HEX: Aspect Of The Void

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.

Now then, where should I start from?

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 explaining to do, town chief..." 

"W-what are you-?!" She spoke, flustered.

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" The muscular 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 muscular 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 similar fashion.

"Rip apart!" 

Instantly, her entire body ruptured, tearing up as they dispersed. The blood splattered across the village floor, splashing 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 and absolute 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 flash 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 escalated into a burst of depraved laughter.

"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 village. 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 village... until a few weeks later.

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 village. 

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 village.

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 village.

"Hohohoho... it seems you were right, after all. There are more humans here!" A sultry voice suddenly sounded, causing the villagers 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 glanced 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. 

"Hicc... Hicc..." 

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 villagers understood what he meant by that. Since he was still a member of their town, they took him into their community 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 possibly comprehend 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 village, or the pain he endured, as well as the trauma he received, Zhen Kai ended his own life!

Why? The village 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 plan.

"Men!"

"It was one of them that landed 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, succeeding 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.