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"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 glared at the two party members of Rio.

nVirgo had put him in a terrible mood, and after she revealed Rio's strength, he felt even worse.

nThe 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.

nSince he figured out Rio's Party members were trailing him, the perfect opportunity presented itself for him to exploit.

n

"Great timing. I was looking for something like concrete to get more information from anyway. Why have you been following me?

" He asked.

nThe 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.

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"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-

"

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"Shut up!

" A voice suddenly cut him short.

nHis eyes bulged in surprise while glaring at the one who spoke with such disrespect.

nThe male among them stepped forward, placing his hands in his pockets casually as he gave him a condescending look.

nFor a moment, he smiled and made a nonchalant shrug. Even his female partner responded with a grin and didn't attempt to stop his advance.

nMany thoughts ran wild in Aries' mind.

n'They're looking down on me, aren't they? How dare they? How dare they?!'

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"You filthy heathen! Do you know who you're-

"

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"I said... shut up!

" Shamac repeated.

nThis was the height of disrespect Aries had ever received since becoming a Constellation.

nHe wasn't going to let it slide.

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"Hehehehe... Hahahahaha

" He laughed.

nPerhaps he had been too worked up, showing himself to be a pushover due to Virgo's presence.

nNow that she was gone, he had nothing holding him back.

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"Oi, brat... You need to be taught some manners!

"

nA Few Moments Earlier

n~Shamac, Ruth... it's me, Rio~

nShamac and Ruth froze in their position upon hearing Rio's telepathic words.

nThis would be the first time he communicated with them using such means, and by doing so when they were monitoring Aries, they had nearly lost tact.

n~You don't have to panic or make any unnecessary movements. Just calm yourselves and communicate with your minds...~

nUpon hearing his voice in their heads the second time, both individuals looked at each other and nodded.

n~Understood!~ They answered.

nThe sensation of communication being passed across to their leader and back was somewhat foreign to the two, making them a little elated by it.

n~How are things on your end?~ He asked.

nMaking a more stern expression, they decided to let their master know what they had been up to.

n~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.

nRio 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.

n~I see. That's fine then. Ruth, Shamac. It's time for what we discussed. He's gotten a little further than I wanted.~

nAs they heard their leader's instructions, the two smiled at each other.

nIn 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.

n~What about you, Bo- I mean, Rio. How are things on your end?~ Shamac asked.

n~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 flashy~

nShamac 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.

nIf 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.

nHowever, for Rio to have mentioned something 'flashy', Shamac anticipated a much more explosive sight than what had been occurring.

nHe wasn't disappointed.

n>BOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<

nA large 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 blast. Then they saw it, the glimmer of light that burst out from the single location and spread out through the disintegrated forest.

nEven 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, similar to burning ambers, but golden in color, they marveled at the sight.

n~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.

nSnapping 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.

nThis meant that he couldn't be sensed, even by an Apostle, just like Rio and Ruth.

nThis ring was worn on his left finger, alongside another one with an ominous purple glow.

nAs soon as he deactivated it, he felt the watchful stare of the Constellation, Aries, come over him.

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"It worked!

" He grinned, nodding at Ruth who smiled back.

nThey both descended from the rooftop where they stayed and rapidly moved to an abandoned location, far from anyone residing within the city.

n

"Just as planned....

" Ruth smiled, sensing Aries approaching them.

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