closer to her as my eyes locked with hers.


    "W-well..."


    Her cheeks became red as she looked away, trying to avoid my passionate gaze.


    <em>How easy! Such a cute woman.</em>


    Of course, this is what most people would think. However, that endearing facade isn''t enough to fool me.


    "If that''s the case, we''ll dly take you up on your offer." I smiled.


    She beamed upon hearing my words, bowing her head once again.


    "Then pleasee this way."


    Giving the other two behind her a knowing look, coupled with a slight nod, the boy and girl scurried away.


    "They have some errands to run, please excuse them" She smiled at us.


    I nodded in understanding.


    The woman led us away from the town square and began walking to her house. From the corner of my eyes, I observed the townsfolk. They tried to hide it, but they were all observing us. Some had smiles on their face, while others made pitied nces.


    "This should be interesting..."


    [Moments Later]


    We finally arrived at the house we were brought to. It was bigger than I expected, and while the exterior had a shabby look, the inner structure was very luxurious.


    "This is quite the house for a single woman" I teased.


    "Haha, I am kind of the leader here, so I guess it''s only natural..." Sheughed it off.


    The house had about three rooms, enough for her family and us, the visitors. Just as she promised.


    "The Eastern Empire sure is different, uh?" I muttered.


    Perhaps it was just this ce.


    Unlike the wooden chairs I experienced in Lamar and Artia, this town used mats and short tables. The decorations and carpets around gave the home afortable feel.


    There was also a lovely scent that filled the room, they must have used a very good freshener.


    She showed us to our room and gave us time to settle down.


    "Please have some rest while I put things in order for you all. Since we weren''t expecting any visitors, it''ll take some time to procure something." She smiled.


    "Wow, thanks. You''re really doing so much for us. How could we possibly repay you? Do you ept money, perchance?" I smiled, looking impressed by her hospitality.


    "Please, there''s no need for that. Money is obsolete here since we do not even have any contact with the other towns in the Empire." She smiled.


    "It''s our pleasure... after all, we ought to help each other out, right?"


    Her sweet smile permeated the room, making me cringe a little, though I refused to show it.


    "Thanks a lot, then."


    She bowed her head and exited the room.


    I sat on the cushioned mat on the floor and nced at the Wrath and Lumia who remained standing.


    They had puzzled looks on their faces, especially Lumia.


    "You have something to say, don''t you? Speak."


    Finally getting the chance to express her opinion, Lumia stepped forward.


    "That woman, no, this entire town is suspicious. Why are you going along with them?!" She asked.


    Just as I thought, she noticed it well.


    Wrath sensed nothing off in their behavior, due to his hardheadedness, but he was still surprised by my friendliness.


    The Primordial he knew was heartless.


    "Well, if I were to put it in words, I''ll say it''s fun!"


    "F-fun?!" Lumia repeated, surprised by my response.


    "Yes. I already figured out most of what their deal is since a while back. I''m just curious as to how far they are willing to take this."


    Lumia sighed, copsing on the mat beside me.


    "So that''s it, uh?"


    Wrath, who had been silent for some time, looked around as he noticed something.


    "Master, this room..." He stated


    "Yes, I know," I replied with a knowing nce.


    Our room was bugged, and through the help of the Relic here, they were listening in to our every conversation.


    "I have already taken care of care of it" I added.


    Using Hex, it was a simple task. Whatever they were be hearing would be what they wanted to hear.


    "Oh, these people are so nice."


    "Ah, I''m exhausted... I hope the foodes soon."


    "That woman was really pretty though. I wonder what she''s doing in a dump like this."


    "I have to make her mine"


    "I hope shees soon"


    .....


    "My name is Xiang. Once again, I wee you to this humble town" Our host said.


    She had changed her attire and even refreshed her makeup.


    "Ah, I''m Rio. These two are Lumia and Willy"


    "Oh, such unusual names... you must be from the Southern Kingdom," She said with mild surprise.


    <em>Don''t go acting surprised like you didn''t know already. Ourplexion and looks are clearly different from yours.</em>


    She pretends to be a vige bumpkin, yet she knows where we are from just by our names? There''s no way this is their first encounter with visitors in a while, at least not for her.


    "Thanks for hosting us. Our gratitude knows no bounds" I responded with a grin.


    "I hope the room is to your taste. If only we knew visitors wereing, we would have prepared more..."


    <em>Such lies. The house seems to be in perfect order, almost like they knew we would be arriving. She must have sent those two kids to quickly arrange the house prior to our arrival and even stalled for time, taking us through a long route to dy our arrival there.</em>


    "If I may ask, why was everyone cautiously looking at us. I know visitors are umon, but their expressions showed a slight hint of fear and suspicion. To be honest, I was a little hesitant to approach your town..." Deciding to y her game, I also began acting innocently.


    Her face fell upon hearing my question, and I could tell she was about to begin spouting a load of bullshit.


    "You see... the thing is... The direction you came from is close to a forbidden region in our Empire. No one has evere from that direction." She began in a tone of dread.


    "What?! Why?" I asked, feigning shock.


    "You see... a particr creature lives there, one so powerful that none who have ever gone there returned alive."


    <em>Hoh? Now we''re getting somewhere!</em>

 Chapter 188 - The Guildmaster Of Lamar

    I trotted down therge, yet empty passageway. Behind me were my Party members, Ruth and Shamac.


    Together, we walked toward a door some distance before us. At the end of the hallway was our destination, office of the most powerful man in all of Lamar.


    Reaching the entrance, I met one of the special agents of the Adventurer''s Guild. She bowed her head and proceeded to open the door for me.


    "He is expecting you. Please go in."


    I nodded in acknowledgment and entered along with the two behind me.


    Entering the vast office, I calmly observed every detail within. In a few seconds, I graded the structure, how the chandelier hung on the ceiling, and the exquisite decorations littering the walls.


    Patterns of mysterious, yet elegant designs filled the office walls, the ceiling and carpet were no exception.


    There were many awards and trophies withIn the room, all located on a special shelf.


    >Creeeaak<


    The door behind us sounded as it closed slowly.


    "Wee, brave Adventurers. I am d you hearkened to my call." A voice boomed from a far end to my right.


    I''m certain he was waiting for this moment to make his weing address. Of course, I had sensed him upon entering the room, but it appeared he had a ir for the theatrics.


    Pretending to be cordial, I turned to my side and saw arge desk, and sitting on it was the most distinguished figure in Lamar.


    He satfortably, wearing a jacket with a white shirt underneath, along with grey pants.


    His arms were adorned with a couple of rings and he had a bracelet as well.


    A ne was strung around his neck, which glowed as much as the smile he beamed at us.


    "You''ve finally arrived. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Guildmaster." I responded with a slight nod.


    He grinned, jumping from the table he sat on, and walked toward us slowly. His casual air reminded me of Jared, though he was more mature. From his appearance, he appeared to be nearly forty years, yet for some reason, I felt he was older.


    My eyes remained unfazed as he stood in front of me, looking into his slightly surprised expression.


    Usually, most Adventures would bow since this man''s authority could be seen as simr to the Mayor of Artia, or any other noble in charge of a territory.


    However, unlike them who were merely entitled members of high families, the Guildmaster possessed immense power, able tomand the obedience of everyone in the city. His overwhelming strength, coupled with the influence he gained as a leader made him one of the superpowers in the entire Empire.


    "Hehe, I like your spunk, kid!" He smiled, observing how I carried myself without showing disrespect or respect altogether.


    I shrugged, trying to avoid any further glossing over the main issue.


    "Thank you..."


    It was about time we moved on to the main point.


    "While I would have inevitably had to meet with you, for you to have specifically called for me and my party upon your return, it appears there is an important matter you want to discuss with me," I added, staring at him with purpose.


    My time was important, and through my conduct I made him know that I wanted him to get straight to the point.


    "Huu, very well then. We should delve into the main issue." He sighed.


    While he seemed to have decided to go with my way, something felt off.


    "But first, I think we''re due for an introduction."


    I suppose that''s only natural...


    "My name is Gndel, what are yours?"


    "I am Rio Xarion," I muttered.


    "I am Ruth, but I go by the name of Ana as an Adventurer."


    "My name is Shamac."


    After we had all introduced ourselves, Gndel stared strangely at Shamac, but quickly looked away.


    "Now that the introduction is all out of the way, it''s time to get to the main issue, then." He smiled, taking a few steps backward.


    <em>Finally! Let''s get this over with...</em>


    Still, I found it strange that despite our brief conversation, he never once mentioned the incident that urred only days ago. I had expected the Guildmaster to be a little more grateful to the hero who saved his city from ruin.


    "But first..." The Guildmaster muttered, changing his tone to a slightly aggressive one.


    Something Is off!


    "... I should test you, don''t you think?!"


    Immediately, the patterns all around the room glowed, energy sizzled as sparks of power came forth.


    The Guildmaster looked excited and amused, however, I was hardly surprised.


    While Shamac appeared a little flustered, Ruth must have realized the effects of the strange patterns, just as I did.


    "That''s right... Just as I thought!" I mused.


    The light became so blinding that Shamac had to cover his eyes as a result of its stunning effect. Such paltry tricks barely had an effect on me as I withstood the intensity of light, reducing my optical reception to mitigate any adverse injury the lights would have. Ruth did the same.


    In a moment, we were transported to arge room, different from where we were previously.


    "This is-" Shamac muttered, opening his eyes as he lightly rubbed them.


    Filled with white bricks all around, covering the walls and ceilings, we stood in an empty room.


    Shamac nced at Ruth, who maintained herposed self, and looked at me. I remained focused on the Guildmaster who stood a short distance from me.


    <em>I could easily rush there and snap his neck before a second...</em>


    But, restraining myself, I decided to go along with my act.


    "Guildmaster, what is the meaning of this?" I asked with an apprehensive tone.


    "I''m sorry for being so forward and rude to you, but I have to do this..." He began, chuckling slightly.


    "You see, I''m the kind of guy who won''t believe something unless I see it with my own eyes!"


    I basically understand what he''s saying. The Guildmaster, Gndel was only interested in one thing... Our strength!


    <em>I have no problem in wanting to test the validity of the one who ims to be a miraculous hero who defeated a General of Hexarion, neither do I have an issue with you attempting to test his party members. However...</em>


    "It is still impudent for this human to think he has the right to test someone such as myself!"


    I may be a mere fragment of Lord Hexarion, but I am already beyond his previous state before absorbing the Nether Core.


    "It appears I''ll have to teach him the disparity between the two of us." I mused.


    "I understand... Very well." I calmly stated as I summoned my signature sword and grasped it.


    "Hehe, it''s good you understand! Very well then, all of you shoulde at me!" He grinned.


    "Kukukukukuku...."


    "Kekekekekeke..."


    "Huhuhuhuhu"


    Mypanions and I chuckled upon hearing the words of the impudent human, and before long our snickers turned intoughs.


    This man was really going beyond his boundary. However, I couldn''t me him.


    "Rio, let me do it!" Ruth said to me with a smile.


    "Boss, you don''t need to do something like this. I can take on this task" Shamac offered as well.


    While it would be a fun sight to watch either of them crush the Guildmaster, it was only right for me to do so myself.


    After all, I was the acimed hero of the city.


    "No... I''ll do this myself" I said, stepping forward.


    "Are you sure about that? Just as a warning, you know... I''m pretty strong. Even Rai is nowhere near me in ski-"


    Before hepleted his ramble, I closed our distance andunched my de at him carefreely.


    Quickly reacting within a hair''s breadth, he generated a dark armor around his arm and blocked the strike.


    "Keukk!" He let out in shock.


    Dumbfounded by my intense speed and the weight behind my sheathed de, Gndel stared at me with surprise.


    "You''re pretty good!" He said, smiling excitedly.


    "Well, this is just so-so," I muttered absentmindedly.


    It was just a light swing anyway, and I didn''t unsheathe my de because doing so would cause his arm to slice off entirely.


    Ruth generated a barrier using Hex, and from the Aspects around it, I could sense that it was sturdy enough not to copse throughout my fight with Gndel.


    "You better use your full strength, or this will be over before you can blink," I said.


    "You don''t have to tell me. But, don''t go shrinking back after this!" He said.


    Suddenly, arge gust of energy swept through me, causing me to take a few steps back.


    "Oh? This looks interesting..."


    The bracelet and ne began to glow, indicating a resonance between the two.


    Instantly, armor formed on his entire body, appearing dark and crimson.


    The ck metal had glowing red patterns around it and the helmet which covered his head had openings for his eyes which were also red.


    "Huuu..." Gndel heaved.


    He appeared bigger and more intimidating due to his armament, but that wasn''t the most amusing factor about his transformation.


    "I recognize that armor... That''s one of Ares'' battle sets!"


    It appears this fight may be more interesting than I thought.

 Chapter 189 - Strength

    Ares, son of Zeus and also known as the god of war.


    He was one of the many who kissed up to me and never ceased to pester me in search of strength. Just like Hephaestus, he wanted powerful weapons and means of having the edge over his peers.


    After reaching the limit of my patience, I finally decided to make a few Treasures for him, giving him some weapons and armors which suited his person.


    One of these items was the ''Dark Armor Of War,'' which was what the Guildmaster currently wore.


    "You can''t back out now, you hear?" Gndel dered, d in his dark armor.


    Of course, I had no intention of backing down in the first ce.


    After all, no one knows more about this Relic than me.


    "You talk too much" I responded.


    Instantly, he dashed toward me, devastating the floor beneath him. In a sh, he reached my location and threw a fist toward me.


    The wind caused by the intense force of the blow caused my hair to fly backward as it approached me.


    However...


    >BOOOOOMMM!<


    I stopped the fist with my hand, generating a loud shockwave all around us.


    Gndel appeared a little surprised but didn''t halt his movements. Quickly raising his second fist, he struck at me too, but I also caught it with my other hand.


    "Tch!" He let out in dissatisfaction.


    <em>What next, Guildmaster?</em>I thought to myself.


    Suddenly, spikes appeared from behind him, and the armor tes. They simultaneously lunged at me, causing my hands to let go of his fists and leap backward.


    The spikes separated from his armor, forming sharp projectiles.


    "You''re not getting away!" He dered.


    Instantlyunching them toward me, the multiple objects spun in the air as they moved at a fast speed.


    <em>This much is nothing, though.</em>


    I generated a barrier to deflect all the spikes, and as they bounced off, I generated a few of mine as well which shed with theunched projectiles, destroying them.


    "Interesting... You''re pretty skilled. But this isn''t enough!"


    It appeared like Gndel would keep wasting my time as he felt me out. In situations like this, it was in my best interest to finish things up quickly.


    However, my original didn''t give me ess to the Treasury, and I only had a few weapons in my arsenal.


    Spamming weapons to overwhelm him wasn''t going to work, so another method was due. Fortunately, I had many more means of dealing with him.


    Snapping my fingers, many orbs appeared as they circled around.


    "Hex #92: Orb Of Age"


    "Hex #94: Orb Of Corrosion"


    Having the colors of grey and brown, they mixed with each other, creating many greyish-brown spheres floating in the air.


    "What are you-"


    Releasing them instantly, the orbs rained down upon Gndel, creating arge explosion.


    >SHUUUUUUU<


    Mist emanated from the smoke, and everything around it broke down and turned old. The white bricks around fell apart and turned ck.


    Age and rust filled everywhere as they all crumbled.


    "W-what is this...?!" Gndel eximed, seeing his armor tear down.


    "It might be a powerful Relic, but in the end, it''s still armor."


    A weakness they all share is their susceptibility to ''age''. Rust and Corrosion eventually ruin the quality of armor, causing it to break down over time.


    With the Hex of Age, I can elerate time at an inconceivable rate, making an event happen a thousand times over in an instant. Of course, adding the corrosive orb made the effects stronger, ultimately causing the armor to break apart.


    "Anything else?" I asked with a smile.


    Gndel looked at me with unbelievable shock, as his face and body were now exposed. I could have used the opportunity to end things, but I was a little curious about what else he had up his sleeve.


    "Huhuhuhu, impressive. But, I''m not done yet!" He grinned, crushing his fist in resolve.


    The rings he wore on his fingers, numbering four in total, glowed. Having one on his right, and three on his left-hand fingers, they disyed their respective colors.


    <em>What now?</em>


    To my shock, the armor which had shattered apart began to repair itself, and in an instant, it returned to its previous state.


    Not only that, it was now surrounded by a red aura that burned through anything around it.


    "So he''s finally using the Armor''s ability. I wanted to end it before he did that..."


    "Surprised, uh? Don''t be! There''s no way you can win against me. Even if you caught me by surprise thest time, you won''t be destroying this armor again. Even if you do, I''ll just repair it!"


    Using my special senses, I analyzed the Aspects within the ring Relics he had. I saw the reason for his overconfidence.


    The rings did not belong to a set, but they had useful abilities.


    The green one reversed any action done against him, though it had a Cooldown period. That was most likely what he used for the armor.


    The yellow one generated a barrier around him upon the slightest hint of danger. Now that he activated it, I reckoned it would be harder tohit him.


    The orange ring was a buff item, granting him higher stats.


    Finally, the ck ring gave him the power to nullify Aspects to an extent.


    "A void attribute, uh? Interesting..." I smiled.


    Of course, the Aspect concentration in it was low, but it had the same quality as the Aspect I wielded in the past.


    "Let''s end this!"


    Instantly releasing his red aura, the surrounding area began to get devastated as it drew closer to me.


    While it would have been a little more informative if I fought him, I wasn''t going to. I had grown bored of the fight, anyway, so I decided to end it.


    I raised my sheathed de and finally removed it from its scabbard.


    The sword had a glint in it which indicates its sharpness.


    As the crimson aura approached, I swung my sword in its direction, and instantly...


    >WHOOOOOOSHHH<


    The pressure my sword generated blew through the aura, instantly dissipating it.


    "Rahhhh!!!" Gndel yelled.


    A cackling dark-red orb was growing between his hands, emitting some dangerous amounts of void and energy Aspects. As the two warring Aspects collided, one thing was imminent...


    >KKKKKTTTTTKKTTKTTT<


    Cackles of unstable energy buzzed through the air. He finallyunched the ball at me, and from my reading of it, the powerful substance had enough capacity to destroy the entire room. None of us would receive damage, of course, but Gndel didn''t know that.


    >SWISH<


    I swung my sword and neatly cut through the orb, simultaneously redirecting the st in his direction.


    "W-wha-?!"


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!<


    When the dust settled, Gndel was on the ground, coughing in irritation as a result of the dust. His yellow barrier defended him from the st, but not the dust around.


    As he still recoiled from the st, I broke through the barrier with a swing of my sword and drew closer.


    >SWOOOSH<


    My de cleanly cut through the armor and severed his hand from the rest of his body.


    "Gahhhh!" He yelled in pain and shock, widening his eyes as he saw me approach.


    With the rings which contained his protective ability and his other perks disconnected from him, he had no way of using his restorative ability.


    "You-!!!"


    Before he could protest, within a single moment, I sliced through his entire armor, breaking it apart in an instant.


    >ng< >ng< >nganganang<


    The tiny scraps of metal fell on the ground, leaving Gndel with nothing but his previous attire.


    His face disyed shock at the instant disy of power and skill, able to render him powerless before he could think.


    "Do you understand now? I could easily beat you at any time." I said, moving closer to him.


    Squatting, so he could see my face clearer, I drew closer and raised his head with my fingers.


    "So, tell me. Do you want to continue?"


    The look of fear in his eyes, coupled with stifling pain, made me aware of the fact that he knew of his defeat.


    "Good. It looks like I win your little test." I said, rising to my feet as I walked away from him.


    "Ruth, heal him."


    Responding to my instruction, she disabled her barrier and quickly dashed to Gndel.


    "Hex #39: Causality Reversal"


    The wounds and trauma he received became nonexistent. His arms returned, brand new and his Bracelet and pendant returned from their shattered state. The miracle urring before his eyes caused him to look at Ruth in shock.


    Ruth ignored his curious, yet grateful, stare. Afterpleting her task, she returned to my side.


    "Now that you have seen what I can do, I''m certain you have no doubt about my Party''s abilities," I said to him, watching him rise from the devastated ground, or what was left of it.


    Even though I hadn''t shown Shamac''s abilities at all, it would only be sensible to assume that he was crazy strong since Ruth and I were his allies.


    Having such a performance shown to him, the Guildmaster had no more doubt left in his heart.


    "Indeed. You have proven yourselves. I have nothing more to test." He smiled.


    Snapping his fingers, we returned to his office.


    Now back in the neat and orderly room, the Guildmaster walked closer to us with a respectful gaze.


    "Once again, I wee you all. I am very grateful for the actions you performed in my absence. Rio Xarion, for defeating the monster who assaulted and nearly destroyed this city... Truly, thank you!" He dered, bowing his head in respect.


    Just as I thought. Like all simpletons, Gndel was no different.. Every man respects only the strong.

 Chapter 190 - A Guildmasters Request

    <style>#M785277ScriptRootC1274098 {min-height: 300px;}</style>


    "Once again, I wee you all. I am very grateful for the actions you performed in my absence. Rio Xarion, for defeating the monster who assaulted and nearly destroyed this city... Truly, thank you!" He dered, bowing his head in respect.


    Just as I thought. Like all simpletons, Gndel was no different. Every man respects only the strong.


    A grin appeared on my face and I shrugged, seemingly nonchnt about the entire thing.


    "I was only doing what I set out to. It''s a shame that the monster escaped from the Boss Room and caused so much damage to the city. If only I was a little earlier..."


    Gndel''s face partially fell too, reflecting on the incident as well.


    "No, you shouldn''t me yourself. To be honest, it''s all my fault. If only I was present when the monster came... I would have been able to do something..." He muttered.


    <em>What an idiot! Even if you were present, what could you have done against Wrath,</em>I mused.


    "It couldn''t have been avoided. You''re here now, so it''s better to make the most of it."


    Silence pervaded the room as soon as I made that statement, and for a moment I felt like I said something wrong. But...


    "Hahahahahahahaha!" Gndel burst out in augh.


    Tears rolled from his eyes as he bellowed loudly, filling the room with his voice.


    "Oh, you''re an amusing one!" He chuckled even more.


    I stared at him nkly at the cheerful man, wondering what made him react in such a manner.


    "You are right though... I''m sorry for showing a weak side of myself. Now that I''m here, I should do better."


    I nodded, unwilling to go further into the man''s stupidly cheerful personality.


    "Now then, there''s something I need to talk to you about... It''s the main reason I called you here."He said, walking to his seat.


    <em>Finally! We''re getting to the good part.</em>


    He sat down, pressing a button that slightly glowed dark purple.


    Instantly, three chairs appeared before his table. The neatly made wooden structures stood before us, and Gndel urged us to sit.


    I proceeded to the chair, after which Shamac and Ruth did the same.


    After we had all gotten our seats, I stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to spill the beans.


    "First of... I have to say this... Your group, you aren''t normal, are you?" Gndel stated.


    Ruth and Shamac were a little flustered by his words, staring suspiciously at him. However, I was not fazed in the slightest. I had already noticed his perception.


    "I can''t sense anything from you, Rio... and your partner, Ruth was it? Just what are you people...?!" His eyes narrowed as he stared at us.


    I let out a smile, making Shamac and Ruth nervous by my reaction.


    "Your other party members too, he doesn''t feel human. He''s a Shifter, isn''t he?" He added.


    Clearly, he was fishing for something.


    <em>Well, that''s enough</em>


    "Just get straight to your point, Gndel." I suddenly cut in.


    My voice caused an intimidating pressure to fill the room, and even the Guildmaster shivered in my presence.


    "W-well, I just..." Sweat appeared on his face.


    <em>What is this? Why am I experiencing this amount of force from this man?</em> He appeared to be thinking.


    "I do not discriminate between races, Gndel. Shamac is my close ally, and that is all that matters."


    "O-of course, I just-" He stuttered.


    "As for me and my friend here. I believe you''re being a little rude... There are Relics made for these things. I don''t believe you should overthink these things." I gave a dark smile.


    Of course, he got my message instantly and stopped fishing.


    <em>Now, go straight to the point, simpleton!</em>


    His bright personality finally faded, and a serious expression took over.


    "We have a problem... Lamar is dying..." He finally let out.


    <em>Bingo!</em>


    Of course, I was aware of the current condition of the city. The major workforce had drastically reduced while the workload ad had gotten even more.


    It was going to end in the ruin of this city with the way things were going.


    "More Monsters have begun appearing from nowhere, and Adventurers are quitting daily due to their inability to cope any longer. At the rate things are headed... In a few months'' time Lamar will be done for!"


    His frustrated tone made me confirm just how difficult the situation was. All of the Vice Guildmaster, Rai''s, Relics were destroyed, and the Guildmaster alone could only do so much.


    He had no choice but to turn to me.


    <em>Just as nned!</em>


    "I see..." I stated, waiting for him to say what he needed to.


    "I just resumed office after my trip to the Royal Capital, but everything is looking so messed up already. I have to supervise the city and I also have many duties to carry out. It''s impossible for me to split my attention to all the many issues that are troubling this city." He kept bbering.


    "Gndel, get to the point." I snapped.


    There was a limit to my ''nice guy'' act.


    "Gndel, uh? It seems you''ve long discarded the initial respect you disyed..." He remarked with a slight chuckle.


    "Considering your actions up until now, I can only call it natural. If I could tolerate your abrupt ''test'', then this much should be allowed" I responded ruefully.


    "Haha, fair enough!" He said, flustered by my defiant speech.


    What a pushover, pathetic.


    "Rio Xarion... This city needs your help!" He said.


    <em>See? That wasn''t so hard, now was it, Gndel?</em>


    I was silent, refusing to utter a single word after Gndel spoke.


    My reaction toward what he said made Gndel begin to exhibit signs of difort. He anxiously waited for an answer, but I gave him none.


    "O-of course, we willpensate you well. And we''ll provide whatever support you need, so please..."


    <em>Now that''s more like it. Appear more desperate.</em>


    "... What did you say, sir Rio Xarion?"


    Now that I had proven to him who had the upper hand in the conversation, it was finally time to rise to the asion.


    "Gndel... Do you know the reason I became an Adventurer?" My low voicemanded silence from everything else, making everyone in the room hear me.


    He shook his head slowly, still locking eyes with me.


    "It wasn''t for the sake of bing a hero, or for fame and glory..."


    Upon hearing these words I uttered, he became nervous, thinking I would give him an unfavorable response.


    He seemed to contemte protesting, but quickly stopped himself, lest he annoy me.


    "... I became an Adventurer to fight!" I said decisively, shocking Gndel who already had a more disappointing expectation.


    "That''s the reason I wanted to be promoted to the top rank in the first ce. I want a challenge, something that will make my blood boil and my heart race!" I smiled slightly.


    A more relieved expression reced the Guildmaster''s troubled face.


    "D-does that mean... you''ll do it?" He asked with a sparkle in his eyes.


    <em>Of course, I intend on taking care of the problems of Lamar, making a greater reputation for myself. However, I have no intention of selling myself short.</em>


    The reward and support the Guildmaster tried promising were nonexistent. There was no way a struggling city could fullypensate for the subjugation of arge scale, or give their support.


    Even if they could provide me with whatever little they had, I didn''t have any need for it.


    <em>I''m probably worth more than all the kingdoms in the world, anyway.</em>


    "I have one condition in exchange for my assistance," I answered.


    "A-ah...?" He let out with curiosity and slight fear.


    "Don''t worry, it''s a simple thing... Let no one get in my way!" I said with authority in my tone.


    I did not need interference from such a pitiful force. Besides, I didn''t need to share the glory with anyone.


    "That''s all? But even for you, are you sure you''ll be able to handle everything...?" He asked.


    <em>Who does he think I am? Ths fool and the rest of the city doesn''t understand, and never will... but the challenges they are currently facing was orchestrated by me!"</em>


    "Do not underestimate me!"


    My intimidating voice sent shivers down Gndel''s spine, making him nod instantly.


    "I understand! A-anything else?" He instantly answered.


    "Oh, there is one final thing I would like to discuss with you..." I remarked, recollecting a reform that came to mind.


    The Adventurers structure was copsing, and if nothing was done, eventually there wouldn''t be a stable profession of renown in this city of Adventurers.


    "It''s about-"


    I instantly froze upon sensing a presence approaching the room.


    "Yes? Sir Rio Xarion...?" Gndel asked, curious about my sudden halt in speech.


    He wasn''t feeling the sensation I was having. Ruth had a feel of it, but as the one with the highest sensitivity, it was ring to me.


    <em>Something ising!</em>


    >ZWOOOOOOSSSHHHH<


    A warbling sound, followed by the rushing of wind appeared around us. White light and a disgustingly pure ambiance filled the room.


    "Now this is quite the interesting conversation..." A sonorous voice rang out, indicating a firm personality behind the tone.


    Two individuals d in white appeared before us, and I could recognize the Aspect signature they exuded by their mere presence.


    "These are.... Apostles!" My thoughts rang.

 Chapter 191 - Tale Of A Dungeon

    [The Eastern Kingdom, Abandoned Town]


    "You see... a particr creature lives there, one so powerful that none who have ever gone there returned alive," Xiang said in a tone of dread.


    "What do you mean by that? I don''t understand..." I replied earnestly.


    While I could read her mind, it was only the thoughts she had at the moment I could ess. This meant that I had to get her to divulge the details.


    There was also the use of Memory Drain, but I didn''t want to resort to that just yet. Fortunately, she appeared cooperative.


    "It''s quite the story... but seeing as you are visitors, perhaps it''s best if I told you."


    Upon saying this, Xiang began her narration.


    Years ago, over a century now, the Eastern Kingdom discovered a Dungeon within their borders and challenged it. However, unlike other Dungeons they had encountered, this one had a seemingly impossible difficulty and a high mortality rate.


    Many soldiers would try getting in, but only one would return alive, entirely dazed and unable to recollect most of the happenings within the Dungeon.


    However, as was their experience in the previous Dungeons they had conquered, the Eastern Kingdom concluded that the treasures within the impossible Dungeon were extremely powerful and valuable since it was so difficult to conquer.


    They built a town close to the Dungeon, and slowly it became a city. This hub, located at the edge of their border, was only a small distance from the Dungeon, allowing them to challenge it multiple times.


    As their military dwindled with every expedition they attempted, the Eastern Kingdom decided to employ a new tactic.


    They allowed non-military persons to challenge the Dungeon.


    Within the Kingdom, all of the Dungeons discovered belonged to the government. Private individuals could buy rights to the Dungeon, while sometimes the structure could be open to the public.


    This gained popr reception among the citizens and many people relocated to the Dungeon town, abandoning their previous lives.


    This was due to how lucrative a Dungeon could be. Unknown to them, they were signing up for their own graves.


    After several attempts, even the people began to see the futility in challenging the Dungeon,giving up as well.


    The people within the city slowly dwindled, and many began to abandon the town, seeking greener pasture. However, not everyone could leave.


    Those who had lost everything, those with nowhere to go, vagabonds, criminals, as well as the elderly and weak had no choice but to remain in the town.


    "We have nothing left but this town, let us live out our years here..." They concluded.


    The abandoned town became their home and residence, entirely neglected by the Eastern Government.


    Since the Dungeon was a small distance away and was a closed structure, they had no fear of Danger... so long as they didn''t approach the Dungeon.


    ...


    "I see. But, I don''t understand. If that''s the case, then there shouldn''t be an issue. You said the Dungeon was a closed one, and there''s no mention of a monster in your story as well." Lumia interrupted the story.


    <em>A shame. I was enjoying it already. Xiang is truly a masterful narrator.</em>


    <em>"</em>Yes. All I have said is true. The town was safe, and even the entire region was fine. Sure, we were abandoned, but no incident urred, making us somewhat grateful for living out here with no cost or tax requirements. And so, as long as no one entered the Dungeon, we were all fine. But..."


    Her face fell upon getting to this point. Her eyes reflected signs of hesitation, yet a will to keep going further. Taking a deep breath, she continued her story.


    After decades passed, the people had be ustomed to living slow and peaceful lives. However, one of the residents wanted more. No one knew why he had such an ambition. Perhaps it was due to boredom or curiosity, but he always desired to leave the town.


    However, like the others, this young man had no money or resources to survive in the world outside the town he grew up in.


    In a kingdom such as the Eastern Kingdom, without resources or means, a person was no more than dirt. In such a hierarchical state, the strong and skilled were praised, while the poor and weak were cast aside.


    For some time, he conflicted within himself on what action he would take, nearly despairing at his powerlessness. He trained every day, honing his skills. He worked harder than anyone else and made sure to learn all sorts of craft, but he knew they wouldn''t be enough.


    Slowly drawing close to his wit''s end, he suddenly had a bright idea.


    "The Dungeon!"


    A ce of miracles, where riches and untold gloryy buried. If he could only get the treasures of the Dungeon, he would be able to leave the city and make a better life for himself.


    Since several years had passed, the fear of the Dungeon and the horror it held for those who had challenged it had waned. Everyone who knew about the deaths and suffering the Dungeon brought to the kingdom was dead. Since no one talked about it,beling it as taboo, the young man didn''t know any better, and in his ignorance, he decided to challenge the unconquered structure.


    Despite many warnings and threats from the town, he adamantly clung to his resolve and left.


    "I will stay true to my dream!" He said, before departing.


    No one knows what happened in the Dungeon, how far he went into the area, or what he saw.


    But... his stubborn venture was the trigger for what happened next!


    After a few days of hearing no word from the young man, the townsfolk presumed him to be dead. Some mourned for him and felt a sense of sorrow, after all, he was a lively and popr fellow in their town. Meanwhile, others felt relieved by his absence since he obnoxiously mentioned the outside world and was known for his stubbornness.


    Finally, after a week, the patience of the men in the town had gotten to its limits.


    "He is still one of our own! At least we need to know what happened to him!" They dered.


    The best men ventured out of the town in search of theirrade, promising not to enter the Dungeon, but to search around.


    After several weeks passed, none of them returned. The townsfolk were scared at this point, living on the edge of unrest and anxiety. They woke up every day with the thought of restlessness, gazing at the entrance of the vige to see if the men had returned.


    No one came... until one day.


    One of the many men who left the vige finally returned!


    "Huff... Huff..." He gave heavy breaths, sluggishly walking toward the Town''s gate.


    The townsfolk, who had gathered by the gate in shock, surprise, and horror watched him draw near, not knowing what to call the person before them.


    His emaciated body was covered in bruises. Naked and severely sunburned, he trotted toward the gate while bleeding.


    "A-ah... Ah-"


    The townsfolk struggled to ept that this was one of the men who cheerfully imed to return alive with hisrade just weeks ago.


    Finally refusing to take any more, a few of the vigers rushed out to assist him in returning to the vige.


    He was brought into the town by the sympathetic folk who carried him delicately, still unable to believe the bony and heavily wounded man was one of their own.


    Some even wondered how he was able to remain alive.


    While they took him in, the group was barely at the square before the wounded man refused to go any further than that.


    His body had reached its limit and any more would mean his death.


    As he struggled to breathe, he made his final statements before everyone present.


    That was when they heard it, the news that changed everything.


    "M-monsters... there are monsters!" The man coughed as he spoke.


    Even in his low and course tone, there were still some among the gathering townsfolk who heard what he said.


    ording to the only survivor out of the men, the Dungeon had somehow been opened, and several monsters hade out.


    The men were caught off guard and had to fight the beasts in order to escape. If they made their retreat, the monsters, who had noticed them already, would only track them down to the town, endangering everyone within it.


    To protect themselves, and everyone they loved who were safely in their homes, the men chose to fight.


    And fight, they did.


    They were able to kill the monsters due to their small number, however... There was one that the men were unable to kill.


    The monster of the Dungeon which caused the massacre of dozens of men, and was suspected to be the guardian of the Dungeon...


    "It called itself Lust, and... After watching everyone die, with the exception of myself who was able to escape due to their sacrifice... I understood... That monster... Is invincible!"


    With those final words, the man died, and with his death came a foreboding for the town!


    ....


    After listening to the story and hearing a familiar voice, my convictions became even stronger.


    <em>Something is certainly wrong with this town!</em>

 Chapter 192 - Sacrifices

    "That''s quite the story... How long ago was this?" I asked with a curious expression.


    Xiang looked at me with a high of surprise, certainly not expecting that to be the first thing I would ask.


    "W-well, I''m not so sure, since I wasn''t born at the time and people hardly discuss it, but it has been decades since then..." Her voice trailed.


    <em>Your story has a lot of holes, should I begin pointing them out?</em>I mused.


    "You narrated the story so well, though. Almost like you knew every detail..." Lumia blurted out.


    Obviously, she was thinking the same thing I was.


    "Not really. Since I''m kind of like the vige head, I have ess to this much information. I don''t know anything more." She quickly answered, already flustered by our probing questions.


    "Ever since that time, no one has been seening to the Vige from that direction, so people were on edge."


    "I see. They have good reason to. After all, we could have unintentionally led the monster here without knowing..." I pointed out.


    "E-exactly!" She said in relief.


    She must have been happy that we were slowly being convinced of her tale.


    "We didn''t see any monster though... Maybe they died off already?" Wrath finally spoke.


    I''m certain he heard the same things I got from Xiang, including a familiar name that couldn''t be ignored.


    Out of all the things said, that was the only thing I could somewhat believe.


    "Thank you for sharing the story, Xiang. We apologize for making you revisit your past experiences" I smiled warmly.


    "A-Ah, that''s fine. You can ask me anything, please make yourselvesfortable." She answered quickly.


    "If you''ll excuse me, then. I have to excuse myself."


    We agreed on this, allowing her to stand up as she made an apologetic smile.


    After leaving and closing the door, I resumed the Hex ced on the room, ensuring no one could eavesdrop on our conversation.


    "Her story doesn''t tally at all with what we experienced on our way here..." Lumia pointed out.


    "Of course, but she isn''t entirely wrong either," I replied.


    "What do you mean by-?!"


    Before Lumia could say anymore, Wrath interrupted.


    "Lord Hexarion. If what she says is true, then Lust is-"


    "I know, Wrath. But, knowing Lust she won''t stoop so low as to be a field monster. Besides, she can''t abandon her post within the Dungeon. This is most likely the work of one of her familiars." I mumbled.


    Lumia was still confused. She appeared to be certain that everything Xiang said was false, but she was being too shortsighted.


    "What exactly is going on here? Don''t tell me you believe even a fraction of what she said."


    As I stared at Lumia''s beautifully ignorant eyes, I decided to let her see for herself when things yed out.


    "Why don''t we stick around for a little longer. We''ll see soon enough."


    [A Few Days Later]


    Xiang, as well as the other townsfolk strangely warmed up to us real quick. Not only that, but they made sure to engage us at every turn.


    Whenever we made to leave the town, they came up with silly excuses to make us stay. They enlisted our help andbor on many things, and since they did us the favor of giving us a ce to stay, it seemed like we were bound to help them one way or another.


    Since the town was devoid of a lot of men, Wrath and I helped out with a lot of manualbor, though I knew they could handle things just fine on their own.


    Buildings strangely needed repairs, and heavy supplies needed maintenance, all false reasons to keep us in the vige.


    As if that wasn''t enough, the women tried seducing us, attempting to make us fall for their nonexistent charms.


    Wrath was not interested in such trivial matters since he had someone else he was passionate about, and as for me... Well, let''s just say they were nothing more than clusters of low-quality Aspects.


    "Why are you guys putting up with this? Lord Hexarion, let''s just leave!" Lumia finally said in our third night within the town.


    We wereid down all in our room, none of us needing any form of sleep, but still going with the flow.


    "Hehe, you''re too impatient, Lumia" I responded with a grin.


    Unlike many individuals, my concept of time wasn''t linear. Hurry and anxiety were foreign to me since I mostly thought and dwelled outside the constraint of time.


    "Tomorrow, it all unfolds..."


    I closed my eyes and began thinking of several possibilities for the future.


    [The Next Day]


    "Good morning, Rio, Wrath, and Willy... How was your restful night?" Xiang said with her usual cheerful smile.


    She had opened our room without even knocking like she used to. Though she still seemed to be cordial, she abandoned the usual courtesy she showed us, such as bowing her head.


    Behind her was a group of women who mimicked her expression. However, their bulky and well-built body showed nothingdy-like. They were taller than me, and quite a few rivaled Wrath in height. While they hid their muscles under their roomy dresses, from their numbers one could deduce their aim to be intimidation.


    <em>So, it''s finally starting, uh?</em>


    "Yeah, as usual, thank you for letting us stay here. Really... we should get out of your hair so we don''t trouble you any longer." I smiled, appearing a little ufortable.


    "Ah, that''s alright. But first, we need you all to follow us. There is something you need to see."


    Lumia looked at Wrath and me with slight confusion, but was calmed by my knowing smile.


    "S-sure..." She answered.


    And so, without even letting us freshen up, the women took us outside thefortable house as we began our short journey.


    While they made it subtle, they surrounded us in a way that restricted our movements and prevented any form of escape.


    None of us three were scared or felt threatened in any way, but their actions were definitely to trap us.


    "So, where are we heading to? It seems this is the direction of-"


    "Yes. We''re going to the entrance of the town. We''re nearly there..." Xiang interrupted, still smiling nkly.


    The women around us now had a stern look, robotically moving behind, beside, and ahead of us.


    After a few minutes, we approached the town entrance, and every single member of themunity was already present.


    They all looked at us, some with pity and some with relief, and then faced the entrance of the vige expecting something.


    >SHUUUUUUU.....<


    A hushed sound of intimidation sounded, and a warp in space appeared at the direct entrance to the town


    The people instantly want on their knees and bowed their heads in response to the purple wormhole that grewrger with every passing second.


    Even Xiang and the huge guards did this, leaving us the only people standing.


    Of course, none of us bowed our heads and they didn''t tell us to.


    <strong>"A month has passed, and I havee once again..."</strong> An ominous voice echoed from the wormhole.


    Wrath and I watched the sight patiently, while Lumia was still somewhat confused by the urrence.


    A hideous creature stepped out of the portal, having purple slithery scales, appearing in the form of an overgrown serpent.


    It has five horns protruding from its bald head and had arms and legs to support its long, snake-like body.


    Itsrge tail sang about, raising dust, while its glowing pink eyes red at everyone present.


    "... Where isss... My ''S-ssacrife''..."


    "What the hell is this? Xiang, what is going on here?" Lumia said in dissatisfaction.


    She turned back to re at Xiang who submissively raised her head with respect to the monster.


    "Your excellency, we have brought you a special delicacy this very day. These three are special beings whom we have procured for your pleasure."


    A grin formed on my face, while Wrath looked unfazed. It was only Lumia who still didn''t fully understand what was going on.


    Since she was foreign to human emotions and their nature, she had a hard time connecting the dots andprehending the actions they took.


    <em>This will be one of your lessons, Lumia. Watch well!</em>


    <strong>"Good... Good. You have done very well. What is this I see? These are foreigners!"</strong>The monster eximed, giving out an excitedugh.


    "We are happy to have pleased you, your excellency," Xiang said, her head bowed once again.


    "Hehehe. Very well, then. Since you have gone out of your way to give me such fine offerings, I will add six months to your time of reprieve. Do well to satisfy me when next Ie." The slithery monster said.


    "Y-yes, your excellency!"


    "Now then, to take my prize home..." It mumbled, staring delightedly at the three of us.


    Its pink eyes shone brightly, showing signs of it activating a skill I knew quite well... hypnosis.


    "Come, my prey."


    <em>For now, I''ll y your game.</em>


    I stepped forward, following the creature''s order, and my subordinates did the same as well.


    Upon reaching the monster, the same purple portal appeared once again to teleport us to wherever the creature''s abode was.


    "See you soon, my adorable little humans." It said to the townsfolk.


    They kept their head glued to the ground in acknowledgment, not daring to raise them.


    Using my extrasensory perception, as well as my mind-reading, I decided to peer once more into Xiang''s mind.


    "He''s finally gone too... I did it! I saved our town once again by providing them with a high-quality sacrifice. This willst longer than the others ever did. Ah, I''m so happy!"


    <em>What a twisted woman.. Too bad this isn''t the end.</em>

 Chapter 193 - The Constellations

    <em>Those are... Apostles!</em>My mind rang.


    Before me, stood a man and a woman, both d in white apparel with graceful appearances. Of course, this disgusted me, the brilliant aura radiating around them.


    "Y-you are-!!!" Gndel eximed, recognizing the both of them to an extent.


    I remained aloof, but the Guildmaster seemed more than just a little flustered.


    "It''s been a while, Guildmaster... your city looks like shit, this is why you should have epted our alliance when you had the chance." The man among both of them smiled.


    "Aries. What are you doing here?" Gndel spoke in a deep and slightly aggressive tone


    This would be my first time seeing Gndel act so hostile toward someone, making me wonder what their rtionship was.


    "Well, I heard what happened here and decided to check on you. I can''t have you dying on me, after all." The Apostle said with a mischievous smile.


    Usually, Apostles behavedposed and never acted in spite, unless pushed to the edge. But, this guy just acted the way he wanted, abandoning the usual ethics.


    "Tch, you..."


    Before Gndel could say another word, the female Apostle slightly snapped her fingers, causing the room to fall silent instantly.


    "That''s enough, Aries." She whispered.


    Her melodious voice contrasted the stern face she made, slightly frowning too.


    "Yeah, yeah. You''re no fun at all, Virgo." The one called Aries said.


    So, the two Apostles were named Virgo and Aries. I recognized those names from memories and books I read. To think they would appear before me so soon.


    <em>I suppose it''s only to be expected. My original has been causing quite the ruckus with their order. So far, four have been killed.</em>


    Still, to have sent two among the highest members in their ranks, how seriously did they take the matter?


    <em>In any case, my knowledge is limited, I should observe more...</em>


    As I thought to myself cautiously, the Guildmaster appeared as though he had had enough of their presence.


    "Why are two members of the Constetions here?" He asked sternly.


    I was mildly surprised. To think the Guildmaster could be so upfront before the chosen ones of the gods. It was either he was powerful enough to face them, or naive of their full capabilities.


    Judging the two, I concluded on thetter.


    The Apostles ceased the re they gave each other and faced Gndel.


    "We came to investigate something... as for that-" Aries began by saying.


    "We are under no obligation to tell you, it''s a private matter." Virgo interrupted.


    Gndel appeared displeased by the female Apostle''s brashness.


    "You may be chosen ones of the gods or whatever, but right now you are in my city and bound by my rules!" Gndel said.


    "Well, from the looks of things here, it appears you have your hands full with other matters. Or would you rather spend your time on us?" Virgo responded.


    Her statement made Gndel shrink back.


    Even though he didn''t want the Apostles anywhere near his city, in reality, there was very little that he could do. The city was still healing and there were tons of work left for him to do.


    "We can''t afford to make any more enemies..." He appeared to be thinking.


    "That''s right, I guessed as much. By the way, we heard of a certain individual who defeated a Demon General of the Evil One..." Aries cut in.


    Gndel''s eyes moved in my direction instantly.


    "... Would you happen to know of his whereabouts." He added, drawing closer to Gndel.


    He noticed the man''s eyes were distracted, tilting in my direction since I was behind the two Apostles.


    So far, they had not paid me any attention and simply ignored me. Of course, I knew the reason why.


    "Uh, where are you looking at?"


    Aries traced the Guildmaster''s sight and his eyes fell upon me. Instantly, they widened in shock as he looked a little confounded.


    "W-what is this...?!" He eximed.


    Taken aback by his reaction, Virgo also looked in the direction of me and my party and had the same expression.


    This waspletely natural... after all, since our bodies were notprised of Aspects, the two didn''t know of our existence until they saw us.


    They probably only sensed Shamac and chose to ignore him, thinking he was a lowly ve. However, upon seeing me and Ruth, they couldn''t believe their eyes.


    "How is this... Wha-?!" Virgo suddenly took cognizance of Ruth and her shock intensified.


    "You... you are...!"


    <em>Damn, why didn''t I think of this?!</em>


    Ruth was the spitting image of Ana in her teenage years. Since these were Apostles, there was a chance that they would recognize her. If that was the case, then suspicion would definitely arise, coupled with their already existing questions concerning how we were able to evade their perception.


    <em>Looks like things are going to get a little messy...</em>


    "What are you doing there? What happened to you, Lauria!" Virgo eximed.


    I had to think of a way to wrap things up neatly.


    "About that, this isn''t-"


    Before I couldplete my words, the female Apostle moved toward me at a remarkable speed and reached my front.


    "You... what did you do to her?!"


    Her re and seething rage were beyond evident as they seemed to wash all over her.


    To the Apostles, the one called Lauria was already dead, yet here was a splitting image of her directly before two of the highest-ranked.


    From what I could judge from the woman, it seemed like she had a past rtionship with Lauria. Was she like Gratiana? Or-?!


    Suddenly, a memory shed through my head, one which my original had gotten from Lauria when she was defeated.


    In the memory, I saw a gathering of women in white. They all cheered and raised their hands in apuse as they watched a woman wave toward them.


    Thedy stood before the crowd with a proud smile, and I recognized her. She was the one known as Virgo, and while at the moment she bore a deep scowl, in the memory she was warm.


    "So that''s it, uh...?" I mumbled silently.


    <em>This Constetion was in charge of Lauria''s unit when she was still an Apostle...</em>


    Her reaction was natural, and I could probably understand where she wasing from. However, the authoritative tone she used against me, and the fact that she bore animosity and was ready to strike depending on my answer irked me.


    <em>Know your ce... Puppet!</em>


    "And who are you to question me this way?!" I asked, returning her re with a cold look.


    Gndel gulped, shaking his head at my provocative statement, while Aries smiled, appearing to be enjoying himself.


    He was most likely hoping for some bloodshed.


    <em>Sorry to disappoint you, but things won''t end like that... It''s been a while since I''ve had to teach these humans their rightful ce in the pecking order!</em>I slightly grinned.


    While I didn''t want trouble at the current stage we were in, this was unavoidable.


    "What did you say? You filthy mongrel?!"


    She unleashed a deadly wave of energy that would be enough to instantly turn a normal person to dust, but I easily deflected it with my own.


    "You..."


    Somehow, this woman reminded me of Gratiana and Lauria. They had short fuses and their dislike for non-believers was unparalleled.


    "What do you think you''re doing in my office? This is not epta-"


    "SILENCE!" Virgo spoke in amanding tone.


    Instantly, Gndel could no longer speak.


    His eyes bulged in shock as his lips became sealed... literally.


    "Oh? That''s quite an interesting ability. Very useful indeed..." I said amusedly.


    "You heathen, what are you? Why do I not sense any fragment of existence from you?" She asked with narrowed eyes.


    "And what makes you think I am obligated to answer you?"


    My defiant response shocked her, making her annoyed even more.


    She would have used her ''Grace'' to make me talk, but we both knew why she couldn''t.


    Since I had no Aspects, hermands wouldn''t work on me.


    That meant the only way she could get whatever she wanted was for her to subdue me using another method.


    She stared hard into my eyes, and I did not bother looking away.


    As our eyes locked, I became sucked into a mindscape.


    Everywhere was white and glittery, making me slightly cringe at the purity of the atmosphere.


    "Heathen, I did not want to resort to this, since your presence here contaminates this holy ce. However, you have left me with very little choice..." She muttered, appearing within the mindscape as well.


    <em>I see. So, by using the window of her eyes, she ced the both of us within this alternate space... Interesting, a fascinating Grace indeed. I wonder how many more tricks she has.</em>


    A chuckle sounded from my mouth as I mused.


    "... I do not know what has caused you suchughter, but this is yourst chance. If you do not answer my questions, I will destroy your consciousness right here and now!" She said to me decisively.


    <em>Now then, what should I do? The path of violence is always an option. I could subdue her and cause even more chaos among the ranks of the Apostles, but... No. The time isn''t right yet.</em>


    "And so, I ask you... Who are you? And what have you done to my Apostle, Lauria?!"


    Upon hearing hermanding tone, a sadistic smile formed on my face. The Apostle before me needed to learn some manners.


    "Are you seriously threatening me right now...?"


    Arge wave of dark aura subtly began to emerge from my body, consuming the bright atmosphere.


    "W-what are you-?!" She let out in shock, watching powerlessly as I consumed the entire area in ckness.


    "Silence. You are in the presence of someone even greater than you are... Now then, it''s my turn, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 194 - Defiance

    "Silence. You are in the presence of someone even greater than you are... Now then, it''s my turn, isn''t it?"


    The alternate realm, now enveloped in my darkness let out an eerie feel which further made the Constetion nervous by my action.


    "Do you know who you''re talking to?" She asked me with a surging rage.


    "I couldn''t care less. You barged into my conversation with Gndel, caused quite a ruckus, and you dare question me, demanding my response? How conceited."


    My nonchnt response irked her even more, as she began radiating her divine energy tobat the darkness around her.


    "Light Shines in darkness, and darkness ovees it not!" She chanted.


    Her luminous aura began to surround her nearby vicinity, fighting away the waves of ck atmosphere that closed in on her.


    "... Not this type of darkness, Apostle!"


    My voice shook Virgo to get core, and instantly, my darkness became fiercer, tearing through her light, once again dominating the area.


    "W-what?!" She burst out in shock.


    She must have been extremely surprised since no one had ever fine such a thing as ovee her influence within the world she had made herself.


    "Your light is too weak!"


    Her eyes bulged, enraged by my statement.


    "How dare a filthy mongrel like you taint this ce and speak to an anointed in such a manner!"


    Her eyes glowed white, and instantly her body glimmered.


    White wings appeared from behind her, and several light orbs began popping around. Noticing the vast rush of Divine Power surging through her, I concluded that she was finally preparing to fight me. While that would be an interesting event, it was best to avoid that at the moment.


    "Let''s stop this right here..." I stated, retracting my darkness back into me.


    Her eyes disyed confusion, but she refused to back down.


    "There''s no point in fighting, and no merit exists in our conflict," I added.


    Upon careful consideration of my words, she appeared to be hesitant to attack me, but her suspicious gaze lingered.


    If I didn''t provide suitable answers to her questions, she would still view me as an enemy.


    "My name is Rio Xarion, and I''m an Adventurer. Who are you?"


    While I mitigated my tone to sound more cordial, I ensured not to lose the sharp edge of my words.


    "Why should I tell the likes of you?" Virgo responded with a scowl.


    "I suppose you''re not ready for a meaningful conversation. I''m trying to be nice here. Perhaps if you cooperate, you''ll get the answers you seek..."


    My reply made her consider her next course of action.


    While she still believed herself to be more powerful and superior, she was also aware that my strength was nothing to scoff at. Not knowing fully well what my significance was, and the issues which bothered her concerning her former subordinate, she would have to reach the conclusion that it would be mutually beneficial if we called a truce, even if it was temporary.


    "My name is Virgo, 5th Constetion of the Holy Order of Apostles." She said.


    I knew she would cooperate.


    "Very well, then... why have youe here-"


    Before I could conclude my sentence, she interrupted me.


    "Do not be mistaken, heathen. I will be the one to ask the questions first."


    Her tone of disrespect irritated me, but considering the fact that if she was in a better mood, I would be able to have a smoother conversation with her, I decided to concede.


    "Fine. Concerning my identity, I have already revealed that to you. As for my party members, whom you were eyeing... I do not know what you are talking about. Ruth and I have been together for years." I said.


    Her suspicious re did not cease.


    "That''s... That can''t be. The one you call Ruth greatly resembles one of my subordinates. Not only that, but she also seemed to recognize me. There''s no way that is a coincidence!" She protested.


    "What are you insinuating then? What do you think I did?"


    She fell silent upon hearing those words. She looked like she was contemting something, but gave up midway.


    "How am I supposed to know the ways of heathens like you? Now tell me your true identity, why am I unable to sense any fragment of existence from you and the girl? What are you both? How does she resemble Lauria?!"


    <em>Ah, these Apostle... I understand why Ana and Gratiana acted the same way when I first met them. They learned it from their leader.</em>


    "It''s the effect of a Relic, that''s all there is to it. Your perception won''t be able toprehend my existence. I shared the same Relic to my party member, Ruth, whom you''re mistaking for whoever Lauria is."


    "Impossible! For you to possess a Relic that can evade my perception, what kind of-" She barked.


    I wasn''t going to wait for her to finish before I interrupted.


    "I am the one who killed Wrath, General Of The Evil One. You would do well not to underestimate me!"


    Her eyes bulged upon my deration. She must have heard of what had happened since she didn''t appear doubtful. Her face changed from annoyed suspicion to a moreposed and analytical expression.


    "You are not lying, are you?"


    "If I was, I wouldn''t have been able to consume this mental scape, now would I?" I replied to her question.


    "Cheh, cheeky brat. Fine then, I''ll let your disrespect slide for now..." She muttered.


    Her tone changed since I revealed my identity to be someone that killed a monster as high as Wrath... A General who would take more than one Constetion to even stand a chance against.


    "Answer my question, then... why are you here?" I asked her.


    Virgo gave a deep sigh, looking at me straight in the eye with a m look, the first since our meeting


    "We shall continue this conversation in the normal world..."


    Her fading voice echoed, and before long my vision blurred and consciousness returned to my body.


    "Ahhh..." I heaved a somewhat deep sigh.


    Aries appeared interested in what had happened, though slightly confused as to why I wasn''t cowering in my boots.


    Judging by the position of everyone in the room, I assumed that no time had passed since I entered the mental world with Virgo.


    "You''re still standing, eh? I wonder what Virgo showed you in there..." Aries grinned.


    "Stop it, Aries. That''s enough... this man is one of the people we are seeking." Virgo cut in.


    Aries looked at the Virgo who stared at me with curiosity.


    "You mean, he''s the one who-"


    "Yes. He''s the hero who saved this city from Wrath. To think we would find him so soon..." She added.


    "Are you certain? He could have been bluffing. He doesn''t appear spectacrly strong, plus I can''t sense any fragment of existence from him. Thest part must be due to a Relic... but still..." Aries said, eyeing me with suspicion.


    "Why would I make such a fundamental error. Vexing as it may be, this man is strong. He definitely qualifies." Virgo said.


    "I can vouch for that too. He truly is the hero of Lamar!" Gndel cut in, making his ignored presence known.


    He must have gotten tired of being in the background while such important conversations were going on in his office.


    Plus, with their growing interest in me, he had to ensure we all recognized his stake in me since he was the Guildmaster and I was still an Adventurer.


    <em>Oh, don''t worry Gndel. I don''t n on abandoning my obligations just yet!</em>


    "What business do you have with me?" I brashly asked.


    Aries became ticked by my disrespectful tone, abandoning his yful demeanor.


    <em>What an unstable personality</em>


    "You would do well to watch your tone, you know? You''re speaking to one of the most powerful people within the entire Kingdom!" He said to me with a threatening smile.


    "And who do you think I am?" I smirked.


    Whether he would like to admit it or not, defeating a General of Hexarion made me have equal standing with them, if not more.


    "Oh, Please. The General was definitely weakened by whatever seal was ced on it in that Dungeon. Even though it broke free, it must not have been in full power. There''s no way the likes of you would have been able to beat it!" He retorted.


    There was an easy way to resolve this.


    <em>If I beat him up at this moment, he would have no choice but to believe me. I could also challenge him to a duel if I wanted. That would show my prowess to everyone.</em>


    But both of these options would indicate that I actually cared about their approval, which I don''t.


    <em>I seem to have gotten their interest for some reason, and ording to the Virgo woman, they have been searching for me...</em>


    So far, they were not aware of my identity as the one who killed their Apostles, since they did not show any particrly malicious intention toward me.


    Since this was the case, it would be best to use the current situation to my advantage as much as possible. And the best way to do that... would be bait!


    "Gndel, I''m ready to subjugate those monsters.. Tell me more."

 Chapter 195 - Dungeon Of Lust

    >SHUUU<


    A whisper of wind wafted through the air as the purple gate opened before us, giving us ess to the new area we found ourselves in.


    "Move it!" The monster behind us barked, hissing at every pause.


    We stepped out of the warbling portal, treading on a hard surface. The ground was hard and stony, having a cool effect, simr to the surrounding.


    After a few seconds, we were all out of the Portal which closed as soon as everyone was out.


    "Where are we?" Lumia asked, partially with curiosity, and also apprehension.


    She looked at me, but I gave no hint of worry, allowing her to calm her nerves.


    The structure resembled that of a Dungeon, which it was. It was the one the Eastern Kingdom had been trying to conquer for so long.


    "Quit your yapping, foolissssh humanssss!" The serpent hissed at us.


    I used the opportunity to nce around the empty, vast space before us. I recognized it well.


    "We will now proceed to see the master!" The Serpent said.


    "The boss? You''re not the leader!?" Lumia asked with more curiosity.


    Of course, she would be unaware of his identity, since the vigers had only encountered him and even mixed up the story.


    "Does that mean..."


    "I said silee!" It snapped, turning to re at Lumia.


    It must have taken every ounce of her power not to retaliate and utterly destroy the monster that dared tomand her. However, since she was under my authority, she could do nothing.


    The serpent moved further from us, expecting the three of us whom he took prisoner toe along with him.


    "Congrattions, humans. You have been granted the privilege of witnessing the great castle of my master, one of the Generals Of The Evil One... Lady Lust!" It stated with pride.


    "So, Lust is still here, uh? And she hasn''t left her post. That''s good!" I smiled.


    The Serpent''s ear immediately picked up my words and grew agitated that I addressed its master so casually.


    "How dare you speak of Lady Lust in such a manne-?!"


    Before hepleted his useless words, I disintegrated him with a single thought. His body turned into ashes as he exploded that very instant.


    "What a pesky monster..." Imented.


    I ignored it initially because I couldn''t care less about it.


    However, after hearing its yapping and loud statements, I decided it would be better if I just silenced him, making us continue our journey in peace.


    "Dead already? Is this the kind ofpany ''she'' keeps now?" I mumbled, staring at thest fragment of the monster''s ash as it faded.


    "Let''s go!"


    Mypanions, who were initially taken aback by my seemingly impulsive action, looked at me for a slight moment and nodded in agreement.


    We left the room, also known as the [Warp Hall.]


    Usually, every new entrant into the Dungeon would appear in the Warp Hall. Even the Eastern Empire''s soldiers were all brought to this room first. This made this Dungeon a lot different from the Vanishing Dungeon.


    Since I also built the ce, there was hardly anything I didn''t know of the Castle Of Lust, allowing me to easily navigate through it.


    Unlike the Vanishing Dungeon, the Castle Of Lust''s specialty was an endless spiral of monsters.


    "Guarghhhhkkk!!!"


    "Uokkkkk!!!"


    "Kyiiiiaaakkk!!!"


    Several monsters of various types, kinds, breeds, sizes, etc, lunged at us to defend their habitat and kill us.


    However, we easily swept through them and killed the creatures. At this point, the Eastern Empire must have started having troubles.


    ''The Castle Of Lust'' was not divided into floors like the Vanishing Dungeon. The space inside appeared to be arge hallway, with doors at every checkpoint.


    Unless one opened the door, they would be stuck at the checkpoint. If they did open the door, they would be taken to a room where they had to defeat monsters.


    After that was done, the door leading to the next hallway would open, and this would until a person either gave up or ultimately reached Lust.


    Of course, since we were meant to be sacrifices, theserpent was going to use his authority to take us through another route which led directly to Lust.


    However, I wasn''t one to obediently follow a conceited weakling who didn''t know his ce, and I wasn''t going to let my subordinates catch that habit.


    We breezed through the rooms by simply destroying them as we advanced. I used the opportunity to talk to Lumia, briefly exining the identity of the final boss of the Dungeon to her.


    "She''s... Lust? Your former General...?" Lumia mumbled, taking everything I said in.


    While I kept her in the Dungeon, there really wasn''t anything overly valuable in the Dungeon. Except for the usual riches of precious materials and ancient coins, coupled with hundred Treasures, none of which proved to be of much use to me, the Dungeon was really just a ce to dump Lust.


    However, despite my restricting her, she still caused trouble for the settlement we had stayed in for a while and even created a whole new yground for herself, affecting the outside world while still remaining in the Dungeon.


    Since Dungeon was of little use to me, I didn''t care much about the facilities, destroying anything in my way.


    Within some minutes, we had cleared all the rooms that served as obstacles and stood before a giant gate located at the final end of the room.


    "So this is the final Boss Room..." Lumia mumbled.


    The gate must have brought a bit of remembrance to Wrath, who was silently gazing at the inscription pattern on the gate''s surface.


    It disyed a naked woman holding what seemed to be a fruit and handing it over to a devil-looking monster.


    Her charming eyes seemed to urge the monster to eat of the fruit.


    "Wrath, will you do the honors?"


    He looked at me with a confident smile.


    "Definitely, Lord Hexarion!"


    Raising his hands slightly, he exerted a devastating force that pushed the gate away, sending it flying forward.


    >BOOOOOOOMMM!!!<


    A bit of smoke remained in the air as we entered therge room, causing a slight distortion in sight. However, with a slight sigh, I made all the smoke vanish, giving us the entire sight to witness.


    "This is..." Lumia wowed at the sight before her.


    The room was full of glitter and bright lights. Decorations of various designs and high-quality gems served as light sources. The chandeliers hung high in the ceiling, giving it a ssy appearance.


    However, that wasn''t what shocked the artificial goddess.


    It was the event that burned through her eyes and engraved itself in her mind that made her nearly scream in horror.


    "Arghhhh!"


    "Huhuhuhuhu!"


    "Huang. Huang. Hunag!"


    Several moans, screams, and shrieks permeated the room which was filled with a steamy ambiance of pleasure and pain.


    Blood and creamy-looking substances covered the exquisite-looking rug, mixing in an odd manner.


    "Please! Huang! Mercy! Ahhh! Please. M-mercy!" A voice let out, as the person grunted at every turn as they were vited.


    "Guroookkk!"


    "Guajajahaha"


    "Guruuuiikkk!!"


    The monsters within the room chuckled in excitement as they had their fun with the people who pleaded for mercy. Ignoring their cries, rather, taking pleasure in their hurting moans, they drilled their junk further into the tight openings of the humans there.


    Mouth, buttocks... every hole they could exploit became vited and probed by the oddly shaped parts of the monsters.


    The usual image which woulde to one''s mind when imagining situations like these, would be that of an orgy, where orcs and goblins had their way with countless beautiful elves or other women with well-endowed faces and bodies.


    However, the torturous sight before me, as well as my two ves, was that of countless monsters viting fully grown men. Whether they were elderly, youthful, muscr, lean, it didn''t matter.


    They pounded their appendages into the mouths and rectum of their victims, moaning in pleasure as the men shrieked in agony.


    Some made muffled sounds, choked by the overbearing object in their mouth. Some were too tired to make any more sounds as their body iled about in a half-dead state.


    Amid the chaos, I spotted my General seated on her throne in magnificence.


    She must have been enjoying the sounds and sight of the little ''y'' she organized for herself, just the way she liked it.


    However, due to our sudden interruption, her face turned away from the show to us, the intruders.


    "You... Who are you to interrupt my fun?" Lust, General, and member of the Seven Deadly Sins red at our group with a hateful and irritated expression.


    <em>I can''t me her, she doesn''t recognize us.</em>


    Lumia was a total stranger to her, Wrath was in his human form, and I wasn''t the same Primordial she used to know.


    "Who are you, people?!" She asked, standing from her well-decorated throne.


    Her beautifully shaped body was evident and well entuated in her long, dark gown.


    She had long, curly red hair which covered a portion of her face.


    She looked mostly human, except for the four spider tendrils behind her, her sharpened ws, a tail behind her, and her slightly pinkplexion.


    "I will not ask you again... Who are you, to interrupt my fun?!" Her voice echoed with a bloodthirsty tone to it.

 Chapter 196 - The Deadly Sin Of Lust

    Lust, one of my Generals, and the most sadistic of the seven was always an unpredictable personality.


    I have no idea what made me design her that way, perhaps I was looking for a tinge of spice in my dull life.


    She loved to see suffering and despair, enjoying as those weaker than her writhe in pain. Unlike Wrath, who only took interest in the strong, she had an insatiable desire to collect weaklings. This made both of them have many shes in the past.


    Looking at things now, Wrath was sure to be upset by Lust''s habit, seeing the men ravished by various types of monsters in therge hall I ced her in. However, he controlled himself as his burning re was fixated on her.


    "I will not ask you again... Who are you, to interrupt my fun?!"


    Lust red at us, wondering how we reached her hall in the first ce.


    "It''s been a while, Lust... do you remember me?" I smiled.


    Her eyes seemed to fully analyze my being, trying toprehend my identity.


    <em>This man... no, can I even call him one? What is he? How can I sense the same properties that make my body up from him? And not just him, the two beside him are the same. That shouldn''t be possible, unless...</em>


    As she tried piecing the facts together, I felt nearly disappointed. Had being confined in such a space made her so dull? The Lust I remember was quick in discernment. Even if Wrath was a meathead, I expected her to realize it right away.


    "A-are you perhaps... one of the Sins?" She asked nervously.


    <em>Close... but not there yet!</em>


    As I was about to open my mouth to express my disappointment, a sudden loud voice interrupted me.


    "Guokkkkkkurrrr!!!"


    The loud roar of a monster filled the air as it thrust deeper into the victim in front of it.


    "Ahn! Please! Ahn!!! I''ll die! I''ll die at this rate!" One of the men screamed as blood gushed from his buttocks.


    <em>Awkward...</em>


    "Would you shut it!" Lust yelled, diverting her attention to the two responsible for the noise.


    Instantly, both their bodies exploded, sending grime, sweat, and bloodied flesh flying across the room.


    Wrath instantly used his aura to prevent any of the blood from reaching us, but the others in the room got tainted by the unpleasant liquid, causing them to halt their activities.


    "That''s enough for today! Leave!" Lust''s voice echoed across therge hall.


    The monsters growled in a subservient tone as they bowed their heads and left, carrying the vited men with them.


    I waited patiently for them to exit the room, using another door by the side, most likely their holding cell.


    "Ah, I apologize for that... You caught me at a bad time." She sighed.


    Pointing her hand to the messy floor, her eyes slightly glowed red.


    Instantly, the fluids all began levitating as they all became attracted to her location. She sucked them all into her hand, absorbing the blood, flesh, and creamy substance to thest drop.


    "Ah, all done..."


    The floor, walls, and ceiling became clean, glittering in splendor. I smiled, advancing with Wrath and Lumia as they walked slightly behind me.


    "You''ve wasted enough time, Lust... what is your answer?" I asked.


    Frankly speaking, at this point, I would have done something spectacr like making her submit, but after gaining some perspective, that action would be unnecessary.


    Besides... If I were to disy such actions of annoyance before Wrath, who knows what kind of effect it would have on him. I could tell he was doing his best to hold everything in for my sake since his intolerance of Lust had risen after seeing what she was doing in her Boss Room.


    "I-I... you are... Pride...?" She mumbled, using her fingers to rub her chin in confusion.


    <em>Only pride talks to me like that... since he always acts like the boss of all of us. But, what would he be doing here? Master assigned us roles to-</em>


    "Hold on... Could it be!" She gasped, slowly realizing the whole thing.


    "That''s it! I''ve had enough, Lust!" Wrath burst out, unable to control himself any longer.


    Her eyes darted toward Wrath, narrowing in observation. Immediately, a nervous sweat broke from her face in shock


    "W-Wrath...?!"


    "Who else do you think?!"


    Gritting his teeth, he undid his transformation and red at Lust. Now possessing his monstrous form, he pointed at her with his sharpened ws.


    "What the hell do you think you''re doing, uh? Master left you in charge of this Dungeon, cing you in the Final Hall, yet you''ve turned this ce into a filthy room for your entertainment." He said in anger.


    "What the he-" Lust said in slight annoyance, but Wrath wasn''t done.


    "The Master even appeared before you, and you couldn''t tidy up your mess. You dare show him such a shameful sight after he took his time to meet up with you? Even after giving you a chance for redemption, asking you about his identity, you shamefully didn''t know a thing!" He seethed in annoyance.


    <em>But, Wrath... You also didn''t know my identity when we met, right?</em>Iughed, silently.


    "T-That''s not it at all. I-"


    "What have you been doing all these years, uh? Did you even notice that we entered the Dungeon? Did you notice our presence or progress? Have you ever paid any attention to this ce that has been ced in your care? We swept through the rooms and obstacles to get here, yet you were too upied with your ''fun'' that you didn''t know anything! Even when we appeared before you, the shock and annoyance you disyed are unfit for a General!" He continued.


    <em>I think Wrath is just transferring his pent-up aggression.</em>


    Unlike Lust, he fulfilled his assignment dutifully. He must have sat on that throne of his for countless years since I ced him there. Therefore, seeing Lust enjoy herself while she was meant to perform her duty must have triggered this reaction.


    <em>Poor guy... I should make him enjoy himself more.</em>


    "And you even dared question Lord Hexarion when he entered the hall he gave to you. You disgrace of a General! Why are you even alive?!" Wrath growled.


    "You... Why are you..."


    Lust''s fierce face suddenly started tearing up, getting soft by the harsh words hurled at her.


    <em>Oh boy... Here ites.</em>


    "Uahhhhhhh!!!" She bawled, letting out bloody tears as her scream filled the room.


    Wrath looked like he still had a lot to say, burning up with passion, while Lust kept crying uncontrobly.


    One major feature within Lust was her bipr nature.


    She usually disyed a sadistic personality, able to send fear into the hearts of the strongest-willed person. But, she was also very soft-hearted. Since she had a weak heart, she made sure to surround herself with weaklings and ensured that none of them could defy her. Because of thisplex of hers, she was the worst match for Wrath.


    "You... you meanie! Why are you always so mean to me? Uahhhhhhh!" She cried even more.


    Wrath was never able to stand Lust, and whenever his patience reached its limits he would hurl his passionate words at her. Of course, she always took offense and broke down.


    <em>Sigh, I knew this would happen. This is why I didn''t want to show any form of dissatisfaction.</em>


    But, it seemed even when I didn''t, Wrath still got angry on my behalf.


    "M-master Hexariooon!!!" Lust cried, flying from her heights as her four appendages whirled about, propelling her to my direction.


    In this situation, there was only one thing to do.


    In a sh, she reached me and flew into my widely spread arms, ready to receive her.


    "Masterrrrr! I''ve missed you so muchhhh!" She cried.


    I hugged her tightly, allowing her to let out all the pent-up feelings she had within her, feelings that surged thanks to Wrath''s prodding.


    "Uahhh, Master... Wrath is being mean to me again. Masterrr!"


    "There, there... don''t worry about him. I''m here for you." I smiled, rubbing her head and giving her my warmth.


    She kept crying, making me wonder when she would stop.


    <em>Sigh, I''m the one who made her like this... what was wrong with me then?</em>


    "Lord Hexarion, you pamper her too much. She is-" Wrath said, still ring at Lust.


    "That''s enough, Wrath." I cut in.


    "Y-yes Lord Hexarion!" He instantly said, growing stiff by my defensive re.


    Lust removed her buried face from my chest and nced at Wrath.


    Making a mocking grin, she giggled in satisfaction.


    Wrath felt stabbed by his inability to insult Lust even more, and her condescending expression made him more furious. Since she was locked safely in my embrace, and I also told him to zip it, he could do nothing but withstand his disgrace.


    <em>Just endure it, Wrath. This is all for the best!</em>


    "Lust, that''s enough as well. You know, Wrath isn''t entirely wrong." I said, raising her face with my fingers as I stared at her.


    "M-master... I was just too bored and alone... I was lonely since those pesky humans stopped challenging the Dungeon. There was nothing to do... She mumbled.


    "Still, you know that''s not an excuse," I said to her, giving her a knowing look.


    "Y-yes. You are right. I-I''m sorry... >H< >H<... I''m so sorry. Uahhhhh!" She cried even more.


    <em>Good grief... this is exhausting. But it''s a relief.. With this, I''ve reunited with the second of my Generals.</em>

 Chapter 197 - Emerging Threat

    "Ah... so that''s what happened" Lust muttered, cing her long-nailed fingers on her chin.


    After crying her eyes out for what seemed like an eternity, she finally calmed herself. Apologizing profusely, she returned to herported self, allowing me to address her with more pertinent matters.


    Lust appeared to be in deep thought as she took in all the memories I gave her.


    After transferring the bulk of what I wanted to through ''Memory Transfer'', she instantly understood what had transpired thus far, and the n we were to undertake.


    Needless to say, no more exnations were needed, however, there were some things that only words could achieve.


    "So, that''s what we''re going to be doing now," I concluded.


    After retrieving Wrath and Lust, the next step would be to find the remaining five, and quick.


    "I see..."


    "So, where do you intend on going now? Who''s next?" She asked.


    A grin formed on my face.


    "Why don''t you just watch how things y out? It''ll be more entertaining that way."


    Her eyes widened and then suddenly narrowed. With reddened cheeks and a sensually excited expression, she licked her lips in anticipation.


    "Ohh, Master... you sure know how to leave someone in suspense. Now I''m sooo excited." Her voice purred seductively as she groped herself.


    Wrath made a disgusted look, controlling himself fromshing out any further harsh words. Lumia only stared at Lust in confusion, wondering if she was normal in her psyche.


    "Now then, we''ve concluded our business here. It''s time we leave..." I said, turning to the open exit of the room.


    "But Master, what about the Treasures stored here? Do you not wish to take them with yo-"


    "Leave them... they''lle in handy soon." I grinned.


    Recognizing the sinister meaning behind my actions, Lust did not question me any further than that.


    "Ah, I can''t wait to see it all unfold, master''s n!'' She blushed as she drew near to me.


    <em>Well, whatever, it''s time to leave.</em>


    Lust generated a portal at the entrance of her Boss Room in an instant, providing us with a means of exit in the shabby ce. Of course, I could have done the same with the Administrator''s Authority, but it was a good call she made to take the initiative.


    "Finally, I can leave this drab ce. The fun I''ll be having with master... I can''t wait! I can''t wait!" She hummed to herself.


    <em>If only you knew, Lust. From here on out, things will be hell, and we''ll be in the fight of our lives. But, I suppose for someone like this creation of mine, it only counts as more exciting news.</em>


    >SHUUUUU<


    We all passed through the portal, leaving the Dungeon behind us.


    "Oh, hold on a moment, Lust... what about those monsters and humans?" I suddenly remembered.


    "Oh, them? I have no need for those toys anymore... after all, there are way more where we''re going, right?"


    She beamed at me with her obsessive and creepy smile, just how I liked it. I beamed back at my creation and nodded.


    "Of course."


    [The Abandoned Town, Eastern Empire''s Outskirts]


    {Few Moments Earlier}


    "Xiang, what now?" A muscr woman asked the fair beauty who sat elegantly in her parlor.


    She nced at the huge and masculine-looking woman with a scheming smile.


    "How many more supplies do we have?"


    "Counting the elderly and nearly dead, we have a little over twenty left." The other woman answered.


    "I see. And the pregnancies?"


    "A total of fifteen of the women have conceived, over nine are expected to give birth before the deadline stipted by the Town Monster. Out of the babies, the likelihood of having males, ording to our current statistics is 3 in ten.


    "I see. This is quite the predicament indeed. It''s fortunate that those strangers came when they did. We were able to avert a catastrophe thanks to that." Xiang said with a relieved sigh.


    The truth was that the males in the vige were required to be sacrificed to the monster which visited once a month. Depending on the monster''s mood, it could require more than one male.


    As a result of this, there was a scarcity of the demanded gender. The older males were preserved since only they could impregnate the women, and most times, the babies were often sacrificed.


    The monster did notin, since it even seemed to appreciate having babies among the sacrifices.


    "We still don''t know what they are used for, mostly for the creature''s meal. But that doesn''t matter. What matters is the problem at hand." Xiang added, trying to rationally figure out a solution, her specialty.


    Since they had been sacrificing children recently, the males who would rece the old were dwindling at an rming rate. And since the resources in the vige weren''t exactly top-notch, it wasn''t as though the elderly would live very long under the circumstances.


    <em>At this rate, we''ll soon run out of men! What''s the way out? Think, Xiang. You have been given six months!</em>


    "Is there a way to get more visitors? The monster seemed pleased to have them. If we obtain more, we could probably secure more than a year for ourselves." The muscr woman suggested.


    Xiang red at the woman, making her regret speaking.


    <em>As always, all brawn and no brain!</em>Xiang thought in frustration.


    If it was that easy to obtain the special sacrifices, they would have done so already. Rather, if it was possible to leave the vige to obtain more sacrifices, wouldn''t it be more efficient to escape, rather than put up with the crazy monster''s requests?


    <em>There''s no way it isn''t monitoring us. There''s nothing we can do. We''re trapped here!</em>


    Of course, she couldn''t exin theplicated matters to her dumb sister, so all she could do was ignore her words.


    "Ahh, what we need now is a miracle... If only we could get more men like those ones to wander here themselves... That would be great!" Xiang whispered, staring at the ceiling.


    "Sister Liang! Leader Xiang!!!" A desperate voice interrupted her thoughts as another muscr woman barged into the premises.


    "W-what is it now, Xuiyan?!" Xiang barked in annoyance.


    She didn''t have time to deal with another matter urring in the Town.


    Ever since she took responsibility for the Town to prevent everyone from facing extinction, she had made the tough calls and ensured the survival of her people.


    However, it appeared that they depended on her too much. Like a bunch of idiots, they could do nearly nothing without her instruction and supervision. While she didn''t mind the power and respect she had in the vige, sometimes she grew frustrated by the stupidity of the people she led.


    "Who needs help with washing aga-?!"


    "N-no, it''s not that... t-there''s something you both need to see. I-it''s the town square!"


    Xiang gave a confused look to the woman who sat opposite her, Liang.


    Appearing to be in thought for a moment, she decided to see what was wrong.


    "Let''s go!"


    Liang nodded her head immediately and the two women followed Xuiyan who panted tiredly as she ran ahead of them.


    <em>What''s going on? Why do I have a bad feeling about this?</em>Xiang gulped nervously.


    Taking the shortest route, and moving at top speed, they reached the town square in a few minutes. While Liang still appeared to be in good shape, Xiang was short on breath since she wasn''t used to the exercise. Physicalbor was not her forte, and definitely not strenuous exertion such as keeping pace with two well-built women.


    "N-no way..." Liang muttered unbelievably, her deep voice turning thin as she shivered.


    Xiang, who was still gasping heavily raised her head to witness what made her buff sister so frightened. Her eyes bulged and her body froze at the sight of the people before her.


    "You... how is this... possible?!"


    Dozens of thoughts ran in her mind, and as the people emerged from the purple portal, showing their faces clearly, Xiang''s face disyed even more terrier.


    The major question that stood out, out of everything else was...


    <em>How are they still alive?!</em>


    [My Turn]


    Ah, the lovely sight of despair on the faces of everyone present made me nearly let out an excitedugh. It was worth it dying the portal''s full manifestation.


    The way they all waited in suspense as the purple rift slowly appeared and opened, giving them enough time to summon their leader as she also partook of the despondency, it was truly satisfying.


    As we all stepped out of the Gate, causing it to close, I looked around me, seeing the ones who thought they betrayed me, not realizing I knew it all from the start.


    "Well, then... everyone, it appears I''m back. What''s wrong? Won''t you show me the same hospitality as before?"


    They couldn''t reply. A mix of guilt and fear rendered them too shocked to utter a single word.


    <em>Now then, where should I start from?</em>


    [Meanwhile]


    >ZWOOOOOOOOOPP<


    A blinding light descended from the sky,ing from the far recesses of space as inded upon the earth.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM<


    Golden radiance surrounded the area as everything around the point of impact burned as a result of the intensity of the radiation emitted from the center of the explosion.


    Two figures appeared to be standing in the middle of the smoky area, both appearing unscathed and covered by a form of golden aura.


    "Well, well, well..." One said with a grin.


    "Let us begin.... our search for the source of that Primordial Aspect Of the Void!"

 Chapter 198 - Truce

    Chapter 198 ¨C Truce


    [Adventurer City Of Lamar, Western Kingdom]


    "Gndel, I''m ready to subjugate those monsters. Tell me more." I said to the Guildmaster


    The two Constetions looked at me in shock, surprised by how I ignored them.


    "H-hey, are you sure about that? They seem to be here to see you¡­" Gndel slightly protested, his eyes darting to the impatient Apostles who appeared annoyed by my impudence.


    <em>Of course, I know that. But it won''t be that simple¡­</em>


    "You said it yourself, Gndel. The city is in trouble, any further dy would cause more harm. There''s no time, and I''m sure the Apostles can understand that."


    Using these words as a shield, the two of them fidgeted ufortably. They were well aware that they had been trapped.


    Since the Apostles professed to be on the side of good, and the city was in grave danger, they couldn''t prioritize themselves over the lives of everyone living here.


    "Give me the task. This can wait untilter" I added earnestly, moving closer to the desk.


    Gndel got my drift and nodded, bringing a file from under his desk.


    "A majority of the monsters areing from the Forest Of Monsters, a ce you must be well aware of¡­" Gndel began, opening the document to show me the reports.


    Truly, the records showed a dire situation for the vige. Nearly five hundred monsters were spotted a day, and not just any kind. One was at least on par with a Minotaur.


    "I see. There''s no way the Adventurers we have left will be able to handle them¡­" I mumbled, rubbing my chin thoughtfully.


    The Constetions didn''t utter a single word as they watched me converse with Gndel.


    I could sense how they controlled themselves from reacting as a result of their wounded pride, especially the one called Aries.


    Virgo, who was usually hot-headed, seemed to be in thought about something.


    <em>Well, it doesn''t matter what she''s cooking up. Even if they were to impose on my attention, making the matter blow up, I would simply refuse, making them look bad in front of everyone in the city.</em>


    "Based on the systematic sightings, the monsters must be in their thousands at this moment. There must be a source of their appearance. Maybe a Dungeon nearby¡­"


    Gndel nodded, showing that he had the same thought.


    Usually, this would mean good news, since Dungeons were very lucrative, but after the incident of the Vanishing Dungeon, no one would be happy to hear the appearance of yet another one.


    "If that''s the case, then we''ll need to get rid of not just the monsters, but the Dungeon, as well. But, we are extremely short on personnel. Besides, I doubt many Adventurers would sign up for a Dungeon expedition, with the recent tragedy¡­" Gndel stated.


    <em>True, but that''s fine! It''s exactly how I want it.</em>


    "They don''t need to, I''ll handle everything myself¡­" I answered.


    Though Gndel still had a slight tinge of disbelief in my words, he was convinced that if anyone could pull it off, I would stand a good chance.


    "Isn''t your statement a little conceited?" Virgo suddenly said, ncing at both the Guildmaster and me with a disappointed look.


    "Oh? What do you mean by that?" Gndel spoke in my ce, staring at the Constetion.


    "Please, do not pretend you aren''t aware of how impossible what you''re saying is. I may not have been here at the start of your conversation, but I have a fair idea of the situation. It''s not looking good for this city indeed, but there''s only so much one man can do¡­" Virgo said in agitation.


    She was being serious, and I understood the rationale behind her statement.


    Even for Constetions, it wasn''t feasible for a single one of them to clear a Dungeon. They usually went in pairs.


    If I went to a Dungeon on my own, especially one which was causing so much trouble like this, it wasn''t expected that I would survive. However, Gndel was desperate and since I was willing, he was betting it all on me.


    "It''s not overconfidence! Rio here has defeated a General of The Evil One, it''s possible for him, if not anyone else, to do this" Gndel protested.


    "The General was most likely in a weakened state. A true one of those seven demons would have wiped this city off if they truly fought with their full power. You can''t use that as a valid basis here!" Virgo countered.


    <em>I admit, Wrath was in a weakened state when I fought him, but what of it? I''m as powerful as the fully powered version. But she isn''t aware of that¡­ And she''s right, we would have destroyed way more stuff if Wrath and I both went all out.</em>


    "That''s enough, what''s your point, Apostle?" I cut in since the two kept throwing words at each other.


    Everyone looked at me with, Aries with an expression of contempt.


    "You really should bridle your tongue¡­ Hero or not, you''re still a heathen!"


    <em>So, it''s not only Virgo''s faction who thinks this way. Well, who cares?</em>


    "It is simple. What kind of servants of god would blindly watch as an entire civilization is threatened and on the brink of destruction? Since we are here, I might as well give you a helping hand¡­" Virgo stated.


    <em>Hold on, what is she implying¡­? That she also wants to-</em>


    "What are you talking about, Virgo? We owe no responsibility to a heathen city!" Aries protested.


    Clearly, he wanted to stick to the mission. I was also surprised by Virgo''s actions. It was almost like, for the moment, their personalities had been switched.


    "They are still humans, Aries, and they have suffered enough. Besides, if they were to endure this, perhaps they would reconsider their stance and embrace the faith" Virgo said to Aries.


    <em>I see¡­ So she wants to use this as a means to proselytize. Not bad¡­</em>


    "No matter what your intentions are, it doesn''t change the fact that I don''t need you, and you''ll only be a bother to me!" I said, slightly agitated.


    "Why? Even if you say that, won''t my presence there be of even the slightest assistance to you? I''m a Constetion, you know? Weakness is something foreign to me." She smiled.


    <em>She''s right! Someone as powerful as a Constetion was certainly not going to be a liability in battle.</em>


    "Besides, it is as you have said, there''s very little time for the City. Wouldn''t it be better to have as many capable hands as you can get? You know¡­ for the sake of the people." Virgo added.


    "Tch"


    <em>She got me! Using my words against me, what a neat trick. Since I had feigned care for the citizens of the city, plus I was acting as a heroic figure, it would only be right for me to ept help in the Dungeon raid, I have to ept her offer¡­</em>


    "I understand your point. Fine, I could need an extra hand, anyway¡­ but I''ll only take on of you!" I said, much to my dissatisfaction¡­ she won me this round.


    "That''s plenty enough, and I was also going to suggest that. I''ll be apanying you." The female constetion smiled with satisfaction.


    "Virgo, have you forgotten our mission? We don''t have time to y ''hero''!" Aries scolded stiffly.


    "Oh, but this is rted. After all, one of the things we decided to do is seek out this man before us. It''s only natural to try knowing him better." She answered, staring hard at Aries.


    I sensed a distortion in the Aspects between the two of them, indicating that a form of interaction was urring between them.


    I quickly used Hex to pick up the signals sent and hacked into their frequency.


    "~And as for the other matter¡­ the killer of my subordinates, it''s also important to take this course of action¡­ After all, we may need him to face the Apostle Killer! It''s necessary to gain his trust!~" Virgo''s thoughts flowed.


    <em>Interesting¡­ so they are also after the ''me'' who killed those other Apostles, and they are also thinking of using the Hero, Rio, eh? They are toote though, Lord Hexarion is nowhere near their perimeter. And even if they were to somehow figure out his location¡­ they can''t win!</em>


    "~You had better be right, Virgo. We can''t waste much time, the Prophet needs us for the next meeting. The time is drawing near, after all.~" Aries responded with his thought.


    <em>Meeting? Time? The Prophet? It seems there are many interesting things to learn, after all. I take it back. Being apanied by the Virgo could prove more beneficial than I initially thought.</em>


    "~Stay here and monitor the Guildmaster, also investigate this City without me. There may be other clues to find. Like I said earlier, this man is strong. It won''t take us very long toplete this quest.~"


    As soon as Virgo made thisst statement, she cut off the connection.


    "Since you and Aries agree, I''ll be apanying you." She said, facing me.


    I shrugged and turned to Gndel, who seemed even happier by this development.


    With a Constetion on my side, he was sure to be more assured of our victory.


    "So, when will you be heading there?" He asked.


    A smile formed on my face, and I couldn''t deny the exhration I suddenly felt as a result of the new development that was about to unfold.


    "We leave right now. You have no problem with that, right, Miss Virgo?" I asked.


    She returned the expression and replied confidently.


    "Call me Virgo! And yes¡­. Let us begin!"

 Chapter 199 - The Monster Hunt

    Chapter 199 ¨C The Monster Hunt


    "So, Rio¡­ where are you from?"


    I cringed a little upon hearing the question. The one asking was walking directly by my side, refusing to budge as she stared at me curiously.


    Ignoring her, I kept moving forward. We were already a long way off from the City Of Lamar, nearing the Forest Of Monsters.


    I left Shamac and Ruth behind since I didn''t fully trust Aries being alone in the city. Though the two of them would most likely be able to win against him, I wasn''t certain of anything.


    "Just watch him, make sure he doesn''t overstep his bounds. Only engage when it''s absolutely necessary!" Was my order to them.


    As for Gndel, I left him in charge of the city in my absence, telling him to gather the fee Adventurers who were left and give them important roles of guarding the city in my absence.


    In the case of a few monsters spilling out of the forest, it would be good if there were somest resort of defense to protect the city.


    Of course, he liked my idea and was in support, making his moves the instant I stepped out of his office.


    "Rio Xarion¡­ I thank you for this great service of yours! If you need me in any way after this incident, I shall not hesitate toe to your aid!" He dered to me.


    <em>The words of a Guildmaster¡­ Quite useful indeed,</em> I mused.


    The Constetion, who was my partner for the meantime didn''t seem too pleased about my silent reminiscence as she probed me with more pretext for conversation.


    "You have some gall, ignoring the words of an Apostle, a Constetion for that matter" She added, smiling as she held back her annoyance.


    I realized that refusing to answer her any further would lead to more of her annoying ramblings, so it was better to just say something.


    Besides, I also needed information from her.


    "I thought we decided to discard the formality, Virgo? Or was I mistaken when you told me to address you more directly?" I spoke, smiling at her confidently.


    She appeared taken aback by my sudden speech, stunned by the response I gave.


    "Well then, if that is the case, you should at least learn to make conversation. If we are going to be working together, it''s only proper to reply when asked a question."


    She had a point, since I would also be annoyed if I was the one in her shoes. However, it wasn''t like I didn''t want to answer, but I didn''t know how to. I didn''t exactlye from anywhere, since my original birthed me. Besides, I had to be careful when around such an Apostle as Virgo.


    <em>Any answer I provide may end up being detrimental to me¡­</em>


    "Let''s just say I''m not from around here¡­" I sighed.


    "Oh, a foreigner? You don''t look like one though¡­" She said, closely observing my face.


    Her prying eyes made me feel slightly ufortable. Turning away, I quickly focused on the path before me.


    It didn''t take us very long, since we both used high-speed flight for most of the journey, so we were finally at the entrance of the forest.


    "What about you, Virgo? Where are you from?" I asked.


    She shrugged, not seeing the value in my question.


    "I am an Apostle, Ie from the Sanctuary, that is all you need to know about it¡­"


    For someone who desired information from me, she was quite tight-lipped.


    I realized that I would have more luck hearing her thoughts than actually engaging her with words, so I switched my tactics and tried picking up any frequency she emitted which indicated telepathy.


    Surely enough, it existed.


    <em>No wonder she''s acting this way¡­ There''s someone else she''s talking to. Is it Aries?"</em>


    "Can''t you use one of your Grace to make him spill? You were pretty confident about it moments ago!" I heard Aries''s voice sounding impatient.


    <em>So, I was right after all¡­ Let''s listen more</em>.


    "It''s not working, obviously I would have tried that method. He must have a defensive Relic!" She replied in annoyance, a contrast to how she had been speaking with me.


    "Strong enough to block your Grace?" Aries responded.


    "If he could avoid our detection, don''t be surprised by this as well. Besides, I believe I already told you. This man is strong!" She stated.


    "Tch, well¡­ there''s no need to be impatient. There''ll be more opportunities¡­"


    "Hey, you don''t get to act like you''re in charge. I senior you in the hierarchy, and this is my mission. You''re just supporting, don''t forget that." Virgo''s intimidating voice sounded.


    Aries kept quiet, and after some time, I heard a disconnecting sound.


    <em>So, they''ve stopped conversing, eh?</em>


    I didn''t learn much, but it was still useful in its own way.


    "There''s not much time. We better hurry. Do you sense anything?" I said to Virgo, snapping her out of the daze she was in.


    She looked around the forest, narrowing her eyes to focus her extrasensory perception which seemed to cover the entire mass of nts and shrubs.


    Looking surprised and slightly flustered, she closed her eyes to stop her ability.


    "What did you find?" I asked.


    "It''s as the Adventurers said, only worse. There are at least a thousand monsters in this forest alone, and I sense a form of distortion up ahead, to the east. That''s most likely where the source is from." Virgo answered.


    <em>Oh? It''s urate. As expected of a Constetion. If I was actually a true hero, I would consider her an indispensable ally.</em>


    "Then let''s go!"


    Without any form of hesitation, the both of us sped across the tall grove of trees, tearing the rushing winds in our face as we approached the horde of monsters that gathered together.


    "There they are! Grade 2 Monsters¡­ And a few Grade 1!" I said.


    These creatures would pose a problem for even the most seasoned of Adventurers. Even if Lamar didn''t suffer the loss they did, it would take a painstaking effort to subjugate this many high-level monsters.


    Among them were elementals, chimeras, minotaurs, centaurs, and other mystic beasts.


    I could sense Virgo''s gaze on me as we neared the aggravated beasts. She seemed to look at me with curiosity and deep interest.


    <em>Fascinating¡­ He really is something else. To be confronted with this many monsters without the blessing of the gods, yet not showing the slightest hint of fear. This man¡­ Is-</em>


    "ROAARRRRRRR!!!" The monsters bellowed, charging toward us.


    They weren''t even a challenge as I brought out my de, unsheathing it in an instant as I cut through dozens of them in a single strike.


    A dark blue aura appeared all over my body as white shes of lightning covered the de. Using my heightened speed, I easily dodged the sts and countless desperate assaults of the monsters as I exterminated them.


    "Grrrrawwlllll" They screeched and growled.


    A group of chimeras suddenly opened their mouths, jointly creating a crimson bomb that melted the area around them. The dangerous orb was targeted at me, who was busy cutting down the monsters in their multitude.


    >VWOOOOOM<


    Theyunched it at me, the cackling object of mass destruction approaching me at a rapid rate.


    Bracing my arms as I filled my de with energy, I swung it in horizontal and vertical shes respectively, offsetting the bomb with my power.


    Since my energy was superior, their st got redirected to them, destroying the monsters in that area.


    >BOOOOOOM<


    A massive surge of pure destruction erupted, parting the clouds in the forest.


    "Weak!" I mumbled.


    While I expected this, it was still pretty underwhelming to continue this farce when I could have swept through them with even greater speed. However, I had to put on a good show for the Apostle, without giving out most of my cards.


    <em>It''s better if she knows I''m strong, so she acknowledges me, but not too strong that she bes too wary¡­ There must be a bnce!</em>


    Speaking of the Apostle, I nced over to her direction to see how thedy was doing.


    I realize that I was more powerful than she, but the sight disyed before me as she dealt with the monster with great ease could make anyone doubt that fact.


    The countless monsters surrounding her, in their hundreds all instantly exploded, turning from the inside out as their mangled flesh let out loud bangs.


    >KPOW<


    >KPOW<


    >KPOW<


    Their inted bodies exploded, sending blood sttering all around. She used a defensive ability to protect herself from their blood and minced body parts.


    "Whether man or beast¡­ they are all the same, all must obey the call¡­" She mumbled.


    Judging based on Divine Power Alone, it was hard to pinpoint the god which contracted with her, but they had to be one of the great 10.


    <em>Perhaps my original would know¡­</em>


    Looking at the pile of monster corpses that she made, and the pool of blood around her, I was somewhat relieved to be stronger.


    "So this is Virgo, eh? I wonder¡­." I whispered, thinking up something amusing.

 Chapter 200 - Cooperation

    "Impressive..."


    The words slowly came out of my mouth unconsciously as I watched the sight of carnage surrounding the Constetion, Virgo.


    A mere person seeing the way the monsters died would only chalk it down to a spontaneous explosion. However, the process was moreplicated than that.


    Every monster has a Core, a ce that houses its energy and allows them to function, simr to a heart.


    Just like breathing is for humans, a monster constantly takes in Aspects and converts them into corrupted miasma as they inhale it. These corrupted Aspects enter their Core and are processed to serve as energy and sustenance for the monster.


    If a monster doesn''t take in the Aspects, or something goes wrong with the process of conversion, it could prove deadly. In the case of the former, the monster grows weaker, however... for thetter, if pure Aspects enter a monster''s core without prior conversion, the core grows unstable which causes a reaction within the monster.


    This ultimately leads to an explosion from within, the phenomenon that just urred.


    Somehow, Virgo had managed to cause a malfunction, and while I knew it was rted to her Grace, I wasn''t certain what method she used.


    >SWOOOOOSHH<


    Swinging my de in the direction of the surviving monsters that remained, I decimated them in an instant.


    "How did you do that?" I asked Virgo as I approached.


    She smiled, noticing my look of interest in her. For a brief moment, she contemted whether to tell me or not.


    <em>Either way, I''ll find out!</em>


    "It''s one of my Graces, you do know what those are, right?" She gave me a somewhat teasing stare.


    I couldn''t tell whether she was doing it intentionally or it was just my imagination, but her expression was alluring.


    "O-of course, what kind of Grace was that to create such an effect?" I stuttered a little.


    <em>What''s happening to me? This reaction is...</em>


    "It allows me to control any living creature around me. I used it to control the monsters to intentionally stop the processing of Aspects going within their body." She exined.


    <em>I see... Just like how it''s possible for a person to stop breathing once their throats are clogged, she also made them halt the Aspect conversion in the monsters... A scary ability indeed.</em>


    "I see... I better be wary around you then..." I said, chuckling a little to mask my apprehension.


    "Ah, there''s no need for that. For some reason, I can''t seem to do the same for you." She mumbled.


    <em>Oh? She shamelessly admitted that she tried. This woman is getting bolder as time passes.</em><em>Well, she is right about that. Due to my non-Aspect Composition, she can''t influence me that way.</em>


    "I see. That''s fair then. In any case, we better hurry and head to the Dungeon." I said.


    She nodded and reformed her face, generating a stern expression.


    In a sh, we vanished from sight and headed in the direction of the Dungeon. On our way, we encountered more monsters, but they proved to be of no difficulty as we easily cut them down.


    Blood sttered across the green shrubs and wooden barks as we raced to our destination.


    It took merely a few moments to get to the Dungeon entrance, even with the obstacles in our path, and even I had to agree that it was a little less boring toplete the task with someone by my side.


    "Well then, let''s get this over with," She said.


    The dark building was tall, and the entrance had thorny nts growing around it. There were countless echoes of flies and other insects humming from within and outside the ce and vines were spread all over the structure.


    With only my aura, the nts which blocked our paths disintegrated, allowing us ess to the Dungeon.


    <em>Even though this is a contraption intentionally erected for the purpose of furthering my fame, it''s certainly interesting venturing into this ce with someone. Especially when it means I can see her Grace in action!</em>


    [Moments Later]


    "What the hell is this?"


    My eyes widened in shock as I stood dumbfounded and in shock at the sight before me. I didn''t expect this, neither was this in any of my memories.


    "So, even after seeing this... do you still believe you made the right call by deciding toe here alone?" Virgo asked me, barely gasping for air.


    I was also surprised by the putrid air and chilly aura surrounding me. Since I was on a high level of strength, I instinctively knew my limits... and the creature before me was certainly one which was more powerful than me.


    "Wee... To my Dungeon!" The monster spoke in its low, yet scathing tone.


    Having the appearance of a devil, with five horns and four wings, its tail danced about, hanging behind Its two legs.


    "Who... what are you?!" I asked in shock.


    ording to my memories, no one should be stronger than I currently am, except my original and perhaps ''that person''. Yet, here was one who appeared more powerful.


    "Oh? I see... so it''s like that..." It muttered, appearing to be in deep thought and considering what to do.


    "It appears my purpose is to destroy the both of you... Do not hold it against me. This is just my program, it is why I have been here till this date!" The monster said, its eyes gleaming purple as it red excitedly at us.


    <em>Tch, what is this monster talking about?</em>


    "Your expression tells us the opposite. You''re actually looking forward to this, aren''t you?" Virgo said, struggling to speak.


    Her words resonated deep within me, and I felt a slight movement in my void of emotions. Was I feeling something?


    That shouldn''t have been possible since I was a copy of Lord Hexarion. Unless...


    <em>He merged me with something else... just like Ruth?!</em>My thoughts rang.


    If that was the case, then just how many of these memories were actually mine? I knew quite a little about my original, Hexarion, but was I so sure about myself at this point?


    <em>Are my thoughts false? Just how much has been altered? Why is my original doing this? Am I also a pawn in his game? Why... why am I thinking independent thoughts and not in line with his own?</em>


    "Am I... not actually Hexarion?" I whispered silently.


    Fortunately, Virgo didn''t pick up my words since she was too upied with the monster before us.


    "Hey! Hero, you were pretty confident in yourself earlier. It''s time you proved that, don''t you think?" Virgo''s voice suddenly sounded in my ears.


    This woke me from the despairing thoughts I had.


    She was right though. I didn''t have the luxury of dwelling in useless thoughts as I was doing.


    At the moment there was only one thing I could do, one single thing expected of me...


    "Virgo, I apologize for that shameful disy. I''m back now..." I said, bracing myself as I unsheathed my de.


    Whether the monster was more powerful than me or not, it didn''t matter at the moment.


    "Let''s beat this thing together!" I said, beaming at my partner, a former enemy now turned ally.


    "Y-Yeah!" She responded.

 Chapter 201 - Mistake (Do Not Read)

    "Impressive..."


    The words slowly came out of my mouth unconsciously as I watched the sight of carnage surrounding the Constetion, Virgo.


    A mere person seeing the way the monsters died would only chalk it down to spontaneous explosion. However, the process was moreplicated than that.


    Every momster has a Core, a ce which houses their energy and allows them to function, simr to a heart.


    Just like breathing is for humans, a monster constantly takes in Aspects and converts it into corrupted miasma as they inhale it. This corrupted Aspects enter their Core and is processed to serve as energy and sustenance for the monster.


    If a monster doesn''t take in the Aspects, or something goes wrong with the process of conversion, it could prove deadly. In the case of the former, the monster grows weaker, however... for thetter, if pure Aspects enter a monster''s core without prior conversion, the core grows unstable which causes a reaction within the monster.


    This ultimately leads to an explosion from within, the phenomenon that just ured.


    Somehow, Virgo had managed to cause a malfunction, and while I knew it was rted to her Grace, I wasn''t certain what method she used.


    >SWOOOOOSHH<


    Swinging my de in the direction of the surviving monsters that renianed, I decimated them in an instant.


    "How did you do that?" I asked Virgo as I approached.


    She smiled, noticing my look of interest in her. For a brief moment, she contemted whether to tell me or not.


    Either way, I''ll find out!


    "It''s one of my Graces, you do know what those are, right?" She gave me a somewhat teasing stare.


    I couldn''t tell whether she was doing it intentionally or it was just my imagination, but her expression was alluring.


    "O-of course, what kind of Grace was that to create such an effect?" I stuttered a little.


    What''s happening to me? This reaction is...


    "It allows me to control any living creature around me. I used it to control the monsters to intentionally stop the processing of Aspects going within their body." She exined.


    I see... Just like how it''s possible for a person to stop breathing once their throats are clogged, she also made them halt the Aspect conversion in the monsters... A scary ability indeed.


    "I see... I better be wary around you then..." I said, chuckling a little to mask my apprehension.


    "Ah, there''s no need for that. For some reason, I can''t seem to do the same for you." She mumbled.


    Oh? She shamelessly admitted that she tried. This woman is getting bolder as time passes. Well, she is right about that. Due to my non-Aspect Composition, she can''t influence me that way.


    "I see. That''s fair then. In any case, we better hurry and head to the Dungeon." I said.


    She nodded and reformed her face, generating a stern expression.


    In a sh, we vanished from sight and headed in the direction of the Dungeon. On our way, we encountered more monsters, but they proved to be of no difficulty as we easily cut them down.


    Blood sttered across the green shrubs and wooden barks as we raced to out destination.


    It took merely a few moments to get to the Dungeon entrance, even with the obstacles in our path, and even I had to agree that it was a little less boring toplete the task with someone by my side.


    "Well then, let''s get this over with" She said.


    The dark building was tall, and the entrance had thorny nts growing around it. There were countless echoes of flies and other insects humming from within and outside the ce and vines were spread all over the structure.


    With only my aura, the nts which blocked our paths disintegrated, allowing us ess to the Dungeon.


    Even though ths is a contraption intentionally erected for the purpose of furthering my fame, it''s certainly interesting venturing into this ce with someone. Especially when it means I can see her Grace in action!


    [Moments Later]


    "What the hell is this?"


    My eyes widened in shock as I stood dumfounded and in shock at the sight before me. I didn''t expect this, neither was this in any of my memories.


    "So, even after seeing this... do you still believe you made the right call by deciding toe here alone?" Virgo asked me, barely gasping for air.


    I was also surprised by the pitrid air and chilly aura surrounding me. Since I was on a high level of strength, I instinctively knew my limits... and the creature before me was certainly one which was more powerful than me.


    "Wee... To my Dungeon!" The monster spoke in it''s low, yet scathing tone.


    Having the appearance of a devil, with five horns and four wings, it''s tail danced aboit, hanging behind Its two legs.


    "Who... what are you?!" I asked in shock.


    ording to my memories, no one should be stronger than I currently am, except my original and perhaps ''that person''. Yet, here was one who appeared more powerful.


    "Oh? I see... so it''s like that..." It muttered, appearing to be in deep thought and considering what to do.


    "It appears my purpose is to destroy the both of you... Do not hold it against me. This is just my program, it is why I have been here till this date!" The monster said, it''s eyes gleaming purple as it red excitedly at us.


    Tch, what is this monster talking about?


    "Your expression tells us the opposite. You''re actually looking forward to this, aren''t you?" Virgo said, struggling to speak.


    Her words resonated deep within me, and I felt a slight movement in my void of emotions. Was I feeling something? That shouldn''t have been possible since I was a copy of Lord Hexarion. Unless...


    He merged me with something else... just like Ruth?!My thoughts rang.


    If that was the case, then just how much of these memories were actually mine? I knew quite a little about my original, Hexarion, but was I so sure about myself at this point?


    Are my thoughts false? Just how much has been altered? Why is my original doing this? Am I also a pawn in his game? Why... why am I thinking independent thoughts and not in line with his own?


    "Am I... not actually Hexarion?" I whispered silently.


    Fortunately, Virgo didn''t pick up my words since she was too upied with the monster before us.


    "Hey! Hero, you were pretty confident in yourself earlier. It''s time you proved that, don''t you think?" Virgo''s voice suddenly sounded in my ears.


    This woke me from the despairing thoughts I had.


    She was right though. I didn''t have the luxury of dwelling in useless thoughts as I was doing.


    At the moment there was only one thing I could do, one single thing expected of me...


    "Virgo, I apologize for that shameful disy. I''m back now..." I said, bracing myself as I unsheathed my de.


    Whether the mosnter was more powerful than me or not, it didn''t matter at the moment.


    "Let''s beat this thing together!" I said, beaming at my partner, a former enemy now turned ally.


    "Y-Yeah!" She responded.

 Chapter 202 - The Beginning Of Sacrifice

    "Well, then... everyone, it appears I''m back. What''s wrong? Won''t you show me the same hospitality as before?"


    The townsfolk couldn''t reply. A mix of guilt and fear rendered them too shocked to utter a single word.


    <em>Now then, where should I start from?</em>


    A grin formed on my face as I considered how to deal with the wretched humans before me.


    "How is this possible?! You''re supposed to be sacrificed! How are you still alive?" Xiang let out, raising her voice in a high pitch.


    Seeing Wrath, Lumia, and I standing unharmed made her body slightly throb as she took a few steps back.


    Of course, Lust was also beside us, making her even more shocked. Slowly raising her hand, she pointed her fingers at us with fright.


    "T-that monster... what the hell is it? Who the hell are you people?" Her eyes bulged.


    "Who are we? Isn''t the most appropriate question ''who are you people?''... Or am I wrong?" I said, moving a little closer to her.


    "You have some exining to do, town chief..."


    "W-what are you-?!" She spoke, flustered.


    "Stay back! Don''te any closer!" The muscr woman who stood behind Xiang suddenly spoke up.


    Using the bulky leg strength she amassed for herself, the woman rushed toward me with the intent to cause me harm. However...


    "Stop!"


    Her body froze instantly, and a surprised expression dominated her face.


    I smiled, turning to see my dear general who was responsible for stopping the savage woman''s march.


    Lust nodded as her lips pursed in excitement.


    "Wrangle up..." She whispered.


    Slowly, the muscr woman''s fleshy body started twisting to the surprise of the townsfolk present. Turning about as one would squeeze a wet shirt, her body mangled up in a simr fashion.


    "Rip apart!"


    Instantly, her entire body ruptured, tearing up as they dispersed. The blood sttered across the vige floor, sshing on Xiang''s face.


    Everyone screamed in horror as they saw the gory sight and a manifestation of Lust''s specialty... Command!


    Just as Wrath was extremely skilled in using his aura, Lust also had her special trait. Using her word of mouth, she could make anyone and anything obey her as long as they possessed Aspects and were weaker than she was.


    A frightening andabsolute ability in the presence of trash such as the townsfolk.


    From apprehension and slight fear, Xiang''s face turned into extreme fright and despair. She clenched her teeth and shook her head, scared of her fate.


    "P-please... No..." She croaked, barely able to render a single word.


    As I took a step forward, she took two backward for the fear of her life.


    Suddenly, an idea seemed to sh in her head in her attempt to desperately escape liability.


    "I-It was the Demon! It forced us to sacrifice you all. I swear, it was never our intention. We had no choice!" Her shaky voice pleaded.


    Her cries were so amusing that I couldn''t help myself. A low chuckle escaped from my lips as it slowly escted into a burst of depravedughter.


    "Kekekeke, kuahahaha, hahahaha!!!"


    "Did you really think I wouldn''t notice, or that I hadn''t figured it out? How foolish. I knew it all along, Xiang... the true story of this town!" I said with a wide grin, nearing my face to hers.


    Her shocked face slowly let out despair as she shook her head slightly in disbelief.


    "N-no way... you''re lying... You didn''t... I-if you did, then why did you-?!" Mumbling to herself, her eyes turning empty as the confidence she has built for herself began to crumble.


    "Your story was quite interesting, but if you''re not retarded, you should know by now... that I''m not the kind to be swayed by such drivel."


    From reading her mind, to that of the other townsfolk, and piecing things together, the history of the town was somewhat different from what they wanted any visitor to think.


    [What really happened]


    Everything Xiang had said was true, up to the point of the young man''s disappearance from the vige. After he journeyed in search of the Dungeon which would give him the wealth and power to leave the town he grew up in his whole life, he didn''t make it back to the vige... until a few weekster.


    Several weeks after he left, the townsfolk, who were selfish in their own right and more concerned with survival than any other thing did not bother releasing a search party for the man. Instead, they were relieved he took his nonsense away from the vige.


    They continued their day-to-day activities, forgetting the bright and optimistic young man who wanted more to life.


    However... their normal lives were short-lived.


    "A-Ahh... Ah....a-ahhh..." The young man moaned, drooling from his mouth as he approached the town.


    The townsfolk who were closer to the gate informed the town chief, gathering the attention of every member of the small settlement.


    "Huff... Huff... Ahh," The man struggled to walk, limping as though he was sore from an injury behind him.


    "I-Is that him...?" They asked, looking among themselves.


    They could barely recognize the man before them.


    Not only was he covered in scars, wounds, and several bite marks were seen on his body as he drew nearer. His emaciated figure, pale face, and dead eyes made them gulp as he finally reached the gate.


    The optimistic face of the ambitious boy had faded into a desperate, falling expression.


    "Kai... Zhen Kai... I-Is this really you?" One of the townsfolk finally asked, mentioning what the others didn''t have the gall to ask.


    The young man ignored their words and looked around him instead. He seemed to be searching for something with the empty eyes of his, and his tightened grim face loosened as he let out a smile.


    The distorted grin he made revealed the few teeth which remained attached to his gums as his eyes widened.


    Finally raising his hands, pointing his index finger as he turned to his side, he uttered his first words.


    "T-there... I wasn''t lying. There are many more here..." The young man pointed at the members of the vige.


    At that moment, the thought which appeared in the mind of everyone present was that the man had gone mad. However... Little did they know that it would mark the start of a new and chaotic era of the vige.


    "Hohohoho... it seems you were right, after all. There are more humans here!" A sultry voice suddenly sounded, causing the vigers to look around them in fright and caution.


    "W-who''s there?!" They asked in apprehension, their eyes darting everywhere for any sign of the invisible owner of the voice.


    "Oh my, how rude you all are. So full of life, so full of energy... So full of the will to live. Ah, I love it!"


    The townsfolk were still confused by the depraved voice which moaned as it spoke. They nced at the battered young man, who trembled upon hearing the sound of the woman, as though reliving the worst moment of his life in that instant.


    "My name is Lust... and we''ll be meeting very soon. Heheheheh. Ohhh, I can''t wait!"


    Slowly, the voice dissipated, and everywhere fell silent for a moment.


    "Oi, what was that?!"


    "Who was that?!"


    "Answer us, Zhen Kai! What was that voice?"


    The young man throbbed and fell on his weak knees, having lost all strength.


    "H... H..."


    Sobbing sounds emanated from his pathetic frame as tears began flowing from his eyes.


    "I-I''m sorry everyone... I had no choice... I... If I didn''t do it, they would have continued. I couldn''t... I couldn''t take anymore!" He cried in both regret and recollection of all the pain he passed through.


    Having no more strength within him, Zhen Kai fainted due to exhaustion.


    At the time, none of the vigers understood what he meant by that. Since he was still a member of their town, they took him into theirmunity and treated him the best they could.


    "What is this? These marks... What could have caused this?" They asked themselves, perplexed by how Zhen Kai would have sustained such marks.


    "Just looking at his anus, his rectum is totally destroyed and mangled. It''s so reddened and messed up, no wonder he was limping!"


    "Even his mouth, his teeth are nearly gone, and his throats seem badly damaged and scourged. What could have gone into it?"


    Even with their imaginations, they could not possiblyprehend the actual reason for the state of the man.


    Since they had no answers, they gave Zhen Kai room to rest and recover.


    However... the next time they visited his recovery room, the man was already dead. Unable to bear the guilt of what he brought upon the vige, or the pain he endured, as well as the trauma he received, Zhen Kai ended his own life!


    Why? The vige would soon find out.


    "Sssstupid Humanssss... I am a sssuperior being to you! Defy me, you die. Try to escape, you die. There is only one way out... the only way to live... You must sssacrifice!" A serpent-like monster appeared before them.


    Initially, they tried resisting, however after a dozen of them died in one fell swoop, the townsfolk realized the terrible situation that had been brought upon them.


    One of the townsfolk quickly took the initiative, being one who wanted to live more than any other person there.


    After the monster left, giving them an ultimatum of one day to procure an adequate offering, this woman rallied other women and told them of their n.


    "Men!"


    "It was one of them thatnded us in this mess, to begin with!"


    "We can always produce more children!"


    "We need to sacrifice men... for our future!"


    Using her tricks and her sweet lips, she coaxed the other women to join her in her mad endeavor, seeding in conquering the men of the town.


    And that began the advent of sacrifice even till the present day.


    The woman''s name is Xiang, the current leader of the town.... and the one currently at the mercy of Hexarion.

 Chapter 203 - Will To Live

    <em>H-how does he know everything?!</em>


    Xiang''s eyes were bulging in shock as she looked at the ones before her.


    <em>Even after all that happened, the sacrifices we made... everything I did to get this far, he figured it out in an instant? Impossible!</em>


    After the Monster demanded offerings, she was the first to step up and suggest the unthinkable. Due to her quick-wittedness and the panic which was going around at the time, the women listened to her.


    <em>I had nothing...pared to everyone, I was merely a young adult. Yet, with that little twist of fate, I rose to a ce of prominence! I just... I didn''t want to die!</em>


    And so, using her maniptive abilities, she made the men subject to the more numerous women. She also organized a system and managed to serve as the intermediary with the monster everyone was frightened of.


    "Oooh, I like youuu... Sssso, you''ll be their representative, ehhh?" The serpent said amusedly.


    She nodded, just as nervous as the rest of the townsfolk, but desperate to live.


    And so, just like that... she became the town representative at the young age of 19.


    It had been 20 years since then, and she never failed in her duties. She took several measures to ensure the town remained stable, even with the constant demand for sacrifices.


    And, just as a human would take care of their livestock, the monster often brought materials to ensure the townsfolk never had to worry about food or adequate amenities for survival.


    If they did well, bringing better sacrifices than usual, the town was rewarded with extra supplies and amenities.


    On rare asions, they had visitors, and she prepared the means for dealing with them as well. Masking her age with makeup, she would charm the men and ensure they stayed in the vige until the next demand for a sacrifice.


    She had never failed in her venture, and when matters nearly grew out of hand, she went as far as marrying these strangers or sharing her bed with them to keep them tied down.


    <em>Anything... I''ll do anything to live!</em>


    Before long, this became the means of life they became used to. This system was going tost for as long as she, Xiang lived.


    "I don''t care what happens after I die. I just want to live the best I can now... Just that is enough for me!" She told herself, ignoring the abominable acts she was enforcing.


    She wanted the taste of power andfort tost forever, and it was going to... At least that was what everyone had thought.


    But...


    <em>They just had to show up... who are they? Why... why now?!</em>Her mind desperately sought an answer.


    Her sister was dead, the entire structure she had built and worked so hard on was on the verge of being destroyed. All because of a group of strangers.


    <em>I thought I had them... but...</em>


    "What''s there to think so hard about...?" A voice said to her, drawing Xiang''s attention to the man who spearheaded the whole thing.


    He was grinning amusedly at her, like she was a toy or specimen who was meant to be used and discarded by him.


    "You were just a small fish in a pool anyway, nothing more."


    As the words resonated deeply within her, even with her will to live, despondency crept within her.


    But, she wasn''t going to give up on life just yet. She admitted her defeat, her loss. If she couldn''t beat them then...


    "P-please..." Her lips quivered as they spoke.


    <em>In order to survive, even the devil will eat flies!</em>


    [My Turn]


    "Please... please spare me!" Xiang pleaded, crashing on her knees.


    The tears in her eyes flowed so easily, soiling the makeup on her face as her distorted face made her the very depiction of ugliness.


    The remaining townsfolk followed their leader''s lead, unsure of what else to do.


    "P-please spare us!" They all begged.


    Looking at the sight of an entire group of people yielding in subservience made me chuckle a little. Though this was on a much smaller scale than what I was used to, the feeling remained the same.


    "Master, should I dispose of this insolent woman?" Lust asked with a wide grin as she stared at Xiang.


    "N-no, please!" The shameless woman begged further.


    As much as I would find it interesting to see what kind of show Lust would make of the woman and the rest of the town, there was something of more value.


    Something only the townsfolk could do.


    "No, Lust... I have a better idea."


    Xiang''s eyes bulged as I addressed Lust, shocked by the presence of the cause of their cmity.


    "Ahh, what a shame. I truly wanted to y with her." Lust whined a little, ncing at Xiang as she drew closer to the petrified woman.


    "For a long time now, since that day I saw you 20 years ago... I wanted to make you mine."


    Xiang''s entire body throbbed as her eyes pleaded for mercy. Any statement she made could guarantee her death, just like her sister.


    "That''s enough, Lust."


    Hearing my voice, Lust nodded and bowed subserviently, moving back while I approached Xiang''s kneeling figure.


    "Eeek..." She squeaked, gulling as I drew closer.


    "Now then, I''m giving you a chance to redeem yourself. Will you ept it?"


    My standing gait overshadowed her smaller frame as I stared at her condescendingly. Even though I could feel her feelings of frustration, I could also notice the overwhelming will to keep her life.


    "I-I''ll do anything!" She yelled.


    The remaining


    "Oh? Even if it means abandoning everyone else here?" I asked.


    There were little murmurs at this point, as everyone wondered what decision their leader would make.


    Surely she wasn''t going to abandon them, right? WRONG!


    "I''ll do anything, no matter what!" She insisted.


    Gasps of unease and disbelief spread amongst the townsfolk as they clearly heard Xiang betray them in desperation.


    "Very well then, you may rise"


    She shook a little in surprise, but a relieved smile quickly formed as she rose weakly, her legs still throbbing legs.


    Her slender frame stood before me as she bowed her head to hide the look of relief on her discolored face and reddened eyes.


    "Move closer..." I instructed her, my eyes still transfixed on her trembling form.


    My Generals looked at me with curiosity, relishing every moment, while Lumia was dumbfounded by what I wanted to achieve.


    <em>This will be a good lesson for her... Watch closely, young one.</em>


    Xiang now stood a few inches short of my location, awaiting my instruction.


    I raised one of my hands slowly and ced it on her head.


    The smooth texture of her hair indicated she recently had them treated.


    <em>Shampoo, eh? Lotion, moisturizer, perfumes... I see now...</em>


    ncing at everyone else, who had shabby hair and a nd odor, it was fair to assume that Xiang was hoarding a lot of the good stuff and having the most benefits from their deal with Lust''s subordinate.


    In essence, she was a fraud.


    A grin formed on my face at that moment.


    "The thing you can do for me right now... Xiang, is very simple." I whispered, drawing her face near mine.


    I felt sweat roll from her face and the vibrations on her head as her pulse went into overdrive.


    "You don''t need to move, you don''t need to think. You just need to stand right there... and let me do all the work..."


    Her eyes bulged, but before any realization dawned on her, I was already finished with her.


    Her body didn''t even react, unlike the previous ones. In a sh, even by my standards, I was done. Her near-dead, mentally battered body stood upright, having barely any life within it.


    "H-h... L-live... I... Live..." She constantly muttered, repeating her words over and over again in madness as tears streamed down her face.


    "Memory Drain... Ah, it''s been a while." I said, removing my hand from her head.


    As usual, her mind wasn''t able to handle the speed of the information transfer which was over a hundred times faster at the moment.


    "L-live... I... Live..." She kept mumbling, and it began to sound annoying, like a fly buzzing in my ears.


    "What an eyesore. Lust, you can have her now." I turned to my General who was eagerly waiting for her turn.


    "Ahh, thank you so much, Master!!!" Lust beamed, licking her lips as she stared at her prize.


    "Come over here!" She instructed the brain-dead woman.


    Xiang obeyed despite her current status, and moved toward Lust.


    "You''re my toy now, aren''t you? So... Be a toy and stay with me, okay?" Lust smiled in depravity, stretching her hands to Xiang.


    Instantly, she absorbed the empty woman into herself, saving the fun forter.


    "Lord Hexarion, what are you going to do now? What about the rest of them?" Wrath asked me.


    <em>Oh yeah. That''s true.... these ones are still left. Shall we get started, then?</em>

 Chapter 204 - Destruction

    I looked at the rest of the townsfolk, who, for some reason, seemed pleased that the traitorous Xiang had met her cruel end.


    "It seems you are all misunderstanding something..." I said to the remaining people who kept their faces bowed before me while I spoke.


    "I didn''t kill her because of any of you. To be honest, I couldn''t care less about your moral obligations or whatnot. Whether your actions or her choices are wrong or right is none of my business."


    At this point, they raised their heads, staring at me with fear. The people, mostlyprised of women and a couple of children stared at me with tears in their eyes, pleading desperately with me for mercy.


    "You all wouldn''t care if two goats happened to be fighting, would you? Or if two bugs were debating on their actions, those are of no relevance to you humans, correct? Right or wrong, none of those matter when dealing with livestock... and you all are no different"


    Realizing there was no hope for them, the townsfolk quickly rose from their knees and took to their heels instead, attempting to escape from their fate since it was impossible to obtain mercy.


    "Lust..." I mumbled, waving my hands nonchntly.


    "They''re all yours."


    "Thank you, master!" She licked her lips in excitement.


    "Stop!"


    The entire crowd halted instantly. As though time froze, none of them could move a muscle, not even their eyes.


    "Now then, let the party begin!" She dered, raising her hands joyfully as she smiled in Glee, preparing for one of her very warped shows.


    ***************************


    [Unknown Dungeon, Forest Of Monsters]


    "Huu, who could have expected this... to think I would be facing an opponent stronger than me here..."


    My breathing was heavy and I was feeling weakened for some reason.


    <em>I see. There must be something about this ce that saps away my strength. Not only am I getting weaker. This guy appears to be getting more powerful...</em>


    I pushed aside other distracting thoughts concerning how this came to be, and the difference between what I experienced and the initial n hatched by my original, Lord Hexarion.


    "Struggle is pointless. I am more powerful than you are. What is the point to this meaningless fight?" The monster asked, floating above us.


    Its eyes had a condescending re, and I could feel the air of superiority the devil-like monster exuded.


    Gritting my teeth in agitation, I gripped my sword tighter than usual and resolved to do whatever I could to kill the beast.


    "Virgo, what''s the best you can do?" I asked, ncing to the Constetion, who also appeared somewhat weakened, even in a much more terrible state than I was.


    "The best? What does that mean?" She asked, refusing to take her eyes off the monster.


    "I''m about to go all out. Can I count on you not to hold me back?"


    She appeared slightly flushed with annoyance by my question, but she was in no position to express those feelings in the situation we were in.


    "Don''t underestimate me, mongrel. I''m a Constetion, you know? I''m not so weak that I-"


    "That''s all I needed to hear!" I interrupted.


    Before she could protest to me cutting her words short, I concentrated all my Essence, sending them into overdrive.


    <em>Let''s do this!</em>


    >BOOOOOOOOOMMMMM<


    In an instant, a phenomenal surge of power burst from me, devastating my surrounding. The Aspects in the air burst into their little particles as a result of the overload. My hair turned white and every portion of my body glowed a near-blinding color that shone across the room.


    Even Virgo appeared to be struggling to prevent being swept away by the devastating force I emitted.


    "Keukk... to think you still have this much power left..." Shemented, wincing at the choking aura surrounding me.


    "The monster is stronger than me, so I''ll need your assistance!" I shouted, pointing my transformed de to the monster.


    <em>If I could use Hex, it would be much easier, but since this troublesome woman is here, I have to rely on my Treasures. Tch!</em>


    Still, in the current form I took, exploiting several Treasures in my possession, I was twice as powerful as Wrath.


    The intimidating aura of the monster still affected me to a degree, and I could feel my strength slowly fading due to the Dungeon''s nature, indicating I had to end things as quickly as possible.


    "Got it!" She nodded.


    >Zwoooosh<


    In an instant, I vanished from my position and appeared before the monster. It didn''t appear fazed to see me as it erected a red barrier around itself which was capable of blocking any attack I could render.


    But...


    "Virgo!" I yelled.


    Straining a smile, she generated a massive surge of white light and directed it at the barrier, causing a malfunction in it.


    "W-what?!" It let out in surprise.


    >Fwip<


    I changed my location, moved behind it, and gave a devastating sh.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM<


    The entire Dungeon seemed to evaporate in an instant, turning into dust. However...


    >SHUUUUU<


    A mist-like substance began to emit from the rubble, attaching the destroyed structure back to one other and in no time at all, the Dungeon reformed itself.


    "How unexpected. To think you would exploit my weakness against Divine Power and deal enough damage to wound me." The monster muttered.


    "But, if that is all there is to your power... it will still end in my victory!"


    Grinning maniacally, a dark-crimson aura burst forth from its body, making me instantly teleport back to Virgo as she erected a holy barrier around us.


    "What is that filthy beast up to now?!" Virgo eximed.


    If I had to guess, judging by the amount of power it was emitting, the monster was going to destroy the entire forest, with us along with it.


    "Since it''s like this, I suppose I ought to go all out too!"


    The aura which could tear apart everything for miles suddenly condensed and became concentrated on the single being above us.


    "This is..."


    Not only had the monster vastly exceeded its previous power, but the absorbtion on my end also grew worse.


    "I''ll end this in one blow. Brace yourselves!!!" The monster dered, raising Its hand above its head.


    "Pure Destruction!"


    As it stated this, a wave of crimson force radiated from him, all across the entire forest, encircling the whole region in what would be preparation forbustion.


    And so, the eruption followed.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!<


    In barely a moment, the entire forest was razed to the ground, no single leaf or sign of life could be seen. Even the Dungeon had copsed at this time, rendering everything, except the monster to molecules of shattered Aspects.


    "Ah, I ended up destroying everything, but so what? I fulfilled my purpose and destroyed my target."


    "Hehehe... Hahahaha... Hahahaha!!!"


    Using its heightened senses, the monster spread its perception across the area, spanning for miles, yet did not sense the presence of its enemies.


    <em>The only ones nearby are those pesky humans in the city, eh? Though I sense a few threats, two in particr, none of them should be able to measure up to my power. Should I head there now?</em>


    Readying its four wings, the demon was about to make for the city when the unprecedented urred.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    The sound of one whom the monster presumed dead echoed in its ears.


    "This... you are..." It growled, turning in the direction of the sound.


    However, before it could react, a blinding sh appeared in four-folds.


    >SWISH<


    >SLASH<


    >FWIP<


    >FLAP<


    "W-wha-?!"


    Instantly, all four of the monster''s wings were sundered, causing it to lose bearing the air.


    "Guarghhh! How, what was tha-?!" It yelled in pain, suddenly stopping at the sight of something floating higher than its current level.


    "Ah, what''s with that look? Surprised?" I grinned, watching the creature''s eyes bulge in shock.


    "You... How are you still-?!"


    Before it could say any more, I sped across the distance separating us, preparing a deadly blow on my hand as I approached it.


    >BAM!<


    My fist sunk into its stomach as it let out a muffled sound of pain.


    The monster was sent diving into the razed ground beneath, colliding with the surface.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!<


    The earth shattered apart, the whole forest region and beyond quaked as rocks flew from the point of impact.


    Descending from my height, I neared the stunned monster, still gazing upon it condescendingly.


    "H-how... I don''t understand... I definitely killed you... How are you still-?!"


    Looking at the monster now, it was nearly difficult to believe I was struggling against such a pathetic being. Not only was its intelligence extremely low, but the majority of its advantage was also now gone.


    "This is the end of the line for you... I win!"


    [A Few Moments Ago]


    As I watched the monster''s aura increase, I realized there was no way we could survive its impact.


    "This is..."


    Not only had the monster vastly exceeded its previous power, but the absorbtion on my end also grew worse.


    "I''ll end this in one blow. Brace yourselves!!!" It dered.


    Suddenly, a sharp tingle surged in my head, making me realize what I didn''t even consider before.


    <em>Why didn''t I think of this earlier? Is this also another part of my memory''s interference?</em>

 Chapter 205 - End Of The Line

    Having no time to contemte my earlier choices, I acted instantly.


    "Virgo, don''t let go!" I said, quickly grabbing the Constetion beside me by her waist and drew her closer to myself.


    "W-what are you-?!"


    She turned her body, trying to break free from my hold, but I instantly tightened my grip on her to ensure she couldn''t break free.


    "A-ah!" She let out, flustered and furious by the indignation I was making her pass through.


    However, there was no time to exin the situation.


    "We''re going to be leaving for a bit."


    >BOOOOOOOOOMMMMM<


    The crimson burst of devastation erupted, consuming everything in its path as it neared us.


    Watching its advancement, I smiled, barely activating my ability in time.


    I teleported myself and Virgo away from the location, nearly caught in the explosion.


    <em>Such a simple idea, really... how could I have missed it.</em>


    And so, in the blink of an eye, I appeared in Artia, since it was the most vivid of my memories.


    "W-what did you... this ce is..." Virgo muttered, taking in the sight of the merchant city.


    We had appeared atop a hill, a small distance from the city. I remembered this was where my original passed through along with Talia in order to reach Artia, the first settlement he stayed in upon his revival.


    My body suddenly felt better, and in a single moment, all the vanishing strength I had been losing became restored. I stiffened, receiving my powers back, but doing so caused me to make a terrible mistake.


    "A-Ah! What are you doing, you mongrel!" Virgo snapped, feeling my hold on her tighten.


    "Get off of me!" She yelled, pushing me away.


    Flustered by the sudden situation, I pulled away from her, realizing what had just transpired.


    "You... do you have any idea what you''ve done?! To touch me, the holy one of-"


    "That''s enough. We don''t have time for this..." I cut her words short, more concerned by the dire situation we had left behind.


    "Why you..." She gritted her teeth, still giving me a deathly re I didn''t deserve.


    "You''re wee, by the way. I suppose this is my thanks for saving your life..." I mumbled, ncing away from her.


    Upon hearing my words, she became mute, contemting what I said. Appearing embarrassed, yet still frustrated by my earlier actions, she could only re at me, while asionally ncing to the ground as though something existed there.


    "Now swallow your pride andport yourself. The battle isn''t over yet!"


    She seemed to understand my point but felt annoyed that I had to mention it to her.


    <em>This is what I get for trying to reason with an Apostle. Should I have let her die then? No... She''s still useful!</em>


    Still, the way I instinctively reached out to save her without prior thought, almost like instinct, made me worry about the state of my emotions.


    "What am I-" I mumbled absentmindedly.


    "F-fine. I''ll have to agree with you, for now. But this isn''t over yet. You''ll have to answer for your actions after we''re done!" She blurted out.


    I shrugged. There wasn''t anything to discuss, in the first instance.


    "Let''s go!"


    Once again, I made physical contact with Virgo by touching her lightly, causing the both of us to teleport back to our prior location.


    I decided to drop Virgo off on my way to the monster since I didn''t need any extra baggage while facing the monster. I left her on a pile of rubble, some distance from where the monster floated, and left for the monster''s location.


    "Erect a barrier and protect yourself well. I''ll be finishing this!" I told her.


    Gritting her teeth in annoyance, she obeyed.


    <em>Good. With this, I shouldn''t be held back by anything! I''ll be able to go all out!</em>


    And so, I dived into the sky, finding the enemy drunk in its supposed victory.


    <em>Well then, let the counterattack begin!</em>


    *****************************


    "Now then, I hope you''re ready to die!" I grinned, floating atop the wounded beast with a confident grin.


    The monster clicked its tongue, ring at me with rage. I could feel the overwhelming surge of anger swirling within it as it tasted defeat for the first time.


    "You... Kill me? Don''t make such odd jokes!"


    Its voice grew more malevolent and an ominous aura enveloped it.


    Before I could respond, the energy welling within the monster erupted, sending a crimson st to destroy everything around him.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!<


    I evaded its attack easily, appearing outside its range.


    The monster arose from its estate, reaching my height as its body was surrounded with blood-like orbs of destruction.


    "My purpose... I will fulfill it. Don''t mess with me, Hero, I will kill you, and everyone you love!"


    Hisst statement made me cringe a little, and I somehow felt the need to correct him.


    "I love no one, monster. Did you perhaps get a wrong idea somewhere down the line?"


    Sadly, my words fell on deaf ears as the monster didn''t appear to be capable of listening to me anymore.


    Drowned its bloodthirsty state, the only thing left within it was the driving force of entirely defeating me.


    <em>It''s too bad. That''s impossible!</em>


    >FWOOOOOSH<


    The demon-like creature sped from its location and advanced toward me with full speed. Its flight appeared to tear apart the fabric of space, drawing closer to me without a single second passing.


    I immediately summoned a shield to parry its assault, causing the monster''s blow to sh with my highly sturdy blue shield.


    >KKKKRRRRRRR<


    Sounds made from our sh echoed across the barren ins caused by the earlier destruction. Sparks were sent flying as I watched it struggle to destroy my Treasure.


    <em>As I thought... this monster isn''t that big a deal...</em>


    "Dieeeee!!!" It screamed.


    Several of the orbs surrounding itunched in an instant, like projectiles that had me as their target.


    Bypassing the shield protecting me, they circled about my defense and came charging toward me.


    "Pathetic!"


    I activated my aura and instantly vaporized the orbs.


    This shocked the monster as it widened in eyes, causing the blow it gave the shield to weaken.


    Using this opportunity, I added more energy to the shield, allowing it to repel the monster.


    >ZZZTTTTZZZ<


    The glowing shield buzzed, sending a shockwave to the flustered creature.


    "Arrghhhhhh" It yelled in pain, pushed away by the impact caused by the shield''s effects.


    Just like that, I redirected the full brunt of its attack in one hit.


    >VWOOOOOM<


    It got pushed away, crashing into the ground in an instant.


    I didn''t stop there as I also dived to the falling monster, reaching it within a second.


    >WHOOSH<


    The winds made way for me as I appeared behind its falling form while it remained disoriented.


    Unsheathing my de from its scabbard, I ignited a golden aura within it, sending the entire area into shock and vibration in the presence of the magnitude of power I wielded.


    "I wasn''t able to draw out enough power to do this back then... but now..." I mumbled.


    The monster couldn''t react since it was still struggling with the recoil of my attacks.


    I gave a vertical sh, sending a sharp surge of golden light to sh with the wounded monster.


    >KKKKKAAABOOOOOOMMMM<


    The force of the explosion sent shockwaves across the area, past the city, and even beyond.


    Bright golden light shone, overpowering even the sun as everyone from far would definitely be able to notice the life radiance emitted by the single attack I made.


    "Huuu, that feels much better..." I whispered.


    The monster, already extremely battered by my attack, but not quite dead, fell to the ground with a heavy thud.


    I followed its repulsive body and remained in the air as I watched the smoke clear around the area of impact.


    "How... I was... stronger... How could I lose... how..."


    Hearing its groans made me feel pity for the ignorant creature, while also having slight repulsion evident in the re I gave it.


    "You were never stronger than me... you were just privileged..." I said.


    My attack seemed to have knocked some sense to it, and due to its weakened state, the monster was capable of understanding me once again.


    "What are you...?!"


    It red at me, still having the determination to end me, but its body wasn''t going to listen to it anytime soon.


    "The Dungeon, it had an effect of siphoning power and transferring them to you. For some reason, I wasn''t able to draw out my full power, and it appeared you were overwhelmingly strong." My low voice captured its attention.


    I admit, it took me some time to realize this, and before then I panicked as a result of meeting a stronger adversary.


    <em>To think it was all just a hoax</em>


    "You''re weak. You''ve always been. If not for the Dungeon supplying you with a huge chunk of my strength, you wouldn''t have been able to push me so far."


    The monster croaked as I continued speaking, not willing to ept the harsh reality of its existence.


    <em>Whether it wants to ept it or not, this is the end of the line.</em>

 Chapter 206 - Overwhelming Brilliance

    "After I realized the trick to your power, it was only natural that the next step would be to ensure the Dungeon got destroyed," I said, giving it a scornful smile.


    The Monster''s eyes instantly widened in realization, seeming to remember our fight and how I destroyed the Dungeon.


    "But, no matter how badly I damaged it myself, I couldn''t draw enough power topletely erase the Dungeon. But you did. That''s why-"


    "You bastard! Did you instigate me into destroying the Dungeon myself?!" It suddenly barked.


    "Who knows? Maybe I did. In any case... It''s all over now, for the final time." I grinned.


    "And it looks like I win!"


    Raising my sword, I filled it with golden energy once again, and pierced the heart of the monster, destroying its core and sending its entire body into ashes.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!<


    Once again, the entire area was flooded with a wide st. However, unlike the previous one filled with malevolence and malice, the purity of my golden light-filled everywhere, sending sparks dancing in the sky as I finished the mission at longst.


    *********************


    "A-Amazing...." Virgo muttered as she watched the brilliance of the golden energy wash through the devastatednd.


    Her body trembled in excitement and fear as her eyes shone. She couldn''t believe the sight before her, yet there she was, experiencing it.


    <em>How is it possible for a human to possess such power? </em>She marveled.


    Initially, Virgo had assumed that the story surrounding him was merely bloated up, but after he survived her mental space and even managed to turn the tides of the circumstance to his favor, she knew he was strong.


    Even when they faced the monsters in the forest, he disyed such precision and speed that she had to admire hisbat prowess. He was on par with a seasoned Apostle. The Dungeon Boss was an entirely different story. Even she, a Constetion, felt overpowered by the monster, yet he seemed to hold out more than she.


    <em>He did look flustered for a moment then, but after a short while, he pulled himself together and disyed such power that I have never seen before...</em>


    Virgo was confused on how far to rate the man she was partnered with, especially after experiencing the final battle he had against the monster.


    Using her extrasensory perception, she managed to pick up the conversation Rio had with the monster. She could also see their fight, though her eyes could barely keep up with the two of them as they shed.


    He wasn''t even using his full powers before? <em>This man... he''s stronger than any of the Constetions!</em>Virgo concluded within herself.


    Had she been so conceited all this time? She had always thought that no human could ever measure up to the power bestowed upon the chosen ones by the gods. As Apostles, and even more, as Constetions, they were the highest begins to exist as humans. Yet, there was one person who defied that logic.


    <em>His power isparable to the Prophet''s own... no, it can''t be... Could it be...?!</em>


    She didn''t want to admit it, but the intensity of the power she felt from the slight swing of the hero of Lamar, not even his full thrust, made her consider the possibility that his power exceeded any of the Apostles.


    "Impossible! That is impossible... right?" She muttered in disbelief.


    ~<em>Virgo! Are you there? Respond!~</em>Aries'' voice sounded through telepathy.


    The surge in her head shook her out of the troubling thoughts she was having.


    ~<em>Yeah, what''s the problem?~</em>Virgo responded, quickly pulling herself together.


    <em>~What the hell is going on? I''ve been feeling tremblings for some time now. And that golden radiance I''m witnessing... who caused that? Is this your doing? ~</em>Aries asked.


    His voice sounded panicky, and even though the static voice wasn''t too clear as a result of the interference of Rio''s disruptive attack, Virgo could still sense the impatience within his tone.


    <em>~No. You know very well my capabilities. All Constetions are aware of the feats we are able to perform. I couldn''t do something like that if I tried...~</em>She answered.


    <em>~T-then who? Don''t tell me... it''s that guy?!~</em>


    Virgo didn''t know how to exin all that she had seen of Rio. There was no way she could tell him her opinion of his power, and that his strength exceeded the Prophet, head of the Sanctuary.


    <em>~Y-yes. It''s him.~</em>She managed to reply.


    For a moment, there was silence, giving Virgo more time to pull her thoughts together.


    Throughout his fight, she didn''t detect the use of HEX, so there was no way he was affiliated with the Demon God Cult that had been on the rise in these recent days, making a name for themselves.


    <em>~Unbelievable. To think he had that kind of strength...~</em> Aries finally responded.


    With the estimated level of power Rio possessed, Virgo calcted that not even abined effort of her and Aries would be able to defeat him.


    <em>~Hey, Virgo... do you think he''s our target? The one who has been killing Apostles?~</em>


    Virgo sighed.


    Of course, she had also considered that, especially after deeming him capable of such feat. However...


    <em>~The killers of my subordinates used HEX. This man has never once used that evil art. I couldn''t even sense the slightest trace of it in him.~</em> She answered.


    Besides, from his actions and what she deciphered from him, Rio didn''t seem like such a coldhearted killer who would ughter Apostles of good.


    <em>~His power is mysterious and vast... but I don''t think he''s evil. However...~</em>


    Rio was a threat! That much was evident to her. Should the Order hear of his existence, she didn''t even know how they would react to neutralize such a threat.


    <em>It''s possible, if everyone went all out against him. But...</em>


    No matter how she thought of it, the casualties on their end would be great. Instead of making an enemy out of such a man, it would be best to make him an ally.


    <em>~Do you think... he is a ''Hero''?~</em> Aries suddenly asked.


    <em>Why does he keep pestering me with these questions when he knows the answers to those!</em>Virgo gritted her teeth in irritation.


    The Apostles, except for the highest ranks, did not know of the existence of heroes.


    As one of the few who knew of the Holy beings created in God''s image, Virgo would be able to detect if anyone she met was a Hero.


    They had a special aura about them, and since she would be able to sense the hidden entity within the human vessel, there was no way she could miss them.


    <em>~He''s not. He can''t be!~</em>


    The Apostles also had records of the six Heroes that existed in the world. Rio did not fit into the description of any of them.


    <em>~Yeah. I suppose you are right.~</em> Aries replied, feeling a little ashamed of how he reacted.


    <em>~Still. He can''t be ignored. He''ll be an incredible asset in our search for the Apostle Killer. I''ll try my best to get on good terms with him...~</em> Virgo stated, ncing at the golden light as it dimmed and dissipated.


    <em>~How are things on your end?~</em> She added.


    Another silence ensued, followed by a low static sound, as though Aries switched to a different frequency.


    <em>~I''m currently trying my best to be wary. Apparently, I am being tailed by his two party members...~</em>


    Virgo''s eyes widened in shock. Her mind went back to her first encounter with Rio. He had two people with him whom he regarded as his party members. One was a Shifter, having a mixed lineage from her sensory perception, while the other...


    <em>That girl...</em>Her thoughts trailed.


    <em>Was I wrong about him, after all? Could he have evil intentions? Rio... just what kind of person is he?</em>


    <em>~Did you get any important Intel?~</em> Virgo asked.


    <em>~Yeah. You could say that. But that will have to wait, it seems these rude mongrels need to be taught some manners.~</em> Aries responded, sounding a little annoyed by the two people he suspected to be trailing him.


    <em>~Need any help?~</em>


    Silence followed as Virgo asked the question. Of course, she instantly regretted her words the moment she let them out. She had also thoughtlessly spoken.


    <em>~I''ll take that as a mistake, Virgo. I may be a rank lower than you, but I''m a Constetion too. Rank 6 is no joke, you know?~</em> Aries responded.


    <em>Sigh. I knew he would react like this.</em>


    <em>~Alright. I won''t tell you how to act, but make sure to capture them alive to extract more information from them. Plus, it might all be a misunderstanding, so don''t be too rough on them. We''re in a popted ce, after all.~</em>


    Even though she had intended not to dictate to him, that was exactly what she did. One thing Aries hated was being told what to do unless it was from someone way high up.


    <em>~I''ll take care of it how I see fit. Make sure to settle things on your end too. I''ll contact you after I''m done taking care of the two.. Aries out.~</em>

 Chapter 207 - Proposal

    Before Virgo could say any more to her clearly upset partner, the line was disconnected.


    <em>That idiot. Well, whatever. He''ll take responsibility for his actions anyway. In any case, I should focus on my task as well. Getting Rio to trust me and help us in our mission!</em> She grumbled to herself.


    So far, it seemed like he was warming up to her. At the very least, he didn''t have as much animosity toward her as he did when they first met.


    He even saved her and touched her-


    "Stop thinking about that!" She said out loud, shaking her head vehemently as she tried to forget the embarrassing thing Rio did.


    "What the hell... that man... I would kill him if I could!"


    Gritting her teeth, Virgo gave up on the thought and gave a heavy sigh, waiting for Rio to return.


    **************************


    I stood within the dissipating light and watched it settle.


    During that time, I had listened to the conversation between Virgo and Aries via their special channel. Everything they conversed about was to my knowledge, and the fact the two thought they had any form of advantage amused me.


    A wide grin formed on my face, anticipating the events toe.


    "So that''s how it is. Now, this is exciting..."


    >VWOOOOOOSH<


    I instantly teleported to where Virgo was. She appeared a little flustered by my presence and made a cautious look at me.


    "Let''s return to the city," I said, ncing in the direction of Lamar.


    "W-wait!" She suddenly called out.


    A grin formed on my face, but I quickly hid it.


    "Of you''re not in too much of a hurry... can we talk?"


    <em>Oh? I know what this is all about...</em>


    Virgo wanted to keep me pinned down so that she could buy enough time for Aries to capture my subordinates and extract information from them.


    "What do you want to talk about?" I responded, turning to look at her face.


    She still avoided my gaze, for some reason.


    "It''s about our mission here. Aries and I came for a particr purpose..." She answered.


    "I thought it was confidential. Didn''t you want to keep it a secret? Or, do you finally want to reveal it to me since you think I''ll be useful to you?"


    My tone showed a slight hint of displeasure and suspicion, making Virgo even more ufortable. It was clear that she was trying to avoid any form of conflict on our end.


    For her, she had to win me over to her side... no matter what.


    <em>Of course, I already know the big secret you''re hiding, Virgo. No matter what happens, you''ll never achieve your goal.</em>


    "I apologize for my earlier rudeness. It seems I misjudged you. Also, you are right to an extent. The reason I want to reveal this much to you is that we could use your assistance in apprehending a particr person. However..." Virgo began speaking, smoothening her words in an attempt to appeal to me.


    "However...?" I raised my brow.


    "This person of interest may be the concern of us Apostles for now, but who knows what he may cause next? From our investigation, we discovered that this perpetrator has caused chaos among the royals. He also made quite the ruckus in another city in the empire and is bound to wreak even more havoc-"


    "What''s your point?" I cut Virgo short.


    <em>I know what you''re trying to say, but don''t use such a roundabout way. Spill it, Virgo.</em> I mused, enjoying the situation.


    "Lamar could be next!" She finally let out.


    I grinned internally but suppressed the overflowing feelings of amusement within me.


    For a moment, I allowed silence to ensue between the two of us, waiting for some seconds before I gave a reaction.


    "What?"


    My eyes widened, feigning slight surprise by her words.


    "Think about it. First, a faraway noble''s manor, then the city of Artia. Then, thest ce recorded was here in Lamar. The previous ces experienced havoc as a result of this person. For all we know, they could be responsible for the Dungeon''s monsters and could be plotting harm against this city!" Virgo exined.


    <em>It''s amazing how someone can be so right, and at the same time so wrong! It''s true that the perpetrator of the Dungeon incident and monster outbreak is the same as the Apostle''s killer. But... that''s just about where her assertion''s validity ends.</em>


    "I see. So, you''re saying this guy could be up to something with Lamar..." I mumbled, pretending to reason with her.


    "It''s most likely that they caused the incident of the Vanishing Dungeon, as well as the release of the Demon General, Wrath from the bounds of its prison. The deaths and destruction this person has caused is something even you must feel, as a hero of this city..." She continued.


    I appeared to be deep in consideration, reasoning her words. This was all for show, though.


    <em>I already the conclusion of the matter.</em>


    "Do you have any proof of this?"


    Virgo was slightly shocked to hear my words since she wasn''t expecting such a hole in her bubble.


    "Well..." Her voice quivered.


    "You''ve made some nice assertions, but without proof, what basis do you have? It may as well be groundless theories."


    Her fists were clenched by my words, and I could tell that she wasn''t taking my words lightly.


    "And? What do you think? That the Vanishing Dungeon, which has been fine for all this time, suddenly cracks open and allows its final Boss Monster to be free? I also heard of the strange urrence within the Dungeon, how the difficulty suddenly changed, causing the death of many Adventurers, your colleagues! How can all of that be a coincidence?" Virgo said with a deep frown.


    Despite her hot-headed nature, I had to give it to her. She was pretty smart. It would be better to keep such a potential threat, or ally, close by.


    <em>It''s going to be a waste to just kill you, Virgo. I''m going to use as much as I can from you, even more than you think you''re using me.</em>


    Her re did not vanish as she kept looking directly into my eyes so I could make a decision.


    <em>Sigh</em>


    "Very well said. You''re right, I also didn''t think of it as coincidence. I''m relieved that your reasoning tallies well with mine..." I blurted out.


    "R-really?!" She eximed, quickly restraining herself.


    "I was nning to conduct my personal investigation on the matter, and to be honest... after the appearance of you and Aries, I began to suspect the two of you..."


    Virgo''s eyes widened in surprise, stunned by my words.


    "W-what? Us? Why?!"


    Her face disyed unbelief, yet she considered the possibility. If that was the case, it would make sense why I was so cold and cautious around the two Apostles.


    "Think about it. After the death of many, and the city suffers a huge loss, monsters begin to invade the Adventurers'' city, and conveniently, the both of you appeared on the pretext of some ''mission''. Gndel didn''t seem to like you very well, and the both of you appeared somewhat pleased by the state of the town. I was well within my rights to suspect you." My calm voice made her face soften as she saw reason in my words.


    "T-Then-"


    "Yes. Since you volunteered toe with me, I assumed you were up to something. But, after careful consideration, I decided to take you with me and leave the remaining members of my Party to keep watch over Aries for me, since he appeared the most pleased about the desperate state of the city, thereby making him the most suspicious."


    Twisting my words, I made it appears that all my actions were for the benefit of the city, thereby erasing the little suspicion Virgo had of me.


    "H-hold on! Then... that means that those two currently trailing Aries are merely doing it to keep the town safe!" Virgo eximed in a slight panic.


    "Yeah. Why are you repeating my words?".


    My questioning re pierced into Virgo''s guilty face, making her conflicted on whether to tell me of her conversation with Aries or not. Of course, I knew everything but it was still fun watching her consider it.


    ~Aries,e in! There''s an emergency. It appears we made an error in judgment. The two who are currently after you are innocent. Refrain from harming them in any way.~ Virgo quickly transmitted her thoughts via themunication line of Apostles which I had hacked into.


    >BZZZZTTTZZZZ<


    Virgo impatiently sent another message, hoping it would go through.


    "Do you hear me, Aries? There has been a misunderstanding!"


    >BZZZZTTTZZZZ<


    The glitching sound continued, indicating there was no way to establish a connection to her partner.


    In annoyance, she cut themunication channel and gave a displeased look.


    "What seems to be the matter?" I asked, feigning ignorance of what she had just attempted to do.


    "Rio. Please do not be upset, but we need to hurry!" Virgo stated, rising from her seated position.


    <em>Hehehe. Now, this is getting more amusing!</em>

 Chapter 208 - Silhouette

    "Rio. Please do not be upset, but we need to hurry!" Virgo stated, rising from her seated position.


    I grinned internally, showing a surprised look in response to her words.


    "What are you talking about?"


    She gulped, wondering how she would pass across the information she had to me.


    "Well, the thing is... Aries sent me a message not long ago, about how he found two people tracing him. He mentioned how he was going to teach them a lesson."


    She paused for a moment to judge my expression. I gave a nk look, causing her to continue speaking.


    "I realize now that they would most likely be your party members. If we do not hurry, then-" Her pace increased, and from her tone, I could sense impatience.


    Apparently, she was worried that Aries'' actions would cause me to act unfavorably toward them, especially concerning her proposed alliance.


    <em>Her panic amuses me.</em>


    "Kekekeke" I let out a snicker, slowly transforming into a chuckle underneath my breath.


    "Hahahahahahaha"


    Laughing in amusement, I gave a very cheery expression as a few drops of tears pooped from my eyes.


    Virgo stared at me strangely. She certainly wasn''t expecting this reaction from me. While she was worried about my perception of her, as well as her partner, she still had to make sure we were on the same page.


    "R-Rio... what are you doing? Your friends are being apprehended by Aries. He is not nearly as moderate as I am. If we don''t get there quickly to stop him, then... who knows what he would do to-"


    "Haa, Virgo. There''s no need to worry about those two. They''ll be fine. If anything, the one we should be more concerned about... is your partner." I smiled, giving her a calm, reassuring look.


    "W-what are you talking abou-?!" Virgo mumbled, appearing perplexed by what I said.


    Suddenly, a thought shed in her head. After witnessing my immense power which exceeded anything the Apostacy had to offer, perhaps my teammates might have been simr.


    Looking at things from that perspective, she had to admit that the possibility of me being right was high. If that was the case, then...


    Her panic hasn''t reduced, it has only been diverted from those two to Aries.


    "Rio, shall we continue this discussionter? Let''s stop the fight, for now!" Virgo said, tightening her fist.


    She didn''t want to imagine it, but after everything she had seen, Virgo was now aware of how narrow her mind was.


    It''s possible for a ''mere'' human to defeat a chosen one of the gods.


    After all, I was living proof... <em>or am I?</em>


    **************************************


    "Y-you bastards..." Aries coughed, spitting out blood from his mouth as he throbbed in pain.


    His deep re was directed toward one individual in particr.


    <em>''Damnit! I really thought they were nothing. But... what is the meaning of this? Just one of them put me in this state... impossible!'' </em>Aries groaned as he watched the ominous entity approach him.


    "That look in your eyes... I don''t like it" His opponent''s voice reverberated in his ears, causing Aries'' body to shudder.


    The air seemed to be filled with a chilly aura, and the shadows all around the silhouette made the Constetion somewhat regret his arrogance.


    ''Damn... I can''t even contact Virgo. There''s some sort of interference. Is the other one causing it?'' He thought, ncing behind the ominous silhouette to see its partner smiling at his disgraceful state.


    ''That little-'' He gritted his teeth in rage.


    "It seems you still have quite the energy left, for you to still disy this level of defiance..."


    The voice brought Aries back to his bleak reality, causing him to shudder even further.


    It was disgraceful, but Aries had to don one of his many identities to escape the danger he was currently facing.


    ''I have to negotiate!''


    "T-this is enough, don''t you think? Let''s just end things here. Trust me, you don''t want to go any further than thi-" His voice quivered, feigning a smile as he spoke.


    Before he couldplete his words, a dark hand sped across the distance between him and his foe, grabbing Aries on the face.


    "Ummphh" He tried speaking, but the hand tightened on his face, crushing it the more he struggled.


    "... I said... I don''t like that look in your eyes!" The silhouette muttered, walking closer to Aries, whose eyes bulged on fright.


    ''N-no... s-stay away! Stay back!'' His thoughts screamed.


    However, the object of fright did not stop. As the dark hand pressed more on Aries'' face, the figure appeared to be smiling while cing both its hand in its pockets casually.


    "Now, to finish things... are you ready, ''Enemy'' of the Boss...?!"


    "Ummmphhhhh!!!" Aries struggled to speak, to no avail.


    The shadowy hands pressed more on his face, causing blood to spill out of his tearing facial skin.


    There was no way he could protest or stop what was toe. This was truly the end.


    ''To think... I would be killed by, not two, but one of them. I didn''t... think I was this weak...'' His thought trailed as he slowly drifted into unconsciousness.


    Aries heard a familiar voice calling out to him in the background. The presence he felt was simr, but due to the state he was in, he couldn''t quite pick it up well.


    ''Who... who''s there? P-please... s-save me...''


    Finally, everything went dark.


    **************************


    [The Forgotten Town, Eastern Empire]


    "Ah, I see..." I mumbled, formting a n based on the memories I obtained from the dead girl.


    Xiang was her name, no?


    As I did this, Lust enjoyed herself as she absorbed all the terrified townsfolk. Screams filled the air as she sucked them all within herself. They couldn''t run or hide. Only despair awaited them as their bodies merged with Lust in seconds.


    ''How cruel can she be?'' I thought to myself, grinning a little.


    Not only did she undo her hold on them, but Lust also allowed them to try escaping from her. It proved to be the most entertaining when her victims had a small glimmer of hope before she crushed it entirely.


    So, as they ran, she hunted and absorbed them all.


    Of course, they weren''t dead. But storing them within herself, Lust could bring them out at any time to entertain her. There was also the possibility of her creating a fun game withIn herself and making everyone she trapped in her internal world y whatever the twisted thing was.


    I ignored Lust''s childish activities and allowed my cute creation to indulge in her hunt while reasoning the next step.


    Thanks to the information I received from Xiang, I had a fair understanding of the basic history and concept of the Eastern Kingdom.


    It had a central territory and several bordering towns and settlements.


    The central territory was where the wealth was concentrated, a ce nearly asrge as the Western Kingdom itself.


    The dream of most individuals in the settlements would be to live in the prosperous bulk ofnd. Even Xiang had that dream when she was younger when she heard stories from her parents.


    ''Interesting...'' I grinned.


    It seems no matter the ce, a major element present in every human civilization is politics and a hierarchy.


    While the basis for determining this defers for each kingdom, it is still a universal feature. For the Western Kingdom, they led an aristocratic society.


    Nobles and Royals had the highest cement. Merchants were also respected, but the lower ss didn''t have it any better. I knew the social injustice wasn''t too evident for me, since I only ever stayed at the luxurious areas during my stay in Artia, and even Lamar.


    However, looking into the memories of people have me a good perspective.


    For the Eastern Empire, what mattered most was the function and merit a person had. If one was talented, they would naturally rise to prominence. Conquering Dungeons, ying monsters, performing a great feat, discovering a new mineral, the list was endless.


    All a person needed to do to gain prominence was to achieve greatness. In such a society, it was survival of the fittest. Even the emperor''s throne was not exempted.


    Out of four great families fabled to be of the original settlers in thend, a contest was held to determine who the next ruler would be.


    The rich history of these people, and their very simplistic, yet intricate identity made me consider the next step I was initially going to take.


    "Why don''t I do it like ''this'' instead... Yes. It''ll be more interesting this way..." I grinned.


    By the time I made up my mind, Lust was already done with her chore. The entire vige was deserted, and none were left. Even the men who had been kept hidden in their breeding ground were all taken by Lust. All in a matter of seconds.


    "Master, it seems you''ve made up your mind..." Wrath said, looking at my excited expression.


    "Oh? Is it that obvious?"


    He nodded, smiling in affirmation.


    Everyone was in a good mood, grinning and smiling... all except one.


    ''Lumia, eh? I wonder what''s up with her....''

 Chapter 209 - Objective

    I nced in Lumia''s direction. She had been silent for some time now, looking downcast as her expression seemed morbid.


    "Something on your mind?" I asked, drawing near her.


    Upon hearing my voice, her body slightly jumped as she looked up to meet my eyes.


    "What''s the matter, Lumia?"


    My voice was calm and soothing, yet the artificial goddess did not seem relieved to see me.


    "Why..." Her low voice trailed.


    I paused, allowing her to speak.


    "Why did you kill them...?" She mumbled.


    Her question sounded simr to what Talia used to ask me. I didn''t want to go through the trouble of exining my reasoning to her.


    Besides, they hadn''t even died. All of the townsfolk were alive within Lust, though I was pretty sure they would wish they were dead.


    "Why do you ask? Are you somehow feeling bad for the death of those humans?" I asked, giving her a casual smile.


    "No... that''s not it..." She mumbled.


    Since she was a god, it wasn''t easy for me to read her mind the way I did for everyone else. Unless I really exerted my power, I could never know what was going on in Lumia''s head.


    ''I don''t want to go through the hassle, though. So just do me a favor and spill it, Lumia...''


    "You killed them without even considering my presence? Why didn''t you include me?!" She suddenly raised her voice in protest.


    Her reaction shocked me, and despite my hugeposure, I could not stop myself from uttering the word of surprise.


    "... Eh?!"


    She truly appeared sincere, having a hurt and annoyed expression for leaving her out of everything.


    "You just ignored me and did what you liked. It''s like I was invisible or something. Even since the beginning of our journey together, you''ve been ignoring me. I hardly contribute anything, except follow your lead. You remember what you promised me, don''t you?"


    Now that I was hearing this, I understood her perspective a little more.


    "Of course, I do, Lumia," I responded.


    "Then have you fulfilled it? No! I said I wanted to know more about Hexarion, yet you''ve ignored me all this while. I feel so left out, you know? Like I''m not even needed here. At least... at least... I want to be considered too, you know..." Her voice trailed.


    ''What a spoiled baby.'' A smile formed on my face as I gave her words some thought.


    It wasn''t as though I could fault her for her reaction so far. She wasn''t wrong in the fact that I wasn''t considering her in any way.


    ''I suppose I have gotten used to having overly subservient subordinates like Shamac and Ana who depend on me for nearly everything...'' I mused.


    Now that I was with a more sophisticated squad, I had to show them more consideration and endow them with responsibility.


    ''After all, I can''t do everything alone...''


    "You make a fair point, Lumia. Very well, I hear you." I smiled at her, patting her on her shoulders.


    She gave a relieved look to this, donning an excited expression on her face.


    "Really? You mean it?" She asked.


    "Yeah, I do."


    She squeaked in excitement, temporarily abandoning the prestigious image she usually had.


    "Now that your concern has been addressed, it''s time to proceed to the next phase," I said, looking also at Wrath and Lust who gathered before me.


    "Which General are we going after now?" Wrath asked.


    "Please let it not be Pride!" Lust closed her eyes, dreading the name she mentioned.


    Well, Pride was not a General I would have to retrieve. When the time came, he would be the one to find me. The General next on my list, and one who would be most strategic to my n at the moment would have to be...


    "Greed!"


    Lust and Wrath both grinned as soon as I mentioned his name. Exchanging knowing nces, they nodded their heads in agreement.


    Unlike both of them, Greed had a personality that made nearly every member of the sin get along well with him.


    "Greed. Member Of The Seven Deadly Sins, and ranked 3rd in terms ofbat prowess. This is the record given to me in my memory about him. What kind of General is he?" Lumia asked, a curious glow was well lit on her face awaiting my response.


    "Well, in simple terms... let''s just say he''s not one to be bound in a ce like the Dungeon."


    "W-wha-? Then where could he be?" Lumia asked, a little surprised.


    So far, I had retrieved both my Generals from their respective Dungeons. However, for Greed, knowing him well, he was going to be...


    "We''ll find him in the central territory of this continent."


    "H-how are you so certain?"


    Lumia''s questions made her nearly identical to Talia. However, I was a little obligated to answer her since that was our deal from the beginning.


    "Hmmn, I wonder... In any case, this is where we part ways temporarily." I said.


    Everyone reacted in surprise, not knowing what I was trying to insinuate with my statement.


    "What do you mean, Lord Hexarion?" Wrath spoke with concern.


    "B-but, I just reunited with Master..." Lust grumbled.


    "You''re not just gonna abandon me after saying you''ll pay more attention to my needs, are you?" Lumiained.


    Their expressions indicated a stubborn desire to stick with me, but I found it unnecessary.


    "This is something I should do alone. Plus, I have my reasons..."


    I had no intention of exining every rationale behind my actions to them. Besides, it would ruin the whole thing if I did.


    Upon hearing my words the three of them bowed in respect to my wishes. Even the whiny Lust and curious Lumia. They knew their ce well, and my intentions were always beneficial once all became revealed.


    "Good. Then, I''ll be taking my leave. Do not leave here, no matter what."


    After giving myst instructions, I teleported away from the abandoned town and headed to my next destination.


    As I transversed through space, I couldn''t help but smile in amusement. My subordinates whose trust was solely on me had no idea what was awaiting them.


    "Hopefully you''re all in one piece when I return. You''re strong, after all."


    My mind trailed to my other ves whom I left back in Lamar.


    ''Rio must be taking care of things smoothly. He should have realized what he is at this point. As for the other two... well, let''s just hope they make good use of what I gave them...''


    After the entire mishap in the Dungeon, I realized two major things. The first was that my subordinates were extremely weak. If nothing was done, they would never be able to survive theing threats.


    Plus, it didn''t really tell well of me as their master if my ves were so pitifully weak.


    As for the second realization... I held them too tightly in leashes. In theing times, they were going to have to act independently. Such was the true definition of the freedom I longed for.


    ''I would be a hypocrite to behave in the same way those fools do.''


    Ruth, Shamac, Rio, Wrath, Lust, Lumia, and the others... I was going to make them free in the true sense.


    To make sure that came to fruition, I needed to solve the first problem as well.


    ''Only the weak are bound. The strong are free.''


    To taste liberty, the solution is simply to be more powerful than the chains holding you down. The same applies to me.


    And so, I granted them power before I left.


    Rio, Ruth, and Shamac... at the current state they were in, no Apostle could stop them.


    "That should suffice... for now!"


    *********************************


    [City Of Lamar, Western Empire]


    {Some Moments Ago}


    Aries gritted his teeth in annoyance after hearing Virgo''s admonishment of warning to him.


    ''That woman is underestimating me, isn''t she?'' He thought.


    ~I''ll take care of it how I see fit. Make sure to settle things on your end too. I''ll contact you after I''m done taking care of the two. Aries out.~


    He didn''t allow her to respond before cutting off the connection in their channel.


    "That woman... just you wait. After this mission is over, let''s see if you can maintain your seat of 5th on the table!" He growled.


    Aries'' eyes darted around him as he spread his senses to detect the two strangers who were trailing him. Of course, he only delt the presence of one, since the other was undetectable by his Extrasensory Perception for some reason.


    "I found you..." He grinned.


    In a sh, he vanished from his position, appearing where two figures stood.


    It was in an abandoned area, the outskirts of the city. Since it was one of the ces badly affected by the Dungeon outbreak, no one could be seen around for a great distance.


    Echoes of the wind could be heard throughout the area filled with destroyed properties. The team of spies didn''t appear flustered even though they had been caught.


    ''Time to unwind a little!'' Aries grinned to himself sadistically.

 Chapter 210 - Flashy Plan

    "So this is where your rats were holed up. Did you think you could escape my senses from this distance? Pathetic!" Aries'' spat in contempt as he red at the two party members of Rio.


    Virgo had put him in a terrible mood, and after she revealed Rio''s strength, he felt even worse.


    The fact that Virgo insisted on trusting the man made no sense to him, and he felt a huge amount of suspicion toward Rio. Not only that, but due to his investigation, Aries found some interesting information and knew he was onto something.


    Since he figured out Rio''s Party members were trailing him, the perfect opportunity presented itself for him to exploit.


    "Great timing. I was looking for something like concrete to get more information from anyway. Why have you been following me?" He asked.


    The two people, known to him to be called Shamac and Ruth, stared at him with no regard or fear. Their calm faces depicted a level of indifference, as though he was nothing.


    "Hehe, have it your way then. I''ll interrogate you thoroughly and make sure you spill every ounce of information about your leader to me. By the time I''m done with you, you''ll be begging me to let you spea-"


    "Shut up!" A voice suddenly cut him short.


    His eyes bulged in surprise while ring at the one who spoke with such disrespect.


    The male among them stepped forward, cing his hands in his pockets casually as he gave him a condescending look.


    For a moment, he smiled and made a nonchnt shrug. Even his female partner responded with a grin and didn''t attempt to stop his advance.


    Many thoughts ran wild in Aries'' mind.


    ''They''re looking down on me, aren''t they? How dare they? How dare they?!''


    "You filthy heathen! Do you know who you''re-"


    "I said... shut up!" Shamac repeated.


    This was the height of disrespect Aries had ever received since bing a Constetion.


    He wasn''t going to let it slide.


    "Hehehehe... Hahahahaha" Heughed.


    Perhaps he had been too worked up, showing himself to be a pushover due to Virgo''s presence.


    Now that she was gone, he had nothing holding him back.


    "Oi, brat... You need to be taught some manners!"


    [A Few Moments Earlier]


    ~Shamac, Ruth... it''s me, Rio~


    Shamac and Ruth froze in their position upon hearing Rio''s telepathic words.


    This would be the first time hemunicated with them using such means, and by doing so when they were monitoring Aries, they had nearly lost tact.


    ~You don''t have to panic or make any unnecessary movements. Just calm yourselves andmunicate with your minds...~


    Upon hearing his voice in their heads the second time, both individuals looked at each other and nodded.


    ~Understood!~ They answered.


    The sensation ofmunication being passed across to their leader and back was somewhat foreign to the two, making them a little ted by it.


    ~How are things on your end?~ He asked.


    Making a more stern expression, they decided to let their master know what they had been up to.


    ~Aries has been busy. So far, he managed to dig deep into the incident of Jared, the Hero. Not only that, but he also investigated Nathan and his previous party. So far, he''s narrowing the leads and already has you in sight. From the looks of it, he only needs one final, conclusive evidence to tie you, ''Rio'', as the perpetrator behind something malicious.~ Ruth reported, giving detailed analysis as always.


    Rio listened attentively on the other end, and though the two couldn''t see what form of expression he made, they knew he wasn''t shaken at all by the news.


    ~I see. That''s fine then. Ruth, Shamac. It''s time for what we discussed. He''s gotten a little further than I wanted.~


    As they heard their leader''s instructions, the two smiled at each other.


    In all honesty, they had grown bored of watching Aries all day. They wanted some form of entertainment. Now that it came to this, they had received a direct order to stop Aries from going further than he had already gotten.


    ~What about you, Bo- I mean, Rio. How are things on your end?~ Shamac asked.


    ~I''m nearly done on my end too. Things took a bothersome turn, but I''ll soon be making short work of the monster. You may want to look in the direction of the forest. Things are about to get shy~


    Shamac beamed upon hearing Rio''s answer. Before his call, they had heard and seen disturbing chaos ensuing in the direction of the forest. Of course, the tremors had even reached the city, and everyone in town knew of their battle against the monsters.


    If not for the reassurance of the Guildmaster who mentioned the presence of Rio to the people, as the one who was subjugating the monsters, the citizens would have been thrown into a frenzy.


    However, for Rio to have mentioned something ''shy'', Shamac anticipated a much more explosive sight than what had been urring.


    He wasn''t disappointed.


    >BOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    Arge shockwave burst forth, causing them to stare at the source. Strong winds erupted, pushing their hair backward and they could feel the very city tremble as a result of the st. Then they saw it, the glimmer of light that burst out from the single location and spread out through the disintegrated forest.


    Even from their distance, Ruth and Shamac could clearly see the golden radiation emanating from the direction of the forest. As they saw the beautiful glow, simr to burning ambers, but golden in color, they marveled at the sight.


    ~Now! Shamac, Ruth. Make your presence known to Aries and lure him to you. Once you''ve achieved that, you know what next to do!~ Rio''s voice rang in their mind.


    Snapping out of the mesmerizing entrapment of the brilliant explosion, they both resumed concentration on their current task. Shamac undid the presence concealing Treasure in his possession. It was a dark ring given to him by Rio, one which allowed his body the same kind of protection one received from an artificial body made of the Nether Element.


    This meant that he couldn''t be sensed, even by an Apostle, just like Rio and Ruth.


    This ring was worn on his left finger, alongside another one with an ominous purple glow.


    As soon as he deactivated it, he felt the watchful stare of the Constetion, Aries,e over him.


    "It worked!" He grinned, nodding at Ruth who smiled back.


    They both descended from the rooftop where they stayed and rapidly moved to an abandoned location, far from anyone residing within the city.


    "Just as nned...." Ruth smiled, sensing Aries approaching them.

 Chapter 211 - Strategy

    ~Oh yeah, onest thing. I''ve set up a channel ofmunication between the both of you. You do not need to speak to reach each other any longer. You can now hear each other''s thoughts... If you want to...~ Rio''s voice suddenly appeared in admonishment before vanishing once again


    The sudden news ted Ruth and Shamac, as they wouldn''t want the Constetion picking up anything they said to each other.


    ~Shamac, can you hear me?~ Ruth''s voice telepathically connected to Shamac''s thoughts.


    ~Loud and Clear. This isn''t so bad, after a-~


    Before he couldplete his thoughts, Shamac felt an intruding presence creep upon them. In a sh, the figure approached the two of them, smiling as it finally stood before them.


    "So this is where your rats were holed up. Did you think you could escape my senses from this distance? Pathetic!" The Constetion spat in contempt as he red at them.


    ~Well, he''s here. What next? Now that I think of it this is the first time we''ve fought together... Well, not counting all the times within your pocket dimension.~ Shamac mused to Ruth.


    Ruthughed internally, though they both maintained stoic faces outwardly in order to ensure their opponent wasn''t suspecting their use of telepathy.


    ~You know what? I''ll take him. I''m the stronger one of us two...~ Ruth decided, shrugging nonchntly.


    In order to wrap things up quickly and efficiently, the job was most suited for her.


    ~I don''t think that''s such a good idea...~ Shamac cut in.


    Ruth stared at him with a surprised look and gave a disappointed sigh.


    ~Now is not the time for one of yourpetitive games, Shamac. This is a mission, and we have to do it in the most efficient way!~ Ruth chided.


    Shamac was known well for his determination and stubbornness when it came to battle. Obsessed with bing stronger, he pushed himself to the limits and always desired to fight more powerful foes.


    It was this nature of his that made Hexarion and Rio more pleased with him, and they both knew he had high potential to be phenomenally more powerful than they initially foresaw.


    However, at the moment Shamac''s drive was unnecessary. They only needed toplete the task. Ruth was more concerned with the mission than any excesses her partner disyed.


    ~Thats not my the reason for disagreeing with you, though...~ Shamac responded.


    Surprised a little by this, Ruth allowed a slightly surprised expression slip out of her stoic face.


    ~What are you-~


    Her thoughts were cut short by the annoying bellow of their opponent, who had apparently grown impatient of them for ignoring him.


    "...By the time I''m done with you, you''ll be begging me to let you spea-"


    His voice rose to an irritating degree, and while Shamac had intentionally filtered him out of his conversation with Ruth, he couldn''t control his dissatisfaction with the tone Aries used.


    "Shut up!"


    Aries was shocked by Shamac''s response, but Ruth didn''t show any emotion. She was already used to the fact that Shamac liked asserting dominance when confronted with an opponent, even if they were stronger.


    ~Ruth, you mostly use Hex for your attacks. When facing an Apostle, you''re at a disadvantage due to their interference with the Art. But, I''m certain with your level of mastery, you would be able to cope with it. Still... that would mean using Hex powerful enough to draw unwanted attention. Plus, I''m certain Rio still has ns for the Constetions, which is why he hasn''t killed them yet. It would spoil his ns if you used the Art of the Evil One, and lost their trust, especially Virgo.~


    Ruth hadn''t considered that possibility. Even though she was extremely smart, she had only looked at it from the perspective of efficiency. It appeared she was stillcking in a certain degree of perspective that Shamac possessed.


    However, that didn''t mean she was entirely wrong either.


    ~You have a fair point, but my abilities aren''t limited to Hex, you know?~


    Her response made Shamac smile a little as he stepped forward, abandoning her in the rear. It appeared the little Shifter Hybrid had already expected her response and had another counter for it.


    ~While you can also tap into the Grace of Ana, and have merged it with your original power, if you use ROOT REALM directly against Aries, it will still cause some suspicion to arise since there are traces of Grace in it. Hex and Grace, using either of them would definitely make the Constetions extremely suspicious of us, especially concerning the recent killings of Apostles.~


    Ruth ruminated on his words, and Shamac was right. She hadn''t really been using her head at all to consider the reactions and emotions of others. All the while, her thoughts were more focused on efficiency and the swiftness of their operation.


    ~It also doesn''t help that you look like Ana. Their suspicion will only be confirmed if you use her Grace to fight.~


    Ruth was impressed. The more time she spent with Shamac, the more he impressed her. Not only his tenacity was amazing, but even his wits and analytic abilities were as well.


    Of course, she knew this much since she possessed her memory as Ana, but it never stopped amazing her.


    ~If we eliminate both of your major abilities, that only leaves your ess to the Boss'' Treasury. But, having that alone may prove difficult, since you''re not ustomed to using them alone in a fight, and you don''t possess ess to all of them either. Therefore... It only makes sense that I would be the one to fight this time~ Shamac spoke in amanding tone, mixed in with his analytic words.


    Ruth finally gave in. She had to admit defeat this time, as she couldn''t argue with his logic. Besides, their opponent was getting extremely impatient.


    Smiling defeatedly, she gave Shamac her blessings.


    ~ It''s up to you, then.~


    ~Sure, leave it to me!~


    At this point, the Constetion barked out annoying words, entirely enraged by theirck of reverence in his presence, especially Shamac''s earlier words of disrespect.


    "I said... shut up!" Was Shamac''s response to Aries'' words.


    While Aries remained stunned by his defiance, Shamac''s heart raced with excitement and he could feel himself consumed by the darkness he had long sumbed to.


    Still keeping his hands within his pockets, Shamac proceeded further ahead while leaving Ruth in the background.


    He would allow no interruption in his fight against his prey.

 Chapter 212 - Shamac Vs Aries (Pt 1)

    "Hehehehe... Hahahahaha" The Constetion, Aries, suddenly burst outughing.


    His cackles resembled one of a person who had gone insane. The irritating sound echoed around them as he keptughing as a result of Shamac''s words.


    The shifter hybrid''s expression was stoic, calmly observing the Constetion''s crazedughter. He waited for the man to be done with his disy of madness before he made his move.


    Aries''ughter slowly receded, however, something else reced them.


    Suddenly, the air became heavy and a deadly aura filled the atmosphere around the people present. Shamac looked around him, sensing the bloodlust that permeated the area.


    The Constetion was plenty annoyed.


    "Oi, brat... You need to be taught some manners!" Aries finally spoke, his tone severely grave and filled with the drive to entirely obliterate Shamac.


    ~Are you sure you can win?~ Ruth''s voice suddenly interrupted Shamac''s thought process.


    A wide grin formed on Shamc''s face as he narrowed his eyes to fully capture Aries'' disgusted expression.


    ~Of course... just watch!~


    As soon as Shamacpleted his thoughts, Aries made his move.


    Swiftly snapping his fingers, whitish substances suddenly began manifesting in the air.


    Shamac narrows his eyes to analyze the properties of the converging white smoke that gathered at an rming rate. Before he knew it, arge fog enveloped the area, surrounding him and at the same time trapping him within the thickyer of white smoke.


    "This is a barrier I''ve created. No one may interfere with our fight, and it certainly makes it easier for me to deal with you without garnering any attention." Aries''voice echoed around the fog.


    "Now then... Die!"


    Instantly, multiple sharp edges appeared from the smoke, all colored white. They all flew in Shamc''s direction, aiming to impale him from head to bottom.


    As Shamac saw the countless des near him, he knew that he had to act quickly as well.


    >SWOOOOSH<


    In an instant, ck matter covered his body and he was shrouded in his shadow regalia, a cloak he developed specifically for offense and defense.


    Now d in his dark robe, heunched several spikes from the covering, shing with the des that surrounded him.


    While he saw nothing but endless white smoke and the des surrounding him, he refused to believe for a second that Aries was nowhere near him.


    As soon as he let his guard down, the opponent was sure to use that opportunity to strike.


    >CLANG< >CLANG< >CLANG<


    Sparks danced in the air as his dark des parried the whooshing des that seemed to never end.


    ''The fog seems to be producing them in mass. That means, no matter how many I destroy or parry, they''ll keeping...'' Shamac thought to himself as his brain went into overdrive.


    "Then all I have to do is get rid of the smoke!" He mumbled.


    Retracting all the spikes he had brought from his shadow clothing, Shamac suddenly covered himself in a dark sphere.


    The sphere acted like a dome and suddenly grew in size until it became a huge mass of shadow.


    Therge orb swiftly began to spin, causing a small twister around it as ck cackles of energy formed on the surface of the shadow. The more it rotated, the greater the power the orb generated.


    >ZTTTTTTTZZZZZZ<


    Buzzing sounds emanated from the orb as purple-ck energy surged at an rming rate... until finally, the dark sphere exploded, sending the waves of destruction in all directions in a massive burst.


    >BOOOOOMM!!!<


    The dark shadows erupted, like an explosive st, blowing away the smoke that surrounded him to a considerable length, giving him more space than earlier.


    However... the bothersome clouds refused to dissipate entirely.


    With the dark orb dissipated, Shamac appeared and looked around him in disappointment. The st wasn''t enough to drive the white smoke away.


    ''Tch!'' He silently clicked his tongue.


    "Well, if that won''t do the trick... then how about this-"


    "That''s enough!" Aries''s voice sounded, interrupting Shamac''s deliberation.


    Hearing the voice of the opponent, Shamac stiffened, darting his eyes in all directions to pinpoint the location of the Constetion.


    However, before Shamac reacted, Aries appeared in front of him with a grin.


    "So this is the little measure of power you have... disappointing..."


    In a sh, Aries generated a white de from the remnant of white smoke in the area and impaled Shamac''s body with it.


    "Guarkkkk!" The young hybrid yelled, spitting out blood as he looked at his opponent in shock.


    Therge hole the Constetion made was directly in Shamac''s heart, puncturing the internal organ as it ruptured.


    Shamac''s expression darkened in pain as his face grew pale. Blood gushed from his body and fell on the ground in little sshes.


    Aries found the sight amusing as he twisted his de within Shamac, causing him even greater agony.


    Unable to bear it any longer, Shamac instantly summoned dark shadows from himself to assault Aries, however...


    "How vulgar!" The Constetion muttered, waving off therge spikes with a sleight of hand.


    Before they could reach him, more white smoke appeared, instantly cutting the shadows off. As if that wasn''t enough, Aries caused more des to appear.


    Shaped like daggers, these white objects drove themselves into Shamac''s already injured body, making him scream out.


    "Gahhh, arhhh!" He made hurting noises, trying to free himself from the initial de that poked into his body.


    "Oh, I''m not done with you..." Aries grinned sadistically, drawing his face closer to Shamac.


    "I''m going to enjoy breaking you... bit by bit!"


    Shamac attempted to speak, but more blood gushed out of his mouth, making him shudder.


    "Is... Is that what..." His voice drowsily made its way to Aries'' ear.


    "Don''t bother. Your heart has been pierced, it''s a miracle you''re still alive, and that''s because I haven''t pulled my de out. If you really wish to die, keep talking!" Aries responded, not patient enough to decipher what the young boy was trying to say.


    Looking around him, Aries smiled as he spotted Ruth standing beyond the white fog, waiting for her partner to emerge victoriously.


    "Hahaha, your friend is waiting for you. Too bad..." Aries grinned, enjoying the view of Shamac''s beaten-up body.


    "Once I''m done here, I''ll be sure to enjoy mutting her. Since I only need one of the two of you, I''ll have to kill you. It''s a shame, you won''t get to see your partner suffer the same fate."

 Chapter 213 - Shamac Vs Aries (Pt 2)

    Ariesughed to himself, enjoying the feeling of superiority he possessed.


    It had been quite a while since he was able to enjoy crushing a foe so easily.


    Most of the time, his strength was overshadowed by his superiors, making him appear weak when in their presence.


    Even when he was with Virgo, he felt stifled due to her superior rank and strength.


    And that was why he felt very ecstatic at the moment. Watching an opponent so easily crushed, yet struggling to survive, made him extremely happy.


    While he was still drowning himself in his false sense of victory and satisfaction, Shamac''s groaning voice finally managed toplete the statement it had been trying to make.


    "Is... is that what.... you think...?"


    As Aries heard those words, he red at the wounded figure. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The helpless being dangled on his sword as his body neared expiration. In a few moments or so, the brat would be dead.


    Or so he thought!


    >SHUUUUUUUU<


    Before Aries'' eyes, the unbelievable happened. A dark spot swirled on the ground, a few meters from where he stood. The darkness, like arge pool of shadow, gave a very ominous feel, and suddenly something began to emerge from within it.


    The figure''s head came out first, followed by the body, and in a few seconds, the entire figure appeared.


    "W-what is the meaning of this..." Aries''eyes bulged as he spoke in disbelief.


    Shrouded in darkness and the mysterious feel of shadows was Shamac. The young boy''s hands were in his pockets as shadows covered his vicinity and dark cackles of lightning buzzed around his short frame.


    "You should really look at what you''re stabbing..." Shamac''s voice sounded in a low, amused tone.


    Instinctively, Aries turned his face from the newly appeared Shamac and stared at the one he had brutally injured.


    >SHUUUUU<


    Like dissipating air, the wounded Shamac began to evaporate. Its body which had the appearance of a pale person, dyed with the crimson color of blood that dripped from it became darkened. Turning ck, the evaporation became faster, as the figure totally transformed into ck smoke, and the blood puddle underneath went through the same process.


    "W-what is... What is this nonsense?!" Aries barked in confusion.


    The dark fog returned to their owner, the Shamac that stood a few meters from Aries.


    Shamac''s expression had not changed since he first challenged Aries. Having a condescending expression while casually maintaining his posture, Shamac grinned widely, further taunting the Constetion.


    He pondered on whether to reveal how he was able to avoid being fatally injured by Aries, but decided against it.


    ''It''s better he doesn''t know. That way, he''ll remain flustered...'' He thought.


    Besides, seeing the mortified expression of the Constetion was also something Shamac wanted to enjoy a little more.


    What had actually happened a few moments ago, before Aries'' appeared to stab Shamac was simple.


    When Shamac realized that the fog was the problem, he encapsted himself with his shadows, creating a dense structure of the shadow sphere he used to blow away the fog.


    During the explosion, he hid himself into the ground, turning his body itself into a shadow.


    As for what remained, the being that Aries pierced and appeared to dominate... that was none other than-


    "Nice job taking care of my clone. I''m sure you enjoyed yourself a little..." Shamac grinned as he spoke.


    "Your... clone...?" Aries mumbled, taking in the words Shamac uttered.


    "Yeah, that was one of my shadow clones. Not only am I able to change my shadows to how I will, but I can also make them into perfect copies of myself. Pretty useful, wouldn''t you say?"


    The way Shamac casually mentioned this made Aries shudder a little. He was just a little kid, yet was able to perform such a trick.


    Not only was he able to make a perfectly functional clone, but the details were also so precise, that even Aries, as a Constetion, could not tell the difference.


    ''Who... who is this kid?!'' Aries thought to himself.


    "I would get serious now if I were you. There isn''t much time, and I want to end this as efficiently as possible, or Ruth will have to interfere." Shamac said, finally taking a step from where he stood.


    "You insult me. Why would I need to go all out against you?"


    "Oh, I don''t know... Just a hunch!"


    Shamac shrugged as he said this, and in an instant, he spread his shadows around him. The shadows stood upright, quickly taking a humanoid form.


    "This is..." Aries mumbled, stunned by the sight.


    Each of the standing shadows immediately turned into Shamac, causing multiple copies of the young hybrid to appear before Aries.


    "I can make more, but let''s start with this, shall we?" Shamac smiled, disying over a hundred copies of himself on the battlefield.


    For a moment, Aries remained stunned. However... he regained hisposure instantly.


    "Hehehehehe... Hahahaha!!!" The Constetion burst intoughter.


    ''What am I doing? So what if he can create multiple clones of himself? They''re still clones in the end! There''s no way they pose any real threat!'' Aries'' reasoned.


    With a single thought, a multitude of white clouds appeared and began to take form.


    "This is perfect, my Grace against yours. Let''s see how long you''ll be able tost... against these projections!"


    With a grin, Aries instantly caused the white fog formation to generate white beasts. The ravaging monsters all had clear skin, taking after the fog that formed them.


    Appearing to be like molded animated statues, they growled at Shamac and his clones. Even though they were of various shapes and sizes, the most notable feature about them was their overwhelming numbers.


    "Your shadows will eventually run out, since they are finite, while I can produce an endless amount of projections with my Grace. Not only that, but my beasts are certainly superior to yours in quality. Now then, let''s see how long you''ll be able to maintain your confidence!" Aries grinned.


    With a single snap, the white horde of monsters rushed at Shamac''s army in their hundreds, far outnumbering the shadow clones at least five to one.


    As they continued pressing on, nearly reaching Shamac''s location, the boy didn''t appear to be fazed in the slightest. Instead, his lips curled up even more, in anticipation.


    "Charge!" He let out a single word.


    In a sh, the shadow clones dashed from their location, generating dark cloaks on themselves and ck des to follow suit.


    Before the beasts could do much, the group of a hundred Shamac''s made short work of the white monsters, each of them killing at least five on the spot.


    The beasts vanished in the blink of an eye,pletely erased by the more superior army.


    Aries couldn''t even speak as he watched the unbelievable sight unfold before him.


    "I-impossible..." Was all he could utter.


    However, Shamac appeared to have even more to say. With a wide grin, slowly disying his obsessive drive to fight and dominate his foe, the boy shrouded in darkness gave a chilly remark.


    "Are we done here.... Mr. Constetion?"

 Chapter 214 - A True Taste Of Darkness

    Aries felt threatened. As unbelievable as it seemed, the young boy was actually intimidating such a person of his standing.


    "Don''t... don''t look down on me, you little brat!" Aries yelled.


    A sudden wave of energy flowed through him, as his divine Power climaxed, reaching an unprecedented degree.


    This was not the level he was at a few seconds ago.


    Shamac felt the power filling the area, like countless unpleasant sensations squirming on his skin, he felt repulsed by the aura emanating from Aries.


    "It looks like you''ve finally decided to get serious, uh?" Shamac grinned.


    "Don''t be conceited. You''re not worthy to witness my full power. I''ve only resolved to end this quickly!" Aries responded.


    In a sh, the white fog around them spat out more beasts. This time, they appeared more menacing than the previous set. Not only were they of greater quality, the divine energy in each of these beasts had increased nearly tenfoldpared to thest.


    "You''re not joking around, eh?"


    Shamac observed their numbers as well. The white monsters were in their thousands now, and some were flying in the air where normal clones wouldn''t be able to reach.


    "You intend to overwhelm me with both quality and quantity, uh? Not bad, Mr. Constetion..." He thought aloud.


    Aries felt a surge of satisfaction, reveling in what seemed to be his counterattack and assured victory.


    "Let''s see how your knockoffs fare against these!" Aries dered excitedly, snapping his fingers as he pointed at Shamac.


    >VWOOOOSH< The army immediately obeyed their creator and charged toward Shamac''s small troop.


    The ground shook as the army marched. Their sheer numbers and mass were enough to overwhelm most foes. Tho beasts who were flying dived at Shamac''s clones, causing a great pressure in the winds.


    "This is nothing... Charge!" Shamac smiled, still stationary on his spot, covered in his shadow.


    The exact duplicates of Shamac all let out confident grins as they dashed toward the thousands of monsters that crept upon them.


    >SWOOOOSH!<


    Their speed caused swishing sounds to fill the air as they danced around with the dark des they wielded, cutting down the enemies.


    Aries was surprised that despite the increase in power and number of his white horde, they were still being overpowered.


    "Tch!"


    His pride wouldn''t let him exert more of his power, but the way things were going, the match appeared to be outside his control. If he didn''t act fast, he was bound to lose with his forces.


    "Don''t get cocky yet, kid!" Aries yelled.


    Instantly, more beasts appeared from the fog. The smoke didn''t stop spitting out monsters as they kepting out.


    ''I''ll just have to use my endless supply of minions to my advantage. No matter who he is, he can''t maintain those clones for long. Sooner orter... I''m bound to win!'' He thought in confidence.


    However, even as time passed, it didn''t appear as though Shamac''s clones grew tired. They were still functional, even after some of Aries'' beasts bit through them and fatally injured them, they closed their wounds through the shadows making them up, and continued fighting.


    However, noticeable changes were being noticed by the Constetion as the fight dragged on.


    "They''re slower... they aren''t as powerful as before... and my white army isprised of nearly five thousand now. There won''t be enough space within here for long. Sooner orter... they''ll be forfeit!" Aries spoke to himself, watching how the once nimble and exceedingly superior Shamacs now struggled against the white monsters he brought forth.


    ''It won''t be long now...''


    Aries nced in Shamac''s direction and saw his expression being stoic and calm. While his usual confident grin had vanished, Shamac was still not disying the expression of despair that Aries wanted.


    Still, he wasn''t going to waste the opportunity to taunt the poor boy concerning his looming defeat.


    "What''s wrong, brat? Where did that smile of yours go? Not confident in your victory anymore?"


    As Aries sent his spiteful words to Shamac, the boy''s eyes slowly went to him. The cheeky attitude the Apostle had vanished the moment he stared into the deep, dark, void that dwelled within Shamac''s eyes.


    "Oh? Isn''t this a funny sight? Are you actually happy with yourself right now?" Shamac''s intimidating voice sounded, causing pressure to surround the area.


    Aries felt bloodlust. Like a thousand needles piercing his body, the murderous aura filling the air nearly made Aries vomit in disgust, or perhaps fear.


    "You, a Constetion, is satisfied with a battle dragged on for this long? Aren''t you ashamed for taking so long and still not being able to finish me off as you said?"


    Those words of Shamac pierced Aries'' pride. He couldn''t believe a mongrel such as the kid standing a small distance from him could utter those words.


    Of course, he could kill him if he so desired. In fact, Aries had been holding back this far since his pride wouldn''t allow him to use his full strength.


    But, to think Shamac would spit on that act of mercy and take it as his full power... Aries wasn''t going to ept that.


    "You little..."He growled.


    "Sigh, that''s enough of that. As much as I would like to continue this and see where it leads, I''ll have to cancel, unfortunately..." Shamac gave a repressed mumble.


    His lips curled down in frustration, and a somewhat dissatisfied expression took over, like he was being forced to do something.


    "Return..."


    Instantly, his shadow clones turned back to their original dark state and went back to their creator. Fusing with the plenty ck shadows surrounding Shamac, they vanished without a trace.


    "Oh? Looks like you''ve finally given up! No need to put on a front of bravado! You just can''t withstand any more, can you?! Then... ept your fate and be devoured!" Aries smiled in satisfaction as his eyes widened in anticipation.


    He watched as the thousands of monsters, both onnd and in the air, charged toward the lone boy who stood still.


    Shamac gave an underwhelming sigh and focused on the horde approaching him at a rapid rate.


    "Swallow all... [DarkHold]!"


    Immediately, a wide spread of darkness appeared,ing from Shamac''s little body, and filled the entire area. Before any time passed, the pure darkness had already filled the entire ground, creating a swamp of ckness.


    Being wary of the suspicious, ck mattering from his enemy, Aries quickly erected a barrier made with pure Divine Energy to defend himself. Due to this interference, none of the shadows reached him.


    However, the same couldn''t be said for his countless projections.


    The monsters stopped dead on their tracks, unable to move. The reason for this was due to the shadows beneath them. The shadows began sucking the monsters into them, drawing the pure white foes within the murky depths of an endless ckness that filled the ground.


    The monsters in the air seemingly felt a moment of satisfaction, assuming they were exempted from the horror that befell the ones on the ground. Unfortunately for them, that was not the case.


    Dark hands made of the same shadow structures emerged from the ground, grabbing every monster in the air. They struggled to break free, but in an instant, the white flying monsters became paralyzed as well.


    The corruption of darkness seeped into their pure selves until they were all buried within the dark shadows, unable to offer much resistance.


    And just like that, all of Aries troops which he boasted of, vanished without a trace.


    "Now then..." Shamac muttered, turning his attention to the dumbfounded Constetion who hid behind his divine protection.


    "I-impossible... Just like that?!" Aries muttered, stuttering in his speech.


    He couldn''t believe his eyes. All his projections were swallowed by Shamac''s shadows! Even though they were not made with his full power, a great deal had gone into making them, and they were also in their thousands. To be able to make short work of them in an instant... that was inconceivable!


    ncing in Shamac''s direction, Aries wondered what kind of face the youth made after performing such a feat.


    Suddenly, a much greater aura filled the air, far more bloodlust than before, and the ominous feel could make one run mad. However, Aries was protected against such conditions.


    He still couldn''t understand what was going on, however, he wasn''t weak enough to give in without resistance.


    "Hehehehehe... Hehehehe... Hehehehe..." A voice filled the air.


    Aries recognized it. It was Shamac''s voice!


    However, something was different about the tone this time. It sounded more wicked, more obsessive... more depraved.


    "Look at you, Mr. Constetion. Why are you making such a look? Did you think you were the only one holding back?" Shamac asked, slowly bringing his hands from within his pockets as he grinned sadistically.


    The expression on his face was demonic, having twisted eyes and curled up lips which disyed his sets of white teeth that gave off a maddeningugh.


    "What.... what are you?!" Aries asked, now genuinely feeling threatened.


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