HEX: Aspect Of The Void

"RIO! RIO!! RIO!!!"

The entire audience screamed as the Platinum Adventurer emerged victorious in his fight against the Boss Monster, Wrath.

I couldn\'t help but laugh 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 flash, Rio descended from his height and came among the people. He glanced 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, landing safely, before venturing to fight Wrath.

"I came too late... 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 placed 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 a large 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 glanced 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, glaring at the group.

"You\'ll need to come 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 to come with us!" The woman said with an authoritative tone.

As an agent of justice, such was her job. However, even if he was playing 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 Platinum 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 him company.

"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 Platinum 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 and come 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 glare 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 to command me... Especially when you did nothing to avert the disaster that threatened everyone here" Rio said, glaring 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 contemplated whether he was taking things too far. Even the grateful crowd were looking frightened by his display 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 glancing at his sharp glare.

"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 explained.

"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 manipulate 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 had come 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 success, 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, when compared 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.