Chapter 231 Morfid Mana  

"Now can we talk?" Rio said as he moved towards the hooded man.

"I underestimated you." The hooded man said, looking at the pieces of golems lying around on the ground motionless.

"You did." Rio said as he started moving towards him.

The hooded man furrowed his brows as he looked at Rio's shadow, which was growing larger on the ground and started covering the entire area, making him confused as to what he was planning to do next. Until he saw that the golems soon started disappearing in his shadow, and wherever the shadow moved the floor was cleaned with nothing left behind.

-Hahahaha- The hooded man started laughing seeing him looting all the remains of their battle. "Virgil was right, you're different."

"What else did he say?" Rio said as he closed in and touched the barrier. He exerted a little strength and ripples formed on the barrier.

"He said you owe him a hand."

"And he sent you to collect it."

"How did you use aura and mana, you were poisoned?"

"My goddess is generous to me." Rio said with a smile. "Nyx?" The hooded man asked confused.

[Hela asks you to kill this insolent fool. She's going to burn his soul in hellfire.]

Rio smiled reading those notifications and started speaking - "It's Hela. The Ruler of Niflheim. She turned my blood into the cells of the nether. Poison doesn't affect me anymore." magic

"You're her avatar?" The hooded man asked.

"I am. Virgil didn't tell you that, did he?" Rio asked while smiling.

The man furrowed his brows at Rio's remark, thinking what he meant. "You see, when I fought with Virgil two years ago, he was on the peak of C+ rank, about to break through to B- rank at any time. It was a tough battle. I still remember how much I had to try to defeat him, while always looking out for the fact that he might just break through at any moment and kill me easily. But then his buddies actually blasted the dungeon core without informing him and ran away themselves."

"I still smile whenever I remember the frustrated and betrayed look he had on his face at that time. He even killed a few of his own men while trying to escape the crashing dungeon." Rio said with his eyes closed and a focused look, like he was remembering about his past clearly. "And that distraction was all I needed to land a hit on him."

"And boom- just like that, I attacked him, and that's how I managed to chop off his hand." Rio swung his hand in the air in a sword motion and finished his words.

"My sword was sprinkled with a little poison and the technique I used amplified that. Since I know the effects of my attack best, I can tell you it was something very hard to cure. Now tell me someone who lost the hand he's been accustomed to, the one he trained and used all his life, one day lost it. The blow of that level - it probably also delayed his break through I guess."

"Now Virgil, as someone who lost his treasures, his chance to rise in power and fame, and nearly lost his life too - who would he hate more? Me, who waved his sword, or his own people who left him there?"

The more Rio spoke the more worried the hooded man became. "Shut up." He shouted loudly while trying to suppress the feeling of dread that started rising in his heart as he looked at the barrier which was starting to form cracks, under the pressure from Rio's hand. Though the cracks fixed themselves instantly, the fact that they were forming constantly was scary enough. The feeling of fear that it could break any time and he'd be left open without any defense, was even more scary.

"I'll tell you, he'd hate us both. He'd want to kill us both." Rio said as he smiled and put both his hands on the barrier. Quickening the process of destruction of this barrier. The cracks were now forming faster than they were filled back, and small particles of mana started to float away.

It wasn't because he had too much strength in his hands was crushing the barrier under his hands, it was actually one of the techniques he trained with. Something that Hela gave him when she first became his chosen goddess. Morfid Mana, a technique created by the beings responsible for managing the Netherlands under Hela's commands. A sinister art that held the power to corrode any source of mana and energy it touched. The practitioners of this art could tap into the darkest energies of the Netherworld, channeling its malevolent power on their command.

To utilize this technique, one had to willingly embrace the darkness within themselves, for the Netherworld's power demanded a toll on their mind and soul. Cause if not learnt right or lost control, then the technique may very well corrode the user itself.

A user with perfect mastery of Morfid Mana possessed the ability to corrupt even the most potent sources of mana. They could drain energy from powerful artifacts, dispel complex enchantments, and weaken formidable foes with just a simple touch.

Due to Rio's time in the dungeon where everything is already corroded, with EMMSY which was already corroding his body - he got a few insights on how to better handle the corrosion energy and control it. Though it hurt like hell every time he used this technique. But with constant repeats of that pain over two years, he could now pull it off without changing his expressions and showing pain on his face. It's not that it doesn't hurt anymore, he just got a little used to it.

"So he sent you here to die." Rio said with a smile "If you manage to kill me, it's good. But if not, well, then that just means I killed you, and he can send someone else to kill me again. Wearing out both of us little by little."

"You're wrong, he would never do that. He would never betray the organization" The hooded man shouted while backing away from the barrier. The more he listened, the more sense it made to him, and it made him scared. Not of death, but of these two people - one who could use him as a pawn, and the other who could see through it at a glance.

'Monsters' the hooded man thought in his heart, but was still not ready to believe it. "Don't try to fool me, Rio. The organization is too strict, no one dares to betray the Ruler or the seat holders."

"The fact that he didn't tell you about me being the avatar of Hela is proof of it. After all, the technique I used to cut his hand off, and now to destroy your barrier they're both the same. He knew about it, yet he let you come here. Do you care to guess why?" Rio said, while channeling his technique with full effect. He pressed his left hand with all his strength, as he clenched his right hand into a fist.

-bam-shatter-

He punched the barrier with all his strength, after coating his hand into a red energy that seemed alive and rolling on his fingers. The barrier which was already on the verge of collapse lost all its core power, and with a loud bang it shattered. The particles of mana floated in the air in the form of layers and disappeared soon. With a crack sound the necklace the hooded man wore around his neck also cracked and the green medallion on it shattered in pieces.

"Show me your face, will you? I should at least know who I killed." Rio said while moving forward.

"Rio, we have no _"

"So I can send your family members and friends to join you too." He said as he took out the crimson dagger again. Let it increase another kill.

The hooded man, who heard his words and saw his actions instantly turned around and tried to run away. After all, he was just a newly promoted B rank, and after using his mana all this time to control so many golems, his mana pool was nearly depleted. And seeing Rio who seemed fine without any hint of being tired, he knew he was no match.

He was arrogant before thinking that with the three guards around him, all the golems under his command, and the barrier protecting him - even if Rio managed to cross all of them, he would be exhausted and he could kill him easily. But he never thought this monster would still be fine after everything and smile at him like a reaper ready to take his soul.

As for using aura to fight Rio, he never even thought about it. The scene of his avatar directly chugging down a fully powered golem, which could fight normal C+ ranker and even kill them, was still in his mind. He had never seen a monstrous atrocity like that, and the fact that it was made out of pure aura and was in Rio's control he was even more scared of it.

That's why he just wanted to run away now. His steps moved towards Leon's room, like he was planning to use the ones inside as captives and escape.